4k Goodness!
I own an LG 65C1 OLED which supports DV and also own a Vizio Elevate P series which supports Dolby. I have been slowly buying 4k copies of movies and have been driving them with my PS5. The PS5 is capable but doesn't have the support for DV. I was scouring the internet to find the best one and was looking at the Sony(which has freezing issues) and this model by Panasonic. Bought it while it was on sale; never regretted my buying decision. I have now been enjoying my movies far better than running then with my PS5 or actually streaming. I would highly recommend this product to anyone. Only downside I find is that the fans do get a little loud but I guess it's every player that tries to drive 4k movies.... Show more
Lendl
originally posted on bhphotovideo.com
Excellent Disk Spinner
Firstly I should point out that this player is currently used in a Home Cinema with an HD projector, so I cannot fully comment on the 4K picture quality. It does however play my library of HD Bluray disks, plus a few 4K discs (player converts to HD) which I'm now buying in preference. The picture and sound quality off the discs is excellent, and I have no hesitation in recommending the player if your primary reason for purchasing the player is for the playback of discs, with less importance to the streaming Apps. As some others have mentioned the player is a little on the slow side, but not so slow as to bother me too much, and wouldn't be a reason not to buy it. The playback of Apps etc is another story. When I saw the Amazon Video App included I thought it would ... MoreFirstly I should point out that this player is currently used in a Home Cinema with an HD projector, so I cannot fully comment on the 4K picture quality. It does however play my library of HD Bluray disks, plus a few 4K discs (player converts to HD) which I'm now buying in preference. The picture and sound quality off the discs is excellent, and I have no hesitation in recommending the player if your primary reason for purchasing the player is for the playback of discs, with less importance to the streaming Apps. As some others have mentioned the player is a little on the slow side, but not so slow as to bother me too much, and wouldn't be a reason not to buy it. The playback of Apps etc is another story. When I saw the Amazon Video App included I thought it would be great to use that to stream movies instead of my 4K Firestick, however I have a problem with it. The issue is that whereas the playback frame rate out of the player matches the source disc, eg 24p for most films, this is not the case with the video Apps (cannot comment on Netflix as I don't have an account). The player outputs video at 60p, irrespective of the source video, so motion isn't as smooth as it would otherwise be. This is a real shame as the quality of the images is otherwise very good. Regarding the Apps, the player's navigation though the App menus is extremely slow. From this aspect it is substantially inferior to the 4K Firestick which responds instantly.... Show more
mcreese
originally posted on richersounds.com
Excellent player
I'll be using this player for 4k Blu-rays, although it can be used to stream online video, local network and usb connected content. My first impression was that it was small, it hasn't got the depth that I am used to. There is no issue with that at all and I suspect the space saving will be very useful when a surround sound system is cabled in. Standard DVD - does a great job and upscales incredibly well. I have been watching series 10 of modern family on standard DVD. Despite the lower resolution the player did a great job of bringing it to life. 4K DVD - very happy with the player, the visuals are incredible. I watched Hook (Robin Williams) and it felt like I was at the cinema with life like colour reproduction (LG OLED TV). Sound was brilliant, using the KEF LS ... MoreI'll be using this player for 4k Blu-rays, although it can be used to stream online video, local network and usb connected content. My first impression was that it was small, it hasn't got the depth that I am used to. There is no issue with that at all and I suspect the space saving will be very useful when a surround sound system is cabled in. Standard DVD - does a great job and upscales incredibly well. I have been watching series 10 of modern family on standard DVD. Despite the lower resolution the player did a great job of bringing it to life. 4K DVD - very happy with the player, the visuals are incredible. I watched Hook (Robin Williams) and it felt like I was at the cinema with life like colour reproduction (LG OLED TV). Sound was brilliant, using the KEF LS 50 ii with a REL sub woofer, the detail was exceptional and there was not a single moment where the sound track didn't live up to expectation. Other things I like: The player remembers where the film was before it was turned off. Resuming partially watched films is super easy. Dimmable lcd display. Things I don't like: The remote control, though this is probably just because it's another set of controls to master. I do not like the Netflix button! The remote control needs to be visible to the player, other connection methods are possible. My opinion on this player: This is a high quality player, focus has been put on the electronic components rather than cosmetics and remote control. Buy if you want the best bang for your buck, after this price point we are talking marginal gains.... Show more
Alex
originally posted on johnlewis.com
Good BluRay player
I owned a Panasonic DMP-UB400GNK BluRay that I purchased from Good Guys back in 2018.I recently upgraded my TV to a OLED 4K unit.So wanted to get the best out of it. According to the reviews, the UB400 was a very competent player for 1080p, but wasn't so impressive as a 4K player visually. And audio was good, but could be better.I have a fairly decent surround sound system. Audio is at least as important to me as visual.So did my research and the UB820 got some really good reviews. According to the reviews it shares a lot of the same visual & audio processing tech as the flagship UB4000 model. So I took the plunge and purchased the unit.I had to go out and buy a 4K movie (patiently waiting for Top Gun Maverick 4K BluRay to be released next month). I picked up the ... MoreI owned a Panasonic DMP-UB400GNK BluRay that I purchased from Good Guys back in 2018.I recently upgraded my TV to a OLED 4K unit.So wanted to get the best out of it. According to the reviews, the UB400 was a very competent player for 1080p, but wasn't so impressive as a 4K player visually. And audio was good, but could be better.I have a fairly decent surround sound system. Audio is at least as important to me as visual.So did my research and the UB820 got some really good reviews. According to the reviews it shares a lot of the same visual & audio processing tech as the flagship UB4000 model. So I took the plunge and purchased the unit.I had to go out and buy a 4K movie (patiently waiting for Top Gun Maverick 4K BluRay to be released next month). I picked up the Hobbit 4K BluRay set as I enjoy the movies and apparently it's a superb example of a 4K movie. So I used this as a bit of a test. I also love live concerts in my loungeroom, so pulled out the old favourite Eagles 'Farewell Part 1' tour on BluRay. It an oldie, but still a standout live DVD at least as far as audio goes, recorded with DTS Master HD. So how did the DP-UB820GNK stack up against my DMP-UB400GNK First, I love having a display on the unit. I can see what it's doing rather than guessing. I really missed that. But when I purchased the UB400, I couldn't find a BluRay with a LED display on the front of the unit.AUDIOthe sound on both the Hobbit was noticeably better, not that the UB400 was bad. The audio format was Dolby TrueHD (lossless). The detail of the sound was better, in particular the discrete background noises like the leaves on the trees blowing in the wind. The big noises like stampedes, dragon breathing fire, were noticeably punchier, lively. The Eagles live - this was played in DTS Master HD (lossless). The old UB400 handled this concert well, but the surround just seemed to be more immersive with the UB820. And once again, harder, punchier bass guitar and drums. Really filled the room, made it feel like I was there. Had it cranked up loud, gave my sound system (and the neighbours) a work out!Just like the UB400, I appreciate that this unit has separate audio and video HDMI ports. My Yamaha receiver is getting on a bit, so doesn't support 4K. So with the two separate ports I can run the 4K video straight from the BluRay to the TV and the sound back through my Yamaha receiver. VISUAL - the Hobbit, colours just seemed to be better. Contrast was overall better and most colours seemed a little more natural, in particular skin tones. Detail seemed to be sharper and effects like smoke in the sky seemed more real. Eagles concert - more or less the same, but did notice some details that I hadn't noticed with the UB400. For example smoke effect from the smoke machine against the stage lights, lighting flare.OPERATIONIt is noticeably faster to start the machine up. The UB400 was agonisingly slow to boot up and shut down. Also when I scroll through videos on an external HD attached through the USB port, it is also much faster. The UB400 had to play catchup for a couple of seconds after I let the button go scrolling through the file - which was annoying. There is no delay from the UB820.UB820 shares the same remote as the UB400. It could be better. Usually I have the lights off or dimmed when I watch movies or concerts. So I would have liked to see the buttons illuminated so I can identify the button. Some of the buttons that don't have anything on the button itself are very difficult to see the function even with the lights on.So overall very happy with the unit.... Show more
Darren
originally posted on thegoodguys.com.au
High-end cinema quality at a mid-range price
I got this player as an upgrade from my Sony UBP-X700. That player was fine for most purposes but struggled sometimes with freezing during playback of certain 4K UHD discs, probably because of memory limits. The Panasonic not only has not had any problems with the discs I've tried but I unexpectedly noticed a significant increase in the video quality. The picture is rich and colorful with the perfect balance of sharpness and noise reduction. As I understand it, the DP-UB820 has the same video processing unit as the flagship DP-UB9000 in a chearper, more plasticky body. The looks are fine, clearly not high-end materials and design but simple, clean, and understated. The audio outputs are convenient but I haven't tested as I have a standalone receiver; I've heard this ... MoreI got this player as an upgrade from my Sony UBP-X700. That player was fine for most purposes but struggled sometimes with freezing during playback of certain 4K UHD discs, probably because of memory limits. The Panasonic not only has not had any problems with the discs I've tried but I unexpectedly noticed a significant increase in the video quality. The picture is rich and colorful with the perfect balance of sharpness and noise reduction. As I understand it, the DP-UB820 has the same video processing unit as the flagship DP-UB9000 in a chearper, more plasticky body. The looks are fine, clearly not high-end materials and design but simple, clean, and understated. The audio outputs are convenient but I haven't tested as I have a standalone receiver; I've heard this is another difference in quality from the DP-UB9000 but I can't verify. I also haven't tested the streaming features as my TV has built-in apps but they would also be convenient if you were connected this to a dumb monitor or projector. My TV currently only has HDR10+ capability and I've heard the receiver doesn't pass through Dolby Vision signals. I appreciate that this player includes both video HDMI (to TV) and audio-only HDMI (to receiver) for when I upgrade the TV to one that can display Dolby Vision as well. Overall, a great addition for any home theater enthusiast looking for quality video, in nearly all available formats, at a good value (I'm told it doesn't handle DVD-Audio or SACD.)... Show more
Jeremy
originally posted on bhphotovideo.com
I'm sure I made the right choice....
Back in December last year, I replaced my 9 year old, LG 3D TV with a new LG 4K UHD Nano model. I had been using a Sony 3D Blu Ray player with the old TV, but decided on upgrading to a 4K UHD capable player....but which one to choose? Also, the Sony AV receiver that I'm currently using is over 20 years old (!) and HDMI and digital inputs/outputs weren't around at the time of its inception, despite still producing an acceptable sound, but it's not the most compatible with recent equipment and is really overdue for replacement. However, funds were not available to replace both Blu Ray player and AV receiver, so which should it be? I received some conflicting advice on this, with the majority in favour of going for the new receiver first, but as I was still able to ... MoreBack in December last year, I replaced my 9 year old, LG 3D TV with a new LG 4K UHD Nano model. I had been using a Sony 3D Blu Ray player with the old TV, but decided on upgrading to a 4K UHD capable player....but which one to choose? Also, the Sony AV receiver that I'm currently using is over 20 years old (!) and HDMI and digital inputs/outputs weren't around at the time of its inception, despite still producing an acceptable sound, but it's not the most compatible with recent equipment and is really overdue for replacement. However, funds were not available to replace both Blu Ray player and AV receiver, so which should it be? I received some conflicting advice on this, with the majority in favour of going for the new receiver first, but as I was still able to utilise the receiver in the very simple (just 2 speaker!) set-up that I had, with some jiggery-pokery around the connections, I was somewhat loathe to ditch it. Also, I've got quite a few Blu Ray discs that I still like to watch regularly, so I ultimately decided to opt for a new player and put a new receiver on my wish list for the future. I checked out as many reviews as possible and eventually shortlisted 3 units : the Sony UBPX800 Mk2, LG UBK90 and the Panasonic DPU820. I initially leaned towards either the Sony or the LG models as I had previous good experience with those brands in the TV & Hi-Fi fields, but the overall specification of those two, didn't fully meet my current and possibly future, requirements. However, the Panasonic DPU820 did, although it was the most expensive of the trio, a full £100 more than the LG player, but it did tick ALL the boxes for comprehensive connectivity. Finally, I checked out its review on 'What Hi-Fi' and saw that it occupied the top spot in their 2020 poll, so that clinched it for me. Although I'm not intuitively tech. savvy, I found the Panasonic relatively straightforward to set up and connect to my TV & receiver, thanks to the guidance screens. V. pleased so far!... Show more
originally posted on panasonic.com
Panasonic DP-UB820-K 4K Blu-ray Player
The Panasonic DP-UB820-K Blu-ray player is a well built and well designed 4K Blu-ray player. The quality of the movies and sound it produces is excellent. This Blu-ray player plays, DVD's, Ultra High Blu-ray and Ultra HD Premium DVD's and CD's. This Blu-ray player has HDMI, Digital Optical jacks and Analog jacks that allowed me to use high end older Onkyo home theater sound system. The remote control is well designed and the TV on screen menu is easy to navigate. The reviews of this product gave this Blu-ray player high marks for quality, performance and features. All in all it is a very capable and full feature product that produces a great picture and sound. The Panasonic DP-UB820-K comes with a limited one year warranty. Jon... Show more
Jon
originally posted on bhphotovideo.com
Perfect for Projector and OLED + Dolby vision.
Bought this Blu-Ray player for 3 reasons. 1) Tone mapping from HDR content to SDR for my 4k Projector. 2) HDR settings for my LG CX OLED TV. 3) The ability to use Dolby Vision. All 3 reasons where met, and it has brought new life into my Projector in particular. Before I was using an Xbox. Compared to the Xbox this player seems slightly snappier and I have yet to have a delay in reading a disk like I sometimes had on the Xbox. I expect I will be collecting physical media of my favorite movies for some time to come. Even when streaming catches up with Blu-Ray bitrate or uses better compression formats, it still has the problem of not actually being yours. All companies rise and fall and eventually every cloud will be run differently or replaced. Some of those changes ... MoreBought this Blu-Ray player for 3 reasons. 1) Tone mapping from HDR content to SDR for my 4k Projector. 2) HDR settings for my LG CX OLED TV. 3) The ability to use Dolby Vision. All 3 reasons where met, and it has brought new life into my Projector in particular. Before I was using an Xbox. Compared to the Xbox this player seems slightly snappier and I have yet to have a delay in reading a disk like I sometimes had on the Xbox. I expect I will be collecting physical media of my favorite movies for some time to come. Even when streaming catches up with Blu-Ray bitrate or uses better compression formats, it still has the problem of not actually being yours. All companies rise and fall and eventually every cloud will be run differently or replaced. Some of those changes will not be smooth. Con: wish it had backlit remote.... Show more
Jason
originally posted on bhphotovideo.com
Superior Mechanics And Digital Output
The Panasonic DP-UB820-K is probably the best all-around Blu Ray player on the market. I've had my eye on it for 2 years and I decided to finally go for it when the disc drive in my PlayStation 4 broke down. This is a serious disc player. The mechanicals seem really sound. It runs silently. And the digital output is perfect. The user interface (UI) is dated and sluggish, Users will just have to deal with it, just like the interfaces of most AV receivers and other high end gear. But once you have it connected to your network and have your settings saved, it is a superior movie player. Got Criterion Collection DVDs? This machine is practically made for them. This is a solid choice. It might prove to be the last Blu Ray player I ever buy, if it is durable enough.... Show more
Brendan A.
originally posted on bhphotovideo.com
What Hifi winner - what's not to like?
Having upgraded to a 4k projector, I thought it was time to upgrade the Blu-ray player to one that could handle UHD. Rated best Blu-ray player 2022 by What Hi-fi, the Panasonic DPUB820 seemed like a logical choice, especially considering the price. I've had the player a week now and already tried it with several 4K UHD discs. The picture quality is excellent and playback is smooth and problem-free. Upscaling on regular BR discs works well too. At present I'm playing sound through the projector's speakers, which gives a good result but am planning to upgrade to 7.1.2 in the near future and assume that the player will provide excellent sound when I do. Set-up was easy and it is very simple to operate, plus there are plenty of connection options - HDMI, digital, ... MoreHaving upgraded to a 4k projector, I thought it was time to upgrade the Blu-ray player to one that could handle UHD. Rated best Blu-ray player 2022 by What Hi-fi, the Panasonic DPUB820 seemed like a logical choice, especially considering the price. I've had the player a week now and already tried it with several 4K UHD discs. The picture quality is excellent and playback is smooth and problem-free. Upscaling on regular BR discs works well too. At present I'm playing sound through the projector's speakers, which gives a good result but am planning to upgrade to 7.1.2 in the near future and assume that the player will provide excellent sound when I do. Set-up was easy and it is very simple to operate, plus there are plenty of connection options - HDMI, digital, optical, RCA, etc. The only thing I've not figured out so far is if it is possible to turn off the display on the front of the player completely during operation. Plastic remote is a little on the cheap side but has everything you need.... Show more
msg1969
originally posted on richersounds.com