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

I had originally ordered the Sony UBP-X700, which worked pretty decently as long as I played regular Blu Ray discs or DVDs. However, when I tried to play 4K discs, the Sony would skip, freeze, and make the movie experience completely unwatchable. I returned the Sony and decided to take the plunge with this Panasonic, despite the expense. It has been so worth it thus far! It plays every disc flawlessly and gives an excellent picture. This thing is a beast and is definitely the best players currently on the market, in my opinion. The setup was pretty easy and the fact that is has wireless connection (Sony doesn't) was an added bonus. The remote is a little awkward but I don't care. The picture is what matters, and it's awesome.

Panasonic is a well-established, highly respected name in electronics, a Japanese multinational electronics company headquartered in Kadoma, Osaka, Japan. It was founded in 1918 as Matsushita Electric Housewares Manufacturing Works in Fukushima, Osaka, by Kōnosuke Matsushita, and incorporated its principal subsidiary in the United States as Matsushita Electric Corporation of America in New York City in September 1959. It began producing television sets for the U.S. market under the "Panasonic" brand name in 1961 and changed its corporate name to conform with its global "Panasonic" brand name, which comes from the root words "Pan," meaning universal, and "Sonic," referring to sound. The "Panasonic Corporation of North America" division is headquartered in Newark, New Jersey, since 2013, after being previously headquartered in Secaucus, New Jersey, since the 1980s. I have a new Samsung Neo QLED Q95 TV, and, with the advent of Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, I needed a new 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Player to take advantage of this television's advanced graphics and sound capabilities and its HDCP requirements. HDCP stands for High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection. It is a form of digital copy protection developed by Intel Corporation to prevent the unauthorized copying of digital audio and video content as it travels across HDMI connections for digital devices like Blu-ray players, cable boxes, and streaming devices. HDCP 2.2 is essential for 4K content delivery. I am a movie enthusiast. Old-fashioned, I prefer movie theaters over streaming video services. Streaming video is not equal to and is not a satisfactory substitute for the cinema theater-quality visual and sound experience. The next best visual and sound experience is found only in Blu-ray and 4K discs. I collect DVDs, Blu-rays, and 4K discs. As streaming video platforms increase their dominance, Blu-ray Player manufacturing is being discontinued. In December 2024, LG announced that it ceased production of Blu-ray players, joining Samsung and Oppo. While PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X consoles also play Blu-ray 4K Ultra HD discs, the feature adds complexities. This means that only Sony and Panasonic are the remaining major brands that are still manufacturing Blu-ray players. Get your Blu-ray player while they are still being manufactured. When comparing Sony and Panasonic Blu-ray players with Ultra HDR, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision with Dolby Atmos capabilities, I found information advising that the Panasonic automatically detects and switches between Dolby Vision and HDR10, and that the Sony requires manual selection. For me, this eliminated Sony as an option. I chose an upper-end Panasonic, the DP-UB820, because it supports Dolby Vision and HDR10+ formats and includes a proprietary HDR Optimizer function that adjusts to the TV’s brightness capabilities through its exclusive "HCX" technology for 4K high-precision chroma processing; it also supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X soundtracks. I do not appreciate streaming movies. Streaming subscriptions are expensive. You cannot have just one or a few. There are so many competitors with exclusive libraries and video streaming rights that you must have many streaming subscriptions to view the latest and greatest movie choices. As I said before, this is expensive. Too, streaming video presents other problems. Not all streaming video platforms are equal, particularly when it comes to 4K. Notably, Netflix streams 4K at a compressed 15–25 Mbps bitrate; Disney+ is at 16 Mbps; Apple TV+ is at 25 Mbps; and Amazon Prime Video is at 18 Mbps. Moreover, your experience depends on your internet speed, the number of actively connected internet devices, overall internet traffic, and interference in general, as well as the subscription tier level of your streaming video service and settings within the service's app, over and above the year, make, model, caliber, and calibration of your television. Even so, viewing requires the right equipment more than anything else. If you watched "The Rings of Power," you may have experienced scenes that were too dark to see what was happening. This result is from so-called "Dark Cinematography," a style of filmmaking that utilizes minimal light sources to create a visually ominous and stirring atmosphere, often associated with suspense genres; it prioritizes mood and tension over bright, clear visuals, aiming to immerse the viewer in a sense of mystery and darkness. Viewing can be extremely difficult and frustrating in streaming videos. In viewing the Denis Villeneuve 2021 ~ 2024 "Dune: Part One and Part Two," here too, there were a number of scenes that were too dark to see what was happening. "Dune" was partially filmed in 4.5K resolution, which is higher than Dune's more prevalent 4K resolution, with the 4.5K resolution being 4480 x 2520 pixels and the 4K digital resolution being 3840 x 2160 pixels. 4.5K offers more pixels and sharper detail than standard 4K. The "Dune" movie shown in the IMAX Digital Cinema Package (DCP) format has a 4K resolution with a high picture bitrate reaching up to 500 Mbps. Streaming video services cannot accommodate the large file size of movies, so they compress the file. In doing so, there is a loss in visual and acoustic fidelity. Bitrate compression is essential to streaming videos, for uncompressed content would require massive bandwidth and be cost prohibitive. Imagine the visual fidelity loss through the streaming video bitrate compression to 25 Mbps or less. Since 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray discs have a maximum video bitrate of 128 Mbps, albeit compressed but less so than streaming, such discs are able to present the sharpest visuals, richest colors, and a more cinematic viewing experience outside a theater above that presented in streaming video platforms. When it comes to dark cinematography, the Panasonic 4K Blu-ray player's Dolby Vision's dynamic metadata plays a crucial role by allowing for precise adjustments in the darkest areas of a scene, ensuring details are visible even in scenes with very low-light situations while still maintaining the intended contrast and color accuracy.

Setup was plug and play easy. I connected the HDMI cable from my S95F Samsung Television to the Panasonic Blu Ray Player, turned on the player, popped in a DVD and it immediately started to playback the movie. Picture quality is outstanding, crystal clear with no picture noise. I am able to play my old DVDs as well as newer 4K HD DVDs with no problems. I have no picture freeze issues. The player is very well built with a metal chassis. The form factor is very compact compared to my older DVD player which is twice as large. It easily fits into the concealed shelf of my entertainment center. I paid more for the player, but I think it's worth every penny.

I own two of these PANASONIC UB820-K units to the total tune of $800 plus tax and such for the pair. Bought the first one November 2023 and due to the issue described below is the reason for my last unit purchased March of 2025. Which now is suffering from the same issues. Pixelation is the first sign of trouble which can first occur anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes into the movie. Pixelation is normally followed by a couple of screen pauses before loss of sound and then often freezing of the partially pixelated picture. Sometimes the movie will pick up and drag through these unwanted events giving a sense of possibility that the show will go on. But alas, only to eventually have the movie totally freeze up, lock out and completely shut down. This pixelation, freezing and locking issues seems to be most problematic when viewing HDR 4K discs as opposed to DVD and Blu-Ray discs. Which, without saying is the main reason for having the theater system in the first place. I have since updating my player from Blu-Ray to HDR 4K. Upgrading most of my movie collection to the HDR 4K format came at a large expense has did the two UB820 units. My theater setup is pretty straight forward. The Panasonic Streaming Blu Ray DVD Player, 4K Blu Ray Player with Dolby Vision and HDR10+ Ultra HD Premium Video Playback, Hi-Res Audio, Voice Assist - DP-UB820-K (Black) connects the audio and video signals to the Denon - AVR-X3700H (105W X 9) 9.2-Ch. with HEOS and Dolby Atmos 8K Ultra HD HDR. Video signal is sent to my LG C3 Series 83-Inch Class OLED evo 4K Processor Smart Flat Screen. Connections are delivered through Cable Matters [Ultra High Speed HDMI Certified] 48Gbps 8K HDMI Cable 6.6 ft / 2m with 8K@60Hz, 4K@240Hz and HDR Support. Audio is delivered via high end Monster speaker cable to a series of Martin Logan speakers. I purchased and installed an air scrubber and exhaust fan to cut down on dust or smoke in my theater room. So I don't feel that's the issue? I have tried cleaning these 4K movie discs using a microfiber cloth. And have attempted to fast forward, pause, eject and restarting the movie in hopes that the movie will replay without the issue but it continues. It would be awesome if someone from Panasonic would contact me to perhaps discuss the problems with these two UB820-K units and hopefully give me cause to change my review.

I purchased this because I had another brand (I think the brand was something like Bony? LOL) which continually would hang up on 4K Blu-Rays. After some research I bought this, and it handles 4K properly. The picture quality is terrific and the sound on my 5.1 system is amazing. The apps are so-so but who buys these for the apps? The quality of the build leaves something to be desired. The plastic door that opens to accept the discs looks frail, the button to operate it on the player itself has a horrible design (hard to operate) and the entire chassis is cheap plastic. A heavier metal chassis is not just aesthetically desirable - it can help to prevent vibration which can cause distorted playback. Higher build quality would make this rating 5 stars.

Key Features: 4K UHD Playback via HDMI HDR10+, Dolby Vision & HLG Compatibility Full HD to Near-4K Upscaling Wi-Fi and Ethernet Network Connectivity 3D Playback Mobile Device Mirroring 7.1-Channel RCA, HDMI Audio Outputs Voice-Controllable via Smart Speakers Dual USB Ports Dolby TrueHD & DTS-HD Master Audio This is one of the best 4k players you can buy. Works best if you have a 4k TV with Dolby Vision! Now if you don't have a Dolby Vision TV, then cheaper Panasonic UB420 might be a better option. HDR Support for HDR10/HDR10+/Dolby Vision/Hybrid Log Gamma. Supports Discs: Ultra HD Blu-ray, 3D Blu-ray, BD-R, BD-R DL, BD-RE, BD-RE DL, DVD+R, DVD+R DL, DVD+RW, DVD-R, DVD-R DL, DVD-RW, DVD-Video. Audio format it supports: AAC, AVCHD, FLAC, H.264, JPEG, M2TS, M4A, MKV, MP3, MP4, MPEG2, MPG, MPO, MTS, PCM, WAV, WMA. Output ports: 1x HDMI 1x HDMI (Digital Audio) 1x RCA (Analog Audio) 1x TOSLINK Optical (Digital Audio) USB I/O: 1x USB-A 2.0, 1x USB-A 3.0 / 3.1/3.2 Gen 1 The Panasonic UB820 is one of Panasonic’s best 4K Blu-ray players that offers a strong suite of features and supports a lot of audio and video formats including Dolby Vision and HDR10+ for video, Dolby Atmos and DTS:X for audio, and can even support up to 7.1 channels of audio directly with audio analogue output options. Performance wise, the Panasonic UB820 offers fantastic 4K image reproduction with vivid colors, deep black levels and stunning contrast, particularly when it comes to Dolby Vision – it’s up there with the best 4K Blu-ray players. Its 4K upscaling is effective, giving regular (non-4K) Blu-ray a whole new level of detail. Even DVDs are given a new lease on life thanks to the UB820’s upscaling efforts, though you’ll notice far more that it was a lower-quality source. Audio performance is also superb, with Dolby Atmos effects coming through clear and adding that extra layer of immersion to any movie. Paired with one of the best TVs and best soundbars, the Panasonic UB820 completes the home theater experience beautifully. The Panasonic UB820’s software (and all models) are outdated and feel a little cumbersome at times, but it still gives plenty of options and settings for people to adjust to get the picture and audio of their movies to just how they like it. Streaming with the UB820....Don't count on this player or any other Panasonic players for Streaming Netflix, Apple, Prime etc. The software is outdated, and you won't get the high quality 4k video vs using other devices like your TV's software, Roku 4k device, or the Amazon Fire Stick 4k device! Design-wise, the Panasonic UB820 may not be the most remarkable design, but it’s still a solid player that keeps things simple. Whilst its front panel that covers the whole device keeps things a little neater, it does mean people will have to think about where the hinged panel will open and close with the disc tray, meaning those with TV stands with no shelves may have to do some Tetris-esque moving around to find a spot for this unit. Value, the Panasonic UB820 is one of the best Blu-ray players to buy today. Priced at around $400 this really is a well-featured and high-performing player for the price. You can find this player on sale for $350 (during December) to $380 at times. Thanks to some personal history with this player, I can also confirm this will work until it can’t give anymore; it’s a solid investment. But if you don't have a Dolby Vision TV (adds the Best vivid colors and contrast), then I'd probably get the Panasonic UB420 player. Best settings setup IMO for the Panasonic UB820, UB420, and other models. This is for your 4K TV to get the best output for your 4K movies and Blu Ray Discs. 1. Turn on your player with No Disc inside. Then goto "setup", and then "player settings". 2. Go into "HDMI" settings, and "Resolution" set "4K" to "4K/60p(4:4:4)" 3. Now back out and go into "Advanced Settings", and select "Color Mode" and change to "YCbCr (4:4:4)" 4. Back out and go into "HDR TV Type" and select your TV type. Best TVs will be "OLED" 5. Now go back the main menu "player setting and select "Audio" and select "Digital Audio Output" and select "BD-Video Secondary Audio" to "Off". 6. Now put a 4k Disc in and play the movie. Now once the movie is playing hit "Video Setting" on your Remote. Then select "Optimum HDR Adjustment" and select "HDR Optimizer" to "On". That's it now you'll have the best possible setting IMO. Why Dolby Vision and about Dolby Vision: Dolby Vision is an advanced HDR format developed by Dolby Laboratories that empowers visual creatives to add greater depth, incredible contrast, and more colors to your favorite movies, TV shows, and games. It is renowned for its superior brightness, contrast, and color accuracy, which offer you a fully immersive cinematic experience at home. The key behind its excellent results is the use of dynamic metadata, which allows it to optimize every frame of content for the best possible display on a compatible screen. This means that Dolby Vision automatically adjusts the brightness, contrast, and color accuracy scene by scene as you watch your favorite movies, allowing each scene to be vividly portrayed in its truest form. It also dynamically optimizes the image quality based on your service or device to deliver mesmerizing visuals every time. Dolby Vision Enhanced Brightness and Contrast: The best aspect of Dolby Vision is its impressive ability to achieve higher brightness in highlights, making scenes appear more vivid. Similarly, it works wonders in dark scenes by improving black levels by providing more depth and making shadows come true to life. This impeccable contrast between high brightness and deep blackness makes Dolby Vision superior to other formats. Dolby Vision Superior Color Accuracy: When it comes to color accuracy, Dolby Vision takes the lead by providing a wider color gamut, making the colors come to life with intensity. It also gives colors more vibrancy, presenting them in varying hues and shades. Also, Dolby Vision significantly reduces banding and artifacts in color gradients, offering a smooth transition between different shades and eliminating blurry lines between scenes. Dolby Vision Immersive Viewing Experience: Dolby Vision is the future of home entertainment. It offers an outstanding combination of high brightness, contrast, and color accuracy, creating a more immersive and realistic viewing experience. With Dolby Vision, every scene comes to life. Moreover, Dolby Vision offers consistent visual quality across different types of screens, whether you are using a TV, a projector, or a mobile device. This allows you to watch your favorite movies at an impressive visual quality, regardless of the device. Dolby Vision is a game-changer in home entertainment as it offers superior visual quality with its high brightness, stark contrast ratio, and impressive color accuracy. It allows viewers to indulge in a fully immersive cinematic experience in their homes.

I've always liked Panasonic's Blu-ray Disc Players. They are solid, high-quality performers. This is my fourth such player (DP-UB820) from them for the Blu-ray Disc format--and second player for 4K UHD discs! This player is a replacement for an aging standard-definition 5-disc DVD changer which I recently retired (although, obviously, the DP-UB820 is a single-disc player and nobody actually makes multi-disc changer/players anymore). Also, of additional note: Panasonic's players will take on almost any home-burned/recorded disc you throw at them (CD-R/RW, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, BD-R/RE, and dual-layer versions of the aforementioned video disc types--just no DVD-RAM playback). PC-burned disc playback may not mean much except to those who are all-in on PC disc burning or who still burn discs (I am--and I edit video which I then render and commit to disc complete with menus and all using my PC). Committing home-edited video to physical media is still the best method for the high-quality presentation of said video. I am a die-hard physical media enthusiast so this Panasonic 4K UHD Blu-ray Disc player is the way to go--regardless of whether you're using store-bought/commercial discs (movies/TV shows) or home-burned discs!! The picture quality is amazing for DVDs, HD Blu-ray Discs, and 4K UHD Blu-ray Discs. Colors are amazing! Ideally, you'll want to use this player on a TV with HDR and Dolby Vision; however, this thing will make your discs look great even on SDR TVs. And if you're still using an early 4K TV (non-HDR/SDR-only), you'll be future-proofed with the Panasonic DP-UB820 because of its HDR and Dolby Vision features for when you do decide to upgrade your TV to an HDR or Dolby Vision TV. You'll also be amazed at the quick boot-up time and the quick disc-loading times of the DP-UB820. I cannot speak to the streaming capabilities of the player because I am a "physical-media-first" type of person and so I use this player with DVD and Blu-ray Disc playback in mind; besides I have AppleTV 4K for streaming. My older three Panasonic Blu-ray Disc players (all still functioning well and going strong) are the DMP-BD30 (an early rugged "warrior" and "veteran" from 2008 of the Blu-ray/HD-DVD format war), a 2012 portable unit DMP-B200, and 2016's THX-certified 4K UHD winner DMP-UB900!!! So, yes, Panasonic--and, yes, the current DP-UB820; another winner and highly recommended by this home-theater enthusiast!!

Build quality seems just OK although not great The player loads at a decent speed but not overly fast Hard to start on the features as there are so many I found it easy set up and easy to use Great picture quality on 4K and after a few tweaks its very nice on 1080P as well Very good sound Only negatives are the build is a little too lightweight it should be a bit more substantial The flimsy buttons on the top of the unit detract from the almost quality feel of the player Overall a decent 4K player it is I would definitely buy again and not hesitate to recommend it to family and friends