Sony has finally launched an Ultra HD Blu-ray player – and no, it’s not on the PS4 Pro.
Meet the Sony UBP-X1000ES, a new UHD Blu-ray player that supports both 4K resolution and High Dynamic Range content. That’s good news, as the industry suggests there’ll be around 100 Ultra HD Blu-ray discs available by the end of 2016 – some of which are already out now.
Sony’s new player is also backwards compatible, which means it can play CD, DVD, and standard Blu-ray content. It can also upscale 1080p (Full HD) content to 4K (Ultra HD), although it’ll never be as good as proper 4K footage.
The bad news is that Sony’s new player isn’t going to ship until Spring 2017. You may be asking yourself why Sony has announced this so early. It doesn’t even have a price yet, after all.
Well, it may be Sony’s attempt to show the world it still cares about 4K, after controversially snubbing Ultra HD Blu-ray on the recently announced Sony PS4 Pro. But it’s more likely an attempt to put you off buying a rival 4K Blu-ray player that’s already available now, in the hope that Sony’s will be better or cheaper.
Related: Best Blu-ray Player 2016
Watch: PS4 Pro vs Xbox One S
Do you own a 4K television yet? Let us know why (or why not) in the comments below.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
