Panasonic UB820 4k player

[Minkey1]

For the physical media fans, £329.99 is an excellent price on the highly rated Panasonic UB820 4k player.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Panasonic-DP-UB820EB-Ultra-Blu-Ray-Player/dp/B07D9K6SC1?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1&psc=1

 

[Symples]

I sm looking for a new 4K player as my Sony has given up the ghost.
I won't buy another Sony as the x800 kept locking up.

I've had .my eye on this one.
Do you have it and are you happy with it?

 

[Minkey1]

I sm looking for a new 4K player as my Sony has given up the ghost.
I won't buy another Sony as the x800 kept locking up.

I've had .my eye on this one.
Do you have it and are you happy with it?

I do have it - having lost faith in my Sony - the little brother X700 - for the exact same issue. Early days and so far I’m delighted with it. No playback issues.

Few months back no-one had any stock so I went for an eBay “refurbed” via the Panasonic warehouse. Boxed, looked new and came with a year’s warranty. Panasonic accepted the serial number as a new product registration.

I’d have gone for the Amazon deal otherwise. Prices elsewhere are around the £350 mark.

The 820 seems to be about the best on the market unless you’re willing to spend double or triple the price.

👌

 

[nads]

That’s more than I paid in ‘21.

 

[Minkey1]

That’s more than I paid in ‘21.

That’s how *some* tech has gone 3 yrs on 🤷🏼

I paid £290.

 

[abacus]

The Panasonic is not a multi-format machine (It doesn't play SACD etc.) so if this is important for you, you will need to spend a lot more to get it. (Unless you go for another Sony of course)
The Panasonic is also not as well built as the Sony 800, being very plasticky like the Sony 700.
If none of the above bothers you, then yes, the Panasonic is a fantastic value for money player.

Bill

 

[Minkey1]

The Panasonic is not a multi-format machine (It doesn't play SACD etc.) so if this is important for you, you will need to spend a lot more to get it. (Unless you go for another Sony of course)
The Panasonic is also not as well built as the Sony 800, being very plasticky like the Sony 700.
If none of the above bothers you, then yes, the Panasonic is a fantastic value for money player.

Bill

I never had any SACD’s even when they were a thing.

“….not a multi-format machine…”. Right, OK.

The 820 doesn’t share the 900 metal case but the internals are similar, and arguably give the better value, hence the reviews here. It’s bigger and weighs twice my Sony, which developed the same freezing issues a Sony X800 user experienced ⬆️

Yer pays yer money, etc 🤷🏼

 

[MarkSW]

Hi, new forum member here. I currently have a Sony UHP-H1 and was looking to upgrade it and saw this Panasonic. Is it worth the £349 it now costs just to change?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[Al ears]

Hi, new forum member here. I currently have a Sony UHP-H1 and was looking to upgrade it and saw this Panasonic. Is it worth the £349 it now costs just to change?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Welcome to the forum.
Probably not if you simply require a bluray player, doesn't yours upscale to 4k and play SACDs?

 

[MarkSW]

Probably not if you simply require a bluray player, doesn't yours upscale to 4k and play SACDs?

Yes it can but I just wondered if the Panasonic would do it better and gives me the opportunity to upgrade the blu rays too given I've got the TV for it.

 

[Al ears]

Yes it can but I just wondered if the Panasonic would do it better and gives me the opportunity to upgrade the blu rays too given I've got the TV for it.

How do you mean upgrade the blurays?
If it is still working keep it. It cost more than this Panasonic when it first came out for a reason.

 

[MarkSW]

How do you mean upgrade the blurays?
If it is still working keep it. It cost more than this Panasonic when it first came out for a reason.

Okay, thanks. I was just talking about getting 4k blu rays as the ones my kids bought me over the years aren't, so that would make use of the sound abilities like Dolby Atmos, that the Sony doesn't cater for.

 

[Al ears]

Okay, thanks. I was just talking about getting 4k blu rays as the ones my kids bought me over the years aren't, so that would make use of the sound abilities like Dolby Atmos, that the Sony doesn't cater for.

I wasn't aware that the player itself had anything to do with being able to play Atmos....

 

[abacus]

I wasn't aware that the player itself had anything to do with being able to play Atmos....

Atmos in 99.9% of cases only comes on 4K Blu-rays. (Atmos could easily be included with standard Blu-Rays and would play providing the Blu-Ray player could output Bitstream, but if they did that, it would make people think twice about upgrading, to 4K and no manufacture is going to do that)

Bill

 

[Minkey1]

I wasn't aware that the player itself had anything to do with being able to play Atmos....

All sorts of kit *can* add all sorts of processing.

Still, current 4k blu ray discs advertise Atmos encoding. You’d think the player they’re used with ought to be equipped for it 🤷🏼

Maybe my smart GU10 bulbs handle it 🤔

 

[Minkey1]

Okay, thanks. I was just talking about getting 4k blu rays as the ones my kids bought me over the years aren't, so that would make use of the sound abilities like Dolby Atmos, that the Sony doesn't cater for.

My last Sony TV was a 32” CRT and cost £1800 25yrs ago. In tech, comparisons with launch prices is a silly idea.

If you still prefer your physical media over the convenience of streaming (I do), and want the enhanced PQ and audio formats with 4k discs, go for the Panasonic. It’s an award winner in WHF for a reason, and to do better you’d be starting at 3x the price.

🤷🏼

 

[Al ears]

All sorts of kit *can* add all sorts of processing.

Still, current 4k blu ray discs advertise Atmos encoding. You’d think the player they’re used with ought to be equipped for it 🤷🏼

Maybe my smart GU10 bulbs handle it 🤔

No point unless the AV amp and the rest of your kit makes use of Atmos encoding.

 

[Minkey1]

No point unless the AV amp and the rest of your kit makes use of Atmos encoding.

Which mine does, tho my set up is 7.1, no height

 

[MarkSW]

No point unless the AV amp and the rest of your kit makes use of Atmos encoding.

I have a Sonos Arc that I've played movie soundtracks through on Netflix etc demonstrating its Atmos capabilities.

 

[MarkSW]

I edited my Sonos Arc response to clarify that it wasn't blu rays using Atmos (hence why I'm looking to change the player, so the blu rays do too) but do edits get notified to everyone? As a new forum member I'm not sure how it works.

 

[MarkSW]

Atmos in 99.9% of cases only comes on 4K Blu-rays. (Atmos could easily be included with standard Blu-Rays and would play providing the Blu-Ray player could output Bitstream, but if they did that, it would make people think twice about upgrading, to 4K and no manufacture is going to do that)

Bill

Thanks for this, it's helpful in understanding what I need and whether changing makes sense - along with everyone else's comments. All appreciated as a new forum member.

 

[Messiah]

Hi, new forum member here. I currently have a Sony UHP-H1 and was looking to upgrade it and saw this Panasonic. Is it worth the £349 it now costs just to change?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks.

I assume (but feel I just need to check) from your replies that you do have a 4K TV?

If so, given the combination of a 4K TV and a soundbar capable of playing Atmos, it would seem worthwhile swapping to a newer player to unlock those capabilities.

(Just in case you game at all, the PS5 is also a good choice (IMO of course) but does not play CDs).

 

[MarkSW]

I assume (but feel I just need to check) from your replies that you do have a 4K TV?

If so, given the combination of a 4K TV and a soundbar capable of playing Atmos, it would seem worthwhile swapping to a newer player to unlock those capabilities.

(Just in case you game at all, the PS5 is also a good choice (IMO of course) but does not play CDs).

Yes I do, a Samsung Neo QLED. So thanks for that.

 

[Sixtyten]

Yes it can but I just wondered if the Panasonic would do it better and gives me the opportunity to upgrade the blu rays too given I've got the TV for it.

The Panasonic can't play SACDs. May not be a show stopper, but it can't do it.

 

[Sixtyten]

Okay, thanks. I was just talking about getting 4k blu rays as the ones my kids bought me over the years aren't, so that would make use of the sound abilities like Dolby Atmos, that the Sony doesn't cater for

I own one of these players. It plays Atmos bluray discs fine.