Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.
We rate the DMP-UB700 a first-rate Blu-ray player. There are clear differences with the more expensive UB900, but these mostly center on build quality and audio spec – video-wise there's nothing significant between the two.
Here's a bit of bad news, though: at present, there’s no news on an American or Australian release for the DMP-UB700, which means US and AU movie fans won't be able to try out this amazing UHD player out for themselves.
Admittedly, the deck looks expensive next to something like the Xbox One S, but if you're after the best value dedicated 4K disc player available, then take the savings on the table and run.
We liked
The Panasonic DMP-UB700 is cut from the same engineering cloth as the more expensive DMP-UB900, and plays UHD discs with similar accuracy.
Detail and colour performance are superb – and that includes regular Blu-rays too. It also wins points for offering 4K iterations of Netflix and Amazon. It even does a cracking job with High-Res Audio files.
We disliked
Panasonic has jettisoned refinement when it comes to finish and build quality with the UB700, and the dumpy little remote control has the ergonomic appeal of a potato. Audiophile pretentions have largely been abandoned, though not entirely.
Final verdict
When it comes to 4K UHD image quality, the DMP-UB700 effectively sets a new benchmark for price and performance. Streaming service support, with HDR-enabled 4K Netflix, is well worth trumpeting and the player does a swell job with 24-bit audio, be it with FLAC or DSD files.
We would've liked universal disc support to be included, but that's probably not going to come until Sony launches its rival 4K disc spinner. In the meantime, though, if you haven't got the quid to drop on Panasonic's higher-end player, and you live in the UK, the UB700 is the UHD BRP you need to audition.
