Blu-ray player Arcam FMJ BDP300
To succeed in the release of the budget electronics, much of the mind is not required: follow fashion and save on everything, as long as the retail price was less. Succeed in producing art medium and high grade is much more complicated because it is necessary, among other things, is very clear about your target audience - those who will choose your product from a variety of other ...
Such are the thoughts wandered through my mind, and while unpacking the system to connect the new Blu-ray-player Arcam. The previous model, BDP100, since most manufacturers do not have time to time to update lineups, but the Arcam in no hurry.
Occasion for reproach? Of course, no. I think the company has a clear vision of the consumer. With these people should not be categorically fuss - can inadvertently alienate.
And in fact, the idea of a solid, solid, respectable hardware have not changed for 50 years, if not more. High body metal front panel, the absence of any decorative elements, considerable weight, finally - all elements of a classic style that has not soon lose adherents. This technique is not acquired a year or two, and not just because it is not cheap, but because it is designed for those who knows what they need. After all, good deed goes unpunished, right?
The only visible difference BDP300 from BDP100 - number on the nameplate. Except, of course, that the new model is only available in black case - goodbye, silvery metal. Deal with the internal changes is more difficult because the company is not too eloquent about the technologies used. It is known that the audio DAC built in the chip Wolfson Audio WM8741, as converter model BDP100. However, in my experience, the sound technology depends not only on the chip, but also from its binding, but here it can be different (although this is unlikely). Passed as a legacy to BDP300 and proprietary technology "Mask of Silence" - it provides effective protection against radio frequency interference.
The most important purchase, it is, perhaps, support for Blu-ray 3D. Detailed information concerning the design videopath absent, but the graphical user interface in a new model of an entirely different, which indicates at least using another SDK and probably other chipset. However, video switching and customization capabilities have not changed - in particular, as well as the previous model, the correction of image parameters are not available. Near the interface HDMI v1.4a (from the preceding was v1.3) sheltered analog outputs - composite and component. It is often written that the need for them may remain unless at the cheapest players - I doubt that the owners of expensive equipment can not part with the old analog TV. However, I must confess, when I see a player with analogue video outputs, I feel a vague regret. Probably, the audience of the target audience Arcam has these strange sensations. Kashi these connectors do not ask, so let them be.
Power can be switched off only button on the front panel - the toggle switch at the back next to the connector for the cable, no. Therefore, going on vacation or a long trip, it is necessary to pull the plug. The disadvantage of not believe just forget about it should not be.
Immediately after connecting to an Ethernet network player found new firmware and offered to set it up. The process was short and successful. Regular updating of the software - it is very good.
On the "home" screen - just two icons: Settings and My Media. First, as you may guess, provides access to the settings, the second - to multimedia content on the USB-drives. The only connector located at the back for them, and he will need more for the system memory - built here. However, the discs with advanced features Blu-ray is still very small, so that without a similar system memory is quite real.
The settings for this are simple, they can, in principle, and not to look - most installations are performed automatically. Here are just a TV system, select their own - either PAL, or NTSC. We'll have to watch for it, because a mismatch in the settings of the selected standard and the TV system disk possible motion artifacts. Personally, I prefer to transcoder has been disabled and the player can transmit the signal to the output without any change.
Regional protection of Blu-ray is active, but it was taken from the DVD - thanks at least for that. Programmable remote control, able to control other components Arcam. Comfortable.
With USB-drives plays movies in DivX HD (container AVI), moreover with a decent quality. Plays and musical FLAC files at resolutions up to 192 kHz/24-bit, although the documentation to support this format does not say a word.
View start with a test DVD-drive "HQV Test Benchmark", on which you can see very well the quality of the conversion of developments and noise reduction. With the first in BDP300 full order, but the intensity of the noise reduction I have added a little - if there would be such an opportunity. In general, the quality of the display DVD-Video can be called a model - on the same films on Blu-ray Disc picture, of course, sharper and more detailed, but the difference is not so dramatic to urgently translate his collection to the new format.
Loader at BDP300 was slightly faster than its predecessor: the disks with different generations of the loading for 26 - 30 seconds - not a record, but it is tolerable.
If we compare the playback of CDs and made them with files FLAC, I would have opted for the latter - after all the flash memory provides less jitter than optical disk. On records in standard resolution (44.1 kHz/16 bit) you will notice an easy veil, the smallest details are swallowed. With the growth of the bit and bit depth sound becomes more detailed, accurate and realistic - recording 192 kHz/24-bit play almost flawlessly. Perhaps the machine in this price range might be a generalist and maintain at least SACD, but, as they say, no court no. Probably British gentlemen do not see the need for that.
