Sony UHP-H1 plays HD video and hi-res audio

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Perfect audio and perfect pictures is the promise from Sony's new HD media player, which marries Blu-ray, CD and SACD playback with hi-res audio support. There's a new 4K upscaling Blu-ray player, too.

Sony may not have had a 4K Blu-ray player at CES this year, unlike Panasonic and Samsung, but it would still like you to consider its 'Beyond the Blu-ray' products. They come in the form of the UHP-H1, which can play pretty much any HD audio and video content, and a new Blu-ray player, which promises '4K upscaling' of your existing Blu-rays.

The UHP-H1 (pictured, above) certainly piques our interest, being the first Sony product to marry Blu-ray playback and hi-res audio. It promises to deliver 'audiohphile-quality reproduction of any source'.

It can play pretty much any disc on the market (don't mention Ultra HD Blu-ray), has a USB input for hi-res music up to 24-bit/192kHz, including DSD files, can stream music wirelessly from a network connected source, and links to Sony's multi-room products so you can send hi-res audio from the player around your home using the SongPal Link app.

Spotify and Deezer apps are integrated, as is Bluetooth - allowing you to stream music to wireless headphones.

Unlike most Blu-ray players, the Sony can split the video and audio signals to separate HDMI signals in an effort to deliver better performance. As well as HDMI, there are also analogue audio outputs for connecting to your existing hi-fi system when playing music.

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Also new, and doing its best to cover for the lack of a Sony 4K player, was a new Blu-ray player which will upscale your HD discs to 4K resolution.

The BDP-S6700 (above) also aims to major on audio, with Spotify and Deezer on board, SongPal Link support for wireless multi-room action, plus Bluetooth.

Both the new UHP-H1 player and the BDP-S6700 Blu-ray player are due on sale from March, with prices set to be around £350 and £150 respectively.

MORE: Sony's new PS-HX500 turntable can convert vinyl to hi-res files

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Joe Cox
Joe Cox
Content Director

Joe is the Content Director for What Hi-Fi? and Future’s Product Testing, having previously been the Global Editor-in-Chief of What Hi-Fi?. He has worked on What Hi-Fi? across the print magazine and website for almost 20 years, writing news, reviews and features on everything from turntables to TVs, headphones to hi-fi separates. He has covered product launch events across the world, from Apple to Technics, Sony and Samsung; reported from CES, the Bristol Show, and Munich High End for many years; and written for sites such as the BBC, Stuff, and the Guardian. In his spare time, he enjoys expanding his vinyl collection and cycling (not at the same time).