Panasonic UB820/UB9000 4K UHD Blu-ray player

[gates70]

Originally Posted by dcforsyth

Agreed,

I know it sucks waiting for a new toy but just be patient.

You're telling me. My Lyngdorf MP-60 processor has been in it's box for 4 months now awaiting my room build to finish! I also have brand new Paradigm CI Elite 80-A / 80-R ceiling speakers and a Panasonic UB9000 still boxed up as well. Do you know how painful that is? lol

[mar3o]

Originally Posted by dcforsyth

Sorry for the issues your having. Is your Sony 700 unplayable, did you try the lens disc cleaner?

I know you're not happy with that player, but if it can hold you over until Amazon gets stock?

I'm just planning on waiting until the Panasonic player arrives before watching any more UHD discs. I doubt the lens cleaner would correct the audio sync falling out half-way through discs. so the x700 is just junk imo. I essentially can't watch a single movie without something going wrong with it on that player.

[mar3o]

And now I have an email saying it's being delivered today. Lol, Amazon is all over the place these days with fulfillment.

[violet604]

Wow, so much information on here. Thanks to all the people with knowledge for sharing. I'm still very new to all this. Finally getting around to building myself a decent entertainment system for the first time. I've never had a Blu Ray player before, so I thought I'd start a nice little collection of my favourite movies on physical media. Anyways, without going overboard and spending too much money on a player, I've come down to the UB820, I won't be using it for music, and I'm sure I'll be happy with the picture.

A few questions though, for example, I just ordered the Zatoichi collection from Criterion, my main concerns are can I make sure the upscaling is turned off? My main concerns are being able to watch regular 1080p movies from Criterion for example, and have no upscaling or optimization, just want to see the most accurate picture based on how the directors wanted it.

Then maybe I'll turn on optimization on 4K HDR movies like 1917.

I read earlier that you can turn down the resolution down to 1080P, would that be sufficient in watching some classics that are scanned in 4k, then downscaled to 1080p? (Talking about Zatoichi for example)

Only think I'm not looking forward to is the remote
Might look on eBay and see what I can find.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by violet604

Wow, so much information on here. Thanks to all the people with knowledge for sharing. I'm still very new to all this. Finally getting around to building myself a decent entertainment system for the first time. I've never had a Blu Ray player before, so I thought I'd start a nice little collection of my favourite movies on physical media. Anyways, without going overboard and spending too much money on a player, I've come down to the UB820, I won't be using it for music, and I'm sure I'll be happy with the picture.

A few questions though, for example, I just ordered the Zatoichi collection from Criterion, my main concerns are can I make sure the upscaling is turned off? My main concerns are being able to watch regular 1080p movies from Criterion for example, and have no upscaling or optimization, just want to see the most accurate picture based on how the directors wanted it.

Then maybe I'll turn on optimization on 4K HDR movies like 1917.

I read earlier that you can turn down the resolution down to 1080P, would that be sufficient in watching some classics that are scanned in 4k, then downscaled to 1080p? (Talking about Zatoichi for example)

Only think I'm not looking forward to is the remote
Might look on eBay and see what I can find.

If you have a 4K television and are watching a 1080p Blu-ray on it then it will be upscaled, period. Either the TV or the player can do this function, with players you can turn it on or off but with TVs it is automatic - otherwise a non-scaled 1080p image would literally occupy only a quarter of the 4K screen, e.g. 1920x1080 on a 3840x2160 display.

If you mean that you still have a 1080p TV then the player will not output a 4K signal at all, it will know from the HDMI EDID (basically a thingy that communicates between devices to tell the player what signals the TV can/can't handle) that your TV can't process it so it will only output 1080p at maximum.

[violet604]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

If you have a 4K television and are watching a 1080p Blu-ray on it then it will be upscaled, period. Either the TV or the player can do this function, with players you can turn it on or off but with TVs it is automatic - otherwise a non-scaled 1080p image would literally occupy only a quarter of the 4K screen, e.g. 1920x1080 on a 3840x2160 display.

If you mean that you still have a 1080p TV then the player will not output a 4K signal at all, it will know from the HDMI EDID (basically a thingy that communicates between devices to tell the player what signals the TV can/can't handle) that your TV can't process it so it will only output 1080p at maximum.

Thanks for that info. Ya, I’m not sure why I didn’t even think about 1080 image only filling in half the 4K screen. Just shows how much I have to learn. I’m actually still using my Samsung 720p plasma, but finally decided to upgrade and a LG CX should be arriving in a week or two. I thought I’d need a solid blu ray player to really get the most out of the TV.

So the 820 has all the features I’m looking for, but the only thing that the 9000 has that I’m not sure about is the THX certification. I plan to demo some Dolby atmos surround sound systems, and if I go that route, the thx certification will be irrelevant because I would buy movies that have Dolby atmos, am I missing something else here?

From what I’ve been reading is that more content is supported by atmos anyways, but I’d like to know your thoughts on that if possible.

The more I learn about all this stuff the more confusing it seems to get.. the rabbit hole goes deep I guess. 🐇

[FilmFreakosaurus]

Originally Posted by violet604

Thanks for that info. Ya, I’m not sure why I didn’t even think about 1080 image only filling in half the 4K screen. Just shows how much I have to learn. I’m actually still using my Samsung 720p plasma, but finally decided to upgrade and a LG CX should be arriving in a week or two. I thought I’d need a solid blu ray player to really get the most out of the TV.

So the 820 has all the features I’m looking for, but the only thing that the 9000 has that I’m not sure about is the THX certification. I plan to demo some Dolby atmos surround sound systems, and if I go that route, the thx certification will be irrelevant because I would buy movies that have Dolby atmos, am I missing something else here?

From what I’ve been reading is that more content is supported by atmos anyways, but I’d like to know your thoughts on that if possible.

The more I learn about all this stuff the more confusing it seems to get.. the rabbit hole goes deep I guess. ��

THX is mostly a now worthless quality certification program. It is not a sound format like Dolby Atmos. What the 9000 gets you is an improved optical drive that can be more forgiving of slightly off spec discs and somewhat better build quality.

[dcx4610]

I'm sure this has been asked/debated before but.... HDR Optimizer on or off?

Honestly (embarrassingly) I didn't know about the setting until seeing a video on it since it's not in the normal setup menu.

I turned it on tonight watching Tenet. It certainly brightens everything up but it almost seems artificial and blown out but it does make things pop more. With it off, everything is much darker and feels like it has a filter on the image but at the same time, the colors seem to have more depth.

I guess my question is the HDR Optimizer the way HDR is supposed to look or is it changing what HDR is supposed to be and artificially brightening the image? I think overall I prefer it on but I'd like to hear thoughts on the function and an on/off debate.

[violet604]

Originally Posted by FilmFreakosaurus

THX is mostly a now worthless quality certification program. It is not a sound format like Dolby Atmos. What the 9000 gets you is an improved optical drive that can be more forgiving of slightly off spec discs and somewhat better build quality.

Thanks for that clarification. I know the 9000 has excellent build quality. But the price premium compared to the 820 seems very steep. Here in Canada I’ve seen the 9000 retail for about $1200 vs $500 for the 820. But after seeing the breakdown of the 9000, I can see why some would fork up for the 9000. Looks very solid.

[violet604]

Originally Posted by dcx4610

I'm sure this has been asked/debated before but.... HDR Optimizer on or off?

Honestly (embarrassingly) I didn't know about the setting until seeing a video on it since it's not in the normal setup menu.

I turned it on tonight watching Tenet. It certainly brightens everything up but it almost seems artificial and blown out but it does make things pop more. With it off, everything is much darker and feels like it has a filter on the image but at the same time, the colors seem to have more depth.

I guess my question is the HDR Optimizer the way HDR is supposed to look or is it changing what HDR is supposed to be and artificially brightening the image? I think overall I prefer it on but I'd like to hear thoughts on the function and an on/off debate.

From what I’ve read, if your tv does a good job handling HDR, you shouldn’t need the optimizer. I read that the point of that feature is to let the player do the HDR tone mapping to SDR before sending to the display to compensate for displays (especially projectors) that do a poor job with HDR due to limited light output.

That being said, that’s just what I’ve gathered from reading about the player, but someone who actually owns it will undoubtedly give you a better answer.

I’m also curious as to when I should leave it on/off. I know I read that if the player recognizes a Dolby Vision Blu Ray disk, it will bypass the hdr optimizer and just play the HDR format it recognizes. So is the player just optimizing HDR10 and 10+ content?

[pbz06]

Originally Posted by dcx4610

I'm sure this has been asked/debated before but.... HDR Optimizer on or off?

Honestly (embarrassingly) I didn't know about the setting until seeing a video on it since it's not in the normal setup menu.

I turned it on tonight watching Tenet. It certainly brightens everything up but it almost seems artificial and blown out but it does make things pop more. With it off, everything is much darker and feels like it has a filter on the image but at the same time, the colors seem to have more depth.

I guess my question is the HDR Optimizer the way HDR is supposed to look or is it changing what HDR is supposed to be and artificially brightening the image? I think overall I prefer it on but I'd like to hear thoughts on the function and an on/off debate.

Panasonic's tonemapping is very good and if your TV seems "dim" when it's off, it's likely because your tv is tonemapping more aggressively to show more detail in the highlights but at the same time likely shifting the curve and is less accurate.

What tv?

[dcx4610]

Originally Posted by pbz06

Panasonic's tonemapping is very good and if your TV seems "dim" when it's off, it's likely because your tv is tonemapping more aggressively to show more detail in the highlights but at the same time likely shifting the curve and is less accurate.

What tv?

Samsung Q70. Yeah, I figured it was just a difference in tone mapping. Off, it definitely feels like there's just this layer over the screen. It's still sharp and bright scenes are very bright but during inside scenes, it feels like window tint.

HDR Optimizer feels almost like you are turning the lights on in the room. I care about accuracy so I'd prefer the one that is more true to the director's intent. I think I'll probably leave it on but something feels artificial about it and makes me question if it's accurate or overly brightening what should be darker.

[Steve115]

Originally Posted by dcx4610

Samsung Q70. Yeah, I figured it was just a difference in tone mapping. Off, it definitely feels like there's just this layer over the screen. It's still sharp and bright scenes are very bright but during inside scenes, it feels like window tint.

HDR Optimizer feels almost like you are turning the lights on in the room. I care about accuracy so I'd prefer the one that is more true to the director's intent. I think I'll probably leave it on but something feels artificial about it and makes me question if it's accurate or overly brightening what should be darker.

I'm in the same boat as you with optimizer and my Samsung q80r. As soon as the optimizer goes on the whole image gets brighter. Like u said, almost like a filter is being taken off when optimizer is toggled on. I believe Samsung's tone mapping may not be the greatest but my q80r can get pretty bright so it kinda helps in that department. I've had the 820 for about a year so far and still haven't figured out if I like the optimizer or not lol.

[newtbludger]

are there any recommended settings for Z9D owners? optimizer on or off?

[Scorsese]

Are there any issues with fan/disc drive noise on this player? I've had a LG UP970 for about 3 years, and the disc drive is loud af sometimes on certain 4K discs (not on standard Blu-rays)... looking to pick the Panasonic up.

Should go well with my OLED

[Fat Phil]

Originally Posted by Scorsese

Are there any issues with fan/disc drive noise on this player? I've had a LG UP970 for about 3 years, and the disc drive is loud af sometimes on certain 4K discs (not on standard Blu-rays)... looking to pick the Panasonic up.

Should go well with my OLED

The noise level of the 820 has never bothered me and i'm damn fussy about player noise. It's definitely louder than my Sony X800 though, which is like The Red October in comparison.

[DOULG1VEN]

Originally Posted by Scorsese

Are there any issues with fan/disc drive noise on this player? I've had a LG UP970 for about 3 years, and the disc drive is loud af sometimes on certain 4K discs (not on standard Blu-rays)... looking to pick the Panasonic up.

Should go well with my OLED

Only on startup and loading menus. While watching a movie, it's silent.

[Scorsese]

Originally Posted by Fat Phil

The noise level of the 820 has never bothered me and i'm damn fussy about player noise. It's definitely louder than my Sony X800 though, which is like The Red October in comparison.

Originally Posted by DOULG1VEN

Only on startup and loading menus. While watching a movie, it's silent.

Thanks dudes! Will probably order in the next few days then.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by dcx4610

I'm sure this has been asked/debated before but.... HDR Optimizer on or off?

Honestly (embarrassingly) I didn't know about the setting until seeing a video on it since it's not in the normal setup menu.

I turned it on tonight watching Tenet. It certainly brightens everything up but it almost seems artificial and blown out but it does make things pop more. With it off, everything is much darker and feels like it has a filter on the image but at the same time, the colors seem to have more depth.

I guess my question is the HDR Optimizer the way HDR is supposed to look or is it changing what HDR is supposed to be and artificially brightening the image? I think overall I prefer it on but I'd like to hear thoughts on the function and an on/off debate.

See, now that's interesting. The HDR Optimiser works by looking at the MaxCLL (maximum peak brightness of the content) metadata and setting it against whatever Optimiser level you've chosen e.g. Basic = maps everything above 500 nits, OLED / Medium High = 1000 nits, Super bright = 1500 nits. The 9000 player also has a 350 nit projektor setting.

But Tenet has a MaxCLL of something like ~340 nits, so technically the Optimiser isn't doing anything to the actual image at all when you're turning it on or off, not even if it was set to the minimum 350 nit projektor output. But what it does still do when turned on or off is adjust the mastering display metadata that's encoded with the movie, this is metadata that signals what display the content was mastered on. It's virtually useless because it doesn't indicate what brightness the content actually has, but some TV manufacturers still insist on using it as the guide to tone map the image. Not that Tenet's colour/range was shot to "pop", but at the same time it shouldn't be too dark (unless you're used to watching SDR with torch mode on all the time).

So as Tenet was mastered with 4000 nit display metadata (typical for Warners' UHDs) then the TV 'thinks' it's having to map down 4000 nits when the content doesn't have anything like that amount of brightness, which is why it's potentially making interiors look dimmer. But when you turn on the Optimiser it also changes that display metadata down to what level you've set it to, e.g. for Basic the display metadata is changed to 500 nits. Whatever you've got yours set to, the altered metadata means that your TV's tone mapping is reacting differently. (And, to follow on from the discussion in another thread, is why Samsung are a joke when it comes to HDR, to still use display metadata as the default method for tone mapping is ridiculous.)

Originally Posted by Scorsese

Are there any issues with fan/disc drive noise on this player? I've had a LG UP970 for about 3 years, and the disc drive is loud af sometimes on certain 4K discs (not on standard Blu-rays)... looking to pick the Panasonic up.

Should go well with my OLED

Depends on whether it likes the stand it's put on. My 820 sounds like it's about to take off if I put it directly onto my glass TV shelf, it seems to harmonise with it and the vibration of the drive passes right into the glass, it rattles like mad. Needed an 'isolation platform' to sort it out.

[sapiendut]

Geoff, just try using Blu-Tack at the base of your 820. It helped my Sony 700 (when I used to use one)