Magnetar UDP800 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Player - Page 16 - Blu-ray Forum

Yogi6807 · 05-12-2023, 02:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LordoftheRings

A Logitech or Universal remote control is not an option anymore?
Last time I use a remote that came with any unit must be like 15 years ago.
Last problem in life. Skip the remote put a certified HDMI cable in the box.
Or just include a programmable Logitech remote with the Magneto.

Logitech is not sold anymore

HDTV1080P · 05-12-2023, 02:42 AM

The good news is that the high-end Chinese made Magnetar UDP800 is almost as good as the year 2016 OPPO UDP-203 that was also assembled in China. The only real negative is the Magnetar UBP800 has less input and output jacks. Plus Magnetar remote is not as good as the OPPO remote in some people's opinion. While many people agree one does not need the HDMI input which is an exclusive OPPO feature, and the two HDMI outputs on the Magnetar UDP800 is fine. However, the Magnetar does not have the 3 USB jacks like the OPPO has. And instead, only one rear USB jack on the Magnetar. Also, the OPPO has 7.1 analog audio outputs with the Magnetar UDP800 only having 2 analog audio outputs. That is not an issue for me and 2 analog audio outputs are fine for most consumers, however some people prefer 7.1 analog audio outputs for legacy equipment. The latest object-based surround formats like lossless DTS X and Dolby Atmos require HDMI.

Bottom line if my year 2016 OPPO UDP-203 were to ever break and it could not be repaired anymore, then I would strongly consider the Magnetar UDP800 as the most likely replacement to purchase for my main home theater room. However, the Sony UBP-X800M2 would be on every other TV location if the goal was to save money. However, the amount of time I spend with my 4K Blu-ray player, I would not hesitant at spending $1,599 for the Magnetar UDP800 if I had to replace my OPPO UDP-203 one day. Bottom line those that do not own a OPPO UDP-203 or UDP-205, then one should strongly consider the Magnetar UDP800 since according to the review it sounds like a very well built 4K Blu-ray player that is supported with timely firmware updates that fix many issues. The Magnetar is the closes 4K universal player on the market that has most the features as the OPPO UDP-203. Perhaps one day newer models from Magnetar will be made with all or most the input jacks as the OPPO UDP-203 or UDP-205, so that OPPO owners would want to upgrade instead of waiting for their player to break.

The following are select quotes from the review

“Magnetar is an independent Chinese brand, and after using the Magnetar it’s clear that they were aiming at creating an Oppo-like player with similar features and specs.”

“There are used Oppo players out there on places like eBay, but they generally command high prices, usually higher than the cost of this new Magnetar. So, for the audiophile who wants a universal player, this is a worthwhile buy. I’ve also reviewed another challenger to the Oppo throne which was the Reavon UBR X-200 which also offers universal support of formats. It is priced at a similar $1699, but I don’t think it is quite as well built as the Magnetar.”

“The Magnetar UDP800 is a solidly built player, that easily handled both new and old disc formats. It rendered Dolby Vision and HDR formats properly and, to the eye and ear, performed essentially identically to my reference Oppo BDP-203 player, long discontinued. The Magnetar UDP800 is not an inexpensive player, but it costs far less than a used Oppo BDP-203.”

“The analog outputs are stereo only. I felt the analog output sound from the Magnetar and Oppo were virtually identical, except the Oppo has the advantage of analog outputs for 7.1 surround. To make things equal, I only listened in stereo.”

“My only real complaint is the remote which disappointed me.”

“A word about the remote control. Although well-built and attractive, I found it very frustrating to use.”

“Universal disc players are a vanishing breed. With the end of the Oppo players, now costing a fortune used if you can find them, there are only a few players that can play just about any disc format you can throw at them. For audio and videophiles who have become focused on streaming, universal players may not mean much. But I and many of my fellow AV hobbyists have lots of discs that simply won’t play on more modern disc players.”

“It gets worse. Slowly but surely almost everyone who made high-quality disc players has bolted the market. Denon and Marantz left in 2014, Yamaha stopped producing players in 2017, Pioneer, Cambridge Audio, and Samsung were gone in 2019. Panasonic still produces a high-end player, and Sony, a longtime leader in high-end disc players, serves the market with a few lower-end products.”

“The UDP800 supports HDR10, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision with BT.2020/BT.709/BT.601 color space support. HDR to SDR conversion is also supported. The UDP800 can convert low-resolution video sources up to 4K 50/60Hz (3840 x 2160) resolution.”

“Visually, I saw no difference between the Magnetar playback and watching the same movie on my Oppo 203. My projector doesn’t pass Dolby Vision, so I checked playback on my LG 4K TV, and all looked fine there too.”

https://hometheaterhifi.com/reviews/...player-review/

LordoftheRings · 05-12-2023, 05:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yogi6807

Logitech is not sold anymore

Say you buy one on eBay or a 2nd-hand store; can you program it?

jwort93 · 05-12-2023, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LordoftheRings

Say you buy one on eBay or a 2nd-hand store; can you program it?

Yeah, all the software still works, and their servers are still online (for now).

LordoftheRings · 05-12-2023, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwort93

Yeah, all the software still works, and their servers are still online (for now).

That is very good. You can find Logitech Harmony universal programmable remote controls in many places, eBay and all. They're among the very best and and you can put the one that comes with the Magneto 800 in your drawer with the dozens more that are already there.

You only need one remote to control them all. We know which Harmony remotes are the best; nicely illuminated, well designed ergonomics, easy to operate with multi tasks (devices and activities), etc., etc., etc.

* If anyone want to replace his Magneto 800 remote I have some fabulous suggestions.
But the people reading this thread they all know that already.
▪︎ Put a 2-meter hi-speed certified HDMI cable free in the box.
https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=15428

For longer run (25 feet with a projector), can't go wrong ... forty bucks
▪︎ https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=42682

SeeMoreDigital · 05-12-2023, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LordoftheRings

For longer run (25 feet with a projector), can't go wrong ... forty bucks
▪︎ https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=42682

Wow... I wasn't expecting 25ft (7.62m) 'Ultra High Speed' certified HDMI leads to be out so soon.

LordoftheRings · 05-13-2023, 04:21 AM

That's pretty good isn't it. That should make many front projector owners happy.

Arg · 05-19-2023, 01:40 PM

I only just found out about this unit, the UDP800, and came here to research it, and ended up wondering if you fellows can help me to know whether this player is for me, or is there a more optimal (including price) setup of source devices for me.

I am starting the process of upgrading my 2009 1080p/5.1 projector-based setup (source: Oppo 105) to 4K, HDR and Atmos (including Atmos Music). I am a long-time audiophile but stopped drinking the analog Kool-Aid and am very happy with HDMI for audio. The only part I have bought so far is the projector, an NX7.

I don't like HTPC so will be using a decent AVP or AVR along with disc, file and streaming players. Audio and video quality are both important.

Thing is, being a 'disc-based guy', I am a bit out of date and ignorant when it comes to streaming boxes and servers.

I thought the UB9000 was going to be the disc player for me because of its 'special relationship' with my NX7. Even though it doesn't do SACD MCH and DVD-A, which I need, I was willing to keep the 105 for those discs. I understand the UB9000 has very nice video processing and handles all the formats I need including 4K and 3D and Dolby Vision and HDR10. But I don't really need its analog audio and the money spent on that. OTOH am I right that it is the only Panasonic with their top rank video processing? And also the only one with the NX7 dedicated colour profiles? (BTW is its dedicated NX7 colour profile an advantage worth having?)

I also have recently bought the Apple TV 4K because I like where Apple Music is headed, so I plan for that to be my streaming box for music and AV. Do you guys see any issues with that? Am I losing out on a better option?

My first thought, when I saw the UDP 800, was that this player will play all my disc formats, which I thought is a very good idea, and also will play files from HDD of up to 16 TB. However, I'm not sure if it gives up anything relative to the UB9000 for example in respect to video? The negatives for me are that it is quite expensive, and all the analog technology is not needed in my case. Also, if the UI is similar to that of Oppo, which I am hearing from some of your comments, that is a negative for me because I don’t like the crude Oppo UI for working with files. I don't see much benefit in attaching a HDD to a player that doesn't give me a pleasant experience accessing its files.

Thus far, I am thinking my new setup will comprise the following sources:
- UB9000
- Existing Oppo for SACD and DVD-A
- Existing Apple TV 4K for streaming
- Some kind of file server box?

I have a NAS that I have been playing (generally music) through my Oppo 105, but either I don’t know how to do it well or it’s clumsy and no fun.

As for the UDP800, it could replace the first 2 above, and maybe the fourth as well? But is it a good way to spend my money? Do you guys like the 4-source setup I am proposing above, or think there is a better way to get the result I want? I feel like a beginner, I am so out of touch with recent music and AV source devices.

cheers

chip75 · 05-19-2023, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arg

As for the UDP800, it could replace the first 2 above, and maybe the fourth as well? But is it a good way to spend my money? Do you guys like the 4-source setup I am proposing above, or think there is a better way to get the result I want? I feel like a beginner, I am so out of touch with recent music and AV source devices.

cheers

Pretty much all the players are clunky interfaces for media files, you'll have a nicer time with a media player that can add covers and data.

Naiera · 05-19-2023, 05:25 PM

Don’t use an Apple TV for music. It’s not the audiophile solution. There are plenty of other and better ways to do that. For streaming video, it is the best and only logical choice.

If you’re disc based, why do you need a NAS and a good interface for files?

The Panasonics are terrible for file playback. Everything plays at 60Hz and only 60Hz and format/file support is very poor. A Zidoo or Zappiti is a much better choice for video files.

Arg · 05-19-2023, 07:51 PM

It’s not so much that I want to be disc-based for the new system; it’s just that I have been in the past and that means I am not well-informed about moving on from being disc-based.

Naiera · 05-19-2023, 08:26 PM

It's not that difficult. Use MakeMKV to rip the discs, and then you need storage of some sort. You can even put the storage inside the Zidoo or Zappiti.

I do both, though. The Zidoo is for "homesub" projects where I buy discs without English (or Danish) subtitles. Rip disc, find subs online, watch on Zidoo.

Wendell R. Breland · 05-19-2023, 10:56 PM

^^^
Someone posted in another thread and said they connected several HDD's to a Zidoo Z9X with a USB 3.0 hub.

Naiera · 05-20-2023, 03:59 AM

The more expensive models have two hard drive bays.

sapiendut · 06-07-2023, 12:30 AM

Anybody know what’s the latest fw on Magnetar is for?

Robert Zohn · 06-08-2023, 04:52 PM

Magnetar UDP800, very nice open box and 1st impressions video.

LordoftheRings · 06-08-2023, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robert Zohn

Magnetar UDP800, very nice open box and 1st impressions video.

Magnetar UDP800 Naked and Reviewed | First Ever Internal View UDP-800 | Worldâ€™s Exclusive - YouTube

Our local Canadian member (David) is a funny guy.

LordoftheRings · 06-19-2023, 09:17 PM

JEArgumedo · 06-28-2023, 02:29 PM

Has anyone had any experience with ISO/BDMV backups on this player using the USB ports or over Ethernet via a media server?

sapiendut · 06-28-2023, 02:56 PM

I tried using iso via front usb. It works fine even with DV.

05-12-2023, 02:42 AM	#302
HDTV1080P Blu-ray Knight Top contributor Member since:Jan 2007 Blu-ray reviews: 205	The good news is that the high-end Chinese made Magnetar UDP800 is almost as good as the year 2016 OPPO UDP-203 that was also assembled in China. The only real negative is the Magnetar UBP800 has less input and output jacks. Plus Magnetar remote is not as good as the OPPO remote in some people's opinion. While many people agree one does not need the HDMI input which is an exclusive OPPO feature, and the two HDMI outputs on the Magnetar UDP800 is fine. However, the Magnetar does not have the 3 USB jacks like the OPPO has. And instead, only one rear USB jack on the Magnetar. Also, the OPPO has 7.1 analog audio outputs with the Magnetar UDP800 only having 2 analog audio outputs. That is not an issue for me and 2 analog audio outputs are fine for most consumers, however some people prefer 7.1 analog audio outputs for legacy equipment. The latest object-based surround formats like lossless DTS X and Dolby Atmos require HDMI. Bottom line if my year 2016 OPPO UDP-203 were to ever break and it could not be repaired anymore, then I would strongly consider the Magnetar UDP800 as the most likely replacement to purchase for my main home theater room. However, the Sony UBP-X800M2 would be on every other TV location if the goal was to save money. However, the amount of time I spend with my 4K Blu-ray player, I would not hesitant at spending $1,599 for the Magnetar UDP800 if I had to replace my OPPO UDP-203 one day. Bottom line those that do not own a OPPO UDP-203 or UDP-205, then one should strongly consider the Magnetar UDP800 since according to the review it sounds like a very well built 4K Blu-ray player that is supported with timely firmware updates that fix many issues. The Magnetar is the closes 4K universal player on the market that has most the features as the OPPO UDP-203. Perhaps one day newer models from Magnetar will be made with all or most the input jacks as the OPPO UDP-203 or UDP-205, so that OPPO owners would want to upgrade instead of waiting for their player to break. The following are select quotes from the review “Magnetar is an independent Chinese brand, and after using the Magnetar it’s clear that they were aiming at creating an Oppo-like player with similar features and specs.” “There are used Oppo players out there on places like eBay, but they generally command high prices, usually higher than the cost of this new Magnetar. So, for the audiophile who wants a universal player, this is a worthwhile buy. I’ve also reviewed another challenger to the Oppo throne which was the Reavon UBR X-200 which also offers universal support of formats. It is priced at a similar $1699, but I don’t think it is quite as well built as the Magnetar.” “The Magnetar UDP800 is a solidly built player, that easily handled both new and old disc formats. It rendered Dolby Vision and HDR formats properly and, to the eye and ear, performed essentially identically to my reference Oppo BDP-203 player, long discontinued. The Magnetar UDP800 is not an inexpensive player, but it costs far less than a used Oppo BDP-203.” “The analog outputs are stereo only. I felt the analog output sound from the Magnetar and Oppo were virtually identical, except the Oppo has the advantage of analog outputs for 7.1 surround. To make things equal, I only listened in stereo.” “My only real complaint is the remote which disappointed me.” “A word about the remote control. Although well-built and attractive, I found it very frustrating to use.” “Universal disc players are a vanishing breed. With the end of the Oppo players, now costing a fortune used if you can find them, there are only a few players that can play just about any disc format you can throw at them. For audio and videophiles who have become focused on streaming, universal players may not mean much. But I and many of my fellow AV hobbyists have lots of discs that simply won’t play on more modern disc players.” “It gets worse. Slowly but surely almost everyone who made high-quality disc players has bolted the market. Denon and Marantz left in 2014, Yamaha stopped producing players in 2017, Pioneer, Cambridge Audio, and Samsung were gone in 2019. Panasonic still produces a high-end player, and Sony, a longtime leader in high-end disc players, serves the market with a few lower-end products.” “The UDP800 supports HDR10, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision with BT.2020/BT.709/BT.601 color space support. HDR to SDR conversion is also supported. The UDP800 can convert low-resolution video sources up to 4K 50/60Hz (3840 x 2160) resolution.” “Visually, I saw no difference between the Magnetar playback and watching the same movie on my Oppo 203. My projector doesn’t pass Dolby Vision, so I checked playback on my LG 4K TV, and all looked fine there too.” https://hometheaterhifi.com/reviews/...player-review/ Last edited by HDTV1080P; 05-12-2023 at 03:17 AM.

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05-13-2023, 04:21 AM	#307
LordoftheRings Special Member Top contributor Member since:Mar 2010 Location:Portishead ♫	That's pretty good isn't it. That should make many front projector owners happy.

05-19-2023, 01:40 PM	#308
Arg New Member Member since:May 2009	I only just found out about this unit, the UDP800, and came here to research it, and ended up wondering if you fellows can help me to know whether this player is for me, or is there a more optimal (including price) setup of source devices for me. I am starting the process of upgrading my 2009 1080p/5.1 projector-based setup (source: Oppo 105) to 4K, HDR and Atmos (including Atmos Music). I am a long-time audiophile but stopped drinking the analog Kool-Aid and am very happy with HDMI for audio. The only part I have bought so far is the projector, an NX7. I don't like HTPC so will be using a decent AVP or AVR along with disc, file and streaming players. Audio and video quality are both important. Thing is, being a 'disc-based guy', I am a bit out of date and ignorant when it comes to streaming boxes and servers. I thought the UB9000 was going to be the disc player for me because of its 'special relationship' with my NX7. Even though it doesn't do SACD MCH and DVD-A, which I need, I was willing to keep the 105 for those discs. I understand the UB9000 has very nice video processing and handles all the formats I need including 4K and 3D and Dolby Vision and HDR10. But I don't really need its analog audio and the money spent on that. OTOH am I right that it is the only Panasonic with their top rank video processing? And also the only one with the NX7 dedicated colour profiles? (BTW is its dedicated NX7 colour profile an advantage worth having?) I also have recently bought the Apple TV 4K because I like where Apple Music is headed, so I plan for that to be my streaming box for music and AV. Do you guys see any issues with that? Am I losing out on a better option? My first thought, when I saw the UDP 800, was that this player will play all my disc formats, which I thought is a very good idea, and also will play files from HDD of up to 16 TB. However, I'm not sure if it gives up anything relative to the UB9000 for example in respect to video? The negatives for me are that it is quite expensive, and all the analog technology is not needed in my case. Also, if the UI is similar to that of Oppo, which I am hearing from some of your comments, that is a negative for me because I don’t like the crude Oppo UI for working with files. I don't see much benefit in attaching a HDD to a player that doesn't give me a pleasant experience accessing its files. Thus far, I am thinking my new setup will comprise the following sources: - UB9000 - Existing Oppo for SACD and DVD-A - Existing Apple TV 4K for streaming - Some kind of file server box? I have a NAS that I have been playing (generally music) through my Oppo 105, but either I don’t know how to do it well or it’s clumsy and no fun. As for the UDP800, it could replace the first 2 above, and maybe the fourth as well? But is it a good way to spend my money? Do you guys like the 4-source setup I am proposing above, or think there is a better way to get the result I want? I feel like a beginner, I am so out of touch with recent music and AV source devices. cheers

05-19-2023, 05:25 PM	#310
Naiera Blu-ray Prince Top contributor Member since:Jun 2012 Location:Denmark Home Theater Gallery:2 Trading Score:25	Don’t use an Apple TV for music. It’s not the audiophile solution. There are plenty of other and better ways to do that. For streaming video, it is the best and only logical choice. If you’re disc based, why do you need a NAS and a good interface for files? The Panasonics are terrible for file playback. Everything plays at 60Hz and only 60Hz and format/file support is very poor. A Zidoo or Zappiti is a much better choice for video files.

05-19-2023, 07:51 PM	#311
Arg New Member Member since:May 2009	It’s not so much that I want to be disc-based for the new system; it’s just that I have been in the past and that means I am not well-informed about moving on from being disc-based.

05-19-2023, 08:26 PM	#312
Naiera Blu-ray Prince Top contributor Member since:Jun 2012 Location:Denmark Home Theater Gallery:2 Trading Score:25	It's not that difficult. Use MakeMKV to rip the discs, and then you need storage of some sort. You can even put the storage inside the Zidoo or Zappiti. I do both, though. The Zidoo is for "homesub" projects where I buy discs without English (or Danish) subtitles. Rip disc, find subs online, watch on Zidoo.

05-19-2023, 10:56 PM	#313
Wendell R. Breland Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Sep 2006 Location:North Carolina 4K collection:140 Blu-ray collection:841	^^^ Someone posted in another thread and said they connected several HDD's to a Zidoo Z9X with a USB 3.0 hub.

05-20-2023, 03:59 AM	#314
Naiera Blu-ray Prince Top contributor Member since:Jun 2012 Location:Denmark Home Theater Gallery:2 Trading Score:25	The more expensive models have two hard drive bays.

06-07-2023, 12:30 AM	#315
sapiendut Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Jul 2009 Location:Canada 4K collection:2 Blu-ray collection:3	Anybody know what’s the latest fw on Magnetar is for?

06-28-2023, 02:29 PM	#319
JEArgumedo Senior Member Member since:Sep 2013 Trading Score:1	Has anyone had any experience with ISO/BDMV backups on this player using the USB ports or over Ethernet via a media server?

06-28-2023, 02:56 PM	#320
sapiendut Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Jul 2009 Location:Canada 4K collection:2 Blu-ray collection:3	I tried using iso via front usb. It works fine even with DV.

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