Reavon may be a new name to many, but this French audio specialist has clearly got its sights on the premium player space once occupied by Oppo, and more recently Pioneer.

Here's our full five-star Panasonic DP-UB820 review. The catch is that like its bigger brother, the DP-UB9000, there’s no SACD or DVD-A music disc playback, but for 99% of us, that's won't be a problem. The result is brilliant image quality with stability and depth.Īmongst the connectivity options is a 7.1 output, useful if you have an older AV receiver that’s not rocking HDMI connectivity, and there’s DLNA support too, so that it can play compatible files on networked devices. There’s also voice assistance, with Google and Amazon Alexa (via firmware update).īeneath the hood lurks Panasonic’s original HCX (Hollywood Cinema Experience) processor, allied to a 4K high-precision chroma processor that interpolates Blu-ray’s original 4:2:0 colour into 4:4:4. The player features Panasonic’s familiar connected platform, and has a number of streaming services on board, including Netflix, Prime Video and YouTube. It offers Dolby Vision and HDR10+ playback support, has a classy video processor and is a standard component width, making it easier to stack with other AV kit.

This is a high performance video deck in all but weight. Blu-rays always deliver the same quality no matter what.ĭon’t let the unassuming appearance fool you. Streaming services offer a lower bitrate than Blu-ray at pretty much all times, but they're also variable, so if the network's struggling, your quality dips. You might have paid a premium for one of the best OLED TVs to see cinematic detail in dark areas, but what good is it if that information can't even reach the TV? At lower bitrates, you start to get softer edges, you see blocks of colour that make things look artificial, and there's less detail in dark areas. At a higher bitrate, you can fit in more precise details, more colour nuance, more dynamic range. It mostly comes down to bitrate, which is the amount of digital video information that can be squeezed into each second of video. If you've invested in one of the best TVs with one of the best soundbars to match, then you want to give it the best material to work with, right? Streaming services may offer the ultimate in convenience and choice, but when it comes to rock solid 4K UHD image quality and immersive cinema sound, the humble physical disc still takes some beating – particularly if you’ve already made a heavy investment in discs over the years.

The best 4k blu ray player 2018