I am having a hard time selecting a backup or primary 4K player and make my current budget Sony my backup.

[Lex-Extrema]

My fear is DVD media is going to go the way of the VHS tape someday, but my redbook, blu ray, and UHD selection of movies, will still be watched, ,as long as I have a player. I am sort of backed up up to UHD. But UHD with both Digital coax audio out and SPDF out, is what I am after so I have both digital formats out. I go directly to output devices with HDMI cables for video. I guess the 1400 Panasonic is the biggest and best other than some really high end piece I heard about recently. A bit costly, but not sure there is a lesser priced player with both digital outputs. They have not been jumping off the page at me! Cost is a consideration. I am moving further and further toward the end of the line, so I have to watch my $ spend especially in this day and age. Even more after yesterday, don't ask. I could just get another lower end with digital coax out. But I thought it would be nice to have both digital audio outputs. I run an old school Pre-processor, but a great one + quality amps. Thanks.

 

[lovinthehd]

What is the Sony model you have now?

 

[everettT]

My fear is DVD media is going to go the way of the VHS tape someday, but my redbook, blu ray, and UHD selection of movies, will still be watched, ,as long as I have a player. I am sort of backed up up to UHD. But UHD with both Digital coax audio out and SPDF out, is what I am after so I have both digital formats out. I go directly to output devices with HDMI cables. I guess the 1400 Panasonic is the biggest and best other than some really high end piece I heard about recently. Cost is a consideration. I am moving further and further toward the end of the line, so I have to watch my $ spend. Even more after yesterday, don't ask. I could just get another lower end with digital coax out. But I thought it would be nice to have both digital audio outputs. I run an old school Pre-processor, but a great one + quality amps. Thanks.

Both of those outputs are limited by UHD standards so I'm not sure where that's gonna be the issue. I have all of my media with backed up to my my server or downloaded direct to it. I have redundancy on it so those drives and the content in them is preserved. Then I use a device like the Nvidia Shield , Dune, kaleidoscope, or other devices to access. Ripping your content is the best way to go and the sooner you start the more manageable it will be later.

 

[Lex-Extrema]

Its the one without a single display on the front panel, black as can be. Turn on, green light, and the open tray button is right next door. IT is supposed to have streaming and such, but I don't stream, I buy UHD blu rays. Sony Model UBPX800-M2 It has decent 4K image, audio from digital coax out is ok. I got it for 278 plus tax. If spending the money on the Panasonic high end at 1400 really gives noticable audio and or video improvements, I MIGHT justify it... Or some product in the middle 600-800 range?

 

[Trebdp83]

Without HDM output for audio as well as video, multichannel audio will be limited to lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1. It would be silly to spend more money for a player costing so much more just to cripple it with an optical or coaxial digital connection. There isn’t any universal disc player out there that can touch the Sony X800M2 when comparing features and price.

I’d be curious about the receiver and TV connected to the X800M2. The video presentation may also be handicapped. Any info would be helpful in this regard. Welcome to the forums.

 

[Lex-Extrema]

Without HDM output for audio as well as video, multichannel audio will be limited to lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1. It would be silly to spend more money for a player costing so much more just to cripple it with an optical or coaxial digital connection. There isn’t any universal disc player out there that can touch the Sony X800M2 when comparing features and price.

I’d be curious about the receiver and TV connected to the X800M2. The video presentation may also be handicapped. Any info would be helpful in this regard. Welcome to the forums.

Thank you very much. My Lexicon MC-12 offers of course a plethora of inputs, so I have a lot of digital inputs! Of course, some of my inputs are toslink, and some are digital coax. I don't want to waist money, but I have tended to the higher end. But you know, this player with my BenQ HT-5500 really does perform well at a modest budget. Of course, my HT-5500 at 2700 + tax wasn't quite the value, but you know it really does transduce a sparkling image, and maybe just buying a backup of what I have is good enough. It is quit the image and audio with my Lexicon MC-12 and my Sonus faber Extrema mains, and Aerial SW-12 Subwooferl Maybe save the money and just get the same player to back me up. Thanks for the welcome!

 

[Trebdp83]

Nice. Is it a 2.1 system?

 

[Trebdp83]

If you are using additional speakers in your system, there are other options regarding players for 5.1 analog connections to the MC-12. If a universal player that supports SACD and DVD-AUDIO is not a must and only movie discs are the concern, improved audio performance can be had from a Panasonic player using the 7.1 analog outputs.

 

[Lex-Extrema]

Hey Trebdb83, no, I run 7.1 Logic-7 configuration whether DTS Audio, DD, etc. Of course, I have 5.1 discrete channels through the MC-12 audio from digital audio output of a few devices, and it separates the rear signal to create the side 2 speaker output. I run Concerto grand piano rears, and concerto sides on Lovan stands. Mark Levinson 336 powers my mains, and Proceed amplification to Concerto sides and center, and Concerto Grand Piano rears. These are from an aged series of Concert line speakers from Sonus faber. I mostly watch Blu rays and UHD blu rays right now.

 

[Trebdp83]

Are you currently using any device connected to the 5.1 discreet analog ports on the MC-12? These are the combination #6, #7 and #8 analog ports. Sending audio over optical or coaxial digital means that the lossless multichannel tracks of blu-ray and 4K/UHD discs are sent out in lossy 5.1 signals rather than the lossless 7.1 tracks available over HDMI or 7.1 analog out. A player with 7.1 analog outputs can decode the lossless tracks and send them out in multichannel PCM for a multichannel analog connection to a processor such as the MC-12. Set the MC-12 to bypass for no further processing of the signal. Unlike other devices with multichannel analog inputs, I believe the MC-12 allows processing of signals input to the 5.1 analog ports and can deliver audio to the rear channels from a 5.1 analog connection.

 

[Lex-Extrema]

I have the standard MC-12, not the XLR model, but no, I am not sending 5.1 analog to any decoding device other than my amplifiers and the .1 being an analog output to my Aerial SW-12 subwoofer. Everything else is digital to digital. That is sort of a shame, since the MC-12 has such good quality burr brown 24 bit D to A converters to my knowledge. I admit, I have not been quite as hardware driven lately other than keeping my system up and running. But I remain pure to old school tech. It's the curmudgeon in me.

This past weekend was devoted to a Laundry failure, and required replacement, along with having to move a lot of things out of the way just to get the old Maytags out and the new LG in! If those things had speaker ports, man I bet they would sing. So much to figure out on stupid laundry machines, lol.

I did manage to get my BenQ HT-5500 shipped off for repair, and re-install my BenQ HT-3500 backup for my 4K movie habit! Hey, a backup can be a VERY good thing. That's why I have a MC-8 sitting in a rack in the back unused, if my MC-12 goes out again and requires repair, I can pop the MC-8 in place and keep on truckin. What I would be short on is amplifiers. I'd have to send my Proceed AMP5 in if I lost any more channels of amplification. They can fix it, it's just a matter of packing up a 119 pound amp and shipping it off and paying the bill The guys down in Texas do good repairs on Harman gear.

Since I used to build cables, I could build me a set for any need in the analog realm. But I have been away from it so long. I did notice the expensive panasonics had analog OUTPUTS. Since I don't have HDMI into my pre-processor, I may be stuck in the digital realm.

Hey thanks for interacting on this.

Lex

 

[Lex-Extrema]

Both of those outputs are limited by UHD standards so I'm not sure where that's gonna be the issue. I have all of my media with backed up to my my server or downloaded direct to it. I have redundancy on it so those drives and the content in them is preserved. Then I use a device like the Nvidia Shield , Dune, kaleidoscope, or other devices to access. Ripping your content is the best way to go and the sooner you start the more manageable it will be later.

I would like to do that, but I have been an IT Analyst for over 33 years. When I leave computers behind, I sort of want to leave them behind. But frankly, I don't have the hardware or the knowledge base to rip UHDs to disc or a server configuration. I guess I could pay for it, but not sure what that would cost. Today's economy is about survival it seems or conservatism at least in some respect. Not getting any better. I do have some CD ripping software, but other than that, I'm walking on the tight wire without a net. I have photography to consider too, though I have not been shooting any lately, (last 5-7 years) I lost an old Windows 7 laptop drive not long ago. :-(

 

[Trebdp83]

When I speak of a decoding device, I am speaking of the player itself. The lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1 signals are thirty years old now. They were great for laserdisc and DVD using coaxial or optical cables because there was only so much bandwidth available for multichannel signals in those formats.

Blu-ray and 4K/UHD blu-ray support the bitstream of lossless signals like Dolby TrueHD, DTS HD Master Audio and Uncompressed Multichannel PCM over HDMI. Those machines without HDMI input ports will have to settle for lossy signals when using coaxial or optical digital connections.

Some disc players have 7.1 analog output ports to connect to processors and receivers that contain 5.1 or 7.1 analog input ports and lack HDMI ports. The players can decode the lossless tracks and send the signals as multichannel PCM over the analog ports to the processor or receiver for playback of the lossless tracks. The player can fold the Surround Back info into the Surround channels for processors and receivers with only 5.1 analog input ports.

Panasonic DP-UB820:

Lexicon MC-12

 

[Lex-Extrema]

It would seem that Audio inputs numbered 6,7,8 (handling the 5.1 set of auxiliary inputs that are not being used) could work for that! Then everything would be transmitted through the audio realm in analog output from the Panasonic to the 5.1 analog audio inputs of the MC-12. I will just have to figure out where the setting is in the menu structure to set those inputs to one of my outputs. That's pretty sweet! I may not be quite through building cables yet. This is nice to know, I had not even considered it. But again, I am not up to my all time best on these type issues. I know most of my gear is outdated, well some is. But feature rich (in it's day) MC-12 planned ahead, as long as the stream I can process the full stream. The Logic 7 will take care of distribution of the 7.1 to my speakers and sub. I will have to take a look at that Panasonic. Thanks a lot.

In short, this player less money than the 1100 to 1400 Panasonics, will still give me 1 digital output (if I need it), and provide an even more dynamic fuller range analog audio stream, with of course, the 4K video output we expect. Will it up convert extremely well for Blu rays and standard DVDs? (video wise) Thank you again!

 

[Trebdp83]

Different players will have different upscaling capabilities from one make to another. Using the Auto output setting for video and letting the display do the upscaling is usually preferred by many. There isn't really a bad image to be had from any new 4K/UHD disc player and all offer at least one coaxial or optical digital output for those with older systems that cannot accept an HDMI cable. If support for HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision and HLG are all musts, stepping up to the Panasonic DP-UB9000 might be a consideration. While the DP-UB820 comes in at around five hundred bucks, the cost of the DP-UB9000 is more than double the price at eleven hundred dollars. This is why the Sony UBP-X800M2 is a bargain for those with HDMI inputs. If Sony put out an M3 with automatic Dolby Vision switching, HDR10+ support and 7.1 analog outputs and continued support for DVD-AUDIO and SACD for, say an additional one or two hundred bucks, it would still be the single best value in audio/video devices, period! Here's hoping.

Panasonic DP-UB9000 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player Reviewed - HomeTheaterReview

Panasonic has been making quality Ultra HD Blu-ray players since the format's inception, but it's only been since the demise of Oppo that enthusiasts have really started taking the company's higher-end efforts seriously. Of course, that creates something of...

hometheaterreview.com

 

[Lex-Extrema]

Well, I put myself out there. after researching, and at this point, finding that there is no Region Free for UHD, there is no region so I hear! I settled on the mid-line Panny around 500.00 and it is due for delivery from BH Audio Video Friday. I don't know when I will get it integrated in my system, and yet, I may buy one more player another Sony someday, I don't know, but my washer and dryer have stalled me at this point, I will evaluate the Panny when it arrives Friday hopefully, and on my #2 projector, and we'll go from there! It's an adventure, I have never been scared of adventure, anything that will up my scale of home theater and music enjoyment. That's what it is all about for me. I think the thousand and 1400 level is over my head at this point, believe me, I have been there! Right now I am enjoying a redbook DVD on my #2 projector, the media is really what it is all about. I am watching Under the Tuscan Sun today, I needed a crazy relaxing movie in Italy, Tuscany. I'm happy regardless, and you know if I made a bad purchase, I won't lose sleep over it. I'll put it away in the vault and move on.
Lex.

 

[Trebdp83]

Enjoy, have fun with it.

 

[Lex-Extrema]

I did get the Panny up and running with Optical audio out, and enjoyed the Lady Croft UHD DVD of one of her 2 (that I know of ) Tomb Raider movies. It was enjoyable, the picture not perfect, without my 5500 projector. But the Audio really sounded good, even via optical. So one movie down, dinner, and maybe another movie. I was disappointed in BenQ saying there was no problem found with my 5500 projector, WHAT, any idiot could hear the unintended audio from the fan I think , that is what Projector Central thought as well. I gave them a pretty scathing response, that , hey, I heard the noise in 15-35 seconds before I packed it up and shipped it off! If you can't hear it, you aren't listening, I say- I told them no more glowing reviews if they do not get it fixed right. I hold no punches. Lex

 

[Lex-Extrema]

Ok, now this is a REAL shocker! I was so disappointed in the out of box image of my new Panasonic 500 range player, I was thinking well, looks like this one will have to go back. Then I hit the menu panel on the remote, and it has a button for HDR adjustments. I went in and started "playing", not really knowing exactly what I was doing, but it removed all the "candied up" horrible imagery in the Matrix where they were in the construct program, and other scenes. After I got through adjusting it, I h ad it a little on the black and white side, but I think you have to consider this movie, more to be determined. This is not an extremely color rich film (Matrix 1) So, what I wound up with was a STELLAR image on my #2 projector since my #`1 is in for repair. I am very disappointed in BenQ so far, they wrote me back and said NDF. (No Defect Found), I said WHAT? I turned it on and was next to the fan side and heard this distinctive noise within about 30 seconds of turning it on right before I sent it in. I pretty well hit them hard that you better fix my PJ for what I paid. If not, it will keep coming back again and again, if it still has the noise in the fan (likely) That's what Projector People guessed it was. I am not going to freak out, if I have to, I will put a noise block on the fan side while still allowing it to breath. Really like the new Panny UHD player though after just a few play it by ear adjustments!