They replied to me the next day. That could have just been good timing, or this waiting list might be a marketing method to generate more interest in a $399 SD DVD player...

I can understand the cynicism. Consumers have to keep their guard up as the marketplace is full of ploys. And, it is a bit hard to understand why OPPO Digital can't get a boatload of 983s and be done with it.

But, prior comments on this and the other OPPO threads point out that this is a small operation. A boutique shop in a strip mall with a few employees. How big a market is there in 2008 for a flagship top-of-the-line universal DVD player - technology that is more than a decade old - with a sagging economy and the promotion of Blu-ray just getting into high gear? I don't know and I suspect OPPO Digital doesn't either.

So, they go slow. The last thing they need is their money tied up in a dead inventory. And the last thing we need is an OPPO Digital that goes bust.

Dana

To add to Dana's comments, I'll add one observation... During the months leading up to the release of the 983H, there was much talk about how difficult it might be for people to justify buying a $400 DVD player in 2008 - many, many people remarked that it seemed like the worst possible time to launch such a product. Possibly because of that discussion, it was a little surprising to me to see the initial batch sell out in mere days, with subsequent batches selling out as soon as they arrived. If OPPO was reading that thread (as I know they were) and elected to schedule small production batches during the player's first months on the market, the quite high demand that they've seen would take time to compensate for.

Here's another way to look at it: I'll bet that they'd love to have a decent stock on hand (albeit not a huge excess) and sell to folks the day they place orders. :)

Component lead times are typically 16 weeks so if they underforecasted demand, it would take that long to be able to meet upside demand. It would also be risky to try and ramp too fast if demand started to dry up. Tough situation for a small player to be in. On the other hand... supply and demand. Price and profit stays high if supply is tight relative to demand.

Yes, and the situation isn't static. As gas prices go through the roof, folks in these parts are reordering their priorities and are very nervous about heating oil costs this coming winter. Not an economy that would encourage OPPO Digital to be bullish on inventory.

So, I think the 983 waiting list is the real McCoy, the best way for OPPO Digital to forecast demand. If you want one, get on the list.

Dana

I really wasn't trying to be cynical, I was just giving credit where possibly due while also pointing out my wait was quite short. After all, I was on the fence about the 983H since I'll also be purchasing a BD player soon. Appr. $800 for DVD players had me hesitating. I did make the plunge and bought the 983H, so whatever OPPO is or isn't doing worked, right? :-)

Oh, yeah - I was mostly just commenting on the interesting state of 983H availability, as it has elicited a number of posts in this thread from folks asking how to get one (and in some cases even asking if it was discontinued).

For those of you waiting for this, I think a month isn't too bad. Instead of ordering from Oppo directly, I ordered from one of their authorized online dealers. I finally got my ship notice this week, almost 2 months after ordering. I can't really blame the dealer as this is the first time they've gotten any stock, but if you want one of these, just order from Oppo directly. The wait time might seem long, but it will be better than the alternative! :)

I wonder if these authorized online dealers even stock the 983.

My guess is that they might ship directly from OPPO.

I just read an exceptional review on the 983 in the July issue of Playback magazine.

I wonder if these authorized online dealers even stock the 983.

My guess is that they might ship directly from OPPO.



When it comes to this stuff, I hate speculation and guesses. Guesses are often wrong, as is yours.

OK, my Oppo arrived today. For those of you who are experts on this player, I have a few questions.

First, my firmware version is: MVer: 05.00.01.07 Batch: DV983H-07-0619
TV: Sony KDL-46W3000
Oppo output currently set to 1080p.

1. Most of the mp4 video files I have tried are tinted blue, though one I tried worked great. I've not noticed this on the Philips 5982. Any ideas? Changing the various video parameters did not seem to make any difference. I'm using HDMI video connection, and I've tried all the Color-space settings.

2. I'm seeing some pretty grainy video when playing some PAL material. Specifically, I'm trying the PAL version of Babylon 5, season 3. There is definitely an absence of the "normal" conversion video artifacts I was getting with other players (including some really bad combing), but you can see a fair amount of video noise in the picture, and the noise reduction setting doesn't seem to do anything at all that I can see. Is this normal? Can anything be done about it? I have a lot of PAL source material, and I'm going to be trying more soon, but I wondered if this is what I can expect doing the PAL-NTSC conversion.

3. For mp4 video files, I have to either set the digital output to PCM or the HDMI audio to LPCM. Does the player have the ability to autosense and set the correct audio type? I can't seem to find anything in the manual about it. It's not a big deal for me, but playing mp4 DVDs will not be very family friendly having to set this manually.

Well, that's it for now. I look forward to several days of tests.

I wonder if these authorized online dealers even stock the 983.

My guess is that they might ship directly from OPPO.

Obviously, a dealer can tell you anything, but the day I got the shipping notice, they told me they had just received a shipment that morning. However, given how hard this player is to get, I doubt anyone keeps any in stock right now!

Signed up to be notified when the 983 is in stock again. This will be my first OPPO. I haven't been following this thread recently...is there any ETA on the latest batch or a sense of how long the waiting list is? Is it a month, as dcbii suggests, or longer? I don't mind the wait but it's nice to have an idea.

2. I'm seeing some pretty grainy video when playing some PAL material. Specifically, I'm trying the PAL version of Babylon 5, season 3. There is definitely an absence of the "normal" conversion video artifacts I was getting with other players (including some really bad combing), but you can see a fair amount of video noise in the picture, and the noise reduction setting doesn't seem to do anything at all that I can see. Is this normal? Can anything be done about it? I have a lot of PAL source material, and I'm going to be trying more soon, but I wondered if this is what I can expect doing the PAL-NTSC conversion.

Do you have it set to VIDEO 2?

Alternatively, does the Sony accept a PAL signal?

-Bill

Do you have it set to VIDEO 2?

Alternatively, does the Sony accept a PAL signal?

Actually, I can't change that particular menu item (it's greyed out), and yes, it's set to Video 2.

Regarding a PAL signal, I wish! It seems European versions of that TV are multistandard, but the US version isn't. I wonder if there is a firmware update that would fix that, or if there are actually hardware differences between the two. I'm sure Sony won't help me with that!

Grayed out items require that you press Eject first then enter the Setup of the DVD player.

1. Most of the mp4 video files I have tried are tinted blue, though one I tried worked great.

MP4 is not on their list of supported media, so it playing to begin with is a miracle in its own right.

If you change the output resolution to something like 480i/p, is the image still blue?

If you connect with an analog connection, is the image tinted blue?


but you can see a fair amount of video noise in the picture, and the noise reduction setting doesn't seem to do anything at all that I can see. Is this normal?

The noise reduction is handled by the MTK solution. You will see little to no difference in performance with this on and off. Video noise as part of the source material is to be expected, but not enhancement thereof.

Ensure that you have left all the video settings at default (off/0/none) and have done a calibration on your display with AVIA, DVE, or the THX Optimizer running through the DV-983H.


3. For mp4 video files, I have to either set the digital output to PCM or the HDMI audio to LPCM. Does the player have the ability to autosense and set the correct audio type?

What is the audio container in these MP4 files?

Does the front panel of your receiver say anything when connected with a RAW or Auto output?

2. I'm seeing some pretty grainy video when playing some PAL material. Specifically, I'm trying the PAL version of Babylon 5, season 3. There is definitely an absence of the "normal" conversion video artifacts I was getting with other players (including some really bad combing), but you can see a fair amount of video noise in the picture, and the noise reduction setting doesn't seem to do anything at all that I can see. Is this normal? Can anything be done about it? I have a lot of PAL source material, and I'm going to be trying more soon, but I wondered if this is what I can expect doing the PAL-NTSC conversion. I have PAL movies like "Open Season", that look spectacular, with no noise or grain at all, and then I have a few older PAL movies that are pretty grainy... It depends entirely on the source material.

Remember too, that this player shows so much detail, that you may notice grain and other source-dependant artifacts that you never noticed with lesser players.

Gary

.

2. I'm seeing some pretty grainy video when playing some PAL material. Specifically, I'm trying the PAL version of Babylon 5, season 3. .

Here are quotes from three different reviews of the PAL version of B5S3

-"Although some scenes look a bit grainy, and the special effects shots still look a bit soft"

-"but then, for short sections, it becomes quite grainy and decidedly soft"

-"There is widespread grain, and video artefacts (particularly in the cgi sequences)."

Remember too, that this player shows so much detail, that you may notice grain and other source-dependant artifacts that you never noticed with lesser players.

Gary

Gary,

One of the first films I popped into the 983 was Aliens. James Cameron used a very high-speed film stock for much of the movie to get a "you are there" look to the image. One thought that struck me immediately was, "I can see every single grain of the film stock...Would a BD transfer make it any better, or this is a movie that reaches the limit of its resolution at 1080p on an SD DVD?"

It seems to me that once you've resolved the grain, which should be the smallest element available, an HD transfer would not do much to improve the on-screen image.

-Toonces

OK, thanks everyone for all the responses.

First, I have tried 480p output for the mp4 files, but with no change to the "blue-tint" problem. I haven't tried hooking up the analog video yet, but given some of my mp4s work just fine over HDMI, I'm going to guess for now that it won't really help. I'll also admit to some ignorance over the formats of mp4 files, so I don't know how the video or sound is encoded exactly. However, the same sound issue (having to change to PCM to hear the sound) is also an issue on the 5982, so I would assume that it has something to do with the way the mp4 audio is encoded. Either way, I just wanted to know if anyone has gotten the Oppo to sense this automatically and make a change to the audio without going into the setup menu. The blue-tint issue is much more serious. I can always leave the 5982 setup to play these, but I had hoped for a one-player solution with the Oppo. I haven't yet run a complete Video Essentials calibration, but I had already done so with the Philips, and a quick check of the color pluge showed that the TV is pretty close, if not perfectly calibrated for what the Oppo is sending.

Regarding PAL material, I guess some material is just going to be grainy. I have now tried (in addition to B5 S3) the following PAL material:

- Flipper (old TV series); given the source, it looks pretty good. No real graininess evident

- Arachnophobia; older transfer (I think I bought this in the late 90's), picture looks a little soft, but no graininess

- Finding Nemo; here I can see a little grain in the picture, but it looks pretty good

- High School Musical 2 (don't ask, I have 2 daughters, but it is the newest PAL transfer I have); on this one I can definitely see some grain in the picture (more than on Finding Nemo), but nowhere near as much as with B5

I'll be doing some more PAL tests. I have some older German movies in B&W as well as some big-screen spectacles, so I'm going to give the player a thorough workout in the PAL department.

For NTSC video, I wanted to test a couple video types that get play at our house -- older TV series, and Disney or Disney-type cartoon video, especially the cheaper, direct-to-video type. I tried both "Murder She Wrote" and "Lady and the Tramp II." Both of those looked really good on the Oppo, and the Oppo doesn't show the between-scene combing problem that is so obvious on the 5982. "Lady and the Tramp II" actually at some points would cause the Philips to go into "permanent combing mode" where I had to stop the movie and push play (pause did no good) to get it to go away. No evidence of that with the Oppo.

I'll get back to testing the mp4 video tonight. I haven't yet looked to see what the receiver (Denon 3808) is displaying when audio is set to raw (and I can't hear anything) while playing the mp4.

All in all, I'm very pleased with the player, but I guess there is no such thing as miracles with some source material. Maybe I should get out one or two of my foolish 1998 Madacy purchases and see what they look like!

Here are quotes from three different reviews of the PAL version of B5S3

-"Although some scenes look a bit grainy, and the special effects shots still look a bit soft"

-"but then, for short sections, it becomes quite grainy and decidedly soft"

-"There is widespread grain, and video artefacts (particularly in the cgi sequences)."
OK, thanks. I guess I just notice it more with this player!

When it comes to this stuff, I hate speculation and guesses. Guesses are often wrong, as is yours.

Well, excuuuuuuuuuse meeeeeee!!!!! :D

Regarding PAL material, I guess some material is just going to be grainy. I have now tried (in addition to B5 S3) the following PAL material:

- Flipper (old TV series); given the source, it looks pretty good. No real graininess evident

- Arachnophobia; older transfer (I think I bought this in the late 90's), picture looks a little soft, but no graininess

- Finding Nemo; here I can see a little grain in the picture, but it looks pretty good

- High School Musical 2 (don't ask, I have 2 daughters, but it is the newest PAL transfer I have); on this one I can definitely see some grain in the picture (more than on Finding Nemo), but nowhere near as much as with B5

I'll be doing some more PAL tests. I have some older German movies in B&W as well as some big-screen spectacles, so I'm going to give the player a thorough workout in the PAL department.



I not 100% sure but I am pretty sure that Finding Nemo was a digital production and therefore cannot have 'film grain'? Anyway I have never seen grain on that DVD (the PAL version). Its hard for me to compare directly as all my equipment is PAL & NTSC capable so the Oppo TV type is set to Auto and therefore not doing PAL->NTSC conversion. Did you say your display doesnt display native PAL? Maybe its a result of the conversion process?

As far as Finding Nemo is concerned, don't forget to take into account that almost the entire movie is supposed to look "under water". Therefore, this type of image can be filled with intentional artifacts that could be mistaken for film grain. For that movie, any testing should be done in "above water" scenes.

I not 100% sure but I am pretty sure that Finding Nemo was a digital production and therefore cannot have 'film grain'? Anyway I have never seen grain on that DVD (the PAL version). Its hard for me to compare directly as all my equipment is PAL & NTSC capable so the Oppo TV type is set to Auto and therefore not doing PAL->NTSC conversion. Did you say your display doesnt display native PAL? Maybe its a result of the conversion process?
I won't claim that what I saw was "film grain," but there was an obvious graininess that you can see looking at the picture -- could be just some artifacting from the conversion, as you say. That's what I'm trying to figure out.

Thanks.

As far as Finding Nemo is concerned, don't forget to take into account that almost the entire movie is supposed to look "under water". Therefore, this type of image can be filled with intentional artifacts that could be mistaken for film grain. For that movie, any testing should be done in "above water" scenes.
I could definitely see the little particles that were supposed to be floating around in the water that give the picture its realism, but there was something I was also noticing that I don't think is related to that. This movie I also have in NTSC format (I bought a Pixar pack in PAL that included Nemo, which I already had in NTSC, but I wanted the other films, and the price was good), so I'll do a brief comparison of the same scenes in both.

I'll even try the same thing in the Philips to compare, and I'll skip ahead to some of the "above ground" scenes.

Thanks for the tips.

I could definitely see the little particles that were supposed to be floating around in the water that give the picture its realism, but there was something I was also noticing that I don't think is related to that. This movie I also have in NTSC format (I bought a Pixar pack in PAL that included Nemo, which I already had in NTSC, but I wanted the other films, and the price was good), so I'll do a brief comparison of the same scenes in both.

I'll even try the same thing in the Philips to compare, and I'll skip ahead to some of the "above ground" scenes.

Thanks for the tips.

Looking forward to your results. :)

Well, excuuuuuuuuuse meeeeeee!!!!! :D

I'm in a good mood now, so you are forgiven. :D

A wonderful review of the 983 in the online july 2008 edition of Playback magazine:

http://magazine.playbackmag.net/playback/200807/?folio=1
- Esau

A wonderful review of the 983 in the online july 2008 edition of Playback magazine:

http://magazine.playbackmag.net/playback/200807/?folio=1
- Esau

Yes, read this about an hour ago, very accurate and complimentary. Been tracking my shipment that I thought would be here today ........... seems Fed Ex is slooooooooow. I won't have it until Monday :mad:

John

First, I have tried 480p output for the mp4 files, but with no change to the "blue-tint" problem. I haven't tried hooking up the analog video yet, but given some of my mp4s work just fine over HDMI, I'm going to guess for now that it won't really help. "Blue-tint" was a defect found and fixed during the beta-testing phase with certain file types, like Divx. It may persist in other file types, like mp4. Report it to OPPO and send them a file sample if you have one. This issue seemed to be a problem in certain aspect ratios or zoom settings, but not in others.

Gary

I won't claim that what I saw was "film grain," but there was an obvious graininess that you can see looking at the picture -- could be just some artifacting from the conversion... "Artifacting from the conversion" is highly unlikely if the 983 is doing the conversion. I assume you are using the HDMI output, set to the native resolution of your player? What type of display do you have? Some displays, like DLP have visible dithering techniques. Others have image "enhancement" settings that can introduce noise or other artifacts.

Also remember that a perfect NTSC DVD transfer, does not necessarily mean a good PAL transfer... and vise versa. The disks for different regions are often encoded in completely different studios, perhaps with different software tools.

Gary

A wonderful review of the 983 in the online july 2008 edition of Playback magazine:

http://magazine.playbackmag.net/playback/200807/?folio=1
- Esau Another fine review to add to the first post! Neuromancer? You got that??

Thanks for sharing.

Gary

I won't claim that what I saw was "film grain," but there was an obvious graininess that you can see looking at the picture -- could be just some artifacting from the conversion, as you say. That's what I'm trying to figure out.

Thanks.

Well I can certainly say that the PAL Nemo disk via the Oppo at 96" is wonderful so there must be something else at play in your system. I hope you work it out soon!

Ooh my package came in today. Now for the setup.

Looking forward to your results. :)
OK, comparing PAL Nemo with NTSC Nemo, it seems the "graininess" I'm seeing is only in the very dark sections of the picture. This is even visible in the above water scenes (like the outside of the tank just before the "Ring of Fire" scene). I guess my previous TV was just not good enough to make this as visible (27" 1991-model JVC). With a 46" 1080p screen which I've only had for a little more than a month, it seems things like this are more visible. I can see the same with the Philips, but it looks a little different, so I would guess that has to do with the processing algorithms (I'm using both players to upconvert to 1080p).

Again, thanks from those of you that have had more experience with the Oppo.

I'm in a good mood now, so you are forgiven. :D

I appreciate that, really I do! :)


When using Dolby Pro Logic through the 983, can someone tell me why it sounds so bad? I've tried different settings trying to dial in the sound and I cannot get it to sound anywhere near 2-channel quality. I'd really like to use all five channels. I've never used DPL before the 980/983. Does DPL generally sound bad on all equipment that offers this implementation?

Pro Logic II is a step up from original Pro Logic, but many people find its effect on music to be undesirable - whether the PLII is applied by a player like the 983H or a surround receiver or processor. My suspicion is that you are one of the many who don't like what PLII does with music.

Here are quotes from three different reviews of the PAL version of B5S3

-"Although some scenes look a bit grainy, and the special effects shots still look a bit soft"

-"but then, for short sections, it becomes quite grainy and decidedly soft"

-"There is widespread grain, and video artefacts (particularly in the cgi sequences)."
Sure enough, both the Philips and the Oppo show the graininess in the B5 PAL transfer, but after comparing the same scenes on both, I prefer the way it looks on the Oppo overall, though in a couple of spots I thought it showed more with the Oppo than with the Philips, though those were definitely in the minority.

OK, comparing PAL Nemo with NTSC Nemo, it seems the "graininess" I'm seeing is only in the very dark sections of the picture.

Have you calibrated your levels with a setup disk at all? This sounds more like you dont have your brightness and contrast settings set properly. In conjunction with setting the contrast, experiment with the Color Space settings - dont assume 'Auto' will get it right. Graininess in dark areas is often a symptom of contrast being set too high.

Just wanted to post my impressions of the 983 as an owner of both the
XA-2 and Sammy 1200....
As a few of you might know,thru PM's on this board,I was on the fence about the 983 and it's upscaling capabilities,when compared to the upscaling capabilities of the reon chip.I vacillated for several weeks to the point my wife got plain sick of hearing it...Since OPPO has a 30 day satisfaction gurantee,I figured "what the hell" and ordered it,without my wife's knowledge..
First movie I put in was the re-mastered version of Star Wars...while watching it,and being blown away by the clarity and look of the film,my wife walked in and asked if this HD version was being watched on HBO...after telling her no,she said that "she did'nt know that Star wars was out in HD!!"
If anyone one tries to take this player from me,they will have to pry it out of my cold,dead hand!.....I said "hand" in the singular,as the other will be wrapped around the remote...
I have sold the BD player to a buddy(latest hardware installed)Got a call on Friday that Tweeters cannot replace my dead XA-2 and will refund my original $799.00 + tax...in the meantime,and since I did have the Tweteer extended warranty,they were kind enough to lend me the Dual Samsung
5000.....which they offered to sell me for $399! Done Deal..
I just want to thank all for their input and PM's..To these tired,and old eyes,the OPPO ,with it's anchor bay,does outperform the reon.

Welcome aboard hodges69 :)!
Indeed the 983 is a FABULOUS player. I myself recently compared it on my system...
(several months ago I did a short comparison of 983 vs XA2 on a friends tv)
...in my home, the 983 vs Onkyo DV-HD805. This was on a projector, 8' wide screen @ 720p. 983 won hands down. Indeed, indeed :). I can't believe I was considering selling the 983 (I mean not really, I knew it was the BEST. I just had to prove it to myself... again).
983, you gatta be, my oh so lovely... :D

Just wanted to post my impressions of the 983 as an owner of both the
XA-2 and Sammy 1200....
As a few of you might know,thru PM's on this board,I was on the fence about the 983 and it's upscaling capabilities,when compared to the upscaling capabilities of the reon chip.I vacillated for several weeks to the point my wife got plain sick of hearing it...Since OPPO has a 30 day satisfaction gurantee,I figured "what the hell" and ordered it,without my wife's knowledge..
First movie I put in was the re-mastered version of Star Wars...while watching it,and being blown away by the clarity and look of the film,my wife walked in and asked if this HD version was being watched on HBO...after telling her no,she said that "she did'nt know that Star wars was out in HD!!"
If anyone one tries to take this player from me,they will have to pry it out of my cold,dead hand!.....I said "hand" in the singular,as the other will be wrapped around the remote...
I have sold the BD player to a buddy(latest hardware installed)Got a call on Friday that Tweeters cannot replace my dead XA-2 and will refund my original $799.00 + tax...in the meantime,and since I did have the Tweteer extended warranty,they were kind enough to lend me the Dual Samsung
5000.....which they offered to sell me for $399! Done Deal..
I just want to thank all for their input and PM's..To these tired,and old eyes,the OPPO ,with it's anchor bay,does outperform the reon.

Man I can't wait!!!! My 983 didn't make it on Friday, Fed Ex was too slow. It is being delivered tomorrow according to tracking. I have been waiting for this since I got my Pioneer 5010 two weeks ago.

My 43" Pio that moved to the bedroom with the Denon 2910 now looks just so so, LOL. That's funny isn't it. 99% of America would think that is a killer system, to us, just so so (well somebody has to keep this economy afloat and keep buying electronics :)

John

Have you calibrated your levels with a setup disk at all? This sounds more like you dont have your brightness and contrast settings set properly.
Since I just got this, I hadn't yet run a full VE calibration with the Oppo. However, I have already done so with the Philips, and the TV is currently using those settings. Now, since the Sony is an LCD TV, it's certainly possible that there are things I'm doing wrong, but the basic brightness, contrast, tint, color, etc., are all set as closely as possible to the standards on VE. (For example, it's not obvious to me how to set the backlight.) I don't yet have a high-def version of VE, because I don't yet have a high-def player. Since I don't yet have any high-def software, a player is not yet necessary! That will come in time.

Thanks,

Man I can't wait!!!! My 983 didn't make it on Friday, Fed Ex was too slow. It is being delivered tomorrow according to tracking. I have been waiting for this since I got my Pioneer 5010 two weeks ago.

My 43" Pio that moved to the bedroom with the Denon 2910 now looks just so so, LOL. That's funny isn't it. 99% of America would think that is a killer system, to us, just so so (well somebody has to keep this economy afloat and keep buying electronics :)

John


Anxious to hear your comments after setting up..

Since I just got this, I hadn't yet run a full VE calibration with the Oppo. However, I have already done so with the Philips, and the TV is currently using those settings.

So the TV is set to match the signal that the Philips is producing and if the Philips is outputting the wrong signal then this will effect the Oppo. Just hoping for an easy fix! Its easy to get a rough idea if that is the case by just putting your trusty Nemo back in and checking the brightness pattern in the THX Optimiser and see the status of the drop shadows next to the BIG thx letters. (Can you see them or not, or are the really obvious?)

Anxious to hear your comments after setting up..

I anticipate a reaction similar to yours. I have read enough comments that echo your sentiments, that I hope I am plesantly surprised. The 5010 has a dot by dot mode, so I am going to let the OPPO upscale to 1080P and let 'er fly :)

John

For all anticipating a 983 in the house.

You expectations will most likely be met and exceeded.

With my 800 or more DVD collection, well :)

What I have been enjoying, and annoying, the family with is a little talked about feature, the screen capture.

Cheers,

Joe

So the TV is set to match the signal that the Philips is producing and if the Philips is outputting the wrong signal then this will effect the Oppo. Just hoping for an easy fix! Its easy to get a rough idea if that is the case by just putting your trusty Nemo back in and checking the brightness pattern in the THX Optimiser and see the status of the drop shadows next to the BIG thx letters. (Can you see them or not, or are the really obvious?)
OK, I'll try this later. Since I'm at work today, it will be late this evening before I get the chance to try this. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Thanks,

"Blue-tint" was a defect found and fixed during the beta-testing phase with certain file types, like Divx. It may persist in other file types, like mp4. Report it to OPPO and send them a file sample if you have one. This issue seemed to be a problem in certain aspect ratios or zoom settings, but not in others.

GaryHi Gary,

Can you please try these .MP4 samples: -

http://rapidshare.com/files/129652600/MPEG-4.2_2ChAACinMP4.zip.html


Cheers

Video does not load, and only static audio (pops) are heard. On the DV-980H the audio plays back properly, but you see no video.

I had a couple of failure, solved with an ON/OFF sequence. I use the 983 with a Benq W5000 direct HDMI ( Alpha Elettronica 10m cable ). Can someone help me if it occurs again?

Are you turning on the player then the projector, or the projector then the DVD player?

I have a question for those of you who have reported excellent PQ with the Oppo 983. Are you connecting it to your gear using HDMI or using component cables? Neither my pre-pro nor my TV (1080i) is equipped with HDMI, so I'll have to use component cables. So I am curious to hear something about the PQ that others may have experienced using component connections. I recognize that the Oppo will not upconvert to 1080i over component.

Thanks.

Cal68

I have a question for those of you who have reported excellent PQ with the Oppo 983. Are you connecting it to your gear using HDMI or using component cables? Neither my pre-pro nor my TV (1080i) is equipped with HDMI, so I'll have to use component cables. So I am curious to hear something about the PQ that others may have experienced using component connections. I recognize that the Oppo will not upconvert to 1080i over component.

Thanks.

Cal68

Component performance on the 983 will be similar to the 980, which is only $169. The both use Mediatek for deinterlacing and scaling; the cost of the 983 is because of the ABT deinterlacing and scaling chips, which are used only for HDMI.

-Bill

Component performance on the 983 will be similar to the 980, which is only $169. The both use Mediatek for deinterlacing and scaling; the cost of the 983 is because of the ABT deinterlacing and scaling chips, which are used only for HDMI.

-Bill

Got it. Thanks Bill.

Just one more quick question. How would the PQ of the 980/983 (over component) compare to the PQ of the 970 (also over component, but without the hack that allows upconversion over component)?

Thanks for your help

Cal68

There will be no vertical compression and you may notice less interlacing and aliasing errors (particularly on PAL media) when using the DV-980H/983H over the DV-970HD.

Got it. Thanks Bill.

Just one more quick question. How would the PQ of the 980/983 (over component) compare to the PQ of the 970 (also over component, but without the hack that allows upconversion over component)?

Thanks for your help

Cal68

Very similar. I hesitate to say "identical" because the 980 was an upgrade over the 970; it has a custom Mediatek chip which eliminated a vertical squeeze issue the 970 had at upscaled resolutions. I don't know if there is any difference at 480i/p.

-Bill

Very similar. I hesitate to say "identical" because the 980 was an upgrade over the 970; it has a custom Mediatek chip which eliminated a vertical squeeze issue the 970 had at upscaled resolutions. I don't know if there is any difference at 480i/p.

-Bill

Thanks again Bill.

Cal68

I received my player on Saturday and have played around withit only a little so far, mostly to play SACD's. I was using a Yamaha 2300 multiformat player from 2002 - and I still think it's a great deck, but this one does seem to sound noticeably better. But there is one "quirk" that bothers me about the operation and I wonder if it's a firmware adjustable feature. I'm used to being able to pause a track and then use the chapter forward button to skip a few tracks and have the deck still remain in pause when I arrive at the start of the track I want. This deck seems to start play as soon as you press a button after pause. So as you skip forward you're hearing little snippets of each track as you jump over them. I'd prefer pause to remain until play is pressed. Anyone else have an opinion about that? I haven't tried it with a movie yet to see if it does the same thing.

Well Fed Ex is wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy slow. My player only made it from Memphis to Charlotte between Friday afternoon and late today, that is pitiful if you ask me. They changed the delivery date from Today to tomorrow. Let's see if these guys and manage that.

John

Well Fed Ex is wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy slow. My player only made it from Memphis to Charlotte between Friday afternoon and late today, that is pitiful if you ask me. They changed the delivery date from Today to tomorrow. Let's see if these guys and manage that.

John

Bummer.....FedEx,in my neck of the woods,is very timley...much preferred over UPS...Patience Grasshopper,the wait will justify the performance!

Bummer.....FedEx,in my neck of the woods,is very timley...much preferred over UPS...Patience Grasshopper,the wait will justify the performance!

They are usually much better than this, and locally do a good job as well. Makes me think someone screwed up along the path. Memphis to Charlotte in only 4 days? That would not be good for their image. True they don't deliver on Sunday, but packages are being routed to hubs. Oh well, if it doesn't make it here tomorrow I am going to call them. I guess this is the example of how they get you to spring for the 2 day or 3 day delivery guarantee :)

John

Just force one of the PAL 2:2 Modes on the player when playing a PAL disc. If OPPO changes the way PAL 2:2 is negotiated under Auto, it can break some common NTSC media. As OPPO is primarily selling to NTSC territories, they will not be adjusting the Auto timings.

That was interesting. Prior to the release of the DV-983H I read about ABT102 and its "reliable 2:2 pull-down detection". That made me believe that DV-983H would have no problems auto detecting 2:2 PAL film material. I was then surprised to read that this wasn't the case.

Could you elaborate on the reason? What NTSC media can break as a result of a more reliable PAL 2:2 detection?

I guess a solution could be an "Auto PAL" mode for us who do live in PAL land and mostly/only watches PAL material. Or make the EU and US firmwares behave differently when it comes to the auto detection.

They are usually much better than this, and locally do a good job as well. Makes me think someone screwed up along the path. Memphis to Charlotte in only 4 days? That would not be good for their image. True they don't deliver on Sunday, but packages are being routed to hubs. Oh well, if it doesn't make it here tomorrow I am going to call them. I guess this is the example of how they get you to spring for the 2 day or 3 day delivery guarantee :)

John

Absolutely. At one time in the recent past, I had a lot of involvement tracking packages sent via FEDEX Express. In the tracking info on line, there is usually a "commitment date." That is the date FEDEX contracted to deliver the package and rarely will it deliver a package before that date, for the reason you cite.

You get what you pay for.

Dana

So the TV is set to match the signal that the Philips is producing and if the Philips is outputting the wrong signal then this will effect the Oppo. Just hoping for an easy fix! Its easy to get a rough idea if that is the case by just putting your trusty Nemo back in and checking the brightness pattern in the THX Optimiser and see the status of the drop shadows next to the BIG thx letters. (Can you see them or not, or are the really obvious?)
OK, I just did this with the current settings (NTSC Nemo -- interestingly the THX Optimizer option is missing from my PAL Nemo disc 1, maybe it's on disc 2), and you can just barely (and you have to know it's there to see it) make out the drop shadows from some viewing angles; from right in the center viewing position, it's not visible at all.

To see what I'm talking about, go to about 3:15 in the movie where Marlin wakes up in the dark. On the waving tentacles, I can see some "video noise" in the picture. As the scene changes to Marlin outside the anemone in the dark, look at the right side of the picture, approximately mid-way up. Again, I can see some of the same. If you go the scene where Marlin and Dory are down in the deep looking at the light from the angler fish, I can see similar "noise" at the edge of where the picture gets dark.

There is a small, but noticeable difference between the NTSC and PAL versions on my set. As Gary said, it's probably just differences in the encoding. However, having done PAL-NTSC conversion for more than 10 years, I've seen a fairly wide variety of types of artifacts that arise from the different players/converters, and being sensitive to these, I suspected that something similar might be the case with this player. In any case, this player so far does a better job playing PAL than any I have seen from any other multi-region player I've tried, so whether it's the player or my imagination, I'm still quite happy with the Oppo.

I'll try some of these "tests" again after I have fully calibrated the TV/Oppo combination.

Prior to the release of the DV-983H I read about ABT102 and its "reliable 2:2 pull-down detection". That made me believe that DV-983H would have no problems auto detecting 2:2 PAL film material.

It is still very reliable as an Auto detector. There are cases when it does not properly acquire a 2:2 Cadence because the weight (the cadences it most relies on) is towards standard NTSC protocols. For some PAL contents, this can cause interlacing errors. This is why there are two PAL cadence options in the firmware.

Or make the EU and US firmwares behave differently when it comes to the auto detection.

They already do. This is why people who are using the player primarily for PAL use are using the European firmware.

I received my player on Saturday and have played around withit only a little so far, mostly to play SACD's. I was using a Yamaha 2300 multiformat player from 2002 - and I still think it's a great deck, but this one does seem to sound noticeably better. But there is one "quirk" that bothers me about the operation and I wonder if it's a firmware adjustable feature. I'm used to being able to pause a track and then use the chapter forward button to skip a few tracks and have the deck still remain in pause when I arrive at the start of the track I want. This deck seems to start play as soon as you press a button after pause. So as you skip forward you're hearing little snippets of each track as you jump over them. I'd prefer pause to remain until play is pressed. Anyone else have an opinion about that? I haven't tried it with a movie yet to see if it does the same thing.
I think that once you skip ahead, you've moved from the "paused" position and playback will resume, but I'd have to tinker a bit to verify the behavior. If I want to just to a specific chapter or track on a CD or DVD, I use the number pad to get there, which is probably why I haven't ever thought about this behavior (for DVD's, the "Go To" button is a great tool in this regard, by the way). I don't recall how my Yamaha S1500 worked, but then transport controls on it were such a pain that I try not to think about it.

With SACD, you do have the "file manager" view available to you. Can you just scroll down with the navigation buttons to the track you want and then "Select" to start playback when you're ready?

How come the 983 is so hard to find? Amazon has stopped listing it all, even Oppo doesn't have them.

I would have been surprised if Amazon.com was allowed to sell it at all.

As for why are they hard to find: OPPO did not expect as much demand for the product as it has received. They manufactured below customer demand.

New stock floats in every couple of weeks, so sign up for the e-mail notification list.

Thanks for the reply Gonk - I usually don't have the set on when listening to music, so the "file manager" is not as handy - but it is a nice feature.

I'm a new member in this forum and I've spent the last several days reading through most of this thread. I currently own a Samsung HD941 DVD player that uses the same DCDi by Faroudja scaling chipset (pretty sure it's the same). I've been pretty happy with the scaling to 720p on my 42" Panasonic plasma screen, especially with commercial versions of films. The Samsung is pretty picky though about what DVD-R media it will play.

I came accross the Oppo 983h by searching for "best upconversion dvd player" in Google and it was mentioned numerous times by different reviewers so I went to Oppo's site and started drooling... :-) I have an enormous library of film and television (between 2000 -3000 discs) on DVD-R media, mostly burned ( on Pioneer A104/A108 and HP DVD840 DVD burners) with DVDFab etc. and almost entirely on ProDisc Spin-X (47DR8-WTH50C) 8X DVD-R Media 4.7GB White Thermal Hub Printable DVDR. I know that Prodisc is one of the top 3 blank media manufacturers in the world, but after searching all day yesterday I could not find any useful info on their media's compatibility with DVD players.

I have invested way too much time, money, and energy in this format to even think about next-gen HD formats yet. Especially when my plasma is not full 1080p capable.

Does anyone here in this forum use Prodisc media (4/8/16x) and can say whether or not it is compatible with the 983h? I e-mailed OPPO's cust. service late yesterday and they responded this morning:

We have primarily used Memorex, Verbatim, and TDK media on our DVD players. We have not personally tested ProDisc DVD-R discs, so we can't comment on its compatibility. It is highly likely that they will be compatible, though.

Best Regards,

Customer Service
OPPO Digital, Inc.

Any help on this issue would be greatly appreciated.

PS. This is a great forum. You folks are really good about getting back to posters quickly and your breadth of knowledge and experience is most impressive.

Thanks,
Allan Kellner

Welcome to AVS Allan :D!... and on the 983 thread for your first post none the less.
The 983 is hands down, the best sd dvd player on the market. You are a prime candidate for this player. For those with large libraries of sd dvd content, the 983 is a no brainer.

There are a few things that can happen for you now.

First, Oppo has a great policy that if you buy the player and do not like it, you can send it back for a full refund. So you could buy and test all the discs you please. If they don't play to your satisfaction, then you can send the player back.

Other people may respond also about what types of media they play, and follow with more input.

You could also talk to Oppo again and ask them if you could send them some discs to test, and they would follow with their report.


Oppo also has the ABSOLUTE BEST customer support and service I have EVER experienced... and I have been around long enough on the net, buying electronics, media, ect... for years. Any concerns that you have, can be asked here and directly to Oppo, and you will get all the info you need.

Good luck :)

I'm a new member in this forum and I've spent the last several days reading through most of this thread. I currently own a Samsung HD941 DVD player that uses the same DCDi by Faroudja scaling chipset (pretty sure it's the same). I've been pretty happy with the scaling to 720p on my 42" Panasonic plasma screen, especially with commercial versions of films. The Samsung is pretty picky though about what DVD-R media it will play.

I came accross the Oppo 983h by searching for "best upconversion dvd player" in Google and it was mentioned numerous times by different reviewers so I went to Oppo's site and started drooling... :-) I have an enormous library of film and television (between 2000 -3000 discs) on DVD-R media, mostly burned ( on Pioneer A104/A108 and HP DVD840 DVD burners) with DVDFab etc. and almost entirely on ProDisc Spin-X (47DR8-WTH50C) 8X DVD-R Media 4.7GB White Thermal Hub Printable DVDR. I know that Prodisc is one of the top 3 blank media manufacturers in the world, but after searching all day yesterday I could not find any useful info on their media's compatibility with DVD players.

I have invested way too much time, money, and energy in this format to even think about next-gen HD formats yet. Especially when my plasma is not full 1080p capable.

Does anyone here in this forum use Prodisc media (4/8/16x) and can say whether or not it is compatible with the 983h? I e-mailed OPPO's cust. service late yesterday and they responded this morning

Alan,

I have both the Oppo 980 as well as the 983. Both have played every brand of DVD disc I've viewed from my collection. From c*appy Memorex to Prodisc as well as the premium discs, never a glitch. BTW, my burners include Plextors 716, 760, an LG H22N plus Pioneer 112 -- which has probably helped in making quality burns...:):)

Happy viewing!

. Also, I get no multi-channel audio through at any resolution setting (this is from a multi-channel SACD). Connecting the HDMI output directly to my projector allows it to work at all resolutions. Of course, this is no help for the audio, which I also want to pass through to the Z11 for sound.

Note that my DV-980H in the system works as expected at all resolutions and passes audio through to the Z11 fine. The engineer at Oppo that I talked to said that they have not tried the 983 with a Z11...well I guess I have saved them the trouble...it doesn't work. So this is a word of warning to anyone out there that owns a Z11 and may be considering the 983...I wouldn't bother. At least not till whatever the problem is gets resolved.

Now I have two 983s to ship back to Oppo. :(Has this been reported to both Yamaha and Oppo? I am having the same problem with multi-channel SACD's through HDMI. I looked at what decoding was going on and it was 2 channel at 88 rate which is wrong so I don't know what is going on. Is it worth calling Oppo? Yamaha probably doesn't care.

Thanks a lot Smarty-Pants for your speedy response :-)

Right after I sent that post my pre-order notice for the 983 came in (!!!) so I took the plunge. After reading yours and Bobve3rens responses I feel more confident that this new player will work much better for me. I did note in the specs that the 983 has a dual-laser pickup for better error correction - which could only help.The USB port will be another added bonus.

Thanks again everyone and keep up the great posting!
Allan Kellner

I came accross the Oppo 983h by searching for "best upconversion dvd player" in Google and it was mentioned numerous times by different reviewers so I went to Oppo's site and started drooling... :-) I have an enormous library of film and television (between 2000 -3000 discs) on DVD-R media, mostly burned ( on Pioneer A104/A108 and HP DVD840 DVD burners) with DVDFab etc. and almost entirely on ProDisc Spin-X (47DR8-WTH50C) 8X DVD-R Media 4.7GB White Thermal Hub Printable DVDR. I know that Prodisc is one of the top 3 blank media manufacturers in the world, but after searching all day yesterday I could not find any useful info on their media's compatibility with DVD players.

Allan Kellner
1st, your using some pretty cheap media there, below average at best. If I were making the considerable investment in a library that you are, I'd be using something better. Results with Prodisc will vary widely from one burner to the next in terms of burn quality.

That said, assuming decent burn quality, you should see good compatibility with the Oppo players. But it should also be noted that the Oppos have been reported by some to be unforgiving of poorly burned recordable media, although RW media seems to be more troublesome. My own 980 will spit out +RW media frequently. I've yet to have it refuse to play +/-R or -RW.

So it's probably safe to say that as long as your discs meet or exceed spec for errors, they should play well.

1st, your using some pretty cheap media there, below average at best. If I were making the considerable investment in a library that you are, I'd be using something better. Results with Prodisc will vary widely from one burner to the next in terms of burn quality.

That said, assuming decent burn quality, you should see good compatibility with the Oppo players. But it should also be noted that the Oppos have been reported by some to be unforgiving of poorly burned recordable media, although RW media seems to be more troublesome. My own 980 will spit out +RW media frequently. I've yet to have it refuse to play +/-R or -RW.

So it's probably safe to say that as long as your discs meet or exceed spec for errors, they should play well.
Thanks for the response. I know Prodisc isn't the greatest media out there, but it was one of less expensive brands recommended for my first DVD burner - the Pioneer A104.
I have had mixed results with the 16X discs: some will play and some not, so I usually burn media at 4X or 8X as I'm not in a hurry and am more concerned about my discs becoming coasters :-).

Has anyone had any experience with the 983 and dual-layer DVD-R's? I've been hesitant to make the switch because the media is still fifty - seventy five cents per disc in bulk.

One more thing (for now...): does anyone have one of the newer Panasonic 46" plasma displays? I've been keeping my eye on prices and when the mid-range units get down to about $1500 or so I'll probably step up to that size. Unfortunately our 42" set is hanging on the wall above the fireplace (which we never use) and a 50" display would barely even fit there. I think the 46" would be ideal. What say you?

Has anyone had any experience with the 983 and dual-layer DVD-R's? I've been hesitant to make the switch because the media is still fifty - seventy five cents per disc in bulk.


You'd want to avoid -R DL and stick with +R DL. And only Verbatim is worth paying for. You can find it on sale for around $1 per disc. -R DL is troublesome at best and poorly supported by burners and players alike.

Just curious, has anyone here done a comparison between the Denon DVD-2930ci and the DV-983H? I have to admit I'm curious to give the 983 a try, but would like the impressions of those who've gone down that path already before I commit to an in home trial...
TIA

How come the 983 is so hard to find? Amazon has stopped listing it all, even Oppo doesn't have them.


I signed up for the email notification a few days ago and today I got an email saying it's now available for pre-order. I just placed my order and it's expected to ship between July 18-24!

Just curious, has anyone here done a comparison between the Denon DVD-2930ci and the DV-983H? I have to admit I'm curious to give the 983 a try, but would like the impressions of those who've gone down that path already before I commit to an in home trial...
TIA

Referencing the Secrets Benchmark DVD player tests, I don't find the Denon 2930ci. But, the 3930ci scored a 91 on the same set of tests that the OPPO 983 scored 100 out of 100. The highest score for a Denon DVD player was the 5910 at 97. That player has an MSRP of $3500.

http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/external/dvd-player-benchmark.html

;)

Dana

Referencing the Secrets Benchmark DVD player tests, I don't find the Denon 2930ci. But, the 3930ci scored a 91 on the same set of tests that the OPPO 983 scored 100 out of 100. The highest score for a Denon DVD player was the 5910 at 97. That player has an MSRP of $3500.Dana

Along those lines Kaleidescape released a DVD player for $4,500, Classé has a player for $8,500, Meridian Audio Model 800 $19,950.00, Goldmund Eidos 38 $15,000, Kreel $8000.!!!! I wonder why we never see these being tested against others :)

They might not perform as well as the Oppo and that would sure make these companies very unhappy:(

Along those lines Kaleidescape released a DVD player for $4,500, Classé has a player for $8,500, Meridian Audio Model 800 $19,950.00, Goldmund Eidos 38 $15,000, Kreel $8000.!!!! I wonder why we never see these being tested against others :)

They might not perform as well as the Oppo and that would sure make these companies very unhappy:(


I totally agree and have to ask"How much better can you make SD?":confused:

480i data even if up-scaled is not 1080p!!! You just can't multiply the information:confused:

I ran the same movie comparing standard DVD vs Blu Ray side by side on a ten feet wide screen and it is like watching old analog TV vs DVD when they first came out !!!

I don't know about all that. It depends on the mastering of the disc. Yes, overall BR is going to look better, not always night and day though.

I signed up for the email notification a few days ago and today I got an email saying it's now available for pre-order. I just placed my order and it's expected to ship between July 18-24!

I signed up last week also and got the same e-mail today. Order placed tonight :D Looking forward to adding this baby into the rack and checking it out.

Jim

I have an issue with my 983H. Once in a while, a horizontal line that goes through one of the subtitle rows is displayed. The line goes completely over the entire screen and through the subtitle. When the next subtitle text is displayed the line is gone. This usually occurs once or twice during a movie. I haven't tested thoroughly and all these discs are burned on Verbatim quality media. Neither have I tested to play with the menu settings.

This is a european unit and since we don't have the latest firmware available I installed the latest US firmware instead. I watch mostly NTSC discs anyway. Haven't seen the line since, but I have only watched 2 movies with the new firmware.

Anyone recognize the problem?

I have an issue with my 983H. Once in a while, a horizontal line that goes through one of the subtitle rows is displayed. The line goes completely over the entire screen and through the subtitle. When the next subtitle text is displayed the line is gone. This usually occurs once or twice during a movie. I haven't tested thoroughly and all these discs are burned on Verbatim quality media. Neither have I tested to play with the menu settings.

This is a european unit and since we don't have the latest firmware available I installed the latest US firmware instead. I watch mostly NTSC discs anyway. Haven't seen the line since, but I have only watched 2 movies with the new firmware.

Anyone recognize the problem?

This has been reported before. I see it (subtitles broken in various ways) once or twice an hour on all of the Oppo models, so it must be an issue with the Mediatek decoding. There is nothing you can do about it.

-Bill

This has been reported before. I see it (subtitles broken in various ways) once or twice an hour on all of the Oppo models, so it must be an issue with the Mediatek decoding. There is nothing you can do about it.

-Bill

I see. Thanks for the information.

Along those lines Kaleidescape released a DVD player for $4,500, Classé has a player for $8,500, Meridian Audio Model 800 $19,950.00, Goldmund Eidos 38 $15,000, Kreel $8000.!!!!

The last 0.1% of PQ is the most expensive!!!
:D:D:D

Or is it the plate name on the front?
;)

The last 0.1% of PQ is the most expensive!!!
:D:D:D

Or is it the plate name on the front?
;)

Probably both combined with very convincing salesman and "hey, I've got lots of money and don't know what to spend it on, but I'll have something no one else has". :)

Slightly off topic

From the DV-SP406 manual: USB SOCKET available (European & Other models only).........will a U.S USB version be available?

What the heck is a DV-SP406????

Onkyo DV-SP406 (http://www.onkyousa.com/model.cfm?m=DV-SP406&class=DVD&p=i).

What the heck is a DV-SP406????

http://www.onkyousa.com/prod_class.cfm?class=DVD

Slightly off topic

From the DV-SP406 manual: USB SOCKET available (European & Other models only).........will a U.S USB version be available?

What the heck is a DV-SP406????

Onkyo DV-SP406 (http://www.onkyousa.com/model.cfm?m=DV-SP406&class=DVD&p=i).


I'm confused. In what way does this have to do with the 983?

What the heck is a DV-SP406????

I'm confused. In what way does this have to do with the 983?

Onkyo not quite ready for Blu-ray, offers DV-SP406 upscaling DVD deck

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 16th 2008 at 10:00AM

Oh yeah, Onkyo's definitely going to dish out a Blu-ray player of its own later this year, but it can't just sit idly until that one has spent adequate time in the oven, now can it? Say hello to the DV-SP406, a 1080p upscaling DVD player that delivers upconverted content over HDMI. You won't find SACD / DVD-Audio compatibility here, but you will find coaxial / optical digital audio ports, a USB socket for loading up multimedia files and a 180MHz / 14-bit video DAC. Not too much else to gloat about beyond that, but considering the $125 street price (available now in black or silver), we suppose that's just alright.

Onkyo not quite ready for Blu-ray, offers DV-SP406 upscaling DVD deck

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 16th 2008 at 10:00AM

Oh yeah, Onkyo's definitely going to dish out a Blu-ray player of its own later this year, but it can't just sit idly until that one has spent adequate time in the oven, now can it? Say hello to the DV-SP406, a 1080p upscaling DVD player that delivers upconverted content over HDMI. You won't find SACD / DVD-Audio compatibility here, but you will find coaxial / optical digital audio ports, a USB socket for loading up multimedia files and a 180MHz / 14-bit video DAC. Not too much else to gloat about beyond that, but considering the $125 street price (available now in black or silver), we suppose that's just alright.


I'm still a little confused. Is this supposed to be competing with the image quality of the 983? Are there any performance reviews?

I am not sure if this is the right place to ask the question, anyhow:

My 983 will play files from USB Stick, but it fails to recognize a USB disk such as WD Passport 250GB. I tries to divide it into smaller FAT32 partitions but no luck.

I can't get help from OPPO - they just say "try format to 120GB FAT32".

Has anyone had experience with WD Passport? Are some USB HDD compatible and others are not? Can you advise on compatible HDD?

Thanks

Try formatting at FAT32 80GB.

Ensure that you have at least one known file type in the main directory of the HDD.

Do you even hear the USB HDD spinning up?

Thx

The HDD didn't spin. The USB extension cable was good for a stick but not for an HDD. It works when I connect directly to the rear panel connector.

Is the HDD a 2.5" or a 3.5" drive? If the later, it will likely not work with the player.

In general, you need external power for the Hard Drive to work on USB port of DVD players as the USB port does not have enough power to work. Flash drives use very little power so will work, but not the real hard drives. Even the 3.5" will work if you have external power and format with Swissknife to FAT32. My Phillips 5990 works with Lacie 3.5", 500g Big Drive via USB as it uses external power. I have a 10 foot USB extension cable without issue. It's the power and not the length of the USB cable that matters.

By the way, WD Passport 250g is a 2.5" drive that draws power from the USB port which Oppo or most DVD player can't handle.

I just placed my order for a 983 and it will be shipped in the next few days. I have a reciever that is 7.1 and i was wondering if it is any advantage audio wise to hook it up to the 983 using the analog vs optical or digital.

The analog connection is necessary to play DVD-Audio and SACD discs (although an HDMI v1.1 connection will also suffice for this). Neither format can be played properly via optical or coaxial (DVD-A is downmixed to stereo and SACD won't play at all).

I have an issue with my 983H. Once in a while, a horizontal line that goes through one of the subtitle rows is displayed. The line goes completely over the entire screen and through the subtitle. When the next subtitle text is displayed the line is gone. This usually occurs once or twice during a movie.


I read somewhere that the corruption only occurs on yellow subtitles. Is that your experience as well?

I read somewhere that the corruption only occurs on yellow subtitles. Is that your experience as well?

For me: no.

-Bill

Blue underground´s Black Belly Of The Tarantula won't play on my 983, but it plays on my 971H, get the unknown disc messege. :(
Anyone expereance the same problem?

The Optimization DVD, haven't had a chance to run it yet. Any tips on using the screens to calibrate contrast and brightness? Are they set up like most calibration discs?

John

1st, your using some pretty cheap media there, below average at best. If I were making the considerable investment in a library that you are, I'd be using something better. Results with Prodisc will vary widely from one burner to the next in terms of burn quality.

That said, assuming decent burn quality, you should see good compatibility with the Oppo players. But it should also be noted that the Oppos have been reported by some to be unforgiving of poorly burned recordable media, although RW media seems to be more troublesome. My own 980 will spit out +RW media frequently. I've yet to have it refuse to play +/-R or -RW.

So it's probably safe to say that as long as your discs meet or exceed spec for errors, they should play well.

If your burner and software support bitsetting of the media, +RW should pose no problems for any Oppo player (or even decent non-Oppos, for that matter). I backup a number of "throwaway" movies on DVD+RWs and have reused them a number times.

If your burner and software support bitsetting of the media, +RW should pose no problems for any Oppo player (or even decent non-Oppos, for that matter). I backup a number of "throwaway" movies on DVD+RWs and have reused them a number times.

I wish that were true, but it's not. FWIF, using book type ROM makes no difference here. It's a reflectivity issue with +RW discs, not related to book type. My 983 is on it's way to me so I'll be able to find out how it behaves, but my 980 will reject +RW randomly, I have several types of +RW that are useless in the 980. Improving burn quality helps, but often it will reject them regardless of burn quality. Sometimes it will accept them after re-loading several times.

Individual DVD drives will exhibit different tolerances in this regard, so one Oppo may play what another Oppo won't. I'm certainly not the first person to report troubles with recordable media.

That was a good recommendation Smarty-pants.

recommendation?

The 983 is hands down, the best sd dvd player on the market. You are a prime candidate for this player. For those with large libraries of sd dvd content, the 983 is a no brainer.

There are a few things that can happen for you now.

First, Oppo has a great policy that if you buy the player and do not like it, you can send it back for a full refund. So you could buy and test all the discs you please. If they don't play to your satisfaction, then you can send the player back.

Other people may respond also about what types of media they play, and follow with more input.

You could also talk to Oppo again and ask them if you could send them some discs to test, and they would follow with their report.


Oppo also has the ABSOLUTE BEST customer support and service I have EVER experienced... and I have been around long enough on the net, buying electronics, media, ect... for years. Any concerns that you have, can be asked here and directly to Oppo, and you will get all the info you need.

Absolutely right. This is my experience. I have the 970, 980, and 981. I have never had a problem that a phone call did not solve. Every person I spoke with knew the answer. I am going to try the 983 and see if there is a difference in video. I am trying Blue ray but there is no ability to back up or play it through my Linksplayer. You reach a point where content is more important than PQ. I played Discovery Atlas -Italy from a recording in HD and Blue ray. Very little difference.

I currently use the XA2 for SD DVDs and I just bought the 983H(was on list).
It sounds as if it is superior to the XA2 as far as PQ goes for SD material.
Hopefully this is true.

I currently use the XA2 for SD DVDs and I just bought the 983H(was on list).
It sounds as if it is superior to the XA2 as far as PQ goes for SD material.
Hopefully this is true.

I posted this report here http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=14172949#post14172949 a while ago.

The Toshiba HD-XA2 did very well in the Secrets DVD Benchmark tests, scoring 95 on the same tests the OPPO 983 scored 100. More on the XA2 here http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/cgi-b...2%20(Component)

Others have posted their observations about these two players. I suggest you use "Search This Thread" at the top right of this page and enter XA2 to find them.

Dana

I now have the 983 and it comes with the Anchor Bay Evaluation & Optimisation DVD. Can someone point me to where I can find more information for the optimisation.

My friend is of the understanding the panel comes optimised from the factory (apart from oversaturated colours), and can't be improved.

He says the DVD is just to compare performance, not to tweak.

The panel is Sony X 46 inch.

cheers

Dennis

My friend is of the understanding the panel comes optimised from the factory (apart from oversaturated colours), and can't be improved.

All displays need calibration with the user controls. That's why they are there.

-Bill

He says the DVD is just to compare performance, not to tweak.

It is an evaluation disc primarily. You can view VRS Disc Instructions (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=13363146#post13363146) on the forums.

Oppo website says that they are currently out of stock. Has said that for the past week. Anyone know where I can place an order?

Oppo website says that they are currently out of stock. Has said that for the past week. Anyone know where I can place an order?

Sign up on the website to be notified when they get more in stock. They'll put your name on a list and then send you an email to place your order when they have more (soon). You HAVE to get on the list though. :)

Quick question on the Pro Logic II. It states in the manual that it won't be activated unless the configuration is set to 5.1 or 7.1 and the output is set to "raw". Does this work on the optical and digital coax out? Stating output necessary to "raw" implies to me it does. Also it states it will expand 2 channel source to 5. If this also works on optical/coax, will having it turned on only engage it if the DVD audio is two channel only? And 5.1 encoded discs passed through normally? Or, if turned on will it also add processing to a 5.1 DVD. I know on my Onkyo receiver I have in the bedroom, it recognizes DD 5.1 and DTS and processes them as such, but if the signal is a 2.0 stereo signal, it senses that and the Pro logic II automatically kicks in. This is a nice feature as Pro Logic II sounds better than the original Pro Logic, which has mono and frequency limited rear channel decoding. My Anthem Pre/Pro in the main system is an early generation unit and only has Pro Logic. I would like to use the 983s Pro Logic II, assuming it passes digitally through the coax out, and is only activated when it senses a 2.0 feed. Thanks.

Optical and coaxial are passed without any processing when the output is set to raw - no Pro Logic II. The Pro Logic II processing only affects the multichannel analog and HDMI digital outputs.

Optical and coaxial are passed without any processing when the output is set to raw - no Pro Logic II. The Pro Logic II processing only affects the multichannel analog and HDMI digital outputs.

Thanks, I would have assumed this as well, especially the multichannel analog outputs. What was throwing me off was the manual stating the setting needed to be set to "raw" for it to be engaged. Interesting though that is is processed through the HDMI digital outputs, and not the optical/coax.

John

Thanks, I would have assumed this as well, especially the multichannel analog outputs. What was throwing me off was the manual stating the setting needed to be set to "raw" for it to be engaged. Interesting though that is is processed through the HDMI digital outputs, and not the optical/coax.

John
The HDMI output will only be processed in certain cases, and it depends on a separate audio setting. If HDMI Audio is set to "auto" then it will always pass DD and DTS bitstreams without decoding them (that is the job of your surround receiver, and there's no reason for the player to interfere with that) while other source material (SACD and DVD-Audio) will be decoded and output via HDMI as multichannel PCM.

If HDMI Audio is set to "LPCM" then the player is being told to do all decoding internally no matter what the source and output PCM audio based on the speaker settings. In that scenario, the HDMI output always gets the same signal that goes to the multichannel analog outputs (albeit without the D/A conversion, of course).

I wish that were true, but it's not. FWIF, using book type ROM makes no difference here. It's a reflectivity issue with +RW discs, not related to book type. My 983 is on it's way to me so I'll be able to find out how it behaves, but my 980 will reject +RW randomly, I have several types of +RW that are useless in the 980. Improving burn quality helps, but often it will reject them regardless of burn quality. Sometimes it will accept them after re-loading several times.

Individual DVD drives will exhibit different tolerances in this regard, so one Oppo may play what another Oppo won't. I'm certainly not the first person to report troubles with recordable media.

Perhaps, then, I've been fortunate with bitsetting +RW burns and my Oppo 980 & 983 (though I've only played a few re-recordables on the latter since I got it). It could also be the media; as much as I loathe Memorex, I bought a closeout batch of 10 of their DVD+RWs about 4+ years ago and have recycled movie burns on them countless times with not one glitch. I burn at 4X (which is my standard burn speed regardless of disc type) and have had no problems playing them, even on an older Panny player -- as well as a older Panny DVD recorder that ONLY plays DVD-ROM and DVD- discs. But my experiences to the contrary, I don't doubt many people have had problems with these media and Oppos and have no explanation except perhaps my burners and s/w.

I am thinking about upgrading my OPPO 970, and I have a few questions.

I have a 42” display that offers 1080i. With the OPPO 983, will I see an improved picture? I’m using HDMI for picture only.

My AVR has component inputs for 5.1-surround sound (SACD – DVD-A). Will the 7.1 outputs on the OPPO cause any loss in SQ?

My AVR receives its signal for DVD and Redbook CD’s via an optical cable. Will I be able to hear an improved SQ?

Sorry if these questions have been asked before, I read back about 40 pages. Thanks.

With the current display and receiver that you have, the 983 is not a good recommendation for you. The premium cost would not be worth the minimally perceived improvement. The DV-980H may be a better option for you.

That was a good recommendation Smarty-pants.

recommendation?

Smarty-pants
I believe this is what his good recommendation reference to, was about.

thanks :)

Perhaps, then, I've been fortunate with bitsetting +RW burns and my Oppo 980 & 983 (though I've only played a few re-recordables on the latter since I got it). It could also be the media; as much as I loathe Memorex, I bought a closeout batch of 10 of their DVD+RWs about 4+ years ago and have recycled movie burns on them countless times with not one glitch. I burn at 4X (which is my standard burn speed regardless of disc type) and have had no problems playing them, even on an older Panny player -- as well as a older Panny DVD recorder that ONLY plays DVD-ROM and DVD- discs. But my experiences to the contrary, I don't doubt many people have had problems with these media and Oppos and have no explanation except perhaps my burners and s/w.
My biggest issues in the 980 have been with 8x +RW discs. The 980 will reject them on a whim, or play them inexplicably. Burn quality, burn speed and book type have no effect, it's just dependent on the player's mood at a given time. 4x +RW is a bit more compatible, but still not 100%. -RW of all kinds have been 100%. I'm eager to see how the 983 behaves with +RW.

I am avoiding specific price talking but i noticed sony launched their BDP-S350 today, a profile 1.1 player that can achieve profile 2.0 status with the addition of a 1Gigabyte memory key. While the 983 and S350 are different machines, they currently share one very important similarity at the cash register (take a wild guess :) ). Is oppo obliged to respond ? Consider this to be is a departure point for where blu ray player prices are heading (downward) from here. Panasonic and sharp have promised even cheaper players with the use of cheaper and smaller HDMI all-in-one chips.

In terms of their current products, no, they do not need to oblige in terms of price. They have never changed the price of their players, and I do not see this happening anytime soon.

In terms of their BD player, we will all have to find out together, as they are not discussing that product at all.

smooth,
Is the 350 suppesed to be competeing with the performance of the 983?
(IE: Superior sd upconversion and deinterlacing, sacd playback, ect...)

smooth,
Is the 350 suppesed to be competeing with the performance of the 983?
(IE: Superior sd upconversion and deinterlacing, sacd playback, ect...)

I would imagine that it wouldnt even be close to the 983 in terms of SD performance.

They have never changed the price of their players, and I do not see this happening anytime soon.

Does Woot count? :D;)

My biggest issues in the 980 have been with 8x +RW discs. The 980 will reject them on a whim, or play them inexplicably. Burn quality, burn speed and book type have no effect, it's just dependent on the player's mood at a given time. 4x +RW is a bit more compatible, but still not 100%. -RW of all kinds have been 100%. I'm eager to see how the 983 behaves with +RW.

Am also eager to see how you fare with RWs & the 983. Keep us posted.

BTW, do you burn the 8X DVD+RWs at the rated speed, or 4X?

Does Woot count? :D;)

Woot does not count. Woot is not an authorized reseller.

Woot does not count. Woot is not an authorized reseller.

Are you reading from your notes again ? :D

Am also eager to see how you fare with RWs & the 983. Keep us posted.

BTW, do you burn the 8X DVD+RWs at the rated speed, or 4X?

You cannot burn 8x +RW at 4x, only 6x and 8x are available due to spec.

smooth,
Is the 350 suppesed to be competeing with the performance of the 983?
(IE: Superior sd upconversion and deinterlacing, sacd playback, ect...)

I agree that the 350 probably can't compete with the 983 for SD upconversion. While upconversion is great, blu ray is already at 1080p so it would not be sensible for sony to include that capability in their player at the 983 price point.

However, i raised the issue because the whole aim of upconversion is to get to 1080p. How easily can oppo dismiss the value components of this face off with the sony 350 when blu ray discs become cheaper and more pervasive in 2009 ? I have learnt over the years that technological trends will always push the market forward, while having little respect for nostalgia. Infact, economics relys on the relationship between 'marginal choices' and 'utility' given the fact that spending power is a scarce comodity. Can oppo really blindly hold the price on the 983 as consumers consider which device will provide greater utility??

". Can oppo really blindly hold the price on the 983 as consumers consider which device will provide greater utility??"

If one can pose that question to Oppo..one must also have to pose the same question to Denon..

smooth,

You're way off on this one IMO :).
The 983 was not produced to compete with Blu. It was created to make SD-DVDs look the absolute best they can, along with being an awesome universal player for SACD, DVDA, USB interface, ect...
The 350 and any other HDM players have NONE of those features :eek:.
You may say that HD media is native 1080p and looks so much better than SD... well of course it does... but the amount of content available on HDM pales greatly to that same scenario with standard def media. There are thousands of dvds in consumers collections that are not on Blu-ray, and will not be for a very long time. ESPECIALLY in obscure genres that cater to niche markets. THOSE titles may NEVER be on HDM.

So the 983 holds it's ground for what it was made for, and manufactures like Sony, Samsung, Panasonic, ect... continue to be lacking in all the areas where the 983 shines brightly. :)

smooth,

You're way off on this one IMO :).
The 983 was not produced to compete with Blu. It was created to make SD-DVDs look the absolute best they can, along with being an awesome universal player for SACD, DVDA, USB interface, ect...
The 350 and any other HDM players have NONE of those features :eek:.
You may say that HD media is native 1080p and looks so much better than SD... well of course it does... but the amount of content available on HDM pales greatly to that same scenario with standard def media. There are thousands of dvds in consumers collections that are not on Blu-ray, and will not be for a very long time. ESPECIALLY in obscure genres that cater to niche markets. THOSE titles may NEVER be on HDM.

So the 983 holds it's ground for what it was made for, and manufactures like Sony, Samsung, Panasonic, ect... continue to be lacking in all the areas where the 983 shines brightly. :)


Agreed! I have approximately 700 SD movies and concerts. Many are smaller titles and some obscure stuff, as well as titles I will not double dip for. This player gives me a picture with my Pioneer Kuro that most people think is HD or BD, with a well shot and authored DVD....... and that is the purpose of this player IMO..... not to compete with BD.

John

Also, let's not forget the capability of the OPPO 983 - and its illustrious predecessors - to play PAL DVDs, something that Blu-ray combo players sold in this country are not likely to do.

I am somewhat amused at the suggestion that OPPO Digital should lower the price of the 983 at a time when there is a waiting list for it.

Price developments in Blu-ray land only confirm the wisdom of OPPO Digital's position to watch and wait regarding entry into that market. No one has ever accused them of not being smart.

Dana

Ah yes, totally forgot about PAL too. :)

Can you willy nilly switch between PAL and NTSC or do you have to have the European firmware?

Can you willy nilly switch between PAL and NTSC or do you have to have the European firmware?

Willy nilly it is, on all the Oppo players.

If you have a display that accept both NTSC and PAL, you can leave the setup on AUTO and each disc will be played in its native format.

-Bill

Thank you. I will check to see if my display will accept. I have all of one PAL disk but my brother keeps insisting that I watch it and he's coming over for dinner tonight!!!

Willy nilly it is, on all the Oppo players.

If you have a display that accept both NTSC and PAL, you can leave the setup on AUTO and each disc will be played in its native format.

I should add that there is not much point in switching between PAL and NTSC unless you are changing displays with different capabilities. No switching is required to play both PAL and NTSC discs; detection of the disc type is automatic. The switching determines what type of signal the player is sending to the display. The choice for a specific display will be more-or-less permanent.

-Bill

Well by all means, show him what the 983 can do then ;).

If your display accepts PAL, then set the 983 to AUTO and it will play the PAL format.
If your display does not accept PAL, then set the 983 to NTSC and it will convert the PAL to NTSC for proper playback.

Remember in order to access the function of PAL/NTSC/AUTO in the menu, that you have to have the drawer of the 983 open.

Well that is pretty sweet. You don't really need a PAL TV if the OPPO does the conversion work. I actually tried it set to AUTO and my TV told me "Mode Not Supported" or some such. Then I think I got Wrong Region message but I don't recall exact circumstances.

I'm running downstairs now to try it.

Thanks all very much. Because of this player I've been combing the bargain DVDs whenever I'm in a store. It all looks great especially with my newer LCD (Samsung A650)

Well by all means, show him what the 983 can do then ;).

If your display accepts PAL, then set the 983 to AUTO and it will play the PAL format.
If your display does not accept PAL, then set the 983 to NTSC and it will convert the PAL to NTSC for proper playback.

Remember in order to access the function of PAL/NTSC/AUTO in the menu, that you have to have the drawer of the 983 open.

And of course it will probably help to set the 983 to multi-region as per the setup info on page 1 of this thread.

REGION UNLOCKING

Press Setup.
Press "9210" in quick succession. A new window will appear.
Press "0". Your region is now multi-region.
Press Setup to Exit.


Dana

You may also need to change the region of the 983 from 1 to 0 if you haven't already.
Here is the process...

Press Setup.
Press "9210" in quick succession. A new window will appear.
Press "0". Your region is now multi-region.
Press Setup to Exit.

Got me by a wisker Dana :D.

I love you guys, er, well figuratively of course.

EDIT: Success! I'm multiregional. Thanks again. I gotta get watching now!

smooth,

You're way off on this one IMO :).
The 983 was not produced to compete with Blu. It was created to make SD-DVDs look the absolute best they can, along with being an awesome universal player for SACD, DVDA, USB interface, ect...
The 350 and any other HDM players have NONE of those features :eek:.
You may say that HD media is native 1080p and looks so much better than SD... well of course it does... but the amount of content available on HDM pales greatly to that same scenario with standard def media. There are thousands of dvds in consumers collections that are not on Blu-ray, and will not be for a very long time. ESPECIALLY in obscure genres that cater to niche markets. THOSE titles may NEVER be on HDM.

So the 983 holds it's ground for what it was made for, and manufactures like Sony, Samsung, Panasonic, ect... continue to be lacking in all the areas where the 983 shines brightly. :)

You've nailed it, end of discussion. ;)

smooth,

You're way off on this one IMO :).
The 983 was not produced to compete with Blu. It was created to make SD-DVDs look the absolute best they can, along with being an awesome universal player for SACD, DVDA, USB interface, ect...
The 350 and any other HDM players have NONE of those features :eek:.
You may say that HD media is native 1080p and looks so much better than SD... well of course it does... but the amount of content available on HDM pales greatly to that same scenario with standard def media. There are thousands of dvds in consumers collections that are not on Blu-ray, and will not be for a very long time. ESPECIALLY in obscure genres that cater to niche markets. THOSE titles may NEVER be on HDM.

So the 983 holds it's ground for what it was made for, and manufactures like Sony, Samsung, Panasonic, ect... continue to be lacking in all the areas where the 983 shines brightly. :)


I have seen the 983 look as good as BD or HD-DVD on certain discs....And overall.IMO,the space between the PQ is not that far apart...
This is one hell of a player....

I have seen the 983 look as good as BD or HD-DVD on certain discs....And overall.IMO,the space between the PQ is not that far apart...
This is one hell of a player....

Especially on a 50" and smaller display. The BD fans hate to hear these kinds of comments, I can hear them now ............... "you're gonna kill BD before it ever gets a foothold if you keep talking like that". That's not what this player is all about.

John

Earlier today I listened to Porcupine Tree's DVD-Audio reissue of their "Lightbulb Sun" album. Very, very impressive on the 983. My living room was alive!
- Esau

You've nailed it, end of discussion. ;)

I have over 2500 SD DVDs and counting. With the superb quality of the 983's scaled image there is simply no way I will ever spend the money to upgrade them all to BD...and here's the kicker...IF they are ever remastered to the BD format.

I love the technology and I have always been an early adopter, but I love the films far more than the media!

In my SD collection, I have 157 titles that I meticulously transferred from LD to SD DVD. Of these 157 titles, none of which have ever made it to commercial DVD, I would be very surprised if any of them ever see the light of day in the BD format. Now I not only get to see them, I get to see them in 1080p! Do they look as good as a well mastered SD DVD?...Of course they don't. But hey, when was the last time you got to see Song of the South, The Enchanted Cottage, Electric Dreams, or the Al Jolson Collection in 1080p?

Even better, I actually have 11 films transferred from VHS that never even made it to LD let alone DVD and some of them are lost little classics like Wise Blood, Adam at 6:00am, and Wings of Courage.

With the 983 OPPO has extended the life of my collection probably longer than I'll get to live...and they've given me a good reason to press on with my own little private film preservation project.

-Toonces

Wow Toonces :). I hope you have backups of all those stored away in a safe place ;).

I have over 2500 SD DVDs and counting... Man, he needs a whole HOUSE for that collection! Nevermind the backups!

Gary

I have over 2500 SD DVDs and counting. With the superb quality of the 983's scaled image there is simply no way I will ever spend the money to upgrade them all to BD...and here's the kicker...IF they are ever remastered to the BD format.

I love the technology and I have always been an early adopter, but I love the films far more than the media!

In my SD collection, I have 157 titles that I meticulously transferred from LD to SD DVD. Of these 157 titles, none of which have ever made it to commercial DVD, I would be very surprised if any of them ever see the light of day in the BD format. Now I not only get to see them, I get to see them in 1080p! Do they look as good as a well mastered SD DVD?...Of course they don't. But hey, when was the last time you got to see Song of the South, The Enchanted Cottage, Electric Dreams, or the Al Jolson Collection in 1080p?

Even better, I actually have 11 films transferred from VHS that never even made it to LD let alone DVD and some of them are lost little classics like Wise Blood, Adam at 6:00am, and Wings of Courage.

With the 983 OPPO has extended the life of my collection probably longer than I'll get to live...and they've given me a good reason to press on with my own little private film preservation project.

-Toonces

I'm in exactly the same position (I stopped counting when I realised, with not a little horror, that I'd passed the 2,000 mark...and I reckon most of those will never make it to BD); my 971 has done sterling work for the past two years, but recently jumping from a 42" to a 52" screen made me long for something with a little more oomph - I'm drumming my fingers waiting for my 983 to ship - can't wait!

I'm debating whether to add a BD player as well (though I'd prefer it to be Oppo badged), but we'll see how the 983 copes with the likes of something like The Searchers first...

Thanks for a great thread chaps; helped me to make up my mind.

Earlier today I listened to Porcupine Tree's DVD-Audio reissue of their "Lightbulb Sun" album. Very, very impressive on the 983. My living room was alive!
- Esau

+1

I wish the audio capabilities of the 983 were more discussed here.

My Redbook CDs and SACDs have never sounded that good!

so why don't you kick off the discussion? How about a review?

I'm debating whether to add a BD player as well (though I'd prefer it to be Oppo badged), but we'll see how the 983 copes with the likes of something like The Searchers first...

Thanks for a great thread chaps; helped me to make up my mind.

I hope nothing I wrote came across as an anti-BD rant because that was not my intent. I plan to buy a player later this year with the Godfather restoration as my first purchase. I think the BD format is great. It's just not great enough to run out and replace all of my SD DVDs.

The jump in PQ from VHS to LD was astonishing. The jump in PQ from LD to SD DVD was also pretty significant. The jump in PQ from SD DVD, scaled on the 983, to BD is clearly noticeable, but to my eye does not approach the leap forward of the two previous transitions.

I'm hoping that we'll hear something from OPPO regarding their plans for a BD unit in the near future as I would love to have both Region A and B capability in whatever I buy. I order a lot of movies from Region 2,3,4, and even a few from 5 and I would really like to have that same flexibility for BD purchases.

-Toonces

I would venture to guess that all owners of the 983 have an extensive SD collection...
We are all movie lovers to the core...I,as Toonces and many others have alluded too,do not want to sit around and wait for studios to put out catalog titles on BD.....which may or may not EVER happen....The studios seem to lean more to putting out newer titles than issuing those wonderful films of yesteryear...
How many of us here rushed out to get the BD movies "Drillbit Taylor?":rolleyes:
Before I got the 983,I was very selective as to what movies I wanted in HD..
Now,I have become extremely selective in my BD choices...Considering the cost of HD Movies.....and the content of same...and the masterful job the 983 does in upscaling...I feel the money spent on this unit will more than pay for itself by allowing me the pleasure of getting a tremendous amount of enjoyment(and WOW factor for my wife as well)everytime I insert a movie we both love,or a movie we have purchased in SD format,knowing the quality of same is very close to HD.
It is,IMO,without equal in it's abilities..

ANd BTW,I am the owner of both the Samsung 5000 and a former owner of the XA-2.

+1

I wish the audio capabilities of the 983 were more discussed here.

My Redbook CDs and SACDs have never sounded that good!
Have you listened to any DTS CD's on your 983? If so which titles? Have you done any comparisons of std. CD's VS their DTS versions?
I am looking forward to listen to them in about ten days when I get my 983.
Thanks

Have you listened to any DTS CD's on your 983? If so which titles? Have you done any comparisons of std. CD's VS their DTS versions?
I am looking forward to listen to them in about ten days when I get my 983.
Thanks

Electrico - from DTS CDs I only listened to Pink Floyd Quadraphonic rips: WYWH, DTSOM, and AHM.

I use the analog outs from the 983 into my amp and I thought they all sounded good.

The biggest improvement I hear is in Redbook CDs - they sound more detailed and the bass is tighter and more defined with 983.

Earlier today I listened to Porcupine Tree's DVD-Audio reissue of their "Lightbulb Sun" album. Very, very impressive on the 983. My living room was alive!
- Esau

Good to see another PT fan here. I'm very much looking forward to listening to Lightbulb Sun on DVD-A. The 983 will be my first DVD-A player.

set up: oppo983, bluejeans 1 hdmi 35ft, benq w5000.
After great results with my dvd pal colection I tryed two old ntsc zone1 dvd,
Shine and Top Gun, I found those really grainy, suggestion?

Older movies with not so steller tranfers can have substancial grain in the picture. Nothing much you can do about it except maybe an exteral NR unit like a Flea.

set up: oppo983, bluejeans 1 hdmi 35ft, benq w5000.
After great results with my dvd pal colection I tryed two old ntsc zone1 dvd,
Shine and Top Gun, I found those really grainy, suggestion?

Are you doing PAL<->NTSC conversion? If so, make sure VIDEO 2 is set.

-Bill

I'll check my set up, just put the disc and played. TKS

Top Gun is going to be crazy grainy. I have the DTS DVD and the Blu-Ray movie and both are very grainy reproductions.

Top Gun is going to be crazy grainy. I have the DTS DVD and the Blu-Ray movie and both are very grainy reproductions.

Ditto. Only my HD copy is HD DVD. Even the HD version is grainy. I thought that it was going to be a huge improvemnet by upgrading to HD, but most of that grain is still there.

Ditto. Only my HD copy is HD DVD. Even the HD version is grainy. I thought that it was going to be a huge improvemnet by upgrading to HD, but most of that grain is still there.

Thats the original film source. Some directors want grain as an artistic effect, so its not always from noise. The HD version is simply duplicating the desired original effect of the film as is the case with many older films. Even today on HD TV shows there are scenes that may appear grainy, B&W, unfocused, tinted, over-saturated, bleached-looking, etc all for some director's artistic effect. Rarely does it look like pristine HD video like on say Discovery Channel nature programs. :)

Ya, I understand all that, but since you bring it up :)...
Why the heck would a movie like TG have intentional grain. I can understand something like the movie 300, but TG?? I just think it would be much better without it. I'm not even really sure it WAS intentional. Almost has to be though since there are plenty of other movies older than TG that don't have near as much grain. Oh well... :).

Now back to your regular scheduled Sunday night movie :).

Ya, I understand all that, but since you bring it up :)...Why the heck would a movie like TG have intentional grain.

A great deal of the Top Gun footage is pretty much nothing more than high-end F-14 and F-5 gun-camera footage. I don't think they had any other way to shoot the dogfights at near supersonic speeds. I suspect that when you get the cut-in footage of the pilots and the EWOs they did it to maintain a consistent look to the sequence.

Having had the privelege of riding rear-seat in an F-4 Phantom, I can attest to the fact that they got the "Woot" factor just about right...:D

-Toonces

............

The jump in PQ from VHS to LD was astonishing. The jump in PQ from LD to SD DVD was also pretty significant. The jump in PQ from SD DVD, scaled on the 983, to BD is clearly noticeable, but to my eye does not approach the leap forward of the two previous transitions.

..............

-Toonces

and we may find that as things move along the differences may become increasingly more incremental than massive. At least until someone comes up with a technology that blows digital away. I'm sure it'll happen one day but probably not very soon.

Ok, thanks for helping, I'll buy a new gen NTSC dvd and check. Marco

I've had my player about 1 1/2 now and so far have played about 8 movies so far, 6 of which were DVD-R's on either Verbatim or Sony's. Two of those six had problems playing back after about the 1 hour point. They either break up and digitize or they stop periodically, then continue, then stop. Both of those discs played perfectly on my 1st gen XA1 Hd player. So I'm beginning to be concerned about how well the 963 handles DVD-R's homemade titles or copies. I had expected a new model deck that specializes in playing DVD's to be able to play -R's with no problem. I bought it to replace my Yamaha 2300, which could play everything. i have no concerns about picture quality - it's wonderful, and sound as well ... but some -R's seem to give it problems. Anyone else played many DVD-R's?

I find DVD-R media to be very hit or miss in terms of compatibility with any of the OPPO players. I would recommend running DVD+R media whenever possible.

I've found DVD+R's to be more problematic with my past players, sometimes not even seeing a disc at all. Is this something special with the drives in Oppo players that they prefer +R's better?

With the previous players it was due to the loaders being provided by Sanyo. Sanyo had a higher compatibility with DVD+R media, but this compromised DVD-R compatibility.

The new Sony loader potentially does not have the same pitfalls, but it is also a newer solution that OPPO has had no previous experience with. Compatibility issues have been associated to this new hardware, and every firmware revision of the software has increased media compatibility.

Ideally you should send a couple of DVD-R discs which exhibit playback issues on your player to OPPO. They can use this media to determine what needs to be addressed through software to correct media incompatibility.

I have a 981HD and want to know how much better the image is, I'm always willing to pay for "Noticeable" gains, but if its one of those 2% gains then I'd think I'd wait for the OPPO eventual Blu-Ray. I'm not concerned about audio as both are excellent and audio is so had to quantify. What I want to know is what in the image jumps out over the DCDi, the 981HD is sharp as all get out. So I guess my question is side by side sound muted how much better is the 983 over the 981. I know this has be kinda answered but I did a search and most comments are kinda vague, as in the 983 is better. With no other feature than IMAGE considered how much nicer is the 983 and why? Deep Blacker Image?, Sharper?, Less Noise?, What do you like about the 983 image over the 981.

rrhomes,
More film-like, with very awesome detail. It also depends on your display. The lines, hairs, pores on faces are all more detailed. If I had to throw a number out there, I'd say depending on your display, about 5-10% better picture overall. Then there is the stellar deinterlacing that intertwines the scenario as well. Maybe go ahead and buy one. If you don't like it, send it back for a refund. That's their policy. :)

I have a 981HD and want to know how much better the image is, I'm always willing to pay for "Noticeable" gains, but if its one of those 2% gains then I'd think I'd wait for the OPPO eventual Blu-Ray. I'm not concerned about audio as both are excellent and audio is so had to quantify. What I want to know is what in the image jumps out over the DCDi, the 981HD is sharp as all get out. So I guess my question is side by side sound muted how much better is the 983 over the 981. I know this has be kinda answered but I did a search and most comments are kinda vague, as in the 983 is better. With no other feature than IMAGE considered how much nicer is the 983 and why? Deep Blacker Image?, Sharper?, Less Noise?, What do you like about the 983 image over the 981. See my review here (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=13348563#post13348563) for some comparisons with Faroudja DCDi processing and other specifics. Also see the reviews listed in the first post.

Gary

I have a 981HD and want to know how much better the image is, I'm always willing to pay for "Noticeable" gains, but if its one of those 2% gains then I'd think I'd wait for the OPPO eventual Blu-Ray.

I'd wait.


What I want to know is what in the image jumps out over the DCDi, the 981HD is sharp as all get out. So I guess my question is side by side sound muted how much better is the 983 over the 981. I know this has be kinda answered but I did a search and most comments are kinda vague, as in the 983 is better. With no other feature than IMAGE considered how much nicer is the 983 and why? Deep Blacker Image?, Sharper?, Less Noise?, What do you like about the 983 image over the 981.

The 981 is not usually described as "sharp". The 980 is sharper to my eyes. The 981 is smoother and more film-like, which some people call "soft". I did not think so before, but the 981 does appear a bit soft compared to the 983, which still has a film-like image.

To me, the differences are the sort that are most apparent during A/B testing. They tend to fade away when watching actual movies.

-Bill

I find DVD-R media to be very hit or miss in terms of compatibility with any of the OPPO players. I would recommend running DVD+R media whenever possible.
Perhaps this is why Oppo copied 3 of my failing DVD-R to +R discs. Too bad all my burned media is on -R discs :eek:

Anyone else played many DVD-R's?

Hi! I have played around 20 DVD-Rs and never had so much as a stumble so far. (FYI - all were Verbatim and I only ever burn at 4x)

Bill

I've had my player about 1 1/2 now and so far have played about 8 movies so far, 6 of which were DVD-R's on either Verbatim or Sony's. Two of those six had problems playing back after about the 1 hour point. They either break up and digitize or they stop periodically, then continue, then stop. ...........

This is a classic description of poor burn quality, which tends to be worse in the outer 1/2 of the disc. Many players will handle this OK, some will not. I use nothing but TY and Verbatim -R and have yet to see an issue. But I'm compulsive about checking burn quality and adjusting burn speeds to match the media. When you look at burn quality with many combinations of burner and cheap media, what's surprising is not that some players balk, but that any players will play them at all.

In any case, I think it's important to separate incompatibility reports into 2 groups, those that will not mount and play at all, and those that mount but have playback issues. Usually, the later will be a burn quality issue.

Has anyone done any screenshots of playback through this player?
If so, can you post the pics.

Also, same screenshot using a different player for comparison would be awesome too!

rrhomes,
More film-like, with very awesome detail. It also depends on your display. The lines, hairs, pores on faces are all more detailed. If I had to throw a number out there, I'd say depending on your display, about 5-10% better picture overall. Then there is the stellar deinterlacing that intertwines the scenario as well. Maybe go ahead and buy one. If you don't like it, send it back for a refund. That's their policy. :)

Yea, I guess that would settle it, I just don't tend to think in "TEST DRIVE" fashion but I guess if its a for any reason return and the image wasn't what I'd hoped for then I could do that, and if it is an improvement then keep it. My only hold up now is wondering if they have this very machine about ready to be released in Blu-Ray can't be that far off, but that every body hold up. Sounds like most who owned the 981HD did notice a sharper image.

Has anyone done any screenshots of playback through this player?
If so, can you post the pics.

Also, same screenshot using a different player for comparison would be awesome too! Screenshots are generally a waste of time. They cannot do justice to the actual on-screen image, they show up imperfections in the photographer, the camera, and the display, and they cannot show how well the player handles motion. Furthermore, if the player is paused, it is no longer de-interlacing properly, and may show jaggies and other artifacts that would not normally be there.

Gary

My only hold up now is wondering if they have this very machine about ready to be released in Blu-Ray can't be that far off

The Oppo Blu-Ray player has no known date or characteristics. I would not expect it before 2009, which I emphasize has 12 months. (I have no inside info, but these things always take longer than you think they should).

We also don't know if the Blu-Ray player will match the 983 for SD-DVD playback.

-Bill

True, and I could always ebay the 983 even if I did take a $100 hit on it, like the 981's I'm sure its hold its value for a good while.

True, and I could always ebay the 983 even if I did take a $100 hit on it, like the 981's I'm sure its hold its value for a good while.

...especially if it was still under warranty. ;)

and we may find that as things move along the differences may become increasingly more incremental than massive. At least until someone comes up with a technology that blows digital away. I'm sure it'll happen one day but probably not very soon.

Reminds me of the work done on the Blade Runner and Goldfinger reissues. In each case, the original negative were scanned to 4000 lines of resolution and then downconverted (in BR's case,to 2000 lines). It wouldn't be too big a stretch to predict that we will someday see the same(and other) films produced commercially for discs or digital downloads at 4000 or more lines. And I can only imagine what newer films like the Daniel Craig Bond movies(yes, there's a new one already in previews at your local cineplex) would look like with that kind of treatment. To quote the Tyrell corporation, "more human than human is our motto."
- Esau

Occasionally, when starting a movie from the root menu by selecting the "Play Movie" option, my 983 hesitates (stutters frame by frame), or sometimes even locks up on the studio's splash screen that appears before the movie begins. It seems to happen mostly on Fox and Lionsgate releases. Once it gets there, the actual movie will then play flawlessly.

As anyone else experienced anything like this?

TIA

My friend and I have the same setup. Integra 9.8 and the oppo 983 and he is having a major problem that we can't figure out.
When he plays a DVD-audio using the multichannel setting on the Integra he is getting sound but it is very distorted, with HDMI he is getting no signal. We have compared settings on the Integra and the oppo and they are the same as mine and I have no problems playing DVD-audio with multichannel or HDMI. All connections are the same on the Integra with HDMI from oppo to the Integra as well as multichannel cables connected correctly. Any thoughts?

I'm sure it's in this thread somewhere but I'll ask anyway. Has anyone tried the HQV jaggies test with this player? Results?

Occasionally, when starting a movie from the root menu by selecting the "Play Movie" option, my 983 hesitates (stutters frame by frame), or sometimes even locks up on the studio's splash screen that appears before the movie begins. It seems to happen mostly on Fox and Lionsgate releases. Once it gets there, the actual movie will then play flawlessly.

As anyone else experienced anything like this?

TIA

That sounds suspiciously like a DRM scheme from those studios. You should send Oppo a list of titles.

-Bill

That sounds suspiciously like a DRM scheme from those studios. You should send Oppo a list of titles.

-Bill

Thanks for the thought Bill. I have been in touch w/Oppo on the issue, but so far they haven't been able to replicate the problem. That's why I'm curious if anyone else has seen it. It's really more of an irritant than anything else, as the movie portion does play fine. It may be that my 983 is just a bit buggy in this regard.

Thanks for the thought Bill. I have been in touch w/Oppo on the issue, but so far they haven't been able to replicate the problem. That's why I'm curious if anyone else has seen it. It's really more of an irritant than anything else, as the movie portion does play fine. It may be that my 983 is just a bit buggy in this regard.

I haven't seen it, but if you post the titles here we can look out for it.

-Bill

Solutions AV (Canada) says they'll have 983's available by end of July (soon!) and I'm on the edge of ordering. Are there any 983 owners using the USB interface to play songs from an iPod (my wife has 30GB video/classic model)? If so, can you navigate the folders onscreen using a remote and play the songs OK? I recall reading in 1 of the reviews from 1st page of thread that you can.

iPod connection will not work, as the files are hidden from external devices like a DVD player.

I have been in touch w/Oppo on the issue, but so far they haven't been able to replicate the problem ... It may be that my 983 is just a bit buggy in this regard.

If they can't replicate it with their discs, then send in your specific discs to rule out issues specific to your media.

If they still can't confirm the problem, then have the player recalled for inspection.

iPod connection will not work, as the files are hidden from external devices like a DVD player.

OK, disappointing but thanks. The following is part of R. Silva's about dot com review of 983, which is why I expected the 983 would play iPod files fine via USB and just wanted confirmation from an owner :

==============
Product Overview:
...
10. Rear mounted USB 2.0 port for digital photos and music via Flash Drive or iPod.
...

What I Liked About the DV-983H :
...
4. iPod files accessible via OPPO DV-983H remote control. Just plug your iPod into the USB port and an iPod file folders pop up on your TV screen.
...
==============

Did I misinterpret R. Silva's comments? I'll try to send him an e-mail question.

It may work for older generation iPods, but it does not work with my iPhone or iTouch.

All implementations of iPod use I have seen in the past has always been handled by special dongles to receivers. I have not seen a straight USB connection work.

Fair enough, some hope is better than none! If I get a response from R. Silva, I'll post it here. Meanwhile, if the 983 does support any iPods (old or new) via USB, it would be a bonus if Oppo listed them.

I agree that it may work for some. We installed a stereo in a car that recognize and plays tunes off the iphone, but not off an older iPod, so I think it depends on the ipod.

Earlier today I listened to Porcupine Tree's DVD-Audio reissue of their "Lightbulb Sun" album. Very, very impressive on the 983. My living room was alive!
- Esau

Good to see another PT fan here. I'm very much looking forward to listening to Lightbulb Sun on DVD-A. The 983 will be my first DVD-A player.


I have all of Porcupine Tree's DVD-Audio discs from "Lightbulb Sun" to "Fear of a Blank Planet" and they all sound fantastic through the 983 in multi-channel mode.

I signed up on the OPPO site a little over a week ago to be notifed when I could pre-order a 983. A few days after that I got the e-mail saying I could pre-order one from the next batch and completed my order that night. I was hoping to get one soon and today my wish came true when I got my Fed-Ex tracking number from OPPO. :D :D:D

If my luck holds out I'll have mine for the weekend :)

Anybody else that pre-ordered for this next batch should be getting tracking numbers real soon.

Later,

Jim

I got mine. :D

I've had my Pioneer 5010 almost 3 weeks now, it's tweaked and broken in nicely. 983 has been here for a week. All I can say is amazing, simply amazing! I now have experienced what all you have been raving about. 983 set to 1080P, 5010 set to "dot by dot"......I watched some of Van Helsing this evening..... nice contrasts in chapters 4 and 5, lots of greys and smoke/fog in the skies and snow, with deep blacks and color on the main characters. Awesome, very detailed and 3 dimensional, with excellent contrasts, couldn't find a single fault. Next shifted to the Transporter, special delivery edition. This was even better. The DVD is a 2:35:1 aspect ratio. I shifted the 983 to "full" to fill the screen, and even doing that, could not tell a difference between the normal aspect ratio and the "full" option...... excellent zoom function with virtually no loss of quality. Talk about another awesome picture....... detailed, smooth, excellent contrast, great black level, very film like yet detailed. This is where your friends say "wow", that hi def or blue ray looks great, then you inform them its standard def DVD and they can't believe it. I now can't wait to preview some standards of quality like the Fifth Element superbit, North by Northwest, the original James Bond re-masters. If the movie was well shot, and the DVD authored properly, you will be amazed. Brings new life to my collection and eliminates the need to double dip, "if", I go BD in the future. One of the best electronic purchases I have ever made.

John

Good to hear!

Gary

If I get a response from R. Silva, I'll post it here.

I got a nice (and prompt!) reply from Robert Silva regarding his about dot com 983 review comments re: playing iPod songs via USB. He said he used an older 2GB iPod nano (non-video model), connected it via USB and was able to see folders and play songs using 983's remote. He did not try any other iPod models.

So I guess the easiest way to find out if it works with a 30GB iPod (video) classic is to pick up a 983 and try it!

I've had my Pioneer 5010 almost 3 weeks now, it's tweaked and broken in nicely. 983 has been here for a week. All I can say is amazing, simply amazing! I now have experienced what all you have been raving about. 983 set to 1080P, 5010 set to "dot by dot"......I watched some of Van Helsing this evening..... nice contrasts in chapters 4 and 5, lots of greys and smoke/fog in the skies and snow, with deep blacks and color on the main characters. Awesome, very detailed and 3 dimensional, with excellent contrasts, couldn't find a single fault. Next shifted to the Transporter, special delivery edition. This was even better. The DVD is a 2:35:1 aspect ratio. I shifted the 983 to "full" to fill the screen, and even doing that, could not tell a difference between the normal aspect ratio and the "full" option...... excellent zoom function with virtually no loss of quality. Talk about another awesome picture....... detailed, smooth, excellent contrast, great black level, very film like yet detailed. This is where your friends say "wow", that hi def or blue ray looks great, then you inform them its standard def DVD and they can't believe it. I now can't wait to preview some standards of quality like the Fifth Element superbit, North by Northwest, the original James Bond re-masters. If the movie was well shot, and the DVD authored properly, you will be amazed. Brings new life to my collection and eliminates the need to double dip, "if", I go BD in the future. One of the best electronic purchases I have ever made.

John


Welcome to the land of the clearest, most concise SD PQ anywhere..

I've had my Pioneer 5010 almost 3 weeks now, it's tweaked and broken in nicely. 983 has been here for a week. All I can say is amazing, simply amazing! I now have experienced what all you have been raving about. 983 set to 1080P, 5010 set to "dot by dot"......I watched some of Van Helsing this evening..... nice contrasts in chapters 4 and 5, lots of greys and smoke/fog in the skies and snow, with deep blacks and color on the main characters. Awesome, very detailed and 3 dimensional, with excellent contrasts, couldn't find a single fault. Next shifted to the Transporter, special delivery edition. This was even better. The DVD is a 2:35:1 aspect ratio. I shifted the 983 to "full" to fill the screen, and even doing that, could not tell a difference between the normal aspect ratio and the "full" option...... excellent zoom function with virtually no loss of quality. Talk about another awesome picture....... detailed, smooth, excellent contrast, great black level, very film like yet detailed. This is where your friends say "wow", that hi def or blue ray looks great, then you inform them its standard def DVD and they can't believe it. I now can't wait to preview some standards of quality like the Fifth Element superbit, North by Northwest, the original James Bond re-masters. If the movie was well shot, and the DVD authored properly, you will be amazed. Brings new life to my collection and eliminates the need to double dip, "if", I go BD in the future. One of the best electronic purchases I have ever made.

John

I just got the 981HD and it rocks and I liked it so much I'm considering moving up, I know it won't be as drastic when coming from the 981HD but most say there is a noticeable difference and if that is in sharpness then I want it and it'll be the final yet killer SD-DVD player that I own. This player is a good looking unit too.

I signed up on the OPPO site a little over a week ago to be notifed when I could pre-order a 983. A few days after that I got the e-mail saying I could pre-order one from the next batch and completed my order that night. I was hoping to get one soon and today my wish came true when I got my Fed-Ex tracking number from OPPO. :D :D:D

If my luck holds out I'll have mine for the weekend :)

Anybody else that pre-ordered for this next batch should be getting tracking numbers real soon.
Later,

Jim
Hi:
I got my TR # last evening meaning I will NOT get the 983 until next Tues. That's the price I pay by living on the wrong coast:rolleyes: You could easily have it by Sat.-being on the LC already! If that isn't good enough FEDEX delivers on Saturdays:cool: If I were you I download the 983 OM and start digesting it:D
Happy viewing!

Just got my TR #, but I'm a little further east than the wrong coast (waaay further...); that PDF manual is already well thumbed...I'm like a kid waiting for Christmas Day,

Got my tacking number last night and it is to be delivered today.
At least one benefit, I guess, of living in the central valley(CA).:rolleyes:

Got my tacking number last night and it is to be delivered today.
At least one benefit, I guess, of living in the central valley(CA).:rolleyes:
Wow you are a friendly jewel for sure:rolleyes:

Hi:
I got my TR # last evening meaning I will NOT get the 983 until next Tues. That's the price I pay by living on the wrong coast:rolleyes: You could easily have it by Sat.-being on the LC already! If that isn't good enough FEDEX delivers on Saturdays:cool: If I were you I download the 983 OM and start digesting it:D
Happy viewing!

Checked last night and mine should be here tomorrow :D

Jim

My 983 is due on Saturday and i am looking forward to a real good comparison between it and my xa2. Should be interesting and i will post my results after the comparison.

My 983 is due on Saturday and i am looking forward to a real good comparison between it and my xa2. Should be interesting and i will post my results after the comparison.

Let me check my crystal ball...
Crystal ball says you have made a wise choice. :)

My 983 is due on Saturday and i am looking forward to a real good comparison between it and my xa2. Should be interesting and i will post my results after the comparison.

I too bought this, hoping it will be better than my XA2.
If not, its going back.
It came today. I have it sitting here on my desk at work.
Oof, I think I'm feeling a little sick.;)

Welcome to the land of the clearest, most concise SD PQ anywhere..

:D I couldn't agree more. These two (983 and 5010) are a great combo. The ability to set the 5010 to "dot by dot" and eliminate a second scaling, let the 983 just do it's thing, is amazing. I know some people get irritated when we mention/compare the picture quality to HD, and I don't mean to imply in any way it's equal to BD, but.......................... it gets pretty darn close on a
50 inch screen with a well shot and authored DVD. As has been stated
ad nauseum, brings new life to my collection and will save me a boatload of money in not having to double dip if/when BD becomes the defacto standard. The picture surpassed my expectations!

John

I too bought this, hoping it will be better than my XA2.
If not, its going back.
It came today. I have it sitting here on my desk at work.
Oof, I think I'm feeling a little sick.;)

If you find the XA2 to be better at upconversion than the OPPO 983, you will be the first one.

There. Feel better? ;)

Dana

I was saying I think I may be feeling sick, like I might need to go home sick.
aka play with new toys

Okay, you guys got me curious, so I just placed an order for the 983. I will be really pleased if this puppy surpasses my XA2 in SD DVD PQ.

it will

it will


+1

Did someone try to switch from US firmware to european?

Two friends of mine did it and in both case hdmi output didn't work anymore so they had to get back to US firmware.... (the answer from oppo means my friends are monkeys..one maybe but not both..)

Did someone try to switch from US firmware to european?

Two friends of mine did it and in both case hdmi output didn't work anymore so they had to get back to US firmware.... (the answer from oppo means my friends are monkeys..one maybe but not both..)

I have changed from US to Euro and it has no effect on HDMI output

BillT

This is my first mini-review so bear with me.:D
This is on a 92" screen with the Panny AE2000 1080p projector.

I did some comparisons between the XA2, 983H and the PS3. I have the settings set as recommended by the manual and even tried turning the sharpness up to +1. I started with it at 0, but wanted to add a little more detail. I have the noise reduction OFF. If anyone has found certain settings to perform better than others, what are those settings? I would be eager to try them out.

So, I started out using the first Lord of the Rings in the beginning where Frodo is sitting under the tree. I have always used that scene for panning and details on the bark of the tree trunk. My wife and I did some blind tests(well, I knew which player was playing, but she didnt). I had her rate the three players, PS3 included, in order of preference. The first time around it was (best to worst) XA2, 983, PS3 and the second time 983, XA2, PS3. I personally couldnt choose which was better, it was so close. I did notice, however, some jutter as the camera was panning across the hillside in the following chapter after the tree scene. This was a little disappointing. I didnt get a chance to see if the XA2 performed the same during that scene.

Dont get me wrong the picture on the 983 is very very good, its just that everyone kept saying it was better, so I assumed I would see a difference. Not a huge one, but a difference. At this point though, it was between the XA2 and 983.

I then popped the first Spiderman in the 983 and man I was surprised at how close some of the footage looked to bluray. The detail during the field trip in the beginning was amazing. I was all excited that this new player was providing such a great picture but then i tried the XA2 and it looked just as good.

So I then tried Star Wars Episode One at the podrace and that is when I felt the 983 provided a slightly better picture than the other players. It just seemed that there was a little more detail. I even noticed little fibers on Anakin's shirt/vest that I didnt with the XA2.

I am still trying to decide if it is worth $400 for a very slight improvement in SD DVD playback. In most cases the difference was indiscernible but in some cases the improvement was slight. In my limited testing I did not find a scenario where the XA2 provided a better picture than the 983, so I would have to say the 983 is the better player by a small margin. I still have some HD-DVDs, so I will be giving that up, however I am gaining the capability for DVD-Audio.

Now if the other features (SACD, DVD-Audio, ect) are of any interest and HD-DVD playback is not, than I would definately recommend the 983. And if you dont already own a XA2 or 5910 or comparable player, and you want to bring life back to your DVD collection, I highly recommend the 983.

I will be testing some more tonight and if i find any results to be different than already shared I will report.

Two friends of mine did it and in both case hdmi output didn't work anymore so they had to get back to US firmware.... (the answer from oppo means my friends are monkeys..one maybe but not both..)

There are slight hardware differences between the European and the American hardware. This can cause issues with the current firmware that is out there for the European customers.

You should only be upgrading to the the European firmware if you need the output of the player to be defaulted at PAL (when the player has been set to Auto). There is no performance increase with the PAL firmware.

One thing I notice about some forum equipment threads that once a momentum is started either pro or con it is sometimes hard to get reliable info on more finite details of a particular product. However, I think enough people have used the 983H long enough to offer some info on the effects of layer change delay. This used to be a common problem in all but a handful of DVD players, however, my PS3 has spoiled me in that mine seems to not have the problem (must utilize onboard memory or something). So, does the 983H have a terribly noticable layer change in practice?

Also, once again in practice, how well does the 983H handle DVD-R/RWs?

Thank you!

Terribly noticeable: no.

Noticeable if you are looking for it: yes.

As for DVD RW compatibility, I use only TDK 4x DVD+RW media and have had no complaints.

As for the layer change?... virtually undetectable most of the time. Some people have reported seeing it slightly here and there, butit is certainly no where near "terribly noticable"... more like the complete opposite.

Also, once again in practice, how well does the 983H handle DVD-R/RWs?

I have a variety of media which works well on all the Oppos, but I'm sure you can find some that don't.

After research in the blank media forum at cdfreaks.com, I now use nothing but Taiyo Yuden +R for single layer and Verbatim for DL. I buy them from rima.com.

I switched from -R to +R after reading this: http://adterrasperaspera.com/blog/2006/10/30/how-to-choose-cddvd-archival-media/

The only RW media I have on hand is "PHILIPS/041 (Philips DVD+RW)"; it works.

-Bill

One thing I notice about some forum equipment threads that once a momentum is started either pro or con it is sometimes hard to get reliable info on more finite details of a particular product. However, I think enough people have used the 983H long enough to offer some info on the effects of layer change delay. This used to be a common problem in all but a handful of DVD players, however, my PS3 has spoiled me in that mine seems to not have the problem (must utilize onboard memory or something). So, does the 983H have a terribly noticable layer change in practice?

Also, once again in practice, how well does the 983H handle DVD-R/RWs?

Thank you!

As I stated in a previous post, both my 981 and 983 handle DVD-+/RWs perfectly. But I burn all DVDs as slow as allowable and they've never failed to play flawlessly. It's all in the burner, s/w and burning process.

There are slight hardware differences between the European and the American hardware. This can cause issues with the current firmware that is out there for the European customers.

You should only be upgrading to the the European firmware if you need the output of the player to be defaulted at PAL (when the player has been set to Auto). There is no performance increase with the PAL firmware.

I didn't know there is difference between european and american 983...which one?

When I bought mine there were no european 983 available (opposhop.com was not selling it yet) and as i watch only PAL DVD, an upgrade to european firmware seem to be a good idea (for best image result)

There is no difference in performance between the two firmware in terms of de-interlacing and scaling.

The advantage of the European firmware is that it defaults to PAL when the player has been set to Auto (US firmware defaults to NTSC).

I didn't know there is difference between european and american 983...which one?

When I bought mine there were no european 983 available (opposhop.com was not selling it yet) and as i watch only PAL DVD, an upgrade to european firmware seem to be a good idea (for best image result)
With Euro regulations and ROHS and things like that, and SCART, I'm not surprised the firmwares would be different enough that they wouldn't apply across markets.

Oppo's customer service answer me that :

For PAL playback with US firmware you will need to force one of the 2:2 modes for most optimal playback, rather than relying on the Auto setting. There are two 2:2 modes, the odd one and the even one. The only benefit of using the European firmware is that the Auto setting has been designed for PAL de-interlacing and scaling and that the Auto setting will choose the best 2:2 mode (even or odd). This will affect NTSC playback, however. So if you are primarily using the player for PAL media, you may want to consider the PAL firmware due to ease of use if the Auto cadence detection. But you can also use the US firmware and just select one of the 2:2 modes but for each DVD you must try the two 2:2 modes and choose the best one before playing the dvd, a bit annoying. So upgrading is the best solution.


I don't want to try the two 2:2 modes for each dvd....As the european firmware choose the best mode, i guess i need to update my "US 983". But because of those slight hardware differences, you say it might be not possible?......

This has since been proved false by one of OPPO's firmware engineers. There is no difference in the performance of PAL media using the two firmware. Ping OPPO if you want confirmation.

For best performance, even with the European firmware, you will still need to force one of the PAL modes.

You mean that whatever the firmware is, if i want to watch PAL DVD i need to manually try the two 2:2 modes and choose the best one? even using an european 983 with a european firmware?

As for the layer change?... virtually undetectable most of the time. Some people have reported seeing it slightly here and there, butit is certainly no where near "terribly noticable"... more like the complete opposite.
Layer change is very noticeable for me -- jarring, in fact. This is because my preamp-processor loses sync on the audio signal during a layer change and it takes up to 4 seconds to regain it. This problem does not happen with my other DVD players and my preamp-processor so there's something the 983 is or isn't doing that exacerbates the issue. Oppo support says they may look into a workaround for the problem. (The same issue occurs after pausing a disc, using fast-forward or skipping chapters.) For me, this problem spoils the experience of using this otherwise stellar player.