System Selector

Team HCC assembles a quartet of AV setups with specific aims and budgets in mind

£1,000 beginner's system – built by Mark Craven

WANT A 4K-READY, surround sound setup for only £1,000? It's possible – sort of. I've ended up going a little over budget (more on that later), but managed to assemble a solid system that will deliver the goods with UHD Blu-rays.

Trying to hit that £1,000 target means there isn't much scope for peripheral bits, so I've focused on a player, display and AVR-driven speaker array. With a tight budget, I've had to pinch pennies somewhere, and I've started with the 4K disc-spinner.

Panasonic's DMP-UB300 launched in 2017 with a £250 price tag, but is now widely available for £130. At that price, it goes straight in my trolley.

This is very much a budget player, with a compact chassis and no front-panel display. It doesn't stock the typical dual HDMI output, offering just a single connector, and packs no Wi-fi connectivity. Neither is it particularly well-served when it comes to streaming apps, although there is 4K Netflix and Amazon Video onboard. Yet this affordable deck shares the same core processing as Panasonic's more feature-rich models, and functions admirably as a 4K BD player (and media player, too).

For a TV, I'm looking away from OLED and high-spec LED models and shopping in the massmarket aisles. Here, there's plenty of variety, and it throws up a key question: is size the most important buying consideration?

Personally, I don't think so. There's been a lot of discussion around optimum viewing distances for 4K TVs, but my experience has shown you don't always have to look at 55in or above to see a noticeable improvement in pixel clarity. I'm more interested in a decent all-round set that can convince with HDR as well as 3,840 x 2,160 resolution.