Panasonic DP-UB9000 UHD Player Review

[Digidigi]

Sorry for the somewhat lenghty setup for a fairly simple question but I thought it would be good to give some context first. I have an LG CX connected to a Wiim Amp Ultra via HDMI arc. Originally I had audio out from my tv set to Passthrough but this resulted in some occasional sound glitches, mostly in streaming services, so I had to change the output to PCM to fix the issue with Wiim.

I now discovered an option in UB9000 to select the HDMI audio output between Bitstream and PCM - Bitstream being the default. Now that I have the tv output set to PCM, should I change the player output to PCM as well? Or does it even matter in a 2 channel setup?

TBH even if there is an audible difference between the two, I'm not sure I'd be able to tell them apart I just like the idea of having the best possible sound from my system whether I hear it or not.

 

[formdissolve]

Sorry for the somewhat lenghty setup for a fairly simple question but I thought it would be good to give some context first. I have an LG CX connected to a Wiim Amp Ultra via HDMI arc. Originally I had audio out from my tv set to Passthrough but this resulted in some occasional sound glitches, mostly in streaming services, so I had to change the output to PCM to fix the issue with Wiim.

I now discovered an option in UB9000 to select the HDMI audio output between Bitstream and PCM - Bitstream being the default. Now that I have the tv output set to PCM, should I change the player output to PCM as well? Or does it even matter in a 2 channel setup?

TBH even if there is an audible difference between the two, I'm not sure I'd be able to tell them apart I just like the idea of having the best possible sound from my system whether I hear it or not.

Set it all to PCM. The WiiM doesn't accept DTS but does accept Dolby Digital (only lossy, because it's just ARC (16-bit 48kHz max) and not eARC). More info: https://forum.wiimhome.com/threads/tech-tuesday-hdmi-arc-vs-earc-what-you-need-to-know.9756/

In your case, the UB9000 set to PCM will convert Dolby and DTS etc in the unit itself and then send PCM to the TV rather than sending DTS and Dolby to the TV, and then the TV converting to PCM for the WiiM to play without dropouts. I'm sure there isn't much of an issue with that, but I'd prefer to just send PCM to my TV so it doesn't have to do any other conversions before sending to my DAC.

 

[Descartes]

The Panasonic DP-UB9000 is completely sold out on the Panasonic website!

Did they discontinue it!

 

[Count De Money]

hopefully

 

[GXAlan]

https://www.crutchfield.com/S-MPNsvISj4xY/p_133UB9000P/Panasonic-DP-UB9000P1K.html

Crutchfield expects more in stock next month.

ListenUp claims to have it in stock right now

 

[Jeffreysw123]

Question, I currently have the Sony 4K UHD x1000es and it works great. It lacks Dolby Vision and from what I’ve read the Panasonic HDR tone mapping tech helps trump the Sonys picture quality. I have an opportunity to trade some gear the Sony x1000es and a sunfire true sub for the Panasonic ub-p9000. The sub I could care less about, the Sony is a solid unit it just doesn’t have Dolby Vision and my LG G4 is a Dolby Vision “power house” not my words. I’m concerned because the DAC measurements were done using the XLR outputs and I don’t have XLR inputs in my avr nor would I use them for audio signal. From what I’m gathering from this review is that it tested well for good DAC when using the two channel DAC l/XLR/RCA outputs? I’d be running a single HDMI cable handling both audio and video. My Sony has the same features but it looks like the recommendation is not because it’s a good 4K UHD player but because the DAC performance and other parts of the analouge output test well. My question is, how many people use a 4K UHD disc player more for audio performance I.e. listening to music etc. instead of this products obvious main intention which is watching UHD 4K disks with the best possible video and audio achievable at the price point. Is it doing that? I appreciate the review truly but I suppose do to my ignorance in the subject possibly I’m miss understanding the results. I really just want to know if I should trade my Sony x1000es and the sunfire true sub for a very gently used version of the ub-p9000, will it give that feeling of “wow, this is much better than my Sony” or is a lateral move? Thanks in advance

 

[formdissolve]

Question, I currently have the Sony 4K UHD x1000es and it works great. It lacks Dolby Vision and from what I’ve read the Panasonic HDR tone mapping tech helps trump the Sonys picture quality. I have an opportunity to trade some gear the Sony x1000es and a sunfire true sub for the Panasonic ub-p9000. The sub I could care less about, the Sony is a solid unit it just doesn’t have Dolby Vision and my LG G4 is a Dolby Vision “power house” not my words. I’m concerned because the DAC measurements were done using the XLR outputs and I don’t have XLR inputs in my avr nor would I use them for audio signal. From what I’m gathering from this review is that it tested well for good DAC when using the two channel DAC l/XLR/RCA outputs? I’d be running a single HDMI cable handling both audio and video. My Sony has the same features but it looks like the recommendation is not because it’s a good 4K UHD player but because the DAC performance and other parts of the analouge output test well. My question is, how many people use a 4K UHD disc player more for audio performance I.e. listening to music etc. instead of this products obvious main intention which is watching UHD 4K disks with the best possible video and audio achievable at the price point. Is it doing that? I appreciate the review truly but I suppose do to my ignorance in the subject possibly I’m miss understanding the results. I really just want to know if I should trade my Sony x1000es and the sunfire true sub for a very gently used version of the ub-p9000, will it give that feeling of “wow, this is much better than my Sony” or is a lateral move? Thanks in advance

This is an audio site, so video performance is not measured. If you are using HDMI, you won't even be utilizing the DAC in the player (Sony or Panasonic), you will be using whatever you are connecting it to.

The player is an all-in-one box (except SACD and DVD-A, but it supports DSF files) for a lot of people that listen to music as well as watch a lot of movies, so having the convenience of a built-in DAC with good performance is key. As for video quality, I have the sibling player of the Panasonic as well as the older Sony X-800 and I will say the Panasonic does look great in Dolby Vision. The HDR Tone Mapping stuff I never mess with since that seems more important for projectors, but that doesn't mean it couldn't help on your LG with HDR. I am pretty sure the HDR Tone Mapping does not work with Dolby Vision.

 

[BJL]

Question, I currently have the Sony 4K UHD x1000es and it works great. It lacks Dolby Vision and from what I’ve read the Panasonic HDR tone mapping tech helps trump the Sonys picture quality. I have an opportunity to trade some gear the Sony x1000es and a sunfire true sub for the Panasonic ub-p9000. The sub I could care less about, the Sony is a solid unit it just doesn’t have Dolby Vision and my LG G4 is a Dolby Vision “power house” not my words. I’m concerned because the DAC measurements were done using the XLR outputs and I don’t have XLR inputs in my avr nor would I use them for audio signal. From what I’m gathering from this review is that it tested well for good DAC when using the two channel DAC l/XLR/RCA outputs? I’d be running a single HDMI cable handling both audio and video. My Sony has the same features but it looks like the recommendation is not because it’s a good 4K UHD player but because the DAC performance and other parts of the analouge output test well. My question is, how many people use a 4K UHD disc player more for audio performance I.e. listening to music etc. instead of this products obvious main intention which is watching UHD 4K disks with the best possible video and audio achievable at the price point. Is it doing that? I appreciate the review truly but I suppose do to my ignorance in the subject possibly I’m miss understanding the results. I really just want to know if I should trade my Sony x1000es and the sunfire true sub for a very gently used version of the ub-p9000, will it give that feeling of “wow, this is much better than my Sony” or is a lateral move? Thanks in advance

I have, and use, both the Panasonic UB-9000 and Sony X800M2, and think highly of both. For video performance, I prefer the UB-9000 because it switches automatically to Dolby Vision (when available) and the other HDR modes, and does a very nice job of upscaling older media (e.g. DVD) though the Sony is also fine for that purpose. I use the Sony primarily for music discs, as it supports SACD and DVD-A (which the Panasonic does not), but I have had UHD discs that for unknown reasons were not playing back well with the Panasonic, and I have switched to the Sony. The other advantage to the Sony is that it has better support for continuation should you stop watching overnight. The Panasonic sometimes disables that feature, based on the preferences embedded in the disc.

There are strengths and weaknesses for both players, but for video, the auto switching between HDR modes on the Panasonic is super convenient, and the upscaling for older media is excellent (though the X800M2 is also quite good). You have to select the option in the UB9000 player preferences because some discs have both Dolby Vision and HDR10+, and the UB9000 will default to HDR10+ if you don't disable it.

As you are using the HDMI output, the audio quality is dependent on your downstream equipment. The Panasonic does allow you to disable both the analog and non-HDMI digital output, allegedly (according to Panasonic) for better quality, why I don't know.

 

[DeadBeatAnon]

I have had UHD discs that for unknown reasons were not playing back well with the Panasonic, and I have switched to the Sony.

I’m currently using my ancient (2008) Panasonic DMP-BD35 for Blu-ray_1080p/DVD_480p upscaling to my Sony Bravia 4K OLED. For 4K discs I use my PS5 for playback. I was shocked to discover that my old Panasonic runs circles around the PS5 for upscaling Blu-ray/DVD. I’m currently looking to buy a modern 4K player, either Panasonic or Sony. I’m leaning towards Sony simply for a tighter match with my Sony OLED. I still buy mostly 1080p Blu-ray disks because they’re so much cheaper & I can rarely tell the difference vs a 4K disk. I’ve also noticed 4K disks seem to be more problematic.

It helps to have two players—just to identify if a problem is disk-related or player-related. I recently watched my old Blu-ray copy of The Descent on the Panasonic & it started freezing/distorting during the “White Cave” chapter. I tried cleaning the disk with distilled water & micro-fiber towel but no-go. So I popped the disk into the PS5, skipped to that chapter—still freezing/distorting. Bad disk, replaced it via Amazon for under $10 bucks. Another issue was Blu-ray Prey (2022) that froze on the Panasonic, but played fine on the PS5. That’s player-related, I even verified that I’m running the latest firmware on the Panasonic.

 

[Chrise36]

I’m currently using my ancient (2008) Panasonic DMP-BD35 for Blu-ray_1080p/DVD_480p upscaling to my Sony Bravia 4K OLED. For 4K discs I use my PS5 for playback. I was shocked to discover that my old Panasonic runs circles around the PS5 for upscaling Blu-ray/DVD. I’m currently looking to buy a modern 4K player, either Panasonic or Sony. I’m leaning towards Sony simply for a tighter match with my Sony OLED. I still buy mostly 1080p Blu-ray disks because they’re so much cheaper & I can rarely tell the difference vs a 4K disk. I’ve also noticed 4K disks seem to be more problematic.

It helps to have two players—just to identify if a problem is disk-related or player-related. I recently watched my old Blu-ray copy of The Descent on the Panasonic & it started freezing/distorting during the “White Cave” chapter. I tried cleaning the disk with distilled water & micro-fiber towel but no-go. So I popped the disk into the PS5, skipped to that chapter—still freezing/distorting. Bad disk, replaced it via Amazon for under $10 bucks. Another issue was Blu-ray Prey (2022) that froze on the Panasonic, but played fine on the PS5. That’s player-related, I even verified that I’m running the latest firmware on the Panasonic.

There have been reports these problems might be related to internet connections. Have you tried disconnecting the network on the Panasonic players?

 

[DeadBeatAnon]

My Blu-ray player isn't connected to the internet. I'll run an ethernet cable to it when checking on firmware updates. I was going to upgrade my Prey disk to 4K until I checked the Amazon price at $45. That's a lot of money for a single disk. I do think Blu-ray (1080p) disks are the best value out there. I've been slowly collecting classic Disney animated films on Blu-ray, like Snow White, Pinocchio, Bambi, and Jungle Book for $10 a pop, via Amazon or eBay. Also more modern animations like Beauty & the Beast, Toy Story & Finding Nemo at a similar price point. Of the few 4K disks I own, like Alien and Ghost in the Shell--I cannot tell the difference vs 1080p Blu-ray on my 48" Sony Bravia OLED. Maybe if I owned a larger set, or perhaps at age 64 my eyesight isn't sharp enough to notice the difference.

 

[BGLeduc]

https://www.crutchfield.com/S-MPNsvISj4xY/p_133UB9000P/Panasonic-DP-UB9000P1K.html

Crutchfield expects more in stock next month.

ListenUp claims to have it in stock right now

FYI:

The Price of Blu-ray Players Are Skyrocketing As DVDs & Blu-rays Become Popular Again | Cord Cutters News

Panasonic has raised official North American list prices across its current 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player lineup, and the new figures are not the product of third-party marketplace sellers marking up scarce inventory. The same prices now appear on Panasonic’s own United States store and at...

cordcuttersnews.com

 

[formdissolve]

Also:

https://www.techradar.com/televisions/blu-ray/panasonic-is-launching-a-new-4k-blu-ray-player-okay-its-very-niche-and-is-coming-to-japan-only-so-far-but-its-the-second-new-player-this-year-and-im-just-happy-were-getting-new-hardware

• Panasonic launches new DMR-4X1010 4K Blu-ray player in Japan
• Also includes 4K tuners, 10TB of local storage for recordings, Blu-ray recording, and support for cloud storage
• About $2,800 / £2,080 / AU$3,930

Interesting that Japan still is so invested in physical media. I still see Japanese editions of CD's with an extra track just like they've done for decades. Plus this player has BR recording and 10TB local storage..