BLU-RAY PLAYERS
If you love your Blu-ray disc collection, you’ll enjoy the performance of these terrific 4K players
Panasonic DP-UB820EB £299
If you’ve bought into the 4K Blu-ray format and have a suitable home cinema set-up, you need a dedicated player that can deliver on multiple fronts. The Panasonic DP-UB820 is just that, supporting all major HDR formats, delivering a hugely immersive and impactful picture, backed up by a strong audio performance. The DP-UB820 borrows much of its picture-processing tech from the company’s flagship 4K machine, the DP-UB9000, but at less than half the price, which makes it a great buy.
The full range of surround-sound codecs on 4K Blu-ray and streaming services are handled, including Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. It also covers all the bases for HDR, with HDR10, HDR 10+ and Dolby Vision support. All the key catch-up and on-demand video-streaming services are here, including BBC iplayer, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video – ideal if you’re plugging straight into a projector.
We fire up the player with Blue Planet II in 4K and HDR10, and head to the Galapagos Islands, where the picture proves to be as vibrant and immersive above sea level as it is below. As marine iguanas nibble away at vegetation on the sea floor, the Panasonic picks up an impressive level of detail on their skin, claws and faces. On a sun-kissed cliff top, the DP-UB820 paints an eye-catching and immersive picture. There’s a burst of colour as a crab feeds on dead skin from the iguana’s back. The oranges, reds and bluey-whites appear punchy, contrasting with their hosts’ darker skin. The Panasonic raises the bar even higher with Aquaman in Dolby Vision. As pirates board the sub, the headlights and red landinglights on the underwater vehicle punch through the murky depths. It’s a decent upscaler too, doing a good job of working the original Transformers movie on Blu-ray into something watchable.
The Panasonic complements its exciting picture with sound to match. It delivers a weighty and powerful performance that’s more muscular and grown up than many budget players, with rich dialogue.
For its price, the DP-UB820 provides a hugely entertaining picture and sound performance. A worthy winner yet again.