Harman Kardon BDP 1

Harman Kardon has finally done it... they've come out with a Blu-ray player! The aptly names BDP 1 comes in at a stunning $499 - just about $100 more than full featured PS3. But of course, you get the Harman Kardon name and looks with that player.

Sporting Profile 2.0 including BonusView and BD-Live, the BDP 1 will do just about all the audio formats. While the manual, press releases don't exactly match, it looks like the BDP 1 will natively decode all the high definition audio formats as well as bitstream Dolby TrueHD and DTS MA. The BDP 1 will decode most of the regular audio formats but DTS 96/24 and (of course) DVD-A and SACD are out. Of course 1080p output is available over HDMI as is upcoverting standard DVDs. No particular upconverting program is mentioned which means it is proprietary or generic. We'll have to wait until we can get our hands on one before we know how well it does.

The BDP 1 overall has a very slimline look featuring the black over gray motif that Harman adopted a few years ago. No sign of the blue knob on this one though. There are the standard playback controls on the front along with the sliding disc tray and a USB port. The back has your standard HDMI, Ethernet, coax and optical audio, stereo RCA, and component and composite video outputs. There is also an IR in and out for integration into a universal remote control system. The only thing that is really missing compared to most of the offerings at this price point is analogue audio outputs.

Harman is touting the BDP 1's ability to play JPGs and music files simultaneously from either a disc or a USB key. For those that just can't wait to bore... I mean entertain your friends with pictures from your vacation to the Keys when it rained all week so you played 1,137 consecutive hands of UNO, you're in luck.

Conclusion

There really isn't a lot to see here except the Harman Kardon name with the BDP 1. Without the wow factor of a low price or at least a lot of features at a particular price point, there isn't much to get excited about. At least with Sony's gear you can control multiple devices over HDMI CEC but there is no mention of that in the Harman literature. If all they are bringing the the party is a slideshow ... well, they are off the guest list.

For more information, please visit www.harmankardon.com.

Unless otherwise indicated, this is a preview article for the featured product. A formal review may or may not follow in the future.