Panasonic UB820/UB9000 4K UHD Blu-ray player

[JackTwist]

Originally Posted by morris_schaffer

Hi, I may buy an 820 later this year, but what's also on my mind is the region trick you can do with the remote. Now, I know it doesn't work with all blu-rays, but any idea whether it works with Criterion's? I'm particularly interested in the region 1's for Silence of the Lambs and The Great Escape. Thanks.

I can only speak to my experience as a region A owner who occasionally plays region B discs. I have tried Arrow, Masters of Cinema, and Studio Canal region B discs that all play via the menu trick. It sometimes requires hitting the Top Menu button more than once, but I've yet to encounter a disc that didn't work.

[BMOREBLU]

Does everyone in here that has a 820 hooked up to an OLED use the OLED setting for the hdr optimizer? I read in another thread someone getting better results setting it to super high luminance lcd

[cgpublic]

Originally Posted by JackTwist

I can only speak to my experience as a region A owner who occasionally plays region B discs. I have tried Arrow, Masters of Cinema, and Studio Canal region B discs that all play via the menu trick. It sometimes requires hitting the Top Menu button more than once, but I've yet to encounter a disc that didn't work.

My experience reflects the same as at most the third or fourth try would be the charmer. I did experience one or two non-UK region UK discs that I gave up on, but most likely would have worked if I was more persistent.

With a $125 HW-mod Sony S3700 for region B playback, which is also my go to for DVD playback, why take a chance on wearing out my remote/disc tray?

At least, that's how I feel about it.

[cgpublic]

Originally Posted by BMOREBLU

Does everyone in here that has a 820 hooked up to an OLED use the OLED setting for the hdr optimizer? I read in another thread someone getting better results setting it to super high luminance lcd

Theoretically, the higher nit setting should be superior. YMMV.

[cupboy]

I already know that the 9000 plays PAL but does the DP-UB820 play PAL also?

[RustinCohle]

I’m looking to finally upgrade my cheap LG player for something more reliable. The main reason I’m looking to get rid of my LG player is because it consistently freezes and has to be restarted for layer changes on 100GB discs. Will that still be an issue with the 820?

[Jonathan McLeod]

Originally Posted by RustinCohle

Will that still be an issue with the 820?

Never had a freeze on the 820. Including playing 15 of the titles on the BD-100 list https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=294596 which is the disc known to be most problematic.

[RustinCohle]

What’s the difference between the UB420 and the UB820? From my brief research it looks like the only difference is the 820 has the 7.1 channel connection and the 420 doesn’t. Is that the only thing accounting for the $250 difference? Every other spec looks exactly the same.

[DOULG1VEN]

Originally Posted by RustinCohle

What’s the difference between the UB420 and the UB820? From my brief research it looks like the only difference is the 820 has the 7.1 channel connection and the 420 doesn’t. Is that the only thing accounting for the $250 difference? Every other spec looks exactly the same.

Dolby Vision

[RustinCohle]

Originally Posted by DOULG1VEN

Dolby Vision

Guess I'll wait for a sale on the 820 then. I know it's been at $400 a few times, but I'd like to see it at $350.

[DOULG1VEN]

Originally Posted by RustinCohle

Guess I'll wait for a sale on the 820 then. I know it's been at $400 a few times, but I'd like to see it at $350.

Me too. Personally I would pick it up at $400.. $500 for a disc player is just insane. Itching to replace my 4K LG player I got for $50.

[RustinCohle]

Originally Posted by DOULG1VEN

Me too. Personally I would pick it up at $400.. $500 for a disc player is just insane. Itching to replace my 4K LG player I got for $50.

I'd rather them just release an update (if that's possible) so the 420 can play DV. I don't need all the other bells and whistles the 820 has.

[oddbox83]

Originally Posted by RustinCohle

What’s the difference between the UB420 and the UB820? From my brief research it looks like the only difference is the 820 has the 7.1 channel connection and the 420 doesn’t. Is that the only thing accounting for the $250 difference? Every other spec looks exactly the same.

As well as what the other poster said, I think the build quality is just that bit more substantial as well. It's bigger, anyway!

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by RustinCohle

I'd rather them just release an update (if that's possible) so the 420 can play DV. I don't need all the other bells and whistles the 820 has.

It can...but they won't. If you want DV you'll have to get the 820 or the 450.

[Scottishguy]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Criterions are pretty much the only discs that the Top Menu trick consistently works on, including the two movies you mentioned. It works on Arrow's stuff too, but if you're based in Europe then you've already got access to most of their releases in Region B anyway.

Try top menu from settings menu on discs you have issues with.

[FilmFreakosaurus]

Originally Posted by RustinCohle

I'd rather them just release an update (if that's possible) so the 420 can play DV. I don't need all the other bells and whistles the 820 has.

There has to be a DV centric DSP chip. It doesn't have a fast enough processor either.

[chip75]

Originally Posted by FilmFreakosaurus

There has to be a DV centric DSP chip. It doesn't have a fast enough processor either.

I thought that custom firmware added Dolby Vision? I remember it been mentioned initially, but I can't find it listed now.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by Scottishguy

Try top menu from settings menu on discs you have issues with.

Eh, it doesn't work with everything, that's just how it is. US owners gain more benefit from it owing to the amount of UK labels that use this encoding, whereas for UK owners buying US stuff it works on most Criterions but not most stuff from Kino, Shout et al.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by FilmFreakosaurus

There has to be a DV centric DSP chip. It doesn't have a fast enough processor either.

It literally has the same processor as the 820 and 9000, it just has the relevant features locked out in the firmware which is typical Panasonic trickery. Hence the custom firmware being able to unlock all that stuff. But I still wouldn't buy a 420 over an 820 anyway, I did so once and even though the 420 was fine (unlike someone on here who I bought one for and shipped to him, he had nothing but trouble with it) the build quality really is so much betterer on the 820.

[Scottishguy]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Eh, it doesn't work with everything, that's just how it is. US owners gain more benefit from it owing to the amount of UK labels that use this encoding, whereas for UK owners buying US stuff it works on most Criterions but not most stuff from Kino, Shout et al.

But just so we are clear on what I'm saying. You go into the players settings menu with the disc in the tray. Then from the players settings menu press the top menu.

The last thing I got to load in doing that was the HD Blu-ray of RAD.