The Samsung UBD-K8500 Ultra HD player is meant to complement the latest TVs to show the very best picture quality possible. Ultra HD Blu-ray players offer a much higher resolution of 3,820×2,160 pixels compared to the 1,920×1,080 pixels on conventional Blu-ray players. For their first Blu-ray player, which supports 4K, The Samsung UBD-K8500 is affordable and was ranked second on our best blu ray player list. How will you rank it in your best Tv accessories list? Read about it first.
Why We Like It – Samsung UBD-K8500
The Samsung UBD-K8500 Ultra HD Blu-ray player is Samsung’s first attempt at a Blu-ray player for the new 4K format. It delivers great picture quality including high dynamic range (HDR) and is also compatible with streaming services. If you want the crispest image possible, take a look at our Sony KDL-50R55OA 50″ Bravia LED HGTV review.
- Affordable Price
- Fantastic Picture Quality
- Ready for streaming
- No display
- Confusing remote
- Needs a compatible TV
Performance
The Samsung Ultra HD Blu-ray player offers amazing performance with astounding high dynamic range HDR picture quality and Dolby Atmos digital audio. UHD Blu-ray discs take around 30 to 40 seconds to load compared to the 20 seconds of the standard Blu-ray discs. The UBD-K8500 also comes ready for streaming with built-in Wi-Fi and the Netflix, Youtube, and Amazon Video apps already preloaded. Of course, to get the best out of this 4K player, you need an Ultra HD compatible TV. The UBD-8500 has everything you need to watch movies, but it doesn’t play games like the Xbox One S. Also read the RCA antenna review to learn about an antenna that is great at signal detection.
Design
This disc player comes in full black with a curved shape to presumably match some Samsung TVs. It comes with a USB port, dual HDMI outputs, a wired ethernet port, and an optical port. Of the two HDMI ports available, the one HDMI port is only for audio and works if your AV receiver doesn’t support 4K signals. The Samsung UBD-K8500 has been designed for practicality and can play many old disc formats including CDs, DVDs, and regular Blu-ray discs. This player has many bells and whistles but isn’t THX certified like the Panasonic DMP-UB900. If you travel a lot and you want to remotely operate your DVR from anywhere, check out the Slingbox pro HD review.
Value
Our Samsung UBD-K8500 review has found it to deliver exceptional value for money. As far as 4K players go, it has most of the features you can ask for. It delivers top-notch picture quality and works well with any HDR-compatible TV. It also has great sound quality and can work well with your existing receiver and setup. Despite most new TVs coming with built-in streaming apps, Samsung has added them anyways to increase your viewing options. All this comes at a reasonable price, which isn’t as low as the Philips BDP7501.
Samsung UBD-K8500 Wrap Up
This 4K Ultra HD player has excellent performance to price ratio. It features both excellent picture and sound quality. The remote can be a bit fiddly, especially with no display to inform you of what function is taking place. However, it’s still a solid performer and worth the money.
