Sony Blu-ray players have a solid reputation, and the X700U model on sale offers a number of features found in some of Sony’s high-end line of Blu-ray players. It plays 4K Blu-rays in native 4K UHD (2160p) resolution and supports HDR10, which improves picture brightness.
It comes with an HDMI cable, but we’d recommend grabbing a second 4K cable if you don’t have a spare. That’s because the player has two HDMI out ports. The main one is for video and audio, and is the only one you must use, but the second output is dedicated to audio. Separating audio from video output produces a richer, clearer sound, so dual ports are common on dedicated 4K Blu-ray players. It’s one of the benefits of using a media player for Blu-rays instead of a game console like the PS5 or Xbox Series X. You can grab an Amazon Basics 4K HDMI cable for less than $5 right now.
The UBP-X700U also has a Coaxial SPDIF, which can be connected to speakers, soundbars, and TVs. In terms of audio support, the UBP-X700U is equipped with high-end audio enhancements, including Dolby Atmos and DTS:X.
One of the coolest features of dedicated Blu-ray players like the X700U is picture upscaling. The X700U can read 4K Blu-ray, standard Blu-ray, and DVDs. When enabled, the built-in tech will enhance the resolution of standard Blu-rays and DVDs.
While we haven’t tested the 2025 edition of the X700U, the upscaling feature on previous iterations was quite impressive. Standard 1080p Blu-rays can look pretty darn close to 4K resolution, and 480p resolution DVDs are substantially better. Honestly, without upscaling tech, DVDs generally look terrible on modern 4K and HD panels. That said, upscaled output varies, and sometimes there are jagged edges or noticeable oddities that won’t be appealing to viewers looking for an authentic experience.
