Panasonic UB820/UB9000 4K UHD Blu-ray player

[VanHiscers]

Originally Posted by Jack Priest

I have an LG CX & a Samsung Q950T (capable of Atmos) and I currently have the Panasonic UB-820 connected to the soundbar, and the sounddbar connected to the TV (as I heard the TV can't decode a certain audio type that the soundbar can, so ARC/eARC should work that out)

What audio settings should I have on the UB-820? I don't understand most of it. I watched Ratatouille on Blu-ray the other week and realised that it was playing the lossy Dolby Digital track instead of the lossless PCM - I thought the player would work it out automatically. I really have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to audio. Haha

Any help would be greatly appreciated

I was just thinking about this the other day, that before our devices were computerized, people can just plug everything in, and it will just work, but those days are gone. Nowadays, all devices are not only computerized, but also running different operating system, so we always have to make sure our devices are all on the same page.

Your sound bar can handle both Dolby and DTS codecs, so you should keep bitstream setting on for both, and personally I will turn off secondary audio as well.

Think of Dolby and DTS codecs as zip files: they are lossless audio files, but compressed. When they’re decoded, they’re essentially being unzipped, and the end product would be a PCM file. Therefore, a PCM track is basically a lossless audio file in a generic/royalty-free uncompressed form. As a result, you don’t have to tell your player to bitstream that, your player will recognize the PCM file, and send it out the way it is.

When you turn off the bitstream setting, you’re essentially telling your player to decode the audio files itself, and then send out the uncompressed PCM sound, but remember, most players will in this case interpret Dolby Atmos tracks as Dolby TrueHD tracks, so you will be losing the overhead channels.

Bitstream simply means sending out compressed audio files as they are, and let the AV receiver/sound bar do the decoding.

[Jack Priest]

Oh, I think I've worked it out. Apparently my soundbar doesn't support LPCM (the track on the disc was saying LPCM, but he back cover of the blu-ray just said PCM, not sure what the difference is, but still)

I think I just need to update the firmware, then try it again and see what it sounds like

[VanHiscers]

Originally Posted by Jack Priest

Oh, I think I've worked it out. Apparently my soundbar doesn't support LPCM (the track on the disc was saying LPCM, but he back cover of the blu-ray just said PCM, not sure what the difference is, but still)

I think I just need to update the firmware, then try it again and see what it sounds like

I’ve heard Samsung sound bars having issues with LPCM tracks, but I thought they’ve fixed it with firmware updates…

There is a difference between LPCM and PCM, I can’t really explain it myself, but I’ve seen people often using them interchangeably.

[Jack Priest]

Originally Posted by VanHiscers

Think of Dolby and DTS codecs as zip files: they are lossless audio files, but compressed. When they’re decoded, they’re essentially being unzipped, and the end product would be a PCM file. Therefore, a PCM track is basically a lossless audio file in a generic/royalty-free uncompressed form. As a result, you don’t have to tell your player to bitstream that, your player will recognize the PCM file, and send it out the way it is.

When you turn off the bitstream setting, you’re essentially telling your player to decode the audio files itself, and then send out the uncompressed PCM sound, but remember, most players will in this case interpret Dolby Atmos tracks as Dolby TrueHD tracks, so you will be losing the overhead channels.

Bitstream simply means sending out compressed audio files as they are, and let the AV receiver/sound bar do the decoding.

Thanks for the detailed edit, that's helped a lot. I've never really understood it before reading that.

By the way, what exactly does turning off the "BD-Video Secondary Audio" setting do?

[VanHiscers]

Originally Posted by Jack Priest

Thanks for the detailed edit, that's helped a lot. I've never really understood it before reading that.

By the way, what exactly does turning off the "BD-Video Secondary Audio" setting do?

It’s asking you how you would like secondary audio, such as button-clicking sounds, to get delivered. If you want those sounds audible, then the player will actually encode those sounds into Dolby or DTS codecs, so they can be bit-streamed along the way, but why giving the player the extra duty, while potentially confusing the sound bar? I’d just turn it off.

[jawhisna]

Originally Posted by Riggins1

Hey guys. I’m asking this again since the problem is still around. I am experiencing flickering on most of my standard Blu-ray discs. I have also started noticing som banding issues when there’s a scene with a bright sky included. Someone on here suggested I get a bed hdmi cable. Did that but problem is still there. It’s not super obvious flickering but definitely enough to annoy me. What can I do? Any tips? I have the UB820 and an OLEDCX55”.

Thanks again.

Bumping this again because I'm having basically the same flickering issue with blu-rays. Most 4K titles are fine, but have had the occasional flicker with some. I've tried changing HDMI cables too. Set up is the Panasonic 820 and 65" Sony A80J

[Blu-Curry]

Originally Posted by sapiendut

I had this problem with The Mummy Trilogy. I had to ask for en exchange and they work after.

Dang, well I guess I’ll double check that my player’s firmware is up to date, wipe the disc again, and make sure all HDMI are tightly connected. Did you exchange your discs directly with Universal?

[PipesDonatello]

Originally Posted by jawhisna

Bumping this again because I'm having basically the same flickering issue with blu-rays. Most 4K titles are fine, but have had the occasional flicker with some. I've tried changing HDMI cables too. Set up is the Panasonic 820 and 65" Sony A80J

I have this same problem with some discs on my Samsung Q80, mostly catalogue titles. I usually just end up dialing back the sharpness levels on the TV which usually improves or gets rid of the flickering. Shouldn't have to do that though.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by PipesDonatello

I have this same problem with some discs on my Samsung Q80, mostly catalogue titles. I usually just end up dialing back the sharpness levels on the TV which usually improves or gets rid of the flickering. Shouldn't have to do that though.

But is the sharpness set where it should be or is it being cranked up to what someone prefers? If the latter then you’ve just gotta live with it, piling on extra sharpening can cause a host of artefacts.

[PipesDonatello]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

But is the sharpness set where it should be or is it being cranked up to what someone prefers? If the latter then you’ve just gotta live with it, piling on extra sharpening can cause a host of artefacts.

Even at level 10, which is mid range on my set, I still see artifacts from time to time. If I dial it back to 4 or 5 then they go away for the most part. I noticed this with the Ghostbusters and Temple Of Doom 4k discs most recently. Then again other titles look just fine even when I have the sharpness level maxed out.

It also helped when I switched the Clarity Mode Settings to Custom. This puts every presentation in Soap Opera mode but it goes away when I set Judder to 0. This minimizes flickering even more. It's just kind of a pain in the ass that I have to adjust the setting for pretty much each disc I play, but that's the wonderful world of 4k

[Geoff D]

If you didn’t apply sharpening over and above where it’s meant to be (I think Sammys are supposed to be at zero?) then you wouldn’t have to keep changing it, but that’s none of my business.

[PipesDonatello]

My TV goes from 0-20. The default for each setting is always in the middle. I'll just keep it at 0 for now and see how I like it.

[Geoff D]

Samsung love a bit of “pop” (ugh) at the expense of accuracy so it wouldn’t surprise me if the default is adding a load of sharpening, and 0-20 isn’t the most granular range of control at that. Yeah, all you can do is try it at 0. If it’s not to your taste then no harm done.

[pbz06]

Samsung is usually 0 for the "neutral" sharpening. Sony is usually 50.

[jawhisna]

Originally Posted by PipesDonatello

I have this same problem with some discs on my Samsung Q80, mostly catalogue titles. I usually just end up dialing back the sharpness levels on the TV which usually improves or gets rid of the flickering. Shouldn't have to do that though.

Thanks, I’ll give lowering the sharpness down from 50 on my Sony A80J. My set is calibrated and I assume just lowering the sharpness some will have no affects on the overall picture, right?

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by jawhisna

Thanks, I’ll give lowering the sharpness down from 50 on my Sony A80J. My set is calibrated and I assume just lowering the sharpness some will have no affects on the overall picture, right?

Ah. You has a Sony? In that case the default 50 *is* the 'zero sharpness' setting, in that it's neither adding or subtracting sharpness (but gives you the leeway to do both, if so desired). Lowering it from from 50 can create aliasing artefacts.

[jawhisna]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Ah. You has a Sony? In that case the default 50 *is* the 'zero sharpness' setting, in that it's neither adding or subtracting sharpness (but gives you the leeway to do both, if so desired). Lowering it from from 50 can create aliasing artefacts.

Alright thanks, I’ll leave it be. Any other suggestions or ideas?

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by jawhisna

Alright thanks, I’ll leave it be. Any other suggestions or ideas?

Try turning off the Advanced Contrast Enhancer.

[AKORIS]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Try turning off the Advanced Contrast Enhancer.

bingo!!

That was the one thing that I struggled with on the settings on my C1--- while I liked the extra contrast on a 4k or newer film--- everything else I played had a grain that resembled video noise and an unnatural white glow on people's faces. Black and white films in particular looked unappealing.

I have dynamic contrast set to low versus medium or high.

[Geoff D]

Basically ALL of these contrast/brightness/sharpness/motion/colour enhancers should be switched off, no matter what make of TV people have. Well, that's if people want anything that's remotely accurate to what it should look like, if they want to adjust it to their taste then have at it, just don't expect everything to be free of these kinds of flickering or 'pumping' artefacts.