Panasonic has today announced two new Ultra HD Blu-ray Players, the DMP-UB400 and UB300. Ultra HD Blu-ray is the next-generation video disc standard that not only delivers HDR 4K-resolution pictures but also supports the BT.2020 set of standards – providing a significantly wider gamut of colours which offer richer, more vibrant displays. Both players are Ultra HD Premium Certified.
The new Panasonic Ultra HD Blu-ray Players render fine details like never before thanks to their high 4K resolution; providing life-like depth effects and vivid colours through high contrast between dark and light areas; and always display sharp and beautiful images enhanced by smooth motion.
The Panasonic Hollywood Laboratory (PHL) Blu-ray R&D facility has also provided an extra boost in the development of the DMP-UB400 and UB300. The PHL specialists have created and refined a new processor to provide the thrilling home entertainment experience that creators intended for every movie and TV programme.
For more flexibility and convenience, the DMP-UB400 features Twin HDMI outputs. By separating video and audio signals, transmission of the picture and sound is clearer and more accurate. The DMP-UB400 and UB300 also support high-resolution audio formats, such as WAV, FLAC, ALAC and DSD, as well as popular 4K Video on Demand (VOD).
What is Ultra HD Blu-ray?
Ultra HD Blu-ray is a next-generation Blu-ray Disc™ standard that supports 4K. Furthermore, it goes beyond 4K resolution (3,840 x 2,160 pixels) to achieve true-to-life 4K image reproduction with high frame rates of up to 60p as well as the BT.2020 wide colour gamut to further enhance colour reproduction.
Proprietary picture-enhancing technologies faithfully reproduce original images
The DMP-UB400 and UB300 incorporate a HDR 4K engine, called the HCX (Hollywood Cinema Experience) Processor for Ultra HD Blu-ray, which inherits the high picture processing capability of the DMP-UB900/700 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player that was launched last year. The HCX Processor is a variant of the HCX2 chipset used in Panasonic’s award winning 4K Pro TVs. Accordingly, using Panasonic’s 4K Pro TVs together with the Panasonic 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Players delivers the most accurate movie playback, true to the filmmakers intention. It also reproduces Ultra HD Blu-ray and 4K video images from the Internet with precise colours and optimal brightness.
In ordinary up-sampling, the system samples adjacent, upper and lower colour pixels, and uses them to create intermediate pixels in what is called a "2-tap process." Panasonic uses a "multi-tap process" to compare a number of pixels in addition to those in the upper and lower positions, and to therefore create optimal pixels. By increasing the accuracy of the multi-tap process to interpolate the decoded 4K (4:2:0) signals of Ultra HD Blu-ray content to 4K (4:4:4), it delivers beautiful, natural pictures with lifelike depth and vivid colours. The DMP-UB400 and UB300 also have an original 4K Direct Chroma Up-scaling function so that they can deliver 4K-quality pictures with high resolution and beautiful colours from 2K content. A 4K/60p/4:4:4-compatible TV must be connected with an 18-Gbps-compatible high-speed cable. When reproducing Ultra HD Blu-ray content, 4:4:4/36-bit data is output for 4K/24p, and 4:2:2/36-bit data is output for 4K/60p.
In addition to having a wide range of contrast, Ultra HD Blu-ray images must be able to reproduce fine details in both dark and bright areas. The newly incorporated function maximises the image expression that is inherent to Ultra HD Blu-ray. And it reproduces images with greater brightness and beauty than ordinary Blu-ray Disc images when played on an HDR non-compliant TV (SDR TV). Furthermore, it faithfully reproduces dark and bright areas regardless of the viewing environment*. The images in dark scenes are difficult to see in bright room conditions. In this situation, the user can activate the function to forcibly raise the brightness of low-brightness areas. Even when switched to a bright scene, the image is analysed and optimised.
High-Quality Sound: Unique audio technologies achieve rich sound reproduction
The DMP-UB400 features two HDMI outputs to isolate and transmit TV (4K Video) and amp audio. The twin HDMI arrangement separates audio and video signals to suppress unwanted noise and achieve high-quality audio reproduction.
The DMP-UB400 and UB300 are also designed for high-resolution audio reproduction. In addition to conventional WAV/FLAC/MP3/AAC/WMA formats, DSD (5.6 MHz/2.8 MHz) and ALAC music files can be reproduced. Simply connect to a home audio system to enjoy music sources equivalent to studio master sound quality.
The distinctive, warm, comforting sound characteristics of tube amplifiers are faithfully simulated by the UB400. Six different kinds of sounds, including vacuum tubes with 96-kHz/192-kHz up-sampling, can be enjoyed in exceptionally high-quality.
Smart Networking: Fully-fledged network functionality makes it easy to enjoy a variety of 4K sources
As demand for 4K content continues to expand, the new-generation DMP-UB400 and UB300 Blu-ray players support 4K VOD (Video on Demand) services and offer a new video viewing experience for those who demand uncompromised quality in picture and sound.
Users can also reproduce 4K videos (MP4) that they've taken with a camera or camcorder and can output JPEG data in 4K resolution. This makes it possible to enjoy the memories of vacation trips in all their natural beauty, from magnificent landscapes to precious images of family and friends.
Design: The stylish and compact design provides a high-quality presence
All of the advanced technology is packed inside a stylish box featuring Panasonic’s 3D Glass Cut Design in a compact body. This simple yet eye-catching design perfectly complements any flat-panel TV and the Ultra HD Blu-ray Player’s front panel features a bevel cut finish on all four sides to present a subtle yet distinctive presence.
