Sony UBP-X700 4K UHD Blu-ray player

[jess1581]

Originally Posted by dylrichard02

I just got this player yesterday and so far have only had an opportunity to test a few discs. I love Dolby Vision so far. However, putting in an HDR10 disc last night, the player output in DV even during playback on the HDR10 disc. I didn't realize that DV wasn't automatically toggled on and off. Has anyone found that this actually does benefit playback of HDR10 discs?

It doesn't benefit. It only puts a standard sheen over the HDR that isn't intended. One of x700's flaws is the fact that you have to manually switch HDR outputs in the set up before watching DV.

[Telemachus]

I never got the complaint on this player about having to manually toggle DV, people make it sound like you have to get on the roof and adjust a satellite dish. I usually change several settings on my OLED depending on what film I'm watching or if I'm playing games. Getting ready to watch a UHD is like starting up an F1 car, you don't just turn the key and go. Toggling DV is just part of the process for me. Plus wasn't this feature added to the player via firmware, it makes sense to me that it needs turning on/off.

[sapiendut]

No. No benefit at all

[dylrichard02]

Originally Posted by jess1581

It doesn't benefit. It only puts a standard sheen over the HDR that isn't intended. One of x700's flaws is the fact that you have to manually switch HDR outputs in the set up before watching DV.

Thanks! I have no issue toggling it on and off, I just didn't know that was something that had to be done before I purchased the player.

Originally Posted by Telemachus

I never got the complaint on this player about having to manually toggle DV, people make it sound like you have to get on the roof and adjust a satellite dish. I usually change several settings on my OLED depending on what film I'm watching or if I'm playing games. Getting ready to watch a UHD is like starting up an F1 car, you don't just turn the key and go. Toggling DV is just part of the process for me. Plus wasn't this feature added to the player via firmware, it makes sense to me that it needs turning on/off.

At any rate, I was not complaining, nor did I mean for it to come off that way. But people will complain about literally anything on the internet, even about other people complaining.

[jess1581]

Originally Posted by Telemachus

I never got the complaint on this player about having to manually toggle DV, people make it sound like you have to get on the roof and adjust a satellite dish. I usually change several settings on my OLED depending on what film I'm watching or if I'm playing games. Getting ready to watch a UHD is like starting up an F1 car, you don't just turn the key and go. Toggling DV is just part of the process for me. Plus wasn't this feature added to the player via firmware, it makes sense to me that it needs turning on/off.

AFAIK It wasn't. I had bought my x700 with DV already intact and advertised on the box.

Also, no its not a gigantic hardship, but it was a bit annoying to me anyway. It's certainly been a breeze not having to do that anymore. One can forget that the DV setting is on and be playing a blu ray which doesnt look that great when its on. It's just better that the player knows whats in the machine and plays according to the disc. All my player and TV settings are perfectly in place for whatever function I use whether it's UHD, Roku, or the Nintendo Switch.

[Sky_Captain]

Originally Posted by Telemachus

I never got the complaint on this player about having to manually toggle DV, people make it sound like you have to get on the roof and adjust a satellite dish. I usually change several settings on my OLED depending on what film I'm watching or if I'm playing games. Getting ready to watch a UHD is like starting up an F1 car, you don't just turn the key and go. Toggling DV is just part of the process for me. Plus wasn't this feature added to the player via firmware, it makes sense to me that it needs turning on/off.

Listen, you're talking about people who b*tched and moaned about the popups at the end of Sony's UHDs, which could be disabled by pressing the down button on your remote.

The. Down. Button.

To them, this is like trying to solve a Rubik's Cube in the dark.

[jess1581]

Originally Posted by Sky_Captain

Listen, you're talking about people who b*tched and moaned about the popups at the end of Sony's UHDs, which could be disabled by pressing the down button on your remote.

The. Down. Button.

To them, this is like trying to solve a Rubik's Cube in the dark.

Ok, never complained about that, and also I said the x700 DV toggle was a flaw(because it is), not a national crisis woe is me, oh the humanity.

If some of you are fine with it, then great.

[m4708]

The dolby vision switch thing is pretty mild, there are worse hostilities in my TV settings. What makes these sorts of things aggravating is that if I were allowed to compile the firmware myself, I could probably fix it in 30 minutes.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by Telemachus

I never got the complaint on this player about having to manually toggle DV, people make it sound like you have to get on the roof and adjust a satellite dish. I usually change several settings on my OLED depending on what film I'm watching or if I'm playing games. Getting ready to watch a UHD is like starting up an F1 car, you don't just turn the key and go. Toggling DV is just part of the process for me. Plus wasn't this feature added to the player via firmware, it makes sense to me that it needs turning on/off.

I don't want DV forced onto everything I watch. So it's annoying as balls to have to keep turning it off, on, off, on etc. And no, it wasn't added via firmware IIRC, it was delivered from the start with the X700 and X800Mk2. It's just a stupid decision, much like Pannysonic and how some of their players force DV onto everything on a disc if it detects DV on the main feature. And it's not a hardware limitation either, the (newer) MediaTek chip inside the Sony players is almost identical to that used on the OPPO which has an auto or forced DV output.

[Le Grande Blu]

The switching thing, I don't mind so much, except for the fact that so many disc covers don't mention that they come with Dolby Vision, so I end up having to check the specs online. Sometimes I forget to turn it off after a film though, and start wondering why my next Blu Ray viewing looks weird.

[Herry Dunston]

I have a chicken and egg situation with my problem. Either every single 4K disc I own happen to be faulty, or it's this Sony UHD player that's faulty. Because no matter the 4k disc---and I do say 4K disc explicitly because for some reason the blu-ray discs work fine----the video freezes halfway into a feature film. This is getting annoying for me, and I don't own another 4K UHD player to confirm one way or another.

[Telemachus]

Originally Posted by Herry Dunston

I have a chicken and egg situation with my problem. Either every single 4K disc I own happen to be faulty, or it's this Sony UHD player that's faulty. Because no matter the 4k disc---and I do say 4K disc explicitly because for some reason the blu-ray discs work fine----the video freezes halfway into a feature film. This is getting annoying for me, and I don't own another 4K UHD player to confirm one way or another.

This player is sensitive to 100gb discs to varying degrees and the 3rd final layer switch. Sometimes it's around the 1 hour mark, or 1 hour 28 minute+ mark, sometimes it's during the last 10-15 minutes of the film for me. None of my 66gb discs ever have any problems, if I want to watch those all day I will completely forget about discs freezing. If you happen to be watching a bunch of 100gb discs in a row, or are always watching 100gb discs you will notice it more. The only trick I have found to have them not freeze is to stop the movie at some point before the final layer change and come back after a snack or drink and finish the film via resume, it might just be a coincidence but the 100gb discs never freeze if I do this. Besides that, if the Sony bothers you that much you just need a Panasonic, which can have it's own set of unique problems depending on the discs you own. In all situations your discs are likely completely fine, it's just the quirks of the format rearing their head.

[Herry Dunston]

Originally Posted by Telemachus

This player is sensitive to 100gb discs to varying degrees and the 3rd final layer switch. Sometimes it's around the 1 hour mark, or 1 hour 28 minute+ mark, sometimes it's during the last 10-15 minutes of the film for me. None of my 66gb discs ever have any problems, if I want to watch those all day I will completely forget about discs freezing. If you happen to be watching a bunch of 100gb discs in a row, or are always watching 100gb discs you will notice it more. The only trick I have found to have them not freeze is to stop the movie at some point before the final layer change and come back after a snack or drink and finish the film via resume, it might just be a coincidence but the 100gb discs never freeze if I do this. Besides that, if the Sony bothers you that much you just need a Panasonic, which can have it's own set of unique problems depending on the discs you own. In all situations your discs are likely completely fine, it's just the quirks of the format rearing their head.

Now I really feel like Paul Hackett. [After Hours was the latest culprit ]

I tried "resume" and even stopping: mixed results. The only worst-case solution for me is the player eventually stops freezing and skips ahead 30 second to a couple minutes.

...wait, what problems do the Panasonic UHD Player face (if we're talking the 820 one)?

[Telemachus]

Originally Posted by Herry Dunston

Now I really feel like Paul Hackett. [After Hours was the latest culprit ]

I tried "resume" and even stopping: mixed results. The only worst-case solution for me is the player eventually stops freezing and skips ahead 30 second to a couple minutes.

...wait, what problems do the Panasonic UHD Player face (if we're talking the 820 one)?

If the Sony player hard locks the layer change don't even bother trying to rew/forward out of it (at least in my experience), the player goes into a tailspin anyway and even if you stop and start the player you will get the same result unless you pull the powercord. After the reboot just get back to before/near the lock and you won't have it again during that play.

My knowloedge of the Panasonics are all secondhand, but they can also freeze (much less frequently), some DV discs can flicker, they can skip after a pause/resume for a few frames, the door can get stuck etc., it can stop reading UHDs, none of these players are perfect sadly, just learn the quirks of the one you have and live with it if you can. It seems like a joke to say this but some people have players from two different companies for these very reasons.

[Herry Dunston]

Boy, do I miss OPPO.

[Cherokee Jack]

Originally Posted by Herry Dunston

Now I really feel like Paul Hackett. [After Hours was the latest culprit ]

I tried "resume" and even stopping: mixed results. The only worst-case solution for me is the player eventually stops freezing and skips ahead 30 second to a couple minutes.

...wait, what problems do the Panasonic UHD Player face (if we're talking the 820 one)?

If it makes you feel any better, my UB820 completely choked on After Hours . Not just freezing/pixelation during the feature but a broken menu as well. The disc played without issue on my PS5 (minus Dolby Vision of course).

As Telemachus says, all of these 4K players seem to be vulnerable to issues of one kind or another. I’ve had both Sonys and Panasonics and while the UB820 is without a doubt the best player I’ve used, it’s also the only one that simply couldn’t play some discs at all. Unplugging and plugging back in would almost always fix the X700 and X800 but there doesn’t seem to be any workaround when a Panasonic develops issues save for replacing the entire disc drive.

[Herry Dunston]

Contacting Criterion about my disc informs me that the fault may've lie with the player itself, even with their suggestions to resolve my situation.

Can't believe I might have to consider getting a replacement, and that I only have four options from two different brands. Well, five, if one includes the PScinco.

[sapiendut]

You can also choose from Magnetar, Pennde, and GIEC

[Herry Dunston]

I don't know what they are, but they sound expensive.

[Telemachus]

Disc compatibility setup: X700, UB820, PS5/Xbox. The new PS5 will have a detachable UHD drive, things could get good for obvious reasons.