News
- Nearly 400 4K Blu-ray users shared info about player problems
- There's a huge gap between the best and worst in the poll
- Panasonic will be happy; Sony not so much
One of the things I like best about Reddit is the way people share their experiences of particular products: whether it's a kitchen knife, a portable AC or a Gibson guitar I know I'll be able to find sage advice on what to buy and what to watch out for. And now the good people of r/hometheater have come together to talk about the best 4K Blu-ray players and their reliability.
The poll was carried out by r/hometheater poster "requieminadream" and generated nearly 400 responses — almost double the number of previous poll respondents — from r/4KBluray, r/Bluray, r/PhysicalMediaMatters, the AVS Forums, and the Blu-ray.com forums. And there are some very clear differences between different firms' Blu-ray devices.
Requieminadream very kindly summarized the results in a sentence: "The Sony UBP-X700 is still the problem child, the Panasonic DP-UB820 is still champ, and the pricey UB-9000 posted the cleanest numbers (small sample though)."
But there were some interesting discoveries in the detail too, so it's definitely worth looking at if you're considering a pre-owned 4K Blu-ray player purchase, or just which one seems to make people the happiest long-term.
The 4K Blu-ray Standalone Player Reliability Poll numbers ARE IN! from r/hometheaterWhich 4K Blu-ray players are the best?One of the reasons I like Reddit wisdom is because with few exceptions, reviewers can't spend years with the products they test — so the reviews of my car don't know about the software issues that drive me wild and sometimes require a reboot at traffic lights, and the reviews of my router don't know about its tendency to misbehave every few weeks.
It's the same with Blu-ray players: even the most in-depth review won't be able to tell you if a player's likely to pack up in year two or three. (Though one exception is our Panasonic DP-UB820 review, written by our TV Hardware senior writer James Davidson, because he wrote us a fresh review based on combining using it in our test room and having used it daily for several years beforehand.)
But in general, polls like this are a brilliant resource.
By a large margin, the Panasonic DP-UB820 is the community's favored player: 43.4% of respondents have one, and its problem rate was around half that of the Sony UBP-X700. The rate of serious issues was very low, at just 8% — backing up what James had said, when he called it "the workhorse of the 4K Blu-ray player world".
The "problem child" that emerged from this latest poll is the Sony UBP-X700. Of the 103 Sony users, some 77.7% reported some issues over time; recurring and/or serious issues were 23%. The number one complaint is freezing during triple-layer transitions, which is something that has long been discussed on Blu-ray forums.
The poll shows another interesting pattern, which is problems over time. For the Sony, issues became more common over time — but for the Panasonic the pattern was of any failures showing up early, but better long-term reliability.
The other players in the survey came in between the two extremes, but some of the best results were from "other" players including games consoles and more niche Blu-ray products.
Satisfaction with those products was exceptionally high, with the PS5 getting a significantly higher rating than the Xbox. That's all the more striking given the Sony X700's performance: the PS5 is a more premium product and that seems to be reflected in its reliability — alas, we shouldn't expect any more PlayStations to arrive with a disc player.
I should make clear, as the original Redditor did, that in some cases the sample sizes for ownership in these polls is pretty low, so we should take the results with a pinch of salt. However, the Panasonic UB820 and the Sony X700 were the best-represented, and are the two most popular players, so their data is arguably the most useful anyway.
Samsung Galaxy Unpacked took place earlier in the week, and amongst the key launches we the got a look at a brand new compact foldable: the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8. This clamshell phone is Samsung's slimmest and lightest Flip yet, measuring just 6.1mm thick when folded, and weighing in at 180g.
Preorders are open now, and if you've decided this is the phone for you, now's a great time to get a case sorted. Below, I've rounded up a selection of my favorites in the US and in the UK. I've focused on reputable brands like Otterbox, Spigen and Casetify, alongside Samsung's official offerings, but I've also mixed in a handful of Amazon options for those seeking something cheaper. As a relatively niche launch, there isn't the usual glut of cases to choose from, but I was pleasantly surprised to see a decent range available.
When making your selection, keep in mind what you need from a case. Do you want the toughest case, with reinforced corners, to keep your foldable safe from bumps and scratches? Are you seeking a fun design that lets you express some personality? Or do you need something minimalist that lets the phone itself take center stage? I've also included a number of MagSafe options.
Scroll down to browse my favorite Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 cases and covers, to keep your new clamshell safe and looking great.
US cases for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 Spigen Galaxy Z Flip 8 Series — Ultra Hybrid Pro (mag Fit) Samsung Galaxy Z Flip8 Mirror Magnet Case(kakao Friends) Spigen Galaxy Z Flip 8 Series - Nano Pop (mag Fit) Samsung Galaxy Z Flip8 Silicone Ring Magnet Case, Pink Samsung Galaxy Z Flip8 Clear Magnet Case, Transparent CASETiFY Stamp Collection CASETiFY Black Kingsnake OtterBox Folding Galaxy Z Flip8 Case — Thin Flex Series Pepmune Magnetic Case Matte Clear Bumper, Pink RMOCR Galaxy Z Flip 8 Case With Lanyard, blue WRJ Shockproof Magnetic Phone Case for Z Flip8 — Black Samsung Galaxy Z Flip8 Flipsuit Case, Silver Samsung Galaxy Z Flip8 Clear Case, Transparent CASETiFY Dragon Pang Samsung Galaxy Z Flip8 Mirror Magnet Case(esther Bunny) Samsung Galaxy Z Flip8 Hybrid Shield Magnet Case, Black Spigen Galaxy Z Flip 8 Series - Ultra Hybrid Pro Neo One (mag Fit) Spigen Galaxy Z Flip 8 Series - Core Armor (mag Fit) UK cases for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 CASETiFY Bridgerton Blooming Flowers Case CASETiFY Strawberry Print OWKEY Magnetic Case With Built-In Screen Protector, Blue Natbok Galaxy Z Flip 8 Case with 2 Screen Protectors, black SIXBOX Flip 8 Case With Stand, Compatible With Magsafe, Dark purple WFTE Split Case with 2x Tempered Glass Screen Protectors Samsung Galaxy Z Flip8 Flipsuit Case Samsung Galaxy Z Flip8 Clear Case Samsung Galaxy Z Flip8 Silicone Ring Magnet Case Samsung Galaxy Z Flip8 Clear Magnet Case Samsung Galaxy Z Flip8 Hybrid Shield Magnet CaseAI is everywhere, which is exciting for some and concerning for others — and nowhere is this dichotomy more prevalent than health. AI has the ability to enable huge leaps in healthcare, both at home on your phones and smartwatches, and in the medical industry advancing tools and research using vast corpuses of training data. However, given that AI relies on harvesting data to train the next generation of models, its use of sensitive personal information is under intense scrutiny.
Samsung, unsurprisingly, is all-in on AI. On 22 July during Samsung Galaxy Unpacked, we saw how AI was being used across Samsung's ecosystem, especially on the Samsung Health app and wearables like the Samsung Galaxy Watch. It's crunching the data you give it to help notify you of problems such as sleep apnea, irregular heart rhythms, and even common illnesses such as a cold.
It's not the only big tech company to dive head-first into AI health: Google's done it too with the revamp of its Google Health app, retooling its premium tier into a Chatbot called the Google Health Coach.
Some people don't trust AI with their health information, as our writer David Nield illustrates, and some AI companies' cavalier use of user data has clearly got users worried. Is the pivot to AI in health happening too quickly? Do we have appropriate safeguards in place yet? And is your data being mined without your consent?
It's all about user trust, it seems. Samsung made headlines earlier this month for the wrong reasons, as a claim hit the internet stating that Samsung Health will delete your data unless you allow the app to access your sensitive health information for AI training purposes. Samsung later clarified this was not the case in a statement to 9to5Google. While the rumor was apparently false, it does demonstrate how worried people are when it comes to AI harvesting their health data.
Trust and Privacy(Image credit: Future)During Samsung Galaxy Unpacked, I got to conduct a one-on-one interview with Annika Bizon, VP of Product and Marketing for Mobile Experience at Samsung, and ask her about Samsung's strategy when it comes to AI and healthcare — including how it's intending to safeguard their user's valuable data.
"The user is in control, right?," she tells me, "you opt-in to decide what you want something to understand around your health. You're in control through your phone and through the Samsung health app. That's number one. AI is there to assist you and make your experience better."
Bizon and her team also clarified that all Samsung Health features are usable whether you choose to share your data or not. This attempt to reassure Samsung users about trust and privacy echoed all throughout the Unpacked conference: when I approached someone to talk about Samsung's new Intelligent Eyewear smart glasses, the first bit of sales spiel I got was centered on privacy and transparency features. Clearly, Samsung and its partners at Google are keen to avoid the growing backlash against smart specs.
(Image credit: Samsung)This continued during a Health Forum attended by journalists. Speaking about medical advances powered by Samsung and AI, Rohit Ali, Head of the Technology Incubation Lab at Samsung R&D Institute UK, said during the panel, "as long as we ensure that data is private, trust can be viable. We at Samsung completely believe that data belongs to the user, and we are just custodians."
Bizon said Samsung's approach is "if it's got AI involved in it, you're in control," with the ability to toggle the data you share and the data you don't. However, she did then go on to say that when users start to use these features, that "you realize you don't want to 'not opt-in' because it's giving you better understanding of your health situation." Without opting in to using the AI features, you're not getting everything Samsung Health has to offer.
'We want to keep people away from doctors'Watch: Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 / Watch9 hands-on"Gone are the days of 10,000 steps and eight hours' sleep," said Bizon, telling me that old-fashioned blanket advice was never suitable for everyone. "We're in a space of 'your health, your way', and that's where AI and incredible sensor technology innovation brings those two together.
"We want to keep people away from doctors. We want to give people small nudges so they can make their lives better."
Bizon is talking about AI picking up on your body's trends and seeing things before they happen, with preventative health features ensuring people don't necessarily need doctors — and when they do, they're catching things like heart problems early.
The new Vitals feature is the key to this, which tracks five different metrics, many of them based on heart health, while you sleep with a Samsung watch or Galaxy Ring on. "Through things like understanding how your respiratory system is working, it might tell you that might be coming down with a cold," says Bizon, "and therefore, you can manage that. You might go, 'I need to have more vitamins' or 'I need to sleep a bit more', or 'I might not go to the gym tomorrow'.
"Little triggers and little nudges, right the way through to understanding your heart health in way more detail. Your ECG is taken while you're sleeping. And then that is, you know, even endorsed by the MHRA [the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency], which means that you can send that directly directly to your doctor."
(Image credit: Samsung)An AI nutrition tracking feature will also be launching in beta on Samsung Health very soon, which allows you to take a photo of your plate and it'll log an estimation of your macros like Google Health and Garmin Connect does. These coupled with the Antioxidant Index on watches, which Bizon says help users "understand what you're putting in your body, so that you can manage your overall health in a better way", have the potential to become quite a powerful set of nutrition features across the Samsung ecosystem.
This preventative health design is part of Samsung's desire to keep people away from doctors, as Bizon puts it, and empower its users to lead healthier lives. It just might work, too — as long as that all-important trust and faith in Samsung's ability to keep its user's health data private is maintained.
During Samsung's Health Forum, Samsung's Head of Digital Health Dr Hon Pak said "whether it's data or the insights we derive, someone has to trust this is right for them. And then there's the issue of what we're doing to store and use that data appropriately, because once you lose trust, nothing else matters."
Samsung is being very careful and conscious with all its trust-first messaging, and it's paying attention to controversies involving other companies like Meta. The success of its plans for AI health all depend on this.
As noted in my Ninja Creami Swirl review, with the right ingredients, your frozen dessert can help you meet your protein goals. I have tried dozens of recipes and found that I really don't care for the taste or texture of the ready-made protein shakes and powders that many high-protein recipes call for. Plus, they are quite expensive, often around $3 / £2.50 / AU$4.50 per serving, not counting any other ingredients you might add.
Many recipes also call for pudding mix, which is supposed to help with texture, taste, and added sweetness, but I'm not a fan of those either, so I searched out some options that provide a decent amount of protein without any of those products — just real food.
Just yogurtThe obvious option is just to take a tub (or two) of your favorite yogurt, dump it into the Ninja Creami pint, and freeze. Spin it on the Yogurt setting and you get a nice ice cream texture. The key is to use a yogurt that you really like, because the flavor doesn't magically change into ice cream, just the texture! The image above is two tubs of simple vanilla Greek yogurt. Keep in mind that freezing anything dulls the sweetness, so you might want to add a touch of your sweetener of choice before freezing, or add a sweet mix-in, such as cookies or chocolate.
Cherry-vanilla yogurtYogurt (or cottage cheese) and fruit is always a great combo. One of my favorites is this simple recipe:
Cherry-vanilla frozen yogurt:
3/4 cup dark sweet frozen cherries
1 cup Greek vanilla yogurt
Blend first and then freeze for 24 hours. Spin it on the Frozen Yogurt cycle. If desired, add more cherries for the Mix-in cycle.
I rarely actually blend mine first, but it's probably better for your machine if you do. This is a favorite I make over and over, and it's simply delicious. Sometimes I add 1/4 tsp of almond extract before freezing for a heightened flavor. I also sometimes add more protein and texture by running a small handful of nuts in the Mix-in cycle.
Karen Freeman / FutureKaren Freeman / FutureKaren Freeman / FutureKaren Freeman / FutureKaren Freeman / FutureKaren Freeman / FuturePear-vanilla yogurtThis one sounds a bit odd, but it's so good.
Pear-vanilla yogurt:
2 tubs of Greek vanilla yogurt
1 tub pears
No need to blend, just mix and freeze for 24 hours. Spin on the Frozen Yogurt cycle.
Canned fruit is very soft, which is why you don't need to blend it. You can use any fruit here, it doesn't have to be pears. They all work well. You can try different yogurt flavors, too. Canned pineapple with coconut yogurt is a tasty combo, for example. And if you don't have tubs like I used, you can just measure out a roughly 2:1 yogurt to fruit ratio to the max fill line.
Karen Freeman / FutureKaren Freeman / FutureKaren Freeman / FutureKaren Freeman / FutureChocolate Cottage Cheese Ice CreamI have tried many chocolate 'protein ice creams' and haven't yet hit on that perfect recipe. This one is pretty good, with great texture. Be sure to taste it before freezing, in case you want to add more sweetener. User a sugar-free sweetener if you want to cut calories. If you prefer whole foods, try honey, maple syrup, or agave syrup. You could even just use a few dates.
Chocolate Cottage Cheese Ice Cream:
1 cup cottage cheese
3 tbsp cacao powder
2-3 tbsp sweetener of choice
2 tbsp almond butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
Blend well and freeze for 24 hours. Spin on the Light Ice Cream setting.
Add nuts, cookies, and/or chocolate on the Mix-in cycle if desired. I mixed in a few chocolate chips. If the cottage cheese is too salty for you, or you just don't like the taste, you could use milk or Greek yogurt instead. You can even do some combination of the three. The cottage cheese does give a nice texture, but you don't need the full cup to get it. Even a quarter cup helps.
Karen Freeman / FutureKaren Freeman / FutureKaren Freeman / FutureKaren Freeman / FutureAnd moreI have several high protein recipes in my recent article, healthier recipes for your Ninja Creami, including a pistachio ice cream recipe I particularly like and a banana nut ice cream I eat quite regularly. I also have some high protein options in my article about eating ice cream for breakfast!
I know my recipes tend to be dairy-forward, because that's what I like, but there are other options out there. I've seen bean-based and tofu-based recipes, but haven't had the guts to try them.
There are other additions to you can blend into any favorite recipe, such as hemp seeds, chia seeds, and flax seeds. Just a tablespoon added to any recipe will increase the protein and other nutrients without doing much of anything to the flavor of your ice cream.
- It's still unclear whether employers should train workers, or if workers should train themselves
- Most organizations would still pay a premium to have employees who know a thing or two about AI
- AI is increasingly common in performance reviews and promotion decisions
New research has claimed, three in four (77%) UK organizations now expect AI proficient to become a baseline requirement across most non-technical roles within the next year.
But despite a clear demand for AI skills, whose responsibility it is to upskill workers is still very much hotly challenged, the report from HiBob says.
For example, a near-identical number of companies are investing in AI upskilling (82%) and have clear strategies for finding candidates who already have strong AI skills (80%).
Employers are recruiting for AI-proficient workersWhen it comes to training workers, employers are using a mix of funding opportunities for employees (33%), providing dedicated time for workers to experiment (33%) and offering pre-built prompts and workflows (31%), indicating that there's not yet a single way forward.
While the report doesn't shift the responsibility onto either party, with more than three in five considering AI when making promotion decisions (63%) and including AI in regular performance reviews (61%), workers are clearly required to take at least some ownership over their upskilling.
"The winners in the AI era will be the organisations that can define a shared language of skills, identify where capability truly sits, and pivot talent to where it creates the most value," CEO Ronni Zehavi wrote.
Regardless, with nearly all (97%) employers prepared to offer at least a 10% salary premium for AI proficiency, demand for such skills isn't going anywhere and the workers who take initiative could be the ones to see the most success in the short term, as organizations battle getting to grips with how to support their workforces.
- Stream Shark Week 2026 on Discovery via YouTube TV free trial (US)
- Unlock your stream with Surfshark (save up to 85%)
- Shark Week 2026 dates: Sunday, July 26 – Saturday, August 1
Findulge your inner child and learn something new along the way by diving into Shark Week, a celebration of one of the natural world's most endlessly intimidating and captivating animal groups, playing out over seven days and 20 specials.
Adrenaline-junkie Molly Carlson is embracing that spirit a little too literally for our liking in Ultimate Shark Dive, by attempting a record-breaking freefall dive from a helicopter into a narrow cage surrounded by reef sharks – some species of which are known to be aggressive and/or a little too curious for comfort.
Yes, one of Shark Week's missions has traditionally been to undo the reputational damage wreaked by Jaws, but with titles like Air Jaws: Red, White and Breach, Bull Shark Dinner Bell, Chum Island: Catching a Killer, What Shark Attacked? and Secrets of the Great White Kill also prevalent on the schedule, you can forgive us for staying out of the water for its duration (and beyond).
After all, you never know where Big Rose might be. Here's hoping Dr Neil Hammerschlag and Paul de Gelder manage to track the supersized great white down in Invasion of the Mega Sharks. Expedition X: Atomic Sharks, Phil Torres and Heather Amaro's study of sharks living amongst nuclear waste, and Dr Tristan Guttridge's intelligence-testing How to Train a Great White sound especially fascinating too.
Read on as we explain how to watch Shark Week 2026 from anywhere and potentially for free. Scroll right down to the bottom for the full lineup of specials.
Can I watch Shark Week 2026 for free?Yes. YouTube TV, which carries Discovery, offers new subscribers a 5-day FREE trial, which would let you watch almost the entirety of Shark Week 2026 for free.
Traveling abroad right now? You can use a VPN to access your usual streaming services from anywhere with a VPN.
Use a VPN to watch Shark Week 2026 from anywhereA VPN is a handy piece of software that can make your device appear as if it's back in your home country and unlock your usual streaming services. The best VPN right now? We recommend Surfshark – it does everything and comes with up to 85% off.
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How to watch Shark Week 2026 in the USShark Week 2026 airs on Discovery on seven consecutive nights from Sunday, July 26 to Saturday, August 1. A triple-header of specials will start at 8pm ET/PT each evening, with a double-header to close.
The Discovery channel is available on a streaming basis from several OTT operators, including YouTube TV, which comes with a 5-day FREE trial.
Alternatively, the HBO Max streaming platform will let you stream Shark Week programming too. Plans start from $10.99 per month, or you can pay more to add live sports and bundle in other streaming services like Disney Plus and Hulu.
If you have a subscription but you're away during Shark Week 2026, you can unlock access your usual streaming services from anywhere by using a VPN.
How to watch Shark Week 2026 in CanadaIn Canada, Shark Week 2026 airs on Discovery to exactly the same schedule.
Cord cutters can tune in via Discovery+, which starts at CA$5.99/month.
Away from Canada right now? Use Surfshark to access your subscriptions from anywhere.
Can I watch Shark Week 2026 in the UK?Although Discovery+ is home to Shark Week programming in the UK, they tend to hit the streaming service in dribs and drabs, instead of airing as an event.
At the time of writing, it isn't clear when any of the Shark Week 2026 specials will be available to watch in the UK.
For now, a VPN will help you tune in if you're spending time in the UK from the US or Canada. Surfshark is our recommended provider, and you can find out why with our in-depth Surfshark review.
How to watch Shark Week 2026 in AustraliaShark Week 2026 goes out on HBO Max in Australia from Sunday, August 16.
Prices start from AU$11.99 per month.
If you'd rather not wait that long, a VPN will help you tune in if you're an American or a Canadian spending time abroad. The solution? Try using a VPN.
Shark Week 2026 – Need to KnowShark Week 2026 trailerShark Week 2026 episode guideShark Week 2026 comprises 20 specials, which will air in North America on the following schedule:
Sunday, July 26
8pm – “K-Pop Shark Heroes”
9pm – “Air Jaws: Red, White and Breach”
10pm – “Invasion of the Mega Sharks”
Monday, July 27
8pm – “Bull Shark Dinner Bell”
9pm – “House of Sharks”
10pm – “Biggest Mako on Earth”
Sunday, July 26
8pm – “Jurassic Sharks”
9pm – “Jaws vs Orca”
10pm – “Chum Island: Catching a Killer”
Sunday, July 26
8pm – “Expedition X: Atomic Sharks”
9pm – “Expedition Unknown: Shark Secrets”
10pm – “Alien Sharks: Untamed America”
Sunday, July 26
8pm – “What Shark Attacked?”
9pm – “How to Train a Great White”
10pm – “Ultimate Shark Dive”
Sunday, July 26
8pm – “Secrets of the Great White Kill”
9pm – “Sharkzilla Takes New York”
10pm – “My Strange Shark Addiction”
Sunday, July 26
8pm – “Great White Highway”
9pm – “Thresher Shark: Stun to Kill”
(All times ET/PT)
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