Best Blu-ray Player for 2024: Tested by Our Experts
We’ve rounded up all the best HD and 4K ready Blu-ray players on the market
Our Picks
Streaming might be a convenient way to enjoy your favorite movies but for unbeatable at-home cinema experiences in HD and 4K, a Blu-ray player is vital -- after all, nothing beats the picture quality and audio fidelity you get from a Blu-ray disc. The best Blu-ray players allow for an exemplary movie-watching experience in the comfort of your own home. And all without being constrained by internet speeds and bandwidth, so you’ll never have to deal with your movie stopping to buffer part-way through.
There are two types of Blu-ray player available: 4K UHD Blu-ray and 1080p Blu-ray. While both are a step up from a traditional DVD player, a 4K model may be a better option as it will let you play both kinds of Blu-rays and provides access to Dolby Atmos, Dolby Vision, DTS:X and HDR10 formats for even higher image quality. And, good news, all Blu-ray players should work with your old DVD and CD collections, too.
A Blu-ray player may be somewhat of an investment (they don’t tend to come cheap) but, if you’re sick of the problems you encounter with streaming apps, like dropouts, bandwidth caps and buffering, it’s worth the cost.
Convinced that you need a Blu-ray player in your life but not sure which model to pick? Don’t panic -- that’s where we come in. To help make choosing the right Blu-ray player for you easier, we’ve rounded up all our favorite picks.
Best Blu-ray players of 2024
The Sony UBP-X700 is at the cutting edge of 4K Blu-ray technology, thanks in part to its Dolby Vision compatibility. Throw in a bunch of streaming app services, and this Sony Blu-ray player rewards you with a solid performance at a reasonable price.
Best 1080p Blu-ray player
Sony BDP-S3700
If you want to spend the bare minimum on a Blu-ray player, then the Sony BDP-S3700 should be your choice. It offers a lot of features for little money, but as it's only 1080p you'll miss out on advanced features like 4K resolution picture quality and Dolby Vision.
Best Xbox for Blu-ray movies
Microsoft Xbox Series X
The Xbox Series X is the only current Xbox model that accepts optical discs. It can play DVDs, Blu-rays and 4K Blu-rays, in addition to Xbox game discs. It can also be used with standard IR remotes, unlike the PS5. Note that the cheaper Xbox Series S does not have a disc slot.
Best PlayStation for Blu-ray movies
Sony PlayStation 5
The high-end PS5 (the $500 model) includes an optical drive that accepts DVDs, Blu-rays and 4K Blu-rays, in addition to PS4 and PS5 game discs. The cheaper PS5 Digital Edition does not have a disc slot.