Panasonic UB820/UB9000 4K UHD Blu-ray player

[sapiendut]

Do you use a projector?

[HeavyHitter]

Originally Posted by IntelliVolume

I had one but returned it; one of my primary complaints was that it didn't seem as if it was worth $500.

I would say it's worth more than $500 for a projector or low to mid nit display.

[fusion_400]

I am very disappointed the sound of a 4k uhd bluray disc rotating in the UB820 player is high until about 14-15 minutes into the movie when it gets to a more acceptable level.

It's clear that Panasonic did not do much to supress the sound of the disc rotating in the player.

I expected much more then this from the UB820. Do i need to buy the ultra expensive UB9000 to get a silent player? And how much better will the UB9000 be compared to UB820.

Yes the UB820 has lower noise from the disc transport then the xbox one x but not to the extent i was expecting.

I just don't get why some people say it's a quiet player on different forums the disc transport is certainly not premium on this model.

I should have listened to the people that complained that the disc transport was noisy on this player.

[IntelliVolume]

Originally Posted by sapiendut

Do you use a projector?

You know I don't.

Originally Posted by HeavyHitter

I would say it's worth more than $500 for a projector or low to mid nit display.

Not from a build quality or legacy features perspective it sure isn't; just lifting it put it in the same league as those entry-level decks from Sony, LG and Samsung to me (I spent some time with each of those at a local Best Buy).

It's my opinion that, for those who value a well-made product, this was far from being worth the asking price.

I recall almost making this thing tumble off my shelf in the entertainment center just by attempting to eject a disc from the oddly-placed plastic eject button on top of the unit...it just felt SO cheap.

Still, if it's working for PROJECTOR owners due to the HDR Optimizer -- which I always applauded and said was worth it for projector folk -- that's all fine and good. I didn't care for the plastic-esque presentation of the whole package (plus it didn't offer zooming features I needed for old DVD playback, important to me).

[sapiendut]

Originally Posted by fusion_400

I am very disappointed the sound of a 4k uhd bluray disc rotating in the UB820 player is high until about 14-15 minutes into the movie when it gets to a more acceptable level.

It's clear that Panasonic did not do much to supress the sound of the disc rotating in the player.

I expected much more then this from the UB820. Do i need to buy the ultra expensive UB9000 to get a silent player? And how much better will the UB9000 be compared to UB820.

Yes the UB820 has lower noise from the disc transport then the xbox one x but not to the extent i was expecting.

I just don't get why some people say it's a quiet player on different forums the disc transport is certainly not premium on this model.

I should have listened to the people that complained that the disc transport was noisy on this player.

My 820 is a lot quieter than my Sony 800 and 700 I reviewed.

[curlyjive]

Originally Posted by IntelliVolume

I had one but returned it; one of my primary complaints was that it didn't seem as if it was worth $500.

Yeah I agree, but as a projector user it is the only player that allows me to enjoy UHD with superior tone mapping.

[sapiendut]

Originally Posted by IntelliVolume

You know I don't.



Not from a build quality or legacy features perspective it sure isn't; just lifting it put it in the same league as those entry-level decks from Sony, LG and Samsung to me (I spent some time with each of those at a local Best Buy).

It's my opinion that, for those who value a well-made product, this was far from being worth the asking price.

I recall almost making this thing tumble off my shelf in the entertainment center just by attempting to eject a disc from the oddly-placed plastic eject button on top of the unit...it just felt SO cheap.

Still, if it's working for PROJECTOR owners due to the HDR Optimizer -- which I always applauded and said was worth it for projector folk -- that's all fine and good. I didn't care for the plastic-esque presentation of the whole package (plus it didn't offer zooming features I needed for old DVD playback, important to me).

It is still better build quality than the Sony 700/800 and any of the Samsung, LG, Philips players out there. Now I also understand that the US pricing is $100 higher than in Canada so it may not worth the price difference

To put it in perspective, the UB820 is only approx US$150 more so it’s really worth it.

Cheers.

[King Crimson]

Originally Posted by sapiendut

My 820 is a lot quieter than my Sony 800 and 700 I reviewed.

Same. This thing I can never hear outside of the initial boot. Maybe he should have exchanged for a new one?

[sapiendut]

Perhaps, but if he does not use a projector there may not be enough reason to upgrade to the 8 to 0

[IntelliVolume]

Originally Posted by curlyjive

Yeah I agree, but as a projector user it is the only player that allows me to enjoy UHD with superior tone mapping.

I understand; I was merely initially responding to your comment about the money this thing demands -- you mentioned a "$500 player shouldn't be behaving this way," and from my experience with the machine for a few days, I didn't think it was worth the money for many reasons, build quality being one of them. But if you need it for specific projector purposes, that's something different; I'm sure I would have kept it and dealt with it if I needed all the features it offered like the Optimizer and the instant Netflix access, et al (I don't do ANY streaming of any kind, so a solid disc player was a priority for me).

[IntelliVolume]

Originally Posted by sapiendut

It is still better build quality than the Sony 700/800 and any of the Samsung, LG, Philips players out there. Now I also understand that the US pricing is $100 higher than in Canada so it may not worth the price difference

To put it in perspective, the UB820 is only approx US$150 more so it’s really worth it.

Cheers.

It is better quality than those other players out there?

I didn't think so, based on my tactile feel tests I conducted between the LG, Sony and Samsung models in my local BB. But, it's possible the Panasonic is built somewhat better than them; at any rate, I just didn't think it was worth half-a-thousand dollars for the package when taken as a whole. Again, though, I didn't need it for projection customization purposes.

BTW -- how's that Panny 9000 doing in your system? That thing looks like a TANK -- is the PQ superb?

[grodd]

Originally Posted by King Crimson

Same. This thing I can never hear outside of the initial boot. Maybe he should have exchanged for a new one?

Aside from the first few seconds, I can't hear mine. Very quiet.

[agoofykindasuperman]

Originally Posted by sapiendut

It is still better build quality than the Sony 700/800 and any of the Samsung, LG, Philips players out there. Now I also understand that the US pricing is $100 higher than in Canada so it may not worth the price difference

To put it in perspective, the UB820 is only approx US$150 more so it’s really worth it.

Cheers.

Retail price at all the places I've seen has been $499 for the 820 in both Canada and the US.

With the dollar, that would make it cheaper to buy in Canada for American's for sure.

I was lucky to buy mine at the store's cost of $375 CAD, however even for Black Friday, the store's online web price was $498. That's only $1-$1.99 cheaper than any other A/V store in Ontario.

[fusion_400]

The player is pretty much silent during regular blu-ray playback certainly a sound i can live with.

But 4k uhd blu-ray playback is much louder the sound from the disc transport in the initial 10-15 minutes of movie playback is certainly annoying.

So i guess i need to pay a premium for the UB9000 and even then i am not certain how quiet the UB9000 is versus the UB820. It is certainly serious money for a 4k uhd bluray i don't have any need for the UB9000 analog audio capabilities. I just need the silent disc transport.

I would very much like to hear from someone who has the UB9000 to get confirmation that it is silent.

I have the UB820 in an open TV-bench.

Please test it properly with audio turned off only then can you properly judge the disc transport rotation noise.

[DJR662]

Originally Posted by sapiendut

My 820 is a lot quieter than my Sony 800 and 700 I reviewed.

Opposite for me.

While the 820 is indeed quiet, the X800 (and X1000 for that matter) is whisper quiet.

[agoofykindasuperman]

Originally Posted by fusion_400

The player is pretty much silent during regular blu-ray playback certainly a sound i can live with.

But 4k uhd blu-ray playback is much louder the sound from the disc transport in the initial 10-15 minutes of movie playback is certainly annoying.

So i guess i need to pay a premium for the UB9000 and even then i am not certain how quiet the UB9000 is versus the UB820. It is certainly serious money for a 4k uhd bluray i don't have any need for the UB9000 analog audio capabilities. I just need the silent disc transport.

I would very much like to hear from someone who has the UB9000 to get confirmation that it is silent.

I have the UB820 in an open TV-bench.

Please test it properly with audio turned off only then can you properly judge the disc transport rotation noise.

I currently use the UB900 (not 9000) and have never heard it spinning discs during playback. (The PS4 Pro on the otherhand...)

I'm wondering now if I will hear the 820 once I set it up. The spinning sounds have always irked me in the past so I know where you're coming from lol

[sapiendut]

Originally Posted by agoofykindasuperman

Retail price at all the places I've seen has been $499 for the 820 in both Canada and the US.

With the dollar, that would make it cheaper to buy in Canada for American's for sure.

I was lucky to buy mine at the store's cost of $375 CAD, however even for Black Friday, the store's online web price was $498. That's only $1-$1.99 cheaper than any other A/V store in Ontario.

Yes. That what makes the the US$100 difference, the Canadian Dollar value. I got mine for C$400. The 9000 I had to pay full price unless I want to wait until January

[Robert Zohn]

With the many dozens of UB820s and X700, X800, LG and Samsung BD players from what I have tested the X800 and UB820 are the quietest and most reliable and have the best build quality. When you throw in Sony's X1000 for comparison, they have the best build quality and very quiet operation.

Panasonic's UB820 is the best choice for most users as the exclusive HDR Optimizer lets you set the player to tone map HDR content to your display's capability. Another great exclusive feature of the UB820 is it's ready to pay all HDR standards, HLG, HDR10, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision HDR standard and the low latency Profile 5.

For those with Panasonic's new UB820 4K BD player, Samsung TV owners will benefit as they can enjoy HDR10+ discs and HDR10+ streaming. Sony and LG owners will have Dolby Vision when the content is encoded. At this time no other BD player support all of the HDR formats or have the HDR Optimizer.

[HeavyHitter]

Originally Posted by IntelliVolume

You know I don't.



Not from a build quality or legacy features perspective it sure isn't; just lifting it put it in the same league as those entry-level decks from Sony, LG and Samsung to me (I spent some time with each of those at a local Best Buy).

It's my opinion that, for those who value a well-made product, this was far from being worth the asking price.

I recall almost making this thing tumble off my shelf in the entertainment center just by attempting to eject a disc from the oddly-placed plastic eject button on top of the unit...it just felt SO cheap.

Still, if it's working for PROJECTOR owners due to the HDR Optimizer -- which I always applauded and said was worth it for projector folk -- that's all fine and good. I didn't care for the plastic-esque presentation of the whole package (plus it didn't offer zooming features I needed for old DVD playback, important to me).

You would have to buy a $4000 Lumagen to get similar tone mapping performance. From that sense, it's a great deal. Some would say MadVr is another option, but I am not touching a HTPC with a 10 foot poll. However, I believe this player is not just a benefit for projection owners. I bet a lot of flat panels out there which lack a decent amount of nits could benefit from it. As for the cosmetics or weight of the unit, it doesn't matter to me. I've always been about pure performance when it comes to A/V. I really don't mind the look of it actually. The only thing I don't like is the remote, but I could just get the UB900 remote. However, I am getting by with the included remote.

[IntelliVolume]

Originally Posted by HeavyHitter

You would have to buy a $4000 Lumagen to get similar tone mapping performance. From that sense, it's a great deal. Some would say MadVr is another option, but I am not touching a HTPC with a 10 foot poll. However, I believe this player is not just a benefit for projection owners. I bet a lot of flat panels out there which lack a decent amount of nits could benefit from it. As for the cosmetics or weight of the unit, it doesn't matter to me. I really don't mind the look of it actually. The only thing I don't like is the remote, but I could just get the UB900 remote. However, I am getting by with the included remote.

Hey, if cosmetics and build quality don't matter to you, that's cool; to some, it's more of a priority.

I didn't think the disc tray was remotely sturdy or even made well (the loader on my Cambridge is RIDICULOUSLY butter smooth and silent; it's like night and day, and even makes my old OPPO BDP-83's tray seem like a rackety haunted house in comparison), and I didn't care for the way the entire chassis seemed to "flex" when I pressed down on the eject or power keys on top (a ridiculous positioning, in my opinion).