Panasonic DMP-UB900 Ultra HD Player

[Kris Deering]

Hmm. The problem I have is that the review couldn't be any more untechnical if it tried. They used two compromised displays (pj doesn't support true P3 and has no way of dialing in PQ curve, flat panel isn't even HDR or 10 bit) and basically spend the next few paragraphs saying oo and ahhh with no real explanation of why. Hopefully we see something with more meat and potatoes soon.

[dvdmike]

Home cinema choice or bust

[FilmFreakosaurus]

Originally Posted by Kris Deering

Hmm. The problem I have is that the review couldn't be any more untechnical if it tried. They used two compromised displays (pj doesn't support true P3 and has no way of dialing in PQ curve, flat panel isn't even HDR or 10 bit) and basically spend the next few paragraphs saying oo and ahhh with no real explanation of why. Hopefully we see something with more meat and potatoes soon.

Could that someone be you?

[Kris Deering]

Originally Posted by FilmFreakosaurus

But, again, most projectors, let alone consumer projectors, don't have the capability at the moment, outside of a premium laser projector as in some Dolby Vision cinemas (such as the Barco shown at CEDIA, which was amazing to behold), to recreate the highlights and the contrast range of UHD Blu-ray.

And then in comparison they use a "regular" display that doesn't have a 10 bit panel or HDR.

As was said above... What Hifi is fluff.

Both consumer projectors that support HDR (JVC and Sony) can deliver more peak light output and better overall contrast performance than the Dolby Cinema projectors being used. The problem is that the DC offerings are getting content specifically graded for them whereas the consumer projectors are not. So "rolling off" all that head room becomes more complicated. It also forces the user to take a high contrast capable display and wipe out all that contrast to gain as much headroom as possible for the highlights (high brightness in projection comes at the cost of elevated blacks). Laser can only fix this for absolute black (shut the laser off) but doesn't help for the one step above that if the display device doesn't have high native contrast. You end up with a staircase that has a bottom step (black floor) but is missing a bunch of steps after that (laser back on).

[Kris Deering]

Originally Posted by FilmFreakosaurus

Could that someone be you?

Hard to say. I would be more than happy to do a review of it, but that is never up to me at the magazine.

[ray0414]

Originally Posted by FilmFreakosaurus

But, again, most projectors, let alone consumer projectors, don't have the capability at the moment, outside of a premium laser projector as in some Dolby Vision cinemas (such as the Barco shown at CEDIA, which was amazing to behold), to recreate the highlights and the contrast range of UHD Blu-ray.

And then in comparison they use a "regular" display that doesn't have a 10 bit panel or HDR.

As was said above... What Hifi is fluff.

Well here's where it does get a little confusing and becomes a gray area. All 2015 samsung 4k tv's have hdr decoding which is going to impact the picture to varying degrees. It may not be to the degree of the upper models, but it's there. I am curious if they are even aware of that.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by dvdmike

They write like crap, oh and all that expensive sound hardware that justified the price?

Heh. These guys are audiophiles, remember? If it's not some valve-driven piece of esoterica that costs 10 grand with cables and mains purifiers (pffft) costing hundreds of pounds to match then they're usually pretty sniffy.

Originally Posted by Kris Deering

Hmm. The problem I have is that the review couldn't be any more untechnical if it tried. They used two compromised displays (pj doesn't support true P3 and has no way of dialing in PQ curve, flat panel isn't even HDR or 10 bit) and basically spend the next few paragraphs saying oo and ahhh with no real explanation of why. Hopefully we see something with more meat and potatoes soon.

Par for the course with what hifi, they're big on soundbitey reviews and small on the real technical juice.

I've just banged in an order for it. I do like me a good Panasonic spinner and this looks like no exception. I've been toying with the idea of getting their current premium deck for a while, so adding on UHD Blu for a couple hundred pounds on top with two movies thrown in is a no-brainer.

What I really appreciate - and why Panny are getting my business over Samsung - is that they've actually THOUGHT about the poor old SDR owners and people with the older 10.2 Gb/s HDMI chips. Aside from the adjustable HDR conversion, the setup menu has the option to set the chroma sampling for 4K50/60 separate from 4K24, this is bearing in mind the 4:2:0 limitation on 4K50/60 on those older chips. (IIRC a fair few people at AVS had problems with the 4K60 splash screens on the Samsung, and the lack of 4:2:2/4:2:0 subsampling setup options may have had something to do with it.)

Sure, UHD Blu-ray is encoded at 4:2:0 anyway and most movies were 24fps last time I checked (though concert/sports stuff is mos def 50/60Hz) but it's just nice to be considered.

[dvdmike]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Heh. These guys are audiophiles, remember? If it's not some valve-driven piece of esoterica that costs 10 grand with cables and mains purifiers (pffft) costing hundreds of pounds to match then they're usually pretty sniffy.


Par for the course with what hifi, they're big on soundbitey reviews and small on the real technical juice.

I've just banged in an order for it. I do like me a good Panasonic spinner and this looks like no exception. I've been toying with the idea of getting their current premium deck for a while, so adding on UHD Blu for a couple hundred pounds on top with two movies thrown in is a no-brainer.

What I really appreciate - and why Panny are getting my business over Samsung - is that they've actually THOUGHT about the poor old SDR owners and people with the older 10.2 Gb/s HDMI chips. Aside from the adjustable HDR conversion, the setup menu has the option to set the chroma sampling for 4K50/60 separate from 4K24, this is bearing in mind the 4:2:0 limitation on 4K50/60 on those older chips. (IIRC a fair few people at AVS had problems with the 4K60 splash screens on the Samsung, and the lack of 4:2:2/4:2:0 subsampling setup options may have had something to do with it.)

Sure, UHD Blu-ray is encoded at 4:2:0 anyway and most movies were 24fps last time I checked (though concert/sports stuff is mos def 50/60Hz) but it's just nice to be considered.

They are the same people that rate the iPhone as an audio device after all

Who did you order it with?

[Geoff D]

supafi

[Kris Deering]

I'll order one when the become available for order here in the US. At a minimum it will hold me over for the inevitable Oppo UHD that should be around by Christmas.

[dvdmike]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

supafi

Will wait for Sevenoakes or richer sounds then

[Blu Nick]

Originally Posted by dvdmike

Will wait for Sevenoakes or richer sounds then

http://www.sevenoakssoundandvision.c...mpub900eb.aspx

[sneak76]

Originally Posted by dvdmike

Will wait for Sevenoakes or richer sounds then

Sevenoaks have it up for pre-order.

[dvdmike]

Thanks guys I mean being able to walk in and buy one.
No way I pre-order, and won't touch before a decent review from home cinema choice

[Geoff D]

You and your HCC

[dvdmike]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

You and your HCC

Yup, I do trust them

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by dvdmike

Yup, I do trust them

Coming from you that's quite some statement (no, I'm not taking the piss, I'm genuinely amazed).

[dvdmike]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Coming from you that's quite some statement (no, I'm not taking the piss, I'm genuinely amazed).

They have picked up one some stuff very few people have ever seen.
They can be wrong, but rarely.
And I do trust a few people opinions in that way, but they need to qualify that trust.
But tech reviews are more science than the art reviews of a disc.

[Wendell R. Breland]

Originally Posted by Kris Deering

I'll order one when the become available for order here in the US.

Will hold off on my purchase till you report on the player. If you make a personal purchase can you comment on the hardware or will you be limited by S&V as to what you can say before a formal review by S&V (which could be you)?

[Wendell R. Breland]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

What I really appreciate - and why Panny are getting my business over Samsung - is that they've actually THOUGHT about the poor old SDR owners and people with the older 10.2 Gb/s HDMI chips.

Having spent a chunk of change on a Sony VW600 and FMP-X10 it will be interesting to see if the Panny offers us projector owners any real benefit over standard BD or content via the X10.