Home Theatre/TV: JVC XV-BP1 Blu-Ray Disc Player – Review

So here’s a product with something to prove. With every man and his dog apparently now in the market with a Blu-ray player, the absence of a major name like JVC has been notable.

But now the company that helped develop the VHS system, and has a whole host of significant achievements under its belt since it was founded in 1927 as the Victor Talking Machine Company of Japan, has delivered the XC-BP1. The company entered the market here not with a top-line expensive model but at the lower-priced end of the scale. But that’s not surprising; this is where the volume sales are.

One advantage of being late on the scene is having time to find out what the market really wants, so in addition to 1080p and 24fps video plus 1080p upscaling DVD, there’s BD-Live compatibility via an Ethernet jack on the back (there’s no wireless network connection), and a USB connection conveniently behind a cover on the front panel. This port, which works only with FAT16 or FAT32 formats, supports MPEG-4, MP3, WMA and JPEG/PNG/GIF playback. It also allows storage of BD-Live material.

The Profile 2.0 player offers picture-in-picture playback, has bitstream output and onboard decoding of Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio soundtracks.

Its design is clean, simple and almost minimalist, the black fascia relieved by a blue glow from the LED panel and around five chrome control buttons. This is complemented by a busy-looking remote that turns out to be easy to negotiate. It’s driven by one AAA battery.

On-screen menus will be familiar to those who have experience with a JVC panel. They’re easily followed and look good, but lack some of the advanced setup features discerning users may seek, such as noise reduction or preset picture modes.

So how does it go? With a Blu-ray disc of Casino Royale loaded, very well. The monochrome opening sequences are delivered with satisfying richness and detail. Action scenes and fast pans are generally smooth as poured cream, although one or two showed a slight juddering.

The factory default settings offer up a pleasant natural colour palette, although the user can tweak to his or her preferences.

Although the sound was okay, it lacked some of the punch and sparkle we’ve seen from other units hooked up to the same playback equipment.

It would be nice to shout and wave the flags about this debut model, especially as it’s from such a venerable company, but despite its good looks, its competent performance and decent specification, there’s nothing about it that sets the heart racing. But maybe the fact that it just gets on and does a good job is recommendation enough.

Phil Hanson

JVC XV-BP1 Blu-Ray Disc Player – Tech Specs

Playable media: BD-R/RE, DVD-Video/-R/-RW, R/ RW, CD, USB
Playback: VCHD, MP3, WMA, JPEG
Playback quality: 1080/24p
Sound: Dolby Digital, Dolby TrueHD/DTS-HD decoding
S/N ratio: more than 100dB
Harmonic distortion: less than 0.008%
Outputs: LAN port, Ethernet jack, 10 Base-T/100 Base-TX, HDMI, Digital audio coaxial and optical, 2-channel audio, component video, video
Dimensions: 430 x 54 x 245mm (W/H/D)
Weight: 2.8kg

PROS

• Good list of features
• Clean, almost minimalist styling
• Nice menu presentation

CONS

• Sound quality could be better
• Lacks VOD streaming or wireless network connectivity

VERDICT

JVC goes straight to the core, with features most users want in a good looking player

CONTACT

www.jvc.co.nz

This article is from Tone 82. Click here to check it out.