Panasonic UB820/UB9000 4K UHD Blu-ray player

[FilmFreakosaurus]

Originally Posted by TJtennispro

I bought the 820 and Panasonic support is clueless. I stream music from a Synolgy NAS in ALAC to my Denon 7200 and the input signal comes in as expected in ALAC. The sound quality is great with this player for movies so I tried music and with the same setup the 820 turns everything into PCM. Does the player not support HI resolution audio like it claims?

It all gets turned to PCM in the end pretty much no matter the unit (just where in the chain and at what bit depth and sampling rate), so the digital audio can be fed through DSP's and digital to analog converters, which almost all work in the PCM domain.


As for movies and Blu-ray Audio discs, Dolby TrueHD and DTS Master Audio tracks are lossless packed PCM data anyway. Even Dolby Atmos and DTS: X audio objects are PCM waveforms compressed along with the core audio data and then decompressed back out to PCM.

[HDTV1080P]

Originally Posted by sapiendut

Panasonic top of the line CD player (under Technics name) of 2019 supports SACD

That is good to know. Perhaps I did not make it clear I was referring to Panasonic has never supported SACD in a Blu-ray or DVD player.

[sapiendut]

Actually I’m the one who needs to apologize. I didn’t realize that I didn’t finish my post.

What I meant to say is that Technics has SACD support in 2019 so perhaps we’ll see universal support for the next UHD player(s)

[TJtennispro]

When I stream with my Synolgy Nas to Denon 7200 it’s shows ALAC as the input and output. I download 24 bit shows of my favorite band and the Synolgy and Denon show what I’m listening too.

I wish the Panasonic did because frankly I don’t trust that’s what I’m getting. I can’t get the 820 to show me the music file I’m listening to whatsoever. MP3, ALAC, FLAC all output the same.

That’s disappointing. I want to keep the player but I don’t think it improves the picture quality on the LG C8. I feel like Dyanmic Tone Mapping is better than HDR Optimizer. I have other UHD blu Ray players that have the same picture quality.

Oh well now 50% of the allure of the 820 is gone. Since it’s rare that my current situation doesn’t turn music into pcm should I just keep it that way?

Originally Posted by FilmFreakosaurus

It all gets turned to PCM in the end pretty much no matter the unit (just where in the chain and at what bit depth and sampling rate), so the digital audio can be fed through DSP's and digital to analog converters, which almost all work in the PCM domain.


As for movies and Blu-ray Audio discs, Dolby TrueHD and DTS Master Audio tracks are lossless packed PCM data anyway. Even Dolby Atmos and DTS: X audio objects are PCM waveforms compressed along with the core audio data and then decompressed back out to PCM.

[FilmFreakosaurus]

Originally Posted by TJtennispro

When I stream with my Synolgy Nas to Denon 7200 it’s shows ALAC as the input and output. I download 24 bit shows of my favorite band and the Synolgy and Denon show what I’m listening too.

I wish the Panasonic did because frankly I don’t trust that’s what I’m getting. I can’t get the 820 to show me the music file I’m listening to whatsoever. MP3, ALAC, FLAC all output the same.

That’s disappointing. I want to keep the player but I don’t think it improves the picture quality on the LG C8. I feel like Dyanmic Tone Mapping is better than HDR Optimizer. I have other UHD blu Ray players that have the same picture quality.

Oh well now 50% of the allure of the 820 is gone. Since it’s rare that my current situation doesn’t turn music into pcm should I just keep it that way?

As I mentioned before the end result is almost always a decompression of or conversion to linear PCM (TrueHD, Master Audio, MLP, ALAC, Mp3, DSD, FLAC, etc. etc.) before the final digital to analog conversion stage. It just depends on the quality of the conversion process in any particular player or surround processor (receiver or pre-amp).

You will have to determine which sounds best to your ears.

[sapiendut]

Originally Posted by TJtennispro

I wish the Panasonic did because frankly I don’t trust that’s what I’m getting. I can’t get the 820 to show me the music file I’m listening to whatsoever.

Why don’t you trust your ears?

[TJtennispro]

Originally Posted by sapiendut

Why don’t you trust your ears?

I do trust them but one would think a $500 player would have the same capability as a $200 player when HI-RES Audio is stamped on the box. No different then my receiver displaying Dolby Atmos when outputting Dolby Atmos then saying PCM.

[panasonicst60]

Originally Posted by TJtennispro

That’s disappointing. I want to keep the player but I don’t think it improves the picture quality on the LG C8. I feel like Dyanmic Tone Mapping is better than HDR Optimizer. I have other UHD blu Ray players that have the same picture quality.

I have a c8 and the dynamic tone mapping on the c8 is not even close to hdr optimizer. It's really no comparison. But if you do prefer it, it your personal preference.

[sapiendut]

I’m currently reviewing the C9. I find the tone mapping is better on the Pana. Rather noticeable too.

Anybody know how to lower panel brightness on the C9?

[pbz06]

Originally Posted by panasonicst60

I have a c8 and the dynamic tone mapping on the c8 is not even close to hdr optimizer. It's really no comparison. But if you do prefer it, it your personal preference.

I agree, the HDR Optimizer is such a good feature for OLED.

[chip75]

Originally Posted by sapiendut

Anybody know how to lower panel brightness on the C9?

OLED LIGHT should adjust the luminosity, Brightness adjust the image.

There's also Peak Brightness settings which can affect ABL. ABL can be disabled with Contrast at 80 and Peak Brightness to Off, but this does lower total peak brightness.

[sa5150]

Originally Posted by TJtennispro

When I stream with my Synolgy Nas to Denon 7200 it’s shows ALAC as the input and output. I download 24 bit shows of my favorite band and the Synolgy and Denon show what I’m listening too.

I wish the Panasonic did because frankly I don’t trust that’s what I’m getting. I can’t get the 820 to show me the music file I’m listening to whatsoever. MP3, ALAC, FLAC all output the same.

That’s disappointing. I want to keep the player but I don’t think it improves the picture quality on the LG C8. I feel like Dyanmic Tone Mapping is better than HDR Optimizer. I have other UHD blu Ray players that have the same picture quality.

Oh well now 50% of the allure of the 820 is gone. Since it’s rare that my current situation doesn’t turn music into pcm should I just keep it that way?

Is that the case with the UB9000 as well not displaying what music files it's playing ? I would sure hope it did at $1k .

[LordoftheRings]

Originally Posted by sapiendut

What I meant to say is that Technics has SACD support in 2019 so perhaps we’ll see universal support for the next UHD player(s)

Not in this lifetime...IMHO

Before that happens all 4K Blu-ray players will be extinct, or 3D TVs will be back, or HD DVD will be back, or Disney will bring back 3D Blu-rays in North America with full support, plus Dolby Vision.

[TJtennispro]

I’m also admittedly going by Stacey Spears opinion about DTM being a better feature than HDR Optimizer. He has a thread here for his new S & M disc but I believe he made that in the A V S thread.

Originally Posted by panasonicst60

I have a c8 and the dynamic tone mapping on the c8 is not even close to hdr optimizer. It's really no comparison. But if you do prefer it, it your personal preference.

[TJtennispro]

@Robert Zohn can you ask Panasonic about streaming via hard drive or NAS not showing? The store I bought my 820 from claims they don’t have a Panasonic rep and Panasonic customer support took 3 phone calls to investigate and I’m waiting for a reply. The manual contradicts itself about what it can do.

[pbz06]

Originally Posted by TJtennispro

I’m also admittedly going by Stacey Spears opinion about DTM being a better feature than HDR Optimizer. He has a thread here for his new S & M disc but I believe he made that in the A V S thread.

HDR Optimizer is dynamic tone mapping. It also maintains EOTF and keeps the details that would otherwise be blown out....and it does it for 4,000 to 1,000 content...and the TV takes it from there to map it from 1,000 to whatever your OLED wants to do with it.

[panasonicst60]

Originally Posted by pbz06

HDR Optimizer is dynamic tone mapping. It also maintains EOTF and keeps the details that would otherwise be blown out....and it does it for 4,000 to 1,000 content...and the TV takes it from there to map it from 1,000 to whatever your OLED wants to do with it.

I believe it is not dynamic. It is static but it does an excellent job at it.

[panasonicst60]

Originally Posted by TJtennispro

I’m also admittedly going by Stacey Spears opinion about DTM being a better feature than HDR Optimizer. He has a thread here for his new S & M disc but I believe he made that in the A V S thread.

Please show me where Spears stated that? To my eyes and my test the hdr optimizer can't be touched by anything. Of course it is not 100% perfect, but it is superior to anything else in the market currently. Again the c8 dtm is pretty crappy to me that it is always turned off even when I'm not using the ub820.

[pbz06]

Originally Posted by panasonicst60

Please show me where Spears stated that? To my eyes and my test the hdr optimizer can't be touched by anything. Of course it is not 100% perfect, but it is superior to anything else in the market currently. Again the c8 dtm is pretty crappy to me that it is always turned off even when I'm not using the ub820.

The quote I saw was specifically to the LG and no elaboration given. No idea how much he tested or further context of why.

[TJtennispro]

Originally Posted by panasonicst60

Please show me where Spears stated that? To my eyes and my test the hdr optimizer can't be touched by anything. Of course it is not 100% perfect, but it is superior to anything else in the market currently. Again the c8 dtm is pretty crappy to me that it is always turned off even when I'm not using the ub820.

https://www.avsforum.com/forum/139-d...cussion-5.html

Post 126 on 7.14.19 tried to upload the page.