Movie theaters: Who needs em? If youve already got even a decent TV in your house, you may be looking to augment your home theater setup with a 4K Blu-ray player, which will unlock a markedly better viewing experience than streaming movies from Netflix. In that case, look no further than the Panasonic DP-UB820, which is once again on sale at Amazon as part of the companys Big Spring Sale. Its down to $387.35, representing a discount of 22% (or more than $100) off the near-$500 regular price.

Panasonic UB820 4K Blu-ray player

You can rent or buy most movies through digital services, but nothing beats actually owning your favorite films on 4K Blu-ray. Panasonic makes the best disc players around for watching them at their best quality.

$387 at Amazon

The price has actually been hovering around this level for most of March, and This has become a semi-regular deal on what I consider to be the best option for physical media playback. now, you dont have to spend $400-$500 on a dedicated 4K Blu-ray player; cheaper ones are available, and you could also use a multipurpose device that happens to support 4K discs, like a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X. But this higher-end model is one of the few disc players thats compatible with all of the HDR formats you could possibly want: Dolby Vision and HDR10+ (neither of which is supported by game consoles for disc playback) as well as HDR10 and hybrid log-gamma.

Thats the main benefit of the UB820 over loWer-tier 4K Blu-ray players like Panasonics own UB420, but its a big one. Even if your current TV isnt compatible with Dolby Vision — Samsung doesnt support the format at all, for instance — you might want to get this player so youll be set when you upgrade at Some point in the future. plus, it has Wi-Fi built in (unlike cheaper Ethernet-only models), and in the event youre not using a soundbar or a home theater receiver paired with speakers, it sports analog outputs for 7.1-channel audio. Ive owned a UB820 for a number of years, and I love the thing: On top of delivering a top-tier playback experience, the device is built to last, whereas most lower-end players on the market feel flimsy. If youre serious about making the most of your 4K Blu-ray collection, this is the way to go.