Panasonic DP-UB9000 4K UHD Player: Owners Thread

[quiet robert]

But in terms of picture quality, is it a worthwhile upgrade?

 

[IntelliVolume]

In terms of raw picture quality, I don't think so -- most of the Panasonic 4K players share the same HCX processor, enabling them to play, pretty much, all alike.

Does that model you're thinking of upgrading from have the HCX engine in it?

 

[quiet robert]

Excellent question, to which I’ve no idea. I’ll look into it.

 

[GoingGoingGone]

Hi folks , I’m thinking of upgrading from a panny ub700 to this, anyone else done the same , and can tell me if it’s worth the upgrade?
Thanks

Done the same by way of a UB820. Worth it if you have a need for Dolby Vision or HDR10+.
UB700-->UB820 gives same PQ improvement as UB700-->UB9000.

The UB9000 has better build and better audio from the analogue outs but picture wise is much the same as the UB820 so if budget is an issue just go with the cheaper one.

Either would be an improvement over the UB700 for projector use due to both having HDR Optimiser which can tone map high nits UHDs down to the lower nits output that PJs have.

 

[quiet robert]

Done the same by way of a UB820. Worth it if you have a need for Dolby Vision or HDR10+.
UB700-->UB820 gives same PQ improvement as UB700-->UB9000.

The UB9000 has better build and better audio from the analogue outs but picture wise is much the same as the UB820 so if budget is an issue just go with the cheaper one.

Either would be an improvement over the UB700 for projector use due to both having HDR Optimiser which can tone map high nits UHDs down to the lower nits output that PJs have.

great stuff. Would the HDR optimiser also give an advantage in the short term if being used with a LED tv?

 

[Jacko007]

great stuff. Would the HDR optimiser also give an advantage in the short term if being used with a LED tv?

Yes unless you have an LED TV that can get up to 4000 nits in brightness.

 

[quiet robert]

Great stuff, thanks all

 

[Adam M]

Can anyone help me out? I’ve just bought one of these on this very forum and plugged it in to my Denon x8500.

The issue I’m having is a lack of atmos being indicated anywhere.

Yesterday it was plugged into my previous Denon 6500 and my 4K avengers assemble was outputting atmos without issue.

Now the Denon 8500 is only showing Dolby True HD from the UB9000 but has no problem playing atmos from Apple TV playing Netflix.

I’ve searched this issue and found a few suggestions for UB9000 set up changes but none has solved the problem.

I’ll admit that I don’t fully understand what most of these set up options are so might repeat them back inaccurately.

I turned off upmixing to 7.1, I also turned off secondary Blu-ray audio out.

all digital audio out is set to bitstream.

when looking at the data info during the film it states true hd audio, there is no option for an atmos soundtrack, only 7.1 true hd, as if an atmos soundtrack isn’t availabledespite having chosen atmos from the disc’s top menu,

I did read that someone had reset their different Panasonic player and all was well by pressing a combination of buttons but I don’t think my attempts to do the same thing were successful in performing a reset.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[GoingGoingGone]

Can anyone help me out? I’ve just bought one of these on this very forum and plugged it in to my Denon x8500.

The issue I’m having is a lack of atmos being indicated anywhere.

Yesterday it was plugged into my previous Denon 6500 and my 4K avengers assemble was outputting atmos without issue.

Now the Denon 8500 is only showing Dolby True HD from the UB9000 but has no problem playing atmos from Apple TV playing Netflix.

I’ve searched this issue and found a few suggestions for UB9000 set up changes but none has solved the problem.

I’ll admit that I don’t fully understand what most of these set up options are so might repeat them back inaccurately.

I turned off upmixing to 7.1, I also turned off secondary Blu-ray audio out.

all digital audio out is set to bitstream.

when looking at the data info during the film it states true hd audio, there is no option for an atmos soundtrack, only 7.1 true hd, as if an atmos soundtrack isn’t availabledespite having chosen atmos from the disc’s top menu,

I did read that someone had reset their different Panasonic player and all was well by pressing a combination of buttons but I don’t think my attempts to do the same thing were successful in performing a reset.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

While playing an atmos disc click on the red button of the X8500 remote and check (and change if necessary) that the audio playback mode is set to Atmos/ DSur. X8500 stores audio playback mode by input and also operates on a last used basis.

Atmos is never shown on the player (it doesn't have an atmos decoder), only on the decoding AVR.
You can check the input stream being received on the X8500 and the audio playback mode in force by using the Info button on the X8500 remote.

 

[IntelliVolume]

Anyone have any suggestions with regard to the HDR picture presets and using them in certain conditions?

I realize that the default "Standard" setting (on the UB9000 itself) is best for darker rooms in evening/night environments, which is why I use it because those are our conditions, but does going higher on these presets (which basically increases the Dynamic Range Adjuster slider by certain notches, I know) benefit darker conditions at all? Would going to, say, Natural Environment bring any benefit to a dark room experience, or would this just elevate blacks more?

Here's why I ask: Using my Samsung edge-lit panel the player is connected to, I experience horrible blooming into the letterbox areas of scope films, due to the display pushing the light so hard (backlight and contrast on max, etc., by auto default when the TV senses an HDR signal) and rather than try and tweak anything at the display end (which doesn't seem to alleviate the blooming unless I drop the backlight down to a ridiculously low number, thus negating the point of HDR), I was thinking of attempting some adjustments on the Panny.

If I keep the HDR mode on Standard, would playing around with the System Gamma or perhaps the Dynamic Range Adjuster help with the blooming? Perhaps going negative on the DRA? Or is this not advised?

I was also thinking of adjusting the Black Tone Curve, but someone advised me this will just shift the entire image's black tone in one direction; is this true?

 

[Adam M]

While playing an atmos disc click on the red button of the X8500 remote and check (and change if necessary) that the audio playback mode is set to Atmos/ DSur. X8500 stores audio playback mode by input and also operates on a last used basis.

Atmos is never shown on the player (it doesn't have an atmos decoder), only on the decoding AVR.
You can check the input stream being received on the X8500 and the audio playback mode in force by using the Info button on the X8500 remote.

thanks for the tip. I’m assessing atmos or not from the display on the 8500. The info button on the 9000 seems to be showing that atmos isn’t being sent out.

i may try swapping the hdmi input between the 9000 and the ATV since I know the ATV’s DD output is atmos encoded and the receiver is recognizing it.

 

[GoingGoingGone]

thanks for the tip. I’m assessing atmos or not from the display on the 8500. The info button on the 9000 seems to be showing that atmos isn’t being sent out.

i may try swapping the hdmi input between the 9000 and the ATV since I know the ATV’s DD output is atmos encoded and the receiver is recognizing it.

The UB9000, like all other players, will never show that atmos is being sent out.

 

[Adam M]

Still not working:

 

[GoingGoingGone]

Anyone have any suggestions with regard to the HDR picture presets and using them in certain conditions?

I realize that the default "Standard" setting (on the UB9000 itself) is best for darker rooms in evening/night environments, which is why I use it because those are our conditions, but does going higher on these presets (which basically increases the Dynamic Range Adjuster slider by certain notches, I know) benefit darker conditions at all? Would going to, say, Natural Environment bring any benefit to a dark room experience, or would this just elevate blacks more?

Here's why I ask: Using my Samsung edge-lit panel the player is connected to, I experience horrible blooming into the letterbox areas of scope films, due to the display pushing the light so hard (backlight and contrast on max, etc., by auto default when the TV senses an HDR signal) and rather than try and tweak anything at the display end (which doesn't seem to alleviate the blooming unless I drop the backlight down to a ridiculously low number, thus negating the point of HDR), I was thinking of attempting some adjustments on the Panny.

If I keep the HDR mode on Standard, would playing around with the System Gamma or perhaps the Dynamic Range Adjuster help with the blooming? Perhaps going negative on the DRA? Or is this not advised?

I was also thinking of adjusting the Black Tone Curve, but someone advised me this will just shift the entire image's black tone in one direction; is this true?

None of what you are suggesting will make much, if any, difference to the letter box blooming you get unless you are making changes which have an equivalent effect of turning down the TV backlight i.e. dim the picture down so that it isn't anywhere near as bright and thus not have so much light spreading into the letterbox areas.

It is that backlight and your edge lit TV which is the cause. Unfortunately any changes you make external to that via the player is like putting sticking plaster on a cut jugular vein.

Increasing DRA will make blacks lighter and so you would not have just blooming but also grey black letterbox bars. Negative DRA will dim the overall picture but to get it to stop letterbox blooming it would have to shift the picture to the same extent as dropping the backlight and you'ld also have a picture which was skewed towards the blacks so would have bad black crush.

 

[GoingGoingGone]

Still not working:

Photo of the full OSD while playing an atmos disc and using the X8500 remote Info button or the red button would be useful to see what signal is being received and what playback mode is active.

 

[Adam M]

So on the on screen display shown above, where it says TrueHD, what should I expect it to show for the 8500 to show atmos?
I’ve used the red button and scrolled through various surround options but atmos simply isn’t there.

I’ve also reset the ub9000 and configured the relevant settings but nothing is making a difference.

 

[Adam M]

This one?

 

[dece870717]

Anyone have any suggestions with regard to the HDR picture presets and using them in certain conditions?

I realize that the default "Standard" setting (on the UB9000 itself) is best for darker rooms in evening/night environments, which is why I use it because those are our conditions, but does going higher on these presets (which basically increases the Dynamic Range Adjuster slider by certain notches, I know) benefit darker conditions at all? Would going to, say, Natural Environment bring any benefit to a dark room experience, or would this just elevate blacks more?

Here's why I ask: Using my Samsung edge-lit panel the player is connected to, I experience horrible blooming into the letterbox areas of scope films, due to the display pushing the light so hard (backlight and contrast on max, etc., by auto default when the TV senses an HDR signal) and rather than try and tweak anything at the display end (which doesn't seem to alleviate the blooming unless I drop the backlight down to a ridiculously low number, thus negating the point of HDR), I was thinking of attempting some adjustments on the Panny.

If I keep the HDR mode on Standard, would playing around with the System Gamma or perhaps the Dynamic Range Adjuster help with the blooming? Perhaps going negative on the DRA? Or is this not advised?

I was also thinking of adjusting the Black Tone Curve, but someone advised me this will just shift the entire image's black tone in one direction; is this true?

Which TV model do you have? Have you found some professionally calibrated settings for your specific TV model and set them to those settings?

I noticed with certain HDR 4K blurays, more so with the ones that don't have any Media HDR10 metadata avaliable, those movies sometimes are too dark, so much so that I end up changing the HDR Settings to at least Natural Environment.

Also, in the Display Type settings (Middle/High Luminosity, High Luminosity, and etc) what do you have it set to?

 

[dece870717]

Hi folks , I’m thinking of upgrading from a panny ub700 to this, anyone else done the same , and can tell me if it’s worth the upgrade?
Thanks

I upgraded from a Sony Ubp-x700 to the Panasonic DP-UB9000 just a couple weeks ago, for me the upgrade was massive. I will say this though, if I had a chance to redo my purchase, especially learning what I have about this player and the Panasonic DP-UB820, I'd probably just get the DP-UB820. Main reason I ended up getting the DP-UB9000 was because I was able to get a brand new (out of box/box missing) for $769 off eBay.

 

[GoingGoingGone]

This one?

Where you have True HD +Dsur I have Atmos/Dsur so I don't know what's going down...
What is the disc you are using in the photo?
What X8500 firmware version?

You say you have turned off 7.1 upmixing, perhaps try turning it back on. It's on in mine and whilst it shouldn't affect atmos it just might, so worth checking on that.

All the player needs to output atmos is bitstream and secondary audio: Off and of course for it to be playing an atmos soundtrack.

 

[Adam M]

I read elsewhere the 7.1 upmixing should be off but I’ll try it.

I’ve been using the avengers assemble 4K disc throughout. I’ll try a second disc.

X8500 was installed yesterday from new, firmware updated. Can confirm atmos works when using ATV as a source.

can you remind me where secondary audio is in menu? I recall seeing it but have been looking around menus for a while but can’t remember where. I had previously turned it off though.

 

[GoingGoingGone]

I read elsewhere the 7.1 upmixing should be off but I’ll try it.

I’ve been using the avengers assemble 4K disc throughout. I’ll try a second disc.

X8500 was installed yesterday from new, firmware updated. Can confirm atmos works when using ATV as a source.

can you remind me where secondary audio is in menu? I recall seeing it but have been looking around menus for a while but can’t remember where. I had previously turned it off though.

From memory, so may not be totally accurate: HDMI | Advanced | Digital Audio output.
While you are there check that you have everything set to bitstream.

 

[Adam M]

Thanks for your help.

 

[Adam M]

I’ve now tried a different hdmi input - no change

I’ve switched to the matrix 4K where I had to enable the Atmos sound tracks and got what looked like a Blu-ray encoded on screen confirmation of the atmos sound track.

still have 8500 days DD THD and 9000 playback info on screen display still says True HD.

I’m beginning to lose faith.

 

[GoingGoingGone]

I’ve now tried a different hdmi input - no change

I’ve switched to the matrix 4K where I had to enable the Atmos sound tracks and got what looked like a Blu-ray encoded on screen confirmation of the atmos sound track.

still have 8500 days DD THD and 9000 playback info on screen display still says True HD.

I’m beginning to lose faith.

The UB9000 will always say True HD for atmos soundtracks so that is a red herring.
While this has been going on have you at any time done a complete off/on power cycle (off at the wall plug) for TV, X8500 and UB9000? If not, do so.

Can you do photo of:

1. the UB9000 Digital Audio Output settings
2. the X8500 amp assign and speaker settings
3. Plus the X8500 OSD info screen from using the Info button on the remote while playing an atmos disc.