Panasonic DP-UB9000 4K Blu-ray player | High-end Audio/Video machine

NorthStar

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Feb 8, 2011
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Some background reviews ...

https://blog.son-video.com/en/2018/...-ub9000-4k-hdr10-dolby-vision-blu-ray-player/

https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/panasonic-dp-ub9000-review

By the way, this new player is the top-de-la-creme when it comes to state-of-the-art image quality. ...And for both UHD 4K front projector's owners and flat panel displays using 4K OLED, QLED and LED technologies.

Oppo was the King, Panasonic is live, the 9000 is now. This is a serious player for serious people who want the best picture quality, with sound.

It's not made of plastic, it's made of steel metal, and thick 'aluminium' front face.
It sports gold on its 'derrière' apron.
 

NorthStar

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@ first we weren't too sure if this hi-end 4K Blu-ray player would be available in North America.
But just less than 48 jours ago it was confirmed that yes it would be available in the USA.
For hi-end videophiles living this side of the globe it goes without saying that this is very good news.

Quick preview from Germany (the 9004 is the same as the 9000, different region that's all):
http://www.areadvd.de/tests/preview-panasonic-dp-ub9004-neuer-champion-der-ultra-hd-blu-ray-player/

"With Dolby Vision, HDR10 + and HLG, the DP-UB9004 is particularly flexible with dynamic HDR standards. In contrast to static HDR, Dynamic Tone Mapping adjusts the representation of each individual scene and achieves optimum brightness and contrast values. Of course, the top model also has the HDR Optimizer on board, which improves static metadata of conventional HDR10 by its own tone mapping and distributes the brightness within the representable range. The excellent acoustic and visual qualities have been confirmed by the Japanese manufacturer at THX in the USA."
 
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NorthStar

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For build quality the 9000 is superior (to all the cheap plastic players out there).
For video quality the 9000 seems to be the new King, above Oppo and all the rest.
For sound quality the 9000 doesn't scare the Oppo 205.

Its main attribute is quality picture and construction.
If picture quality is your main goal this is your player, Panasonic DP-UB9000 4K BR player
 

rwwear

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Dec 4, 2018
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Looks good. Does it come in silver? I'm sick of black components.
 

NorthStar

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I've never seen a silver one, and I follow the new 4K Blu-ray players very closely.

It's true that for most video components the color black is de rigueur.
Sometimes some brands also offer the color silver, or champagne (Marantz, Yamaha).

You make a good point because I would like to see other colors as well; burgundy, navy blue, red corvette, racing green, 24 Kt gold, silk platinum, ...
 

NorthStar

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A productive look and review...all that jazz+


* Shane is one of my favorite best YouTube reviewers (Blu-ray movies...4K, 3D, video components, audio home theater components, etc.). He's to the point with excellent articulation. ...No bullshit but he tells it like it is with exemplary integrity. He's a very likeable young man with solid experience in the audio/visuals of one of our very best favorite hobbies...pastimes.

If the best picture is also one of your interests I highly recommend that you watch his above video in its entirety...it's only fifteen minutes for cinephiles.
 
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kodomo

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Apr 26, 2017
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As far as I could find, it is not region free and can not be modded to be region free for bluray. It does not play sacd and dvd audio. These are what I would miss.

I use my oppo 105d for sacd, dvd audio, playing digital audio over external hard disks via my dac, multi region bluray and dvd play and watching netflix and youtube streams.

I am looking for a better replacement but there is none that ticks all the boxes not even the newer oppos instead of my 105d. I was excited to see this panasonic player but If I go with it, I need a seperate sacd disc player with capability of streaming digital files from ext. disks to my dac...
 

Barry2013

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Oct 12, 2013
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The Pioneer UDP-LX800 was reviewed in the February 2019 edition of HFNRR and got a highly commended rating.
Retail price in the UK is£2.2k. Audio disc performance doesn't appear to be up with the Oppos so tracking down an Oppo 203 looks a better alternative to the 9000
 

NorthStar

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I think the 9000 is more for the videophiles (flat screens and front projectors), with its Optimizer.
But it is not available everywhere; tough to get one with restricted suppliers and low inventories.

The Oppo 205 is more available even if Oppo stopped making them almost a year ago.
It's a little ironic. The 205 is for the analog musicophiles.
But one video feature that the 205 has in spade for front projector owners is the 21:9 mode.
Panasonic should add that feature too if they are truly serious about their video machines, 9000 & 820.

The world of universal Blu-ray machines is not the same anymore without Oppo.
Panasonic has never entered that world, only fractional.
James Brown sings 'It's a Man's Man's Man's World', Panasonic sings 'It's a Video Optimizer's World'. ...With very very very limited supply...the 9000.

Oppo? 'It's an eBay's World'. ...A more active player even in death.
 
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NorthStar

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Here's a universal 4K Blu-ray player:
https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/pioneer-udp-lx500


 

tommiecollins

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Feb 15, 2019
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This is something off topic but i want your help regarding projector, i want to buy an projector for my home theatre. i have read this post somewhere on the internet and found two projectors The VANKYO Leisure 510 Full HD Projector and The Xinda 5.5 inch HD Projector . I am confused between these two so suggest me the best one out of these.
 

NorthStar

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Bodhi

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Apr 20, 2014
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I think high end projectors are going the way of the Dodo with streaming services like Amazon Prime, Apple tv 4k, Netflix etc, and the latest 85" 8K QLED tv's. That said, you can't always find the title you want on streaming services, let alone in Ultra HD 4K. And personally I like to have my favorite movies and tv series on physical media so I can watch them regardless of availability and network status. Hence it's good to have a high end disc player.
 
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NorthStar

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Bodhi

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@NorthStar, you're right. For most punters who just play or stream normal content and want a cinematic experience, a sub-$200 projector is probably all you need. I notice there are also laser projctors out now which project straight onto the wall. What I was talking about is hardcore videophiles who stream 4k UHD and HDR content who want to extract the full potental from those formats in terms of screen resolution and contrast. It's just a fact that tech giants like Samsung and LG invest more into the latest screen technology than projectors by an order of magnitude. But it will take some time for the latest 4k and 8k big screen tv's to come down far enough in price to become commonplace in HT's.
 
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pieusu

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My friend has a OPPO and says he can play 4k movies from external hard drive and with simple click of the 4k movie folder - OPPO will open and play the movie (i.e. you do not have to go within the folder and guess which file to click on).

I want this same easy experience - I'm wondering if anyone here has tried 4k movies that is either stored on Synology NAS or external hard drive and plug it into the Panasonic DP-UB9000 (or any other 4k Blue Ray player) and did it work just as the easily. Thanks
 

NorthStar

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Feb 8, 2011
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Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada
My friend has a OPPO and says he can play 4k movies from external hard drive and with simple click of the 4k movie folder - OPPO will open and play the movie (i.e. you do not have to go within the folder and guess which file to click on).

I want this same easy experience - I'm wondering if anyone here has tried 4k movies that is either stored on Synology NAS or external hard drive and plug it into the Panasonic DP-UB9000 (or any other 4k Blue Ray player) and did it work just as the easily. Thanks

I'm on it, I'll be back.
 

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