Panasonic DP-UB9000 UHD Player Review

[Aussieblu]

Hi everyone,

This is a question for UB9000 owners in PAL countries (I am in Australia)....

Have you been able to get PAL DVDs or 50i blurays to play properly? I am finding that the machine converts them to 60fps before sending them to the TV, even if I have the "TV System" setting on "PAL". Most TVs in Australia technically support both PAL and NTSC signals, but the unnecessary conversion to 60fps within the UB9000 results in jerky motion. (The manual even warns that "PAL discs cannot be correctly played on an NTSC TV").

My old Oppo has no problems outputting PAL/50i discs at 50fps and they play just fine on the same TV. Apart from lacking 4K support, the Oppo is getting old, so keeping both devices going in the long term is not an option. Besides, the Panasonic player is supposed to be able to play PAL/50i discs in this country.

I have been through an exhaustive troubleshooting process and have become convinced that there is a problem with the firmware. To test this theory, it would be great to hear from other UB9000 owners in PAL countries. Have you had the same issue playing PAL DVDs or 50i blurays on your UB9000? If not, does your TV support 60fps material?

Thanks very much!

 

[AudioStudies]

I did not know floppy disks were for quite a while the consumer distribution format for multichannel recordings. Can you send me a link to one? I get omitting these formats in a 2 channel disk player. In a multichannel player they are a necessary condition of adequacy.

As for corporate politics, Sony sucked it up and makes players that play DVD-A disks.

There are people like me who no longer do SACD or DVD-A, and want a superb player. Panasonic is under no obligation to make a "universal" player, but what they did make appeals to a lot of people, myself included. Regarding adequacy, it is way more than adequate for me. It is excellent, although I wish it had more input capability, like the Oppos.

 

[jhaider]

There are people like me who no longer do SACD or DVD-A, and want a superb player.

There’s nothing special, let alone “superb”about a mere disk player except the formats it plays…

Besides, I suspect today more people listen to SACD and DVD-A than use disks to watch movies or TV. People stream movies and TV.

 

[AudioStudies]

There’s nothing special, let alone “superb”about a mere disk player except the formats it plays…

Besides, I suspect today more people listen to SACD and DVD-A than use disks to watch movies or TV. People stream movies and TV.

We will have to agree to disagree, although I know you are a smart guy from other posts I have seen. The video processing on this player is superb, highly reviewed, state of the art. Also, there is a huge camp of people that for music, do only 16-bit 44.1 KHz, and you didn't even mention CDs. I also have my doubts that more people are listening to SACD and DVD-A than watching movies or TVs, and it does more than movies and TV, in that it can do not only CDs but High Res audio, and I would think those Blu Ray music only discs. I regret the unit isn't a good fit for you, but for me it is a great fit, and indeed superb.

 

[jhaider]

I also have my doubts that more people are listening to SACD and DVD-A than watching movies or TVs.

On disk, probably. People stream video and TV today.

 

[AudioStudies]

On disk, probably. People stream video and TV today.

Streaming, which one can also do on this Panasonic, although one is limited to their pre-installed apps. I can see where this unit would not make sense for someone with a lot of SACDs or DVD-As. I used to use those formats, but because the extra expense (versus CDs), harder to rip, when storing them they get mixed up with CDs, extra file capacity storage if one does rip them -- I found it much easier and smoother to just do without them. I only had about 20 anyway. I have never looked back.

 

[Labjr]

I think anyone into SACD or DVD-A would rather rip them and listen through a DAC of their choice than some player.

 

[AudioStudies]

I think anyone into SACD or DVD-A would rather rip them and listen through a DAC of their choice than some player.

Are there stand-alone DACs that can do DVD-A? If so, I never knew that.

 

[AudioStudies]

I just got my Panasonic this week and really enjoy it. I was lucky enough to find a brand new one for $850 at B&H.

 

[Labjr]

Are there stand-alone DACs that can do DVD-A? If so, I never knew that.

DVD-A audio is just PCM. You would need to rip the DVD-A files using DVD-A Extractor, Foobar200 or similar software.

 

[AudioStudies]

DVD-A audio is just PCM. You would need to rip the DVD-A files using DVD-A Extractor, Foobar200 or similar software.

Okay - so then after ripping one could use many DACs or this Panasonic.

 

[Labjr]

Okay - so then after ripping one could use many DACs or this Panasonic.

Yep. Here's one guide. https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,119956.0.html

 

[jhaider]

I think anyone into SACD or DVD-A would rather rip them and listen through a DAC of their choice than some player.

Your comment makes no sense for two reasons.

First, a disk spinner in a sensible multichannel system is just a transport with an HDMI output. (Which makes inadequate format support even more pathetic.) The processing and conversion happens downstream in the AVR or AVP. Second, DAC is a solved problem so anyone who spends much thought on that part of the signal chain needs to level set and move on.

Second, ripping multichannel disks takes computer gunk and hacking skills. One can love music and have zero interest in messing with that kind of stuff.

 

[Trell]

I think anyone into SACD or DVD-A would rather rip them and listen through a DAC of their choice than some player.

How is that multi-channel SACD rip working out for you?

 

[Labjr]

Your comment makes no sense for two reasons.

First, a disk spinner in a sensible multichannel system is just a transport with an HDMI output. (Which makes inadequate format support even more pathetic.) The processing and conversion happens downstream in the AVR or AVP. Second, DAC is a solved problem so anyone who spends much thought on that part of the signal chain needs to level set and move on.

Second, ripping multichannel disks takes computer gunk and hacking skills. One can love music and have zero interest in messing with that kind of stuff.

Seems to me that most people on this forum are using media player software and a computer connected to a DAC via USB or ethernet streaming for audio playback. Having an entire library at my fingertips is a major convenience for me. DVD-A ripping is pretty simple. SACD ripping requires a bit more learning and a player with specific chipset, but the resources and guides have gotten much better then they were. And there are people who will help you do it. I only have a two channel system but there are people are doing multi-channel like this. I would never go back to disc playing.

 

[jhaider]

Seems to me that most people on this forum are using media player software and a computer connected to a DAC via USB or ethernet streaming for audio playback.

Wrong. If you read more closely you would read that, for 2 channel, some prominent members prefer to spin discs. Some like vinyl. Others, like me, stream everything 2ch digital over AirPlay or another wireless format using streaming devices such as AppleTV or AirPort Express.

But again that’s 2ch. Multichannel (the only reason to use DVD-A or SACD - “hi rez” is bullshit) is a different animal. Burning multichannel disks is a pain and playing the resultant files perhaps even more so. So not having the capability to play those disks in a multichannel disk reader can only be described as “miserable failure.”

 

[AudioStudies]

So not having the capability to play those disks in a multichannel disk reader can only be described as “miserable failure.”

You almost make it sound like Panasonic is obligated to make a device that has all the features you want. It doesn't play vinyl either, but that doesn't make it a miserable failure because it excels at what it does do. Many of the disc players that can play SACD and DVD-A do not have nearly as good a video processing as this Panasonic unit. But I don't go around calling them miserable failures, I would just say, they don't meet my needs as well as the Panasonic. But at this point, I don't think I am likely to change your mind.

 

[jhaider]

You almost make it sound like Panasonic is obligated to make a device that has all the features you want. It doesn't play vinyl either

The fact that apologists have to make such patently stupid arguments (doesn’t play vinyl, doesn’t play floppy disks, etc) shows how utterly ridiculous it is to defend a multichannel digital audio disk player that can’t play multichannel digital audio disks. I’m done with quislings for failure.

 

[AudioStudies]

The fact that apologists have to make such patently stupid arguments (doesn’t play vinyl, doesn’t play floppy disks, etc) shows how utterly ridiculous it is to defend a multichannel digital audio disk player that can’t play multichannel digital audio disks. I’m done with quislings for failure.

There is nowhere that it is "written in stone" that a Blu Ray player must also play SACD and DVD-A. By definition a Blu Ray player plays . . . wait for another "stupid" argument . . . Blu Rays !!! Now there is a novel idea. And many Blu Ray players do not play the variety of discs that this Panasonic can handle, or are not equipped to play from USB. First and foremost, a Blu Ray player should be based on . . . another "stupid" argument . . . wait for it . . . how well it plays Blu Rays, and to that end I would challenge you to find any Blu Ray player from any manufacturer that can play Blu Rays better than this player, particularly with respect to the video capability. What if we applied your logic to people? Is a person a miserable failure just because they don't have every feature you want? And I am no apologist, I stand on firm ground. If a track star could run the mile faster than anyone, would we call him a "miserable failure" because he didn't have world class sprinter speed to run the shorter distances?

 

[Foulchet]

I have a Sony x800m2 but honestly I will not use it as a CD player and prefer my Marantz CD6006 even if x800m2 would be better in terms of performance. I do now know about this Panasonic player but x800m2 is too slow to boot and load a disc compared to a CD player. Plus x800m2 does not have a display so it is not practical.
But of course BD players are better values overall than « Hifi » CD players (especially SACD players which are just a joke in terms of pricing). Still I even prefer my mini Denon Hifi to play CDs than my players (I also have a Panasonic BD player/recorder which is slower than Denon DM40).