Panasonic UB820/UB9000 4K UHD Blu-ray player

[elvis1608]

Hi there, having a strange one when trying to view 4k Netflix on my Sony vw500 with the 820. I'm not getting the 4k badge but just the HD Version. Amazon prime works fine and get 4K playback but not Netflix? Any ideas?

[cjake]

Originally Posted by elvis1608

Hi there, having a strange one when trying to view 4k Netflix on my Sony vw500 with the 820. I'm not getting the 4k badge but just the HD Version. Amazon prime works fine and get 4K playback but not Netflix? Any ideas?

It appears to me that Netflix won't output 4K HDR if your display device only supports 4K60 at 4:2:0 8-bit. It seems to output 1080p60 instead.

I found that even just setting the UB820 4K60 output setting to 4K60 4:2:0 instead of 4K60 4:4:4 will result in 1080p from Netflix.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by cjake

It appears to me that Netflix won't output 4K HDR if your display device only supports 4K60 at 4:2:0 8-bit. It seems to output 1080p60 instead.

I found that even just setting the UB820 4K60 output setting to 4K60 4:2:0 instead of 4K60 4:4:4 will result in 1080p from Netflix.

Yes, this has come up before. If you have the 4K60 output set to 4:2:0 then the player will forcibly convert the output to 4K60 8-bit 4:2:0 SDR when playing HDR from disc, and the reason why this affects the streaming of 4K HDR is because the Pannies only output streaming at 60p, NOT 24p. In that case, the Netflix spec-detection is being told that the player can't do 4K60 HDR so it's spitting out what it thinks is the nearest compatible signal.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by ray0414

They are $90-100 on eBay. Nearly identical to the Oppo remotes in look/feel/quality.

I know what it is, I bought one couple of years ago when my UB700 came with the crappy little plasticky remote and I'd gotten used to the fancy one on the UB900. "Nearly identical" to the OPPO remote is a bit fanciful but it's still a verr naice remote, the reason why I aksed about the price is that mine cost me £12!

[chip75]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

I know what it is, I bought one couple of years ago when my UB700 came with the crappy little plasticky remote and I'd gotten used to the fancy one on the UB900. "Nearly identical" to the OPPO remote is a bit fanciful but it's still a verr naice remote, the reason why I aksed about the price is that mine cost me £12!

From where, mate?

[elvis1608]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Yes, this has come up before. If you have the 4K60 output set to 4:2:0 then the player will forcibly convert the output to 4K60 8-bit 4:2:0 SDR when playing HDR from disc, and the reason why this affects the streaming of 4K HDR is because the Pannies only output streaming at 60p, NOT 24p. In that case, the Netflix spec-detection is being told that the player can't do 4K60 HDR so it's spitting out what it thinks is the nearest compatible signal.

Thanks for clearing this up. Really strange as Amazon prime works fine but still locked at 60p. Other than this the hdr to sdr is so much better than my oppo 203 on my Sony vw500 projector.

[ray0414]

Originally Posted by LordoftheRings

The 9000 remote is much nicer than the 820 one.

But, for half what you're just paying for the 900 (or 9000) remote why not get a Logitech Harmony universal remote with the full enchilada including lightening and screen display?
They operate your entire home theater setup. With only one button press all you have to do is change the disc inside the player. Yes, $40 will do all of this.

The remotes they include with all players and receivers and TVs, etc. are like the pair of stereo analog interconnects (plus yellow video composite wire) they include in the box.

And why are they still doing this instead of supplying 4K ultra fast speed certified HDMI cables from Monoprice? Beats me, it's like living in the prehistoric age of VCR machines and cassette tape decks.

My Oppo 205 remote is nice; I never put the batteries inside.
I have a whole bunch of remote controls, some expensive ones, some made of crystal metal, feeling like a light saber in my hand, like I am a Jedi from Star Wars, a movie magic man with its Harry Potter wand, like I am invincible, ...
A Harmony universal remote eclipses them all, I am now the grand master of the universe.

Too late now.

1 major bonus of having so many remotes is I'm the only one that knows how to operate it all.

[sapiendut]

I still prefer using a dozen remotes than a single universal (I have universal too)

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by sapiendut

I still prefer using a dozen remotes than a single universal (I have universal too)

I did have a universal remote for quite a while when I first got into this home cinema malarkey 20 years ago, especially when I had lots of other gear to contend with (Laserdisc, HD DVD, DVHS, whatever) but now I just can't be arsed. I don't really like the designs of any of the hand-held universal jobbies and nor do I want a tablet either, I just want a solid remote that sits nice in the hand and does what it's supposed to do without any faff. Don't need any customisable voltage triggers or whatnot either, I can draw my own curtains thankyouverymuch. That I don't listen to my AVR much also cuts down on the remotage, I basically just use a Blu-ray remote (for whichever of my four players I'm using) and my TV remote (just the one ) from day to day.

Originally Posted by chip75

From where, mate?

This was on fleabay. Same remote is going for £36 now, I think they know they're on to a good thing!

[LordoftheRings]

Originally Posted by knicolai

That definitely sounds like a position, and not a job. I don't think Logitech can afford the style to which you would like to become accustomed. Our remote's pricing would have to go up exponentially.

Better keep your day job.

I was talking about being the Harmony CEO, not the job but the master switch.
___

Anyway, I suggest looking @ Logitech Harmony universal remotes; 650, 665 and 700 ... for between $30 and $40 with selective shopping. After you master one of those babies I really doubt that you'll be using any remote that come with Panasonic 4K Blu-ray players, and particularly with the 820 player.

[knicolai]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

I did have a universal remote for quite a while when I first got into this home cinema malarkey 20 years ago, especially when I had lots of other gear to contend with (Laserdisc, HD DVD, DVHS, whatever) but now I just can't be arsed. I don't really like the designs of any of the hand-held universal jobbies and nor do I want a tablet either, I just want a solid remote that sits nice in the hand and does what it's supposed to do without any faff. Don't need any customisable voltage triggers or whatnot either, I can draw my own curtains thankyouverymuch. That I don't listen to my AVR much also cuts down on the remotage, I basically just use a Blu-ray remote (for whichever of my four players I'm using) and my TV remote (just the one ) from day to day.

I "needed" the Harmony remote so that I could use a Harmony I/R Hub to interface with Alexa to voice control my Home Theatre - and also to have a convenient handheld Z-Wave controller for my Home Automation (through a Z-Wave Hub). In reality, the Harmony sits in its charging cradle unused 99.9% of the time, and control of nearly everything (significant) is by voice. Yes Geoff, all my HT systems and WITH the vertical blinds and hurricane shutters and garage door and outdoor fire and waterfall features, and fans and lights (and lions, and tigers, and bears) - all by voice, but some of it requiring the dreaded Harmony Universal Remote and Hub. But unlike @LordoftheRings, I just have never made the Harmony useful as a handheld all-round universal remote controller in its own right. Regardless, setting all this up, and keeping it working is sheer hell.

Alexa "voice" control of the 820/9000 will be welcomed.

[LordoftheRings]

I agree, voice control with the 820 and 9000, it's the best way, hands-free.

[Geoff D]

Can't be bothered with voice control either. To quote the porno parody: this ain't Star Trek.

[nick4Knight]

I tried to find the page where you guys were discussing the USB playback of the 820...

[Show spoiler]I'm not selling as much stuff as I hoped so I may have to rely on this player for a while, not the shield;

In order to play my UHD remux rips of films I went halves in with my bro.

None of them will be DV titles, so it's just HDR10, but I want to be able to use the HDR optimizer if need be for certain titles (1000 setting) into the LG C8. Does that function work with a rip into usb from a drive?

Question 2 is... Will the DTS:X and Atmos tracks default to standard DTS:HD MA and TrueHD on an ATMOS/DTS:X ready AVR, or will they say "unable to play" or is that a mistake that there is any compatability issue....

[Geoff D]

No, it's not the Atmos that's the problem, they simply won't play lossless TrueHD or DTS-HD MA (or DTS-HD High-Res lossy) when muxed into a video file. By extension that means that they won't relay the Atmos/X metadata stream that's on top of the lossless audio to the AVR either.

[ronboster]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Can't be bothered with voice control either. To quote the porno parody: this ain't Star Trek.

I can see using it with the Amazon dot in my HT room....I'd prefer to say, Alexa pause Panasonic player vs searching for a remote.

One obvious issue is if the soundtrack is loud (at that point in the film), Alexa may not hear me. Saying "Alexa...(fill in command)" over and over in front of my wife (who hates the technology) will bring that "I told you so smile"...and a point for her.

[knicolai]

Originally Posted by ronboster

I can see using it with the Amazon dot in my HT room....I'd prefer to say, Alexa pause Panasonic player vs searching for a remote.

One obvious issue is if the soundtrack is loud (at that point in the film), Alexa may not hear me. Saying "Alexa...(fill in command)" over and over in front of my wife (who hates the technology) will bring that "I told you so smile"...and a point for her.

With the Amazon Fire Cube, once it hears the wake word (Alexa in most cases), the Cube mutes your HT so that it can "hear" the actual command. After it hears the command, it executes, and then unmutes. How Panasonic may implement the technology with a regular Dot or Echo remains to be seen.

[HeavyHitter]

My only real criticism of the 820: at $499 MSRP they included a terrible, crappy remote. The buttons are so non-intuitive for specific functions. There is no good reason they couldn't have just carried over the 900 remote.

[knicolai]

Originally Posted by HeavyHitter

My only real criticism of the 820: at $499 MSRP they included a terrible, crappy remote. The buttons are so non-intuitive for specific functions. There is no good reason they couldn't have just carried over the 900 remote.

Sure there is... $$$

[LordoftheRings]

Originally Posted by HeavyHitter

My only real criticism of the 820: at $499 MSRP they included a terrible, crappy remote. The buttons are so non-intuitive for specific functions. There is no good reason they couldn't have just carried over the 900 remote.

I agree, $500 for a Blu-ray player should get you a nice illuminated remote full size, not a small afterthought cheap remote worth $2 @ most. The casing too should be more substantial, it turns away customers.
The 9000 is much nicer, but twice the price too.

One of these days ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fw0z...ature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRie...ature=youtu.be