Sony has finally come up with its first 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player, the UBP-X1000ES which was unveiled yesterday at the CEDIA Expo in Dallas is capable of spinning virtually any other kind of optical disc but the new product from Sony has one major backside. As it is one of part of Sony’s ES line of A/V receivers, it will only be available through custom installers for U.S. buyers.
The X1000ES looks very similar to the “premium” 1080p UHP-H1 player, and it performs many of the same functions, such as streaming Amazon Video and YouTube. But it has the added benefit of playing 4K discs. 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray is the latest disc-based standard and includes features such as 4K resolution (3,840×2,160 pixels), high dynamic range (HDR) and better colour depth.
The new player includes a high-end 32-bit processing DAC, which will play disc-based media like SACD and CD, as well as stream native DSD (at up to 11.2MHz) and PCM (up to 192kHz). Installation-friendly options include IP Control over CAT 5 cable or Wi-Fi, RS232C two-way control, and IR-In. The device reported to play and support pretty much every optical disc format available, from Ultra HD Blu-ray with its already stellar 4K and HDR charms to normal Blu-ray (including 3D titles), DVD Video, DVD-Audio, SACD, and BD-ROM.
The deck carries dual HDMI outputs too, offering separate audio and video signal paths, while its HDMI, two-channel analog and coaxial digital outputs have all been made using evaporated gold to improve conductivity.
The X1000ES was released by Sony after a huge number of expectations regarding the PS4’s 4K video expectations were ruined at the PS4 launch event earlier in September where the gaming console was reported to only support 4K streaming.
Sony will start shipping the UBP-X1000ES will start shipping in spring 2017 although the price of the Player is undetermined as of now.
