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

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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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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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I have owned the player for one week. Every day I use it there will inevitably be a random freeze at some stage during my viewing the screen image will freeze and the player will become unresponsive. The only remedy is to remove from the mains power and restart. The freezes are random - they are not due to faulty discs as in all cases the scene will play correctly after the restart. It also happens when streaming Netflix. I have updated the firmware and performed a factory reset. I note from other bords this is not an isolated incident. Sony recommends I have the unit replaced. However, I am worried this is actually a latent defect and replacement may not help.

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This device was an utter disappointment. It has multiple defects that make it useless. Even if I could continue tweaking ad nauseum, it’s not worth it to me — I expect a product to actually work and do what it’s supposed to with a reasonable set up experience. This device does not. I read the reviews and online tips and tricks on how to set it up (e.g., turn off quick start, use wireless instead of wired network connection), but even so it just doesn’t work. (1) Audio cannot by synced with video on all sources. If I adjust audio delay so a disc plays correctly (side note: I should not have to do this), then streaming sources have mis-synced audio. (2) Netflix (built-in app) video quality is extremely poor. (3) YouTube (built-in app) never actually loads. All I get is a YouTube logo. (4) It can’t stay connected to my network. I never had any of these issues with my previous Sony Blu-Ray player. After reading many reviews, I have to say this model is not ready for commercial release. Far too many defects, even if some people are lucky and get a good one. As a customer, I don’t want to clean up the mess from sloppy product engineering or quality control. It’s being shipped back and I’ll look for something else.

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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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The device keeps locking up two days after I received it. Apparently this problem has been around awhile according to the support community blog. I have all the latest firmware updates installed. Unplugging the unit to do a hard reset is not a viable ongoing option. I called to the listed 888-support number and just get a busy signal. This is not the level of quality and support I would expect for the price and from Sony. Disappointed and plan to return the unit.

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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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Ive always been a fan of Sony products. They were always very reliable. This one not so much ... Ive owned it going on 1 month and it has begun freezing up requiring an unplug and plug back in to eject a disk or simply to turn it off! Not happy at all. Im going to see what Sony has to say about this as others are having the same problem. Not expecting much as companies dont seem to care anymore.

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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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