As much as streaming movies and TV from Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video is convenient, their compression algorithms leave a lot to be desired. Watching content on a Blu-ray player is still one of the best way to enjoy your favorites, and if you're the type of person who has a big disc library or likes the idea of actually owning the movies you have, then a Blu-ray player is essential. They give you better quality video and audio, and you don't eat into your bandwidth cap, either.
There aren’t as many Blu-ray players to choose from these days, which is why knowing your facts before making a purchase is more integral than ever. To help you along the way, we’ve put together this roundup of the best Blu-ray players for 2025.
The best overall Blu-ray player
Sony UBP-X700M
- Effective upscaling for older media
- HDR10 and Dolby Vision support
- Affordable
- Not as good as some of our other Sony picks
If you are looking for ways to make sure even your older Blu-rays perform as well as they can with your new 4K TV, this UBP-X700M model is a 4K Blu-ray player with excellent upscaling even for older formats. It's also highly compact, super-easy to set up, and includes dual HDMI ports if you prefer an audio-only HDMI option in your setup.
It's also a powerful audio platform, with support for 24-bit hi-res audio formats, as well as HDR10, Dolby Vision, and other support to ensure that you're getting the most cinematic results for your experience.
In addition to awesome disc playback, the player's powerful Wi-Fi chip and Ethernet port enable fast 4K streaming. Finally, Sony’s TV SideView app lets you control your screen from your smartphone, as well as share your entire smartphone screen with your TV, which is great for showing friends and family pictures and videos.
The best budget Blu-ray player
LG BP175
- Excellent price
- Supports Blu-ray, DVD, and CD playback
- Has built-in streaming apps
- No Wi-Fi (Ethernet only)
- No 4K Blu-ray support
- No HDR support
For all our budget-restricted readers, the LG BP175 is one of the best no-frills Blu-ray players on the market, especially if you don't mind the fact that you won't be getting any kind of 4K playback. But for 1080p HD only (and don't forget regular HD upscaling for all your old DVDs), the BP175 is the player for the job.
In terms of features, there's not too much to write home about with this model. Audio-wise, the BP175 does handle regular music CDs, in addition to popular audio formats including WMA, MP3, and MP4, all of which can be loaded up to the player's interface using a USB thumb-drive.
You'll also be able to enjoy streaming content from the likes of Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and a few more platforms, but you'll want to make sure the player is located near your router because the BP175 cannot connect to Wi-Fi (you'll have to wire it directly to your router using the built-in Ethernet port).
If money is tight and you want a Blu-ray player without a bunch of add-ons, the LG BP175 is a great choice all around.
The best Blu-ray player for HDR
Panasonic DP-UB820
- Beautiful HDR picture
- Fantastic 4K upscaling
- Compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant
- Separate HDMI and analog audio outputs
- Expensive
- No SACD support
Panasonic is back in the TV market, but it never left the Blu-ray space. For those of us looking to experience the best of modern HDR picture standards, the Panasonic UB820 is outfitted to support all the leading HDR formats, including HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and HLG. When pairing this 4K Blu-ray player with a UHD TV, HDR visuals are simply beautiful. Expect vibrant imagery, with plenty of color brightness and incredible richness and depth, too.
The UB820 also supports hi-res audio playback, and features a dedicated HDMI output for audio, along with analog audio outputs for up to a 7.1 surround-sound system.
It may not be the cheapest Blu-ray player on the market, but after factoring in all its amazing picture perks, compatibility with Alexa and Google Assistant, and built-in streaming apps like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, it becomes clear why the Panasonic UB820 is one of the best players you can buy.
The most fun Blu-ray player
Microsoft Xbox Series X
- Very gaming-friendly
- 4K and HDR support
- Plenty of on-board storage
- May be more than some are willing to pay
If you want a great Blu-ray player and you’re also into video games (especially with a subscription, such as Game Pass), the Xbox Series X is an excellent entertainment hub. An attractive gaming console with sleek looks, this version of the Xbox includes the latest and greatest 4K UHD Blu-ray technology.
Like most high-end Blu-ray players on the market, the console features three USB 3.1 ports, one Ethernet port, and one HDMI 2.1 port. A one-stop solution for everything from gaming to high-end AV viewing, the Xbox Series X offers 4K streaming and a beautiful picture, with HDR10 support that provides impressive contrast.
It's worth noting, however, that while Microsoft added support for Dolby Vision on the Xbox Series X/S for use with streaming media like Netflix and Hulu and playing games, it still hasn't added support for playback via Blu-ray. Microsoft could remedy this with a future update, but only time will tell. In the meantime, while you will definitely get some better picture and codec support from a stand-alone Blu-ray player, if you're a gamer and don't want to spend the extra money on an additional device, the Xbox Series X plays Blu-ray discs beautifully with great picture and sound.
Best Premium Blu-ray player
Panasonic UB9000
- Premium brushed aluminum look
- Excellent HDR support with HDR optimizer
- Impressive audio support, including XLR outputs
- High-end DAC
- Expensive
- Older design
The Panasonic UB9000 might be closing in on six years old, but thanks to continued firmware updates and some internal hardware tweaks, it's still the Blu-ray player to beat when it comes to high quality design, video, and audio support. From the outside in, it radiates quality, with its sturdy (albeit heavy) brushed aluminum chassis, giving it a much higher-quality look than the plastic alternatives on this list.
Internally, its video and audio processing is excellent, able to deliver fantastically upscaled older DVD and Blu-ray discs, as well as handling the full suite of features from the latest 4K UHD HDR Blu-rays. It supports Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and HDR10, for the full suite of movies -- excellent when combined with its onboard streaming capabilities, too.
This player stands out for its strong audio support, as well. Its heavily praised by buyers and reviewers alike, for its quality DAC, and it even has XLR outputs if you want to use it in a more professional capacity.
It's expensive, but if you can afford it and want a quality look and feel to your Blu-ray player, the Panasonic UB9000 is the best out there.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you like physical media, yes. Blu-ray isn't going to be replaced by anything any time soon. If you prefer digital downloads, you don't really need a traditional player.
Not on a technical level. Digital downloads and streaming have simply become so popular that Blu-ray players aren't necessary anymore, and in some home theaters, they have a very low priority. But those who like physical media can still easily find or use them, and common consoles like the Series X/PS5 still play them.
Yes, this shouldn't be a problem. Blu-ray players are generally backward-compatible with DVDs.
If your game console has a disc slot, then it almost certainly supports Blu-ray. But be careful — not all consoles have disc support these days. The Xbox Series S, for example, does not have a disc drive and relies entirely on downloads and streaming.
To find the best Blu-ray players we combined our first-hand knowledge and experience with some of the best players out there, with robust research, and investigation. We spoke to colleagues and friends with some of these models, and looked first to lived-experiences so that we can present the best list of options possible.
We considered user reviews, with each chosen Blu-ray player requiring a high rating from purchasers across multiple retailers. We also considered the best models from the top brands, and used our own technological expertise to find the best value options, alongside the premium offerings.
DigitalTrends has been testing and writing about Blu-ray players for as long as they've been around. Some of the models on this list we hand-tested ourselves, with hours upon hours of expertise poured into benchmarking their video and audio qualities, as well as how well they look and feel in a home setting.
Our writers have combined decades of experience with digital technology, and are both excellent writers and researchers. Where our first-person perspective isn't enough, we can dive into the spec sheets, reviewer's guides, and third-party reviews from our peers to consider all angles in selecting only quality products that have the backing of users, too. We feel confident that these are the best Blu-ray players you'll find in 2025.
