Technical Issues and Questions

[Forrest Taft]

A friend of mine is moving, and getting rid of his larger TV. He's offered it to me for a reasonable price, and I'm very tempted, but it's a Samsung screen (Samsung 85 q60b qled), and from what I can tell it doesn't have Dolby Vision. How essential a feature is this? I find it difficult reading up on, so if anyone here has any insight, it would be much appreciated.

[Finch]

There are only a handful of discs (mostly Studio Canal UK and Paramount titles) that only look good in Dolby Vision. They're listed in the bottom half of my original post in the UHD releases thread.

[Forrest Taft]

Thank you, Finch, that's helpful. I do have some of those discs, but such a short list certainly wont be a dealbreaker.

[nicolas]

Thank you, Finch, that's helpful. I do have some of those discs, but such a short list certainly wont be a dealbreaker.

The list would be longer if we included more titles where DV is a big improvement but usually they’re so bad (Kino Lorber in particular) that they’re disappointing even in DV but still sometimes better than their HDR10 presentation. The vast majority of Paramount’s catalogue UHDs are a must in DV to give you a passable or even solid presentation whereas you can watch Criterion, Arrow, Vinegar Syndrome, Carlotta etc. in HDR10 and have essentially the same presentations.

I wouldn’t want to have a TV without DV and it’s been an essential buying argument pro LG but I’m a viewer more susceptible and critical of issues with releases, which not everyone is. If you’re getting your TV at a reasonable price and aren’t someone who frequently notices or is bothered by encoding issues when watching discs, you should be fine with the Samsung. Feel free to ask if you have other questions.

[Forrest Taft]

Thanks again, I'll have to think this through. For context, I have an old Sony Bravida 55 inch screen. It's 4k, but without HDR, which is probably why much of the techical discussions on 4K discs goes over my head, as problematic issues discussed are often things I don't notice. But I'm sure such issues will become more apparent to me on a larger screen. I'm also fairly certain that if I do purchase the Samsung, one of the first discs I'll watch is Escape from New York and/or Prince of Darkness from Studio Canal, actively looking for all the faults, and cursing myself for not having splurged for something even better.

Then again, I can always replace it some other time. When/if 3D makes a comeback, with or without glasses, I'm sure I wont be able to resist.

[dwk]

If possible, you should take one of the "only good in DV" discs over to your friends house and check it out on his television before you buy it from him.

[tommyt1971]

I am finally opening up to the idea that maybe it's time for me to get a 4k TV. I've been very very happy with my Samsung plasma since 2015, but it seems like the LG OLEDs can easily be had for less than $3K now. I assume that's still the standard, best option? Is there anything else to consider? Are there any meaningful bells and whistles coming out this holiday season from a newer model I should hold out for? Is burn-in a concern at all on these OLEDs? Or is there a good reason not give up on my old reliable plasma?

I can’t recommend LG OLED highly enough and don’t think you can go wrong with any of them as they’ve become so sophisticated, even the lower-tier ones. I have an upper-end model (G2 series) but family members have more budget friendly ones and when setting them up, I was really pleased with what I saw. Burn-in should no longer be a problem as there’s a strong “pixel cleaner” setting available to get rid of burn-in in case something occurs but it’s unlikely unless you really just watch regular TV in vivid mode that jacks up the brightness of logos. I’ve had my first OLED in 2020 which I’ve passed on in my family and there’s not even a hint of burn-in and they’re regularly watching TV, but in an appropriate picture mode.

Regarding potential unmissable features, you should be good to go with what’s already available. By now OLEDs are so advanced that year-to-year upgrades are minor. Some more brightness, “better” AI features and the usual marketing gag. Make sure to select a model that features Dolby Vision (not sure if there are any models without it any more).

In case you decide on a TV and need help with settings or have other questions, feel free to post.

I'd imagine Mr Drucker has since bought a new TV and if you did, hope you're enjoying it! I bought an 48" LG OLED back in the Spring and I've been very happy with it. GREAT image and with the LG soundbar I bought, movies that stream and are on BR & 4K are better than ever. One thing that I noticed immediately is that the thing weighs a ton! It was kind of a shock getting it out of the box and having to put it down almost immediately because it must've weighed at least 15 lbs more than my last TV, another LG that was pretty damn light!

Another slight issue that came up that was addressed on this thread was the audio compatibility of Criterion blu-rays with the LG soundbar I bought when I got the TV: when my player (also an LG, big surprise right? Call me a purist!) was set to "Auto" in the audio menu, the soundtracks were terrible -- it was like one channel was faded into the background while another played fine. I read online that changing Auto to "PCM/R" fixed that problem right away! I was quite scared at first -- I have rotten luck with tech in general and it seems like problems like this don't have great or any solutions -- but once I toggled that function, my Crit collection sounded just fine. The player also has a DTS function that worked find with any BRs I have with that option.

[tenia]

I found my way to play HDR UHDs on my computer (and its SDR display), and to do tonemapped screencaps through MPC-HC and MadVR.
Does anybody know how I can do HDR screencaps, ie without any tonemapping ?

[ianthemovie]

I've started getting a pop-up message on my 4K player (Sony UBP-X800), which was modified to be region-free, saying a software update is available. Is there any chance doing this could cause it to revert back to a region-locked factory setting, or is that not a thing?

[DeprongMori]

I've started getting a pop-up message on my 4K player (Sony UBP-X800), which was modified to be region-free, saying a software update is available. Is there any chance doing this could cause it to revert back to a region-locked factory setting, or is that not a thing?

If I apply the manufacturer’s firmware on my post-market modded players (LG and Panasonic, from Bombay Electronics) it will overwrite the region-switching capabilities. Best approach is to contact the company you got your player from and get them to provide you with a modded version of the new firmware. I’ve done this before and turnaround has been relatively quick.

[Michael Kerpan]

Just got a region-free Panasonic UB-420. I've got it able to do DVDs and BluRays of various sorts -- but only 1 of the 3 UHD discs we have will play on it. One says the disc can't be played , the other says "copyright violation". A bit mystifying.

The "copyright violation" disc is Criterion's Perfect Days. I just also checked it on the regular Sony Sony UBP-X800M2 (for the first time) and it silently fails to play (no error message). Is there some new HDMI (or other) IP protection that might prevent this working on our antique plasma TV (15 or so years old)....

[gqinott]

Looking for some help. I’m in Canada and I bought the Carlotta Antoine Doinel set and it won’t work on my Xbox Series X. I’m looking for a region-free 4K player that has been demonstrated to be able to play this set without issues. Thanks!

[kekid]

Is there a recommendation for currently the best region free 4k uhd player, preferably with sacd capability? Thank you.

[redbill]

Most recommend a modded Panasonic820. I settled for the 420, because my PJ doesn't support Dolby Vision and have been very happy. The 9000 is truly best-of-the-best, but the price is pretty crazy. Can't speak to sacd...

[DeprongMori]

Most recommend a modded Panasonic820. I settled for the 420, because my PJ doesn't support Dolby Vision and have been very happy. The 9000 is truly best-of-the-best, but the price is pretty crazy. Can't speak to sacd...

I have a modded Panasonic UB820, and I would *not* recommend it. It’s the slowest player I’ve ever had by a wide margin. It has all sorts of problems with Region B Blu-ray supplemental content that my LG player does not have (renders audio but not video), and some of the DVD playback is also not very good with a worse picture than my other players.

[senseabove]

FWIW, the 820 can now be soft modded via firmware if you're handy with a command line, and one of the secondary benefits is that the modders patched out some memory-eating bugs and unnecessary processes that were responsible for much of the slowdown. It might be worth doing even if you have a hardware modded player. It's still not the speediest, but it's a lot better than the stock firmware.

[kekid]

My region-modified OPPO gets intermittently interrupted or frozen.
Does anyone know someone who repairs OPPO's?

[fdm]

In the U.S. OPPO is still repairing its OPPOs. Modest flat rate repair, just contact them about your problem. (So I keep reading… hope they're still on it when it's my turn…)

[kekid]

In the U.S. OPPO is still repairing its OPPOs. Modest flat rate repair, just contact them about your problem. (So I keep reading… hope they're still on it when it's my turn…)

Thank you, fdm.
Another question: Is there a safe way to clean the lens (my word - not sure what it is called) through which the data on the disk are read? I want to make sure that periodic interruptions in playback are not due to dust. Thanks!

[Tuco]

FWIW, I was having trouble with my Oppo 83 not reading newer discs, unfortunately didn't save their email so can't help further in regards to defining the problem. But their response was to buy a Panasonic. I've had a modified Panasonic 420 for about two years now, just recently added an Optoma 540 projector and upgraded the HDMI cables - happy as a clam! Which is a silly saying, but you get my drift...

[fdm]

Another question: Is there a safe way to clean the lens (my word - not sure what it is called) through which the data on the disk are read? I want to make sure that periodic interruptions in playback are not due to dust. Thanks!

I haven't done any of this myself, but I'll type out a screen snap I made a while ago (courtesy of Bob Pariseau at avsforum.com):

Chassis lid off.
Unclip top of optical drive.
Gently swipe lens assembly with Q-tip barely moistened with alcohol.
Remove accumulated dust inside drive.
A little white lube on tray rails.
Reassemble.

And he goes on to say:

A simpler approach is to get a can of clean compressed air as sold at camera shops for lens cleaning.

A few squirts into open tray area -- pointed back where lens assembly is parked -- will take care of lint on the lens, but won't deal with oily film on lens or remove lint buildup that will eventually find the lens again.

The stuff comes out cold, so just short squirts to keep condensation from forming.

[kekid]

Thank you very much, fdm.

[therewillbeblus]

First answer just came in: “Sounds like the blu ray disc lens need a clean”

Anyone have recommendations on either doing this yourself, or sending a player in for cleaning? I've never had to clean a disc lens before, but this is only happening with certain discs, and perhaps only with Dolby Vision enabled.

Could it only be affecting discs playing in Dolby Vision, vs. HDR? I just disabled DV on my player and suddenly Lionsgate's Contempt will play fine, after bugging out relentlessly before

[MichaelB]

Having just had a thankfully resolved health scare with my Oppo 203, I realised that it's now eight years old and I should probably think about getting another player - if only because the Oppo actually conking out on me last weekend would have been professionally disastrous as I was shepherding a UHD project to completion on a tight manufacturing deadline.

So what's the consensus, if any, about the best current 4K player out there? Pretty much the only non-negotiables are Dolby Vision and availability in the UK, although being able to make it region-free would be a bonus.

[Paul Moran]

Having just had a thankfully resolved health scare with my Oppo 203, I realised that it's now eight years old and I should probably think about getting another player - if only because the Oppo actually conking out on me last weekend would have been professionally disastrous as I was shepherding a UHD project to completion on a tight manufacturing deadline.

So what's the consensus, if any, about the best current 4K player out there? Pretty much the only non-negotiables are Dolby Vision and availability in the UK, although being able to make it region-free would be a bonus.

The Panasonic DP-UB9000 seems to be highly regarded. The dealer who sold me my multi region (DVD & Blu-ray) Oppo 203 says about the UB9000, on his website: “I’ve likened this to the fantastic but now unobtainable OPPO bluray players, very similar video playback and matching build quality”.

I bought my multi region (DVD & Blu-ray) UB9000 from TPS (The Perfect Signal), for the same price as other dealers were selling the unmodded versions (£999). I’d used TPS before for two modded Sony players (X700 & X800) – I still have them – and found it to be a reliable supplier.

Sadly (IMO), the UB9000 has no “straight/source direct” option, no time search (go to specific time) function, and a poor GUI. It automatically upscales "lower spec" material to 4K video and 5.1 audio. I know the relevant settings to get original video and audio when necessary, but it’s simpler to use my Oppo 203, which is always set to source direct, for DVD and Blu-ray playback. Being lazy, I put up with the UB9000’s upscaling of SD extras on 4K discs. The UB9000 GUI needs 2 buttons, and 4 key presses, to display the basic programme information that the Oppo 203 shows, with one key press, in 2 thin stripes at top and bottom of screen. Subtitle change and repositioning is clunky compared to the Oppo 203.

There is one area in which TPS’s modded UB9000 outperforms my modded Oppo 203, and that is in Blu-ray zone change. If a zone mismatch message appears when a Blu-ray disc is loaded in the UB9000, simply press Open on the remote control, enter 1, 2 or 3 for the required zone (A, B or C), and press Close. Done! No need to leave your armchair, remove discs, or switch off after zone change.