Arcam FMJ BDP100 Blu-ray Disc player

Very metal

Mon 2 May 2011 // 07:00 UTC

Class act

Thankfully, the player’s video performance is worth the wait. This is a gloriously adept deck. HD images sparkle with detail and believable, nuanced colour. James Cameron’s Avatar on Blu-ray looks so preternaturally sharp, the image from the BDP100 appears three dimensional without the need to resort to silly glasses.

Also available in black for those who prefer a 1980s rather than 1970s look

If you have a large DVD collection, then the BDP100 won’t demand you upgrade everything to BD either. Its DVD upscaling and deinterlacing talents are excellent.

Connected to Arcam's AVR400 receiver through the analogue output stage - and listened to in Source Direct mode to make the most of the Wolfson DAC - the deck puts in a marvelously musical performance. Some disc players have an innate ability to image which puts them clearly in a class apart from the hoi polloi. I think this is one such deck.

Indeed, audio fidelity over regular HDMI is also surprisingly fine – the brand’s proprietary anti-jitter technology doing an impressive job.

Verdict

For Arcam’s fan base, this Blu-ray Disc debut should come as a blessed relief. After all the tribulations, the brand has delivered a fine disc spinner that’s an appropriate partner for its AVR range. Will this deck find an audience outside of the Arcam faithful? I suspect not. But that doesn’t make the BDP100 any less special. ®