The News By Me

The Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) has added DLNA Premium Video to its existing standards, allowing protected films and other content to be streamed to any DLNA certified device.

DLNA-equipped devices can already access media including video and music on any other DLNA device on the same Wi-Fi network, making sharing media around the home relatively easy.

DLNA Premium Video has been developed by alliance members including Broadcom, Cisco, DirecTV, Microsoft, Sony and Verizon.

One DLNAPV device to rule them all

To benefit from the new feature, there must be at least one DLNA Premium Video device installed to act as a central hub for the other non-premium DLNA devices like tablets, phones, consoles and Blu-ray players that most people will already own.

So for example, you would only need one DLNA Video Premium set top box or PVR from your cable or satellite TV provider to be able to watch its paid-for on demand content in another room in the house.

Though at present it will require the purchase of at least one new device, some devices you already own may be upgradeable to Premium Video via a software update.

The DLNA has been demonstrating the new standard at CES 2012, but as yet no DLNA Premium Video certified devices have been announced.

Sony is reportedly considering its own IPTV paid television service, tying the offering into its many connected devices, including the PlayStation 3, televisions and Blu-ray players.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Sony believes that it can take on other paid-for television offerings by offering up not only its other content but other people's television output.

The service is apparently being mooted for the US, but could obviously prove to be a major disruptor on a global level.

UK competition

The UK is bracing itself for the launch of YouView next year, but already has a plethora of on-demand services available through a broadband connection.

Foremost among these is the BBC's iPlayer, but there are also key offerings from Sky (Sky Go), ITV (ITV Player), Channel 4 (4OD).

Google is also involved in television over IP, and its Google TV will arrive in the UK next year, while Apple's desire to get involved in the television market has become clear, and Microsoft recently announced a raft of media deals for its Xbox Live service.

Despite the massive competition, Sony is a content creator and has deep links with other companies that are already embedded in television.

By tying any service into its devices, many could find that any Sony IPTV service is already available on existing televisions, Blu-ray players and, of course, the popular PS3, giving it an immediate potential market of millions.

Samsung Smart TVs and Blu-ray players will soon be able to show 3D content from YouTube in a new version of the YouTube on TV app.

Samsung announced the re-vamped app at it IFA 2011, where the company will also be showing off the interface.

The updated app offers a more intuitive user interface which has been tailored to larger screen devices like TVs, while it also offers easier log in and searching once you're in the app.

Three Dee Tee Vee

Samsung Smart TVs will also offer a 'personalised profile' with tailor-made recommendations based on viewers' interests and previous searches.

Guy Kinnell, Marketing Director, TV, Samsung UK said: "Samsung is glad to be an exclusive partner in bringing YouTube 3D experiences to the TV space for the first time in the world at IFA 2011.

"Samsung Smart TV is an ideal platform for YouTube to convey the beautifully visual user interface and 3D experience that consumers will now have at their fingertips for watching and sharing 3D content worldwide.

This partnership will contribute to the continued growth of both the 3D and Smart TV industries."

The updated YouTube on TV app with 3D will be available on 2011 Samsung Smart TV and Blu-ray players before the end of the year.

A few years ago, we were promised that USB cables would be a thing of the past. And that our HD TVs would also connect to our Sky boxes and Blu-ray players wirelessly.

So where are the wireless ultrawideband (UWB) technologies that were supposed to get rid of these cables?

Picture the scene – it's CES 2007. The consortium of manufacturers that make up the USB Implementers Forum has a small but significant presence on the show floor, demoing cameras which download their pictures to your PC just by being placed in their presence. A printer starts spitting out high quality prints with no cables attached.

In a side room below the Sands Convention Centre, Philips shows off TVs with Wireless HDMI adaptors. It's a triumph, winning praise from those who like to mount their screens on the wall, but dislike the thick corded cables that mess up a minimalist lounge.

Two years later, Ofcom declares UWB tech fit to use in the UK. Pundits rejoice, with some (even on this site) declaring that Wireless HDMI would be the standard by 2010. And things definitely haven't got to this stage.

So what happened?

Unlikely USB?

Wireless USB was supposed to be a game changer. Within three metres, it is technically capable of the same speeds as USB 2.0, and can still manage a respectable 110Mbps at 10m range. Because it works in the UWB spectrum, it doesn't need line of sight to a receiver and it's resistant to interference too.

Yet it's one of those great technologies that may simply never happen.

Part of the problem was the delay between announcing standards and the lifting of regulatory restrictions for devices operating in the UWB spectrum (3.1 to 10.6GHz). It took several years between development of the standard and authorisation of its use, and regulatory requirements are still different in different countries.

By the time most territories had authorised the airwaves necessary (around 2009), fast 802.11n Wi-Fi was commonly available. Many of the things that Wireless USB was developed for were being done just fine over that.

Want to print wirelessly? No problem, there's barely any price premium to pay for a multifuinction printer and scanner that has Wi-Fi built in now. Laptops with Intel's Wireless Display (Wi-Di) tech on board can even send HD pictures directly to a TV over Wi-Fi (albeit unreliably laggy at present).

And why build a camera with Wireless USB to copy pics to your hard drive, when you can upload shots directly to Facebook if it has Wi-Fi on board?

Didn't you hear? The iPhone 4 is the most popular camera on Flickr now, and that syncs your snaps automatically over a cell signal.

Belkin, as ever an early adopter of these types of things, was one of the first to launch a Wireless USB hub and adaptor kit. Which is no longer on sale.

Investment elsewhere

It's not just about red tape, of course. Other reasons for the delay come down to inconvenience and cost of adding WUSB to a new peripheral when there are no laptops or motherboards that have transceivers built in.

Another adapter is confusing and pricey for consumers – making wireless strangely less convenient than wires.

Plus, there's the fact that USB has since been settled on as the cable of choice for charging phones and media players. Plans are afoot to enhance voltages over USB ports so they can be used to charge tablets too. Since wireless power is another idea whose time is not yet come, there's no sense including a WUSB antenna when you'll be connecting by cable anyway.

And finally, while investing in WUSB has no guaranteed returns for manufacturers, excitingly fast new cabled connections like USB 3.0 and Lightpeak/Thunderbolt are a safer bet. Western Digital, for example, has shifted its entire portable hard drive range over to USB 3.0 already and is looking at Lightpeak/Thunderbolt for the future. It has no plans to start introducing WUSB anytime soon.

Why would it? Adding another chip and a battery into a hard drive would be madness when we have Dropbox for that kind of thing. The cloud make WUSB almost defunct.

Wire free TV

If Wireless USB has an uncertain future, then, what's the prognosis for Wireless HDMI?

Far from being standard by 2010, there are almost no TVs with Wireless HDMI built in, and none that are available in the UK. A couple of years ago, there were at least two models – one from LG and one from Panasonic – available. So we're going backwards.

To a certain extent, that's understandable in a time of tough economics - compared adding internet connectivity and 3D glasses, Wireless HDMI is unlikely to sell many more TVs to consumers. There are, however, lots of Wireless HDMI adaptors available – although with prices for the likes of the Xenta kit starting at £150, they aren't exactly cheap.

But wireless display technology does seem to be slowly catching on, although they're coming from PCs rather than TVs. There's Intel's Wi-Di (mentioned earlier), and ASUS has its Kinect-like Wavi Xtation on the way. Samsung's Central Station monitors, which combine both a wireless USB hub and display adaptor, are here already and have proved themselves admirably capable in reviews.

Whether or not techniques for streaming video to a screen will converge around a standard like Wireless HDMI is uncertain, then. But we do still hope it catches on: there's no getting away from the fact that those cables running up the wall are very ugly.

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Toshiba's Blu-ray players have never been cutting-edge affairs, but the company has wholeheartedly embraced 3D.

The BDX3200 is its latest 3D-ready effort and with its £150 price tag should appeal to those on a budget – although Sony's BDP-S480 costs the same amount and offers much more in functionality.

The BDX3200 is easy on the eye, with slim bodywork (42.5mm high) and a sleek black finish.

I had absolutely no trouble using the player, thanks to the uncomplicated menu system and its responsiveness to remote commands. Disc loading times are fairly fast, taking 50 seconds to load Terminator Salvation.

It boasts a surprisingly wide range of picture adjustments, grouped as Video Processing and Motion Video Processing. These let you alter the usual parameters, as well as offering presets, noise reduction and tweaks for individual colours. Get the settings spot on and the deck delivers impressive 2D and 3D pictures.

The front-mounted USB port provides media playback and supports MKV and DivX HD.

The feature set is decidedly lacking. Wi-fi support (built-in or dongle), network streaming, smartphone control, built-in BD Live memory, a second HDMI output and 2D-to-3D conversion are all absent.

Toshiba also missed a trick by not adding its new Toshiba Places internet portal to its player.

The picture adjustments should have been grouped into a single menu, as some of the settings overlap – without careful use you can end up spoiling the picture.

If you have recently treated yourself or the family to a new 3D TV, or are considering making an investment in 3D for the home soon, then you will no doubt want to know what's in store for the future of decent quality 3D content.

Hollywood has come under flack of late, with a rep from 3D TV manufacturer Panasonic claiming that Tinseltown's rush to produce "badly converted" 3D movies in the wake of the success of James Cameron's Avatar has "damaged 3D".

It's certainly true that even the most impressive camera and projection technology cannot improve a bad script or a poorly-directed movie. But where does this current feeling of unease about 3D leave 3D TV viewers? Where do producers and directors hope to see commercial 3D TV programming from the likes of of Sky and Virgin Media going in 2012 and beyond?

While mainstream 3D TV coverage is likely to continue to be dominated by major sporting events such as the forthcoming London 2012 Olympics and other types of "event TV" – is there also a chance that we might soon start to see more investment from broadcasters in decent new 3D drama and documentary content?

Plus, it's not only broadcasters who are shaping the future of 3D TV content creation and delivery, with manufacturers such as Samsung and Sony recently launching their own 3D TV-on-demand services, to boost early adopter sales of their latest 3D television sets.

TV manufacturers and BBC offer 3D VOD

Sony, for example, recently announced its new 3D Experience video on demand streaming service for its line of Bravia LCD smart TVs, delivering 3D highlights of the latest movies, sports and teasers of 3D PS3 games via the Bravia Internet Video service.

The service will soon be extended to Sony's 3D-capable Blu-ray players, and, even though it is little more than a glorified advertising service for Sony movies and games right now, it is hoped that the 3D VOD offering will be improved over time, with Sony delivering on the somewhat vague promises to "further expand the content line-up and promote 3D Experience among content holders as a forum through which to showcase their 3D offerings."

For its part, Samsung has been quickest off the starting blocks in the emergent 3D TV market, already having captured over 50 per cent of market share in North America and Europe, according to German market researchers GfK. Samsung sold 50.5 percent of 3D TVs in Europe in May 2011, followed by Sony with a 21.8 percent market share, and LG Electronics and Panasonic with 9.3 and 9.2 per cent, respectively.

Samsung's latest move is to offer its ownfree 3D video-on-demand service offering free movies, music videos and nature documentaries, delivered via the "Explore 3D" App on Samsung Smart TVs.

EXPLORE 3D: TV manufacturers are now starting to offer their own exclusive 3D VOD services

And, not to be outdone by the early moves of Sky and Virgin Media into the 3D TV broadcast arena, the BBC is currently looking at VOD for 3D content, with Danielle Nagler, head of HD and 3D at the BBC, revealing at the recent 3DTV World Forum that "3D feels more instinctively like a VOD proposition in the long-term, rather than a channel proposition for the BBC."

The BBC is already filming some of its flagship entertainment properties, such asStrictly Come Dancing ("one of the most polished 3D shoots ever done in a studio")and has the 3D TV rights to major sporting events such as Wimbledon, which clearly shows that aunty is looking at 3D as a seriously important, long-term commercial proposition.

However, while the BBC's 3D baby steps andthe various promotional gimmicks from TV manufacturers are welcome amongst new or soon-to-be 3D TV buyers, the bottom line (for the most discerning viewers, at least) is knowing how and where proper, good quality 3D content is going to be produced and broadcast in the future.

The future of 3D event TV

Sky 3D has been instrumental in paving the way for mass market acceptance of the latest TV tech, with Sky's execs claiming that it hopes to do for 3D programming what it has already succeeded in doing for HD

John Cassy, director of Sky 3D, explained to delegates at the recent 3DTV World Forum that Sky now has"over 3.5 million homes, paying us an extra £10 a month" with over 50 channels now in HD."I can't see why we can't build the take up of 3D in this country, with a similar model."

Following that event, and speaking exclusively to TechRadar, Cassy also revealed that, even though Sky 3D has already been on air since October 2010, "it's fair to say that we are still fairly close to the start of our journey of 3D, but if you look at what we've achieved in this time, I think it has been a very strong start.

"We've delivered more than 120 live 3D sports events – more than any other broadcaster in the world – including some really major world events such as the Champions League Final, the Ryder Cup, the US Masters, the FA Cup final and more, across a broad number of sports.

"We also have deals in place with all the major Hollywood studios, and we are showing 3D films in regular slots every Friday and Sunday – and we expect that to increase in the coming year.Plus, we've also gone into new areas, including winning the first ever BAFTA for a 3D documentary with David Attenborough's Flying Monsters."

It's clearly been a busy ten months for Cassy and his team at Sky 3D, but he is in no way shy of admitting that they "still know that we've got a lot to do, because it is an early-stage technology and we are learning about it all of the time."

While they haven't released official viewing figures for some time, Sky's subscription numbers for Sky 3D are already into the (low) six figures, so what are the plans to expand and improve the 3D offering in the future?

3D London Olympics and Rugby World Cup

Cassy is bullish about his belief that Sky 3D is "is about providing the best of TV entertainment, but in a way that you have never seen it before - the biggest Premier League games, the biggest golfing events, the biggest movies, through to the best ballets or the most amazing exclusive factual shows. We are looking to try to drive "event television" – those things that are real treats for customers."

Researchers at GfK predict that around 1.5 million 3D-ready TV sets will have been sold in the UK by the time of the 2012 Olympics, also claiming that the initial take-up of 3D TV has been quicker than HD TVs and flat-screens.

"It's going to be a significant marketplace,"adds Cassy, warming to his theme, "and Sky is optimistic about what other people are and will be doing. It's great to see the BBC experimenting around the Wimbledon final coverage and doing a very good job.

"There are a couple of other big events coming up later this year, such as the Rugby World Cup finals. And there is already a big debate around whether the London Olympics will be in 3D. And Sky would of course love to see the relevant rights holders broadcast both of those events in 3D."

Where now for 3D drama?

Chasing the exclusive rights to ever-better quality 3D coverage of the world's biggest sports "event TV" is clearly a fairly obvious strategy for any broadcaster with a premium 3D offering, but what of 3D drama and documentary programming?

Sky has already made something of a splash in promoting cutting-edge arts and documentary 3D production, with Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake ballet, the aforementioned David Attenborough dinosaur documentary and the recent Kylie concert all being shot in 3D.

SWAN LAKE:Cutting-edge 3D arts programming from Sky

"We've also done lots more, such as a documentary with Brian May telling the story of 3D and music-based programmes with Sky Arts in their Songbooks' series," Cassy reminds TechRadar."So we are trying to broaden out the range of the kind of programming that we are providing, but inevitably sports and movies will always register pretty highly on our lists of things to get to viewers.

"In terms of new 3D drama, it is certainly something that we are looking at, but I don't think it is necessarily anything we are going to hurry into. The lead times, the logistics and the costs of drama – in 2D, let alone in 3D – are very significant. So we are treading carefully there. But I would hope that, before very long, you will see Sky do dramas in 3D.

"And then, on the documentary side, we've already worked with people like The History Channel and National Geographic. So we will continue to do our own 3D documentary making and we will start to partner more with these types of big specialist brands, who have real heritage in this area of programme-making."

Virgin plumps for 3D on-demand

Virgin Media also offers its customers 3D content via movies-on-demand, free tasters and trailers as well as 3D content exclusive to its XL package customers, having signed deals with Paramount, Disney and Warner Bros to broadcast the latest 3D movies soon after they are released.

Virgin has also offered sports fans live 3D sporting content from prestigious European sporting events, including the Roland Garros French Open. So what are the company's latest 3D plans to boost its competitive advantage over Sky, the BBC and other broadcasters?

"As the first company to commercially launch a 3D TV offering, Virgin Mediacontinues to offer families the most up-to-date 3D content available on the market," argues Virgin Media's head of On Demand development,Kevin O'Neil. "We think that our On Demand service offers the best range of 3D content and a great way for families to get their 3D fix, allowing them to pick and choose what they want to watch, when they want to watch it."

It's a solid marketing pitch, yet backed up by a decent range of 3D content on offer for all ages, with watch-when-you-like 3D blockbusters such as Disney's: TRON Legacy, Gulliver's Travels and Drive Angryand plenty of quality wildlife and sci-fi documentaries already on offer.

"We'll continue to work with 3D content providers such as Eurosport to bring our customers live sporting action in 3D," adds O'Neil. "Over the last few months, Virgin Media's 3D sports event coverage has gone from strength to strength, offering live 3D content from some of the most prestigious sporting events in Europe.

"The increase in 3D coverage of major sporting events demonstrates the progress which is being made in sports broadcasting. It also highlights the commitment to innovation and development of this new technology as Eurosport and ESPN have recently demonstrated.

3D CONCERTS: Sky is proud of its latest Kylie film

"The main challenge for the future is for content providers to consistently deliver the best 3D viewing experience whether through live transmission or on demand, and also to create cost-effective combined 2D/3D events taking advantage of the technology. Virgin Media is keen to help the 3D industry grow. There is enormous potential for development in terms of the types of shows and events which can be offered and we will continue to work closely with content providers in continuing to provide the best and most up-to-date programming available on the market.

"With the increasing numbers of Pay TV operators worldwide offering 3D linear or On Demand platforms, the demand for high quality 3D programming is increasing and content creators have an expanding market to provide content to. The Holy Grail for mass market take-up and acceptance isglassless 3D TVs, although some manufacturers are indicating that this may be five or more years away."

The Virgin Media exec is still cautious when it comes to committing to any specific promises for the future of 3D programming, beyond noting howhe expects to see an increasing number of 3D documentaries, dramas, music and arts programming, adding the caveat that,"programming standards must be maintained with a good rule of thumb being that if doesn't make good 2D viewing then 3D is unlikely to help – you need a strong format and a genuine narrative coupled with high production values and quality talent."

"It will take a bold filmmaker to produce a new drama or documentary in 3D beyond someone like Anthony Geffen of Atlantic Productions - who won a BAFTA 2011 for his film, Flying Monsters 3D - till the audience has reached a critical mass," argues Matthew Young, director of iPONT UK an innovator and technology partner to the likes of Sky and the BBC in the glasses-free (auto-stereoscopic) 3D market.

AUTO-STEREOSCOPIC: Although most in the TV industry think this is at least five years away for the home market

"The BBC has already said it was unclear as to whether it planned show the London Olympics 2012 in 3D. The numbers aren't there yet for it to make financial sense but that will change."

Young also reminds us that 3D TV is not (only) going to be driven by high-minded quality documentaries and cutting-edge sports and music festival coverage over the coming years, noting that 3D "adult-entertainment, 3D-porn and gambling with 'live' feeds will also feature next year.

Coming to grips with 3D camera tech

It is clear that broadcasters hope to push the provision of quality 3D TV content as one of the next major unique selling points to keep viewers watching their channels, or subscribing to their lucrative premium subscription packages. But what of the specific production issues and tech constraints that 3D TV directors currently face with the latest 3D camera tech?

"Some of the key challenges facing 3D event projects are camera set-up and also user experience," argues Niall Duffy, managing director at media tech services specialists Mediasmiths. "To begin with, 3D cameras are more expensive and complicated to set up which, in filming terms, means that typically there are a lot fewer camera angles than in 2D shoots, simply down to time constraints, meaning that the end product may feel less 'dynamic' to the viewer.

"The setting up of 3D cameras is still very cumbersome as well," adds Duffy,"which can have an additional effect - for example, in golf broadcasts, when you may need multiple angles for each putt on the final hole, this can be severely limited by the 3D angles available.

"There is still a scarcity of experience and capability when it comes to producing 3D content, but this is particularly felt in post-production and is simply down to the technology being relatively new and users not having had time to work with it yet."

In Duffy's expert opinion, he feels that once there is a strong volume of 3D content, in two to three years' time, "with content being generated more regularly the market will be primed and ready for 3D. In fact, the relatively high cost of producing 3D is ensuring that producers are committing to high-quality content created in the correct way. By the time the cost of production comes down, the techniques and technology to create good quality 3D content should be more widely known and available."

Finally, not all 3D content producers are convinced that broadcast 3D TV in the lounge is going to define the true future of 3D content, with Don Alvarez of 3D software design agency Cynergy Systems, telling us that, "3D TV is completely driven by manufacturer push at the moment. Demand will follow, but content naturally lags device introduction and content is what really motivates demand in the long term.

"We think the marking dollars focused on selling big 3D TVs are obscuring the real shift happening today towards 3D content viewed on smaller, personal displays. Whether it's a Nintendo 3DS, an LG Optimus 3D phone, or that rumoured upcoming 3D iPad, small format, personal displays let you go glasses-free at much more compelling price points than large living-room devices."

Clearly, not everybody in the TV or 3D content production industries think that this imminent proliferation of 3D-capable smartphones and mobile devices will be a threat to the production of quality 3D content, with Sky's John Cassyoffering his final word on the matter:

"In terms of marketing Sky 3D, the most obvious difficulty is the fact that you cannot show a 3D image in print or on most 2D PC or TV screens. So the more Nintendo 3DSes and 3D-capable smartphones and tablets that are in customers' hands over the next couple of years, the more opportunities 3D broadcasters such as Sky have to promote their 3D content."

OnLive is on its way to the UK this autumn, but the streaming gaming service isn't wasting any time in getting started, with users able to reserve their player tag from this evening.

The UK site, onlive.co.uk, is currently showing a countdown to the sign up, which is set to kick off at 8pm this evening (7 June).

OnLive is a cloud-based gaming experience, with games and hardware all held online rather than in your living room.

Live on

An announcement that it will be running on Intel-based consumer TVs, Blu-ray players and set-top boxes is expected over at E3 2011 this week.

The company also struck a deal with HTC earlier this year which saw the Taiwanese company investing around £25 million in the platform.

So far we've seen the OnLive hit the HTC Flyer, but nothing in the smartphone arena just yet.

Streaming gaming service OnLive has confirmed that it is on course for a UK launch in the autumn.

The service, which is making a number of announcements ahead of the E3 gaming convention next week, offers a streamed gaming experience, with the hardware living in the cloud.

The service is now set for a UK launch in autumn, with onlive.co.uk now just a matter of days away from allowing sign ups.

Games arrivals

The UK launch is not the only new arrival for the service, which will be announcing the arrival of Red Faction Armageddon on 7 June, along with triple-A title Homefront multiplayer.

Disney Interactive is joining the OnLive service, and the service will soon Facebook integration.

Also a key new announcement is that the service will run on Intel-based consumer TVs, Blu-ray players and set-top boxes.

More details will no doubt be forthcoming in June.

Universal disc players have always been a distraction from CD-only machines. They offer incredible value and with CD now in decline, the case for buying is growing.

Oppo has launched a rather special unit with audiophiles firmly in mind. Its new BDP-95EU plays the usual SACD, DVD-A and legacy CDs, but it also offers cutting-edge 3D Blu-ray playback and will play content held on external drives or network storage.

It's connectivity compliment is something else. As an added bonus, HDCD-encoded CDs can also be enjoyed in all their 20-bit glory, as Oppo has paid a considerable amount of detail to optimising the sound quality of analogue audio.

The 7.1 outputs take advantage of an ESS 9018S multichannel Sabre32 Reference DAC; a separate DAC drives the dedicated stereo outputs. Unusually, these are available in both phono (unbalanced) and XLR (balanced) form.

The jury's still out on the benefits of XLR, however, as far as home audio is concerned. Balanced is fine for studio applications, where interconnects may run to tens of metres. But for a metre (or less) between player and amplifier?

Fortunately, the BDP-95EU's XLRs have some domestic potential, especially if you have a separate AV system and hi-fi rig located some distance apart. So if you want to locate the unit with your AV gear, then that's fine because the player's stereo output can be routed to a suitable amp via XLRs of appropriate length.

The right connections

In connectivity terms, the BDP-95EU truly excels. Its two HDMI ports are useful if you have an older (pre HDMI 1.4) AV receiver, but want to enjoy 3D TV. Just connect one port to your amplification and the other to your display.

A handful of mass-market players (notably Panasonic models) are similarly endowed and some of these also give you the Oppo's composite and component analogue video outputs.

And while it's true to say that the majority of Blu-ray players boast a USB port, or two, for playback of multimedia files stored on USB ports, it's very rare to see an eSATA port – to which can be connected an external hard drive (the BDP-95EU also understands FAT/FAT32 and NTFS disk formats). There's also an Ethernet port, for online content and networked multimedia – a Wi-Fi 'dongle' is also supplied.

Both RS232 and infra-red ports are provided, should you envisage controlling the player from a touch-pad. Both optical and coaxial versions of digital audio output will drive external DACs; for multi-channel hi-res audio, though, HDMI is essential.

On which subject, SACD's DSD streams can be passed to compatible AV receivers across this connector – LPCM conversion can be engaged via an on screen menu if yours is DSD-ignorant.

Our only slight disappointment is that Oppo hasn't fitted some kind of digital audio input. A pity, considering all of the audiophile work that has been put into this player.

Built for sound

And there's plenty of such effort evident. Inside the player is a big toroidal transformer marked 'Custom designed and manufactured by Rotel'. Oppo informed us that the Japanese hi-fi manufacturer's role in the BDP-95EU's genesis extends to nothing more than the supply of this key component.

The transformer in question is associated with a linear power supply that caters exclusively to the analogue audio sections – everything else is energised by a switch-mode power supply that lives under a metal shield. All analogue audio circuits, plus the DACs, are built onto a dedicated circuit board.

We also noted the use of high-quality components here, such as audiophile-grade capacitors and LM4562 op-amps. Internal construction is indeed of an excellent standard – it's definitely on a par with all, but the most esoteric of Far-Eastern kit.

A key component of the main board is an Oppo-designed multifunction chip that looks after much of the player's activity.

The other key element of the player is the Blu-ray/DVD/CD drive, which is also compatible with most rewritable/recordable CD and DVD formats. This component has a dedicated interface, rather than SATA.

Setting up the player is straightforward enough, courtesy of an initial 'wizard' and some nicely designed on screen menus. From here, various functions ranging from output resolution to subwoofer crossover frequency can be configured.

Regrettably, the noise sequencer, which is used as a level-adjustment aid, failed to work with either analogue or digital outputs. This isn't going to please anyone planning to drive power amps or active speakers directly from the multichannel outputs (the BDP- 95EU's analogue outputs benefit from a volume control). One hopes that Oppo will address this with a firmware update – which can be delivered to the player via the network connection.

Heart of the matter

Many dedicated Blu-ray players are restricted sonically. From their analogue outputs, you usually get a rather uninvolving and insipid performance. Little attention is usually paid here, as you're expected to rely on HDMI-interfaced amplification.

The Oppo universal, mercifully, is a very different animal. Simply put, those analogue inputs sing with anything you care to play on it – our modest expectations were surpassed.

A spin of the Kraftwerk Tour de France CD proves that not only can this unit deal with copy-protected CDs, but the timing and pace of its musical delivery is impeccable. Germanic electronic rhythms are conveyed with foot-tapping involvement and the album's strong use of stereo demonstrates that there are no vices in the soundstaging department.

Another joyful listening experience was The XX's debut album, again on CD. The guitarwork, male/female vocal partnership and low-frequency percussive samples of the track, Islands, hold your attention and won't let go.

The track's sub-bass is articulately handled and free of the sagginess that can mar cheap players; findings that were reinforced with various examples of electronic music we threw at the player. We tried playing MP3 and FLAC content via network and USB, but could not get the player to even display the MP3 files.

In fairness, supplier AV Aficionado confirmed that MP3 is indeed a no-go area for now. We could load a FLAC file via USB, but such content was unavailable via the network. Sonically, FLAC files retain much of the original CD's character.

Next, we move to hi-res audio – and one of our favourite SACDs, Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon. This one-time demo staple has an awful lot going on – and with the BDP-95EU we were able to pick out individual contributions, and marvel at how they were seamlessly assembled into something so complex, long before computerised editing became the norm.

The multichannel mix makes great use of surround, especially on tracks like On the Run and this enveloping soundstage was done justice by the player (after we had taken steps to circumvent the aforementioned channel-balancing problem).

Switching to one of those rarest of things, a Blu-ray audio disc (Trondheim Solistene's recording of Britten's Simple Symphony), rewarded us with depth and clarity. Incidentally, there's a 'pure audio' mode that shuts off the front panel display and video circuitry. Surprisingly, engaging it made little impact on the sound quality.

Minor flaws

Oppo must be congratulated for bringing us the BDP-95EU – the latest in a strong line of innovative disc-spinners. With CDs it doesn't quite match the involvement of a top-flight dedicated player, but it sure comes close – at a fraction of the price.

Switch to well-recorded high-res material, though and the Oppo leaps ahead. It's also an exceptional video player.

There are one or two minor issues, notably relating to set up and multimedia playback – which, to be fair, is 'not unofficially supported' – and we hope that Oppo resolves them. But as it stands, the BDP-95 is one of the best universal players we've seen and represents excellent value for money.

Unsurprisingly, 3D will continue to dominate home cinema in 2011, with a flood of 3D TVs and Blu-ray products hitting the market as the year unfolds. Indeed, Panasonic's new range of Blu-ray players includes four 3D-ready models, such as its flagship DMP-BDT310.

But it's worth remembering that not everyone has the desire or the budget to embrace the 3D revolution, which is why Panasonic also provides a couple of non-3D models, including this DMP-BD75.

This entry-level player has been stripped of the headline-grabbing features of its 3D stable mates, its focus shifting to the brand's proven picture prowess, with a lower price tag to match.

Features

Panasonic has made a concerted effort to downsize dimensions in order to reduce the amount of packaging, making the BD75 so slim you could almost slip it in your wallet.

Art deco it's not, but the understated black styling is undeniably tasteful, and the aluminium bodywork is surprisingly robust. Just a couple of buttons adorn the fascia, alongside a USB port in place of the usual SD card slot and a basic display panel.

The rear panel also screams 'entry level'. All you'll find there are HDMI, composite video and stereo audio outputs. These are pretty much all you need if you own an HDMI-equipped AV receiver, but those who need a separate digital audio output, or multichannel analogue ports, should look further up the range.

There's also an Ethernet port, which on Panasonic's more expensive players enables you to explore the new Viera Connect cloud internet service and Skype functionality. Here it's limited to DLNA networking (dubbed Media Server), BD-Live downloads and firmware updates.

There's no Wi-Fi support at all on the Panasonic DMP-BD75, neither built-in nor dongle-fed. Still, it's encouraging to see networking filtering down to even the cheapest players, as the ability to stream music, video, photos and recordings stored on DIGA recorders is always a bonus (although you need a Windows 7 PC to use it here).

The USB port on the front panel provides another way of playing digital media. As well as supporting the usual suspects – MP3, JPEG and DivX HD – it also handles MKV. But it didn't want to know our AAC, WMV or WMA files, plus, we could only hear the audio for AVI. The USB port is also used for storing downloaded BD-Live content. So, if you're a regular downloader, get used to having a USB stick protruding from the front.

Interface

The onscreen interface has also been given a new lick of paint for 2011, including a radical rethink of the navigation system. While there was nothing hugely wrong with the brand's previous menus, this is a distinct improvement.

The added immediacy and logic bring it closer in spirit to Sony's Xross Media Bar, as seen in models such as the BDP-S570.

Icons are laid out in a cross shape, and the relevant menu is selected simply by hitting a direction key or Enter. The icons are cute and the colour scheme is bright and bubbly. It's a dream to use and poses no problems when streaming, surfing media folders or tweaking the settings. Among these settings are picture presets and a user-defined mode where you can adjust colour, contrast, brightness and sharpness.

The remote takes an 'ain't broke, don't fix it' approach, keeping the same compact shape, button layout and clear labelling as last year's zappers, while providing a dedicated button for the Media Server feature.

Performance

Panasonic has also shaved a chunk off last year's disc loading speeds on the DMP-BD75: it gets Terminator Salvation from tray to play in 40 seconds, with less stubborn discs firing up in 30.

And in terms of performance, the DMP-BD75 offers everything you expect from a Panasonic Blu-ray player, particularly when it comes to picture quality. Its tried and trusted on-board image technology delivers deep, vivacious colours and sublimely sharp detail. It paints the lush high-definition landscapes of Pandora throughout Avatar with such intensity that you can't resist being pulled into the picture. And with close-up shots of faces or CG creatures, the deck doesn't miss a single pixel.

The Silicon Optix demonstrates what a smooth operator the DMP-BD75 really is, particularly for an entry-level deck. Neither our Film nor Video Resolution loss tests showed a single sign of strobing, the edges of the moving white bars on the jaggies test patterns are as smooth as a baby's bum, and the rows of seats during the pan across Raymond James Stadium look steady and composed.

HD audio soundtracks are as crisp as you'd expect over an HDMI connection, and our Tech Labs' analogue audio jitter test suggests it's a solid CD player too – although subjectively we thought performance was unspectacular.

Verdict

If you're in the market for a basic Blu-ray player that serves up eye-popping pictures, and you have no need for bells and whistles, then you could do far worse than plump for the DMP-BD75.

But most AV enthusiasts will surely be tempted by the more exciting treats offered higher up Panasonic's 2011 range. An extra £100 gets you built-in Wi-Fi, access to the Viera Connect portal and, of course, 3D playback.