{"id":116830,"date":"2021-01-12T10:15:24","date_gmt":"2021-01-12T10:15:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.techweekmag.com\/?p=116830"},"modified":"2021-04-08T08:12:42","modified_gmt":"2021-04-08T07:12:42","slug":"playstation-5-blu-ray-review-rivals-entry-level-standalone-4k-blu-ray-players","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/gadgets\/playstation-5-blu-ray-review-rivals-entry-level-standalone-4k-blu-ray-players\/","title":{"rendered":"PlayStation 5 Blu-Ray Review \u2022 Rivals entry-level standalone 4K Blu-ray players"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The PlayStation 5 Blu-Ray player built into the disc version was not meant to be a highlight. Sony&#8217;s latest console is, of course, primarily a gaming machine.\u00a0The PlayStation 5 drive version&#8217;s support for the latest and greatest video disc formats is just a welcome bonus for home cinema fans.<\/p>\n<p>However, Sony&#8217;s decision to include a 4K Blu-ray player in the PS5 has potentially far-reaching implications for home entertainment.\u00a0Most manufacturers have left the 4K stationary Blu-ray player market.\u00a0But fans of optical media will be pleased that thanks to the PS5 and Xbox Series X, 4K BD players will now appear in tens of millions of homes.<\/p>\n<p>After all, even if only a small percentage of owners of these new consoles discover the pleasures of 4K Blu-ray, it should lead to much more stable sales of 4K movie discs.\u00a0And thus a much more secure long-term future for the physical media industry ravaged by video streaming.<\/p>\n<p>Sony&#8217;s decision to include a 4K Blu-ray player in the disc version of the PS5 is even more welcome because the company is not known to have included it on the PS4.\u00a0Even the PS4 Pro.\u00a0Although the Xbox One S and X had it.\u00a0It&#8217;s not entirely clear why the PS4 went this route.\u00a0But Sony itself then unconvincingly tried to explain it all by the fact that streaming video is the future of home cinema.\u00a0However, today we are presenting a review of the PS5 4K Blu-ray player.<\/p>\n<h2>PS5 Powered Review<\/h2>\n<p>What to expect from a 4K Blu-ray player built into Sony&#8217;s powerful Console Edition?\u00a0The assumptions are mixed.\u00a0On the one hand, Sony&#8217;s 4K stationary Blu-ray players are awkward to use in some respects.\u00a0But they have outstanding performance at a variety of price points.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/01-stereoindex.com\/tech-ps5-player-dizajn.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-8741\" src=\"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/01-stereoindex.com\/tech-ps5-player-dizajn-700x446.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/01-stereoindex.com\/tech-ps5-player-dizajn-700x446.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/01-stereoindex.com\/tech-ps5-player-dizajn-300x191.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/01-stereoindex.com\/tech-ps5-player-dizajn-768x489.jpg 768w\" alt=\"PlayStation 5 Powered - Design\" width=\"700\" height=\"446\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>On the other hand, none of the 4K Blu-ray players built into the Xbox One S and X or Series X are any particularly shining example in their class in terms of functionality or performance.\u00a0There&#8217;s also no hiding the fact that the PS5 doesn&#8217;t support HDR\u00a0Dolby Vision\u00a0or HDR10 + premium\u00a0formats\u00a0.<\/p>\n<p>Discs that support one or both of these formats convey HDR metadata from scene to scene, which compatible players and TVs can use to create better, more dynamic images.\u00a0The lack of support for any of the formats leaves users with only the basic HDR10 system, which contains only static metadata, and therefore requires maximum &#8220;dedication&#8221; from TVs.<\/p>\n<h3>Dolby Vision support<\/h3>\n<p>Sony has never supported HDR10 + in any of its TVs or standalone 4K Blu-ray players, so it&#8217;s optimistic to expect this format to hit the PS5.\u00a0However, the previous two generations of separate Sony 4K Blu-ray players supported Dolby Vision.\u00a0Although rather clumsy (for example,\u00a0Sony X1100ES\u00a0).\u00a0So it would be nice to see Dolby Vision on the PS5 Blu Ray 4K player too.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/02-stereoindex.com\/tech-ps5-player-obzor.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-8742\" src=\"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/02-stereoindex.com\/tech-ps5-player-obzor-700x567.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/02-stereoindex.com\/tech-ps5-player-obzor-700x567.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/02-stereoindex.com\/tech-ps5-player-obzor-300x243.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/02-stereoindex.com\/tech-ps5-player-obzor-768x622.jpg 768w\" alt=\"PlayStation 5 Powered - Review\" width=\"700\" height=\"567\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>It is possible that the situation may change.\u00a0Dolby Vision is no longer dependent on prior hardware integration.\u00a0Therefore, it can potentially be added to the PS5 through a firmware update.\u00a0In fact, this is exactly what happened with the Xbox One S and X. But if the Dolby Vision format could really appear on the Play Station 5 with a drive anytime soon, Sony would have already revealed it.<\/p>\n<h3>Functionality<\/h3>\n<p>The PS5 player has quite a few features.\u00a0For example, there is no way to tell the player which display the console is connected to so that it can adjust its output accordingly.\u00a0There is also no way to set up audio sync.\u00a0And this might be useful for those who transmit the sound of the console through a TV with ARC \/\u00a0eARC technology\u00a0.\u00a0It is in this variant that desynchronization occurs more often.<\/p>\n<p>There is also no option to, say, disable HDR mode in 4K HDR content.\u00a0This can be useful for low brightness projectors.\u00a0However, this has always been an unlikely option for the console&#8217;s built-in 4K Blu-ray player.<\/p>\n<h3>PlayStation 5 Blu-Ray Surround sound<\/h3>\n<p>The PS5 Blu-ray player has a separate bitstream output option for 4K Blu-ray Player app on PS5.\u00a0To access it, you need to press the PS5 options button (small white in the upper right corner of the touchpad), then scroll to the additional options icon in the form of three dots on the screen, then select settings and finally go to the &#8220;Audio&#8221; menu.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/03-stereoindex.com\/tech-ps5-player-settings.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-8743\" src=\"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/03-stereoindex.com\/tech-ps5-player-settings-700x590.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/03-stereoindex.com\/tech-ps5-player-settings-700x590.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/03-stereoindex.com\/tech-ps5-player-settings-300x253.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/03-stereoindex.com\/tech-ps5-player-settings-768x647.jpg 768w\" alt=\"PlayStation 5 Powered - Settings\" width=\"700\" height=\"590\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Under Format, select Bitstream instead of the default Linear PCM.\u00a0And support for Dolby Atmos and DTS: X is provided.\u00a0The console currently does not support Dolby Atmos or DTS: X in games or streaming applications.\u00a0This will likely clear up when (or if) object audio becomes more important in PS5 games or across the entire streaming app ecosystem.<\/p>\n<h3>Game mode and playable formats<\/h3>\n<p>PS5 does not yet support automatic switching to low latency mode (ALLM).\u00a0Therefore, remember to manually switch your TV from Game Mode to Standard or Cinema when watching 4K Blu-ray movies on your console.\u00a0Failure to do so can have some rather unpleasant side effects such as reduced backlight performance and dimmer colors.<\/p>\n<p>The last feature of the PlayStation 5 blu ray drive to consider is the number of playable disc formats.\u00a0Although it&#8217;s easier to list the non-reproducible ones.\u00a0There are 4K Blu-ray, HD Blu-ray, and DVD discs in the menu, but there is no support for 3D Blu-ray or even CDs.\u00a0Sony has a stigma here.\u00a0The PS4 also doesn&#8217;t support CDs, and 3D support was only added via a post-launch firmware update.<\/p>\n<h3>Comparison of PS5 player with stationary blur players<\/h3>\n<p>We made sure that the Sony PlayStation 5 blu ray cannot compete with a good stationary 4K Blu-ray player in terms of functionality.\u00a0But can he assert himself at least at the performance level?\u00a0In fact, yes.\u00a0The PS5 player in a single test, without comparison with other players, shows\u00a0detailed, clean, dynamic and colorful picture\u00a0on the\u00a0LG CX\u00a0OLED TV\u00a0screen\u00a0.<\/p>\n<p>Substantially better than HD Blu-ray.\u00a0Even without Dolby Vision or HDR10 + (on Samsung TVs).\u00a0Shades of black appear deep and uniform.\u00a0The detail really matches 4K without artificial enhancement.\u00a0The base luminance and luminance of individual highlights correspond to \u201cHDR\u201d.\u00a0Colors look expressive, rich and clean.\u00a0The wide color gamut adds naturalness and power to nearly all HDR discs.<\/p>\n<p>Comparing it to the\u00a0Oppo 205\u00a0immediately makes it clear that the PS5 lacks Dolby Vision.\u00a0Oppo consistently delivers a more controlled, balanced and natural picture of vivid scenes.\u00a0In short, even one frame is enough to clearly show the benefits you get from Dolby Vision&#8217;s enhanced color mastering.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/04-stereoindex.com\/tech-ps5-player-kommutacija.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-8744\" src=\"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/04-stereoindex.com\/tech-ps5-player-kommutacija-700x640.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/04-stereoindex.com\/tech-ps5-player-kommutacija-700x640.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/04-stereoindex.com\/tech-ps5-player-kommutacija-300x274.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/04-stereoindex.com\/tech-ps5-player-kommutacija-768x702.jpg 768w\" alt=\"PlayStation 5 Powered - Switching\" width=\"700\" height=\"640\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>More fair to compare PS5 drive with a stationary 4K Blu-ray player,\u00a0the Panasonic UB820\u00a0.\u00a0This mid-range unit supports both premium HDR Dolby Vision and HDR10 + formats.\u00a0Although, unlike Oppo, it allows you to disable this support.\u00a0And then you can make a direct comparison between PS5 and Panasonic.<\/p>\n<p>It is quite difficult to distinguish between PS5 and UB820 images.\u00a0Panasonic detects slightly more clarity and color neutrality.\u00a0The detail in shades of black in the console player is the same as in the Panasonic 820. In the &#8220;shootout&#8221; with the budget\u00a0Panasonic UB450, the PS5\u00a0player matched its rival almost at every step.<\/p>\n<p>It is difficult to identify any really significant strengths of the image in a stationary player.\u00a0The black levels look equally dark and dense, the detail and sharpness levels are almost identical as well.\u00a0And colors are indistinguishable in terms of saturation and balance.\u00a0But, as we have seen, HDR10 + and Dolby Vision can provide an advantage in picture quality when played back on a Panasonic player.<\/p>\n<h3>Upscaling<\/h3>\n<p>If your console is set to output 4K (which happens automatically with a 4K TV), then the built-in Sony PlayStation 5 UltraHD Blu Ray player upscales HD Blu-ray to 4K.\u00a0The PS5 does a pretty good job of upscaling.\u00a0First, a decent amount of detail is added.\u00a0Neither noise nor natural graininess in the HD source is over-exaggerated by the upscaling process.<\/p>\n<p>There is no glitch in Blu-ray section on PS5.\u00a0All Blu-ray discs load and play flawlessly.\u00a0Fast-forwarding \/ rewinding or skipping a chapter does not cause any frame rate or audio glitches.\u00a0And there doesn&#8217;t seem to be a system stability issue from repeatedly switching between disc playback and the console&#8217;s main menu.\u00a0You can even switch to a game and then easily return to the movie.<\/p>\n<h3>Conclusion<\/h3>\n<p>In conclusion of Sony&#8217;s PlayStation 5 Blu-ray review, it must be said that this is definitely not the ideal 4K Blu-ray player.\u00a0Its unusual audio setup will surprise anyone, its inability to play 3D Blu-ray or Audio CDs is pretty unfounded.\u00a0Dropping support for Dolby Vision HDR instantly makes it impossible to improve picture quality on compatible TVs.<\/p>\n<p>However, its performance in standard HDR10 on 4K Blu-ray discs rivals the entry-level standalone 4K Blu-ray players.\u00a0And only slightly inferior to mid-range devices.\u00a0It also runs stably and is pretty smooth when configured correctly.\u00a0It may not be the new 4K Blu-ray star that some Sony fans have been optimistic about.\u00a0But its resources are enough for millions of future PS5 owners to understand the delights of 4K Blu-ray movies.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The PlayStation 5 Blu-Ray player built into the disc version was not meant to be a highlight. Sony&#8217;s latest console is, of course, primarily a gaming machine.\u00a0The PlayStation 5 drive [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10404,"featured_media":116831,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[644],"tags":[778],"class_list":["post-116830","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-gadgets","tag-reviews"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116830","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10404"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=116830"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116830\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/116831"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=116830"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=116830"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=116830"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}