4/21/2021 0 Comments Panasonic Ub820 Firmware
Oppo scores big because Panasonic doesnt support those formats.
Panasonic Ub820 Firmware Movie Fans MournedWhen the company ceased production of its beloved disc players earlier this year, movie fans mourned and bemoaned the loss, but as other companies like Panasonic and Pioneer step up to fill the void, many of us are quickly realizing there is indeed life after Oppo, and the future isnt as bleak as we thought it would be.With new players both on the market and on the horizon, the question must be asked.Yet I also love my brand new Panasonic DP-UB820 Blu-ray player, which now occupies the flagship position in my primary home theater setup.If I was in the market for a new player right now, would I pay a kings ransom for a new Oppo player on eBay or settle for the Panasonic Thats a no-brainer. Panny all the way For 499, the Panasonic UB820 gives me everything I want right now from a UHD player, including built-in support for the fledgling HDR10 format. The Oppo, though, has some bells and whistles the Panny doesnt (especially when it comes to audio), so there are some strong arguments for sitting tight with your Oppo for the time being, especially if you own a projector with an anamorphic lens. Unpacking one of those brand new babies from its carton was always a supreme delight, and its an experience I will sorely miss. Yet once the Oppo is safely ensconced in your equipment rack, it doesnt exude the same cachet. While the Panasonic build definitely feels cheaper, and its lighter-by-two-pounds weight lacks the signature Oppo heft, some sleek accents, and a shiny finish make it an attractive enough component thats definitely a cut above previous Panny Blu-ray models. Im a simple HDMI guy, so the Panasonic suits me just fine, but if you have a complex setup and flexibility is important to you, then Oppo has the edge. The Oppo menu does let you save three custom picture modes (composed of adjustable brightness, contrast, hue, saturation, sharpness, and noise reduction levels), but Ive never taken the time to fool with that, preferring instead to adjust the picture, if necessary, through my TV. It also has nine zoom settings, on-board 3D conversion (so you can lend your 4K discs a more dimensional feel.if you have a 3D TV), the ability to change the color, outline, size, and sync of subtitles, and features three pre-set modes for HDR to SDR downconversion. Its biggest leap forward, though, is the HDR Optimizer, which can be launched during playback of an HDR disc. This handy tool has four preset brightness options that enable you to tailor HDR output on the fly to suit the light levels in your viewing environment. The Optimizer also opens up a more intensive set of tools that allow you to tinker with dynamic range and brightness levels, as well as black and white tone curves, which ever so slightly enhance detail levels in those areas. ![]() Once again, I dont think Ill ever use this feature, but Im sure plenty of people out there will.) Standard Blu-ray discs also have two customizable picture modes, though the video menus are slightly different. ![]() While the Panny doesnt offer as many subtitle settings as the Oppo, it does allow you to change the luminance of the subtitles along with their positioning, something the Oppo does not. Colors pop, details are razor sharp, depth is palpable, and playback is virtually seamless. I feel the Panasonic handles fast motion slightly better than the Oppo, supplying a smoother, more stable image with only the slightest hint of jitter. D also looks a hair crisper and a tad more vivid on the Panasonic, and I think the Panny does a slightly better job with upscaling (which is really saying something, because the Oppo has always been known for its superior scaling). I was not able to test either players downconversion capabilities for this review, although some online forum threads seem to indicate the Panasonic UB820 handle that tricky task a bit better than the Oppo line. This trick is most handy for listening to audio commentaries, cutting down their time by about a third, but it also works nicely for watching special features. While I would never watch a movie in this mode, it enables me to get through supplemental material - which I very much enjoy, but dont always have time for - much quicker. Why Oppo never adopted this feature, which has been a Panasonic staple for years, has always bewildered me. But after putting both through their paces, if I had to choose between the two, Id pick Panasonic by a nose.
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