Sony UBP-X800

[Deleted member 133]

Engadget has declared this amazing Sony machine the best of the 4K BluRay players:

https://www.engadget.com/2018/02/23/the-best-4k-blu-ray-player/

It certainly is a great player - especially at the ultralow bargain basement prices of a couple of months ago.

As I've mentioned before, it's not without its flaws - but these are little niggling ones that only someone like me would even notice. As the article points out, it does a fantastic job of doing all of the big things that such a device should be able to do.

Jeff

 

[Dentman]

The best 4k players.

https://www.engadget.com/2018/02/23/the-best-4k-blu-ray-player/

 

[Flint]

The best 4k players.

https://www.engadget.com/2018/02/23/the-best-4k-blu-ray-player/

ECHO..... Echo.... echo....

 

[Deleted member 133]

I continue to play around with the X800's capabilities.

Over the last couple of days I've been trying to get it to stream DSD from a hard drive connected to my router's USB port - to no avail. (When I open a folder that contains DSF files it puts up a message that "This folder contains no playable files.") It will do MP3 from that same hard drive so I think the issue is not related to the hard drive or router or their set-up. Rather I think this is a case where the owner's manual was spot on when it says that the X800 may not play the DSF format on a Home Network server (page 32, footnote 1). Happily, but for reasons I don't yet understand, it has no problem streaming those same files from a server connected to the router / network via Ethernet.

Jeff

 

[Huey]

Got around to setting up my Hulu account on the Sony last night, and what a night and day difference between Hulu on the Sony, and Hulu on the Roku. Menu is much nicer, and the picture itself looks nicer, but that could be the Sony upconverting it. Even the few episodes of Stargate that I watched looked better, significantly better. Always thought it looked soft, but I blamed Hulu, not the Roku.

 

[Dentman]

Got around to setting up my Hulu account on the Sony last night, and what a night and day difference between Hulu on the Sony, and Hulu on the Roku. Menu is much nicer, and the picture itself looks nicer, but that could be the Sony upconverting it. Even the few episodes of Stargate that I watched looked better, significantly better. Always thought it looked soft, but I blamed Hulu, not the Roku.

I understand. I only use my Roku for watching DTN. Everything looks better through the Sony player or the built in tv apps. I'll be picking up a new Roku soon so I can get a 4k image, not possible on my older Roku. Maybe the picture will be better on a newer device.

 

[mzpro5]

Got around to setting up my Hulu account on the Sony last night, and what a night and day difference between Hulu on the Sony, and Hulu on the Roku. Menu is much nicer, and the picture itself looks nicer, but that could be the Sony upconverting it. Even the few episodes of Stargate that I watched looked better, significantly better. Always thought it looked soft, but I blamed Hulu, not the Roku.

The Hulu user interface via the Sony used to be on the Roku as well but a while ago Hulu changed it to the confusing disaster it is now on the Roku. I much prefer the UI on the Sony also. Like Dent I watch Hulu and Netflix via the Sony. I only wish the other apps I use on the roku (HBONow, CBS all Access, Acorn and Spectrum streaming) were available on the Sony.

HBONow recently changed its UI and the new one is also a disaster, Extremely difficult to read, even on a 65" TV and find content. I have thought about cancelling the HBONow just for that reason. Why pay $15/month for something so difficult to use.

I also will update my Roku sometime in the near future hoping for better quality.

 

[Batman]

I haven’t used HBONow in a while. DirecTVNow has HBO (2 channels) for $5/mo extra and my credentials allow me to use HBOGO and I don’t think that interface has changed. It used to be a carbon copy of HBONow.

 

[Huey]

Definitely an improvement with the Sony over the Roku. When I used to watch Stargate on Prime, I never remember it looking bad, just that it was a 20 year old show. Hulu on the Roku, the picture just seemed soft, but watchable. Night and day difference on the Sony. It still looks like a 20 year old picture, it just doesn't have that soft look to it. The other odd thing, is that on the Sony when watching Stargate, there is a static logo at the bottom of the screen. Can't remember which station, but I don't remember it when watching the show on the Roku.

 

[Towen7]

It’s back down to $250 but I can’t bring myself to buy for more than $150.

 

[Deleted member 133]

It’s back down to $250 but I can’t bring myself to buy for more than $150.

Probably best to wait but I've seen pre-owned going for as little as $109 on eBay. Use PayPal to purchase and you're safe against DOA.

 

[Towen7]

It’s relatively low on my AV priority list at the moment but I love a great value.

I’m glad you guys are having a good experience with it though.

 

[Dentman]

It’s back down to $250 but I can’t bring myself to buy for more than $150.

That's a crazy price swing!

 

[Deleted member 133]

It’s relatively low on my AV priority list at the moment but I love a great value.

I’m glad you guys are having a good experience with them though.

Corrected. I bought two (2) of them on sale.

Not like I'm rubbing it in or anything...

But I guess I am.



Jeff

 

[PaulyT]

$180 new on eBay... less for used, as mentioned.

 

[Towen7]

Thanks ... I think I’ll hold out for a new in-box unit from a retail seller. I don’t own a single 4K disc yet, I have no interest/need for it’s network music streaming, and would only using it’s music disc capabilities very, very rarely. I just want a better than average movie player and if it can outperform a Roku or Amazon Fire with streaming video content ... all the better.

 

[Huey]

I forgot to mention, that my unit has locked up twice on me in the last few days, requiring a plug pull to get it going again. First time it happened when I hit the update services button, and the second yesterday when trying to open Netflix. Hopefully it doesn't happen again.

 

[Deleted member 133]

I forgot to mention, that my unit has locked up twice on me in the last few days, requiring a plug pull to get it going again. First time it happened when I hit the update services button, and the second yesterday when trying to open Netflix. Hopefully it doesn't happen again.

That's been one (and probably one of the only) widely reported issues with the X800 - and is typical of Sony BD players going back at least three generations. (I speak from ownership experience.) Unfortunately Sony's track record at issuing firmware updates to correct an issue like this (and in general) is abysmal.

 

[Haywood]

That's been one (and probably one of the only) widely reported issues with the X800 - and is typical of Sony BD players going back at least three generations. (I speak from ownership experience.) Unfortunately Sony's track record at issuing firmware updates to correct an issue like this (and in general) is abysmal.

I have also found that to be true of my TV. They introduced a bug with an update that made my TV crash on a semi-regular basis and took a good six months to put out an update to fix it.

 

[Huey]

That's been one (and probably one of the only) widely reported issues with the X800 - and is typical of Sony BD players going back at least three generations. (I speak from ownership experience.) Unfortunately Sony's track record at issuing firmware updates to correct an issue like this (and in general) is abysmal.

I think I've only owned one other Sony disk player, but I don't ever remember having any problems with it. Having to unplug and plug it back in isn't a huge problem, but it is plugged into my my monster power center, and sometimes it's hard to find the hole, a little pun intended, that I worry about shocking myself trying to slide the power cord in. Other than the lockup issue, the player has been great.