Harman Kardon BDP1 Blu-ray Disc Player - Short Review

The BDP1 is the first Blu-ray Disc Player from Harman Kardon. The BDP1 plays Blu-ray Discs at 1080p resolution via HDMI HDMI output and is also compatible with standard DVDs and audio CDs. Both 1080p upscaling for standard DVDs and onboard decoding or undecoded bitstream output of Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD is provided via the HDMI output. The BDP1 adheres to Blu-ray Profile 2.0 specifications, and a front mounted USB port provides access to both BD-Live memory and still images, music, and video files stored on USB Flash Drives. After reading this review, also check out my Photo Gallery and Video Performance Tests.

The BDP1 provides very good detail and contrast, as well as acceptable black levels with Blu-ray Disc playback. However, there was a slight oversaturation of Blues and Red/Orange when compared to the other Blu-ray Disc players used for reference.

With regards to more technical testing, the BDP1 passed most of the tests on the Silicon Optix HQV Benchmark DVD, which measures DVD video performance with regards to video processing and upscaling.

The test results revealed that the BDP1 does good to very good with progressive scan (3:2 pulldown), jaggie elimination (both rotating line and flag waving tests), detail, motion adaptive processing, and moire pattern detection and elimination. One the other hand, the BDP1 did not do well in suppressing video noise and did not process some of the video field/frame cadence tests well.

On the audio side, the BDP1 offers both complete onboard audio decoding and undecoded bitstream output for compatible home theater receivers. However, the lack of 5.1 or 7.1 channel analog audio outputs does limit audio connectivity with non-HDMI equipped home theater receivers.

In terms of audio performance with the available connection options, the BDP1 delivered excellent audio performance on both Blu-ray and DVD soundtracks, and also from audio-only CDs. I noticed no audio artifacts that could be attributed to the BDP1.

Also, the inclusion of a front USB port, Backlit Remote Control, an easy-to-use onscreen menu system, and an easy-to-read and understand user manual are all worthy consumer-friendly features. However, unlike many new Blu-ray Disc players in its price range, there is no internet audio or video streaming available from services such as Netflix, YouTube, Amazon, or Rhapsody.

For a closer look at the features and performance Harman Kardon BDP1, also check out my Photo Gallery and Video Performance Tests.

Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.