Yamaha BD-S473 review

Introduction
When you can buy a Blu-ray player in your local supermarket for as little as £60, why pay £140 for one? Well, enthusiasts with expensive, demanding displays need a source that can deliver the cleanest, sharpest video signals – and most cheapo players simply don’t cut the mustard. Pricier decks usually offer high-grade video components and rigid build quality, quelling the vibration and interference that can harm picture quality, while superior audio components bring about better music playback.



These are some of the reasons why you might consider buying the BD-S473, Yamaha’s latest entry-level 3D Blu-ray deck. Sure, it lacks the cutting-edge features of mainstream rivals like Samsung, Sony and Panasonic, but with a £140 price tag you’d expect its build quality and performance to be a cut above the budget throngs – particularly from a company as well-versed in the electronic arts as Yamaha.

Yamaha BD-S473 Review - Design and Connections
If you covered up the logo on the front, you’d still know this was a Yamaha player. The all-black finish and clean, straight lines are a dead giveaway, likewise the round buttons and their recognisable symbols. It’s a lovely looking and well-built player – slim and sleek, with a firm aluminium casing and chunky fascia that’s slightly wider than the rest of its body.



On the front is a small but legible LED display panel, a USB port and a flap on the left-hand side that drops down when the disc tray opens. On the right side are three buttons: play, pause and stop. If you’re pairing it with a Yamaha receiver they’ll go together beautifully.



The rear panel is less populated than we expected for the money. It comprises just three sockets – a 3D-ready HDMI v1.4 out, Ethernet and a second USB port. Yamaha clearly presumes that most people have 3D-ready receivers by now and feels no need to add a second HDMI output, but the lack of analogue stereo, digital output or multichannel analogue outputs will deter those hoping to use the BD-S473 as their main music source.