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Article updated on December 16, 2023 at 5:08 PM PST

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 Experts

Written by 
Ty Pendlebury
Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Reviews ethics statement
Ty Pendlebury Editor
Ty Pendlebury is a journalism graduate of RMIT Melbourne, and has worked at CNET since 2006. He lives in New York City where he writes about streaming and home audio.
Expertise Ty has worked for radio, print, and online publications, and has been writing about home entertainment since 2004. He majored in Cinema Studies when studying at RMIT. He is an avid record collector and streaming music enthusiast. Credentials
  • Ty was nominated for Best New Journalist at the Australian IT Journalism awards, but he has only ever won one thing. As a youth, he was awarded a free session for the photography studio at a local supermarket.
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Our Picks

$155 at Amazon
Sony UBP-X700
Best Dolby Vision 4K Blu-ray player
Sony UBP-X700
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$80 at Walmart
sony-bdp-s3700-08.jpg
Best 1080p Blu-ray player
Sony BDP-S3700
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$500 at Best Buy
xbox-series-x-s-console-hoyle-studio-promo-23
Best Xbox for Blu-ray movies
Microsoft Xbox Series X
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$559 at Amazon
sony-ps5-full-price-and-release-date-reveal-with-games-mp4-00-00-39-22-still001
Best PlayStation for Blu-ray movies
Sony PlayStation 5
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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

$155 at Amazon

Best Dolby Vision 4K Blu-ray player

Sony UBP-X700

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.

$80 at Walmart

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.

$500 at Best Buy

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.

$559 at Amazon

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.

Blu-ray player FAQs

Can I play normal DVDs in a Blu-ray player?

All Blu-ray and 4K UHD Blu-ray players are designed to be backward compatible with your existing DVDs. Most will also upscale DVD to 1080p (or 4K), which will mean a boost in image quality when played on a flatscreen TV. 

If you have DVDs from other regions -- e.g., you live in the UK and have Japanese DVDs -- you will need to check with the manufacturer to make sure your player is compatible.

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Does Blu-ray work on all TVs?

Blu-ray will work on virtually any TV made since 2004; and if it's a flatscreen, it's compatible. There are exceptions -- rear projection, for example -- and so what you will need is an HD resolution (720/1080p) and an HDMI port. Sadly, no current Blu-ray players under $1,500 support the analog connections (component and composite) that are used by older TVs.

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