Panasonic UB820/UB9000 4K UHD Blu-ray player

[PoorSignal]

I setup my Roku Ultra, netflix is forced at 60hz (due to Roku + netflix politics) and Amazon can do 24hz.

Netflix and Amazon looks better on the Roku than Panasonic streaming.

Just FYI.

[wxman2003]

Originally Posted by AKORIS

so after being particularly disappointed by the 4k discs of the Daniel Craig Bond movies I started playing with my settings again (I know.. usually a big mistake)

Question I have---

should I pick the medium luminance (1000 nits) or high luminance (1500 nits) option on the player?

My TV is a SAMSUNG 65KS8000....

I know you're supposed to choose what your TV is capable of... but I have no idea how to find that information out.

According to RTINGS, the peak luminance in HDR for your tv is right around 1500 nits. So set the 9000 to high.

https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/samsung/ks8000

[PUsokrJosh305]

Originally Posted by AKORIS

so after being particularly disappointed by the 4k discs of the Daniel Craig Bond movies I started playing with my settings again (I know.. usually a big mistake)

Question I have---

should I pick the medium luminance (1000 nits) or high luminance (1500 nits) option on the player?

My TV is a SAMSUNG 65KS8000....

I know you're supposed to choose what your TV is capable of... but I have no idea how to find that information out.

From what I looked up, the peak brightness of your TV looks to be about 1,500 nits or so. From that, I would set it to Super High Luminance, which allows the player to take over the tone mapping for any HDR content that is 1,500 nits or higher. But toy with it first before setting it. You might not have to use it or you may have better luck with the Medium/High setting which is when the player will tone map any HDR content from 1,000 nits and higher.

[pbz06]

Originally Posted by wxman2003

According to RTINGS, the peak luminance in HDR for your tv is right around 1500 nits. So set the 9000 to high.

https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/samsung/ks8000

Even though his TV might be able to resolve up to 1,500 nits, doesn't mean it's the best setting or that it tonemaps it better.

[pbz06]

Originally Posted by DOULG1VEN

Guess no one else has had my issue of constant freezing, discs not playing, macroblocking etc.

Ganna just exchange this player for the same one at best buy. If it happens again I'll have to go back to the sony... ugh

I haven't had these issues, other than the well known freezes for Knives Out and Midway (with Dolby Vision). I have since disabled DV and haven't looked back.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by pbz06

Even though his TV might be able to resolve up to 1,500 nits, doesn't mean it's the best setting or that it tonemaps it better.

Yep yep yep. Peak luminance may be alright for brightness but it could be clipping colour well before that 1500-nit mark.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by PUsokrJosh305

As I have said before, I do not think it is the 820. I'm currently watching the 1st Pokemon Movie on DVD (which is in fullscreen for most countries) on my 820 and it is not stretched. It's in the 4:3 format/1.33 aspect ratio. My guess is that your TV's settings are set to Zoom. I think there is a button on the Samsung Remotes that can change the Screen Size. The 820 does not stretch things out, which is good since it's keeping the proper aspect ratio of each thing you put into the player.

Aye. It outputs 4:3 stuff as pillarboxed 4:3 inside a 16:9 container when upscaling, it doesn't do any stretching at all. But I do agree with pferreira that the lack of AR control inside the player is maddening, I loved it that my old Panny Blu-ray players could do their own 'zoom' on non-anamorphic DVDs but for the UHD generation of players DVD playback is an afterthought, nothing more. And I still think the scaling of NTSC DVDs is pretty damned poor in these, at least in the Euro Panny UHD decks I've owned (and I've had a few).

[AKORIS]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Yep yep yep. Peak luminance may be alright for brightness but it could be clipping colour well before that 1500-nit mark.

I think it was you that had some issues with the SKYFALL 4k disc? Did you experience a somewhat mediocre picture during the final sequence at the title home that was shot in such low light? Then the final scene with the villain and M looking dreadful in that dark and orange lighting?

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by AKORIS

I think it was you that had some issues with the SKYFALL 4k disc? Did you experience a somewhat mediocre picture during the final sequence at the title home that was shot in such low light? Then the final scene with the villain and M looking dreadful in that dark and orange lighting?

Luminance or lack thereof is not the problem I have with Skyfall, it's the outrageous black crush and the way it just nukes shadow detail and leaves behind harsh blue/purple tinted gradations, it's so bad.

When I watch it on the Panny I use the gamma controls to knock out the blue tinted crap that's left by the crush.

[pferreira]

Originally Posted by wakka

Not sure I totally understand - what exactly is it you’re trying to watch? If it’s something 4:3 on Blu-ray like, say, the original Twilight Zone, it should automatically appear in the correct aspect ratio?

My problem affects everything. There's no 4:3 video output option on this player. I can change my Samsung TV from 16:9 to 4:3 but the same I can't do on the player.

Originally Posted by PUsokrJosh305

As I have said before, I do not think it is the 820. I'm currently watching the 1st Pokemon Movie on DVD (which is in fullscreen for most countries) on my 820 and it is not stretched. It's in the 4:3 format/1.33 aspect ratio.

Exactly and most 4:3 DVDs anyway are appearing that way. Zoom is not on however and the problem is DEFINITELY the player as I was able to recreate the issue on my parents TV and Sony player.

Originally Posted by dealer6871

Robert did hint that a firmware update may be in the works, but no time frame given and also no explanation as to why the updates in other markets were not available in the US.

Will this add the 4:3 video output option? Weird they would leave it off since my last Panasonic non-4K player had the option.

Originally Posted by Geoff D

But I do agree with pferreira that the lack of AR control inside the player is maddening, I loved it that my old Panny Blu-ray players could do their own 'zoom' on non-anamorphic DVDs but for the UHD generation of players DVD playback is an afterthought, nothing more.

I mean I wasn't losing any picture when I had the black bars, for me it just looks more cinematic with them present. Nowadays obviously the average consumer is trying to get rid of them which is probably why Panasonic left the 4:3 option off the player and 16:9 is therefore the only option.

[PUsokrJosh305]

Originally Posted by pferreira

My problem affects everything. There's no 4:3 video output option on this player. I can change my Samsung TV from 16:9 to 4:3 but the same I can't do on the player.

Exactly and most 4:3 DVDs anyway are appearing that way. Zoom is not on however and the problem is DEFINITELY the player as I was able to recreate the issue on my parents TV and Sony player.

Will this add the 4:3 video output option? Weird they would leave it off since my last Panasonic non-4K player had the option.

I mean I wasn't losing any picture when I had the black bars, for me it just looks more cinematic with them present. Nowadays obviously the average consumer is trying to get rid of them which is probably why Panasonic left the 4:3 option off the player and 16:9 is therefore the only option.

I'm not understanding the problem here. Are you trying to say that when playing a movie/TV show, whether on DVD or Blu-ray, that is in the 1:33 aspect ratio aka 4:3, the player stretches the picture out to fill the screen or does it have the black bars on the sides?? If it's the latter, then that's what it should look like. If it is stretched, then it has to be a setting on your TV.

There is no 4:3 option on the player because one expects you to have a 16:9 TV if playing UHD movies. The option Geoff is referring to is a "Zoom" function that was present on all Panasonic Players up to the UHD era. It was under the Options button. They got rid of it for some reason, which for people who want to watch the Original Untouched Star Wars Trilogy on DVD, you are out of luck. The only way then to adjust that would be your TV, which is annoying.

[evoll]

I am watching through a older tv series that is 4:3 with this player and it def has the black bars on the sides and PQ looks good to me. Not sure what he has going on with his settings.

[Ace Rimmer]

First spin in my shiny new 820 is Gemini Man UHD. Dayum

[NDcowboy]

So so many reasons to include variable/incremental zoom modes. Esp for those with projectors. And seems like 4K would also lend to a more satisfactory zoom-in for those special moments.

[spf781]

My 820 is on the way from Value Electronics. Happy early birthday to me! 🙂

[Blueke]

Does the N2QAYA000172 remote (for the ub9000/9004) work with a ub820/824?
Thx in advance.

[kevers7290]

@Robert Zohn -- If I may make a suggestion that can be forwarded to Panasonic for a future firmware feature, it would be great if there were some way to save subtitle luminance settings. The ability to dim the subtitles is great, but the fact that you have to do it every time the player is powered off defeats the convenience imo.

[sapiendut]

Originally Posted by Blueke

Does the N2QAYA000172 remote (for the ub9000/9004) work with a ub820/824?
Thx in advance.

Yes it will

[nachoju95]

Originally Posted by kevers7290

@Robert Zohn -- If I may make a suggestion that can be forwarded to Panasonic for a future firmware feature, it would be great if there were some way to save subtitle luminance settings. The ability to dim the subtitles is great, but the fact that you have to do it every time the player is powered off defeats the convenience imo.

And if possible, external subtitles can be added. With the arrival of Kino, Arrow, Synapse to 4K, they only release the movies with only English subtitles, more and more excellent movies are coming out (Cinema Paradiso, Suspiria) that I can't buy because they don't have a variety of subtitles

[rickardl]

Originally Posted by kevers7290

@Robert Zohn -- If I may make a suggestion that can be forwarded to Panasonic for a future firmware feature, it would be great if there were some way to save subtitle luminance settings. The ability to dim the subtitles is great, but the fact that you have to do it every time the player is powered off defeats the convenience imo.

And the position of course and also the size of the subtitles since many of us have larger screens and don't need large letters covering too much of the displayed area.