Blu-ray players transport you into the films that you love. So, with that in mind it makes sense to select a decent vehicle for this journey. Not just any old device will do - they might all look the same, but it's what's inside that really counts.
Blu-ray players offer a crisp, high-definition picture with intense colour depths, which is ideal for viewing modern visual blockbusters. But the technology isn’t just for enjoying big 21st Century titles. Something really exciting about Blu-ray's popularity is that it's has started off efforts to reinvigorate classic cinema through the release of older content in remastered and collection sets. Plus, thanks to the massive storage capacity of Blu-ray disks, additional features and documentaries are often included in abundance. You get a lot of bang for your buck.
It’s also pretty much an industry standard for the players to offer CD, DVD and USB–device playback. Some players even offer DVD upscaling which sharpens their picture and stops your DVD collection feeling dated.
Because Blu-ray players have been around for awhile the price has dropped to a point where very respectable and well performing basic budget options are available. As you move up the market though, it's not just a case of brand names inducing a higher price and useless bundled extra features. Around the middle of the market you will start to see devices paying greater attention to image enhancement with 4K and HDR capabilities. Towards the top price brackets audio begins to become a major factor, with dedicated audio outputs and Dolby Atmos working to bring you the ultimate immersive cinema experience.
Here's a list of a solutions for every film fan, be you a casual viewer or dedicated cinephile
What's the best Blu-ray player?
1 of 6LG BP250 Blu-Ray and DVD Disc Player with Full HD Up-scaling and external HDD playback
An entry-level device which does what it says on the tin. The BP250 will play both Blu-ray and DVD disks, and it'll upscale the quality of your DVDs so there won't be such a distracting difference in quality between your content. There is a single USB interface which will let you play supported content from an external drive.
2 of 6Panasonic DMP-BD84EB-K Smart Network Blu-Ray Disc Player
A little black box that does what you need it to and more. It'll play Blu-rays and DVDs, as well as an impressive list of multi-format content from connected external devices, such as MKV, MP4, FLAC, MP3, AAC and ALAC. Connect the player to the internet and you'll also get to access streaming sites like YouTube and Netflix. It's not all quality over quantity though, as Panasonic have lived up to their reputation and deliver a sharp and bright picture quality.
3 of 6TOPELEK External Blu-Ray Drive USB 3.0
If you like to watch films on your PC, Mac or laptop then this will let you break free from the restrictions of DVD content. The TOPELEK is a simple external drive which will play your Blu-rays. A great solution for those who travel a lot or find themselves with a cloud-based laptop without a disk drive.
4 of 6LG UBK80 4K Ultra HD HDR Blu-Ray Player
The UBK80 will playback from Blu-ray, DVD and USB in incredible quality thanks to the devices focus on picture quality. 4K capability puts more pixels on your screen and the HDR (High Dynamic Range) works to bring a higher contrast, vivid colours and brighter images from them. Plainly speaking, your viewing experience just got a lot prettier. Remember though, you'll have to have a TV that supports these features to see the benefit. Oh, and it has a LAN connection so you can stream too.
5 of 6Panasonic DP-UB450EB 4K Ultra HD Blu-Ray Player with Dolby Vision/HDR10+
This offering will play Blu-ray and upscaled DVDs with a 4K Ultra HD, Dolby Vision HDR capacity. Where the DP-UB450EB starts to pull away from the rest of the pack is with its audio capabilities. There're two HDMI outputs – one for image-to-TV and one for audio-to-sound system. The isolated audio gets a further boost by Dolby Atmos 10+, which works some cutting-edge surround sound wizardry to place you in the centre of a moving audio experience, which includes an overhead dimension – exciting times.
6 of 6Panasonic DP-UB820EB Ultra HD Blu-Ray Player
The baseline playback features of this player are close to the Panasonic DP-UB450EB already discussed. And then it all gets a little special. The device will stream your on-demand services in 4K (where supported) and pass all images through the HCX (Hollywood Cinema Experience) processor for an extremely precise image – in addition to the 4K Ultra HD, Dolby Vision HDR capacity. The audio capabilities of its little brother are overhauled with the option of optical, HDMI or 7.1 channel analogue output. This device coupled with a surround sound system will turn your entertainment space into the ultimate cinema experience.