As the first Ultra HD Blu-ray player, the Samsung UBD-K8500 provides exceptional performance with the right display and disc. But as with any new format, there are growing pains to be sorted out before we can toast to its complete success.

For those seeking that next-gen visual experience, the Samsung UBD-K8500 is a solid choice. It's also more affordable than its main Panasonic rival, although lacks the range of connections that might see the Panasonic emerge as the more technically adept option

The Samsung UBD-K8500 is one of the best-performing Blu-ray players. The picture and audio quality is stunning. We aren't fans of the curved design, but it's feature-filled and has an intuitive user interface.

In all that time, I’ve owned and used the first-available set-top players for DVD, for Divx, for Blu-ray, for SACD and DVD-Audio, and for HD-DVD. Let me tell you: Samsung’s UBD-K8500 is the most affordable, most capable, and most stable entry-level player for any new format I’ve seen yet. It’s certainly not perfect; no entry-level player ever is.

If you've recently purchased or plan to purchase an HDR-capable UHD TV, I can see no reason why you wouldn't purchase a new Ultra HD player like the Samsung UBD-K8500 to go along with it. It delivers a superior UHD/HDR picture over what the streaming providers are currently offering, along with full-resolution audio soundtracks, including Dolby Atmos. And hey, for those times when you'd prefer to stream, the UBD-K8500 is also loaded with the most desirable UHD streaming video services, as well as DLNA/USB support for your personal media collection. Then there's the fact that its $399 asking price is on par with current HT enthusiast faves like the Oppo BDP-103 upconverting Blu-ray player.

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.

While the K8500 doesn’t eke out quite as much of Ultra HD Blu-ray’s glorious quality as its only current rival, it’s the sort of good-value option the new UHD disc format needs

The Samsung UBD-K8500 Ultra HD Blu-ray player, in my humblest opinion, is one of the finest first gen media players I've ever seen.

For the best 4K Ultra HD picture quality available today, you need Samsung’s K8500.

The K8500 delivered fantastic images from Ultra HD Blu-ray with plenty of detail and dynamic range.

The Samsung UBD-K8500 has a reasonable price for being the first of its kind. It can play back 4K Blu-ray discs with HDR, delivering the best video quality available today. The player offers quick loading times and has plenty of streaming apps available at launch.

It doesn't have as many ports as its Panasonic rival, but the UBD-K8500 is still a highly capable Ultra HD Blu-ray player

If you want everything Ultra HD Blu-ray can deliver, but are on a tight budget, Samsung’s UBD-K8500 is the player to buy. Just be aware that you might have to tweak some settings to clear up the judder issue with non-Samsung TVs.

Samsung’s debut UHD Blu-ray deck is an impressive machine, offering dazzling 4K pictures and loads of features for a lower price than you might expect – although Panasonic’s pricier rival offers a better performance.

Samsung's stripped back 4K Blu-ray player is just what your Ultra HD TV needs, but early adopters are expected to pay a high price for better pixels.

The Samsung UBD-K8500 is quite quick and feature-rich for one of the first consumer 4K Blu-ray players available, but it will cost you.

A capable UHD Blu-ray player, but not the best