Seeking Advice. What's the PQ & AQ of the z20 Pro vs the z9x (not PRO) ?

Thinking of replacing my venerable z9x. Is there an improvement in PQ and/or AQ with the z20 Pro? How about the Movie Wall? Does is function any better than the old z9x? We only use our Zidoo for movies and an occasional concert. Our display is a JVC NX7 projecting onto a 136" Cinemascope screen. Audio is 5.4.2 with Martin-Logan speakers and a Denon 4800x AVR, calibrated with Dirac Live. Any insights will be greatly appreciated

 

Answers are yes, no, and it's complicated!

So picture quality is subjectively better in my opinion. But it's difficult to quantify - it's just the image has a certain nuance to it that the older models don't have. VS10 processing is better, but again, difficult to quantify objectively.

Audio quality is exactly the same - a bitstream is a bitstream etc.

Movie wall is exactly the same.

Overall the box is maybe a little faster.

As for whether it's worth the upgrade, that's where it gets complicated. There are still a lot of issues with the new models but you can use them within certain parameters if you're pragmatic about it.

With the release of v1.0.58 I decided enough had been fixed so that I could swap my trusty Z9X in the cinema with a Pro. That lasted a couple of weeks - I've swapped back again for the moment - I'll fiddle all day long with these devices while testing, but if I go into the cinema I want to press the room on button and for everything to work every single time without fail.

It's a shame because the hardware is very capable - I'm just not sure what's going on at the moment but the firmware always seems to be 2 steps forward, 3 steps back. I'm sure they'll get there, but it's taken this long start to iron out issues that were present on the original Z9X and we're not even fully there yet - it's as if the devs are starting from scratch without learning anything from the Z9X.

It's an extremely frustrating box. One day I'm elated, the next I'm throwing my hands in the air.

Also, unless you need internal storage, there's no reason to go for a Z20 Pro over a Z9X Pro - as with all these boxes, all in the same range have the same video and audio quality over HDMI.

 

Thank you, Mark! I don't need the internal storage (all files are stored on a dedicated Synology NAS). You've given me a lot to think about.

 

Glad to help John

 

After looking at various reviews, I decided to replace my Z9x with the Z9x Pro. It's only been a few days, but right now I'm seeing improved image quality. It's as though someone removed a layer of gauze from the image. Set-up was easy. Backing up my Poster Wall from the older Z9x was simple, and it easily imported to the Z9x Pro. Everything was in order when I opened the Poster Wall in the new Pro. To anyone making the switch, follow Mark's "settings". They are a good jumping off point. I'm glad I made the upgrade.