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Nearly two years after the Blu-ray player DMP-BDT700, also originally designed initially as what should a priori be the first Blu-ray player 4K on the market - the delay on the BDA specifications format and uncertainties around the HDR finally decided otherwise - after the two prototypes shown at CES and IFA 2015, it was not until the month of January 2016 before the Japanese manufacturer formalizes his first Ultra Meter HD Blu-ray. DMP-UB900 Ultra HD Blu-ray format has channeled a number of legitimate expectations on the part of the Home-movie fans, but more generally a pragmatic enough to know that industry network infrastructure very broadband are still too few in the world - the e recent example of the Livebox 4K again puts this issue in light - to provide content in large quantities. And we even touch upon a mere tip of the iceberg. The other issue is the concept of quality. If the public shows an attraction to new distribution channels VOD / SVOD just like Netflix, another segment of the population does not want any compromise in audio and video quality, streaming today n is not yet able to offer the most content 4K maintaining a lower bitrate systematically to most Blu-ray 1080p found today on the market. But chatter truce, now up to our bench test drive UHD BD Panasonic DMP-UB900. For this test, we used several Ultra HD Blu-ray, I would also like to personally thank Maxime, one of our faithful readers who kindly offered the loan of some of its discs purchased in the United States and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment France.
Presentation and unpacking
In aesthetics and design matters, the Panasonic DMP-UB900 is in the line of BDT700. The base between the two readers is also extremely close, without being completely identical as we shall see.
Aesthetically, except by making the front and a more compact size coat, the UB900 closely resembles its predecessor with lines that stay in the same tone: simple, pure. The finish is unfortunately back if we naturally remains above the Samsung UBD-K8500 which is fairly standard, the manufacturer does not seem to have fully taken into account the returns on the BDT700. The strength of plastic parts is honest, however we appreciate as always this little trap system in the front. In addition, if the use of glossy plastics may possibly have an aesthetic appeal, dust and raw fingerprints are soon to appear.
A still supplied connectors:
The connection is provided, however, no change compared to the BDT700, with the obvious exception of the double now equipped with HDMI output HDMI 2.0a connectors. In this case, besides the possibility of separating the audio and video streams for quality reasons, in this case this dual HDMI output is of particular interest to the owners of an AV amplifier with input / output to the standard HDMI 1.4. The principle is also the same at the time of the first 3D Blu-ray players and amplifiers only equipped with HDMI connectors 1.2 or 1.3. Otherwise no changes include an optical audio output and coaxial output 7.1 analog to use platinum as multichannel preamplifier, and an analog RCA output for stereo tracks. There is also a Gigabit Ethernet jack, a USB 2.0 port and a slot for inserting an SD card.
The menus :
Very complete, the main menu of the Panasonic DMP-UB900 reader is identical, with minor differences, that we had already seen on the BDT700. HDMI menu to set a resolution of 1080p to 4K (2160p), chrominance 4K 50 / 60p 4: 4: 4 or 4: 2: 0, the HDMI mode when you want to separate or not the audio signals and video, while found in the advanced settings option to let the automatic HDR mode if your display is compatible, or completely disable in case of problems. the Audio menu offers a DRC (dynamic range compression), set HDMI output music playback, set a time, a sub-sampling frequency output optical / coaxial or to activate the analog output 7.1. Note also a 3D menu and Classical Languages, Network and Classification System.
The Option menu, available during playback, allows you to change audio track and subtitle, and access to post-processing and audio settings.
Quality video processing
At present, there is unfortunately no element of comparison between Blu-ray players, at least with Samsung UBD-K8500 we will also test in the coming weeks. The fact remains that, besides the increase in resolution that naturally accompanies a gain technical considerations between a Blu-ray player and an Ultra HD player Blu-ray remains the same background: quality scaling, of decoding and the performance of video processing.
The know-how Panasonic for decoding is more to present the image offered by the Ultra HD Blu-ray player DMP-UB900 is of very good quality. Combined with an Ultra HDTV or projector 4K for lovers of large diagonals, pleasure is really at the rendezvous. Without even taking into account the differences related to the increased resolution (or HDR) between Blu-ray and Blu-ray HD Ultra, the results remain much closer to those of the BDT700 launched two years ago.
It must be recognized that Ultra HD Blu-ray, the qualities of platinum seem more obvious, with a picture in natural character that shines by its extreme precision. A course feeling accentuated by the increased resolution. However, if the gain is already visible on the various Ultra HD Blu-ray from a master 2K 4K upscaled we tested the image of Mad Max: Fury Road and Exodus: Gods and Kings and The Martian , Ultra HD Blu-ray from a 4K master native as the Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Sicario further ensure the show. The accuracy achieved is very interesting, skin textures and materials are more detailed, and accuracy on the wide shots is breathtaking; as such, the depth of field on some plans Sicario is simply impressive.
This notion that the relief that we could discuss with the Blu-ray is here tenfold, due to the size of course, but also the work done by the Panasonic platinum. It is rather interesting that there or the integration of the special effects remained mostly invisible in 1080p (or 2160p upscaled), including certain plans Exodus or Spider-Man , some conjuring tricks work less well due to the limitation of special effects in 2K resolution. A detail even more visible during our few sessions with the projector 4K Sony VPL-HW320ES, the gain between Blu-ray and Ultra HD Blu-ray may be even more visible, in solving at least, because of the longer diagonal image. However, it is also the way to find, despite a slight improvement, the presence again of a very light residual noise on some backgrounds.
And HDR in?
We really waiting to see how the HDR would be used by publishers, and the result is particularly interesting. However, it appears clear that a LED TV with an efficient Local Dimming system remains more than advisable to maintain as homogeneous as possible image with deep black and bright white. In the case of the OLED, given the few demos we had seen during our test of the Ultra HD OLED TV LG EG960V (unfortunately incompatible HDMI reminder HDR), the results should be especially compelling. In video projection, tests will be conducted at a later date on a model JVC or Sony HDR-compatible.
Results vary from one film to another, without being absolutely essential, the contribution of the HDR is significant especially since it also contributes to much out some details, and give very interesting terrain. One of the main interests of the Ultra HD Blu-ray is definitely there. His contribution, however, is more evident on some encodings than others. On Mad Max: Fury Road some effects of solarization, flames and explosions are particularly well rendered, same result for The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and The Martian . The results are very convincing on Ultra HD Blu-ray of Exodus: Gods and Kings and Sicario , the photograph of the two films lends itself perfectly.
Be reassured, however, that or not you have a diffuser-compatible HDR, it can be disabled directly from the main menu of the player. Panasonic also offers Conversion Dynamic Range mode if you n'ête not equipped; adjustable from -1 to -5 thereof increases contrast by lowering intra-frame brightness, and conversely from 1-5. The idea is commendable and can eventually help give a slight gain in momentum, unfortunately this is done partly at the expense of colorimetry. Dark orange tones alone on Mars for example, have a tendency to take too light in color, or too dark around. As for Dolby Vision, the reader is not compatible, which is also also the case with Samsung, probably for royalties issues ( Oppo always arises also the question). Is it to much handicapping? Actually no, Dolby Vision adapted from a HDR10 core metadata for discs encoded in Dolby Vision may be converted without problem HDR10.
video post-processing:
The post-processing section of the Ultra HD Blu-ray Panasonic DMP-UB900 player uses one inaugurated two years ago on the BDT700. The manufacturer, however, has consistently seen the power of filters upward read 4K.
The menu tree related processing remains also identical, since we a Sharpness setting broken down into four filters: Luma (high frequency), Luma (intermediate frequency) and Chroma Correction edges. Both Luma filters to adjust the level of detail on two axes, while the chroma upsampling offers colors in 4: 4: 4 12 bit depth, and the correction edges aims to strengthen the contours. For each of them, the bearings can be adjusted on a scale of -6 to +6, and if the power filters slightly been enhanced as we were able to realize read Blu-ray, on UHD videos / 4K and Ultra HD Blu-ray, due to the number of additional pixels to trairer, post-treatment is slightly more gradual than was the BDT700.
The main attraction comes mainly from Luma high frequency filters / intermediate frequency, Blu-ray Ultra HD results with adjusted adjustment + 2 / + 3 are already very satisfactory. Some increase this value or even decline depending on the setting sharpness of the TV or projector, same for the algorithms of the type Reality Creation, e-Shift, Super Resolution / 4K, etc. Correction filter edges shows its limitations however UHD, not to mention ineffective, the difference with and without is not always as obvious as expected.
It shows much more effective on the Blu-ray 1080p (too well), but as we noted already on the BDT700, beyond + 1 / + 2 outlines are too supported with a cardboard look pretty unpleasant. Chroma filter meanwhile is in the idea as the Sony SBM, ie an upsampling process. The Ultra HD Blu-ray is now encoded in 4: 2: 0 with 10 bit depth for HDR10 component, Chroma upsampling offers 4: 2: 2 12-bit to improve color gradients. regarding noise reducing their use is reserved for some Blu-ray encoding very limited, some DVDs or poor quality videos. However, it is nice to see that in addition to conventional filters, which unfortunately tend to lessen the level of detail by applying a smoothing image, Panasonic integrates Mosquito filter that provides far more convincing results.
In addition, Panasonic offers colorimetry and gamma settings, and several picture modes (Normal, Cinema, Beautiful Cinema, Cinema retro Animation, Live). These are inactive UHD Blu-ray HDR player, nevertheless read Blu-ray (and MKV, AVI, etc.) or if your display is simply not compatible HDR toggle the default player in Normal . We are surprised by the disappearance against the Direct mode which allowed to bypass the video processing of the plate. We also find a function for limiting the bandwidth, if it can prove useful in case of problems with HDMI connectors, avoid touching it in other cases due to the degradation of the image quality. Finally conclude with a useful little feature, allowing the 24p conversion of DVDs and videos encoded in 25, 30, 50 or 60 Hz.
upscaling:
The upscaling section of the DMP-UB900 is strictly identical to the BDT700. We had been conquered at the time, we still are today.
DVD upscaling UHD outcomes are excellent. In combination with post-treatment filters, Panasonic platinum offers a quality image, adding Mosquito filter is also very beneficial for this type of source or same on some SD videos. The quality of deinterlacing is also to emphasize the 1080i encoding. The best results are obtained naturally read Blu-ray because of the higher bitrate support. Nothing new compared to the BDT700, the plate did a great job, however it is true that the quality achieved today by some TV manufacturers relativize these performances on HD sources. Too bad also that Panasonic still not integrated HDMI input like the Oppo or turntables Pioneer .
quality audio processing
In audio rendering, UBD900 very impressive, we are in the perfect continuation of what already offered by the BDT700.
Like its predecessor, the measurements reflect excellent capabilities preamp. The dynamic range and noise level are excellent with a respective average of 108 dB and 106 dB (112 dB and 110 dB 96/24), two data reflecting excellent highlighting details in analog connection. The crosstalk indicating the ability to deliver a spatial sound is 100 dB, which is very decent but not exceptional, however the harmonic distortion was measured at 0.0008% and intermodulation distortion 0, 0028% which tells us initially the quality of food, and in a second time the slight effect of amplifiers -op (PDO) on the signal. TH + N is a little behind, but 94 dB is still a very good value.
Overall, the music tracks are very nice, nothing even comparable to what can such offer Cambridge Audio , Denon or Marantz , especially in deep listening and / or spatial, however in view of the compact nature of player and the price category in which the DMP-UB900 is, we can only welcome the work of optimization of analog circuit produced by Panasonic . as the BDT700, we find a whole lot of DSP house including the famous DSP Digital Tube Sound, supposed to recreate the warmth and life of tube amps. The added sweetness on the top of the spectrum, however, has little natural, he even tends to decrease the listening depth smoothing some micro details in the background. There is also the High Clarity mode, it turns off the video circuitry to eliminate interference, the gain is significant but not huge either under the upstream optimization work. It remains close in the idea of a Pure Direct mode.
3 modes Sound Remaster are a little more interesting, but they bring a light color that will please or displease, their use remains primarily a matter of taste. The function of upsampling is always present, you will have the opportunity to oversample your pieces 88.2 / 96 kHz and 176.4 / 192 kHz. The idea is interesting even if it is limited to HDMI. The only small addition comes from the ability to define a frequency range (narrow to wide) read DSD
Our MKV, M2TS, MP4, etc. 720p & 1080p were read by USB or Samba and UPnP networks. For imposing files, an Ethernet connection and use of the SMB protocol is more advisable.
Our samples MKV Ultra HD and 4K HDR encoded HEVC were not read, only H.264 encodings are acceptés.Le VP9 is managed or USB or network.
MKV with chapters and multitrack audio are supported.
3D videos MKV, MP4, etc. SBS and TaB are read. 3D MVC files are played back in 2D.
The 23.976 cadences, 24, 25, 30, 50 and 60 im / s and are managed on all USB and network formats.
The upscaling and post processing are available in USB video playback and network.
The brightness of the subtitles is adjustable.
The HD audio bitstream is functional on videos MKV, M2TS, etc.
The reader does not offer covers system.
Music playback: points to remember:
The DMP-UB900 decodes MP3, AAC, OGG, WMA, FLAC, Apple Lossless, WAV, AIFF 192 kHz / 24-bit USB and maximum network.
The WAV-DTS and multichannel FLAC are managed but not the MLP or the EPA.
DSD 2.8 / 5.6 MHz is run in stereo and multi-channel (4.0, 5.0, 5.1) and converts to LPCM 176.4 kHz or 88.2 / 96 kHz in the preferred settings. Reading the DSF files / DFF works with USB and network.
The player is compatible with ID3 tags and album covers (only for network pouches).
No Gapless function (gapless playback between tracks).
Absence function Forward / Reverse when playing music.
Conclusion
Taking advantage of the experience of the Japanese manufacturer in recent years in terms of Blu-ray players , the Ultra HD player Blu-ray Panasonic DMP-UB900 itself as the worthy successor of the DMP-BDT500 and DMP-BDT700. Without revolutionizing the foundations laid by his predecessors, Panasonic offers an interesting evolution in many ways, and inaugurated on this occasion a few long awaited news, especially on multimedia and network section. Video processing remains, a few small details, in line with that already proposed the DMP-BDT700. The decoding quality is excellent, the scaling Blu-ray to HD Ultra convincing, and post-processing filters offer a great flexibility. The analog audio section demonstrates for its beautiful predispositions as well since the analog output 7.1 on the stereo analog output for fans of stereo tracks. Although its launch price is still high, if you want to go to Ultra HD Blu-ray , the player Panasonic DMP-UB900 is a choice to consider, and probably what is done best at the moment.
AVHD Award Reference
The final score
What we like What we regret
video processing and post-processing of very good quality
Quality decoding of Blu-ray media and Ultra HD Blu-ray
Very nice upscaling Ultra HD
Good performance in stereo and multichannel analog audio
Upsampling 88.2 kHz, 96 kHz, 176.4 kHz and 192 kHz
The management of the DSD 2.8 / 5.6 MHz in stereo and multichannel
Taking into improved multimedia support (HD audio, 24p) ...
... But still perfectible 4K
Honest finish, but we expected better for a product at this price level
Always a slight residual noise (varies by pressing)
Pockets of unmanaged USB albums, and partly network
The display very limited front, no ability to browse screen off
Presentation and unpacking
In aesthetics and design matters, the Panasonic DMP-UB900 is in the line of BDT700. The base between the two readers is also extremely close, without being completely identical as we shall see.
Aesthetically, except by making the front and a more compact size coat, the UB900 closely resembles its predecessor with lines that stay in the same tone: simple, pure. The finish is unfortunately back if we naturally remains above the Samsung UBD-K8500 which is fairly standard, the manufacturer does not seem to have fully taken into account the returns on the BDT700. The strength of plastic parts is honest, however we appreciate as always this little trap system in the front. In addition, if the use of glossy plastics may possibly have an aesthetic appeal, dust and raw fingerprints are soon to appear.
A still supplied connectors:
The connection is provided, however, no change compared to the BDT700, with the obvious exception of the double now equipped with HDMI output HDMI 2.0a connectors. In this case, besides the possibility of separating the audio and video streams for quality reasons, in this case this dual HDMI output is of particular interest to the owners of an AV amplifier with input / output to the standard HDMI 1.4. The principle is also the same at the time of the first 3D Blu-ray players and amplifiers only equipped with HDMI connectors 1.2 or 1.3. Otherwise no changes include an optical audio output and coaxial output 7.1 analog to use platinum as multichannel preamplifier, and an analog RCA output for stereo tracks. There is also a Gigabit Ethernet jack, a USB 2.0 port and a slot for inserting an SD card.
The menus :
Very complete, the main menu of the Panasonic DMP-UB900 reader is identical, with minor differences, that we had already seen on the BDT700. HDMI menu to set a resolution of 1080p to 4K (2160p), chrominance 4K 50 / 60p 4: 4: 4 or 4: 2: 0, the HDMI mode when you want to separate or not the audio signals and video, while found in the advanced settings option to let the automatic HDR mode if your display is compatible, or completely disable in case of problems. the Audio menu offers a DRC (dynamic range compression), set HDMI output music playback, set a time, a sub-sampling frequency output optical / coaxial or to activate the analog output 7.1. Note also a 3D menu and Classical Languages, Network and Classification System.
The Option menu, available during playback, allows you to change audio track and subtitle, and access to post-processing and audio settings.
Quality video processing
At present, there is unfortunately no element of comparison between Blu-ray players, at least with Samsung UBD-K8500 we will also test in the coming weeks. The fact remains that, besides the increase in resolution that naturally accompanies a gain technical considerations between a Blu-ray player and an Ultra HD player Blu-ray remains the same background: quality scaling, of decoding and the performance of video processing.
The know-how Panasonic for decoding is more to present the image offered by the Ultra HD Blu-ray player DMP-UB900 is of very good quality. Combined with an Ultra HDTV or projector 4K for lovers of large diagonals, pleasure is really at the rendezvous. Without even taking into account the differences related to the increased resolution (or HDR) between Blu-ray and Blu-ray HD Ultra, the results remain much closer to those of the BDT700 launched two years ago.
It must be recognized that Ultra HD Blu-ray, the qualities of platinum seem more obvious, with a picture in natural character that shines by its extreme precision. A course feeling accentuated by the increased resolution. However, if the gain is already visible on the various Ultra HD Blu-ray from a master 2K 4K upscaled we tested the image of Mad Max: Fury Road and Exodus: Gods and Kings and The Martian , Ultra HD Blu-ray from a 4K master native as the Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Sicario further ensure the show. The accuracy achieved is very interesting, skin textures and materials are more detailed, and accuracy on the wide shots is breathtaking; as such, the depth of field on some plans Sicario is simply impressive.
This notion that the relief that we could discuss with the Blu-ray is here tenfold, due to the size of course, but also the work done by the Panasonic platinum. It is rather interesting that there or the integration of the special effects remained mostly invisible in 1080p (or 2160p upscaled), including certain plans Exodus or Spider-Man , some conjuring tricks work less well due to the limitation of special effects in 2K resolution. A detail even more visible during our few sessions with the projector 4K Sony VPL-HW320ES, the gain between Blu-ray and Ultra HD Blu-ray may be even more visible, in solving at least, because of the longer diagonal image. However, it is also the way to find, despite a slight improvement, the presence again of a very light residual noise on some backgrounds.
And HDR in?
We really waiting to see how the HDR would be used by publishers, and the result is particularly interesting. However, it appears clear that a LED TV with an efficient Local Dimming system remains more than advisable to maintain as homogeneous as possible image with deep black and bright white. In the case of the OLED, given the few demos we had seen during our test of the Ultra HD OLED TV LG EG960V (unfortunately incompatible HDMI reminder HDR), the results should be especially compelling. In video projection, tests will be conducted at a later date on a model JVC or Sony HDR-compatible.
Results vary from one film to another, without being absolutely essential, the contribution of the HDR is significant especially since it also contributes to much out some details, and give very interesting terrain. One of the main interests of the Ultra HD Blu-ray is definitely there. His contribution, however, is more evident on some encodings than others. On Mad Max: Fury Road some effects of solarization, flames and explosions are particularly well rendered, same result for The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and The Martian . The results are very convincing on Ultra HD Blu-ray of Exodus: Gods and Kings and Sicario , the photograph of the two films lends itself perfectly.
Be reassured, however, that or not you have a diffuser-compatible HDR, it can be disabled directly from the main menu of the player. Panasonic also offers Conversion Dynamic Range mode if you n'ête not equipped; adjustable from -1 to -5 thereof increases contrast by lowering intra-frame brightness, and conversely from 1-5. The idea is commendable and can eventually help give a slight gain in momentum, unfortunately this is done partly at the expense of colorimetry. Dark orange tones alone on Mars for example, have a tendency to take too light in color, or too dark around. As for Dolby Vision, the reader is not compatible, which is also also the case with Samsung, probably for royalties issues ( Oppo always arises also the question). Is it to much handicapping? Actually no, Dolby Vision adapted from a HDR10 core metadata for discs encoded in Dolby Vision may be converted without problem HDR10.
video post-processing:
The post-processing section of the Ultra HD Blu-ray Panasonic DMP-UB900 player uses one inaugurated two years ago on the BDT700. The manufacturer, however, has consistently seen the power of filters upward read 4K.
The menu tree related processing remains also identical, since we a Sharpness setting broken down into four filters: Luma (high frequency), Luma (intermediate frequency) and Chroma Correction edges. Both Luma filters to adjust the level of detail on two axes, while the chroma upsampling offers colors in 4: 4: 4 12 bit depth, and the correction edges aims to strengthen the contours. For each of them, the bearings can be adjusted on a scale of -6 to +6, and if the power filters slightly been enhanced as we were able to realize read Blu-ray, on UHD videos / 4K and Ultra HD Blu-ray, due to the number of additional pixels to trairer, post-treatment is slightly more gradual than was the BDT700.
The main attraction comes mainly from Luma high frequency filters / intermediate frequency, Blu-ray Ultra HD results with adjusted adjustment + 2 / + 3 are already very satisfactory. Some increase this value or even decline depending on the setting sharpness of the TV or projector, same for the algorithms of the type Reality Creation, e-Shift, Super Resolution / 4K, etc. Correction filter edges shows its limitations however UHD, not to mention ineffective, the difference with and without is not always as obvious as expected.
It shows much more effective on the Blu-ray 1080p (too well), but as we noted already on the BDT700, beyond + 1 / + 2 outlines are too supported with a cardboard look pretty unpleasant. Chroma filter meanwhile is in the idea as the Sony SBM, ie an upsampling process. The Ultra HD Blu-ray is now encoded in 4: 2: 0 with 10 bit depth for HDR10 component, Chroma upsampling offers 4: 2: 2 12-bit to improve color gradients. regarding noise reducing their use is reserved for some Blu-ray encoding very limited, some DVDs or poor quality videos. However, it is nice to see that in addition to conventional filters, which unfortunately tend to lessen the level of detail by applying a smoothing image, Panasonic integrates Mosquito filter that provides far more convincing results.
In addition, Panasonic offers colorimetry and gamma settings, and several picture modes (Normal, Cinema, Beautiful Cinema, Cinema retro Animation, Live). These are inactive UHD Blu-ray HDR player, nevertheless read Blu-ray (and MKV, AVI, etc.) or if your display is simply not compatible HDR toggle the default player in Normal . We are surprised by the disappearance against the Direct mode which allowed to bypass the video processing of the plate. We also find a function for limiting the bandwidth, if it can prove useful in case of problems with HDMI connectors, avoid touching it in other cases due to the degradation of the image quality. Finally conclude with a useful little feature, allowing the 24p conversion of DVDs and videos encoded in 25, 30, 50 or 60 Hz.
upscaling:
The upscaling section of the DMP-UB900 is strictly identical to the BDT700. We had been conquered at the time, we still are today.
DVD upscaling UHD outcomes are excellent. In combination with post-treatment filters, Panasonic platinum offers a quality image, adding Mosquito filter is also very beneficial for this type of source or same on some SD videos. The quality of deinterlacing is also to emphasize the 1080i encoding. The best results are obtained naturally read Blu-ray because of the higher bitrate support. Nothing new compared to the BDT700, the plate did a great job, however it is true that the quality achieved today by some TV manufacturers relativize these performances on HD sources. Too bad also that Panasonic still not integrated HDMI input like the Oppo or turntables Pioneer .
quality audio processing
In audio rendering, UBD900 very impressive, we are in the perfect continuation of what already offered by the BDT700.
Like its predecessor, the measurements reflect excellent capabilities preamp. The dynamic range and noise level are excellent with a respective average of 108 dB and 106 dB (112 dB and 110 dB 96/24), two data reflecting excellent highlighting details in analog connection. The crosstalk indicating the ability to deliver a spatial sound is 100 dB, which is very decent but not exceptional, however the harmonic distortion was measured at 0.0008% and intermodulation distortion 0, 0028% which tells us initially the quality of food, and in a second time the slight effect of amplifiers -op (PDO) on the signal. TH + N is a little behind, but 94 dB is still a very good value.
Overall, the music tracks are very nice, nothing even comparable to what can such offer Cambridge Audio , Denon or Marantz , especially in deep listening and / or spatial, however in view of the compact nature of player and the price category in which the DMP-UB900 is, we can only welcome the work of optimization of analog circuit produced by Panasonic . as the BDT700, we find a whole lot of DSP house including the famous DSP Digital Tube Sound, supposed to recreate the warmth and life of tube amps. The added sweetness on the top of the spectrum, however, has little natural, he even tends to decrease the listening depth smoothing some micro details in the background. There is also the High Clarity mode, it turns off the video circuitry to eliminate interference, the gain is significant but not huge either under the upstream optimization work. It remains close in the idea of a Pure Direct mode.
3 modes Sound Remaster are a little more interesting, but they bring a light color that will please or displease, their use remains primarily a matter of taste. The function of upsampling is always present, you will have the opportunity to oversample your pieces 88.2 / 96 kHz and 176.4 / 192 kHz. The idea is interesting even if it is limited to HDMI. The only small addition comes from the ability to define a frequency range (narrow to wide) read DSD
Our MKV, M2TS, MP4, etc. 720p & 1080p were read by USB or Samba and UPnP networks. For imposing files, an Ethernet connection and use of the SMB protocol is more advisable.
Our samples MKV Ultra HD and 4K HDR encoded HEVC were not read, only H.264 encodings are acceptés.Le VP9 is managed or USB or network.
MKV with chapters and multitrack audio are supported.
3D videos MKV, MP4, etc. SBS and TaB are read. 3D MVC files are played back in 2D.
The 23.976 cadences, 24, 25, 30, 50 and 60 im / s and are managed on all USB and network formats.
The upscaling and post processing are available in USB video playback and network.
The brightness of the subtitles is adjustable.
The HD audio bitstream is functional on videos MKV, M2TS, etc.
The reader does not offer covers system.
Music playback: points to remember:
The DMP-UB900 decodes MP3, AAC, OGG, WMA, FLAC, Apple Lossless, WAV, AIFF 192 kHz / 24-bit USB and maximum network.
The WAV-DTS and multichannel FLAC are managed but not the MLP or the EPA.
DSD 2.8 / 5.6 MHz is run in stereo and multi-channel (4.0, 5.0, 5.1) and converts to LPCM 176.4 kHz or 88.2 / 96 kHz in the preferred settings. Reading the DSF files / DFF works with USB and network.
The player is compatible with ID3 tags and album covers (only for network pouches).
No Gapless function (gapless playback between tracks).
Absence function Forward / Reverse when playing music.
Conclusion
Taking advantage of the experience of the Japanese manufacturer in recent years in terms of Blu-ray players , the Ultra HD player Blu-ray Panasonic DMP-UB900 itself as the worthy successor of the DMP-BDT500 and DMP-BDT700. Without revolutionizing the foundations laid by his predecessors, Panasonic offers an interesting evolution in many ways, and inaugurated on this occasion a few long awaited news, especially on multimedia and network section. Video processing remains, a few small details, in line with that already proposed the DMP-BDT700. The decoding quality is excellent, the scaling Blu-ray to HD Ultra convincing, and post-processing filters offer a great flexibility. The analog audio section demonstrates for its beautiful predispositions as well since the analog output 7.1 on the stereo analog output for fans of stereo tracks. Although its launch price is still high, if you want to go to Ultra HD Blu-ray , the player Panasonic DMP-UB900 is a choice to consider, and probably what is done best at the moment.
AVHD Award Reference
The final score
What we like What we regret
video processing and post-processing of very good quality
Quality decoding of Blu-ray media and Ultra HD Blu-ray
Very nice upscaling Ultra HD
Good performance in stereo and multichannel analog audio
Upsampling 88.2 kHz, 96 kHz, 176.4 kHz and 192 kHz
The management of the DSD 2.8 / 5.6 MHz in stereo and multichannel
Taking into improved multimedia support (HD audio, 24p) ...
... But still perfectible 4K
Honest finish, but we expected better for a product at this price level
Always a slight residual noise (varies by pressing)
Pockets of unmanaged USB albums, and partly network
The display very limited front, no ability to browse screen off