Panasonic UB820/UB9000 4K UHD Blu-ray player

[Naiera]

LOL. Wow. The 270 does go into DCI-P3 and a little beyond. Most UHD BDs don't go beyond that, much.

Not sure how you concluded that I don't know the difference between tone mapping and calibration. That's nuts.

I don't keep calibration charts because I don't spend time wanking to them online. My calibration was done using CalMan and a very proficient X-Rite 1 Pro or whatever it's called. Yes, they're comparatively very cheap, but still achieve a dE average of 1 or less in every scenario I've put it through so far. I don't calibrate on my own; it's done by someone I am friendly with who used to do it for a living. He has all the certifications but works for Dynaudio now.

Calling the 270 "very subpar" is pretty funny, and you seem to be confusing what's being discussed here anyway. You didn't have that superior JVC DTM when you concluded that Panasonic HDR conversion was super duper. It's fine if you think it is; I disagree and would advise front projection folks to stick with regular Blu-ray. In any case, this isn't about sending HDR to a front projection setup, which is what was being discussed. It's a simple matter of fact that proper HDR requires control of the brightness level of every individual pixel. No front projection technology exists that does that.

[Naiera]

I looked into "engine block deterioration" and I figure my 270 with 1000-1500 hours on the lamp was fine when I came to my conclusions about Panasonic's HDR conversion. It's not like JVC's projectors are perfect and stay that way forever either; I've owned several.

[HeavyHitter]

Originally Posted by Naiera

LOL. Wow. The 270 does go into DCI-P3 and a little beyond. Most UHD BDs don't go beyond that, much.

Not sure how you concluded that I don't know the difference between tone mapping and calibration. That's nuts.

I don't keep calibration charts because I don't spend time wanking to them online. My calibration was done using CalMan and a very proficient X-Rite 1 Pro or whatever it's called. Yes, they're comparatively very cheap, but still achieve a dE average of 1 or less in every scenario I've put it through so far. I don't calibrate on my own; it's done by someone I am friendly with who used to do it for a living. He has all the certifications but works for Dynaudio now.

Calling the 270 "very subpar" is pretty funny, and you seem to be confusing what's being discussed here anyway. You didn't have that superior JVC DTM when you concluded that Panasonic HDR conversion was super duper. It's fine if you think it is; I disagree and would advise front projection folks to stick with regular Blu-ray. In any case, this isn't about sending HDR to a front projection setup, which is what was being discussed. It's a simple matter of fact that proper HDR requires control of the brightness level of every individual pixel. No front projection technology exists that does that.

Originally Posted by Naiera

I looked into "engine block deterioration" and I figure my 270 with 1000-1500 hours on the lamp was fine when I came to my conclusions about Panasonic's HDR conversion. It's not like JVC's projectors are perfect and stay that way forever either; I've owned several.

You're going on about all kinds of things and I was trying to address them. You are posting things that are simply not true. I knew you wouldn't have didly squat for your imaginary "superior" calibration. You are talking out of your rear about everything....including telling people to stick with BD over the Panasonic SDR tone mapping.

The 270 was notorious for the issue often sooner. The JVCs don't suffer from engine block deterioration. Every projector and TV for that matter 'drifts' over time (that is corrected by re-calibration), but engine block deterioration is something entirely different and worse.

[Naiera]

Even if my calibration isn't better than yours is now, which isn't what we were talking about, doesn't mean it's insufficient. It is, in fact, very good. Not that I'm going to whip out the old laptop, fish out the meter and mount it on the stand and run a check to prove it to you.

Not sure how I'm talking out my rear about something which I have concluded on a very competent setup. I know I'm not alone in finding Panasonic's conversionism insufficient.

[mdhaus]

Originally Posted by b_scott

I have heard the 9000 is more silent. if that's what you need, sounds like you found your player. my 820 is in another room

I have both a 9000 (on my main set-up) and an 820 (in an alternate smaller set-up). And yes, the 9000 is much quieter. In fact, I never hear it running at all.

[Muyfa666]

Really want the 9000 now as everybody seem to be happy with it (more or less).

The 820 I have now is perfectly fine, but I may yet succumb to the 9000... ;-)

One more question, are they any "new" players on the horizon that would be worth waiting for instead of buying one now?

[Naiera]

If I had tons of money I'd definitely get a 9000, too. I'm used to Oppos for disc playback; the Panny 820 is the cheapest disc player I've used in over a decade

Originally Posted by Muyfa666

One more question, are they any "new" players on the horizon that would be worth waiting for instead of buying one now?

Nothing is coming out. There's no reason to make new ones as the current ones do all the different HDR things. Slow sales numbers on discs don't help, either. The high end market is taken care of by MAGNETAR (you have to yell it ) and such Chinese Oppo clone things.

[Muyfa666]

Originally Posted by Naiera

If I had tons of money I'd definitely get a 9000, too. I'm used to Oppos for disc playback; the Panny 820 is the cheapest disc player I've used in over a decade



Nothing is coming out. There's no reason to make new ones as the current ones do all the different HDR things. Slow sales numbers on discs don't help, either. The high end market is taken care of by MAGNETAR (you have to yell it ) and such Chinese Oppo clone things.

Thanks for the input. Then I'll put the 9000 on my birthday list... ;-)

[Matt89]

Wtf is going on with the 820? Mine has been so glitchy lately. I couldn’t get a disc to eject last week after unplugging it multiple times and following the instructions on Panasonic’s website to no avail, I shook the machine and it finally ejected the disc. And now I have another issue with a disc not ejecting.

This morning I turned the machine on and the display screen just says “LOCK”. The hell is this? I didn’t lock shit. Again I can’t get the disc to eject and AGAIN the useless instructions on Panasonic’s site are absolutely no help. This is getting so annoying. I’ve barely had this thing more than a year.

[Matt89]

Literally nothing is working. Unplugging it for a while and plugging it back in didn't work (tried this 3 times), I tried a factory reset, which also did nothing. The instructions in the manual to get the lock screen to go away are also not working. Between the Dolby Vision brightness shifts on several discs, the garbage playback for DVDs, the lack of USB support to play video files, the lack of firmware updates and now this disc eject nonsense, the 820 is not worth what Panasonic charges for this machine. Hell, my X700 gave me fewer issues.

[b_scott]

that sounds almost like it's running a firmware update.

[Matt89]

Originally Posted by b_scott

that sounds almost like it's running a firmware update.

The main screen comes on, the disc actually plays, but I cannot eject it. Something is definitely wrong.

[b_scott]

Originally Posted by Matt89

The main screen comes on, the disc actually plays, but I cannot eject it. Something is definitely wrong.

Cannot eject disc.
1 While the unit is off Press and hold [OK], the yellow button and the blue button on the remote control at the same time for more than 5 seconds. – “00 RET” is displayed on the unit’s display.
2 Press right button repeatedly on the remote control until “06 FTO” is displayed on the unit’s display.
3 Press [OK].

[Matt89]

Originally Posted by b_scott

Cannot eject disc.
1 While the unit is off Press and hold [OK], the yellow button and the blue button on the remote control at the same time for more than 5 seconds. – “00 RET” is displayed on the unit’s display.
2 Press right button repeatedly on the remote control until “06 FTO” is displayed on the unit’s display.
3 Press [OK].

Yeah that was in the manual and one of the troubleshooting methods I tried. Does absolutely nothing unfortunately. Disc still will not eject and display says "LOCK".

I might have to give them a call.

[Tok]

Originally Posted by Naiera

Projectors and HDR don’t go together. If you can’t afford a Lumagen Radiance Pro or a MadVR, just don’t bother. Stick with regular Blu-ray.

Or get a JVC DILA NX or NZ series projector. JVC’s dynamic tone mapping is the best short of dropping another $8k-15k on an external VP.

Epson and Sony don’t have the capabilities of JVC’s DTM. And Sony is garbage with its long documented SXRD degradation issues.

[Tok]

Originally Posted by b_scott

it wasn't anything I didn't like. It was that I didn't want to have three presets, and I would need an extra preset for the bluray player in tone mapping mode, since it was in a different color space than what my shield TV was in, I think - but also it was slightly differently calibrated. It's purely my very specific situation. Someday when I get a new projector I might change back, depending on how the projector handles HDR and/or if it auto switches presets.

Another option is to use Panasonic HDR to SDR conversion. I used it when I had my JVC 540.

[Naiera]

Originally Posted by Tok

Or get a JVC DILA NX or NZ series projector. JVC’s dynamic tone mapping is the best short of dropping another $8k-15k on an external VP.

Epson and Sony don’t have the capabilities of JVC’s DTM. And Sony is garbage with its long documented SXRD degradation issues.

My Sony definitely isn’t garbage, even after almost 5000 hours, and Lumagen Radiance Pros start at $5000; even lower used I got in on it for about $3000, actually.

[Naiera]

Originally Posted by Tok

Another option is to use Panasonic HDR to SDR conversion.

If you want a flat and boring image

[Naiera]

Originally Posted by Muyfa666

Thanks for the input. Then I'll put the 9000 on my birthday list... ;-)

Good luck

[Tok]

Originally Posted by Naiera

If you want a flat and boring image

LOL… as you said projectors struggle with HDR. The Panasonic HDR to SDR in BT2020 colorspace is not flat… as much as I expected from your response

Sony’s SXRD’s are notorious for deteriorating in a few thousand hours. A well known calibrator has seen evidence of deterioration on EVERY unit he has returned to calibrate. Some are $60k units that have deteriorated to well under 1k:1 when they started at 10k-15k:1.

I had one that went from dark inky blacks to bluish gray in about 5 years.
SXRD has been problematic from the beginning. They don’t even make commercial theatrical units anymore because theaters were upset with premature failures of the panels.