Panasonic DP-UB820 Blu-ray Player - Best Buy (sale) $399 - MSRP $499

Panasonic DP-UB820 Blu-ray Player - Best Buy (sale) $399 - MSRP $499
Demo: Oblivion 4K
Website:
www.uphe.com/movies/oblivion
Amazon link:
www.amazon.com/Oblivion-Blu-r...
I definitely think this is an underrated movie. I have watched this one a few times alone, just for the visual and audio enjoyment alone.
The movie is good also so it’s a win, win for us home theater junkies:)
Great reviews from Techno Dad and spare change. Both of these guys are awesome at reviews and are ultimately what I am striving to get to quality wise. Please subscribe to their channels:
Techno Dad:
• Panasonic DP-UB820 Six...
SpareChange:
• PANASONIC DP-UB820 4K ...
Best Buy link:
www.bestbuy.com/site/panasoni...
MSRP - $499
Website Listed For Sale - Best Buy
Where I Purchased - Curbside pickup, due to COVID-19
Listed Price - $399
Price Paid - $399
Condition - Brand new
Final thoughts -
Well, how did the Panasonic DP-UB820 stack up against the LG UBK90? Comparing these two players isn’t exactly fair, as the Panasonic is $200 more but I am definitely happy I pulled the trigger on the Panasonic.
From a picture standpoint, there’s definitely not a “night and day” difference like I’ve read online, numerous times. With that said, this player and my LG C9 make an absolutely beautiful combo. I really like the HDR setting options, the Panasonic offers and so far, I haven’t had any picture freezing issues, like my LG did occasionally.
The main reasons I like the Panasonic over the LG are the remote, eject button and the GUI. I had issues with the LG remote, I had to have it pointed directly at the player which annoyed me to no end. Other things the LG had issues with were the eject button on the player, it had a delay and you had to press it a few times, to get it to open or close.
Loving the Panasonic over the LG but again, I should, with the price difference.
Other Equipment used: Denon AVR-X3300W Receiver, Marantz MM7055 Amplifier, LG C9 OLED 65” TV, LG 4K, Panasonic DP-UB820, Panamax M7500-Pro, Xbox One X
Subscriber Count At The Time Of This Video - 628 (keeps going up, thank you for the support everyone!)

[@gina4008]

"Oblivion"..... I just LOVE this movie. It's my go to movie when testing the surround sound of my speakers.

[@jeffhouse3201]

Thanks for posting this! Been eyeing it for awhile.

[@blazermdx]

Not a problem! Be sure to check out the links in the description, to Techno Dad and SpareChange reviews. They dig into more of the specs. It’s a great player, especially when it can be had for $400. Thanks for stopping by!

[@joeymatthews8233]

Hey Dustin congratulations on all your subscribers ! Enjoy all your videos , very informative . keep up the good work brother!

[@blazermdx]

Hey Joey! Thank you for the support! I always thought there was room on KZbin for more budget minded “reviews” and a channel that wasn’t too technical. My goal was to hit 1,000 the first year and thanks to many other great KZbin’ers, it looks like I might just make it. Thank you very much for the compliment, I hope you are well my friend!

[@TheFrugalAudiophile]

I have had a Panasonic standard Blu-ray player for about 10 years now and it is still working great! It does slow disc a bit slow, but that is to be expected of something it’s age.

[@blazermdx]

It’s good to hear your Panasonic is still going strong, after 10 years. I’ve always been impressed with Panasonic’s higher end gear. Thanks again for helping support my channel, my friend!

[@gerardofollano8417]

Thanks for the review, I only paid $100 for my LG UBK90 new sealed box I have no remote issues player responds amazingly fast, I was planning to upgrade with Panasonic 820 because of the raving reviews but now that you said the picture difference is not significant Im not sure I will go for it

[@Trojan0304]

Works great upscaling my Blu-ray’s. Killer 4K on my JVC projector. With new JVC firmware 3.5 HDR is great. Set player on projector setting but not tone mapping HDR since projector does frame adapt

[@blazermdx]

This is supposed to be one of the top players for projectors. I’ve only been ably to test it out on a couple TV’s but it is as good of a player I have ever owned, in terms of video quality. I wish the cabinet was closer to the UB9000 but I just couldn’t justify the price difference. Thanks for stopping by, my friend!

[@andreassouth1523]

Right away i noticed the better picture of the Panasonic!

[@asdfkljhqweroiuyzxcv]

Right now, I use an Oppo 203, which is awesome. At some point it'll die, and I'll need something new. It's sad they stopped making players. My key features for a Player is: 1) 4k, HDR, and all the various formats. 4:4:4 support, bitstream out for audio, etc. I think all "modern" players would have this. 2) SACD Support. I own many SACD's, as it's my overall favorite audio format due to it's quality. I don't know, other than the Oppo and some Sony's, what would support this. 3) DVD-Audio support. 4) IP Control, so home automation systems can support. The thing I don't need is all the Netflix / Amazon / and other related streaming service support. I have dedicated devices (aka: AppleTV) for that... Hopefully my Oppo lasts me many more years. Please, keep up these great reviews.

[@jubeijackson6602]

Bought my entire 5.1 Sonos surround about 2 years ago using open box and have never looked back. It is indeed a worthwhile option to consider. Enjoy. Personally I’m trying to decide between this Panasonic ub820 and Sony x800m2. Decisions

[@blazermdx]

I’ve definitely saved some serious money buying open box and refurbished items. I think I saved ~ $400 on my Marantz 7055 amplifier, since it was piled up in the Magnolia open box section. I wish I could help you with which player to get but I don’t have any experience with that particular Sony. I have read good things though. Let me know which direction you decide to go. Thank you again, for taking the time to comment, I truly appreciate it!

[@apeman1980]

i just bought a brand new Panasonic DP-UB820PCK, from a Canadian Audio Video store online for $499.99, just got it today actually in the mail. works perfect so far, never tried any 4K bluray movies yet, i got a big collection of standard 1080p blurays and dvds to use, but didnt buy any 4k bluray discs yet, but will later on., i tried Sonic the Hedgehog 1 wit Jim Carrey on 1080p Bluray disc, omg it looks beautiful, full of color and great sound comin from my LG C1 OLED here. and the player upscales it towards 4k.

[@blazermdx]

Congrats! That’s a great deal on about as good of a player, as you can get! Just follow some of the available KZbin videos, on video settings, and you’ll be rewarded with a beautiful picture. Thank you very much for taking the time to comment and for stopping by!

[@apeman1980]

@@blazermdx thanks Dustin, I just subbed to ur channel bud. I’m a big fan of tech stuff, and I’m a movie buff too.

[@cutsaez7230]

thank you for your review Small / large technical question: I have a samsung qe75q90r tv which is not dolby vision, only hdr10 +. If I buy a dolby vision 4k bluray player like ub820 that decodes these metadocos, would I have the dolby vision equivalent on my TV? In a way, it is the player that will dynamically send the contrasting image to the TV that does not display it. Thank you

[@Great_America]

I have had the same quality of service issues from Best Buy. Their Geek Squad members are not as thorough as one would want. Luckily, their customer service is amazing and the reason why I continue to be a Best Buy customer.

[@blazermdx]

The Best Buy Magnolia employees I’ve interacted with over the years seem to have the same passion as we have, which helps. I don’t have much experience with Geek Squad though. I’ve always fumbled through the technical stuff on my own, which isn’t necessarily the right move😆

[@rianhassan3149]

I've been looking at 4K UHD players and at first it was between the Sony 700, 800M2, and LG UBK90. You have to manually switch from Dolby Vision with both Sony units if it's a non-Dolby Vision Blue-Ray. This video made me change my mind about the LG UBK90. I've got an LG CXOLED 55" and an LG sound bar. I started looking into the Panasonic one you are speaking about tonight and after researching, I've decided this is the right one for me. Oh yeah, it's currently $349.98 BNIB at Best Buy. I will be making the purchase next month. Thank you for this review!

[@blazermdx]

I’m excited to hear your thoughts! This is the best player in the market for the money, period. Like I mentioned in my other comment, I tried to talk myself into the Panasonic 9000 but in the end, just couldn’t justify it. I’m sitting here watching my new 820 as I type this:)

[@rianhassan3149]

@@blazermdx what's 820?

[@blazermdx]

The Panasonic DP-UB820-K

[@zztop7000]

Beautiful! Welcome to physical disc world! I got the Panasonic ub420 very happy with it doesn't have dolby vision i really don't need because my JVC 4k projector doesn't have dolby vision that saves me. Plus I also upgrade my Panasonic UB420 power cord with Audio Quest sound is even better 👌lower the noise and improved the picture much better than stock cord I'm also using a Emotiva power conditioner. Are you planning to replace your stock power cord? All my stock cord I replace them with Audio Quest to improve the audio quality and picture replacing your stock cord will improve your audio performance and picture.

[@Great_America]

You have to go into the menu and manually set the configurations to optimize the playback display quality.

[@blazermdx]

Yeah, I’ve since gone in and adjusted everything to my liking. The picture is really awesome!

[@Great_America]

Average Guy Hi-Fi At this price point (currently $400) no other Blu ray player comes close.

[@celluloidtherapy5003]

After a ton of research, this is the player that I ended up buying. I bought an open-box player from Amazon Warehouse for $359.99. When it arrived, I noticed that although it was listed as “open-box,” it was indeed BRAND-NEW! Previously, I had an LG UBK80, not initially realizing that it lacked Dolby Vision, and I returned it. This player is a SIGNIFICANT upgrade over that player, and I absolutely give it my HIGHEST recommendation as well.

[@blazermdx]

That’s a killer deal, right there! Yeah, this seems to be one of the top players out right now. I am guessing with more seat time and some tweaking, I will continue to like this player more and more. Thanks for stopping by and your input on this player!

[@444chroma]

Thank you for sharing. I compared both presentations side by side in KZbin multiplier app and the Panasonic is superior.

[@blazermdx]

I definitely preferred the Panasonic over the LG. The LG was pretty buggy though so I was ready to be rid of it. Thanks for watching the video, I hope it helped you some!

[@444chroma]

@@blazermdx It did help! I have a LG C9 tv as well and decided to purchase this player today. 👌

[@jaymeshayes8875]

I did the same had ubk90 for 3 years 4k discs were so dim with hdr10. I have a samsung tv only have hdr10 and 10+ with. Ubk90 did not have hdr10+ only dolby vision, hate the Remote setting was to simply no hdr adjustments and it was loud disc drive for 4k dics almost as loud as A ps4 lol 😆 was distracting and dvd and bluray upscaleing was not that good. Got ub820 now extremely happy with it. Hdr10 plus is amazing and hdr optimiser is a game changer

[@blazermdx]

Yeah, this player is awesome! With the updates, Dolby Vision and the optimizer, it’s hard to beat! I sold it off and regretted it instantly, so I bought it again. Haha I’m waiting to see an updated version of the 9000 to be released. I might be able to talk myself into that as an upgrade from my 820, if the opportunity presents itself:) Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts with us! It really is a killer player

[@MrWgk]

Great video ! Try a older dvd or Blu-ray the Panasonic does a great job upscaling them , btw I have the 9000 player and I love it

[@blazermdx]

I watched a regular Blu-ray last night and I was very happy with the picture quality. You ponied up for the 9000? Nice! I really like the build quality of that player and the size of the case. This player isn’t all that deep, so it sits a little funny, with my other gear. Thanks for the compliment and for stopping by!

[@batman.darthmaul]

Does standard HD content not look as good on a 4K player as it does on a standard Blu player?

[@brantlisk786]

I am/was in the same dilemma as you. I have the same LG player, with the same problems you mentioned. That said, I was waiting on this Panasonic player to go on sale, and it just did at Best Buy for $350. Just bought it. Looking forward to the switch/upgrade. Hope I can get $100 for the LG like you. Thanks for your experience on these.

[@blazermdx]

I’m pretty easy going and definitely not a LG hater but I was very happy when I made this upgrade. The LG just seemed too buggy. Congratulations on the new purchase, that’s a great deal on a great player!

[@brantlisk786]

@@blazermdx Thanks man. I was waiting on the sale price to get it. You said the pic quality wasn’t night and day. Could you elaborate on what I should expect? Thanks!

[@blazermdx]

I was probably being a little too harsh but I was expecting a little higher quality case, than this $500 player provides. It feels about the same quality as a couple less expensive Sony and LG 4K players I’ve owned. I might have been expecting too much, coming from an Oppo and a Pioneer Elite players but both of those were quite a bit more expensive. The quality is probably on par with the price point. Again, probably being a little harsh. Gave you received the player yet?

[@brantlisk786]

@@blazermdx Still waiting to receive it. Said it’d be here by the 30th, next Monday. Taking bits time unfortunately

[@rianhassan3149]

Yup. Same. This video solidified my decision. I will be purchasing next month.

[@CommanderMouse72]

I scored a Panasonic bdt170 for $15 at a thrift store, not a high end player but has 4K up scaling but can’t play native 4K, upscaler is pretty good and it puts out a stunning picture

[@blazermdx]

$15? Now that’s what I call a score! I’ve really been enjoying this Panasonic 820. Waay better than the Lag 4k player it replaces. I love hearing about good deals, thank you for sharing!

[@CommanderMouse72]

Average Guy Hi-Fi 15 New Zealand dollars so about 9 usd

[@kevonmanuel]

I never thought I would have spent $500 on a UHD player. I refused to buy the Oppo 203 because of the cost. Well, I had to eat crow. the UB820 was the best player for Dolby Vision playback on my Sony Z9D. It was money well spent. Zero issues compared to the Sony X800. The features are Awesome on this player.

[@blazermdx]

I had the Oppo 203. I’m a big Oppo fan and was very sad to see them stop making players. With that said, this Panasonic is every bit as good as the 203 I owned. I just like the quality of the Oppo cabinet and remote over this Panasonic. The used prices on Oppo gear is crazy right now! You have good taste, my friend. Cheers!

[@swanny5273]

Iv just upgraded my TV got a LG OLED also got a new soundbar to go with it the LG SN11RG would this player suit my set-up? Or should I go with the LG UBK90 player

[@blazermdx]

Definitely this player over the LG. I had the UBK90 and the Panasonic is much better. Just make sure you get the 820 on sale as it’s now on sale occasionally, for $399 at Best Buy and Amazon. You’re going to love it with your new OLED, trust me:)

[@swanny5273]

@@blazermdx thanks for the reply! I've looked around im from Australia there's no best buy here and the cheapest I can get it here is 480 when on sale, at the moment the cheapest is 580 sounds like it's worth it though

[@swanny5273]

I couldn't wait just Ordered one from my local betta electrical store for $630 thats about $485USD. Thanks for your help, just subscribed

[@blazermdx]

Congratulations! Let me know what you think, once you get it all hooked up! LG OLED and Panasonic 820 are a match made in heaven:)

[@jayjustgames1725]

👍🏿

[@zztop7000]

I was planning to get the Panasonic ub9000 the holy grail but ended up getting a ub420. Why? I used the extra money on Xbox Series X for gaming. If I bought the ub9000 i won't be getting a Xbox.

[@firstneverfollows9988]

Does support dolby atmos and if does with which port optical or hdmi?

[@blazermdx]

Yes, this player supports Dolby Atmos through HDMI. I believe optical cables only pass 5 channels of audio. It’s a great player, if you’re considering buying it:)

[@firstneverfollows9988]

@@blazermdx But why the box doesn't have the Dolby Atmos logo but the box of ub9000 has it?So I want to ask u is the dolby atmos lossy on ub820 and lossless only on ub9000?

[@edwarner504]

I noticed the Panasonic showed better colors and more detailed.

[@blazermdx]

I’m very glad you were able to see a difference! They are both great players but I think you are correct, I’m liking the colors of the Panasonic more and more. Thank you stopping by, my friend!

[@mrk1075]

Customer probably exchanged it for a Sony UBP X800m2 4K Player.

[@blazermdx]

Possibly. That Sony sounds like a very capable blue-ray player. I don’t have any hands-on experience with it but all the reviews and audio forum posts seem to be very positive. Especially considering it’s quite a bit left than the Panasonic UB820. Cheers, my friend!

[@Edward135i]

I just bought mine open box for $239.

[@blazermdx]

That’s a steal for this player. Well done!

[@martinadamski945]

Sadly my Projector would not take advantage of the technology of DP-UB820

[@blazermdx]

It never ends my friend.. Technology keeps pressing forward with new video/audio formats and it very hard to keep up, and not become homeless. In due time, I’m sure you will need this tech. Thanks for stopping by!

[@bryanp4827]

Martin, that's not entirely correct, at least you get to see all of the detail that bluray has to offer, unlike tiny TV's which all look the same...TINY...

[@acejacks00]

The Panasonic does look better

[@blazermdx]

The more movies I watch, I tend to agree with you. It was a little difficult pulling the trigger on a $400 Blu-Ray player but after watching a couple more movies, the happier I am with the purchase. Thanks for the feedback, I appreciate it!

[@Ghostrecon12]

I Noticed The Color, Had A Much More Richer Indepth Color, On The Panasonic... I Would Know I Have 12/13 Vision... 😆 🤣 😂

[@GintsBUDE]

So bad player, don't work with 4K files via USB ports! Blu Ray discs upscale very bad! Terrible remote control! Great disappointment! 👎

[@adamsultana8380]

Blu-ray discs look spectacular on this player. Either you're doing something wrong or your tv/cables and setup suck