Philips set to release 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player

The Philips BDP7501 4K player is due on sale in June and comes with a $400 price tag.

Following in the footsteps of the Panasonic DMP-UB900 and the Samsung UBD-K8500, comes a third Ultra HD Blu-ray player, this time courtesy of Philips.

First shown at CES, it’s now been confirmed that the Philips BDP7501 will go on sale in June in the US. At $400, the 4K player is a similar price to the Samsung machine, which you can buy in the UK for £429, and a little more affordable than Panasonic’s excellent £599 UHD Blu-ray player.

The player can of course spin 4K Blu-rays, Blu-rays and DVDs, and is compatible with 4K HDR content. Streaming 4K content should be possible too thanks to the inclusion of Netflix and YouTube, while there’s 4K upscaling for non-UHD content.

There are ethernet and USB inputs, as well as built-in wifi, plus twin HDMI outputs and a digital optical out.

The Philips BDP7501 comes in a squarer, more compact form than a typical Blu-ray player, with a silver and black aluminium finish.

On sale next month for $400, it looks like this one might be US-only for now, but will hopefully help pave the way for more manufacturers to get behind 4K Blu-ray.