Here's How Much A Blu-Ray Player Cost In 2016 Vs. 2026

Blu-rays can be a fantastic way to enjoy high-resolution movies, TV shows, and concert recordings at home. They offer high-definition visuals and enhanced audio options compared with their predecessors, like DVDs and VCRs, making them a natural choice for your home cinema setup. But compared to DVDs, they aren't cheap. The same goes for the equipment you need to play them. 

The price you can expect to pay for a Blu-ray player varies depending on its features, brand, and whether it's a premium or budget model. That's roughly the same whether you're shopping in 2026 or taking a look back at 2016, although the price tag will, of course, differ between the decades. In 2016, you could expect to spend as little as $79 for budget models like the Sony BDP-3700 or LG BP350. That's not quite as much of a steal as it might sound, once you control for inflation; $79 in 2016 is actually around $110 today. On the other hand, high-end models like the Panasonic DMP-UB900 retailed at $599, or about $836 today.

Meanwhile, in 2026, you can expect to spend around $128 on budget models like the Sony BDP-S1700U. Despite how big the leap from about $80 to $130 sounds when you compare the two, it's not actually that steep once you account for inflation. Of course, higher-end models cost more, with options like the Sony UBP-X700 at about $330 and the Sony Region Free BDP-S1700 at $219.

Like other Blu-ray players, the exact price of 4K Blu-ray players varies by model and brand. 4K players, which allow you to watch your favorite movies and TV shows at a full 3840 by 2160 pixel resolution, tend to be quite expensive. However, if you aren't buying a pre-owned device, they don't cost much more than a regular, non-4K Blu-ray player.

The Sony UBP-X700K and Panasonic DP-UB450-K each ring it at about $313, while the Panasonic DP-UB150-K would set you back by $223. They aren't cheap, but unless you pick up one of the cheapest non-4K players on the market, it's not much of a hike at all. However, you can easily drop a massive amount of money on a top-end 4K player. Some premium models like the TerraBene G5600 cost about $1,400, while the Panasonic DP-UB9000 carries a hefty price tag of nearly $2,000.

If you're a keen gamer with one of the newest-generation consoles, then you might actually be in luck. The PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox One X, and Xbox One S all double as 4K Blu-ray players, making it easy to enjoy your favorite ultra HD Blu-ray movies and TV shows without buying a dedicated player. Those consoles are obviously all expensive, though, so it only really helps if you already own one. Similarly, you can only see the difference 4K Blu-ray offers if you have a 4K-compatible TV, which comes with its own cost.