Sony UBP-X700
MSRP $199.99
“Sony’s UBP-X700 is an reasonably priced solution to squeeze each final drop out of your 4K Extremely HD TV.”
Professionals
Compact kind issue
HDR 10 and Dolby Imaginative and prescient help
Nice audio processing
Simple to make use of distant
Cons
Feels a little bit chintzy
Not nice for streaming in comparison with devoted bins
We love streaming companies like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video as a lot as anybody, however in case you’re severe about getting the utmost doable picture high quality from that brand new 4K TV, you’re nonetheless going to want a disc. It might look like a throwback to final decade, however the truth is, the one solution to get the utmost constancy out of your favourite movies and TV exhibits at current is to observe them on Ultra HD Blu-ray.
And for that, there are few gamers that provide the identical degree of high quality from a footprint as minimal as Sony’s UBP-X700. With improbable picture and audio processing and help for each HDR10 and Dolby Vision HDR codecs, this reasonably priced Sony participant is a superb possibility for these seeking to take their house theater to the subsequent degree.
Out of the field
For the way properly it renders the image and sound of your favourite content material, the X700 is a remarkably non-descript gadget to take a look at. A easy black field with an angled decrease part and a silver Sony emblem on the entrance, the participant is designed to mix in amongst all of your different house theater parts.
Dan Baker/Digital Developments
As you’d count on, the gadget comes with solely an influence cable and a small distant (plus two AAA batteries), leaving you to produce and HDMI cable to attach it to your TV, projector, or A/V receiver. The distant has large buttons which can be simple to see, and we like its compact kind issue and reliance on a method of batteries we usually have round — another gamers use massive watch batteries, and that’s simply annoying.
Options and features
The largest causes to purchase the X700 are its nice video and audio processing. As talked about above, the participant help both major formats of HDR (high dynamic range) — HDR10 and Dolby Imaginative and prescient — making it a flexible possibility that enhances just about any trendy 4K TV. It’s value noting that, although HDR10 is supported by most trendy TVs and projectors, Dolby Imaginative and prescient help is rarer, so that you’ll wish to examine to ensure your TV is appropriate in order for you the extra dynamic distinction afforded by Dolby Imaginative and prescient, and/or whether or not you even want it within the first place.
The X700’s additionally a built-in streaming participant with apps for Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, amongst others.
Like all Extremely HD Blu-ray gamers, the X700 additionally helps HD Blu-ray, DVD, CD, and SACD codecs, which means it’s going to play again just about any disc in your assortment. It’s additionally a built-in streaming participant with apps for Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, amongst others. We nonetheless favor the streaming interface of most trendy TVs and, even higher, outboard streaming devices just like the Roku Extremely or Amazon Fire TV Cube — each due to their higher interfaces and voice search capabilities — however it’s good to have streaming onboard in case you don’t wish to swap sources.
By way of inputs and outputs, the participant has the whole lot we’d need: There’s two HDMI output ports on the again panel, a coaxial audio output, Ethernet port (there’s additionally built-in Wi-Fi), and a USB enter on the entrance panel.
Dan Baker/Digital Developments
The general construct high quality of the X700 is excessive, however we couldn’t assist however really feel a bit disconcerted at how gentle it’s. The drawer that holds discs feels a bit flimsy when opened, too — the plastic cowl in entrance of it feels extra precarious in operation than we’d like. Nonetheless, it’s not like anybody can be lugging this with them on the go, and as a chunk of {hardware} to stay on a shelf, it does the job simply positive.
The identical goes for the utter lack of any show on the gadget. Frankly, we don’t really want one on a easy disc participant, particularly on condition that the built-in interface in your TV display could be very easy to make use of.
Efficiency
The primary time we turned on the participant, we used this interface to navigate to the onboard settings menu, the place we discovered the whole lot we wanted was already set to “Auto” — indicating that the participant would mechanically detect the format and high quality of a disc and do its greatest with no matter we threw at it. This can be lower than ideally suited for many who like to have full management over the settings, however for novices it’s a straightforward, plug-and-play answer that works fairly properly. For those who do end up desirous to, say, let your TV upscale a 1080p Blu-ray as an alternative of using the X700’s upscaling engine, you may merely flip upscaling off.
The UBP-X700 presents improbable picture high quality with none hassles.
Regardless what you’re enjoying, the UBP-X700 presents improbable picture high quality with none hassles. We examined the X700 with the BenQ HT2550, utilizing an assortment of Extremely HD Blu-ray, normal Blu-Ray, and DVD sources. In all cases, we had been impressed with the picture processing supplied by the light-weight participant, which introduced excellent image no matter whether or not we had been enjoying 4K or upscaled content material.
When watching The Martian by way of Extremely HD Blu-ray, we had been significantly impressed with the HDR10 efficiency, which supplied vivid highlights and wonderful distinction when rendering pictures from the Martian panorama. We additionally cherished the way in which that the participant upscaled our normal Blu-ray copy of The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King. The intense greens had been significantly properly rendered, standing out amidst darker backgrounds within the movie. Heck, even our trusty previous DVD copy of Area Jam regarded higher when spun contained in the X700, showing a bit much less grainy on our large 100-inch projection display than we’ve seen it earlier than (although nonetheless very clearly upscaled from normal definition).
Dan Baker/Digital Developments
It didn’t come as a shock that the audio high quality supplied by this participant was equally spectacular; Sony has lengthy made a few of our favourite audio processors available on the market, and is at the moment the producer of our favorite headphones. Particularly when watching by way of our 4K projector, the huge soundstage supplied by the X700 fooled us into considering we had been again on the theater. Movies we usually watch on streaming companies by way of our Roku Extremely had way more vibrant sound when listened to on disc via the Sony participant, with encompass sound audio and voices changing into much more vivid. That is usually the case with any comparability between Extremely HD Blu-ray and streaming video, nevertheless it was clear the participant itself was an enormous a part of the development.
Our Take
With nice sound and picture high quality and a small footprint that can match alongside even the sleekest setups, the UBP-X700 is a superb possibility for many who want to take advantage of their house theater with out breaking the financial institution.
Is there a greater various?
For those who’re after a participant that helps each Dolby Imaginative and prescient and HDR10 codecs, there aren’t any apparent alternate options to the UBP-X700. However in case you’re after one thing that merely performs Extremely HD Blu-Ray discs, the more-affordable LG UP870 is an effective possibility – although it doesn’t embody any streaming capabilities. For those who’re additionally a gamer, it might be value looking on the Xbox One S, which may play Extremely HD Blu-ray discs with HDR10, and prices only a contact greater than the UBP-X700.
How lengthy will it final?
Sony has a historical past of constructing long-lasting merchandise, and we don’t count on this one to be any completely different. If you buy a UBP-X700, we’d count on it to final for years of regular use.
Must you purchase it?
Sure. For those who’re on the lookout for a terrific participant that helps all of your HDR content material — and received’t drive you to chop into your trip fund — the UBP-X700 is among the many greatest choices you’ll discover.
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