3.0 out of 5 stars | Very Good for Just Playing Discs. Otherwise, Numerous Problems.
If you use this player for *JUST* playing blu-rays/dvds and don't use the remote in the box, it's excellent. However, I made some wrong assumptions because of the price point and returned the unit because of them. 1. Does not have a Spotify app. The web browser cannot play from spotify's site either. 2. I bought it specifically for DLNA use. Their DLNA stack doesn't talk to my DLNA devices. 3. Web browser crashes the player. As in hangs on popular media sites and never comes back. 4. UI is bizarre and difficult in many ways. If you are just playing discs, this won't be a problem. 5. Per other comments, the remote is horrible. This is inexcusable at $400+ 6. Extremely limited third party apps. Don't expect a Disney app. 6. No manual. This is a $400+ player in an ocean of $100 players. I expect a manual.
Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2019 by Cluster Node
5.0 out of 5 stars | HDR10+, yay!
Like many, I bought a Sony UBP-X800 from the advice of a Best Buy worker along with my Samsung QLED having no idea about the HDR format war that was being waged between Dolby Vision and HDR10+, and how my Blu-ray player would never output the best picture possible for my TV thanks to it. After a year of waiting though, a player has finally been released that can do both! The only drawback is the price, but I think it's more than worth it. I was nervous at first because of the weight; this thing is really light. That shouldn't mater, but there's just something nice about a hefty piece of machinery. After watching a few movies on it though, none of that mattered, because the picture was beautiful. I couldn't even begin to tell you why, but compared to my old Sony, the contrast between dark and light was vastly improved. Also, it has several HDR modes you can rotate through and pick the one that looks best; a really cool feature. And HDR10+, looks so good. Only have Aliens and Alita at the moment, but really notice a difference even compared to HDR10. As for sound, it bitsreamed the data via a second HDMI with no issues to my receiver. Oh, and setup's a breeze. There's an easy setup wizard for getting the player ready, and also one for getting connected to the internet. As soon as that was finished, it then proceeded to update to the newest firmware. Sweet. Now for some small negatives: First, the remote. Why the put a Netflix button right next to the directional up arrow is beyond me. It takes forever to get to your apps, like YoutTube (Second complaint), so it really sucks to accidently hit that button and have it whisk you away to the Netflix app. Third, the interface is serviceable, but nothing fancy. It's slow-moving and pretty clunky. All in all though, really happy with this player, and if you too own a QLED, would highly recommend.
Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2019 by Aaron Martin
5.0 out of 5 stars | The Best Player on the Market.
This is by far the best player on the market for movies. It accurately maps colors. The HDR Optimizer allows you to perfectly dial in spectral detail so you don’t have over blown bright scenes or overly dark shadows. If you have a projector this is the only player you should consider buying. It is a waste if money to by any other player. The only difference between the UB820 and the UB9000 is the 9000 has a dedicated power supply for the audio stage, it has upgraded DAC for stereo audio listening (not movies), and it has a metal case. So if you are not doing high end stereo listening there is no need for the 9000.
Reviewed in the United States on October 9, 2019 by Lawrence Family
5.0 out of 5 stars | The best 4K Blu Ray Player on the market not named Oppo.
After searching and searching for a 4K Blu Player that is built great, has a timer on the front, has a great user interface, and all around great picture quality. I’m glad I found the Panasonic 820. LG and Sony 4K Blu Ray players just didn’t do it for me. They’re poorly made and have all kinds of flaws. Let’s talk about the design, it has a matte black glossy design and the build quality is excellent. It supports all HDR formats except for Technicolor HDR. HDR 10, HDR 10+, and Dolby Vision are all supported. All audio formats are supported including Dolby Atmos and DTS X. The HDR optimizer lets you customize some settings for a better HDR experience. However, it doesn’t work for Dolby Vision content. The only flaws I have with this player are the apps. No Vudu, no Hulu, YouTube is broken and it doesn’t play 4K content, and it has a lack of apps in the App Store. However, I don’t think that’s much of a deal since my TV and X BOX have a more apps built in. Overall, I recommend this 4K Blu Ray player if you don’t wanna dish out almost $2000 for an Oppo player.
Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2019 by Rob
5.0 out of 5 stars | I'd buy it again, even with the bad remote.
Works well for the most part and the picture quality is superb. For playing regular and 4K Blu-rays this is a top notch player without having to pay top dollar. Does have its flaws though. The remote leaves a lot to be desired as it includes a slew of buttons I don't find a need for where useful ones were omitted. If you want to change subs or even audio you have to enter a menu instead of pressing a button. Why does closed caption get a button? Whoever made that decision should get fired. Netflix gets its own button yet only plays in 1080p? This is a 4K player! At least the Amazon Prime Video app offers 4K. YouTube app is broken and hasn't been able to play anything above 1080p as it crashes if attempted. There is also a Berliner Philharmoniker app which offers 4K performances as well as a web browser. You can download more apps via the Market but not much there at the moment. Media files work well so long as they don't include a lossless audio track. The audio just won't play or will sound garbled. Only seems to like lossy audio tracks if playing media files. For shame as it would replace my HTPC if it played Atmos, TrueHD or DTS-HD audio tracks. Overall it's worth the price if you know what you are getting with this player. Everything else is extra and does not affect how well this device performs. A few updates or hacks would only improve it.
Reviewed in the United States on July 31, 2019 by C. Monarrez
