Panasonic UB820/UB9000 4K UHD Blu-ray player

[LordoftheRings]

Originally Posted by sapiendut

Yes. XLR out. I just prefer the Pana 9000 sound. When it comes to 2-channel, I do the tests using my own recording and while the Oppo 205 gives a “better” sound, the 9000 gives a more accurate reproduction of what I recorded. The Oppo made my recording sounds “sweeter”.

You are really tempting me.

Question: Say you have a turntable with a USB connection...what would happen if you would connect it to the USB port of the 9000?

[sapiendut]

That I cannot answer. I don’t have a TT with USB output.

[Mobe1969]

Originally Posted by Waboman

That, my friend, is the million dollar question.

If the 420 can do subtitle luminance like the 820 and 900 and 9000 can, it'd easily take my vote...

[Zen_Amako]

I just picked up a Panasonic UB820 (it was on sale at Best Buy), and so far I'm impressed. I upgraded from a Samsung UHD player (which I'm still holding on to for streaming apps like VUDU). I have a Sony 900E LCD TV, which doesn't have support for Dolby Vision, and I was looking for a way to get the most out of the HDR my TV does have. I watched the "Bumblebee" UHD disc on the UB820 a few nights ago and it looked pretty great.

On the UB820 (like other Panasonic BD players) you can also use the "Top Menu" trick to play BDs from other regions. (You insert a region B disc, stop it, and then press the "Top Menu" button and it loads up.) Arrow's release of Argento's "Phenomena" played just fine on my NA model UB820 with a couple of extra button presses. Aside from the improved picture, this was another incentive for me to get the player. It also supports 3D, so I can use it to watch 3D discs on my 3D Panny plasma for as long as it works.

My Best Buy store didn't have this player out on the floor anywhere. I had to check the store inventory and ask an employee to go track it down.

[alchav21]

Originally Posted by Zen_Amako

I just picked up a Panasonic UB820 (it was on sale at Best Buy), and so far I'm impressed. I upgraded from a Samsung UHD player (which I'm still holding on to for streaming apps like VUDU). I have a Sony 900E LCD TV, which doesn't have support for Dolby Vision, and I was looking for a way to get the most out of the HDR my TV does have. I watched the "Bumblebee" UHD disc on the UB820 a few nights ago and it looked pretty great.

I also have the Sony 900E, and it has all the Android Apps including Vudu. If you Hard Wire the TV straight to your Internet access, especially if you have 50+Mbps, the Streaming comes in Rock Solid.

[Zen_Amako]

Originally Posted by alchav21

I also have the Sony 900E, and it has all the Android Apps including Vudu. If you Hard Wire the TV straight to your Internet access, especially if you have 50+Mbps, the Streaming comes in Rock Solid.

Thanks, I might try that. I just need to get the TV connected to my external speakers.

[sapiendut]

900E should have DV after firmware update

[Zen_Amako]

Originally Posted by sapiendut

900E should have DV after firmware update

Are you sure you're not thinking of the 930E? I know the 930E received DV with a firmware update, but it was $500 more than the 900E.

[alchav21]

Originally Posted by sapiendut

900E should have DV after firmware update

I checked the Sony Support, and DV was not in there for the 900E. It supports HDR10, I'm all up to date on Firmware the last one in May was for Oreo Android.

[sapiendut]

Originally Posted by Zen_Amako

Are you sure you're not thinking of the 930E? I know the 930E received DV with a firmware update, but it was $500 more than the 900E.

My bad. The 900E is using X1 so it can’t be upgraded to DV whereas 900F (the one I’m using) can be upgraded because of the X1E processor.

[kevers7290]

Originally Posted by Zen_Amako

I just picked up a Panasonic UB820 (it was on sale at Best Buy), and so far I'm impressed. I upgraded from a Samsung UHD player (which I'm still holding on to for streaming apps like VUDU). I have a Sony 900E LCD TV, which doesn't have support for Dolby Vision, and I was looking for a way to get the most out of the HDR my TV does have. I watched the "Bumblebee" UHD disc on the UB820 a few nights ago and it looked pretty great.

On the UB820 (like other Panasonic BD players) you can also use the "Top Menu" trick to play BDs from other regions. (You insert a region B disc, stop it, and then press the "Top Menu" button and it loads up.) Arrow's release of Argento's "Phenomena" played just fine on my NA model UB820 with a couple of extra button presses. Aside from the improved picture, this was another incentive for me to get the player. It also supports 3D, so I can use it to watch 3D discs on my 3D Panny plasma for as long as it works.

My Best Buy store didn't have this player out on the floor anywhere. I had to check the store inventory and ask an employee to go track it down.

Is this sale in-store only? It's full price on Best Buy's website.

[Robert Zohn]

The sale ends this Saturday and is available a select dealers.

[nachoju95]

Originally Posted by Robert Zohn

The sale ends this Saturday and is available a select dealers.

Robert, does it mean that they are not going to have the Panasonic UB820 anymore or the offer ends on Saturday? Because I'm thinking of buying one but in a couple of months.

[Robert Zohn]

The sale ends this Saturday so the price will go up to $499. and the UB820s will still be available, but as usual constrained supply.

We've sold a huge volume somewhat because we do not collect sales tax for out of NY State sales and our nice double boxing, but mostly because of our support to our clients to get these players optimized for their a/v systems to deliver the best image performance.

[LordoftheRings]

Robert, when new replacements for the 820 and 9000?

[Robert Zohn]

Not sure, but I do not expect any new models anytime soon. Here's why.

The UB9000 has not launched to any other retailers so the UB9000 has not been available to mass market yet.

I don't think they have any major upgrades that can't be managed with firmware updates. Of course, this gave me the opportunity to put in a reminder of my list of enhancement requests.

[nachoju95]

Originally Posted by Robert Zohn

The sale ends this Saturday so the price will go up to $499. and the UB820s will still be available, but as usual constrained supply.

We've sold a huge volume somewhat because we do not collect sales tax for out of NY State sales and our nice double boxing, but mostly because of our support to our clients to get these players optimized for their a/v systems to deliver the best image performance.

Thank you very much as always Robert for the information. I hope in a few months to get it

[Zen_Amako]

Originally Posted by kevers7290

Is this sale in-store only? It's full price on Best Buy's website.

It looks like it is back to full price at Best Buy. It was on sale last week for $449.98.

[Robert Zohn]

I owe Geoff and this forum my sincere apology for my mistake in calling the HDR Optimizer a frame by frame dynamic tone mapping device. I misunderstood how I was taught at one of my meetings with the chief engineer when I was first introduced to his development of the HDR Optimizer. Here's is how I now understand Panasonic's priority HDR Optimizer reformats the HDR10 metadata.

HDR Optimizer is static processing according to the HDR10 metadata and your “HDR display type selected”. Tone mapping is automatically done in player side optimized title by title, and it is constant during playback of each title.

HDR Optimizer modifies HDR10 metadata reflecting its tone mapping and outputs the static value to the connected display that is specific to your display's MLL and peak luminance ability.

I am a big fan of Dolby Vision HDR and with that said, I and all of the UB820 and UB9000 users and professional reviewers overall prefer how Panasonic HDR Optimizer performs with the SMPTE HDR10 HDR and applying their tone mapping. Here's some of the advantages we see in the actual HDR images with the HDR Optimizer:

HDR Optimizer aims to reproduce HDR10 image as faithfully as possible regardless of the luminance range of connected display. So it tone-maps only bright scenes, but it hardly changes dark scenes and face tone.

Actually, HDR Optimizer has performance limitation due to static processing. But the quality of tone-mapping is determined by not only “ static or dynamic” but also other various factors.

Heres some specific advantages of the HDR Optimizer for reproducing HDR10 image faithfully to the content creators intent:

- Dark scenes and face tone are hardly changed, only the peak and MLL is tone mapped to match your display capability and follow the EOTF PQ curve.

- Bright scenes are tone mapped with very smooth curve roll off and minimal desaturation and color shift and maintaining the full color volume.

- Gradation performance is maintained thanks to Panasonic's 32 bit processing for each R/G/B signal.

- Panasonic's HDR Optimizer static processing delivers very stable image with no unwanted luminance and color fluctuation.

The proof of superior HDR image rebuilding performance is verified by the HDR a/b comparisons with the HDR Optimizer turned on and off clearly comparing image performance advantages and differences that has been demonstrated hundreds of times on all display types that are properly configured with the UB820 and UB9000.

[eddievanhalen]

Originally Posted by Robert Zohn

- Gradation performance is maintained thanks to Panasonic's 32 bit processing for each R/G/B signal.

If Panasonic's HDR Optimizer works with RGB signal and while using it, it outputs if set up this way a 4:4:4 component video signal then it has to reconvert RGB back to 4:4:4 component which later be upsampled inside the TV set back to RGB as panels only work with an RGB video signal. Am I right about this?
If I'm right that is the reason why I'm seeing a cleaner picture with my DP-UB420 set to output RGB at 12 bits. Am I also right about this?