Marantz's 2009 Blu-ray lineup includes four new models: two lower-priced players (the BD5004 and BD7004) and two high-end, reference models (the BD8004 and UD9004). The top-of-the-line UD9004 is a universal disc player that, in addition to Blu-ray, DVD, and CD playback, supports the high-resolution SACD and DVD-Audio music formats. We have not performed a hands-on review of the UD9004, but here is an overview of the player's features. This Profile 2.0 Blu-ray player supports BonusView/picture-in-picture playback and BD-Live Web functionality, and it offers both onboard decoding and bitstream output of Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. The dedicated audio section is based on the Marantz SA-7S1 SACD player, and features include two Analog Devices SHARC DSPs for HD audio decoding and use of Marantz's Hyper Dynamic Amp Module (HDAM) technology. The UD9004 does not support any type of video-on-demand streaming or download service, such as those offered by Netflix, Amazon, and CinemaNow.

In terms of video connections, the UD9004 offers dual HDMI outputs, as well as component video, S-video, and composite video outputs. Dual HDMI outputs allow you to send the A/V signal to two displays or to separate audio and video and send each via its own HDMI cable. This player supports both 1080p/60 and 1080p/24 output resolutions via HDMI. It uses the Silicon Optix Realta HQV video processing chip, and it includes a Source Direct mode that allows it to output all discs at their native resolution. The player also sports a 14-bit/297-MHz Analog Devices video DAC for the component video output. The setup menu includes an A/V lip sync function, as well as a Vertical Stretch mode that removes bars from 2.35:1 sources, ideal for use with a CinemaScope screen and a projector with an anamorphic lens. The menu also offers numerous picture adjustments, including noise reduction, contrast, brightness, gamma, sharpness, chroma, and more.

The UD9004 has the full suite of audio outputs: HDMI, optical and coaxial digital, and both 2- and 7.1-channel analog. The dedicated stereo analog outputs are balanced XLR connections, and the UD9004 is equipped with 32-bit DACs for all channels. The inclusion of multichannel analog audio outputs makes this model a good choice if you own an older, non-HDMI A/V receiver. The player 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. High-resolution audio tracks from SACD and DVD-Audio discs can also be passed via either HDMI or analog audio. You can set the speaker size, crossover frequency, level, and distance for the analog outputs. For stereo sources, the UD9004 offers DTS Neo:6 and DPLIIx surround modes, with the ability to adjust multiple parameters. The Pure Direct mode shuts down unneeded video circuitry to achieve higher-quality audio performance.

The UD9004's disc drive supports the following formats: BD, DVD, DVD-Audio, SACD, CD audio, AVCHD, JPEG, MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV, and Divx. The back panel features an Ethernet port for BD-Live Web features, as well as quick firmware updates. The player doesn't include a wireless network connection option. The UD9004 has just 1MB of memory for BD data storage, so you'll probably want to employ the SD card slot to add more storage capacity. The front-panel SD card slot also supports playback of JPEG, MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV, and Divx files. Finally, the UD9004 sports both RS-232 and IR in/out ports for integration with an advanced control system.

High Points
• The UD9004 supports 1080p/24 playback of Blu-ray discs. Dual HDMI outputs let you send the A/V signal to two displays or separate the audio and video signals.
• This universal disc player also supports playback of SACD and DVD-Audio music discs, as well as AVCHD, JPEG, MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV, and Divx.
• The player has internal Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoding and can pass these formats in bitstream form over HDMI. It has multichannel analog audio outputs for use with older A/V receivers.
• It supports BD-Live Web content and can play picture-in-picture bonus content.
• This player uses Silicon Optix's Realta HQV processing chip for improved DVD upconversion, but it also offers a Source Direct mode to output all discs at their native resolution via HDMI.
• The SD card slot allows for easy playback of digital movies, music and photos.
• The UD9004 has balanced stereo audio outputs for music playback.
• This product has excellent build quality, and RS-232 and IR ports are provided.

Low Points
• This player does not support any type of video-on-demand or music streaming, nor does it feature a wireless option for connection to your home network.
• The onboard memory is limited.

Conclusion
The $5,999.99 UD9004 is clearly targeted at the high-end A/V enthusiast who wants to use it as the primary playback device for both high-definition video and high-resolution audio. While the UD9004 is admittedly quite expensive for a Blu-ray player, at least it offers perks like DVD-Audio/SACD playback, dual HDMI outputs, and balanced stereo analog audio outputs.