Panasonic's new UB450 UHD Blu-ray player that was announced at CES back in January is now available in Europe. It supports both HDR10+ and Dolby Vision.
HDR10+ and Dolby Vision
The first UHD Blu-ray players on the market only supported the HDR10 base format. Later on, players with either HDR10+ or Dolby Vision support were introduced.
Last year, we witnessed the emergence of the first UHD Blu-ray players to support both premium HDR video formats but these were fairly expensive high-end models. With UB450 Panasonic is launching a more affordable player with HDR support for HDR10, HLG, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, allowing the user to experience movies in the optimal way, regardless of what format the studio has opted for.
UB450 comes equipped with the company's HCX video processor as well as two HDMI outputs (one for video/audio, one dedicated to audio). It can also spin HD Blu-ray, 3D Blu-ray, DVD and CDs, and it supports object-based audio formats such as Dolby Atmos and DTS:X.
Panasonic says that it features a few built-in apps but has not provided a list.
Panasonic outlines the way forward
Panasonic is not only committed to the UHD Blu-ray format but has outlined the way forward as other manufacturers are exiting the market or demonstrating a lack of interest.
Oppo and Samsung have both abandoned disc players while Sony has chosen not to implement UHD Blu-ray in the PlayStation 4 Pro. LG has not announced any new UHD Blu-ray players for 2019.
Besides UB450, Panasonic is launching a cheaper UB154 that "lacks" Dolby Vision. It has a single HDMI output.
Panasonic DP-UB450 is available now across Europe. The company has not announced plans to bring it to the US where it sells its flagship UB9000 player.
Panasonic UB450 - price & dealers
| Model | Features | Price |
|---|
| DP-UB450 | UHD Blu-ray
HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision
2 HDMI outputs | (UK)
(DE) |
| DP-UB154 | UHD Blu-ray
HDR10, HDR10+
1 HDMI output | (UK)
(DE) |
