Best 4K Blu-ray player (is Dolby Vision worth $250)? (1 Viewer)

[DaveF]

I'm about to buy a 4K TV. The 4K projector update is maybe later this year, maybe pushed to 2021, due to #2020.

I don't watch movies anymore on TV, but I'm thinking about buying a 4K disc player to at least try out some of my 4K discs. The Panasonic UB420 is recommended and seems like a great purchase, especially if I catch it on sale for under $200. But it doesn't ahve Dolby Vision. It's step up brother, the UB820, adds Dolby Divsion, but costs $250 more. I expect to move the player to the projector room when I get that upgraded, and since projectors don't do DV, a high-end DV player doesn't help there.

So, I guess I'm wondering if Dolby Vision is so gobsmackingly awesome compared to HDR10 that it's worth an extra $250 just to experience it?

 

[Johnny Angell]

Since you plan of moving the player to the projector which doesn’t do DV, it doesn’t make sense to pay for it, unless you want to future proof your purchase. Are you watching mostly news? DV doesn’t seem critical for that. I’m not sure how much DV is used for original TV programming.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

I'd suggest just looking for the 420 to be on sale at around $150 or so again during this holiday shopping season -- seems plenty likely. Otherwise, maybe the 820 might show up for as low as $400 to be worth considering...

_Man_

 

[DaveF]

Thanks. I think for my particular interests, catching the 420 on sale is the way to go. Spending up for the high end player doesn't really suit what I plan to use it for.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

The 820 is supposed to be better for tone mapping on projectors to better translate HDR/DV sources into what your projector can actually do.

If this is a player that’s going to be solely for non critical viewing on the TV, go with the 420. If it’s eventually going to be paired with a projector instead, you may also want to look at the 820.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

The 820 is supposed to be better for tone mapping on projectors to better translate HDR/DV sources into what your projector can actually do.

If this is a player that’s going to be solely for non critical viewing on the TV, go with the 420. If it’s eventually going to be paired with a projector instead, you may also want to look at the 820.

I believe the 420 also offers tone mapping.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I believe the 420 also offers tone mapping.

Yeah, I’m not well versed enough to make a final recommendation - I was just pointing out that it was probably something worse researching.

 

[JohnRice]

I seem to recall the 820 (and 9000) has mapping that is better suited to projectors.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

I seem to recall the 820 (and 9000) has mapping that is better suited to projectors.

I am not sure how advanced the tone mapping is with the 420 compared with those models. I just know it has some form of the feature. Personally, I own the 820, but mostly for the Dolby Vision support. I do not have a projector.

 

[JohnRice]

I’m pretty certain Robert Zahn has confirmed the 820 and 9000 have mapping optimized for projectors.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

AFAIK, it was never clear whether the 820 is actually better at tonemapping (for PJs) than the 420 -- all indications seem to be otherwise. Both 420 and 820 seem to have the same, single 500-nit target for PJs whereas the 9000 does add a 350(?)-nit option. Also, the 820 and 420 seem to have a workaround that might come close enough for those who might need to accommodate lower brightness (mostly older) PJs that don't handle HDR well at all via their optional conversion to SDR BT2020 (that apparently targets roughly 350 nits).

Panasonic DP-UB820 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player Review Page 2

Another issue is that HDR10 programs contain metadata that’s supposed to inform the display about the program’s characteristics. More often than not, this data is largely inadequate (or missing, or wrong), so the tone map is generated based on incomplete or misleading information.

www.soundandvision.com

But if you're buying a new PJ and don't expect to skimp too much on it, that's probably not a significant issue. Get the 9000 instead if you really want to eek out whatever (small) degree of better tonemapping from its 350-nit target option if you happen to already have a PJ that falls much closer to that target than 500-nit (and don't want to upgrade the PJ anytime soon).

Otherwise, the real diffs between these players seem mostly to do w/ build quality (probably including mechanical transport quality) and analog section quality (or lack thereof). That and the 420 doesn't do DV.

_Man_

 

[John Dirk]

I've had the 820 for a little less than a year now I think. It's a great player and well worth its asking price. That said, my experience with UHD discs is that your projectors HDR prowess will have a much greater effect on picture quality than any disc player.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

I've had the 820 for a little less than a year now I think. It's a great player and well worth its asking price. That said, my experience with UHD discs is that your projectors HDR prowess will have a much greater effect on picture quality than any disc player.

Probably that plus properly optimized setup, including full HT room treatment.

_Man_

 

[Bartman]

A little off subject but my thoughts may be useful. I recently replaced my 'old' S1700 Blu-ray player. I looked at all the UHD players but they all had disadvantages of one sort or another, that put me off. Later I realized the overwhelming disadvantage was their remote controls. With my S1700 I'm able to directly access subtitles, audio and disc info from the remote and that is important to me.
I ended up buying the S6700 but it was a mistake too (at least a minor $30 mistake), it does not upscale DVD to 4K only 2K, that was my major reason for buying it and I found nothing online that stated that. A new S1700 would have been perfectly adequate. The paper manual that came with the S6700 is only a summary manual, I had to search online for the full manual and in the fine print it does state DVD only upscales to 2K. I believe the technical reason is, 2160p/60 (DVD) would too stressful for the HDMI2.0 (and cables) than 2160p/25 (Blu-ray) and Sony didn't want a ton of returns due to this issue, a pity.
The upshot, read the full manual for expensive gear to make you're getting what you think you need.

 

[ChrisOC]

I don't know how it compares overall to the Panasonic, but the LG UBK90 has Dolby Vision and usually sells for $250 or less. I have one, and while its settings options are limited compared to my Sony X800's settings, its operation is quiet and its picture is as good as the Sony's. The only thing I don't like is that the home screen is super-white and a little hard on my eyes, so I default to the Sony.

 

[ChrisOC]

A little off subject but my thoughts may be useful. I recently replaced my 'old' S1700 Blu-ray player. I looked at all the UHD players but they all had disadvantages of one sort or another, that put me off. Later I realized the overwhelming disadvantage was their remote controls. With my S1700 I'm able to directly access subtitles, audio and disc info from the remote and that is important to me.

Excellent point! I bought a Sony X800 a while back (refurbished, cheap, works great) and it came with Sony's RMT-VB310U remote, which is about the best I've seen in a new/recent BD or UHD player. I also have a Sony S6200 for the bedroom, which came with a smaller, less friendly remote. When I found that the X800's remote works with the older player, I found an authentic one (beware knock-offs) on ebay for about $15 and put the unfriendly remote aside.

BTW: Sony seems to pack the smaller, unfriendly remote with the X700. Why is beyond me. I can't imagine the cost of production is so great as to save money.

Here's what the better remote looks like:

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Excellent point! I bought a Sony X800 a while back (refurbished, cheap, works great) and it came with Sony's RMT-VB310U remote, which is about the best I've seen in a new/recent BD or UHD player. I also have a Sony S6200 for the bedroom, which came with a smaller, less friendly remote. When I found that the X800's remote works with the older player, I found an authentic one (beware knock-offs) on ebay for about $15 and put the unfriendly remote aside.

BTW: Sony seems to pack the smaller, unfriendly remote with the X700. Why is beyond me. I can't imagine the cost of production is so great as to save money.

Here's what the better remote looks like:View attachment 81748

Gave up on remotes that come w/ most devices long ago (even the nicer ones). As long as they're easy enough to integrate well into an affordable universal remote like the Harmony 650, that's usually all I need.

IF they need to cut corners, I'd much rather they do it w/ the remote itself than most anything else -- I don't mean the control functions of course, but just the physical remote.

_Man_

 

[Desdinova]

I recently bought a Sony X800 on eBay for $400 that had been modified for all regions and both PAL & NTSC and this thing is outstanding. It's in the kitchen hooked to a 43" Insignia and even sitting within a foot of the player, I rarely hear any noise when the drive spins up with a 4k disc. Having the ability to drop in pretty much any disc I have (except the old HDDVDs, lol) and having it play perfectly is a dream. I also love the USB port that reads a 12 TB hard drive loaded with personal blu ray rips (THAT'S when I can play the HDDVDs).

I was a bit hesitant to pay so much for a player but as I have a large number of foreign discs, it seemed a worthy gamble. Glad I did.

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[Scott Merryfield]

Gave up on remotes that come w/ most devices long ago (even the nicer ones). As long as they're easy enough to integrate well into an affordable universal remote like the Harmony 650, that's usually all I need.

IF they need to cut corners, I'd much rather they do it w/ the remote itself than most anything else -- I don't mean the control functions of course, but just the physical remote.

_Man_

I never understood why people continue to use the "coffee table full of remotes" approach when Harmony remotes are so affordable and user friendly. I've been using a single remote to control my system for over 25 years (hate doing the remote shuffle), and the Harmony 650 is the "best bang for the buck" for a home theater setup, IMO. I spent less than $50, and even my elderly parents were able to figure out how to use it without any instructions when I first got one and they were staying with us.

 

[AndyMcKinney]

I recently bought a Sony X800 on eBay for $400 that had been modified for all regions and both PAL & NTSC and this thing is outstanding.

I was a bit hesitant to pay so much for a player but as I have a large number of foreign discs, it seemed a worthy gamble. Glad I did.

Sony S1500RF Multi Zone Region Free Blu-ray Player for sale online | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Sony S1500RF Multi Zone Region Free Blu-ray Player at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

Out of curiosity, how does it handle foreign discs? Does it output PAL and 1080i/50 discs at their native framerates (albeit upscaled), or does it convert it to US framerates (NTSC, 1080i/60), or is it like Oppos and switchable to do whichever you desire (say, whether you have a multi-system TV or not).