Sony UBP-X800 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Player

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Its good to see that this player is finally showing up on the actual store shelves here in Houston. I tried for at least a month to buy one locally without being able to find any place that could actually deliver one. Finally broke down and bought one via an Amazon partner vendor, and Im happy as can be to have one now. (Coincidentally, they started showing up on the shelves of the Best Buy stores here in Houston about three days before mine was delivered to me...on the bright side, I saved a few bucks by not having to pay Texas sales tax...and delivery was free.) Unfortunately, the player does not come with the cables necessary to get the best picture and sound, so if you order it for delivery, you will need to have the high quality cables on hand when it arrives. That aside, hook up and system set up are very intuitive and I was up and running in a matter of minutes. Im running the player through a Sony 4K television set and have been generally pleased with the picture and sound quality that Im getting (also using a Sanyo sound bar system). 4K discs are still relatively limited and relatively expensive when compared to the other types, but prices should begin dropping as soon as the demand rises for the discs, so that will get better. Right now Im fairly dependent on Netflics and Amazon Prime Video for my 4K content, but Im also very pleasantly surprised by the high quality video that can be had by playing a standard Blu-Ray disc through the system. Even regular DVDs look better than ever. I did have to do an immediate system update on the player before I could get it to "remember" and connect to my home network without having to do set it up again, but since that was done I have had no problem with the player connecting to the network. The system, it appears, will be updated at least once a month for the time being, so thats something to keep in mind if you dont set your preferences to automatically check for updates. One more tip: the player, believe it or not, actually comes with a physical users manual...and it is well written. Take a few minutes to go over each of the settings that you can control via your preferences because the system defaults may not be best for your individual needs. Its worth the time, and it makes a huge difference in video and sound quality. Overall, Im very happy with the system right now and use it several times a week. Ive been told that its state of the art in 4K dvd players, and I can easily believe that based upon what Ive seen so far.

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I have a Sony 900e and this works great with it, setup was flawless,got two free 4k movies, and purchased 4 more 4ks movies,play Netflix,dvds of all kinds,works well , dont understand why people are having problems, but sometimes theres some bad apples in the bunch. I believe you should get the same maker of your TV,when buying a DVD player . Sony with Sony , Samsung with Samsung, but thats just me. UPDATE: 9/23/2017 , STILL LOVING IT, played multiple dvds , blue rays , 4kuhd, works GREAT!!! Also I think it fast ( quick load and play ) .UPDATE 12/17/2017 Still works great, I’ve had zero problems with this and played everything on it. Highly recommended. But I paid 250.00 that’s the only thing I’m bummed about, so for this price I’d grab it ! UPDATE 7/1/2018, Well I had this for about 11 months now and the only problem ( as well as annoying ), was the update issue,it WOULD NOT say “no update needed “ or “already updated”, it would just SAY can’t communicate with sever, god that was annoying ,And there was an update for the player released on June 20th 2018 , so I called Sony and spoke with the representative and he had me do it from the USB way which is basically download from computer onto a USB drive and install on the players USB hub. It worked, also it fixed the check for update problem, works fine now , I don’t know why I waited so long to call them ,I was even ready to send it back. UPDATE; ( and my last ) 1/23/2019 well still working great, my update problem is no more. Great buy and Great customer service. Highly recommendable by me.

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Had unit for a week now. Wonderful picture, easy setup. I did experience a few freezes during 4k disc play which required me to unplug unit. After firmware updates good so far. A few lessons learned upgrading to 4K: 1. Make sure your Audio receiver is HDMI 2.2 compatible. Mine is not, (Yamaha TSR6750 - 2013). Had to use second HDMI for sound. No biggie. 2. You need a good HDMI cable, but do not need to spend a hundred dollars to get quality video. ( Cable is dumb pipe. No smarts...) 3. Had to set TV input to Enhanced mode on SONY 850D to get 4K resolution. 4. Research and read manuals during your 4K system upgrade. Literacy is a wonderful thing ! Overall - Unit is very quiet, and responsive. 4K streaming from Amazon works great. Beautiful picture. I Like it ! Sony - You might include additional material, (tips) in manual about upgrading to 4K System. Might avoid a few calls.

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Its nice to have the latest. And nice to have Netflix AND Amazon. (My old LCD tv will be giving up the ghost soon and well get a 4K and this unit is, supposedly, "true 4K".) It does get a little "confused" sometimes, requiring me to pull the power plug and rebooting. Maybe a firmware update for this new model will fix that soon. IMPORTANT TIP: When you power on your new unit for the first time and briefly see the Sony logo, if you then see nothing but a black screen on your TV after several minutes, do this BEFORE YOU CALL AND MAYBE HAVE TO GET A REPLACEMENT (like I did): See pg 27 of the manual for these instructions on setting the resolution away from "Auto" (which I have proven doesnt recognize all TVs, even SONY ones!) to the "Lowest resolution": Press Stop, Press Home, Press POP-UP MENU. Then turn it off and back on. Then it will boot up and youll be able to do your setup (and manually choose the correct resolution for your TV (I ended up picking 1080i for my Sony KDL-52W3000 52 inch.) I am not sure why the support tech I called didnt know about this. I ended up with a replacement unit that had the SAME PROBLEM and had to research this solution on my own.

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I am not one who likes to write reviews as we are living in the internet age where everyone has an opinion and rushes to their keyboard to express it. Such rushed opinions can sometimes be very detrimental to someones bread and butter. For that reason I refrain from giving public opinions on my unique experience on a purchased item unless it is during an one-on-one conversation or as a result of a direct request addressed to me. So, having said that, I had to overcome that reluctance to finally bring myself to write my experience with this unit. As an audiophile, it has not been easy to find a unit that would satisfy my music listening as well as my video watching - movies or other genres. This unit has met my expectations beyond. I used to have a separate HTPC hooked up to my home theater environment for both watching movies and listening music and I was going to build another one to bring myself to the new 4K/HDR/whatever-else world, and, out of curiosity, I decided to buy this unit based on some reviews. Boy, am I glad I did so! Not only did I save myself money ( a lot of it), I saved myself the time-consuming endeavor to research hardware and software that would go into that new HTPC. I bought this unit UBP-800X a few months ago, and I was ready to buy another one for my bedroom, but it looks like it has gone up in price. So now, I am not sure If I want to spend more money to buy something I already paid less for. Hence my dilemma! If you are not facing my dilemma, I would highly recommend this unit. The imaging and the natural sound that pass through this unit from my media server is something to live for. While I have not purchased yet a 4k TV for my HT environment, I can still notice a difference in the video quality displayed on this large Panasonic plasma I currently possess. I only wish they had an LCD display at the front of the unit to help you with the functions in case you just want it for music streaming and do not want to hook it up to a TV. I was leaning towards a 5 star rating, but the absence of the LCD display has to count for something, half star, but I cant give it 4-1/2 star rating. So I settle on a 4 star, a 5 star would equally be deserved. And yes, I admit reviews can be very helpful, I just dont like giving them on public forums when it comes to purchases.

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Overall, a good player. Looks good and seems well put together. 4k and 1080p DVDs look very good and overall picture quality is excellent. It also streams well on ethernet and wireless also seems to work well with no problems connecting to my wireless. HDR looks good from YouTube and Netflix and it is a good addition to my Sony 900e viewing experience. GUI and remote are fast but not a lot of useful apps, currently. The media server option app works great with the Emby server (I like it better than Plex) running on a desktop! Issues: I did have a few that I had to straighten out! I almost returned it. 1. I had to remove it from the HDMI 3 port that was ARC enabled--I had audio dropouts and often a video loss for second and it was also so random that it took some time to figure it out. I do use an optic cable to my receiver--not sure if this had anything to do with it. I moved the player to HDMI 2 and put my cable box on HDMI 3 and NO more issues! 2. Also had problems when using upscaling on the box and the Sony support site said to set 4K Upscaling to Auto 2 to fix--although it was supposed to be fixed in the firmware update--apparently not the case with my unit! IMPORTANT: Do not use an HDMI cable that is too long that will work but with problems (I would be careful going over 15 ft). I learned the hard way and suffered freezes and grey screen problems until I went to a shorter 6 ft cable Do not use an older HDMI cable (over a few year old) as you will get nothing at all! Any of the cheaper, new standard cables should work. Overall, I do recommend the box (and use it all the time for streaming) --well worth it at the reduced price point.

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I was using an Xbox One S as a 4K player and Netflix streaming device. It worked OK but I did have some issues with the Blu-ray app locking up and having to restart the Xbox to get everything working again. Also, the fan can get loud when playing back 4K discs. Finally, I was concerned that the upscaler wasnt one of the better ones since I watch a lot of 1080P Blu-rays and Netflix... so I decided to get a dedicated 4K player. The reviews on this unit looked good, and they are offering a couple of freebie 4K discs as a bonus. So far Im impressed. This thing is metal and feels like a quality unit unlike plastic disc players Ive had before. It sleek and minimal. Theres not even an LCD display on it. The interface is basic (no eye candy) but its simple and fast. I like it. Positives: * Build quality (feels like a high end player) * Sleek, minimal, understated physical design * Excellent scaling so 1080P Blu-rays look great (set to output 4K so the player does the scaling; I use the "Auto2" setting for 4K Upscale Setting in Screen Settings which outputs 4K video for everything when connected to a 4K compatible TV) * Supports 3D Blu-rays (as well as UHD BD discs, regular 2D Blu-rays, SACD, DVD, DVD-Audio and CD) * Has a 2nd HDMI port for audio only so you can connect it to a receiver (like one that doesnt support 4K) * Includes a wired Ethernet/LAN port (as well as built-in WiFi) * Includes Bluetooth so you can listen with Bluetooth headphones * Decent paper/printed manual * Small but functional remote * Netflix starts very quickly * 2x free 4K movie discs when you register the player and get a coupon (must do this before this offer expires) * Quiet The downsides/quirks: * I had trouble manually checking for an update. It kept saying that it could not communicate with server. I checked my firmware version on the Internet and it looks like I already have the latest version. This is like the only significant issue Ive had with the player. UPDATE: This must be a bug because it works with a wireless network but not a wired network. * No Dolby Vision (DV) support * No HDR support in Amazon app (but does support 4K) (the Netflix app does support 4K & HDR) * UPDATE 2017-08-12: Twice now it has frozen while watching 2 different 1080P Blu-rays Other: * I could not get a bitstream/Atmos audio feed to my receiver until I turned off the "BD Audio MIX Setting" in the Audio Settings * No display on front; just a small green LED that isnt annoyingly bright (use the DISPLAY button on the remote for a nice on-screen display) * No analog outputs * Made in Malaysia * No optical digital out (instead its coaxial) * No cables included (no HDMI cable so youll need a "Premium High Speed" or "High Speed" HDMI cable that supports 18 Gbps bandwidth). I recommend Monoprice 115428 Certified Premium High Speed HDMI Cable, 6ft Minus 1/2 a star for the annoying Update via Internet problem that causes it to fail with a wired connection. UPDATE 2017-08-12: Im dropping it to 4 stars because it has froze twice now while watching 1080P Blu-rays. Im returning the player and going to try another unit hoping that I just got a bad one. UPDATE 2017-08-23: I bought another unit (sold as model UBP-X80) from a store that shall remain nameless except to say that the name starts with "C" and ends with "ostco". So far this unit has been performing without issue and even updates over a wired connection (unlike my first unit). This model comes with an HDMI cable, has a better return policy, sells for less $$$, and you still get a coupon for 2 free 4K discs when you register it (out of a limited selection). If this unit continues to perform well then Ill up my rating back to 5 stars and assume that my first unit was just a bad one. UPDATE 2017-09-02: The new unit has been working very well. No freezes. My first unit was probably defective so Im raising my review back up to 4.5 stars and rounding to 5. Unfortunately I just tried checking for updates again with a wired connection and had the same could not communicate with server problem. Not sure what is going on here so thats why Im staying at 4.5 stars instead of 5. UPDATE 2017-10-11: My new unit continues to work better than my old one (no freezes and reboots) but there are bugs playing content back, especially Netflix when it tries to do a Dolby Digital+ soundtrack... some very strange things can happen if you try to go back 10 seconds. Im knocking my rating down to 4 stars. Its a good player (if you dont need/want Dolby Visions) but they need to get more of the bugs out and add HDR in the Amazon app. UPDATE 2019-06-15: Downrating to 3 stars. It works great when it works but bugs can drive you crazy... like if it goes to screensaver (if paused for a few minutes) then it often gets locked in it and you have to turn off the unit and restart. Ridiculous that they havent fixed this yet. It also occasionally freezes while playing.

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I have all Sony DVD players because they are good players and almost all of them work with the same remote so I dont worry when my kids lose one. I have always had an issue with them freezing up and requiring a hard reboot (completely unplugged) To get them responsive again. For the players below $80.00, it is a rare nuisance but now that I have put over $200.00 into my 4K player, having it freeze up even more often than the others is a huge disappointment. I use it a lot as I run all of my streaming services through it to the TV but having to completely unplug it often is annoying and sometimes embarrassing! Everything is connected correctly using all of the proper cables for each players needs, (4K compatible HDMI cables on the 4K model, Etc) I wish I had gone with any other company when starting to build a compatible house but I am in so deep it would take 5 new DVD players to update the house and not worth it. If there is a fix for the Sony players, i would love to hear about it but i am seeing it across 4 different models on 5 different entertainment centers. I love the interface and these are the best when they are working! I hope this helps someone and wish this information was available when I started my brand commitment! Thanks, K

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There is a problem with the sound. I had Sony players in past with other problems but this is a new problem: For example, when I play Netflixs Breaking Bad (which is supposed to be 4K), if I let it go to the next episode on its own, the sound keeps going out and coming in, all choppy. I have to stop it, then hit return and restart. Sometimes that doesnt work and I have to actually turn it OFF and then restart it and go back to the episode I want. I just started using this week and it has happened half dozen times or more. Very annoying. Also, most of the control buttons on the remote dont work for me. I hit them and they do nothing. Only pause/stop/return/display and on/off buttons work. UPDATE: 8/24/17: Replaced this with another new one. Similar sound problem occurs but can correct it by hitting the double <<. But now discovered a new problem: from time to time, I get a blue screen on my cable screen and the Blue-Ray player will not even display. I have had this happen now twice since getting the replacement. I did a screen picture test on my TV (LG OLED) & it passed each time. I tried rebooting - no luck. Rebooted a 2nd time (turning power off from all outlets and unplugging the DVD & HDMI. Then reattaching and turning power on again. This allowed me to get pictures back. But happening twice since I bought this player when I never had the problem before I got this player (either 1st or replaced model), I now believe it is the DVD player causing this problem. I would NOT buy this player again. Im not sure which model I would buy but am really soured on Sony now.

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UPDATE 11/20/17: Well, the second player didn’t work out and has been returned. It got to a point where the picture was distorted, would blank out, and/or the player would freeze up and only a hard reset would fix the issue. To be clear, yes the HDMI cable was updated and more than capable of handling 4K, the picture would distort when playing both discs (DVD, Blu-Ray, and 4K) and apps (Hulu, Amazon Prime, Netflix, Vudu), and it wasn’t the TV because I even purchased a new Sony XBR55930E. This player is a piece of junk and is not worth the hassle. Amazon has reduced the price of this player for Thanksgiving; yet, as tempting as that is I still have no interest in dealing with a 3rd player and it’s inevitable issues. I’m just going to wait for a new model to come out. Buyer beware, this is a great player when it works but it is absolutely not worth the time, effort, and frustration. Im on my second UBP-X800 player, and things dont look any better the second time around. First thing is first: when the player functions as intended, the picture quality is phenomenal! Truly amazing! The images are crisp, action sequences are smooth, and the colors are vivid and vibrant! However, this thing freezes up CONSTANTLY! Player #1: Easy set up, everything loads very quickly, and the control is noticeably heavy, in a good way. We enjoyed this player issue-free for about two weeks, when it started to randomly shut down. The screen would go black, a Sony image would come on, and then it would just shut off. After making sure I had the latest software and performing a hard reset, I contacted Sony and they were no help. They simply told me to do the same thing. So the problem continued, and then I contacted Sony again, at which point they informed me Id have to go through their warranty services division. Then out of nowhere, the picture become distorted. So back this player went. Player #2: Same easy set-up, same gorgeous picture. However, within 1 week, the player would freeze up when watching Netflix using the auto-play feature. For example, an episode would end, and the countdown to the next episode would begin. But just as the countdown hit the 1 second mark, it freezes up. The only remedy is to do a hard reset (unplug, wait, plug back in.) This is beginning to happen more frequently, and is very frustrating. Considering our entire A/V set-up is Sony, and weve had terrible experiences with Samsung blu-ray players, our choices are very limited in seeking out a 4k Blu-ray player. At this point, it would seem we have to keep returning and purchasing a new one until Sony can get their act together. Therefore, unless you absolutely ~must~ have a 4k blu ray player (weve invested pretty heavily in 4k movies at this point), then I would hold off on this purchase until improvements have been made.

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