Defective Panasonic UB820 4K UHD player dead tray issue and temporary fix

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

Direct link to Reddit thread with temporary fix instructions: www.reddit.com/r/4kbluray/comments/wfzuid/disc_wont_eject_on_panasonic_ub820/?share_id=ccA5oYY-oTZIicmFrKy3I&

[@OcpCommunications]

The first unit I had did this in five months. Amazon let me return it though and I used that return amount to buy a region free Sony X800m2. But my main player is an Oppo 203 I got from E-Bay for around the price of a UB-9000. It has been excellent ever since. Whisper quiet, no disc tray issues, and it's digital file playback is second to none.

[@movietv20249]

Hey there Mike!

[@Eva01-jy2qu7pu9r]

Its a real shame quality control for disc players has gone down the drain in recent years. How these companies expect us to actually enjoy our 4K movies with defective players is beyond me.

[@dr.impossibleofcounterpunc1984]

I've always wondered whether companies are just hoping people will give up with physical players and head off to streaming, considering only 2 companies market 4k players.

[@slate49]

I’m glad I purchased my Panasonic 4k player when they were fairly new to the market. I’ve had no issue with mine..but over the last 2 or so years, I’m hearing a ton of people having issues. I’m assuming it has everything to do with the assembly line. Panasonic needs to do a refresh. They need a new model

[@_wave___]

little over three years on my UB820 and problem free with tons of usage. it's such a great player. thank you for sharing this helpful info in case it does go bad later on

[@iansteventon4221]

I had mine for just over 3 years too. Flawless, however I decided to trade it in ( thinking its nearing its lifespan) for a Sony m800m2. BIG MISTAKE. returned that pos and just bought another ub820. Pricey error but the ub820 is simply the best for buck out there.

[@marlonrobalino]

I have both the ub820 and the sony x800m2. In all honesty besides the fact that the panasonic is auto dv, ive been very happy with both of these players and picture and audio quality are exactly the same from my experience. The only minor difference would be the upscaling performance, which favors the panasonic, but it's very negligible at best. You should honestly try the Sony x800m2 as it's a really great player with options and features that does things better than the panasonic. I've only had like a few freezes ever since I bought this player back in 2019. Its previous model, the x800, is also a great player, and it still works great till this day. The x700 though I definitely agree with its freezing problems as a consistent issue.

[@DavidSusiloUnscripted]

Have you tried this on your Panasonic? Panasonic 4K Bluray Players UB420 UB820 UB9000 Settings That Many People Missed kzbin.info/www/bejne/l5OVmWZmmrZnmMk

[@dvdmike007]

My UB700 is still flawless, and even weirder the UB450 the internet sneered at works perfectly and supports all HDR formats. Glad you found the Reddit thread

[@jackiechan8840]

I like the UB820 for its analogue 5.1 outputs. Gives new life to my old Onkyo AV receiver.

[@Geeoh19]

We desperately need new models from Sony and Panasonic and probably 3rd parties as well, but definitely those big two.

[@MarkTallen]

Had my Panasonic UB9000 for nearly 3 years. Assembled in the Czech Republic, it has been absolutely perfect.

[@knowthycell]

I’ve had mine for about two years but at least twice I’ve had a disk get temporarily stuck inside

[@MarkTallen]

@@knowthycell - 820 or 9000 model?

[@joshthemoviecollector9273]

I saw your post about it. I'm sorry it happened but I appreciate you doing a video about the situation.

[@portland-182]

You might like to try replacing the small drive belt. If the belt is very slightly too loose the position of the cog will slip. There are 2 options. Buy the correct belt, or you may try putting the existing belt in boiling water and shrink the belt. Boiling is risky but cheap. If you boil it too long it will destroy the belt. Here's that fix on another player's tray mLuXskX8o1s - you might clean the belt path with alcohol too...

[@klki5714]

It‘s 100% the belt👍

[@portland-182]

@@klki5714 Panasonic would class it as a consumable I imagine...

[@crow9553]

Sorry to hear about your player problem. This is just from my experience. I have owned the Panasonic UB9000 for five years. It's built like a tank, including the disc tray. No problems at all. The build quality is second to none. It is an investment but in my opinion, well worth it. If, as you said, the same problem is occurring on the UB9000 also, it may come down to a few bad apples in the bunch and that should not happen.

[@Joooools5000]

Sorry to hear about your troubles - this thing needs a sledgehammer put through it for your own sanity. Don't dismiss the Sony players - I have an X700 and X800M1. The build quality on the X800s is excellent. I had a few issues with some discs freezing when I first got it - I used to have a PS4 resting on top of it which was blocking some air vents, once I gave it proper space it never happened again. Never had any problems with the X700. The manual DV on/off is my only complaint about these players, other than the outdated UI. Overdue new models from both manufacturers.

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

Definitely it’s long overdue for new models. I have been thinking more about the Sonys since more and more people seem to be having better luck with them nowadays.

[@iansteventon4221]

@@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader well I hope you have better luck than me with the Sony. I had the m2 and it wasn't fit for purpose. Every triple layer disc freezing. Totally ruins movie nights. My ub820 works perfectly- I'd just bight the bullet and buy a new 1 .

[@CanadianMakerProject]

Knowing the 3D Printing community, they may have a fix as it is something we do maybe worth looking into

[@garymoviefan4294]

Thank you Spence, I've had hesitancy to purchase this b/c of the trouble you've had. I suppose I should get a warranty as well upon purchase.

[@jarjared3522]

Well of all the options the Panasonic player has the least amount of problems. It is not ideal, but it is what it is.

[@iansteventon4221]

I had my ub820 for 3 years , very heavy use. No problems, however like an idiot I recently traded it in for the Sony m800m2. Not sure if I was just unlucky but the Sony was a nightmare, discs freezing regularly. Anyways returned that and now have another new ub820 and bought a 6 year warranty. Love the design of the Sony, but in my experience panasonic just works flawlessly for me.

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

Yeah that fits with everything I’ve heard or experienced. Definitely keep that extended warranty in case you get a screwy one.

[@DavidSusiloUnscripted]

I have two UB9000 and one UB820. All are about 3+ years old. They got used a lot and zero problems so far.

[@gamingwhileitshot8040]

UB-820 going on two years. No issues yet...fingers crossed.

[@slate49]

I’ve owned my Panasonic for nearly 5 years and I’ve had no issue with it. Sorry you’re having the issue. I’m assuming the error is due to the manufacturing line/process. I had a Sony tv go out after 4 years to the month I bought it..yet another Sony tv I had for much longer, I had no issues with. I didn’t give up on Sony TV’s, I just assumed the build on the day it was made wasn’t as good as the others. That’s the problem with electronics. Ya never know what is going to happen after months or years of owning them. I do think we need an updated 4k players

[@akubrick1]

At last! All I hear about this model is unending praise! It has happended to me off and on for about a year now. Why isnt this shouted from the rooftops? I took the lid off just to take a look.. and ended up losing the cheap plastic piece that acted as the eject button. Now I can only eject with the remote! For what its worth..Ive found that when you press eject is key...wait for the player to come to a complete stop before pressing eject. It seems to work..but if you ever in the future hit eject at the wrong time.. you will have the problem again.

[@thomashinch]

To Crusader, the richest man in town

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

Wow, thank you so much!!

[@444chroma]

I picked up the X800M2 a few weeks ago. So far I prefer it to the 820 except for the DV toggling. We'll see how long it lasts

[@444chroma]

My 820 hasn't given me any trouble yet but I tend to only use it for dolby vision discs. I use the 420 for SDR and basic HDR. Trying to spread the workload so they last longer. The 420 is honestly a great little player and if I had to replace that every few years it wouldn't be the end of the world considering its modest price

[@tigerblue42]

My UB820 tray jammed as well a few months back (about two years old and not heavily used because I also had a Sony UBP-X800 and used that quite a bit). Eventually I ended up disassembling the thing after reading some info on discussion forum and I managed to get the tray working again...for a day. When it jammed the next time it started making some terrible noises when I tried to play a disk and I've stopped using it. As I say I had (and still have) a Sony UBP-X800, I personally think this player has vastly better build quality, a much better interface, nicer remote, quieter playback, doesn't feel so "clunky" and it's still going strong after more than 5 years of use (and used much more heavily in that time than my Panasonic). I don't think I've had any playback issues with my Sony for disks I own, the only playback issues have been with the occasional 4K rental disk (and you can usually see they have a scuff or minor scratch on them when that happens). The Panasonic had three advantages over my Sony: (1) it gave me the option of Dolby Vision (which is not available on the X800M1 but is available on the X800M2), (2) it gave me the option of a "HDR" adjuster where you could increase the overall brightness of HDR as a choice (instead of Dolby Vision), (3) Living in the UK, region B, I found I could trick it into playing some region A Blu-rays (eg. those coming from Arrow but it wouldn't work with Kino Lorber or Vinegar Syndrome disks). My next player will probably be a Sony UBP-X800M2, adapted to be multi-region (haven't completely decided yet).

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

Yeah the 820 has better performance in some areas over the Sony and has far less playback issues than what usually gets reported with Sonys and will play most region free discs with a workaround remote code…but then you run into the dead tray issue and it’s just infuriating…so if I do buy another player it would likely be a Sony.

[@AlSumait]

I'd get the UB9000 if I were you, worth every penny. I don't care how expensive it is. I haven't had any issues with it.

[@DavidSusiloUnscripted]

Try this and you may like it even more: Panasonic 4K Bluray Players UB420 UB820 UB9000 Settings That Many People Missed kzbin.info/www/bejne/l5OVmWZmmrZnmMk

[@AlSumait]

@@DavidSusiloUnscripted I have applied those settings, I don’t keep them on default.

[@thejustifier5566]

I have had my ub820 for 4 years and haven’t had any issues. Panasonic needs to release new models with sacd support. Didn’t buy a Sony player because of having to manually switch hdr setting.

[@DavidSusiloUnscripted]

And if you do this you’ll like your Panasonic even more Panasonic 4K Bluray Players UB420 UB820 UB9000 Settings That Many People Missed kzbin.info/www/bejne/l5OVmWZmmrZnmMk

[@hansfeld5233]

15:25 There's a date on the disc drive, I wonder if anything can be narrowed down to a run of drives that were used, as you mentioned earlier. Please describe Sony issues, I've had mine for years, no problems, a couple didn't play from disc rot.

[@cwejman]

The drive belt for opening/closing needs to be replaced. This resolves the issue.

[@byronlaw6491]

Sorry to hear this. Sounds a right mess. I’m lucky I’ve not had this issue with mine. I’m in the U.K. tho so maybe they made them at a different factory or something. I do find the format frustrating at times tho with discs stopping working or glitching. Warner bros discs in particular I’ve lost at least 10 with problems ranging from glitches to not playing. It’s HD-DVD bad at times.

[@nathanielgilliland9939]

I simultaneously look forward to and dread the day that I upgrade my tv to something that's compatible with Dolby Vision. As it stands, I use an Xbox One X for 4K discs, and that usually works with no problems. Occasionally, I'll get a disc read error, but as soon as I take out the disc, wipe it with my microfiber cloth (even though there was nothing to wipe off, not even dust), once I put it back in the Xbox, it works perfectly. For non-4K discs, I use a region-free modded Sony BPD-S1700, and that's never had any problems.

[@blarbful]

I had a similar experience with my "Panasonic DP-UB450EB". The cheapest multi-region player that supports both Dolby Vision and HDR-10+. Just out of the 1 year warranty the disc tray mechanism begins to falter. The tray gets stuck in position (either "in" or "extended"), which results in the player reading for a disc (if one is inserted and the tray is stuck closed). This results in a loop where I press "eject", the tray makes mechanical noises but doesn't move, the player detects the disc, and the disc plays again. Fortunately there's a small slot underneath the disc tray through which a small pin can be inserted (I use a long tip ink pen) in order to penetrate a plastic tab with a small hole inside of it, which can be dragged leftward in order to force the tray to eject. This triggers the tray to automatically open completely if the player is still ON when this is performed. From there I tend to pull the tray outward from the player as far as it can go, "overextending" the tray which (I suppose) "repositions" the tray mechanism because I then press the "eject" button again which closes the tray, after which the tray resumes functioning properly for an indeterminate period of time, after which it will randomly happen again! Perhaps it's merely a placebo, but it seems more likely to fail the less frequently the tray is used, which suggests to me that perhaps it requires more lubrication which is the reason it's getting stuck.

[@Graphicxtras1]

Totally agree, that is a very frustrating design flaw. Much like the weird flaw in mine (150 model) where the disk often just doesn't read, often takes a few goes before it says 'yes, this is a 4K or blu-ray' and It will play it. If you get a big flaw like that then it will make customers very wary of buying another Panasonic.

[@OffGridIron]

Issues like these are why I decided to acquire a UHD drive to rip the discs and them play them though my android set top box. A bit of a cumbersome process, but at least I know I'll be able to actually enjoy the discs that I've bought!

[@phydicollscormain]

While it does take up more space since you are ripping a feature length film (or episodes of the season for significant more), an HDD NAS device does make it a worthy investment without dealing for disc drive issues. It is like installing a game (PC full size since 2000s, PS4 and Xbox One), for media these days.

[@Barbarapape]

The issue with that little cog is that plastic gears develop cracks with age and then the gear splits causing the loading tray to jam. You have two choices, either replace the gear if Panasonic will sell you one or with some modelling skils repair the gear with epoxy two part glue and file down the excess once it has set. Panasonic make these player for a low price and just want us to buy a new one. This is not a new problem, i have been repairing jammed or sticking loading gears for years.

[@MovieGuy846]

Panasonic had an issue w/ their first gen DVD players back in the late 90's where the laser pick-up would burn out usually just after the warranty expired. My understanding was that they knew about it and could have called for a recall but they instead decided to just deal with it on a one to one basis w/ the customer. Thus, if it broke within warranty, they had no problem covering it. Past the warranty, they didn't give a crap and expected the customer to pay. Not saying that Panasonic is evil (Samsung had a history of doing the same thing) as many company's are guilty of knowing about issues and staying quiet about it. I would see about contacting Panasonic and holding them responsible by claiming a lemon law reason since there are many instances of this happening to others.

[@DavidSusiloUnscripted]

I still have that Panasonic DVD-A300. I have two of them bought in 1997 when DVD was first introduced. Still play with zero problem to this day.

[@paulkersey820]

Excellent video. Sorry this is happening to you. I know that discs are much preferable to streaming, but at times this hobby can drive you nuts with faulty players and freezing discs due to scratches or imperfections and at a rate that surpasses normal Blu-ray.

[@DanKeatis]

I need to consider myself lucky. I've been using my Samsung M7500 since 2018 with no issues. Although, now that I've submitted this to the internet it will no doubt explode. Sure, it doesn't do Dolby Vision but neither does my TV (also Samsung) so I'm pretty happy. But then... I don't run a KZbin channel that's based on incredibly detailed analysis of discs. :)

[@bigmoviefreak]

Don’t really understand why we need a sliding tray. Just make it a top loader with a simple top lid that has no complex moving parts that might break down and unnecessarily incapacitate the entire device.

[@punknerd9747]

I have a LaserDisc player with the same problem. Tray get stuck and/or wont clasp to spin, and works otherwise. It's at my 2nd house where I visit it 3 times a year. I haven't figured out the problem. It's probably a belt. After I warm it up it works fine.

[@craigwhitcher9629]

Possibly a dead spot in the motor. One old trick some repair guys do is to disconnect the motor, remove it from the assembly and connect a voltage source like a 9V battery to spin it up to maximum rpm without a load for 30s or so. It may help clean the contacts in the motor so there’s less chance of hitting a dead spot.

[@MCentral8086]

Very Odd issue. I'm very interested from a technical perspective. So Just some questions.... - When it gets stuck, does the player attempt to open it and fail? Do you hear any mechanical noises? - Does the gear feel a bit sticky before you start manually turning it? - If it's a matter of the cog getting stuck until you exercise it, it could be an easy matter of adding something like lithium grease to the mechanism to lubricate it. - There could always be something more nefarious going on where if the tray fails to open one time, or an error was detected -- that panasonic locks it up on purpose to encourage people to send it in for maintenance. And then it sort of resets itself after it detects the tray has been dissassembled, but I doubt this.

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

It tries to open or close but does nothing. The cogs and wheels and belt have no residue or oil or any signs of issue. They turn perfectly so it does seem to be an issue inside the actual motor. When it’s not doing this the tray works perfectly.

[@MCentral8086]

@@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader The next time this occurs , would it be possible to power the unit while the drive unit is exposed, and then try the eject mechanism before you apply your temporary workaround fix? This way you can more easily observe the cause if it's mechanical (i.e. If gears are sticking or if the belt is slightly lose or if nothing moves at all and you only hear the motor grinding away). That would shed a lot of light on what's going on. I understand that they turn perfectly fine when you do so manually, but I'm more interested in the behavior when the motor tries to turn them.

[@jarjared3522]

It really sucks that in order to get a problem free 4k player you have to pay a grand for a giant heavy brick. And even then it's a gamble.

[@PIPERBOYWILLIAMS]

Just got mine and it’s doing it. Getting a different manufacturer

[@saint6563]

You're usage of a physical media player is equivalent to Dog Years for the rest of us! JJ not dismissing the problem.

[@TheVid54]

I hear your frustration. Sony should make their move with a new model that clears up their periodic "freeze" problem and make a grab for the Panasonic market. I don't have very many playback freezes on my Sony X800M2, for nearly half the price (actually, I only paid a hundred bucks for a display model, so I don't care how much better the Panasonic is supposed to be for usually double the price). I guess competition in the 4k player market isn't a thing anymore, since Panasonic doesn't seem to want to make good on this problem for customers of their so-called flagship models.

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

If Sony could make a no frills UHD player that did DV and was reliable as the ps3 slim I’d be all over it.

[@Chronically0nline]

Have you tried… bYpAsSiNG tHE cOmPResSah?

[@krisjs1767]

Can you not get a replacement cog for a DIY repair?

[@plexnbrown760]

One thing that stuck out is you switch from uhd to blu standard back to uhd. I wonder if it switching lens or something beteeen blu ray versions because blue are dual and 4k are quad layers

[@thischannelisdeleted]

Buy a Reavon or a Magnetar player. The best on the market currently.

[@curtischristie9314]

Damn. I guess I get the cheaper Sony for the time being knowing that I will have to upgrade it when they finally come out with replacement models.

[@delboy3k1]

That much disassembly I would have changed the belt and regreased the cogs especially if you don't know which one. But I feel your pain

[@delboy3k1]

Looking further into this. The drive is available as a part by itself cheaper than the whole machine. Thinking the issue is cogs only and a batch of them I would by thr drive and replace it. I would not.....keep opening and closing it when the option of the drive is available. My opinion of course but I think testing shows it's not something that could be found quickly by panasonic as its probably the plastic used and a batch issue which works with an unknown amount of time before fault occurs. Agreed service desk should know this now :-)

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

@@delboy3k1 that’s probably going to be my next step but I thought I might wait for a sale and try another player if it gets marked down low enough.

[@DavidSusiloUnscripted]

How do you know that it’s a manufacturing flaw? Because the only way you can know if you have the original CAD drawing of the laser assembly.

[@philipds9813]

Have the same problem once and a while, until now just disconnecting the power - turn over the player for couple minutes, then power it up again solved it. Frustrating.

[@kellinwinslow1988]

I've had good results with the Xbox Series X as a 4K player. Has some good options and puts out some good sound for my 7.4.2 set up. After watching a bunch of your videos I've appreciated your frankness and honesty in reviews. I have the Godfather films on Blu Ray but after you broke down what the 4K transfers were like I decided to save myself the money and not upgrade. Same with American Graffiti. I still have the laserdiscs of that and the Star Wars films. My question for you is how good are the Lord of the Rings 4K films? It would be interesting to know before I commit the $80 or so. Doing a video on those would be cool if you haven't already. The Superman set from last year was a real disappointment,no special edition of the first film was bad enough. I don't want to get burned like that again.

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

Thank you! LOTR is another special case because the films were made at a particular time and the effects were only finished at a certain resolution and quality, so each video master has been a different approach and it seems Jackson has desires to tweak things as they go. The DVDs and BDs had differences but the new 4K masters make changes of their own. I think with these films you have to see if it’s stuff you can live with or if you’d rather stick with older editions. Personally I wish all films in scenarios like this would include some form of purist option to have new scans of the film elements with the highest quality preservation master of the digital effects as-is with the original sound mix. It wouldn’t always be pretty but it would be archival. That’s what is so long overdue on The Phantom Menace. The problem in all of these cases is that it would be an extremely time consuming and expensive process to rebuild the film shot by shot much like the restoration of the next generation episodes. Otherwise, you’re stuck always using some early form of digital intermediate or film out that was made back then.

[@kellinwinslow1988]

​@@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusaderI agree that they should include different versions. Probably the best example is Blade Runner. Having 5 versions of the film is a way that everyone can see the different versions. And the 4K disc was actually quite good. That would be the best way to do all films. I figured the Lord of the rings films were like that. They were done in the early 2000's so that is typical of that time. The Phantom Menace would be bad enough to redo but I imagine that redoing all the LOTR films would be pricey. I'm sure they would make their money back though and then some. Again the best example of redoing older effects like this would be the special Star Trek The Motion Picture 4K release of a year ago or so. That one they actually spent some time and money on redoing early 2001 effects and it looked great. It doesn't get talked about much but it proves that it can be done. Just like 4K77 proves that the original Star Wars could be done in 4K if Lucas wanted to. If a few fans can do it then there really is no excuse for big studios. So overall the Lord of the Rings might be worth getting. I'll just keep my older versions. Lol.

[@kellinwinslow1988]

​@@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusaderAnd I also agree with you about all these changes in films are unnecessary past a certain point. One that really pissed me off was the 4K release of Mamoru Oshii's 95' film Ghost in the Shell. They actually took out music and replaced music at the end of the film. And it's on all versions not just the dub. Why do that? It's like if they removed John Williams music from the end of say, Jurassic Park or Superman. They would never do that so why here? It's this kind of thing that has made me keep my laserdiscs and Blu Ray discs. It's just nonsense and frankly insulting.

[@garyrobinson8665]

Sorry about your player problem. I've got the Panasonic UB400 I've had no issues with it. Sure I don't like the build quality but it works.

[@bigdogJ]

I’ve had enough issues with Panasonic players. Bought a ub420 in December of 2020 and in August 2022 it started making horrible noises when disc was playing and wouldn’t play discs without glitching anymore. September 2022 I figured I’d upgrade and bought the ub820. Worked great until April of this year then it developed the disc tray issue described in this video. Against my better judgement I ordered another another ub820 the first of may and had it a week and then it started freezing and artifacting on discs I’ve watched multiple times so I sent it back for a refund. I’m pretty much done with Panasonic blu ray players at this point

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

Sorry you got burned several times and had the same trouble!!

[@user-pp9tn6rf2u]

Does it support BDXL discs such as 100GB and 128GB ? And how plays custom BD-R ?

[@samuelprocter7606]

As a new 4K buyer currently in the market, what 4K players are known to be actually reliable long term?

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

None that I’m aware of sadly. Most have only been around a few years so it’s hard to tell but even the Panasonics have issues and quirks.

[@matthewgaudet4064]

I just got a cheap Panasonic player and at first the disc tray didn't want to open. I didn't pay for the extended warranty. Hey at least they make parts and do repairs unlike Laserdisc. And do sell new players.

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

To an extent yes but they’ll likely make you use the same third party repair shop.

[@dr.impossibleofcounterpunc1984]

They've got you by the nuts with everything these days. All this messing around and what do you come out with.... I'll be honest and say that I have no 4K player. I have a nice Pioneer Blu Ray player that's served me exceptionally well for the last 12 yrs without a problem. This is concerning, but not really surprising, considering how the electronics industry has been going over the past decade. Corporations will always find ways of screwing you over to make some nice mounds of money. Living in the UK, when I get a chance to go to the local recycling facility near Truro in Cornwall, you get to see the harsh reality right in front of you. OLED tv's dumped and blu ray players, including a few 4K players. One of the guys I spoke to there said more and more people are dumping electronics because of faults or build quality issues. Sometimes people dump TV's and electronics because they want the latest electronic gimmick on the market, want to be with the 'in crowd', but if you could see the stuff chucked, it boggles the mind.

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

I still use my ps3 slim for BD playback and it’s still the best BD player I’ve used.

[@dr.impossibleofcounterpunc1984]

@@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader It's embrassing to think you have to resort to a PS3 to achieve what Panasonic cannot deliver. Is this regression or progression with technology. I feel at times that we're going backwards. The corporations want us all eating out of the hands via streaming, rather than having to produce quality players that last a good ten years rather than a poultry 2-3 yrs. I was thinking about buying a 4K player, but now it's put me right off. As much as I hear people scream from the roof tops about the picture quality and, to a degree, sound quality, it seems people are being shafted with discs that aren't working properly and players either jamming or giving up altogether. It's the sign of the times. At least the humble Blu-ray and DVD outshines it's more modern counterpart Crusader. We have to look back to see improvement, and look forward to see a lack of improvement. 21st Century, more like the Middle Ages....

[@StefanHomberger]

I swear every piece of hardware I encounter that is less than 10 years old has more issues than random 30-40 year old tech I pull out of dirty Goodwill bargain bins.

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

Yep! Even my 90’s Sony sound processor goodwill rescue with burned out display works properly for ac3 demodulation.

[@jkelley2091]

The 9000 has a completely different disc player so I wonder why it has the same problem

[@marktubeie07]

I have a REVON hi end player - well I did, it has been returned for repair after I had it for only 1 month - oh, and 6 weeks later it's STILL in for repair. Domestic goods nowadays are pathetic !!! To be honest, even if you returned your player to Panasonic within the warranty period, chances of it getting fixed in a timely manner would be highly unlikely.

[@jnagarya519]

Clean the belts with alcohol -- you don't have to remove the belts -- while you have it open.

[@jnagarya519]

I have both UB420 and UB820. I got both during their first or second year on the market. No problem with either.

[@mr.smith45]

My father recently bought on and it's been nothing bit trouble it will freeze and skip on almost any disc at random with visible corruption. And other brand news blu Ray's it just wont fucking play them at all ever. Panasonic's needs to do a huge recall and repair program.

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

So many UHD players are janky in weird ways. Why I have no idea.

[@mr.smith45]

@@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader its makeing me hold off on picking one up right now because I dont want something that will dies in 5 years or less

[@tyrannozilla]

Thankfully, I don't have any Panasonic 4K players on my wish list. My goal is to get either a Sony or LG region free 4K player. The only problem is that they rarely go on sale and can be over $300.00 to $380.00.

[@larryhazelwood5491]

The Panasonic UB-9000 is the best.been buying Panasonic products since 1985 no issues.

[@mrtea7562]

Maybe if you are too burned by the idea of buying another Panasonic buy a used Oppo 203/205, they can be modded for iso file playback. And there are less lemons with Oppo than Panasonic from what I've read.

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

I keep an eye out for them but the used prices went up dramatically when Oppo stopped making players.

[@444chroma]

Man that sucks. Can you just replace the entire drive unit so you don't have a bum cog to deal with? You might even be able to pull one from a 420 if they share the same drive. It won't be long before people start passing the buck to panasonic/retailers by pulling the working drive unit and returning the defective one. Would be wary of open box too

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

The drive is 206 plus shipping and tax and additional warranty. 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@IndiephantomSofaSinema]

So many issues with defective discs and players, I just gave up...bought a great HD projector and use a high end computer to play all my media. Streaming and downloading saves me time and headaches lately.

[@pholly]

If this happens to mine I think I’ll just buy a console and live with only having HDR.

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

That’s the sucky part that so few players do DV properly.

[@pholly]

It’s not caused by pushing the tray in manually is it? I hate seeing people do that, there’s a button for a reason…

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

No it isn’t and some have theorized it could also be the button that does it though I don’t know if that’s true or not.

[@FatherJoe--NLO]

I hate to hear you're having this problem. The only 4K player that never seems to have a problem is the PS5, but it doesn't offer Dolby Vision. For $500, that player should last at least a decade.

[@DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader]

You’d think so…. One gets used to hearing about problems with Sony players, but I never expected to run into a Panasonic problem given that everyone speaks highly of them.

[@poleythepolarbear9706]

My parents UHD player has the same issue, but it is not a Panasonic.

[@danielgarcia21]

I've had pretty bad luck with 2 ub820's. Both failed miserably in the same way. I bought the first one in 2020. After 5 months, freezing and pixelation issues started to appear. I couldn't return it because it was imported and Panasonic doesn't replace imported devices in my country. I then bought a Sony X800M2. So far so good except that I have to turn on and off Dolby Vision manually. Last year I decided to give to Panasonic another chance. Bought the second one. And the firts movie I put BAM! pixelation. It was Dune 4K. I returned it the next day. Panasonic sucks, man! The Sony works wonderfully.

[@larryhazelwood5491]

Get the 9000

[@MrCREWCRUSHIN95]

Too bad Oppo left the game. Maybe it's worth the investment to just go premium and get the Oppo-heir MAGNATAR player.

[@HBarnill]

Think that's as good as Oppo's?

[@kurb1980]

@@HBarnill yup that company bought and used all of oppo tooling and designs so essentially the same

[@DanKeatis]

Did Oppo morph into Magnetar? Or did Magnetar just slide into Oppo's place in the market? Either way, they're a bit too rich for my blood :)

[@kurb1980]

@@DanKeatis I’m not completely sure but as a oppo owner of the blu ray player 83 and uhd 203 the design chassis even the finish on chassis layout of the inputs and outputs plus the gui of the player are identical.

[@DanKeatis]

@@kurb1980 Interesting!

[@shanksmare8]

The only sane solution for me is to have the reliable PS3 super slim for DVDs & Blu Rays, and 4k is streaming / digital playback only. No point in getting a 4k player if they're going to have problems reading triple layer discs, and paying a premium price for Dolby Vision support.

[@kaitlynwiley9340]

I think the first 20 times you said the same thing is ok. My 820 works beautifully. If it dies thats what my bestbuy extended warranty is for

[@zacharia827]

"Panasonic more like problematic"

[@cebachah9710]

Too much bs talking