SONY UBP-X800 universal player

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by High Fidelity, Mar 23, 2017.

  1. Masza

    Masza Forum Resident

    Location:
    Finland
    The manual of the player discussed in this topic doesn't :(
     
  2. Sevoflurane

    Sevoflurane Forum Resident

    I accept that, but the point I am trying to make is that this is a limitation that should be applied to ALL Blu Ray players. Sony, as one of the main players in the development of Blu Ray aren't going to knowingly break the rules.
     
  3. Masza

    Masza Forum Resident

    Location:
    Finland
    Ok. What makes me wonder is how difficult it is to find information about this from the Internet. I haven't found a single source which explains this and which isn't from some forum :rolleyes:
     
  4. Sevoflurane

    Sevoflurane Forum Resident

    I suppose I am at least in part going by memory. When DVD Audio and Video first surfaced and when discussions regarding the specifications were occurring (from about 1995ish) I was reading a lot about it Hi Fi magazines and magazines such as Widescreen Review, and at some of that content will be behind a paywall and perhaps pre dates widespread internet usage.

    I’m sure that the issue of downconverting high resolution audio from DVDA sources over S/PDIF was extensively discussed back then and it was always intended that quality would be capped at 48/16 or lossy Dolby Digital / DTS unless via analogue outputs or later HDMI. The same principle has been carried over to BD. It’s not just about content protection, I believe ensuring compatibility with legacy surround gear that can only handle these formats is part of the thinking.
     
  5. It does, I've tried it myself. I have the Criterion edition of The Game and last Summer steelbook of The Fog released by Shout Factory, they obviously don't play on my region B X-800, once they copied with DVDFab and burned to a dual layer BD-R, they play fine.
     
  6. Masza

    Masza Forum Resident

    Location:
    Finland
  7. filper

    filper Forum Resident

    I picked up a new X800 today off the shelf at a local Walmart $198 CAD or about $157 USD.

    I guess they are clearing them out.
     
    ZippyPippy and Kiko1974 like this.
  8. You got a bargain there. If you allow me, just some advice. Keep the buying bill and don't loose it, you may need it, or you may not. Why do I say that? Quality control on this player is a bit hit or miss, you may get one of the good ones or one of the not so good ones that may give you freezing problems with UHD BDs. It's more prone to do it with triple layer 100 Gb. discs (Close Encounters of the third Kind, Pacific Rim, Westworld season 1, Sony Edition of Blade Runner 2049...), second, quality control is not very good on some discs, specially on 3 layer discs, clean them before playing or you may experience some freezing while playing one.
    And my last piece of advise, don't go on the Video Settings and compulsively set it to 4K. It will upscale all under 2160p to 2160p (BD's, DVD's etc...), you may want to check which device does a better job at upscalling to 2160p, if the Sony X-800 or your T.V. set. In my case my Samsung 49" 4K HDR sets upscales much better than the Sony X-800, it's like the X-800 applies some kind of DNR that smoothes picture making it look a bit soft and fuzzy. Choose a 1080p BD you know well and change between "Original Resolution" and "4K" and see which one looks better.
     
    PTgraphics, jamesc and ZippyPippy like this.
  9. filper

    filper Forum Resident

    Thanks Kiko1974. Appreciated.
     
    Kiko1974 likes this.
  10. Don't need too, you're very welcome. Enjoy it and good luck with it.
    I got my first X-800 in May,it worked reasonable well with some ocasional freezing but around a month and half stopped reading all kind of discs, I closed the tray with a BD, an UHD BD or a SACD and it was like if there was no disc inside. I took it to my local Sony service to get it serviced and I finally got a new player.
    I've had the new X-800 for around 5 weeks and I haven't had a single freezing even with 3 layer discs, and I've watched Westworld season 1 3 UHD BDs twice since I got the new player and nothing, no freezing and these were the most problematic 3 layer UHD BDs I have that used to freeze once even maybe twice an episode. With the new player, no freezing even with the Westworld discs.
    If your player is one of the good ones you got yourself a very reliable and great performing player at a bargain price. Enjoy it, it's picture quality playing BDs and UHD BDs is great.
    One feature you may like to try is DSEE HX on audio settings, which upsamples red book 44.1/16 to 88.2/24 and at least to me this feature turned on gets CDs to sound great.
     
  11. tootull

    tootull Looking through a glass onion

    Location:
    Canada
  12. BIGGER Dave

    BIGGER Dave Forum Resident

    That version is listed as - "Only for use with the products sold in Asia Pacific. Not all models are sold in all countries."

    Here is the link for the US version (although both updates list the same Firmware version number so they're probably the same):

    Sony eSupport - UBP-X800 - Drivers & Software
     
  13. jeffmackwood

    jeffmackwood Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ottawa
    If your player is connected to the internet (wired or wireless) just use the software update menu to ensure you get the latest firmware applicable to your device.
     
    Dan Steele, Shawn, JimmyCool and 2 others like this.
  14. dkmonroe

    dkmonroe A completely self-taught idiot

    Location:
    Atlanta
    I just installed the firmware update last night. So far, so good. Perhaps it will solve my one remaining problem with the unit, which is that it sometimes randomly shuts off when playing SACD's manufactured by Linn (!?).
     
  15. tootull

    tootull Looking through a glass onion

    Location:
    Canada
    The update notification is on and I did not get a software update notification this time. The player updated successfully via Internet. I lost YouTube before the update and it still does not work, just loads a page with the YouTube logo.
     
  16. I've solved my disc playback issues, now my only issue is that when using streaming video apps (Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu) the screen will randomly go completely 'black' when I'm browsing titles for about 15 seconds at a time. Because it's over three apps (and that I do not have this issue using the same apps on different devices, using the same Internet connection) I have a feeling this is an issue with the Sony. Is anyone else experiencing this?
     
  17. Vinny123

    Vinny123 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Florida
    I had an 800 that was terrible. Returned it and eventually bought a Sony 1000es. After one week, so far excellent. I’m keeping my fingers crossed
     
  18. I don't see how anybody could resist that Best Buy deal. Just read the Best Buy product description:

    If you were on the fence, that informative description should push you over the edge. Seriously I do own the player and think it is terrific, purchased this very deal a few months ago when it was available at this price. I recently also purchased the Sony UBP-X1000ES refurbished at a bargain price but it isn't worth the premium compared to the X800 to me although I will keep it.
     
  19. sonci

    sonci Forum Resident

    Location:
    Albania
    How's the analog out audio quality on the 1000ES?
     
  20. I am sorry, that is a good reason to own the player over the X800 but I don't use it and probably never will thus my conclusion it isn't worth the premium to me. Maybe it would be beneficial for those video CDs both players handle?
     
  21. Vinny123

    Vinny123 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Florida
    The analog out is very good. That’s why I bought it.
     
  22. ti-triodes

    ti-triodes Senior Member

    Location:
    Paz Chin-in

    Very nice. I have one even though I’m an OPPO freak. Compared to the OPPO 203, the bass is more solid and reaches deeper. The treble is a bit more extended. The OPPO has better mids. There’s a level of detailing and soundstaging the Sony doesn’t match. In comparison, the Sony is is grainy sounding but it’s something I can overlook with a lot of music.
    If you can live with the crappy remote, the Sony is a good sounding unit.
     
  23. I prefered to get the X-800 and later get one cheap but good performing D/A converter of my choice. I've had my X-800 for over a year, well, the first one as it blew on last March and got a new one from Sony, and a month and a half ago I got an inexpensive Topping D30 D/A converter which for its price (119.90 $) is a great performing and for those who doesn't know, the Sony X-800 doesn't do HDMI handshake with a device that can play DSD,like a current A/V receiver, it will output 176.4/24 via its coaxial digital output, which is great, 'though not ideal, matched with an external D/A converter.
    I'm very happy with the sound of this combo.
    TOPPING D30 DSD DAC Audio Decoder USB Coaxial Optical Fiber XMOS CS4398 24Bit | eBay [​IMG]
     
  24. bradman

    bradman Forum Resident

    Location:
    Lexington,KY
    The X800 has no handshake issues with my DSD capable AVR.
     
    4_everyman, dkmonroe and tootull like this.

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