Sony Surprises With New Blu-ray Player Despite Recent Exit From Recordable Market

Despite announcing its exit from the recordable Blu-ray market just two months ago, Sony has unexpectedly unveiled a new Blu-ray player. The Sony UBP-X700/K is the company’s first Blu-ray player in about five years. However, while this release signals that Sony is not entirely abandoning the Blu-ray market, the new device comes with some notable limitations, particularly in its networking capabilities.

A Stripped-Down Blu-ray Player With Essential Features but No Wireless Connectivity

The UBP-X700/K is a variant of the older and popular UBP-X700, which was well-regarded among budget-conscious physical media enthusiasts. The key difference in the new model is what it lacks—Sony has removed most of the wireless networking features, including Wi-Fi, Spotify Connect, screen mirroring, and streaming apps like Netflix.

While this may seem like a downgrade, the device still includes an ethernet port, likely for firmware updates, and retains essential video and audio features like Dolby Vision HDR, Dolby Atmos, and DTS:X support.

As of now, it remains unclear whether the UBP-X700/K will be released outside Japan. Interestingly, reports indicate that the Japanese price of the new player is 25% higher than its predecessor despite its reduced features.

However, for many users, the loss of networking capabilities might not be a major drawback, as most people rely on dedicated streaming devices like Apple TV or Roku for online content. The ethernet port ensures that firmware updates can still be done manually, mitigating the impact of losing Wi-Fi connectivity.

Potential Improvements and the Future of Sony’s Blu-ray Player Market

One hoped-for improvement in the UBP-X700/K is the automatic detection of Dolby Vision HDR. On the older model, users had to manually enable or disable Dolby Vision depending on the disc, which often led to incorrect HDR settings and a noticeable impact on image quality.

Additionally, a known issue with the UBP-X700 was its handling of triple-layer UHD Blu-ray discs, which it frequently froze while switching layers. This was a major frustration for users, forcing some to switch to more expensive alternatives like the Panasonic DP-UB820.

While the UBP-X700/K may not introduce groundbreaking new features, its mere existence is significant. Many major manufacturers, including LG, Oppo, and Samsung, have exited the Blu-ray market, leaving Sony and Panasonic as the last big names still producing Blu-ray players. With Sony having already left the recordable Blu-ray business, this new device suggests that physical media still holds a niche but a dedicated audience. In short, Blu-ray is not dead yet—long live Blu-ray.