Panasonic UB820/UB9000 4K UHD Blu-ray player

[Infallible Presence]

I just realized there appears to be no zoom option or is Panasonic calling it something else? This would be a real negative if they don't have this simple option given there are still, sadly, many non-anamorphic DVDs out there in the world.

[pr0darek]

I will repeat myself

Only the UB150/450 includes a zoom feature and arrow movement control.

[Infallible Presence]

Originally Posted by pr0darek

I will repeat myself

Only the UB150/450 includes a zoom feature and arrow movement control.

That's real bummer, especially since the 9000 is supposed to surpass older units. So that's +1 for the Oppo.

[Naiera]

Arrow movement?

[pr0darek]

https://mega.nz/file/ssUlxLoY#_WzKYx...-uwTr_-zJy34fA

[sherlockjr]

Originally Posted by Infallible Presence

That's real bummer, especially since the 9000 is supposed to surpass older units. So that's +1 for the Oppo.

The 9000 isn't a new model. It was introduced in 2018, seven years ago.

The Panasonic 9000, 820, and 420 with the HCX image and color processor use a different SOC than the Mediatek SOC used by the Panasonic 150/450 as well as the Oppos and Sonys.

So I suspect the zoom function is part of the Mediatek chipset which the 9000 doesn't use. However, the often claimed superior color/image quality of the HCX processor (looks really good on my OLED display) is linked to the non-Mediatek SOC. So you can get Zoom or HCX but not both in the same player.

[Infallible Presence]

Originally Posted by sherlockjr

The 9000 isn't a new model. It was introduced in 2018, seven years ago.

The Panasonic 9000, 820, and 420 with the HCX image and color processor use a different SOC than the Mediatek SOC used by the Panasonic 150/450 as well as the Oppos and Sonys.

So I suspect the zoom function is part of the Mediatek chipset which the 9000 doesn't use. However, the often claimed superior color/image quality of the HCX processor (looks really good on my OLED display) is linked to the non-Mediatek SOC. So you can get Zoom or HCX but not both in the same player.

Luckily, I have only about a handful of DVDs left that need zooming. The TV (P75QX-H1) has a zoom/position option, but it sadly seems to deactivate when players are on.

[Geoff D]

The properties of the HCX are waaaaaaay overrated. On the pre-UHD Blu-ray decks that used the Uniphier (now HCX) chip you could bump up the chroma sharpening manually to the level that's now the default on the HCX models, so on my 820 I knock it back down again.

[Hedrox]

Is the UB150/450 better at upscaling PAL DVDs and handling interlaced content? I've gotten some old shows recently and discovered just how poor the UB820 is with 50hz video.

Might dig out my old LG BP556 from storage just for DVDs and SD extras.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by Hedrox

Is the UB150/450 better at upscaling PAL DVDs and handling interlaced content? I've gotten some old shows recently and discovered just how poor the UB820 is with 50hz video.

Might dig out my old LG BP556 from storage just for DVDs and SD extras.

The HCX players are awful with SD quite honestly. Quite poor deinterlacing. SD is so bad anyway, or should I say expected to be so bad, that most folks don't notice, but I do and I've been chirping about it for years on these players. With the loss of any kind of aspect ratio control it's like they completely forgot that DVD even existed, as although the older Uniphier models didn't have an adjustable zoom they did however have a zoom for non-anamorphic DVDs.

As the x50 players have the MT chip then they're fine with DVD, and they're good little file players from USB as well, unlike the HCX players which are beyond bad.

[Sango]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

The HCX players are awful with SD quite honestly. Quite poor deinterlacing. SD is so bad anyway, or should I say expected to be so bad, that most folks don't notice, but I do and I've been chirping about it for years on these players...

I definitely noticed it myself when I initially tested the player after recieving it. For DVD titles in particular (Cowboy Bebop R1 as an example), I would pull out my Oppo BD-83 from storage to watch it; with the VRS video processor, it outperforms the 9000. Similar could be said about the Oppo BD-93 and UDP-203 as well.

The one thing I am not sure of is comparing with Bluray content who wins as I asked this in AVSForums but never gotten a definitive answer but do recall the videos look good on all the units.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by Sango

I definitely noticed it myself when I initially tested the player after recieving it. For DVD titles in particular (Cowboy Bebop R1 as an example), I would pull out my Oppo BD-83 from storage to watch it; with the VRS video processor, it outperforms the 9000. Similar could be said about the Oppo BD-93 and UDP-203 as well.

The one thing I am not sure of is comparing with Bluray content who wins as I asked this in AVSForums but never gotten a definitive answer but do recall the videos look good on all the units.

It's most noticeable on animation for sure, there's a lot more clean unbroken lines vs the relative chaos of live action imagery. I recounted this before but when I first got Archer season 8 (I think?) on DVD it looked shockingly poor on the Panny, so jaggy. I chalked it up to just being a typically poor modern DVD encode, but when I got the OPPO I was absolutely stunned by the difference, I won't say it looked HD but my word it was close. The lines were so cleanly rendered.

For Blu-rays and UHDs it's a wash, as well it should be: no player should be adding or subtracting from the image as encoded to disc. None out of my 203, 820 and Sony X800 make discs look more or less colourful, contrastier, darker, brighter, etc. The baked-in sharpening of the HCX Panny does add some ringing to sub-UHD content, but as the Edge Correction setting (which removed the ringing) can cause moiré on tightly patterned objects I don't use it any more. Don't notice it in real world viewing anyway. And Sony owners should always remember to go into the video options sub menu as they have DNR turned on by default for sub-UHD content.

[Hedrox]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

The properties of the HCX are waaaaaaay overrated. On the pre-UHD Blu-ray decks that used the Uniphier (now HCX) chip you could bump up the chroma sharpening manually to the level that's now the default on the HCX models, so on my 820 I knock it back down again.

So you're using a negative value for the Chroma sharpness setting? Because I believe out of the box it's at 0.

[Sango]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

It's most noticeable on animation for sure, there's a lot more clean unbroken lines vs the relative chaos of live action imagery. I recounted this before but when I first got Archer season 8 (I think?) on DVD it looked shockingly poor on the Panny, so jaggy. I chalked it up to just being a typically poor modern DVD encode, but when I got the OPPO I was absolutely stunned by the difference, I won't say it looked HD but my word it was close. The lines were so cleanly rendered.

For Blu-rays and UHDs it's a wash, as well it should be: no player should be adding or subtracting from the image as encoded to disc. None out of my 203, 820 and Sony X800 make discs look more or less colourful, contrastier, darker, brighter, etc. The baked-in sharpening of the HCX Panny does add some ringing to sub-UHD content, but as the Edge Correction setting (which removed the ringing) can cause moiré on tightly patterned objects I don't use it any more. Don't notice it in real world viewing anyway. And Sony owners should always remember to go into the video options sub menu as they have DNR turned on by default for sub-UHD content.

Oh yes, I pretty much noticed the broken lines too, and I believe the image perception may of looked a little flat as well.

At one point, I did use Edge Correction (1) on my 9000 did not perceive any difference and also checking with the Spears & Munsil UHD Benchmark using the test patterns, so went back to default; could of been my setup where it was could not of been seen.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by Hedrox

So you're using a negative value for the Chroma sharpness setting? Because I believe out of the box it's at 0.

I've left it on -1. Makes very little difference, but it's my way of raging against the machine.

[Sango]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

I've left it on -1. Makes very little difference, but it's my way of raging against the machine.

This got my curiosity as I did not realize this was talked about near the beginning of the thread when you mentioned it.

For DVD and Bluray is to use -1. When it comes to 4K and HDR, what should the value be? I am not sure if the Bluray setting differentiates between HD/4K/HDR so the setting essentially applies to all.

[Daz_85]

Another minus point with using the 820 as a DVD player is a brief pause during the DVD layer change! I tried the same disc on my PS5 and it was seamless.

Does the 150/450 suffer the same issue?

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by Daz_85

Another minus point with using the 820 as a DVD player is a brief pause during the DVD layer change! I tried the same disc on my PS5 and it was seamless.

Does the 150/450 suffer the same issue?

AFAIK most standalone players still have the layer break on DVD, in fact I've never owned a player (DVD, Blu, 4K, whatever, I've owned a lot of 'em) that actually had a seamless break. Consoles do it because they're more like computers and can cache the break in their buffer thingy.

[Daz_85]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

AFAIK most standalone players still have the layer break on DVD, in fact I've never owned a player (DVD, Blu, 4K, whatever, I've owned a lot of 'em) that actually had a seamless break. Consoles do it because they're more like computers and can cache the break in their buffer thingy.

That's what I thought too, and if the 820 isn't great at DVD playback I'm probably better off using my console.

[Sango]

Originally Posted by Daz_85

That's what I thought too, and if the 820 isn't great at DVD playback I'm probably better off using my console.

If you have something other than console for DVD playback that would be the better alternative.

The 820/9000 DVD picture quality is not that good, such that I would use my Oppo players for that. I could even pull out my Panasonic DVD players (the Faroudja based models) which were highly regarded at the time; would need a TV with component since HDMI did not exist yet.

As per the layer change, it is pretty small break which was something getting used to for DVD.

Pic of part of Panasonnic DVD players I have stored away; don't worry about the watermark, I removed some stuff which was beside the unit.