Panasonic UB820/UB9000 4K UHD Blu-ray player

[TJtennispro]

“I find LG’s Dynamic Time Mapping superior to the HDR Optimizer”

[panasonicst60]

Originally Posted by TJtennispro

“I find LG’s Dynamic Time Mapping superior to the HDR Optimizer”

He is a very knowledgeable man for sure. Much more knowledgeable than I am. But in this case he is WRONG.

Maybe he's talking about the 2019 LG OLEDs? I have the 2018 and it's not. I still doubt the 2019 is better....

[danchesca]

want your opinion guys, currently have a ub900 panasonic, I have a Panasonic FZ950c oled, thinking about upgrading to either ub420 or 820, is it worth it just for the hdr optimizer? dolby vision is not important, but the tv does support hdr10+

[pbz06]

Originally Posted by danchesca

want your opinion guys, currently have a ub900 panasonic, I have a Panasonic FZ950c oled, thinking about upgrading to either ub420 or 820, is it worth it just for the hdr optimizer? dolby vision is not important, but the tv does support hdr10+

It's hard to say if it's worth it, since it's your money.

With my Z9D and Oppo 203, I didn't feel like I needed the HDR Optimizer since that TV was capable of hitting 1,800 nits and only cut off the really peak highlights.

However, when I got the OLED (A9G), I felt like I needed to pair it with the HDR Optimizer and shelled out the $999.99. Sure, the TV tone maps just fine for the most part, but you still lose detail and see peak highlights crushing or blowouts. It didn't make sense to lose out on luminance and detail so much even after aggressive tonemapping. If I'm going to tone map 4,000 nit content to 550 nits, might as well retain all the detail!

I've tested it a ton, pausing it on various scenes and switching On vs Off. It's a no-brainer to use it. The best part is it retains the EOTF curve and doesn't affect any of the black levels or brightness levels. Everything looks the same except the details in the areas where it used to clip. Either a bright blob or a more detailed fire explosion.

Both Vincent from HDTVtest and Shane from Spare Change loved it too, so I'm good with that

[cjake]

post deleted.

[TJtennispro]

Robert do you test features before advertising?

[TJtennispro]

Originally Posted by TJtennispro

Robert do you test features before advertising?

Added picture

[Robert Zohn]

Not sure what features you are referring to, but if it's which device tone maps better, LG's C8 or C9 OLED or Panasonic's UB9000 then yes I've extensively tested this and it's definitely best to tone map in the UB9000.

I also suggest trying dual tone mapping, so set the UB9000 for OLED display type and turn the HDR Optimizer on and also turn on dynamic tone mapping in the C8/C9 user menu.

[Robert Zohn]

Originally Posted by TJtennispro

Added picture

I can't read the attachment as it's very blurry. Can you get a better copy or write the questions in a PM to post it if you like.

[Waboman]

Even the optimizer can’t help that pic out.

[TJtennispro]

Originally Posted by Robert Zohn

I can't read the attachment as it's very blurry. Can you get a better copy or write the questions in a PM to post it if you like.

It was a quote of yours saying that it decodes ALAC, FLAC, DSD etc. I personally deal in facts and I realize y’all think HDR Optimizer is better than LG DTM. I honestly was just going by Stacey’s comment/opinion. I don’t care about tone mapping. I’ll even agree Optimizer is better at this point.

I just want someone that’s gotten ALAC or FLAC decoded to tell me yes it does. Panasonic doesn’t have an answer. You said it did decode those formats and I was just hoping you could say is that from testing or marketing?

[TJtennispro]

Originally Posted by Waboman

Even the optimizer can’t help that pic out.

I’ve never cared about the Optimizer I’ve been asking all week about Hi Resolution Music playback.

[FilmFreakosaurus]

Originally Posted by TJtennispro

I’ve never cared about the Optimizer I’ve been asking all week about Hi Resolution Music playback.

I would maybe let your receiver do the audio decoding from the raw bitstream.

[Robert Zohn]

Originally Posted by TJtennispro

Robert do you test features before advertising?

Originally Posted by Robert Zohn

I can't read the attachment as it's very blurry. Can you get a better copy or write the questions in a PM to post it if you like.

Originally Posted by TJtennispro

It was a quote of yours saying that it decodes ALAC, FLAC, DSD etc. I personally deal in facts and I realize y’all think HDR Optimizer is better than LG DTM. I honestly was just going by Stacey’s comment/opinion. I don’t care about tone mapping. I’ll even agree Optimizer is better at this point.

I just want someone that’s gotten ALAC or FLAC decoded to tell me yes it does. Panasonic doesn’t have an answer. You said it did decode those formats and I was just hoping you could say is that from testing or marketing?

Yes, I answered my friend, the great professional audio expert, Kal Rubinson that the UB9000 has the DAC's to internally decode ALAC, FLAC and DSD file formats. Other than my personal knowledge, the information is available in the UB9000 user manual on page 9. Here's the link to the user manual.

[wesslan]

Biggest news here is your bed room now has a LG Robert, I'm shocked. What about sony?? (Owning a AF8 myself)

Ontopic: owning a Oppo 203 and loving the network stuff and media support I would like to buy a Panasonic later on to get the optimizer stuff but I'll wait and see what 2020 brings. In my mind and being in europe I would have hoped they would use the optimizer in their GZ tv-series also like the gz2000. It's all tonemapping of an incoming signal right?

Also hope panny would loose up on the media restrictions so one could play HDR10 stuff över network/USB but that isn't likely to happen.

[TJtennispro]

Originally Posted by Robert Zohn

Yes, I answered my friend, the great professional audio expert, Kal Rubinson that the UB9000 has the DAC's to internally decode ALAC, FLAC and DSD file formats. Other than my personal knowledge, the information is available in the UB9000 user manual on page 9. Here's the link to the user manual.

So you quote the manual? Understood. It currently is not decoding ALAC OR FLAC over NAS or thumb drive. Panasonic engineers are testing this issue and will report back. Hopefully they can fix it.

[TJtennispro]

Originally Posted by FilmFreakosaurus

I would maybe let your receiver do the audio decoding from the raw bitstream.

I’ve tried that but unfortunately it sounds worse then Synolgy NAS to Denon 7200. Support finally admitted it wasn’t playing as described in the manual.

Thanks for the help. Maybe I’m one of the few trying to playback music.

[Robert Zohn]

Please understand some of the limitations, not all NAS systems will work, USB is supported up to 4TB of stored music, and your files must have the copyright flags. Also no video with advanced surround-sound audio files are supported unless it from a Kaleidescape media server.

If you are in compliance with the above, they try on the following instructions:

- Confirm you have the latest firmware update in your UB9000, as of this writing version 1.60 is the latest. If your player need an update try that first and if it does not fix the issue proceed to the next suggestion.

- Unplug the UB9000 from the electrical wall outlet and while the power cored is not connected to the wall outlet press and release the power button on the front left side of the front of the UB9000. This ensures you have fully discharged all of the capacitors for a deep cold a/c recycle. If that does not fix the issue follow the next suggested solution.

- Here's the final suggestion to get your UB9000 to perform up to it's specifications. Reset the player to the factory defaults.

"While the unit is off, press and hold OK, blue and yellow buttons on remote at the same time for more than 5 seconds. 00 RET should be on the units display. Then press the forward arrow (directional button, >) on the remote until display reads 08 FIN. Press and hold OK on remote for at least 3 seconds."

After the player restarts and be very patient, you will need to go through the entire set-up again. But before going through the set-up and once the player has completed this procedure and the player is powered back on go back to the instruction above on the cold a/c recycle and do the reboot procedure exactly as outlined above.

[Robert Zohn]

Originally Posted by Robert Zohn

I'll ask the HQ engineer for more detail on what version 1.60 changed and also report your findings and request for the UB820 and UB9000 to keep the pause mode for one hour or give us settings on how long we want the disc to stay in the pause mode.

The latest firmware, ver. 1.60 offers CD track selection with 10 keys of the remote controller and also fixes playability of Blu-ray Disc and stability of system.

[TJtennispro]

I’m not trying to play video. Just music. The sound engineer of WSP sends me the 24 bit, 16 bit and MP3 board after every show. Same music put on livewidespreadpanic or nugs.net. Doesn’t matter if it’s my NAS or hard drive. Music plays back just no matter what format I feed it the same thing is being outputted.

Maybe the Denon 7200 has better DACs. Not sure confused but Panasonic claims it’s investigating as it’s not suppose to work as it has been.

Originally Posted by Robert Zohn

Please understand some of the limitations, not all NAS systems will work, USB is supported up to 4TB of stored music, and your files must have the copyright flags. Also no video with advanced surround-sound audio files are supported unless it from a Kaleidescape media server.

If you are in compliance with the above, they try on the following instructions:

- Confirm you have the latest firmware update in your UB9000, as of this writing version 1.60 is the latest. If your player need an update try that first and if it does not fix the issue proceed to the next suggestion.

- Unplug the UB9000 from the electrical wall outlet and while the power cored is not connected to the wall outlet press and release the power button on the front left side of the front of the UB9000. This ensures you have fully discharged all of the capacitors for a deep cold a/c recycle. If that does not fix the issue follow the next suggested solution.

- Here's the final suggestion to get your UB9000 to perform up to it's specifications. Reset the player to the factory defaults.

"While the unit is off, press and hold OK, blue and yellow buttons on remote at the same time for more than 5 seconds. 00 RET should be on the units display. Then press the forward arrow (directional button, >) on the remote until display reads 08 FIN. Press and hold OK on remote for at least 3 seconds."

After the player restarts and be very patient, you will need to go through the entire set-up again. But before going through the set-up and once the player has completed this procedure and the player is powered back on go back to the instruction above on the cold a/c recycle and do the reboot procedure exactly as outlined above.