Question Where are the new 4K UHD Blu-ray players in 2020?

[Doctor Hades]

To cut a long story short, I am looking to replace my Sony UBP-X800 4K UHD Blu-ray player with a newer model that supports Dolby Vision.

Due to issues with this player not handshaking with my LG B9 TV properly - when this happens I have to turn off the player several times before it finally displays the Home screen and not a No Signal image - and intermittent freezes while watching BDs and 4K BDs (relatively rare but still annoying when it happens as I have to unplug the player at the mains), the X800 Mark 2 was never a consideration. Besides, its Dolby Vision implementation is poor, requiring the user to manually enable and disable it (quite how you are supposed to know a disc supports DV is anyone's else as steelbooks certainly do not make this clear!) and is otherwise the exact same player from what I've seen of it in reviews.

Anyway, I was thinking there must be plenty of newer players with support for all the HDR formats now (HDR10, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision etc) but, in reality, it seems that the best players are still those from 2018 and there has hardly been anything worthy released in the last two years?

Why? Is the 4K player a dying format?

I have decided on a Panasonic UB820 (pre-ordered from Amazon as it was out of stock) which supports Dolby Vision properly and has some nice features such as an HDR optimiser which isn't on my current Sony X800 player. Apart from the dated and sluggish apps screen, which I wouldn't use much anyway as I prefer the TV ones, this seems like a nice player for £299. The problem is that it is old and likely no longer supported for firmware updates so how come Panasonic haven't released a newer model?

Are there any decent new 4K BD players released in 2019 or 2020?

 

[goingoingong]

The problem is that it is old and likely no longer supported for firmware updates so how come Panasonic haven't released a newer model?

AFAIK it is still supported. The most recent firmware was V1.66 March 2020 (albeit for China although folks here have used on UB820).

It still works well and supports all three formats. There is no reason to release a new model. Do you want Panasonic to just do a cosmetic makeover (change the skin) and charge more money for it...
Count yourself lucky that despite the falling pound Panasonic is still charging the same amount for it.

Are there any decent new 4K BD players released in 2019 or 2020?

2019
Panasonic Announces DP-UB450 UHD Blu-ray Player

 

[gibbsy]

Been discussed here:
Any new uhd Blu-ray 4k player on 2021? | AVForums

Players are not something that is going to have new models every year as you find with AV amps. Simply no need to do it as very little as far as disc formats has changed over the last few years. Panasonic, Sony and LG are still making models. Pioneer, owned by Onkyo are currently insolvent but hopefully will come back to the market with their high end LX500/800 models.

Basically what you buy this year, I would recommend the Panasonic models, will still be able to play discs for many years providing firmware is kept up to date. Blu-ray players are something that are not going to disappear any time soon.