The BD-A1000 ($699.95) is Yamaha's first 3D-capable Blu-ray player and its first universal disc player, supporting SACD and DVD-Audio playback. We have not performed a hands-on review of the BD-A1000, but here is an overview of its features. The player offers network connectivity for access to BD-Live features and to Yamaha's Web platform, which includes Netflix, Blockbuster OnDemand, and YouTube. You can also stream media content from a connected PC or DLNA-compliant server. The BD-A1000 is compatible with the SCENE function on certain Yamaha receivers, which allows you to automatically power up the receiver and player by pressing the SCENE BD/DVD button on the receiver remote.

Additional Resources
• Read more Blu-ray player reviews from HomeTheaterReview.com.
• Explore Blu-ray movie reviews on hometheaterequipment.com.
• Find a 3D HDTV to pair with the BD-A1000.

In terms of video connections, the BD-A1000 offers a single HDMI output, as well as component and composite video outputs. This player supports both 1080p/60 and 1080p/24 output resolutions via HDMI. The setup menu offers four picture modes, including a custom mode with adjustments for brightness, saturation, hue, contrast, sharpness, and CTI. There are also controls for color adjustment, auto contrast, and noise reduction, as well as lip sync.

Audio outputs include HDMI, coaxial and optical digital, and both 7.1-channel and stereo analog audio outputs. The BD-A1000 has onboard Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoding, and it also passes these high-resolution audio formats in bitstream form over HDMI, for your A/V receiver to decode. You can adjust the size, level, and distance for the analog audio outputs. A Pure Direct mode shuts down unneeded video circuitry to achieve higher-quality audio.

As a universal disc player, the BD-A1000 supports a variety of formats: BD, DVD-Video, SACD, DVD-Audio, CD audio, AVCHD, Divx, WMV, WMA, MP3, and JPEG. You can add the player to your home network using the back-panel Ethernet port; this model is not WiFi-ready. The BD-A1000 lacks internal memory to store BD-Live features; dual USB ports (one on the front, one on the back) have been provided for this purpose. These ports also support media playback. The BD-A1000 offers RS-232 and a remote input and output for integration into an advanced control system.

Read about the high points and the low points of the BD-A1000 on Page 2.

High Points
• The BD-A1000 supports 3D playback, as well as SACD and DVD-Audio. 
• It supports BD-Live and BonusView/PIP.
• It has internal decoding and bitstream output of high-resolution audio sources, plus multichannel analog audio outputs.
• You can access Netflix, Blockbuster, YouTube, and content stored on a DLNA media server.
• The back panel has RS-232 and remote input/output.

Low Points
• This model does not include dual HDMI outputs to send separate signals to your 3D TV and A/V receiver.
• The player doesn't support wireless connectivity to your home network, and its Web platform is limited.
• The BD-A1000 doesn't offer 2D-to-3D conversion or any advanced adjustment options for the 3D image.
• The player lacks internal memory to store BD-Live content.

Competition and Comparison
Compare the Yamaha BD-A1000 with its competition by reading the reviews for the Cambridge Audio Azur 650BD, Denon DBP-1611UD, and OPPO Digital BDP-83SE. Learn more about Blu-ray Players by visiting our Blu-ray Players section.

Conclusion
The Yamaha BD-A1000 sports most of the features we like to see in a step-up Blu-ray player, including 3D capability, SACD/DVD-Audio playback, multichannel analog outputs, RS-232, DLNA streaming, and video-on-demand. That said, for a player with an MSRP of $699.95, it really should include WiFi support and/or dual HDMI outputs. At least its street price is now running under $600, which brings it a little closer to competing models from OPPO Digital and Denon. If you're a Yamaha fan looking for a mate for your Yamaha receiver, the BD-A1000 will deliver the latest trends in Blu-ray, but you can get more for less if you look elsewhere.

Additional Resources
• Read more Blu-ray player reviews from HomeTheaterReview.com.
• Explore Blu-ray movie reviews on hometheaterequipment.com.
• Find a 3D HDTV to pair with the BD-A1000.