The UBP-1000ES has a digital screen to see the movie play time etc...Essentially, they're the same though besides the readout (which I like). You also DO get a 5 year warranty!! This is why it's more $. No need to buy extra protection and Sony has been good with their warranties. Everything is covered too and if they can't fix it you'll get the latest version. I'm sure these features won't improve much from any future 4k player. You pay for what you get. Hope this helps...