I've been using Zidoo for four years. I just got the 8000 last week, and I love it. On the audio side, it has the same DAC output stage as the Eversolo DMPA6 (Zidoo owns Eversolo), which is why it costs $1500. I wish it didn't have onboard HDD storage and would be a few hundred dollars cheaper, but it's not a big deal. To anyone complaining about it only going up to 16TB drives, all I can say is get a NAS. You won't regret it.
Did you miss the question below regarding how the MadVR HTPC compares to Zidoo UHD8000 PQ as individual standalone options? Since you have both any thoughts would be very helpful and greatly appreciated.
I didn’t miss it, just been super busy! It’s too in depth a question to answer in the comment section of the video. My HTPC madvr improves the picture for sure over the standard picture. That’s the simple answer. I’ll cover off everything in the video when I make it :)
@@BuildMontage Appreciate the reply really looking forward to this video especially regarding the HTPC MVR vs Zidoo as standalone options part & subscribing today!
Awesome video good information I really makes me want to look into this I've never really thought about doing ripping movies and putting on device but this is close to an affordable use of all of my physical media instead of getting kaleidoscape which still is too expensive
Great test. Thanks! I have a question. When you tested the UHD3000 4K model, you showed (time: 8:22-8:46 in the test) that the image is brighter than with a classic 4K player. Is this the same effect in the UHD8000 8K model?
Thank you for the review , Question can l take the storage drive with my movies from the pc and drop into the zidoo, or will i need to network all the movies from my PC storage to a new drive inserted into the 8000 thank you
$1499 US. I don't need the drive bay as I have a NAS. Wonder if there is a cheaper model that has no drive bays? Tony you have great quality and presentation. You will have 100k subs in a year easy.
No, not really at all. The players all do the same thing when you're watching. The quality is more in the user experience and the way you enjoy picking a movie, managing your library and expanding it to other players. Any of their players will be the same.
I have a lifetime pass to PLEX but this is way better. It just runs nicer, and has a nicer experience - but playback wise, it's all the same thing really end of the day! I've uninstalled PLEX from my network now - this thing just works seamlessly.
@@BuildMontage I have a lifetime pass as well, but I have no issues with Plex. I like the ability add movie extras or have different versions of the movie, download or stream the movies to another device.
Hey there.. the easiest way is to either email me enquiries@buildmontage.com with a few photos and a detailed list of your specs and gear so we can see if it's a suitable fit for the channel :)
10:20 Ouch... I'm primarily interested in this for music since it may be the only device in existence that can play dolby atmos audio over Tidal Connect.
Interesting. I use the cheaper Dune Pro UHD player that costs about 100 dollars to play my Remux files. I am still interested in this. Feels like a more "serious" player. (You always do great easy to watch videos)
I think I’m gonna buy one. I’m also running my devices > Trinnov Alt32 > MadVR Extreme > HDFury VRRoom > Eclipse. I’d probably keep an ATV4K, but replace my Shield (assuming I can use the other desired apps on the 8000).
Pitty it hasn't a HDMI input... Having dual HDMI outputs (one for audio , one for video), an input to connect a 4K Firestick/Chromecast streamer would have been perfect, so we wolud have the output directly to the projector without going through the receiver/processor. As the UHD 8000 is designed, we also need to connect it (for video) to the receiver if we have an AndroidTV streamer like Amazon Firestick /Chromecast ones...
It's not designed for that - it has it's own media player - and also you could install the Google Play store and run Android Apps on it if you really wanted to as well - although I opted not to do that - and use my Apple TV for streaming instead.
How do I rip my media DVD, Blu-ray, and BD 4K movies? Can you tell me what I basically need to do this. Thank you. Never done this before but this video gives me a reason to look towards purchasing a media player and storing my movies on a hard drive.
This is a great question. You can look up 2guyztech channel as they did a full guide on it! I can't because it's technically illegal in my country so I can't make videos on how to do it :)
My setup of ATV4k for plex, and streaming services means the Zidoo would need to substantively improve the image quality, frame pacing (which ATV4k isn't always good at) and not interfere with my audio quality which is managed by AVM70.
@@chebrubin Can you please take a few minutes and articulate how I would achieve the visual and acoustic improvements I would want to make it a $ viable choice to upgrade? What is Plex not doing or doing poorly?
Yes it does all of that. The Apple TV cannot do TrueHD 7.1 (with Atmos) only DD5.1 (with Atmos) so you are getting bitstream pass through to your AVM70 to handle all the decoding of the audio. There is far more granular control on the Zidoo for these settings than on the Apple TV.
When I found out about this device (UHD8000), I was more than delighted, and then after watching a few reviews, my enthusiasm melted away! The first disappointment was that it only reads hard disks up to 16 TB, and the second reason why this device was removed from the wish list is the inability to support 3D movies !!! The horror !!! 😱 ZIDOO, why such a stupid decision!?!? I have over 500 movies in 3D format on my hard drive and I know there are many more of us who love 3D movies! I am very disappointed! 😭
Yes that’s a disappointment for sure. I have a decent collection but I also have other Zidoo players in my collection to use for 3D :( I would suggest a NAS if you have such a big collection either way - that’s how I use my big collection.
Videophiles, Question for you. I am about to get JVC DLA-NZ7 8k movie projector which will be housed in a theatre room. My question is this. I was looking to get a nvidia shield pro so I can stream 4k streaming services but I also have Bluray movies I ripped as well as some 8k content (not alot since there is not much content) but I wanted to use a device that can support 4k and up content (some 8k movies). Now it seems that this device (UHD8000) supports 8k but the question is, can I hook the nvidia shield to the UHD8000 and just use one device to manage both boxes? I would like to be able to stream movies as well as watch movies from the UHD8000. Everywhere I look I don't see this functionality and it seems I have to plugin both boxes to the projector. Thoughts anyone? Also, have an external HD (32 TB) Nas I can plugin to the UHD8000 for more space than what is offered on the device.
Nice review. Worth upgrading from my UHD3000, perhaps? I do use the audio outs with the internal dac on my unit as I have a bunch of cd's and flacs on a hard drive. (just looked at the price. Perhaps I will hold off for a while.)
I mentioned at the end of my video that the z1000 Pro (uhd3000 is same generation) is the first player in the lineup I'd upgrade from. I think the speed improvements alone justify it, plus future proofing with 8K.
I wouldn't touch a Zidoo with a barge pole. They stop supporting old products (i.e. firmware updates stop) when new products are introduced. So be prepared to live with any bugs not fixed soon after launch, or features stop working that rely on third-parties (such as subtitle downloads). Their products are disposable, but not priced as such.
If you can read Chinese, there are some forums keep releasing new firmwares. As for Z9x Pro, the forum latest version is v1.0.86 while the official site is only at v1.0.52
Not true. They just released new firmware to my old Z9X from year 2020 and all models from that generation less than a month ago, that’s two generation away. The firmwares come regularly as needed.
i have the zidoo 9x pro, and it supports the 7.1 trueHD atmos soundtracks with movies. does this uhd8000 has capability of doing trueHD sound pass thru.?? can consider upgrading but cant find this info anywhere
No this is for playing back physical media rips, or any movie file you have on a hard drive or USB, or NAS. It doesn't work with other ecosystems as demonstrated in the video.
Can anyone verify if this unit can broadcast current status of player ( webhooks) for triggering home assistant for theater lighting cues? I currently have my theater setup for turn lights on and off with the system, dim on play, lights up at pause/credits/stop on my current player, nvidia shield, but wanted to upgrade to this player but don't wanna spend the money till i know all the details...
This is a great idea - and one I'm working on myself - I think there is control 4 integration but if we could get HA working with this for stuff like posters etc, and also adding to lighting control (which I already have setup for ALL play/pause functions) natively it would be a winner.
Great looking bit of hardware! I was looking at the UHD5000, but might go with this version. I’m still a little confused on why Zidoo hasn’t increased the size of HDD support beyond 16 TB in their machines.
@@BuildMontage I just checked and did confirm the website says 16TB. I too use a NAS, but I am quickly running out of space! I was looking to move my 4K movies to this space since I don't share them outside my home with plex. I am already up to 25 TB there and not sure if I will fill the 32 TB with the remaining 4Ks I need to rip. Either way I think I am going to buy this unit and look at building a much larger server rack.
I Like my Zidoo player BUT is it Future Proof - the last firmware update for my player was in 2022 and they have not fixed the subtitle download problem either. Seems they are not that bothered about you after you have splashed out the cash
I hear your concerns for sure, it has been a problem with Zidoo, however, I personally haven't found the need for updates - I just turn it on and play a movie and turn it off. But I have heard from others that like trailers and some of the other features that its been an issue for them. Hopefully they do keep it going.
ok, all the specs look good except for one thing, and I have a question. My question is about HDD drives, they are slow because they are HDD Drives Maximum 7200 RPM so how quickly can the player read the information? 4K HDR movies are huge how fast can it read all this data any slowdowns any freezing?
@@yervandpapazyan4473 I was responding to a standard 4k HDR movie, nothing about 60 or 120 fps. But I asked Chatgpt and the 7200 rpm drive should be able to handle 60fps but may struggle with 120fps.
A balls out HTPC using MADVR with heavy duty GPU capability would be great to look at and compare to the retail MADVR units. I think it could be done much cheaper but with more effort. A seamless front end not windows desktop would be the potential sticking point.
@@BuildMontage Ohh I will :). I've always considered it the best possible option but the highest overhead for user management. Ideally, I would even say it needs to be done using a stripped OS that is pre-tuned, then have MADVR and the player fine tuned. Following that - take an Image of the entire install. Possibly run it as a VM or if bare metal any problems just reimage it. All media stored elsewhere. The necessity here would be to periodically do updates and then form a new "milestone" with a new image. This is why I think a linux base would be best not windows because windows has too many installed elements and bloat. A combined MADVR OS install with selectable player/front end would be the pinnacle choice I think. I no longer have the skills to manage such a project :(
Can you please also offer your thoughts comparing the quality to ATV4k? Is there a way to load an Amazon/Netflix or other external streamer onto the Zidoo or some sort of dumb streamer that can be connected by USB and use the zidoo video and audio capabilities. Having a relatively high end processor (Anthem AVM70) it's a question of where to do the processing when I look at a product like this.
It's like anything, people buy before new cycles start, but all Zidoo's of the last 3-4 years are very similar and can do the same thing. The newer ones just have more bells and whistles and also 8K etc... the quality of the playback is identical.
I did like your video, but I feel this video needs a part 2. Why❓ I think 🤔 you should show how to make the copy then store on the Zidoo. I also didn't here you talk about how much the hard drives cost and for large collectors how many can you own. Say one for a huge DVD collection, One for 4k , and one for your Blue Ray and future Blue Ray and more 4k. Please make that video. 🙏
Unfortunately, legally I can't really show that from my country of origin as it's technically breaking the law but breaking the encryption on the disk. I have been asked that before sadly I can't do it. But the review specifically is about this player which is pretty great but a general chat about the concept of a movie player answering your other questions could be a good idea!
Tony would it be fair for me to say that buying this device you are basically paying for a fancy GUI and couldn't my Nvidia Shield Pro using Plex obtain similar results? As I get older and life becomes busier the Kaleidescape Strato V looks more tempting. Thanks for the video boss.
Yes pretty much! But I think it goes beyond that, it's just such a smooth experience and the way the Zidoo handles things like subtitles, audio delay compensation and other small quality of life things - cannot be underestimated!
Better isn't really the factor here - the Neo Alpha is a couple years old now, but has some awesome audio hardware - as does the UHD8000 - for me, i just like that this one is future proofed with 2.1 HDMI and 8K.
@@BuildMontage I have it downloaded but am not sure how to make it work with any of the players, jriver, mpc,etc . Surely it’s user error on my part so really looking forward to the video.
@@stephenmcgauley I don't use it that way at all. I have a Blackmagic capture card and the videoprocessor.org app to use madvr as the renderer - so I get all of my physical players having their streams tone mapped. You can definitely use the HTPC style players with it though, you might need to google up some guides - I don't know and I won't be showing that in my video unfortunately as my focus is on the passthrough of video through the capture card.
@@BuildMontage all good! Thanks for the comment. Your video will be way more useful to understand how to do it with the capture card. I look forward to it.
@BuildMontage wow! I also have a zidoo player. I love the user interface but I also have an htpc but my ideal solution would be to continue using the zidoo but with HTPC doing the tonemapping. I just was not sure how smooth that process would be involving capture cards etc! It will be awesome if your video walks through that process? Cant wait!
What I really would like to see in a video is, if the UHD8000 can really play Apple Music Dolby Atmos files. AFAIK the Apple TV hardware is the only hardware, that is able to playback Dolby Atmos from Apple Music. As the music interface of the UHD8000 seems to be the Eversolo GUI. So the same as from the Eversolo DMP-A6 (which I own). It will be a great reason to get an UHD8000. I will only miss the support of 3D Blurays...
There is a setting to enable Dolby Atmos under the sound settings. I saw the switch in a different video about the UHD8000. That is why I bought this product over the Eversolo to get Dolby Atmos music. When it arrives next week, I'll let you know if it works.
@@alantan6786 I hope, that it will work, but still have some doubts. So I am happy to hear, that you ordered a UHD8000.and could confirm the result. So please leave a comment here.
wouldn't it be nice if there was a device running Android TV or TV iOS but using high quality hardware? I've been trying to figure out how to play hi-rez lossless from AppleTV for the last several months.
@@BuildMontage I also have a Zappiti. How about subtitles? I watch movies from all over the world. I'm thinking to upgrade but I'm worry about the subtitles R_volution makes it so easy to find it.
Looks like a nice upgrade. The new UI changes look slick. The movie wall seems to load faster as well. The price tag...man...no way I'll get rid of my Z9X for now until the pricing comes down a bit :)
@@BrianGarside depends on your needs. If you want to do streaming at all, Zidoo is not a good fit. If you want best local playback with no need for a server (Plex as an example), Zidoo is king
now, its ugoos am6+ with coreElec which is the best player. only one to play dv7 and now with dvll fake and 3d support from community coming very soon. other devices just cant compete with a gray legallity open source software designed to have perfect video and audio support.
I agree the UB9000 is pretty awesome, but I feel the Zidoo playback is as good but balanced with scrolling your physical media collection. The files are identical to the disc - its just 1s and 0s at the end of the day! But agree Panasonic make a great player.
It does not support Dolby Vision Profile 7 FEL. Therefore, at its current retail price, it is not a good device at all. If you care about picture quality to play your UHD Blu-rays encoded with Dolby Vision Profile 7 FEL, your only choice is the Ugoos AM6B Plus. Picture quality wise, the Ugoos is the better device and it costs a 1000 dollars less.
I think you're missing the point... it was a "question" more so - and it does play Dolby Vision, maybe not the latest one but it's still looks pretty awesome.. plus convenience of the disc's digital data 1:1 it's the same exact source file so the differences are the actual player itself.
@@BuildMontage I'm not missing the point; i am simply having a different point of view. A device costing more than 1000 dollars that is not able to play uhd blu-ray movies as intended, is a no-go for me.
@@pimw9805I have both Zidoo and Ugoo. The am6b+ is great for DV Profile 7 and not much else. If I had to choose one it would definitely be Zidoo, but not this one but Z9X.
Tony, this review was NOT about the 8000 as either a video or music player. You ran it through MadVR, the HDFury, etc. This is NOT relevantto 99.9% of the people interested in this kit. Please do a fllow up video on JUST the 8000 straight into your PJ (the way it is designed, one HDMI to the video and one to the audio). Maybe some split screen shots of how the 8000 compares to the 3000 or a BRP?
I know where you're coming from but that's how I choose to do the reviews. My channel is basically an outlet for what interests me personally, and I try to put my own spin on things. Probably not the nicest answer, but it's honest.
That''s what I thought - but the source is the actual file that is burned onto the disc, which is just digital 1 and 0 :) This player does a superb job at playback - which is why I do think it's actually better. If you know what I mean :)
I use a video processor so I let it handle the tone mapping, but can you really tell the difference between fel 7.0 and non 7.0? Serious question because to me the tonemapping looks fantastic on my JVC with the MadVR.
@@BuildMontage for any projector dolby vision does not matter but I have 83G4 and there is a big impact with fel 7.0 it tone maps everything correctly for every scene. I have MV9702 V3 (oppo 203clone) and with dolby vision set on TV-led in the oppo settings just blows away any hdr10 movie - I have compared diffrent version. For me buying UHD8000 for such amount of money without full dolby vision support is no go.
Not everyone cares about 3D, in fact most don't. I do personally but it's not a deal breaker for me... not much comes out these days anyway with 3D. Sadly :(
@@BuildMontage Hi Tony, great review of an obviously improved product. I really hope you're correct but all the materials I've seen so far say the new chip has no 3d support.
▶ Zidoo UHD8000 - bza6.short.gy/XywW7N
▶ Zidoo Z3000 Pro - bza6.short.gy/5CA4nb
▶ Zidoo Z30 Pro - bza6.short.gy/IEJbqb
I've been using Zidoo for four years. I just got the 8000 last week, and I love it. On the audio side, it has the same DAC output stage as the Eversolo DMPA6 (Zidoo owns Eversolo), which is why it costs $1500. I wish it didn't have onboard HDD storage and would be a few hundred dollars cheaper, but it's not a big deal. To anyone complaining about it only going up to 16TB drives, all I can say is get a NAS. You won't regret it.
Did you miss the question below regarding how the MadVR HTPC compares to Zidoo UHD8000 PQ as individual standalone options? Since you have both any thoughts would be very helpful and greatly appreciated.
I didn’t miss it, just been super busy! It’s too in depth a question to answer in the comment section of the video. My HTPC madvr improves the picture for sure over the standard picture. That’s the simple answer. I’ll cover off everything in the video when I make it :)
Do you have the MadVR Extreme or did you build a HPTC what you call your MadVR, just curious cause you call your MadVR HTpc 🤔
@@BuildMontage Appreciate the reply really looking forward to this video especially regarding the HTPC MVR vs Zidoo as standalone options part & subscribing today!
@@jonathanbourne4161 Sorry yes that would be self built HTPC w/mvr not Extreme
Awesome video good information I really makes me want to look into this I've never really thought about doing ripping movies and putting on device but this is close to an affordable use of all of my physical media instead of getting kaleidoscape which still is too expensive
Thanks for watching. Until you experience it, it is difficult to see what a game changer it really is.
That updated UI is so nice. The icons with the colors make a big difference. I wish I could get this on my Z9X pro.
It may come through a mcbluna update - check him out on Google!
how does it compare to the Z9X 8K? especially if i have a nas and i will not use the hard disk bay
Unless you also need it as a DAC, the Z3000 PRO is a better option. Unless you need the storage, the Z9X 8K is a better option.
Identical for movies
Great test. Thanks!
I have a question. When you tested the UHD3000 4K model, you showed (time: 8:22-8:46 in the test) that the image is brighter than with a classic 4K player. Is this the same effect in the UHD8000 8K model?
I haven't noticed as I dont have the player any more, but also I'm doing tonemapping through the madvr software.
Great video as always brother. I've been thrilled with the UHD8000 also, what a slick piece of kit.
Thanks mate!! It’s a top unit!
Hi there Im looking at buying one. Does it compress the compress the movies when storing in hard drive ?
@@frankr9307 No, never. That would be an unthinkable and self defeating disaster 🤦
Good I agree. I was told by a seller over here in Aus compress the movies. NO!!!
Thank you for the review , Question can l take the storage drive with my movies from the pc and drop into the zidoo, or will i need to network all the movies from my PC storage to a new drive inserted into the 8000 thank you
Yes you can!
$1499 US. I don't need the drive bay as I have a NAS. Wonder if there is a cheaper model that has no drive bays?
Tony you have great quality and presentation. You will have 100k subs in a year easy.
Thank you 🙏 appreciate that. I will update the description with all of the other lower models that can do the same thing. Give me 10 minutes!
▶️ Zidoo UHD8000 - bza6.short.gy/XywW7N
▶️ Zidoo Z3000 Pro - bza6.short.gy/5CA4nb
▶️ Zidoo Z30 Pro - bza6.short.gy/IEJbqb
How noticeable are the PQ and audio quality improvements over the Zidoo Z9X Pro?
No, not really at all. The players all do the same thing when you're watching. The quality is more in the user experience and the way you enjoy picking a movie, managing your library and expanding it to other players. Any of their players will be the same.
Why would this be a better option then a NAS running plex? For the price tag you could get a really good NAS setup.
Im wondering the exact same thing. Im currently running a plex server and have plex on my ATV 4k. Im considering trying one of these.
I have a lifetime pass to PLEX but this is way better. It just runs nicer, and has a nicer experience - but playback wise, it's all the same thing really end of the day! I've uninstalled PLEX from my network now - this thing just works seamlessly.
@@BuildMontage I have a lifetime pass as well, but I have no issues with Plex. I like the ability add movie extras or have different versions of the movie, download or stream the movies to another device.
I would love to submit my budget home theater how would I go about that
Hey there.. the easiest way is to either email me enquiries@buildmontage.com with a few photos and a detailed list of your specs and gear so we can see if it's a suitable fit for the channel :)
10:20 Ouch... I'm primarily interested in this for music since it may be the only device in existence that can play dolby atmos audio over Tidal Connect.
I think you can do Tidal connect on this unit - I'll need to check but when I did the Neo Alpha review I was able to use Tidal...
Interesting. I use the cheaper Dune Pro UHD player that costs about 100 dollars to play my Remux files. I am still interested in this. Feels like a more "serious" player.
(You always do great easy to watch videos)
I think I’m gonna buy one. I’m also running my devices > Trinnov Alt32 > MadVR Extreme > HDFury VRRoom > Eclipse.
I’d probably keep an ATV4K, but replace my Shield (assuming I can use the other desired apps on the 8000).
💯 link in description for North America ;)
Pitty it hasn't a HDMI input... Having dual HDMI outputs (one for audio , one for video), an input to connect a 4K Firestick/Chromecast streamer would have been perfect, so we wolud have the output directly to the projector without going through the receiver/processor. As the UHD 8000 is designed, we also need to connect it (for video) to the receiver if we have an AndroidTV streamer like Amazon Firestick /Chromecast ones...
It's not designed for that - it has it's own media player - and also you could install the Google Play store and run Android Apps on it if you really wanted to as well - although I opted not to do that - and use my Apple TV for streaming instead.
Is this player comparable with the R_volution PlayerOne 8K?
How do I rip my media DVD, Blu-ray, and BD 4K movies? Can you tell me what I basically need to do this. Thank you. Never done this before but this video gives me a reason to look towards purchasing a media player and storing my movies on a hard drive.
You need to buy an expensive UHD player with that option , or you can do it on PC but it is quite complicated .
This is a great question. You can look up 2guyztech channel as they did a full guide on it! I can't because it's technically illegal in my country so I can't make videos on how to do it :)
Hi Tony,
Can you please share the settings you used on the Zidoo for use with Madvr.
Thank you!! Very well done…
Hey there - I didn't change any settings. I left it native.
What is Apple TV Infuse?
Infuse is a player similar to PLEX however doesn't require a server to run it. Synchs with your login in the cloud and works really well.
@@BuildMontage and you can install it on your Zidoo to play Apple TV content?
My setup of ATV4k for plex, and streaming services means the Zidoo would need to substantively improve the image quality, frame pacing (which ATV4k isn't always good at) and not interfere with my audio quality which is managed by AVM70.
It would. Plex is garbage.
@@chebrubin Can you please take a few minutes and articulate how I would achieve the visual and acoustic improvements I would want to make it a $ viable choice to upgrade?
What is Plex not doing or doing poorly?
Yes it does all of that. The Apple TV cannot do TrueHD 7.1 (with Atmos) only DD5.1 (with Atmos) so you are getting bitstream pass through to your AVM70 to handle all the decoding of the audio. There is far more granular control on the Zidoo for these settings than on the Apple TV.
Can it read/process Dolby Vision P7? All media players up to now drop the P7 enhancement layer, it revert to DV P8.
Following
I don't rightly know. I can ask the question of Zidoo and report back!
it does p7 mel but not fel. It will play fel files but like you said discard the enhancement layer. Only am6b+ does it properly
Is it possible to connect external bd drive and play mkv files from bd data discs?
That is unknown to me at this time... but would be interesting if the drive coule be read and detect the ISO files... hmm... might have to try it out!
@BuildMontage if you have time to check it, please do that. I have really large mkv collection on bluray discs (about 250 bd). 😁
I enjoy watching the video it is a great player for watching downloaded movies . Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it
Please help. How do I set the UHD 8000 to TV LED DV? I don't have that point. connected to a G3 from LG
Apologies but I don't know the answer to this I'm sorry. If the EDID is one that allows DV then it should pass the tonemapping through to the TV.
When I found out about this device (UHD8000), I was more than delighted, and then after watching a few reviews, my enthusiasm melted away!
The first disappointment was that it only reads hard disks up to 16 TB, and the second reason why this device was removed from the wish list is the inability to support 3D movies !!!
The horror !!! 😱
ZIDOO, why such a stupid decision!?!?
I have over 500 movies in 3D format on my hard drive and I know there are many more of us who love 3D movies! I am very disappointed! 😭
Yes that’s a disappointment for sure. I have a decent collection but I also have other Zidoo players in my collection to use for 3D :( I would suggest a NAS if you have such a big collection either way - that’s how I use my big collection.
Videophiles, Question for you. I am about to get JVC DLA-NZ7 8k movie projector which will be housed in a theatre room. My question is this. I was looking to get a nvidia shield pro so I can stream 4k streaming services but I also have Bluray movies I ripped as well as some 8k content (not alot since there is not much content) but I wanted to use a device that can support 4k and up content (some 8k movies). Now it seems that this device (UHD8000) supports 8k but the question is, can I hook the nvidia shield to the UHD8000 and just use one device to manage both boxes?
I would like to be able to stream movies as well as watch movies from the UHD8000. Everywhere I look I don't see this functionality and it seems I have to plugin both boxes to the projector. Thoughts anyone? Also, have an external HD (32 TB) Nas I can plugin to the UHD8000 for more space than what is offered on the device.
Nice review. Worth upgrading from my UHD3000, perhaps? I do use the audio outs with the internal dac on my unit as I have a bunch of cd's and flacs on a hard drive.
(just looked at the price. Perhaps I will hold off for a while.)
I mentioned at the end of my video that the z1000 Pro (uhd3000 is same generation) is the first player in the lineup I'd upgrade from. I think the speed improvements alone justify it, plus future proofing with 8K.
I wouldn't touch a Zidoo with a barge pole. They stop supporting old products (i.e. firmware updates stop) when new products are introduced. So be prepared to live with any bugs not fixed soon after launch, or features stop working that rely on third-parties (such as subtitle downloads). Their products are disposable, but not priced as such.
If you can read Chinese, there are some forums keep releasing new firmwares. As for Z9x Pro, the forum latest version is v1.0.86 while the official site is only at v1.0.52
Not true. They just released new firmware to my old Z9X from year 2020 and all models from that generation less than a month ago, that’s two generation away. The firmwares come regularly as needed.
@@iswardi_lives i’m happy to be corrected, but the inbuilt update never has updates. Seems the obvious place they’d be. Are they elsewhere?
@@liujun8384But is it safe to install ?😊
Good thing you don't have a barge or large pole then!!😅😢😂
Nice player! Does anyone know if they have a Network player that relies on a NAS or mass storage device, I think that will be cheaper.
Yes the Z30 Pro - bza6.short.gy/3RBJqw
i have the zidoo 9x pro, and it supports the 7.1 trueHD atmos soundtracks with movies. does this uhd8000 has capability of doing trueHD sound pass thru.?? can consider upgrading but cant find this info anywhere
@@asekhon5103 yes it does bitstream pass through for Dolby Atmos truehd7.1
I’m a bit confused about this unit. If I buy a movie via, for example, AppleTV can I download it to this unit? I have many “Movies Anywhere “ titles.
No this is for playing back physical media rips, or any movie file you have on a hard drive or USB, or NAS. It doesn't work with other ecosystems as demonstrated in the video.
What build you use with your new madvr?
113
Or do u mean PC specs?
Oh OK, that's what I asked.. I tried to play around with newest today but I quesd 113 newest that support capture cards..
Yes 113 allows u to use a splitter and a capture card.
@@BuildMontage I hope you make good video also how to set it up!
What remote does it come with? The same as the 3000 8K?
I dont know but its the bluetooth one as well as IR.
@@BuildMontage i found out that it is the same.
Can you upload movies purchased on Amazon prime into it and would that give a better experience?
No, it works off ripped discs...
Stupid question to most but do I also need a PC. Or does the Zidoo have a disc drive that rips to the harddrive?
This is a player. You will need a way to rip your media to store it either on a NAS for the Zidoo to read from or to copy to the internal drive bays.
Stellar Presentation! How does it compare as a stand-alone option vs HTPC with MadVR specifically video quality/sharpness?
Can anyone verify if this unit can broadcast current status of player ( webhooks) for triggering home assistant for theater lighting cues? I currently have my theater setup for turn lights on and off with the system, dim on play, lights up at pause/credits/stop on my current player, nvidia shield, but wanted to upgrade to this player but don't wanna spend the money till i know all the details...
This is a great idea - and one I'm working on myself - I think there is control 4 integration but if we could get HA working with this for stuff like posters etc, and also adding to lighting control (which I already have setup for ALL play/pause functions) natively it would be a winner.
Great looking bit of hardware! I was looking at the UHD5000, but might go with this version. I’m still a little confused on why Zidoo hasn’t increased the size of HDD support beyond 16 TB in their machines.
I believe it’s larger than 16T in the 8000..
It's great - although I use a NAS so don't use the internal drive bays - but I think maybe it is 18tb in the UHD8000 - I'll need to check the website.
@@BuildMontage I just checked and did confirm the website says 16TB. I too use a NAS, but I am quickly running out of space! I was looking to move my 4K movies to this space since I don't share them outside my home with plex. I am already up to 25 TB there and not sure if I will fill the 32 TB with the remaining 4Ks I need to rip. Either way I think I am going to buy this unit and look at building a much larger server rack.
@txag007 I’m up to my 4th NAS 😂
Looking forward to thr madvr pc, i recently discovered mp classic with madvr processing, what a difference to the picture
Definitely - I will try to make the video this week!
@@BuildMontage I did a side by side on my lg OLED, what a difference! I'm curious what settings you use
Test the Magnetar 800 and 900
I haven't had the opportunity to test those players as yet.
On your disc library some titles say 4k and others say UHD. Why the difference I thought it was one and the same?
ISO vs MKV. I use both methods.
@@BuildMontagethat is strange as I have the Zidoo 5000 and I have ISO and MKV 4k but the both say UHD on the menu.
How this differed from plex client that can take blue ray Rips also ?
Can it be connected to a NAS ? I have all my movies on a NAS. Thanks
Yes it can. I explained in the video that’s how I do it :)
Does the Ziddo support 3D bluray?
No !!! 😤
How good is the uhd8000 over the z1000 pro when comparing PQ?
I think its the same. When it's playing back - its the same.
I Like my Zidoo player BUT is it Future Proof - the last firmware update for my player was in 2022 and they have not fixed the subtitle download problem either. Seems they are not that bothered about you after you have splashed out the cash
I hear your concerns for sure, it has been a problem with Zidoo, however, I personally haven't found the need for updates - I just turn it on and play a movie and turn it off. But I have heard from others that like trailers and some of the other features that its been an issue for them. Hopefully they do keep it going.
can you tell me which model your TV ?
My home theater doesn't have a TV. I have a JVC NP5.
Can I copy video files from Zidoo To PC and back ?
Yes you can.
ok, all the specs look good except for one thing, and I have a question. My question is about HDD drives, they are slow because they are HDD Drives Maximum 7200 RPM so how quickly can the player read the information? 4K HDR movies are huge how fast can it read all this data any slowdowns any freezing?
A hard drive has a much higher bandwidth, then a 4k HDR movie requires.
So that means for 4K HDR movies at 60fps or even 120fps you do not necessarily need SSD for fast reading, HDD drive with 7200 RPM is enough?
@@yervandpapazyan4473 I was responding to a standard 4k HDR movie, nothing about 60 or 120 fps. But I asked Chatgpt and the 7200 rpm drive should be able to handle 60fps but may struggle with 120fps.
Yes there is no issue with the spin disc handling the bitrate of even the biggest 4K movies.
A balls out HTPC using MADVR with heavy duty GPU capability would be great to look at and compare to the retail MADVR units. I think it could be done much cheaper but with more effort. A seamless front end not windows desktop would be the potential sticking point.
@@michaelrobinson9643 stay tuned ;)
@@BuildMontage Ohh I will :).
I've always considered it the best possible option but the highest overhead for user management.
Ideally, I would even say it needs to be done using a stripped OS that is pre-tuned, then have MADVR and the player fine tuned.
Following that - take an Image of the entire install. Possibly run it as a VM or if bare metal any problems just reimage it. All media stored elsewhere.
The necessity here would be to periodically do updates and then form a new "milestone" with a new image.
This is why I think a linux base would be best not windows because windows has too many installed elements and bloat.
A combined MADVR OS install with selectable player/front end would be the pinnacle choice I think. I no longer have the skills to manage such a project :(
Can you please also offer your thoughts comparing the quality to ATV4k?
Is there a way to load an Amazon/Netflix or other external streamer onto the Zidoo or some sort of dumb streamer that can be connected by USB and use the zidoo video and audio capabilities.
Having a relatively high end processor (Anthem AVM70) it's a question of where to do the processing when I look at a product like this.
Awsome, bad thing is i just purchased a zidoo a few months ago.
It's like anything, people buy before new cycles start, but all Zidoo's of the last 3-4 years are very similar and can do the same thing. The newer ones just have more bells and whistles and also 8K etc... the quality of the playback is identical.
can it play rmvb files
I did like your video, but I feel this video needs a part 2. Why❓ I think 🤔 you should show how to make the copy then store on the Zidoo. I also didn't here you talk about how much the hard drives cost and for large collectors how many can you own. Say one for a huge DVD collection, One for 4k , and one for your Blue Ray and future Blue Ray and more 4k. Please make that video. 🙏
Unfortunately, legally I can't really show that from my country of origin as it's technically breaking the law but breaking the encryption on the disk. I have been asked that before sadly I can't do it. But the review specifically is about this player which is pretty great but a general chat about the concept of a movie player answering your other questions could be a good idea!
Tony would it be fair for me to say that buying this device you are basically paying for a fancy GUI and couldn't my Nvidia Shield Pro using Plex obtain similar results? As I get older and life becomes busier the Kaleidescape Strato V looks more tempting. Thanks for the video boss.
Yes pretty much! But I think it goes beyond that, it's just such a smooth experience and the way the Zidoo handles things like subtitles, audio delay compensation and other small quality of life things - cannot be underestimated!
Is this better than the Neo Alpha?
Better isn't really the factor here - the Neo Alpha is a couple years old now, but has some awesome audio hardware - as does the UHD8000 - for me, i just like that this one is future proofed with 2.1 HDMI and 8K.
I definitely want to see more on you pc running madvr
I'm making a full video about it coming as soon as I can make it.
@@BuildMontage I have it downloaded but am not sure how to make it work with any of the players, jriver, mpc,etc . Surely it’s user error on my part so really looking forward to the video.
@@stephenmcgauley I don't use it that way at all. I have a Blackmagic capture card and the videoprocessor.org app to use madvr as the renderer - so I get all of my physical players having their streams tone mapped. You can definitely use the HTPC style players with it though, you might need to google up some guides - I don't know and I won't be showing that in my video unfortunately as my focus is on the passthrough of video through the capture card.
@@BuildMontage all good! Thanks for the comment. Your video will be way more useful to understand how to do it with the capture card. I look forward to it.
@BuildMontage wow! I also have a zidoo player. I love the user interface but I also have an htpc but my ideal solution would be to continue using the zidoo but with HTPC doing the tonemapping. I just was not sure how smooth that process would be involving capture cards etc! It will be awesome if your video walks through that process? Cant wait!
What I really would like to see in a video is, if the UHD8000 can really play Apple Music Dolby Atmos files. AFAIK the Apple TV hardware is the only hardware, that is able to playback Dolby Atmos from Apple Music. As the music interface of the UHD8000 seems to be the Eversolo GUI. So the same as from the Eversolo DMP-A6 (which I own). It will be a great reason to get an UHD8000. I will only miss the support of 3D Blurays...
There is a setting to enable Dolby Atmos under the sound settings. I saw the switch in a different video about the UHD8000. That is why I bought this product over the Eversolo to get Dolby Atmos music. When it arrives next week, I'll let you know if it works.
@@alantan6786 I hope, that it will work, but still have some doubts. So I am happy to hear, that you ordered a UHD8000.and could confirm the result. So please leave a comment here.
wouldn't it be nice if there was a device running Android TV or TV iOS but using high quality hardware? I've been trying to figure out how to play hi-rez lossless from AppleTV for the last several months.
Yes it can. There is an actual setting for Apple Music in the settings - although I never tested it - apparently it can do it.
@@BuildMontage This would be very nice! At the moment, this is the only reason for not ordering the UHD8000.
Excellent review. Do you prefer this player over your Zappiti? Like you, I was always a Zappiti guy.
Yes I do. My Zappiti is literally a boat anchor now.. not sure what I can actually do with it now LOL!
@@BuildMontage I also have a Zappiti. How about subtitles? I watch movies from all over the world. I'm thinking to upgrade but I'm worry about the subtitles R_volution makes it so easy to find it.
I think you mentioned a SSD. Can you be more specific?
SSD? Where/what did I mention about SSD?
@@BuildMontage well if you didn’t, my bad.
I’m serious, if I know what u mean I can answer u :)
@@BuildMontage I think he is thinking if you mention that posters are coming from ssd and this makes it faster.
picking up my 820 on saturday should be good
neck connects to the back bone the back bone connects to the i got lost after that bit lol
Unless you also need it as a DAC, the Z3000 PRO is a better option. Unless you need the storage and dual HDMI, the Z9X 8K is a better option.
For me the rack needed a nice pretty unit to feel at home in haha! But yes all of the Zidoo will largely give the same performance!
So expensive and still cannot support Dolby Vision FEL layer
Looks like a nice upgrade. The new UI changes look slick. The movie wall seems to load faster as well.
The price tag...man...no way I'll get rid of my Z9X for now until the pricing comes down a bit :)
Pricing doesn't usually come down, they just bring out new models. This one is a slick rack mountable model so perfect for a HT :)
@@BuildMontage still hard to justify that price point 😀 But I’m also happy with my Z9X, so I’m probably not the target audience for it
How is the Z9X over NVIDIA Shield? I need a network player for local playback no need for drives.
@@BrianGarside depends on your needs. If you want to do streaming at all, Zidoo is not a good fit. If you want best local playback with no need for a server (Plex as an example), Zidoo is king
Unfortunately has firmware bugs according to the Zidoo forum.
I havent had any issues personally ...
@@BuildMontage Thanks for the reply it would seem to be that various bugs appear and disappear and they have suspended the latest Firmware update.
now, its ugoos am6+ with coreElec which is the best player. only one to play dv7 and now with dvll fake and 3d support from community coming very soon.
other devices just cant compete with a gray legallity open source software designed to have perfect video and audio support.
I assume it would support Auro-3D
I don't explicitly know, but the audio is generally passed via bitstream to the processor/reciever for decoding.
@@BuildMontage sounds like most likely then that's great
Can it rip any region Blu-rays?
It doesn't "rip" anything, however it can play all region bluerays.
@@BuildMontage Thanks.
@@BuildMontageCan it play from an SSD drive?
@@Apollos_Triumph yes of course
still will not output i2s for use with a DAC, no thanks
There needs to be 8k upscale 120fps blue ray dvd players.
It has 8K upscale :D but no one needs 120fps movies when 99% of them are 24fps :D
Nothing will beats PQ from UB9000 , Panasonic processing is theirs big mistery.
I agree the UB9000 is pretty awesome, but I feel the Zidoo playback is as good but balanced with scrolling your physical media collection. The files are identical to the disc - its just 1s and 0s at the end of the day! But agree Panasonic make a great player.
With that price i get the panasonic 820 and 50 blurays 4k...
Yes this is true, but you get a lot of convenience with the Zidoo on your own personal library.
8k I thought the human eye can’t see 8k,
4K is the limit to our eyes😮
They used to say 1080p was the limit of the eyes :D
It does not support Dolby Vision Profile 7 FEL. Therefore, at its current retail price, it is not a good device at all. If you care about picture quality to play your UHD Blu-rays encoded with Dolby Vision Profile 7 FEL, your only choice is the Ugoos AM6B Plus. Picture quality wise, the Ugoos is the better device and it costs a 1000 dollars less.
Yep. It's hilarious he said it's better than Blu-ray disc but it can't even play dolby vision from a disc 🤣
I think you're missing the point... it was a "question" more so - and it does play Dolby Vision, maybe not the latest one but it's still looks pretty awesome.. plus convenience of the disc's digital data 1:1 it's the same exact source file so the differences are the actual player itself.
@@BuildMontage I'm not missing the point; i am simply having a different point of view. A device costing more than 1000 dollars that is not able to play uhd blu-ray movies as intended, is a no-go for me.
@@pimw9805I have both Zidoo and Ugoo. The am6b+ is great for DV Profile 7 and not much else. If I had to choose one it would definitely be Zidoo, but not this one but Z9X.
Tony, this review was NOT about the 8000 as either a video or music player. You ran it through MadVR, the HDFury, etc. This is NOT relevantto 99.9% of the people interested in this kit. Please do a fllow up video on JUST the 8000 straight into your PJ (the way it is designed, one HDMI to the video and one to the audio). Maybe some split screen shots of how the 8000 compares to the 3000 or a BRP?
I know where you're coming from but that's how I choose to do the reviews. My channel is basically an outlet for what interests me personally, and I try to put my own spin on things. Probably not the nicest answer, but it's honest.
id rather have this than streaming but plex does well enough for now for me
How can it be better than the disc you ripped it from
The playback device….
It can’t be better than a disk since the source is a disk.
That''s what I thought - but the source is the actual file that is burned onto the disc, which is just digital 1 and 0 :) This player does a superb job at playback - which is why I do think it's actually better. If you know what I mean :)
No dolby vision fel 7.0 - no go
I use a video processor so I let it handle the tone mapping, but can you really tell the difference between fel 7.0 and non 7.0? Serious question because to me the tonemapping looks fantastic on my JVC with the MadVR.
@@BuildMontage for any projector dolby vision does not matter but I have 83G4 and there is a big impact with fel 7.0 it tone maps everything correctly for every scene. I have MV9702 V3 (oppo 203clone) and with dolby vision set on TV-led in the oppo settings just blows away any hdr10 movie - I have compared diffrent version. For me buying UHD8000 for such amount of money without full dolby vision support is no go.
More upscale to 8k. No native 8k content so it's not better than a 4k native uhd disc.
Y'all have too much damn money😂
Money comes, money goes... I don't worship it...
Paid ad? Also no 3d? No thanks.
Yeah man, I was paid a cool $0.00 billion dollars for this... not sure what made it an advertisement. I just film and review my experiences.
NO 3D!!!! DON'T BUY IT
Not everyone cares about 3D, in fact most don't. I do personally but it's not a deal breaker for me... not much comes out these days anyway with 3D. Sadly :(
Lame. Just buy a PC for much much less $
but with this comes hard drives and failures
No 3D, no buy.
make a roll of 3d discs and put it in your ass 😂😂😂😂😂
It doesn’t have 3D Support. (Edit)
@@BuildMontage Hi Tony, great review of an obviously improved product. I really hope you're correct but all the materials I've seen so far say the new chip has no 3d support.
@@stevenlawrence2232 It doesnt do frame packed 3D, the chip doesnt support it
I mistyped… I meant to say “doesn’t”
Maaaaan...how can You be "zero interesting in music" ?🙃 Really ?
Because I don’t… doesn’t stop you enjoying it… :)
@@BuildMontage Ok...of course it is Your own deal, but it is interesting🤣.
Most blu ray players are also multi media players from USB. I would never stream movies.
This doesn’t stream either.