Panasonic UB820/UB9000 4K UHD Blu-ray player

[I5o]

Originally Posted by mkozlows

I thought this was true for a while -- my 820 clearly wasn't broken, so if there were occasional discs that flaked out (it was like under 10% of them), presumably it was a disc problem rather than a player problem. But the part where they always played fine in the Xbox made that seem a little weird.

After getting a 9000 on sale, it's worked perfectly and I haven't had a single issue where a disc breaks up into pixelation, and all of the "bad discs" now work fine. It's the players.

(My 820 did it out of the box on day one, but I was convinced for so long that it was a disc problem that I didn't try returning it or getting it repaired while I could have.)

Gidday mkozlows, great to hear that you upgraded to the 9000 from the 820!!! Sadly the 829 discdrive is more entry level hardware but when I opened my 9000 I saw a nice hefty discdrive plus there was an extra area with IC which was not on the circuit board of the 820. I even placed the 9000 discdrive into the 820 and it worked fine. So if you happen to have some spare cash you can buy a new 9000 discdrive and put into your 820 or else keep aside in safe place until your original 9000 disdrive does begin to malfunction in time because there is always wear and tear factor. Enjoy !!

[I5o]

Originally Posted by danny24

Well the please wait forever and F99 error code has come back with my UB9000. Unplugged it from the PSU into wall outlet same thing. Definitely a motherboard error. I messed with it for over an hour last night and it would not boot to home screen. Had it since 2018 and it has lots of use since it's in my home theater room. It may have finally bit the dust. I am going to leave it off for a day and see if it resets. My Oppo 205 is back in the home theater room for now.

Gidday danny24, sorry to hear about your 2018 9000 troubles , its a nice piece of kit so if you are able I would suggest opening the case and seeing the powerboard side of your player as there may be a capacitor bulging or blown so that is why there is no further carrying of the current for the MOBO to execute and turn on. Otherwise see if you can find a fixer who can source a new mobo or power circuit board from Panasonic, ring around and get prices as I think its worth fixing. And if you happen to revive it on your own then make sure that you have the lastest firmware installed. Also you can order a brand new power cuircuit board from Panasonic instead of trying to change a swollen or damaged capacitor. I bought an Panasonic Australian powerboard and changed inside my USA UB9000 so that I would not have to use voltage converters. Good luck! cheers

[I5o]

Originally Posted by SS-3

Well my second UB9000 pixelation issues are getting worse. Now, a much higher number of BD-66 discs pixelate. No issues with BD-25, BD-50, or BD-100 discs, just BD-66 discs. Terrifier 4K from Umbrella is the latest. That joins the list of Deadpool vs. Wolverine, Guardians of the Galaxy 3, Fright Night, Pooh Blood & Honey, and Pooh Blood and Honey 2. Those are the recent ones that I can recall. All these discs play fine in my Oppo 203 and Reavon X-100.

It seems like these Panasonic players start having issues 18 - 24 months. That's been my experience with two of them now. I heard they were built much better pre-COVID. FYI, both my players were post COVID.

Any thoughts or ideas on how to resolve this issue other than sending it in for service or replacing it? FYI, swapped HDMI cables, using the cable and port the Oppo plays fine. I also did a factory reset as well.

Gidday ss-3, very glad to hear that you are also an Oppo man and since your problem discs work without issue in the Oppo I can safely say that the culprit is most likely the discdrive that is playing up in your 9000. If you are able to do it yourself you can buy and invest in a new 9000 Panasonic drive and install it yourself otherwise get it serviced as its worth fixing and is a good back up to your Oppo203. And a little disclaimer that there are some discs that are just problematic due to its manufacturing and not to be blamed on the discdrive. Good luck! cheers

[I5o]

Originally Posted by PipesDonatello

Great, now my UB820 won't read some Sony 4Ks. I can't believe this thing crapped out after only 3 years. Buyer beware.

Gidday PipesDonatello;

I would suggest buying a new UB9000 discdrive and pop into your UB820 and bingo bango you got yourself a sweet machine and should last longer than your original discdrive. Good luck cheers!

[I5o]

Originally Posted by DRC72

So I bought the African Queen 4K movie which is a UK import. The 4K disk is region free A,B,C. The regular BD is region locked to B, so I'm not expecting that disk to work at all. I tried the movie in my 820 and it does not work. It shows a quick black screen and then goes back to the player's main menu. When I put the disk in my 9000, it plays no problem. I bought the 9000 back in 2019, and the 820 in December 2024. The software version on both are the same. What makes the 820 different where it can't play it, but 9000 can? Both are running version 1.82.

Gidday DRC72, I too have bought UK discs with B region written on packaging and even though the disc packaging might state region locked B for the Bluray it actually coded to all regions ABC. Perhaps the software in the UB820 may be more finnicky and does not allow the disc to fully boot and then returns you to the main menu without saying wrong region disc. The UB9000 is a far superior machine internally and software wise than the UB820. Enjoy that old classic

[pr0darek]

Originally Posted by I5o

......Sadly the 829 discdrive is more entry level hardware but when I opened my 9000 I saw a nice hefty discdrive plus there was an extra area with IC which was not on the circuit board of the 820. .....

You call the addition of steel sheet a solid drive?

Extra IC's are on all TXP003X board , TXP018X they don't have it. This is not a feature of the UB9000. TXP0033 bd drive from UB420 also has similar board to TXP0036(UB9000), TXP0184(UB9000) there are no extra IC's.

[pr0darek]

Originally Posted by I5o

The UB9000 is a far superior machine internally and software wise than the UB820.

UB820 It is as fast as it is slow.

Originally Posted by DRC72

I tried the movie in my 820 and it does not work. It shows a quick black screen and then goes back to the player's main menu. When I put the disk in my 9000, it plays no problem.

Sounds like a Java problem. You must perform a full reset using the remote control to delete persistent data from the device. Also block BD-Live function on the player.

[Cinematt]

I bought my first DVD player in 2000 and I've only ever had one player die, which was a Pioneer DVD player I kept as a multiregion backup after I got a BD player, and sat unused for about 5 years in a flat that had damp problems and was DOA when I tried to test it before I moved. If I was only getting 3-4 years from a player I'd be pissed, and my 820 has just had its 5th birthday with no issues at all. Heck, I've got an external BD drive I bought so I could do disc backups and watch RA stuff before I had a multiregion BD player so that must be a decade old, and it cost £20 off fleabay, was noisy as hell from day 1, and that still works fine. I've also got a fully functioning original playstation that spent most of its life with the disc tray propped open with a biro refill so you could hot swap the discs and that's still running.

[Naiera]

My Oppo BDP-83 mostly died, but the guy I sold it to got it working again

[Red Pill 101]

Hi guys,

I'm considering buying the 820. I just recently upgraded my tv to a Samsung QN85D so no Dolby Vision.

Should I instead be looking at the 420 model? Looks like both models have HDR10+ and the optimizer.

I plan on upgrading some of my all time favorite movies to 4k, but keeping my very large blu ray collection. I understand the 820 does a better job at upscaling, but is it THAT much better than the 420 to justify the cost?

Thanks in advance!

[FilmFreakosaurus]

Originally Posted by Red Pill 101

Hi guys,

I'm considering buying the 820. I just recently upgraded my tv to a Samsung QN85D so no Dolby Vision.

Should I instead be looking at the 420 model? Looks like both models have HDR10+ and the optimizer.

I plan on upgrading some of my all time favorite movies to 4k, but keeping my very large blu ray collection. I understand the 820 does a better job at upscaling, but is it THAT much better than the 420 to justify the cost?

Thanks in advance!

Get the 450 if you want a "lower priced" 4k player.

[Red Pill 101]

Originally Posted by FilmFreakosaurus

Get the 450 if you want a "lower priced" 4k player.

Thanks I was looking at that too. I'm fine paying the higher cost of the 820... IF it's worth it for a 'better' player even though I can't utilize DV.

[pr0darek]

UB820 looks better and is better built, for some that's enough to pay more

List only the positives and unique features:

UB420(no DV only HDR10+) 820 9000 (UB420 UB820 fan spins all the time but overall they are quiet devices. UB9000 has a disabled fan that turns very rarely)

• Subtitles luminance setting
• Free modded firmware (srt subtitles, region free, faster, dark theme and more...)
• UB420 820 remote is crap but you can buy a remote from UB900 (has audio subtitles buttons) 450 doesn't even have any of those buttons...
• possibility to change remote code.
• US remotes have a unique function and can control TVs of other brands (POF AV VOL buttons).
• multiple image setting options and separate settings tabs
• dialog / high frequency sound boost function
• nicer GUI design
• displaying technical information about the video/audio
• hdr optimizer a bit outdated and overrated but it's there.
• UB820 UB9000 has 7.1 analog outputs, digital display.
• UB9000 has coaxial, XLR outputs, gigabit Ethernet.
• HDMI audio output
• UniPhier PXS3 Socionext SoC (aka HCX)

UB150(no DV only HDR10+) / UB450

• no fan
• colder
• faster menu more responsive (other firmware)
• better files support
• zoom function
• UB450 has coaxial, hdmi audio outputs
• Mediatek MT8581 SoC

[Bernardo A.]

Originally Posted by pr0darek

UB150(no DV only HDR10+) / UB450

• no fan
• colder
• faster menu more responsive
• better files support
• zoom function
• UB450 has coaxial, hdmi audio outputs

I wish the 450 had at least a bitrate meter.

[FilmFreakosaurus]

Originally Posted by Red Pill 101

Thanks I was looking at that too. I'm fine paying the higher cost of the 820... IF it's worth it for a 'better' player even though I can't utilize DV.

The 820 is a little better built and has a bit rate meter, but uses the same optical drive as the 420/450. You have to move up to the 9000 to get improved build quality, but even then some are still having issues.



Though you need a drive to play 4k discs, I am of the opinion that the overall manufacturing quality has really sunk to new lows across the board.

[SS-3]

Originally Posted by mdhaus

It doesn't make sense that the laser would be great on every other capacity...including the BD-100 discs...but only have problems with BD-66 discs. There are more layer transitions with a BD-100 disc. A layer change is a layer change.

My guess is that it's a manufacturing quirk of the discs themselves.

The thing is that those same discs play find on my Oppo 203 and Reavon X100. I just had an issue with Cocaine Bear from Universal tonight. Another BD-66 disc that pixelated right from the get go. I put that same disc in the Oppo 203 and it played fine.

The Panasonic UB900 starts off strong with no issues on any discs, but then starts pixelating on the BD-66 discs after about 18 months and it get progressively worse. This is now my second one with issues.

[PUsokrJosh305]

Originally Posted by pr0darek

UB820 looks better and is better built, for some that's enough to pay more

List only the positives and unique features:

UB420(no DV only HDR10+) 820 9000 (UB420 UB820 fan spins all the time but overall they are quiet devices. UB9000 has a disabled fan that turns very rarely)

• Subtitles luminance setting
• Free modded firmware (srt subtitles, region free, faster, dark theme and more...)
• UB420 820 remote is crap but you can buy a remote from UB900 (has audio subtitles buttons) 450 doesn't even have any of those buttons...
• possibility to change remote code.
• US remotes have a unique function and can control TVs of other brands (POF AV VOL buttons).
• multiple image setting options and separate settings tabs
• dialog / high frequency sound boost function
• nicer GUI design
• displaying technical information about the video/audio
• hdr optimizer a bit outdated and overrated but it's there.
• UB820 UB9000 has 7.1 analog outputs, digital display.
• UB9000 has coaxial, XLR outputs, gigabit Ethernet.
• HDMI audio output
• UniPhier PXS3 Socionext SoC (aka HCX)

Another thing to add to the list for the 420, 820, and 9000 is the HDR Optimizer and HDR Options Menu. The Optimizer is great for older HDR TVs and those that lack on the tone mapping side.

Even if you don't use the Optimizer, the HDR Options Menu (which is accessible by holding down the HDR Button on the remote) allows you to fine tune HDR10 content, giving you the best picture possible on your TV!

To me, this is essential!

[SS-3]

Originally Posted by RalphoR

I've had a hiccup or two on my Panasonic 9000 but, too this day, my Cambridge CXUHD has been perfect. Engineering.

Just like my Oppo 203. I believe the Cambridge and Oppo share the same drive mechanisms and possibly other components.

The UB9000 is fine with everything but BD-66 discs. I may just have to play them in the Oppo and not even try the UB9000 anymore.

[SS-3]

Originally Posted by I5o

Gidday ss-3, very glad to hear that you are also an Oppo man and since your problem discs work without issue in the Oppo I can safely say that the culprit is most likely the discdrive that is playing up in your 9000. If you are able to do it yourself you can buy and invest in a new 9000 Panasonic drive and install it yourself otherwise get it serviced as its worth fixing and is a good back up to your Oppo203. And a little disclaimer that there are some discs that are just problematic due to its manufacturing and not to be blamed on the discdrive. Good luck! cheers

Any suggestions where to get a UB9000 disc drive? I was thinking Ebay but I get concerned about cheap or counterfeit electronic items there.

[Telemachus]

Subtitle luminance is absolfookinglutely essential in my world