Magnetar's UDP900MKII and UDP800MKII Earn THX Certification

Plenty of people have written off the 4K Blu-ray player, but Magnetar is betting the opposite. The company's two latest players, the UDP900MKII and UDP800MKII, have now received THX certification, following their Roon Ready certification earlier in 2026. For buyers who care about getting a disc's original signal to the screen and speakers, that's a more meaningful signal than most marketing badges.

What THX certification actually checks

THX certification puts a source device through hundreds of in-depth tests. The goal isn't to make a picture look more impressive. It's to confirm the player passes the signal along faithfully, so what reaches your display or receiver is what the studio intended.

On the audio side, the tests look for distortion and check that both multichannel and stereo mixes are reproduced accurately. On the video side, colour, contrast and black and white levels are measured against what THX describes on its website as a very "tight tolerance". The aim, in THX's words, is for images to match the "colour, luminance, blacks and gamma found in the filmmaker's studio."

That distinction matters. A certified player doesn't tell you how a film will look in your living room, since your display, room and calibration still shape the result. What it does tell you is that the player itself is unlikely to be the weak link. For anyone who's spent money on a projector or a large OLED and then wondered why discs look a little off, that's a useful thing to rule out.

The models and what they cost

These are not budget machines. The UDP900MKII retails for $3,399 in the US and £3,299 in the UK. The UDP800MKII costs $1,899 in the US and £1,899 in the UK. The step down saves $1,500 in the US and £1,400 in the UK, so the gap is slightly narrower on this side of the Atlantic.

Magnetar positions both as platforms for "virtually every physical and digital format", including 4K UHD discs, SACD and networked media. That mix is the real pitch. If your library includes high-resolution audio alongside 4K discs, one box covering both is more appealing than juggling separate devices. The Roon Ready badge reinforces that: it points to the networked-audio side of the lineup, not just disc playback.

A shrinking field

The wider market is thin. Rumours have suggested Sony may be stepping back from physical 4K UHD and putting its weight behind digital media, though those are reports and suggestions rather than confirmed plans. If they're right, Panasonic would be the only major brand left from the original group of 4K UHD player makers. Samsung, LG and Oppo all launched players in the format and have since exited.

Magnetar's first-generation 4K players signalled renewed interest in the category, and its second-generation models arrived in 2025. Lower-priced machines from lesser-known brands such as Krovatar have followed. Choice has narrowed compared with the format's early years, but the remaining players are being built for a specific audience, and that audience is willing to pay for it.

Who should care

If you're building a dedicated home cinema, or working as an installer or integrator, certification gives you a recognised benchmark when you're comparing sources. Here's the thing, though: a badge is a starting point, not a verdict. Read hands-on reviews that look at how a player handles menus, load times, format support and noise before you commit around £3,000 or $3,000.

If you mostly stream and rarely touch a disc, the case is weaker. Streaming services handle everyday viewing well, and a disc player only makes sense if your collection justifies it. Where discs still have an edge, though, it's in bitrate and consistency, and a certified source is the kind of hardware that lets that edge show.

Rob Jones, President of Magnetar North America, framed the certification around customer confidence: "THX Certification is a critical independent validation that enthusiasts and integrators look for when building reference-grade systems. We're proud to see both MKII models earn their certification. It reflects the engineering and feedback from customers and dealers that went directly into the creation of the MKII Series, and it gives customers added confidence that these players will deliver the performance they expect, whether that is in a dedicated home theater or a living room."

What to watch next

The interesting question is whether certification moves buyers at this price. Premium disc players sell to a small audience, and a THX logo is most persuasive to people already shopping in that bracket. If more brands in the category pursue the same certification, it could become a practical way to separate serious sources from the rest. For now, Magnetar's MKII pair gives the remaining 4K Blu-ray market a clear, measurable reason to stay interested.