Panasonic DMP-UB900 review

Digital cinema finally comes home

Panasonic DMP-UB900
Editor's Choice

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We liked

The DMP-UB900 will restore you faith in physical media. In full 4K HDR guise it offers a level of performance that will have new 4K TV owners gasping. Ultra-HD Blu-ray brings the experience of 4K digital cinema to the home, and rewards with brilliant colour fidelity, deep contrast and almost three-dimensional clarity.

Panasonic DMP-UB900 review

We disliked

The UB900 may be fully compatible with Blu-ray and DVD, but its lack of legacy music format support could see high-end buyers waiting for the likes of Oppo to enter the 4K Blu-ray fray. Build quality is good, but the player lacks high-end heft.

Final verdict

The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray format sets a new benchmark in picture performance, and Panasonic's DMP-UB900 is a worthy poster boy. Coupled to an HDR display, its imagery is often astonishing. It's also a great regular Blu-ray player, and a surprisingly fine CD spinner.

Factor in solid file playback support, plus 4K iterations of Netflix and Amazon Instant Video, and you have a machine that'll make your new 4K HDR TV look sensational.

TOPICS
Steve May
Home entertainment AV specialist

Steve has been writing about AV and home cinema since the dawn of time, or more accurately, since the glory days of VHS and Betamax. He has strong opinions on the latest TV technology, Hi-Fi and Blu-ray/media players, and likes nothing better than to crank up his ludicrously powerful home theatre system to binge-watch TV shows.