Panasonic Streaming 4K Blu Ray Player with Dolby Vision and HDR10+ Ultra HD Premium Video Playback, Hi-Res Audio, Voice Assist – DP-UB820-K (Black)

10 reviews for Panasonic Streaming 4K Blu Ray Player with Dolby Vision and HDR10+ Ultra HD Premium Video Playback, Hi-Res Audio, Voice Assist – DP-UB820-K (Black)

1. 

   5 out of 5

   TRIP – April 15, 2020

   The Panasonic player works flawlessly with my Samsung 65″ Q80A OLED display.Likes: You can configure this player for the display type. Configuring for OLED made a major difference with picture quality.You can select various HDR flavors depending on how the media is encoded.It appears to make both Blu-Ray and DVD disks look better….The remote is OK but no back light. I purchased the 9000 series remote on Ebay, because other reviewer recommend it. Its a much nicer remote, but those don’t have the HDR select button which is a pain.My only dislike, is that the Eject and Power buttons on the top right corner of the unit are NOT back lighted. Very hard to see even in a dim room.

2. 

   5 out of 5

   Uyis – April 15, 2020

   I never thought I would be buying a $500 Blu-Ray player, but here we are. Physical media is dying and rightfully so as streaming quality becomes more and more passable, but right now, it’s not up to my standards. If you have an OLED TV, 4k projector, or proper surround sound, then you are really not getting the most out of your gear by only watching streaming media. Through streaming, video and especially audio are still getting compressed, even when you think you’re getting a 4k stream with Dolby Atmos. It just doesn’t compare to the quality you get from a physical disc. I was really surprised how even 1080p Blu-Rays look from this player compared to streaming. They actually look a lot better than 4k content over streaming.It’s a little maddening that we have all these capable 4k TVs and receivers capable of 7.2.4 channel Dolby Atmos and then most of the content that people are playing on these devices is compressed /lossy / ruined. The people that make this content put so much effort into producing it at the highest quality and then consumers are generally only viewing it in this sub-par state. Anyway, getting a good Blu-ray player like this one is the best solution to viewing content in the way it was intended.After doing some research, it seems there are lots of crappy 4k UHD / Blu-ray players out there and I just did not want to struggle with a device that does not do what it’s supposed to do. So far, this player has performed perfectly; no skipping or discs not working. No issues with content being transmitted in the proper format to my receiver- I’m getting 4k, HDR, and Dolby Atmos without any problems.All of the bad reviews I’ve seen on this player seem to be because the additional features aren’t working great (playing video from USB, Netflix app, etc). My advice: buy the right tool for the job. This tool plays 4k UHD / Blu-Ray discs. Wouldn’t bother trying to play anything else on this device. Get a different device for streaming like Roku Ultra, Apple Tv, or Nvidia Shield. Those won’t let you down.My only criticism for the Panasonic is that the remote sucks. 1) It’s not backlit and 2) the Netflix button is too close to the pause/play buttons and when you accidently hit the Netflix button, your movie stops and the Netflix app opens up; very annoying- have to be careful. Any higher end home theater-use remote should be backlit. I use this in the dark with a projector so it’s kind of stupid to have to struggle to see the buttons. My receiver also has a non-backlit remote so I’m used to this problem.Anyways, if you want a 4k UHD Blu-ray player that plays discs without failing, get this one. Don’t expect any of the extra features to work and you’ll be satisfied.

3. 

   5 out of 5

   Lawrence Family – April 17, 2020

   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.

4. 

   5 out of 5

   craig smith – May 15, 2020

   I have been using a what ever is cheapest 4k disc player. For some reason I thought “well 4k is 4k, right?” well my Son convinced me that if I have over a grand invested in my recover and $2000 in my speakers, wouldn’t it just make sense to get a top quality disc player!I can not belive how much better all disks play on this unit! The other thing that amazed me is how much better the quality is when I play Amazon prime movies thru this that if I play the same movie thru my xfinity cable box! Same go for using this as the recover for my Netflix. Much better the the native cable box!In fact he put a regular blu-ray disc in it and I asked him when did we get a mad max on 4k? It really maks every disk look better.So far I haven’t had any problems although it always gets me a little mad when you buy a new what ever, then have to wait out an hour and a half update!

5. 

   5 out of 5

   Steve L. – August 24, 2020

   If you’re going to spend more than $100-200 on a decent Blu-ray player, you aren’t likely to be looking at this model unless you want the best possible home theater experience. Although convenient, streamed content uses files a fraction of the size of those on a Blu-ray disk, and they can’t come close to matching the associated realism. I bought this unit to replace an Oppo unit that has been unreliable of late, and while Oppo represented the pinnacle, this Panasonic unit easily matches the picture quality of my former unit. I don’t yet have a TV capable of Dolby Vision playback, but I do still have 3D capability and several 3D discs, and this unit handles those very well.The major question for most contemplating buying this unit is whether or not to spend more than twice as much on the UB9000. Panasonic claims that the drive mechanism itself is identical in both units. The 9000 has a much more durable brushed metal exterior that certainly looks more elegant, but it also takes up a lot more space, I can now fit both my Blu-Ray player and my TiVo Bolt in the same space that used to be occupied by my Oppo alone, and with a lot more space behind them for a new power conditioner. The advantage of the UB9000 over this model is the built-in DAC, with balanced stereo and 7.2 surround sound outputs that aren’t likely to be of use to many people. Perhaps if you only have a TV and Blu-Ray player, with a stereo or a 7-channel amplifier, there might be a value in a direct analog connection, but most people buying a high-end Blu-Ray player today more than likely have a home theater video receiver or video processor and have no use of 7.1 analog outputs. In that case, the UB820 is more than adequate.

6. 

   5 out of 5

   Stephen Douglas Otto – September 6, 2020

   I own a OPPO 203 and wanted a compatible 4k Player to go with my new Sony Master Series 65 inch OLED 4k TV. The Panasonic 9000 model was tempting but slightly “over kill” as this is for the Master Bedroom and there isn’t a Surround Sound System installed or even a Sound Bar. The Sony TV produces a good quality sound for average viewing. So I went with the Panasonic next level down 4k Player. I have to say for the quality of the picture and the features of the player it is on even footing with my OPPO 203 player. Actually is slightly more advanced in some ways as it shows you exactly what the quality of the film is and can reproduce the film in incredible color and sound. Definitely a 5 Star 4k Player!! Highly recommend!!

7. 

   5 out of 5

   RobRob – September 17, 2020

   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.

8. 

   5 out of 5

   Aaron Martin – September 18, 2020

   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.

9. 

   5 out of 5

   C. Monarrez – September 18, 2020

   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.

10. 

    5 out of 5

    C Jay – January 18, 2021

    The best 4k blu-ray player. Worthless streaming apps, so-so remote, ho-hum user interface and build quality, but this player is worth every penny for the HDR and SDR video quality and for exceptional HDR to SDR conversion. Video quality beats all previous players (including my Oppo 203) except for other current Panasonic models with HDR Optimizer. If you don’t need Dolby Vision support, buy the much cheaper UB420. If you want a better backlit remote and top build quality and audio, opt for the much more expensive UB9000. Otherwise get this player. Note that the backlit remote for the UB900/9000 models will work with the UB820 just fine and can be purchased for about $35 on Amazon or under $18 on eBay with shipping from Hong Kong, Player also will play most standard Blu-rays from other regions (but not DVDs) with a simple hack—press Stop on remote when error message comes up followed by pressing the Top Menu button twice.I own both a UB420 and UB820, as well as the Oppo 203, my previous favorite player. Final note: The Panasonic players will not do DVD-Audio or SACD but play almost everything else.