Marantz has announced two new additions to its Blu-ray lineup: the $899 UD7005 and the $499 UD5005. Both of the new models are universal disc players, and both are 3D-ready. We have not performed a hands-on review of the UD5005, but here is an overview of its features. This Profile 2.0 player supports BD-Live Web functionality and BonusView/picture-in-picture playback, and it offers both onboard decoding and bitstream output of Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. In this year's models, Marantz has added a limited Web platform that includes YouTube and Netflix video-on-demand. The UD5005 is also DLNA-compliant, so you can stream media content from a connected PC or DLNA server. A firmware update will be required to add 3D functionality (scheduled for fall 2010) and YouTube access (scheduled for December 2010).
In terms of video connections, the UD5005 offers HDMI, component video and composite video outputs (no S-video). This player supports both 1080p/60 and 1080p/24 output resolutions via HDMI, and it includes a Source Direct mode that allows it to output all discs at their native resolution. The setup menu has a thorough array of picture adjustments, including contrast, brightness, gamma correction, sharpness, hue, chroma level and multiple noise-reduction options.
Audio outputs include HDMI, coaxial digital (no optical) and 2-channel analog. The player lacks multichannel analog audio outputs (which are available on the step-up UD7005). The UD5005 has onboard Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoding, and it also passes these high-resolution audio formats in their native bitstream form over HDMI, for your A/V receiver to decode. A Pure Direct mode shuts down unneeded video circuitry to achieve higher-quality audio. The 2-channel analog output uses 24-bit/192-kHz D/A converters.
As a universal disc player, the UD5005 supports a variety of formats: BD, DVD-Video, SACD, DVD-Audio, CD audio, AVCHD, MPEG, AVI, WMV, WMA, MP3, AAC, JPEG and Divx Plus HD. You can add the player to your home network using the back-panel Ethernet port; this model is not WiFi-ready. The player offers 1 GB of onboard storage for BD-Live content; a front-panel USB port is provided for additional storage, as well as media playback. The UD5005 does not offer the RS-232 port that you'll find on the UD7005, but it does have remote control in/out and IR flasher in/out ports.
Competition and Comparison
To compare Marantz's UD5005 Blu-ray player against its competition, read our reviews for Samsung's BD-C7900 Blu-ray player and Denon's DBP-1611UD Blu-ray player. There is also more information available in our Blu-ray Player Section and on our Marantz brand page.
Read the High Points, Low Points and Conclusion on Page 2
High Points
• The UD5005 is 3D-ready.
• This is a universal player that supports SACD and DVD-Audio playback, as well as 1080p/24 playback of Blu-ray discs.
• It offers a Source Direct mode to output all discs at their native resolution via HDMI.
• The player has internal Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoding and can pass these formats in bitstream form over HDMI.
• It supports BD-Live and BonusView.
• You can access Netflix and YouTube, as well as content stored on a DLNA media server.
Low Points
• The UD5005 lacks multichannel analog audio outputs, so it's not the best choice for someone who owns an older, non-HDMI A/V receiver.
• The player doesn't support wireless connectivity to your home network, and its Web platform is limited, compared with the competition.
Conclusion
