Panasonic unveiled a more affordable UHD Blu-ray player in September to supplement its high-end UB900 player. The Panasonic UB700 is now available in Europe.
UB700 UHD Blu-ray player
The main difference between the new UB700 and the flagship UB900 is that the former has no analog audio outputs. Picture quality is identical as UB700, of course, fully conforms to the UHD Blu-ray standard that dictates support for both 4K, HDR, and wide color gamut.
Besides the 7.1 analog audio outputs, UB700 lacks THX certification. It has a less premium design, a different remote, and a slightly less powerful chroma processor. The player still offers apps for Netflix and YouTube.
Besides Panasonic, Samsung and Microsoft are committed to UHD Blu-ray. Funai has also launched a player in the US under the Philips brand. Sony has decided not to use UHD Blu-ray in the new PlayStation 4 Pro but the company will launch a standalone player. LG has yet to announce a player. Oppo will launch its first player later this year.
Despite positioning it as a more affordable UHD Blu-ray player, Panasonic’s UB700 is still more expensive than Samsung’s player and Microsoft’s Xbox One S that has a built-in UHD Blu-ray drive.
Panasonic UB700 is available now in Europe for Ł400 / €450 whereas UB900 costs Ł500 / €620. UB700 is not available in the US but UB900 is.
Panasonic DMP-UB700 specifications:
Picture
Ultra HD Blu-ray playback (4K/HDR)
4K High-Precision Chroma Processor
4K Direct Chroma Up-scaling
4K 60p/50p output
4K networking
Multi-content 4K Up-scaling
Full HD 3D Blu-ray Disc playback
Picture type presets |
Sound
TWIN HDMI PURE AV (two isolated outputs）
High Clarity Sound Premium
HDMI Low Clock Jitter Process
Digital Tube Sound with Up-sampling
High-resolution audio playback (DSD , ALAC, FLAC, WAV)
192kHz/96kHz Surround Re-master | |
Smart networking
Internet apps
DLNA (client/renderer)
Network Drive Access
External HDD playback
Mirroring with smartphone/tablet
Web browser |
Operation
Wireless LAN built-in
Stylish GUI
Quick start
Home screen wallpaper
VIERA Link |
Design
3D Glass Cut Design |
