Sony has finally unveiled its first Ultra HD Blu-ray player product but it is not coming out until spring 2017. Sony UBP-X1000ES was announced during the CEDIA Expo.

Sony UBP-X1000ES UHD Blu-ray
Last week, Sony unveiled the PlayStation 4 Pro, and while many had expected it to include a UHD Blu-ray drive, Sony had curiously decided to omit it. Instead, the company will release a stand-alone UHD Blu-ray player in the form of UBP-X1000ES.

However, some may still be disappointed with Sony. UBP-X1000ES will not ship until next spring and Sony has not announced pricing details. The player was announced during the company’s briefing at the CEDIA Expo and Sony is positioning the new player as a solution for custom installers, first and foremost.

It does not appear to be the mass market consumer product that many had hoped for. It is instead a high-end solution and we therefore expect the final price to reflect that.

- “The new UBP-X1000ES player has been long awaited by custom installers who desire a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player that provides a “one-stop” solution for their clients’ premium entertainment needs. Our new reference model has been specifically designed to deliver the highest quality video and audio possible and will excite the most demanding A/V enthusiasts,” said Yukio Ishikawa, Director of Home Entertainment Systems for Sony.


You may recall that Sony has previously used the “ES” branding for high-end products.

- “Frame and Beam (FB) chassis helps to increase structural rigidity and its honeycomb top plate, sf heat sync and offset insulator feet reduce the effects of both airborne and mechanical vibration. Even the player’s removable rack-mount ears (to be sold separately) are designed to reduce vibration and electrical noise,” said Sony adding that it is plans to have X1000ES “fully certified by Control4, Crestron, Savant, and others”.

Discs and streaming
The player obviously conforms to the UHD Blu-ray standard, meaning support for 4K Ultra HD resolution, HDR (high dynamic range), and wide color gamut (up to Rec.2020). It uses the HDR10 format. Dolby Vision is not supported.

X1000ES has two HDMI outputs for separating video and audio. There are also 2-channel analog and coaxial digital audio outputs. It supports the Dolby Atmos and DTS:X object-oriented audio formats, too. There is a 32-bit DAC integrated.


Sony further says that X1000ES has built-in apps for video streaming “in full 4K resolution and High Dynamic Range”. Sony highlighted Amazon Video and YouTube but made no mention of Netflix.

X1000ES uses a “Precision HD drive to help maintain consistent performance with virtually every optical disc format, including DVD Video and DVD Audio; CD and SA-CD; and Blu-ray 3D, and BD-ROM media”.

Sony says that UBP-X1000ED “will be available from authorized Sony AV dealers and custom installers in spring 2017”.

- Source: Sony