Panasonic UB820/UB9000 4K UHD Blu-ray player

[ibanezjp]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

My TV 'as is' can handle about 90% of all content without need for the Optimiser, either because it can handle the 1000-nit HDR10 image 'natively' or the software has Dolby Vision which takes care of the mapping (and no such weird flashes here on the ZD9). But when I get one of them Sony Light Cannon™ grades then the Optimiser is busted out, oh yes.

So I recently got a Sony A8H OLED and Sony’s x800m2 UHD player. Pretty happy with it but of course reading about the HDR optimizer is giving me some FOMO with this Panny UHD player. Dolby vision stuff looks great on my setup and I know the optimizer doesn’t really do much for DV, but do you think I’m missing out ok the optimizer for HDR10 titles? I never really feel like the highlights are too bright on HDR. If anything comparing HDR to standard BD, HDR is usually darker but more saturated in most scenes. Seems like the optimizer helps only with reigning in blown out highlights correct? That hasn’t really been too much of a problem. Actually the only thing I’ve noticed highlights getting a little blown out is watching a standard DVD of the show E.R. The optimizer only helps with HDR content though right?

[PUsokrJosh305]

Originally Posted by sapiendut

Fw 1.66 is for China region, no?

As of right now, yes. I'm assuming it hasn't reached other countries due to COVID-19. It is rather strange though Panasonic hasn't really updated the player for awhile. Reminds me of my Panasonic DMP-BD60 blu-ray player where it had a few updates and then it was done. Of course there were newer Panasonic Models out by that point so it would make sense that it wasn't updated. The 820 however, is the 2nd to the flagship 9000. It should be updated.

[sapiendut]

Yeah, I find it strange that Panny don’t release the 1.66 to the rest of the world.

[pbz06]

Originally Posted by ibanezjp

So I recently got a Sony A8H OLED and Sony’s x800m2 UHD player. Pretty happy with it but of course reading about the HDR optimizer is giving me some FOMO with this Panny UHD player. Dolby vision stuff looks great on my setup and I know the optimizer doesn’t really do much for DV, but do you think I’m missing out ok the optimizer for HDR10 titles? I never really feel like the highlights are too bright on HDR. If anything comparing HDR to standard BD, HDR is usually darker but more saturated in most scenes. Seems like the optimizer helps only with reigning in blown out highlights correct? That hasn’t really been too much of a problem. Actually the only thing I’ve noticed highlights getting a little blown out is watching a standard DVD of the show E.R. The optimizer only helps with HDR content though right?

I wouldn't really worry about FOMO.

Optimizer is disabled with Dolby Vision content.

It reigns in anything above 1,000 nits (with the OLED setting), so yes mostly highlights. For majority of HDR10 content, which is mastered at 1000 nits, it does nothing other than occasionally introduce banding (according to Geoff, but I've never looked for it). Yes, only for HDR content (not SDR) so it won't be applicable to DVDs; the blown out content you see there is baked into the disc, not because of your TV.

I would recommend the Panasonic player because it's just great quality, but not soley beucase of the Optimizer. To me that's a nice tool and option to have in the bag, but Sony has really good dynamic tonemapping too and faithfully reproduces artistic intent. Even though the A8H or A9G don't hit the same peak brightness of an LG, they do accurately track the correct APL neck and neck for 99% of the picture

[gunnerg]

Originally Posted by ibanezjp

So I recently got a Sony A8H OLED and Sony’s x800m2 UHD player. Pretty happy with it but of course reading about the HDR optimizer is giving me some FOMO with this Panny UHD player. Dolby vision stuff looks great on my setup and I know the optimizer doesn’t really do much for DV, but do you think I’m missing out ok the optimizer for HDR10 titles? I never really feel like the highlights are too bright on HDR. If anything comparing HDR to standard BD, HDR is usually darker but more saturated in most scenes. Seems like the optimizer helps only with reigning in blown out highlights correct? That hasn’t really been too much of a problem. Actually the only thing I’ve noticed highlights getting a little blown out is watching a standard DVD of the show E.R. The optimizer only helps with HDR content though right?

I'm sure the Sony is a terrific player. I've never owned one. But that dark you mention in hdr and most likely dv too. That reminds me of my old philips player. Get a panasonic! You can even turn "optimizer" off. It'll look a million times better anyway! See your 4k & 1080p blu rays and even Rosanne or Life and Times of Grizzly Adams complete series dusty old dvds like you've never seen them before on your new TV! For me, the UB9000 has increased the value of my new oled tv and my disc collection. Everything I own looks smackingly better.
It won't play vhs Laserdiscs or MiniDisc, though. If it could, they'd look better too!

[gnicks]

Originally Posted by pbz06

It has zero effect when watching a movie. When listening to a CD, it disables (or reduces) video quality and other internal things.

Are you sure about that? Strictly speaking, I was under the impression that with high clarity sound on for movies, it turns off the unit's display and deactivates the analog connectors, which (theoretically) can improve sound quality. (AV Receivers often do the same thing via a 'pure direct' mode)

Now, whether it makes any perceivable difference, I have no idea. But I'm pretty sure it does something during movie playback.

[sapiendut]

Honestly I can’t tell the difference but turn it on anyway “just in case”

[gnicks]

Originally Posted by sapiendut

Honestly I can’t tell the difference but turn it on anyway “just in case”

Same here. I don't use any analog connections and don't want the display on during playback anyway, so why not?

[ibanezjp]

Originally Posted by pbz06

I wouldn't really worry about FOMO.

Optimizer is disabled with Dolby Vision content.

It reigns in anything above 1,000 nits (with the OLED setting), so yes mostly highlights. For majority of HDR10 content, which is mastered at 1000 nits, it does nothing other than occasionally introduce banding (according to Geoff, but I've never looked for it). Yes, only for HDR content (not SDR) so it won't be applicable to DVDs; the blown out content you see there is baked into the disc, not because of your TV.

I would recommend the Panasonic player because it's just great quality, but not soley beucase of the Optimizer. To me that's a nice tool and option to have in the bag, but Sony has really good dynamic tonemapping too and faithfully reproduces artistic intent. Even though the A8H or A9G don't hit the same peak brightness of an LG, they do accurately track the correct APL neck and neck for 99% of the picture

Cool, thanks for that perspective. Sounds like I’m ok where I’m at. In regards to build quality the x800m2 is rock solid. I stepped up to it from a x700 and build wise it’s a big difference. Yeah as far as LG vs Sony it seems to be the consensus that LG is brighter but Sony has better/more accurate colors.

[ibanezjp]

Originally Posted by gunnerg

I'm sure the Sony is a terrific player. I've never owned one. But that dark you mention in hdr and most likely dv too. That reminds me of my old philips player. Get a panasonic! You can even turn "optimizer" off. It'll look a million times better anyway! See your 4k & 1080p blu rays and even Rosanne or Life and Times of Grizzly Adams complete series dusty old dvds like you've never seen them before on your new TV! For me, the UB9000 has increased the value of my new oled tv and my disc collection. Everything I own looks smackingly better.
It won't play vhs Laserdiscs or MiniDisc, though. If it could, they'd look better too!

I was mostly wondering about the optimizer. Every review I’ve seen/watched said the image quality of the Sony is right on par with the other top end players (oppo, Panasonic, LG) The x800m2 is always mentioned in that group with the top UHD players. I’m guessing your experience had a lot to do with the Phillips probably being a bad player. It would be fun to do some comparisons though between the Sony and Panasonic! It’s tempting because the UB820 is $399 instead of $499 now. Just don’t really think other than the occasional thing being better from the optimizer, it would be a difference though.

[bradnoyes]

Managed to find an Open Box Excellent unit from Best Buy for $375 so I decided to pick up one of these. I still have my Oppo on my main TV but I needed something for my office setup and this seemed like a great option. Excited to try it out and should be a nice improvement over my Xbox One.

[gunnerg]

Originally Posted by ibanezjp

I was mostly wondering about the optimizer. Every review I’ve seen/watched said the image quality of the Sony is right on par with the other top end players (oppo, Panasonic, LG) The x800m2 is always mentioned in that group with the top UHD players. I’m guessing your experience had a lot to do with the Phillips probably being a bad player. It would be fun to do some comparisons though between the Sony and Panasonic! It’s tempting because the UB820 is $399 instead of $499 now. Just don’t really think other than the occasional thing being better from the optimizer, it would be a difference though.

You haven't experienced a panasonic, so you're hooked on the optimizer feature. I haven't experienced a sony, so I can't help but think it wouldn't hold a candle to panasonic with it's optimizer off. For me to feel this way...the panasonic must look some frigging amazing! It does!
And hey, the Philips did too, in it's own, old fashioned way. No stalls in 5 years!

[pbz06]

Originally Posted by ibanezjp

I was mostly wondering about the optimizer. Every review I’ve seen/watched said the image quality of the Sony is right on par with the other top end players (oppo, Panasonic, LG) The x800m2 is always mentioned in that group with the top UHD players. I’m guessing your experience had a lot to do with the Phillips probably being a bad player. It would be fun to do some comparisons though between the Sony and Panasonic! It’s tempting because the UB820 is $399 instead of $499 now. Just don’t really think other than the occasional thing being better from the optimizer, it would be a difference though.

I would bet money that in a blind test nobody would be able to tell a difference between Oppo 203 vs UB820/9000 vs x800m2 when watching UHD content (maybe Geoff would ). There's subtle differences with upscaled content but you would need to be pixel peeping and paused.

And I'm a Panasonic fanboy these days too, but I'm not going to pretend it does magic and that it's vastly superior to others.

[gunnerg]

The panasonic ub9000 does do magic! Maybe oppo, sony and LG players do this same exact magic? But it is truly magic. I never thought I'd see such an upgrade.
And that member above did describe his sony 800M2 playing hdr was "darker and more concentrated" on his oled tv. That isn't the experience of hdr & dv on a panasonic ub9000 player on an oled tv with player set to oled. Those words no longer exist to me in a description of hdr & dv experience.

[Geoff D]

Sony, Panny, OPPO, they're all damned fine players. The Sony and OPPO use verr similar chippery so their image quality is on par with each other (just remember to set the Sony to direct in the video settings otherwise it forces DNR on sub 4K content) while the Panny has dat sharper chroma upsampling which is mostly visible on test pattern w@nkery but it makes the UHDs with dodgy chroma compression more digestible. I'm not a fan of the NTSC DVD playback on the Panny though, not the Euro models anyway, the deinterlacing isn't great, but it's not multiregion anyway so I play DVDs on the OPPO.

Regarding the Optimiser, it's not just about managing brightness, don't listen to other people who've been spouting that bollocks. It's about keeping everything in range that the TV can handle and then tone mapping everything that it can't. Not every single disc will benefit from it, many are mastered at or below 1000 nits which most tellies can handle, and many new releases come with Dolby Vision which takes care of the mapping, but Sony don't use DV a hell of a lot and they specialise in Light Cannon™ HDR grades which can be a bastard to map properly. For those the Optimiser is well worth it.

[Samcor_NZ]

Originally Posted by ibanezjp

So I recently got a Sony A8H OLED and Sony’s x800m2 UHD player. Pretty happy with it but of course reading about the HDR optimizer is giving me some FOMO with this Panny UHD player. Dolby vision stuff looks great on my setup and I know the optimizer doesn’t really do much for DV, but do you think I’m missing out ok the optimizer for HDR10 titles? I never really feel like the highlights are too bright on HDR. If anything comparing HDR to standard BD, HDR is usually darker but more saturated in most scenes. Seems like the optimizer helps only with reigning in blown out highlights correct? That hasn’t really been too much of a problem. Actually the only thing I’ve noticed highlights getting a little blown out is watching a standard DVD of the show E.R. The optimizer only helps with HDR content though right?

I have a Sony A8G OLED and both the Sony X800M2 player and the Panasonic UB820. One of the benefits I found with the UB820 optimizer (in addition to the highlight detail retention) is that when using just the OLED's native tone mapping, there would be occasions where I would actually see the image brightening or darkening for a second or two immediately following a scene or shot change. This was super distracting to me as it was really obvious the tv was messing with the image and I realised the TV was simply taking a second or two to apply it's mapping to high nit content. The first 4K movie I watched where I caught this happening was 'Crazy Rich Asians'. It happened a lot during that film. When bringing the Panasonic optimizer into the mix it was pre-tone mapping the image down to 1000 nits so that when the Sony OLED's tone mapping got it's hands on it there wasn't as much left to map. It cleared the distracting brightness changes right up and I've stuck with using the Panasonic ever since.

[sschen]

Originally Posted by sschen

Thanks, will watch the movie tonight or over the weekend, to see if it freezes at the same point as everyone else. My UB820 is the Australian version, on firmware 1.60. My 4K copy of Midway is the US version, since there isn't an Australian release yet.

Midway freezed twice on me, I think the two freezes happen within a minute of each other?

[DJR662]

Originally Posted by pbz06

I would bet money that in a blind test nobody would be able to tell a difference between Oppo 203 vs UB820/9000 vs x800m2 when watching UHD content (maybe Geoff would ). There's subtle differences with upscaled content but you would need to be pixel peeping and paused.

And I'm a Panasonic fanboy these days too, but I'm not going to pretend it does magic and that it's vastly superior to others.

This!

The only reason I bought a 820 is because I wanted the Optimiser feature, and not because I thought it would somehow have better PQ than others.

[PissedOffPeoN]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Sony, Panny, OPPO, they're all damned fine players. The Sony and OPPO use verr similar chippery so their image quality is on par with each other (just remember to set the Sony to direct in the video settings otherwise it forces DNR on sub 4K content) while the Panny has dat sharper chroma upsampling which is mostly visible on test pattern w@nkery but it makes the UHDs with dodgy chroma compression more digestible. I'm not a fan of the NTSC DVD playback on the Panny though, not the Euro models anyway, the deinterlacing isn't great, but it's not multiregion anyway so I play DVDs on the OPPO.

Regarding the Optimiser, it's not just about managing brightness, don't listen to other people who've been spouting that bollocks. It's about keeping everything in range that the TV can handle and then tone mapping everything that it can't. Not every single disc will benefit from it, many are mastered at or below 1000 nits which most tellies can handle, and many new releases come with Dolby Vision which takes care of the mapping, but Sony don't use DV a hell of a lot and they specialise in Light Cannon™ HDR grades which can be a bastard to map properly. For those the Optimiser is well worth it.

Oh you saying dvd playback on the oppo is better then the panasonic because of multi region and direct? I am rewatching stargate SG-1 on my panasonic and i might pop it in on the oppo to see the difference. Looks like panasonic is 4k 60 frames upscale 4.2.2 12 bit vs oppo 480i 60 4.4.4 12 bit direct .

[thebigcheese3k]

Originally Posted by DJR662

This!

The only reason I bought a 820 is because I wanted the Optimiser feature, and not because I thought it would somehow have better PQ than others.

Same here, I also wanted the ability to automatically turn on Dolby Vision. That’s a huge advantage this player has, considering some releases don’t indicate on the packaging they support DV.