Yamaha BD-S1900

Yamaha BD-S1900 review

Yamaha was a latecomer to the Blu-ray party, having launched the Profile 1.1 BD-S2900 in 2008 with little fanfare and to mixed reviews. But the beloved hi-fi brand is hoping to make more of a splash with its latest player, the Yamaha BD-S1900. Designed to partner Yamaha's extensive range of AV amps, the BD-S1900 features many of the company's distinctive design traits – moody black finish, orange LED display and sharp, angular lines. Its sturdy construction is further proof that this is a deck for Blu-ray buffs. FeaturesOn the back you get a healthy array of sockets, most notable of which is the set of 7.1-channel analogue audio outputs. Despite the fact that most AV receivers these days can handle HD audio streams and PCM via HDMI, some users still prefer to let their player do the decoding. They're backed up by a separate set of analogue outputs for listening to downmixed soundtracks and CDs. The RS-232 and remote in/out sockets hint at the deck's custom install potential, while an Ethernet port provides web access. Disappointingly, there's no built-in Wi-Fi , while several rivals provide this for a lot less money. From a features perspective, BD Live and BonusView support is as good as it gets.