Panasonic DP-UB820 Review: The Best All-around 4K Blu-ray Player on the Planet

Although streaming devices are all the rage, if you want top tier audio/visual (A/V) quality, you need a 4K Blu-ray player. Because 4K ultra high definition (UHD) Blu-ray players can play back content with far higher bitrates than streaming services offer, the multimedia experience is drastically improved with a UHD Blu-ray player. The Panasonic DP-UB20 is a premium 4K UHD player from its fit and finish to features and performance. And it’s the best 4K Blu-ray for most movie buffs.

Panasonic DP-UB820 Build Quality and Connectivity

The Panasonic DP-UB820 is a premium ultra HD Blu-ray player, and that experience begins on the outside. Build quality is simply spectacular. A fairly compact 430 x 62 x 204mm chassis clocks in at 2.2kg. Its glossy black exterior, which includes a brushed metal top, looks sleek in any entertainment center. A front panel display adorns the face of the DP-UB820, and there’s a flip-down portion that allows access to the disc drive tray and a front-facing USB port. On the top left-hand side of the Panasonic UB820 are power and eject buttons.

Moving around to the back, the Panasonic DP-UB820 comes incredibly well endowed. It’s outfitted with dual HDMI ports, one for video and audio, the other audio-only. There’s a 5V 900mA USB port for hooking up an external hard drive. In addition to Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, the UB820 rocks a LAN port for Ethernet hookups. An optical audio output transmits digital PCM and bitstream audio. Unlike Panasonic’s flagship DP-UB9000, you won’t find balanced XLR and dedicated phono audio outputs. But the DP-UB820 packs a full slate of 7.1-channel analog stereo outputs. The remote is fairly basic, with controls for standard settings such as general playback, menu shortcuts, and a directional pad for navigating its user interface. Plus, there’s a dedicated Netflix button and an HDR settings hotkey for switching between HDR presets on the fly.

Panasonic UB820 Specs: Apps, HDR, and More

A well-specced 4K UHD player, the Panasonic UB820 boasts compatibility with every version of high dynamic range (HDR) available. In addition to HDR10, the Panny supports Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG). As such, it’s pretty well future-proofed. No matter what panel you pair the DP-UB820 with, it’s able to output in HDR. While it’s rare to see televisions offer support for multiple versions of HDR, panels such as the Panasonic GZ2000 have begun to emerge with Dolby Vision and HDR10+ onboard.

The main software interface is user-friendly for basic operation such as playing discs or streaming video. However, digging into sub-menus offers ample opportunity to tweak various audio and visual settings. Its home screen displays a few different sections including Videos, Music, Photos, Home Network, Network Service, and Setup. From Videos, Music, and Photos, you can select either an inserted disc or a connected USB drive. The DP-UB820 can handle almost any format you throw at it including CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays, 3D Blu-rays, and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray discs. Unfortunately, the UB820 doesn’t support DVD-Audio or SACD, granted those formats aren’t terribly common. Navigating into sub-menus, you can select various settings such as your HDR TV type. Options include OLED, Super High Luminance LCD, Middle or High Luminance LCD, or Basic Luminance LCD and Projector. Power users will appreciate the ability to tweak tons of settings, while newcomers may leave these untouched.

There is network connectivity that lets you stream from a few apps. Admittedly, app selection is pretty paltry with only access to Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and YouTube. That shouldn’t be a problem for most users since most televisions come with apps built in, and generally a Blu-ray player complements streaming devices. The Netflix app supports Dolby Vision and HDR10, but it displays all content as either HDR10 or Dolby Vision. There’s no automatic switching. Amazon Prime Video on the other hand displays SDR, HDR, and Dolby Vision content properly. Aside from streaming services, networking capabilities allow access to DLNA-enabled devices such as home servers. I was successfully able to access and stream from my Plex server.

Panasonic DP-UB820 specs:

• HDR, HDR10+, HLG, Dolby Vision support
• HCX Processor for accurate Chroma and HDR processing
• Plays 4K UHD Blu-rays, Blu-ray, DVD, CD
• Dual HDMI outputs
• Wireless networking
• Ethernet cable
• Analog 7.1 audio outputs
• Front panel display
• Brushed metal top

DP-UB820 4K UHD Blu-ray Player Performance

When it comes to performance, the Panasonic DP-UB820 really shines. Operation is silent, discs load quickly, and the software interface is responsive for a snappy experience. Automatic switching between Dolby Vision and HDR10 for 4K UHD Blu-rays was seamless on my Hisense H8F 4K TV. But audio-visual quality is phenomenal. Testing the UB820’s mettle on a 4K UHD Blu-ray of 1975 classic “Jaws,” felt like experiencing the Stephen Spielberg classic for the first time. Dolby Vision truly breathes new life into the 4K transfer, with colors popping without being overpowering. I tend to prefer Dolby Vision to HDR10, though both look splendid when compared to non-HDR content.

In addition to masterful handling of 4K UHD Blu-rays, standard 1080p Blu-ray video quality is excellent on the Panasonic DP-UB820. 4K upscaling presents a crisp, clear picture with vivid, lifelike colors. Cinephiles will appreciate the ability to tweak various settings including bit-depth, color modes, and toggling on power-user features like 4.4.4 chroma upsampling. Deinterlacing and scaling ensure that even standard-definition DVDs or non-4K Blu-rays look superb. My DVD copy of “The Shallows” gushed its vibrant canvas across the screen. Standard Blu-rays of “Alien,” “Lifeforce,” and “Lord of Illusions” all wowed despite. So your Blu-ray and DVD collection will still be perfectly watchable.

On the audio side, the Panasonic DP-UB820 can handle virtually any audio codec thrown at it including 5.1 and 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio or Dolby TrueHD. Immersive soundtracks such as DTS:X and Dolby Atmos play just fine via HDMI. Since I’m connected my DP-UB820 through my Vizio Sb36512-F6 Dolby Atmos soundbar, I was able to enjoy Dolby Atmos, DTS-HD Master Audio, and Dolby TrueHD. Panasonic delivers an outstanding audio/visual experience with its 4K Blu-ray player.

Panasonic DP-UB820 Review Verdict – Final Thoughts

The Panasonic DP-UB820 is an impressive 4K Blu-ray player. Build quality is great, the software interface is speedy, and there’s plenty of I/O for a range of connections. Its second HDMI out allows for piping audio into legacy soundbars or receivers that lack support for 4K passthrough so that you maintain the best audio and visuals possible. 4K HDR performance is the highlight, and support for Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG makes the UB820 an incredibly well-specced 4K UHD player. Likewise, Panasonic provides compatibility with pretty much every major audio format including Dolby Atmos and DTS:X.

Small touches such as its brushed metal top and front panel display lend a premium vibe. App selection is a bit sparse, though most users should have a smart TV or dedicated streaming device. There’s no support for DVD-Audio or SACD, but as fairly rare formats, it’s not a major shortcoming. The remote lacks backlighting which would have been a pleasant addition, but you can always use a universal remote instead.

Overall, the Panasonic DP-UB820 goes toe-to-toe with Panasonic’s flagship  DP-UB9000, delivering essentially the same performance and lacking some high-end amenities such as an all-metal chassis and balanced XLR outputs. If you want to save a bit of cash, the LG UBK90 offers HDR10 and Dolby Vision, though it can’t switch automatically between 24p and 60p refresh rates. Sony’s UBP-X800 is a worthy option, though its reliability has been questionable. If you don’t need Dolby Vision, the Panasonic DP-UB420 is a cost-effective option. With top-notch performance at a fraction of the price tag of high-end units, the Panasonic DP-UB820 pumps out cinephile-caliber eye and ear candy, and is hands-down the best 4K Blu-ray player for most movie watchers.