I'm close to ordering this player this week. Everything I've read says it's definitely the best upconverting player. The best upconverting player I have is the Toshiba A1. How much better is the Oppo over that Toshiba?

More detail, better color and far less video noise. You will not be disappointed.

I'm close to ordering this player this week. Everything I've read says it's definitely the best upconverting player. The best upconverting player I have is the Toshiba A1. How much better is the Oppo over that Toshiba? The 983 easily outclasses the A1 in the deinterlacing and scaling department, especially with trickier, or badly-encoded material. The VRS test DVD contains many real-world video/movie clips that readily put lesser players to shame. Also, a simple hack makes the 983 region-free for excellent performance with PAL DVD's.

Gary

Is there an AR fix coming for DIVX playback, my wife is killing me constantly regarding changing the AR manually through the setup menu? I've just about had it and ready to pull the trigger on a NMT. Thanks

The 983 easily outclasses the A1 in the deinterlacing and scaling department, especially with trickier, or badly-encoded material. The VRS test DVD contains many real-world video/movie clips that readily put lesser players to shame. Also, a simple hack makes the 983 region-free for excellent performance with PAL DVD's.

Gary
Sounds good. I think I'm ordering today. I think the A1 produces a good dvd image, so I'm very anxious to see the 983 in action. It'll be hooked up to a Samsung 40" 1080p LCD (LN40A550). BDs look amazing on that unit, but I still have a nice library of dvds. Can't wait to see the results.

Is there an AR fix coming for DIVX playback, my wife is killing me constantly regarding changing the AR manually through the setup menu? I've just about had it and ready to pull the trigger on a NMT. Thanks

Unfortunately no.

You could try the Beta firmware, it fixes some issues, but for DivX, you'll still have to do some manual changes in the Setup menu to get the AR right for 2:35:1 films. For 1:78, 1:85, it's fine with the 16:9 Wide setting for Divx on a widescreen telly/projector if hooked up over HDMI.

Cheers

You seem to have strong convictions on this point which makes me wonder...have you personally compared DVD playback on a Panny BDXX deck with the 983 on a good calibrated display?

I have the BD30 and the 983 running HDMI to an Elite VSX-94 (no processing) and HDMI to a Pioneer PDP-6010 calibrated by umr (aka Jeff Meier).

The 983 is better at DVD playback, but not by a huge amount, especially following Panny's recent firmware update for the BD30.

In fact, I believe most people wouldn't notice the difference unless they were watching with one of us avs freaks yelling "See! See! See!" in their ears every time WE noticed a difference.

Just my 2 cents.

Why is it that 983 owners constantly have to defend the performance of our stellar performing player? Personally, I could care less about the BD30 or any other player. I have taken the time to compare my 983 to the seven other DVD/HD-DVD/BR players I own and there is simply no comparison. Also, no one ever stated the 983 was a "DVD player for the masses". It is a player for people like AVS members, and yes, we can tell a difference. I'm sure the average non-enthusiast would be more than happy with a vanilla $49 Wal-Mart DVD player. Why should I care? I love my 983, and every time I watch a DVD I am surprised at how well it performs. Firmware update for a BD30?? No one here cares.

Unfortunately no.

You could try the Beta firmware, it fixes some issues, but for DivX, you'll still have to do some manual changes in the Setup menu to get the AR right for 2:35:1 films. For 1:78, 1:85, it's fine with the 16:9 Wide setting for Divx on a widescreen telly/projector if hooked up over HDMI.

Cheers

I'm afraid it's not OK with 1:78, 1:85 with the 16:9 Wide setting for Divx on a widescreen telly/projector if hooked up over HDMI. :(

Some files still require the 'AR tickle', my other player has no problems whatsoever with the same files, albeit over component.

If Oppo have no plans to address this issue then I suggest they remove the DIVX logo from the player literature, I will go an get a NMT player.

Why is it that 983 owners constantly have to defend the performance of our stellar performing player? Personally, I could care less about the BD30 or any other player. I have taken the time to compare my 983 to the seven other DVD/HD-DVD/BR players I own and there is simply no comparison. Also, no one ever stated the 983 was a "DVD player for the masses". It is a player for people like AVS members, and yes, we can tell a difference. I'm sure the average non-enthusiast would be more than happy with a vanilla $49 Wal-Mart DVD player. Why should I care? I love my 983, and every time I watch a DVD I am surprised at how well it performs. Firmware update for a BD30?? No one here cares.

Well said! My BD30, my A35 and A20 (good upscalers themselves) and the Toshiba XD-E500 I returned after I saw the 983 IQ and it's ability to track any disk. I struggled a little with the price but when the 983 arrived and I got a good look I was sold.

Let the other forums tear each other's throats out. The 983 is king of SD DVD players, bar none. The truth is in the viewing. If you get one - you will keep it.

arkiedan

If Oppo have no plans to address this issue then I suggest they remove the DIVX logo from the player literature, I will go an get a NMT player.

As a technicality, it still plays back DivX and XviD media. Your problem is correct aspect ratio support, which OPPO never guaranteed.

If you get one - you will keep it. Actually, I'm probably selling mine once the BDP-83 comes out. ;)

Actually, I'm probably selling mine once the BDP-83 comes out. ;)

I predict a glut of 983s on the market in a few months, so don't expect to get very much for it.

As a technicality, it still plays back DivX and XviD media. Your problem is correct aspect ratio support, which OPPO never guaranteed.

So if I bought a generic DVD player and the unit played back the DVD image upside down that would not warrant a return of the unit because there was no guarantee that it would play the DVD the right way up. If I contacted the vendor they might say just turn your TV upside down and you'll be fine. In the state I live in the unit would be classified as not 'fit for purpose' and legally warrant a return.

I cannot find any documentation anywhere from OPPO explicilty stating that the AR does not work for DIVX playback, if this issue will not be fixed there should be a caveat in the documentation stating this is a condition of DIVX playback.

I'm sure that if there were AR problems with DVD NTSC playback at the moment there would be an uproar, or would the same apply that OPPO only stated it would play a DVD.

I feel a bit mislead at the moment regarding this issue and hope OPPO will have a crack at addressing the problem.

I predict a glut of 983s on the market in a few months, so don't expect to get very much for it.
I think it may hold its value fairly well - although I don't know that I'll be able to convince myself to part with mine. I agree that the going rate for a used 983H is likely to dip some, but I doubt it will be anything drastic. It's just too good...

I'm sure that if there were AR problems with DVD NTSC playback at the moment there would be an uproar, or would the same apply that OPPO only stated it would play a DVD.

Ahh, but there were Aspect Ratio issues with PAL and NTSC media. Go look back through the thread. There was months worth of complaints about some NTSC discs, and nearly all PAL discs, not showing the proper Aspect Ratio of 4:3. The difference with DVD-Video contents and your DivX/XviD contents is that there was a work around (Info button) and not all media were effected.

I feel a bit mislead at the moment regarding this issue and hope OPPO will have a crack at addressing the problem.

They will take a crack at it. It is not like this issue has not been reported before. Take a look at the PAL 4:3 errors. Those were corrected only recently with a firmware release.

The DivX/XviD and other external media formats will likely be fixed at the same time that they get the analog outputs working properly for Aspect Ratio controls, as both errors are due to the complete reliance on the ABT VRS for all aspect ratio and zoom controls.

They will take a crack at it. It is not like this issue has not been reported before. Take a look at the PAL 4:3 errors. Those were corrected only recently with a firmware release.

The DivX/XviD and other external media formats will likely be fixed at the same time that they get the analog outputs working properly for Aspect Ratio controls, as both errors are due to the complete reliance on the ABT VRS for all aspect ratio and zoom controls.


Here's hoping, I'll take trust in OPPO to fix this problem as other than this it's a great unit.

Ahh, but there were Aspect Ratio issues with PAL and NTSC media. Go look back through the thread. There was months worth of complaints about some NTSC discs, and nearly all PAL discs, not showing the proper Aspect Ratio of 4:3. The difference with DVD-Video contents and your DivX/XviD contents is that there was a work around (Info button) and not all media were effected.

I think you missed my point, what I am saying is that if OPPO took the stance regarding incorrect AR on DVD NTSC discs that they only guaranteed that it would play a DVD and were not prepared to fix the AR issue (which in this case they did) then there would have been an uproar of complaints.

I predict a glut of 983s on the market in a few months, so don't expect to get very much for it.

I sold mine two weeks ago to avoid the rush. Ill suffer thru the PS3 thru a DVDO Edge until the wonderful day the 83 arrives.... However, I dont think there will be a 'glut' as I would imagine many will just shift their 983's to the bedroom.

I think you missed my point, what I am saying is that if OPPO took the stance regarding incorrect AR on DVD NTSC discs that they only guaranteed that it would play a DVD and were not prepared to fix the AR issue (which in this case they did) then there would have been an uproar of complaints.

The core selling point of the DV-983H is DVD-Video, CD, DVD-Audio and SACD media support. For this they would not be able to get away with not properly engaging aspect ratio controls for DVD-Video media.

Second, I used the word "technically". There is nothing within their literature which says that they guarantee proper aspect ratio controls for DivX and XviD files. It is expected of them to do so, but it is not a mentioned guarantee. They do not have to warn you about every single little thing that could potentially cause you to not purchase the player.

The problem is your argument hinges on OPPO not willing/wanting to fix the issue with DivX/XviD playback.

They could have just as easily ignored the AR complaints with DVD-Video titles, as the main people effected were PAL users (ie. not their main market). But they fixed this error.

Similarly, DivX/XviD users are not the core OPPO user, but they still take this support very seriously. If they say they are looking into a fix, they are looking into it. It may come tomorrow, it may come a year from now.

I never put forward any argument, you are confusing yourself with my response to your statement that OPPO did not guarantee correct DIVX AR playback.

Actually, I'm probably selling mine once the BDP-83 comes out. ;)

If you need/want only one unit fine. But right now, today, I have a great SD player in the 983 and an excellent Blu player in the BD30, both for around $700. Can't see the point in selling them for the BDP-83 (probably sell for $600+) when these units do it all now. :confused:

arkiedan

I never put forward any argument, you are confusing yourself with my response to your statement that OPPO did not guarantee correct DIVX AR playback.

Read my edit.

Second, I used the word "technically". There is nothing within their literature which says that they guarantee proper aspect ratio controls for DivX and XviD files. It is expected of them to do so, but it is not a mentioned guarantee. They do not have to warn you about every single little thing that could potentially cause you to not purchase the player.

Guarantee in the retail industry is implied, so in that context if DIVX playback is listed as a feature then it should play DIVX correctly unless explicitly stated otherwise.

Example: if I buy a new car and it has a 150,000 mile guarantee on the vehicle and I actually read through the guarantee there are a multitude of items that are explicitly excluded like tyres. I would love to be able to claim that my tyres did not last 150,00 miles :)

If you bought a car that did not have tires, then you failed as a consumer. The burden of purchase is on the consumer, not on the company who sells the product.

If they manufacturer claimed that the car came with tires, and it didn't, then you have an argument.

OPPO does not make any claims as to how DivX and XviD function. They do not warn you about resolution and profile limitations, how QPEL and GMC are not support for XviD, how some external subtitles will be truncated, and so forth. The consumer is to educate themselves, as it is impossible for a manufacturer to note every single caveat that their product has.

If you bought a car that did not have tires, then you failed as a consumer. The burden of purchase is on the consumer, not on the company who sells the product.

If they manufacturer claimed that the car came with tires, and it didn't, then you have an argument.


I'm afraid you have misunderstood my post again, I am stating that the tires are excluded under the implied guarantee of the motor vehicle and are excluded explicity in writing from the vehicle guarantee. Not that the tires are physically missing from the vehicle at the time of purchase.
OPPO does not make any claims as to how DivX and XviD function.

Yes they do make the claim "Plays XviD and .SRT, .SMI, .IDX and .SUB format ". Additionaly the 'XVID compatible' logo is shown. This to me (as a consumer) implies that if you have a XVID file conforming to the standard then the unit should play the file without fault/problem.

The consumer is to educate themselves, as it is impossible for a manufacturer to note every single caveat that their product has.

This is a very interesting subject area and I have seen it tested a number of times always to the consumers satisfaction.

Enough said, I am trusting in OPPO to resolve the issue.

If you need/want only one unit fine. But right now, today, I have a great SD player in the 983 and an excellent Blu player in the BD30, both for around $700. Can't see the point in selling them for the BDP-83 (probably sell for $600+) when these units do it all now. :confusedWell that's the thing, I do only want a single combination unit. Limited HDMI inputs plus just simplicity and cleanliness in my cabinet warrant waiting until I can have this "ultimate" combo device, even at a premium.

Actually, I'm probably selling mine once the BDP-83 comes out. ;)

I am seriously considering adding the 983H to my setup, so I would be interested when you are ready to sell.

I have recent been watching our AVS classified for a 983H. I should probably post a wanted thread.

Does anyone know if the 83 will have similar aspect ratio controls as implemented on the 983H?

Getting a little testy around here. Tire warranty's on new vehicle purchases?

I'm afraid it's not OK with 1:78, 1:85 with the 16:9 Wide setting for Divx on a widescreen telly/projector if hooked up over HDMI. :(

Some files still require the 'AR tickle', my other player has no problems whatsoever with the same files, albeit over component.


Hi

I agree. Some files do need the AR manipulation. However, most of my 1:78 DivX stuff tend to be ok.

Regardless, the new beta is fine for me, as I now can at least get it to work, albeit with workarounds.

The 983 does a very good job with the actual piq quality once the setting up for each individual film has been done, but it's not the best user friendly DivX player out there (subtitles etc...).

Although, I've gotten my GF to manage the workaround... :)

FedEx will be delivering my Oppo today!!!!

I apologize if this has been answered, but I just can't read 101 pages of this thread right now.
I have just received a PAL dvd of "The African Queen" from the UK.
I am watching it on an 8th gen Kuro.
I have "auto detect" turned to "off" on the Kuro, and "side mask deection" also "off" yet I am still getting these annoying gray bars.
I know they are supposed to help with burn-in, but NO THANKS.
I cannot stand watching 4:3 material with these gray bars.
Is the Oppo adding these?
If so where do I turn this OFF?
sorry I cannot locate my Oppo manual for some reason.
Need black bars please for my 4:3 PAL material.
Thanks in advance.

I apologize if this has been answered, but I just can't read 101 pages of this thread right now.
I have just received a PAL dvd of "The African Queen" from the UK.
I am watching it on an 8th gen Kuro.
I have "auto detect" turned to "off" on the Kuro, and "side mask deection" also "off" yet I am still getting these annoying gray bars.
I know they are supposed to help with burn-in, but NO THANKS.
I cannot stand watching 4:3 material with these gray bars.
Is the Oppo adding these?
If so where do I turn this OFF?
sorry I cannot locate my Oppo manual for some reason.
Need black bars please for my 4:3 PAL material.
Thanks in advance.

Verify for us:


You are using HDMI
You have the aspect control set to Wide/Auto on the Oppo


If so, take a look at the BORDER setting in the Oppo video settings. It goes from black to white with shades of grey between.

I forget if the Kuro accepts a PAL signal. If you have the Oppo TV type set to NTSC, make sure to also use the VIDEO 2 setting.

Lastly, I believe Oppo has manuals online.

-Bill

[QUOTE=16x9enhanced;14878348]I
I cannot stand watching 4:3 material with these gray bars.
Is the Oppo adding these?
If so where do I turn this OFF?

The "Border Level" setting in the Oppo "Video Setup Page" changes the Brightness level of the bars. The manual says "if you set it to 3 or 4 the bars become grey instead of black.

Link to manual:
http://www.oppodigital.com/dv983h/download/DV-983H%20English%20Manual.pdf

Ref bottom of page 20 to top of 21

I have moved the "border control" setting from 0 to 15 with no effect in the color of the bars. The only way I can seem to get the bars to go away is to select "wide" on my Kuro with the "wide/auto" selected on the Oppo.
but then I don't get "true" 4:3 material.
I think there is some sort of weird compatibilty issue between the Kuro and the Oppo to tell you the truth. When I choose the "16:9/wide" on the oppo I get the old black bars with large gray bars on the outside of those effect.
I bought this oppo expressly for watching PAL 4:3 material on my Kuro.
looks like I may be screwed here.
I can't believe this.
I have tried every possibility I can think of.
The Kuro does accept PAL signals, but when I set the oppo for PAL I am getting audio dropouts.
Don't know what is going on there.
So I have the Oppo set for NTSC, and the video looks fine on the Kuro.
I have the hdmi resolution set for 480p.
wonder if I connected it via component if that would help.
I wasn't aware of any PAL problems with this player.
has there been a firmware update to address this audio dropout issue?
I haven't used this player too much to tell you the truth because I've been watching a bunch of blu-ray's recently.
Have any PAL dropout issues been reported?
the reviews I had read didn't discuss any known issues at all.

I have moved the "border control" setting from 0 to 15 with no effect in the color of the bars. The only way I can seem to get the bars to go away is to select "wide" on my Kuro with the "wide/auto" selected on the Oppo.
but then I don't get "true" 4:3 material.
I think there is some sort of weird compatibilty issue between the Kuro and the Oppo to tell you the truth. When I choose the "16:9/wide" on the oppo I get the old black bars with large gray bars on the outside of those effect.
I bought this oppo expressly for watching PAL 4:3 material on my Kuro.
looks like I may be screwed here.
I can't believe this.
I have tried every possibility I can think of.
The Kuro does accept PAL signals, but when I set the oppo for PAL I am getting audio dropouts.
Don't know what is going on there.
So I have the Oppo set for NTSC, and the video looks fine on the Kuro.
I have the hdmi resolution set for 480p.
wonder if I connected it via component if that would help.
I wasn't aware of any PAL problems with this player.
has there been a firmware update to address this audio dropout issue?
I haven't used this player too much to tell you the truth because I've been watching a bunch of blu-ray's recently.
Have any PAL dropout issues been reported?
the reviews I had read didn't discuss any known issues at all.

I watch PAL 4:3 titles without difficulty.

I suspect you are correct about some interaction between the Kuro and the Oppo. If you have the Oppo set to black borders then the grey bars are being added by the display.

As I recall Wide/Auto only works for upscaled resolutions. Could you try something other than 480p?

Are the audio dropouts on HDMI? See if they occur with any other audio connection, like stereo L/R.

-Bill

I have tried all kinds of setting choices.
what is strange is that with the Kuro I thought that turning the detection "off" should absolutely get rid of the gray bars.
So that's what made me think it was the Oppo.
this is really frustrating.
There must be someone who has a Kuro and a 983 that has solved this issue.
There's got to be a way.

I have tried all kinds of setting choices.
what is strange is that with the Kuro I thought that turning the detection "off" should absolutely get rid of the gray bars.
So that's what made me think it was the Oppo.
this is really frustrating.
There must be someone who has a Kuro and a 983 that has solved this issue.
There's got to be a way.

You're not giving us much to help you.

What does it look like when you:


Use a resolution higher than 480p, and...
Have the Oppo set to Wide/Auto, and...
Have the Kuro set to whatever is takes to simply display an HD 16:9 signal without further processing.


-Bill

thanks for your help.
I have changed the resolution to 720p after studying the manual which I located.
This most closely matches the 768p native resolution of my model 5080 Kuro.
yes, hdmi is being used.
wide/auto selected on the Oppo.
A member in the Kuro thread thinks it is a Kuro issue--I have to access the service menu to change color to black.
so that I think is the final verdict.
really irritating to say the least.
I can purchase software to accomplish this, but I also need a special adaptor + would have to buy "Parallels" for the MACbook I own.
hmmmmm..........
you know now that I think about it,
gray's not so bad after all. :p;)

As said already if you have grey bars that's the Pioneer adding them. Pioneer LX-5090 with oppo 983. Set to 16:9/Auto, use the beta firmware or wait for a new release with PAL aspect control with the fixed power on bug. I have no grey bars for any material. If you Pioneer accepts both 50 & 60hz then leave the Oppo set to Auto- that way no realtime conversion being done. If you set 720p on the oppo the pioneer will have to scale up again, you may find 480p/576p a better option that way it only scales once (your panel) If you had a 1080p model Kuro you could use the 1080p option instead, again only one scaling process. Or set 480p/576p for the panel to scale up, compare which is better.

983 up for sale in the AVS classifieds

983 up for sale in the AVS classifieds

Yours?

Hi there,

I am really hoping someone can help me out. I have been buying Oppo players since the DV971 came out. About 1 month ago I upgraded to the 981-HD and as of today I made the switch to the 983H. So here is my problem. I have always used the 1080i 60hz setting for all players. But now with the 983H the picture has a green hue. When I switch to 480p the color is perfect...but any other setting I get the green color. I never had this problem.

I have messed around with Color Space and Video Mode and I get the same results.

I am using a Pioneer VSX-1018AH-K receiver and a Toshiba 34HFX84. It's a tube HDTV.

I also upgraded to the latest Firmware MVer: 05.00.01.07 Batch: DV983H-11-0910 and still no luck.

Any ideas? Like I mentioned the picture is fine in 480P mode only.
Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks

Finally received my replacement from Amazon yesterday. Looks like the unit was NOT defective. I am having the same exact issues with the new one.
I am sure it has something to do with my hdtv. Not the biggest problem as I am upgrading my hdtv soon. Would have been nice to know why it was happening.
Still in 480p mode the image looks excellent.

Thanks

Finally received my replacement from Amazon yesterday. Looks like the unit was NOT defective. I am having the same exact issues with the new one.
I am sure it has something to do with my hdtv. Not the biggest problem as I am upgrading my hdtv soon. Would have been nice to know why it was happening.
Still in 480p mode the image looks excellent.

Thanks
Have you tried different color space settings?

Go through TV settings also, don't know about yours but Pioneer Kuro allows you to select different colour space modes.

Have you tried different color space settings?


Sure did. Did eveything I was told last time. Nothing seems to help.

Go through TV settings also, don't know about yours but Pioneer Kuro allows you to select different colour space modes.

Looked for this as well but there is not much offered as far as color settings on this older tube hdtv.

My customer experience with Oppo service has been wonderful. I have always been connected quickly to knowledgeable tech reps and in the end they replaced my 983 which has been perfect.

I couldn't want for better CS. Thanks Oppo. Got my advanced replacement 983 in less than a week. Well Done! :)

HDMI Black Level

My OPPO 983 was delivered yesterday and while I was using the menu on my Samsung PN50A550 to make some display adjustments, I noticed that the HDMI black level was grayed out and was set to normal. With my cable box HDMI input, I can adjust this setting to low or normal.

Why would this not be available with the OPPO?

If you change the HDMI resolution to 480p, can you adjust the HDMI input level?

HDMI Black Level

My OPPO 983 was delivered yesterday and while I was using the menu on my Samsung PN50A550 to make some display adjustments, I noticed that the HDMI black level was grayed out and was set to normal. With my cable box HDMI input, I can adjust this setting to low or normal.

Why would this not be available with the OPPO?

You probably have the Oppo's Color Space option set to 'Auto' (which is the default) and it's sending a YCbCr 4:4:4 signal. According to the manual:

"The DVD player check with the display device to automatically determine what color space to use. If the display device supports YCbCr 4:4:4, YCbCr 4:4:4 is used to avoid extra color space conversion. This is the recommended setting."

YCbCr will grey out your HDMI black level, switching it to 'RGB Video Level' will bring it back into play again, but I've gone with the recommended setting.

You probably have the Oppo's Color Space option set to 'Auto' (which is the default) and it's sending a YCbCr 4:4:4 signal. According to the manual:

"The DVD player check with the display device to automatically determine what color space to use. If the display device supports YCbCr 4:4:4, YCbCr 4:4:4 is used to avoid extra color space conversion. This is the recommended setting."

YCbCr will grey out your HDMI black level, switching it to 'RGB Video Level' will bring it back into play again, but I've gone with the recommended setting.

Thank you for the info.

I found that setting in the OPPO menu and I have left it on Auto.

I took the time and re-wired my home-cinema components last night. During this session I experienced some problems with our Oppo DV-983H (two chip version with firmware 08-709) here. Since I was not able to solve them, I would really appreciate to get some hints. Thanks in advance!

1. If the Oppo upscales and deinterlaces a PAL DVD to 1080p the picture has a stunning quality but as soon as I switch to 1080i parts of the picture start flashing with snow.

2. I've read about different batch numbers here and now I'm wondering how this affects the firmware files since on the website there is only *one* file for *all* batches?

3. Unfortunately the player does not provide "german" as selectable default language for disc and subtitles. Does anybody know the custom code for german?

4. The internal drive of the Oppo is very silent when sequentially playing a disc but really loud when seeking. Is this normal?

... I've read about different batch numbers here and now I'm wondering how this affects the firmware files since on the website there is only *one* file for *all* batches? ...

Would somebody please provide some more information on the "batch numbers"? I'm curious as to what this means, and how to identify what batch a player is from.

1. If the Oppo upscales and deinterlaces a PAL DVD to 1080p the picture has a stunning quality but as soon as I switch to 1080i parts of the picture start flashing with snow.

Try another HDMI cable.

2. I've read about different batch numbers here and now I'm wondering how this affects the firmware files since on the website there is only *one* file for *all* batches?

All future firmware takes into consideration the different manufactured models. If the first two digits of the serial number are 4A, 4B, 4C or higher, then you have a one chip solution (ABT2010). If anything lower than 4x, then you have a two chip solution (ABT1018/102).

With the one chip solution you will NOT be able to use any firmware older than the 08-0709. You can use any firmware with the two chip solution.

. Unfortunately the player does not provide "german" as selectable default language for disc and subtitles. Does anybody know the custom code for german?

Please reference page 62 of the User Manual. This has the Language Code List. German is "6869".

4. The internal drive of the Oppo is very silent when sequentially playing a disc but really loud when seeking. Is this normal?

It can be. The loader assembly itself is the same as the DV-980H. This assembly make more noise when seeking the disc. There should no noise in the middle of the feature film, however.

Try another HDMI cable.

Unfortunately I do not have another HDMI cable here, but I will buy one as soon as possible. Why do you think that 1080i may be a problem even though 1080p isn't a problem (which needs higher bandwith)?

With the one chip solution you will NOT be able to use any firmware older than the 08-0709. You can use any firmware with the two chip solution.

Thus there is one file for all batches? I've assumed that each batch needs a different firmware file to be downloaded.

Thanks for your quick answer!

Unfortunately I do not have another HDMI cable here, but I will buy one as soon as possible. Why do you think that 1080i may be a problem even though 1080p isn't a problem (which needs higher bandwith)?
I would just try another cable to ensure it is not related to a bad pin, connection, or dropped bandwidth. Snow, sparkles, or other isolated visual errors are almost always associable to a bad cable.
Thus there is one file for all batches? I've assumed that each batch needs a different firmware file to be downloaded.
All firmware revisions which are 08-0709 incorporate instructions which are compatible with all hardware revisions. It is only an issue with reverting to older firmware where the single chip solutions will have dropout and other errors at 1080p.

I was just curious if you guys could offer some help.
I have the 983 and currently its connected to a 32" Insignia brand LCD via HDMI.
The player is updated with the latest firmware also.
I have tried a few different things like changing cables, turning my tv's internal noise reductions etc... and I have a problem with any dvd material that fills up the viewing area like 1:85 or lower aspect ratio.
What occurs is something like the old vhs tracking issue where the top of picture almost looks like it's jumping or off kilter. Usually lasts just a few seconds and if I replay the dvd it does not happen again. I should also note the dvds this has happened on were all region 1 or 0 ntsc.
Any help or insight would be appreciated. Also I have contacted oppo but it seems like I'm getting rudimentary responses.

I was just curious if you guys could offer some help.
I have the 983 and currently its connected to a 32" Insignia brand LCD via HDMI.
The player is updated with the latest firmware also.
I have tried a few different things like changing cables, turning my tv's internal noise reductions etc... and I have a problem with any dvd material that fills up the viewing area like 1:85 or lower aspect ratio.
What occurs is something like the old vhs tracking issue where the top of picture almost looks like it's jumping or off kilter. Usually lasts just a few seconds and if I replay the dvd it does not happen again. I should also note the dvds this has happened on were all region 1 or 0 ntsc.
Any help or insight would be appreciated. Also I have contacted oppo but it seems like I'm getting rudimentary responses.

Image "tearing" is generally an interlacing issue, and should not happen on normal discs, but could happen on discs that are very badly authored or encoded. I've never seen it on my 983, and have fed it come pretty questionable discs.

I received my Oppo 983H last Friday. Set it up -- worked perfectly - DVDs, SACDs & DVD Audio (SACDs & DVD Audio through 5.1 analog outputs). Two days later I go to play an SACD and there is distortion from the analog outputs. I reinstalled my old SACD player to see if it was the player or my preamp/processor. The old one worked fine so it must be the Oppo. Any ideas on what the distortion is from?

Image "tearing" is generally an interlacing issue, and should not happen on normal discs, but could happen on discs that are very badly authored or encoded. I've never seen it on my 983, and have fed it come pretty questionable discs.

So then basically there isn't anything to do?
The confusing part is that when I replay the secenes they play just fine again... could you shed some more light on why this is?
Could this be strictly a TV issue at all? I'm sort of a newb when it comes to the technical stuff. I bought this because I like to watch of cult horror kung fu movies and I bought this DVD player to eventually match with a DLP I plan to purchase soon. if this won't happen on a DLP I can live with the problem until then.


The specific discs I remember this happening to are

Chocolate Region 0 disc (from Malaysia)
The Rebel Region 1 Dragon Dynasty
Curse Of The Devil Region1 BCI/Deimos
The Protector Region 1 Dragon Dynasty

Anyone else happen to watch these and have any issues or have them play fine? Thanks.

So then basically there isn't anything to do?


What resolution are you currently using and have you tried each of the HDMI resolution settings in turn to see if its related to the resolution you are currently set to?

...I have a problem with any dvd material that fills up the viewing area like 1:85 or lower aspect ratio.
What occurs is something like the old vhs tracking issue where the top of picture almost looks like it's jumping or off kilter. Usually lasts just a few seconds and if I replay the dvd it does not happen again. I should also note the dvds this has happened on were all region 1 or 0 ntsc.
Any help or insight would be appreciated. Also I have contacted oppo but it seems like I'm getting rudimentary responses. Be patient with OPPO and work with them. They know the best sequence of things to check, in order to isolate the problem.

Its strange that it occurs with any NTSC DVD that fills the viewing area. I assume you have an NTSC TV? If so, check that the player's "TV TYPE" has been set to "NTSC", not "PAL".

If the native resolution of your TV is less than 1080p (like 768p), the player should ideally be set to 720p for best performance, but also try 480p and 1080i.

Gary

I tried last night setting the oppo 983 and the optoma hd65 to YCbCr and the picture turned very redish. So I set it back to RGB video and automatic on the projector and the picture looked normal.
Strange that it won't work although both machines claim their acceptability of YCbCr.

. . . I have a problem with any dvd material that fills up the viewing area like 1:85 or lower aspect ratio. What occurs is something like the old vhs tracking issue where the top of picture almost looks like it's jumping or off kilter. Usually lasts just a few seconds and if I replay the dvd it does not happen again. I should also note the dvds this has happened on were all region 1 or 0 ntsc. . . .

Go to page 29 of the DVDO Edge thread (similar processor to the 983)
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1051246&page=29
and scroll down to the pictures in posts 1713 and 1721.

Is this what you are seeing?

Those pics in the other thread aren't really what I'm seeing. What I see is about 1-2 inches on the top of the screens the lines sort of blur almost as if like film strip was bent up..? I hope that description helps some. It usually only apears for about 30 sec - 1 min or so and then goes away. As far as I can tell it really has nothing to do with how much movement there is on screen as it's happened when the was just dialogue.

tv is a 1366x768 resoultion and the setting I have been using is 720p

also the dvds are either of new movies or excellently restored discs so it should not be a film source clean up issue.

If the native resolution of your TV is less than 1080p (like 768p), the player should ideally be set to 720p for best performance, but also try 480p and 1080i.For whatever reason, I get better results running 1080i to my 720p projector.

I don't pretend to know why, I just know what my eyes see. I did lots of A/B tests... it's a stark difference. It might be that anything under 1080 gets run through my AV receiver's video processor (:mad: @ HK) or it could be some bizarre scaling issue.

Last night I was playing some DVD-A and SACD discs on my 983 and noticed something odd and I'm wondering if this is normal.

I would play a disc and change inputs on my TV to an input that had constant motion (OTA TV) so the static image from the disc would not display. When I would change back to the HDMI input for the OPPO, the music being played would have a brief audio drop-out. I noticed this every time I changed inputs on the TV back to the HDMI input for the OPPO. Is this something I need to be concerned with?

Last night I was playing some DVD-A and SACD discs on my 983 and noticed something odd and I'm wondering if this is normal.

I would play a disc and change inputs on my TV to an input that had constant motion (OTA TV) so the static image from the disc would not display. When I would change back to the HDMI input for the OPPO, the music being played would have a brief audio drop-out. I noticed this every time I changed inputs on the TV back to the HDMI input for the OPPO. Is this something I need to be concerned with?

This is HDMI handshaking, and is normal. Actually, yours sounds like it's faster than most. Welcome to the wonderful world of HDMI.:rolleyes:

Its strange that it occurs with any NTSC DVD that fills the viewing area. I assume you have an NTSC TV?

It is not strange if these discs are poorly mastered. I have some official Hong Kong and Singapore DVDs which are poorly encoded in NTSC, with bad flags galore. This causes major issues with proper de-interlacing and scaling.

As far as I can tell it really has nothing to do with how much movement there is on screen as it's happened when the was just dialogue.

If you disable the subtitles, do you have the same visual errors?

Can you take pictures of your problem?

If you disable the subtitles, do you have the same visual errors?

Can you take pictures of your problem?

You know come to think of it these were all subtitled movies that had the issue.
I can try to take pictures but the problem is so brief and i never know when it's going to happen. If i try and reverse and replay the scene it usually won't happen again.

I would just try another cable to ensure it is not related to a bad pin, connection, or dropped bandwidth. Snow, sparkles, or other isolated visual errors are almost always associable to a bad cable.

All firmware revisions which are 08-0709 incorporate instructions which are compatible with all hardware revisions. It is only an issue with reverting to older firmware where the single chip solutions will have dropout and other errors at 1080p.

What exactly are sparkles? :confused:

Sparkles = colored colored dots. You will usually see these around edges which are around high contrast areas.

Sparkles = colored colored dots. You will usually see these around edges which are around high contrast areas.

Thanks! :)

Damn this is a great player, Just watched the 20th Anniversary DVD of "Child's Play" on it and it looked amazing. Granted the DVD is of a high quality anyway, but still!

My only grumble is that sometimes when I try to close the tray the blue circle around the eject button on the player stays on and the tray won't close till I push it in with my finger.

The eject button on the player requires a more deliberate push... pausing for a half-second as you press it, perhaps to avoid ejecting after an accidental press.

Gary

Ah I see. I'll start doing that from now on and see if it eliminates the problem. It is strange. The "Close/open" text is displayed at the top left of my screen but the tray just won't budge until I push it with my finger.

De-interlacing Mode 2:2 Even / 2:2 Odd / Auto
Video Mode Video 2
TV Type Auto / PAL (no differences)
720p
Latest PAL firmware

I watched more then 25 PAL discs.
Forcing one of the 2:2 Modes brings good movie quality but then the subtitles are combing.
Chanching to the other 2:2 Mode brings good subtitles but then the movie is combing.
Auto does not perform well either :mad:

Can anybody help me please? :confused:

I can't stand the errors in the subtitles :(
In the past, I used Yamaha, Silvercrest and Pioneer and they didn't have these error!
All had Mediatek decoders.
I now this because I like to open up things :p
It's frustating that Oppo can not fix this.
But I trust them and keep on hoping.

Subtitles can suffer from sync to frame issues. As you have noted, you can improve the sync to frame with subtitles, but at the expense of video quality. In the current state, you will just need to which is more important: video or subtitles.

I can't stand the errors in the subtitles :(
In the past, I used Yamaha, Silvercrest and Pioneer and they didn't have these error!
All had Mediatek decoders.
I now this because I like to open up things :p
It's frustating that Oppo can not fix this.
But I trust them and keep on hoping.

I agree, the subtitle issue is getting quite annoying. I hope they can fix it, although I'm not sure they'll be able to.

However, this issue really must be fixed in their upcoming blu-ray player...

cheers

Having a hearing loss,I use sub titles with every movie i pop in..
And to tell the truth,it really doesn't bother me all that much....I know that the price of this player dictates that subs should be perfect....but I will start to worry when pencils are made without erasers....
To me,it's a very small price to pay for the superb PQ I get with the OPPO playing thru my 60" elite..If I had a choice between a flawless sd Player,or my present OPPO...guess what my choice would be?? And what would you guys do??:;)

The eject button on the player requires a more deliberate push... pausing for a half-second as you press it, perhaps to avoid ejecting after an accidental press.

Gary

Nope it's definitley faulty. It won't even close when you turn the power off now. Being replaced wednesday.

started an instant problem with my 983, when i turn on the player the regular picture appear on the screen but after a moment the video signal goes out, i thought maybe it was an active screensaver so i press the eject button to load a disc but still no picture appear so i checked the hdmi connection and the connection looks fine then i turn it off and on again the picture appear and suddenly it happened again no picture, so i unplugged it and leaved it for an hour and i tried it again and it works fine now, used it for 3 hours and it never happened again, why is it i experieced these? i asking these because i'm afraid it might happened again.

This is a classic HDCP handshaking error. Try replacing your HDMI cables and trying another software installation.

Any chance Oppo will consider a firmware change to eliminate the User Operation Prohibition (UOP) on DVDs (such as the fbi warning or coming attractions)?

Any chance Oppo will consider a firmware change to eliminate the User Operation Prohibition (UOP) on DVDs (such as the fbi warning or coming attractions)? Don't know.

Do you know about the STOP then MENU button trick? Or hitting MENU as the "DVD-Video" message appears during loading? These techniques can bypass a few of those annoying UOP's.

Gary

This is a classic HDCP handshaking error. Try replacing your HDMI cables and trying another software installation.

thanks Neuromancer, may i know what does HDCP handshaking error means? does that mean my hdmi cable was defect? when i bought these player last september i watched several movies with these new hdmi cables without experiencing these problem except last sunday, and it has the latest firmware on it before the new beta firmware.

may i know what does HDCP handshaking error means?
HDCP (High-Definition Digital Copy Protection) is an anti-piracy protocol that requires an HDMI-equipped device like the 983H negotiate a "handshake" with a display that identifies itself via HDCP as being an approved display device.

i have searched theis thread as best as i could, but i have not read all 145 pages. i am ready to buy this player, could someone list the current bugs/issues this player has as of today using the current firmware.

1) no seamless layer change (although many have reported pretty good)
2) subtitle combing (is this for pal only?)
3) hdmi handshaking (although i don't see this as an oppo problem)

thank you all very much for the help.

1) no seamless layer change (although many have reported pretty good)

I've seen it, but it is too quick for me to measure. Some small fraction of a second.

2) subtitle combing (is this for pal only?)

On NTSC discs I see subtitle breakup about once per hour.

3) hdmi handshaking (although i don't see this as an oppo problem)


Working pretty well, I think, although problem combinations are always a possibility.

-Bill

i have searched theis thread as best as i could, but i have not read all 145 pages. i am ready to buy this player, could someone list the current bugs/issues this player has as of today using the current firmware.

1) no seamless layer change (although many have reported pretty good)
2) subtitle combing (is this for pal only?)
3) hdmi handshaking (although i don't see this as an oppo problem)

thank you all very much for the help.

I have experienced neither 1 or 3. Subtitles breaking up is very rare and brief when it occurs. Considering the complexity of the player and the multitude of features, it's very bug-free.

I have experienced neither 1 or 3. Subtitles breaking up is very rare and brief when it occurs. Considering the complexity of the player and the multitude of features, it's very bug-free.

This is also my experience.

. . . 3) hdmi handshaking (although i don't see this as an oppo problem)The only "won't work with" I'm aware of is the Yamaha RX-Z11. I'd get confirmation on the Denon 4308, which won't work with the similar-to-983-VP-chipset DVDO Edge.

I am interested in controlling my new DV-983H with the remote that came with my Onkyo PR-SC885 preamp. I have been able to do this successfully with my Panasonic blu-ray player and my DirecTV receiver. Onkyo lists "1251" as the correct Oppo code. However, this does not work. Nor do any of the codes suggested on page 47 of the 983H's manual. Can you offer any further suggestions?

Turn on "Alt RC Code" in the 983H setup and use some of the codes listed for Toshiba DVD players - it won't get you all of the controls, but it will get you all of the standard controls.

You can also try codes from Marantz and Philips, though I have found the Toshiba controls to be the most usable.

Hello all first time poster.

I currently have the Sony BDP-S350 for watching up-converted DVDs and am wondering if the upconversion quality on the Oppo dv-983h is worth upgrading or am I better off just sticking with the S350. Btw I am viewing a 50 inch 1080p plasma tv from 10 feet away.

Thanks.

Hello all first time poster.

I currently have the Sony BDP-S350 for watching up-converted DVDs and am wondering if the upconversion quality on the Oppo dv-983h is worth upgrading or am I better off just sticking with the S350. Btw I am viewing a 50 inch 1080p plasma tv from 10 feet away.

Thanks.

"Worth" is subjective. What kind of improvement are you looking for? In general, the difference between better quality players is more subtle than dramatic.

Are you using a calibration disc? I would put some time into that before buying new hardware.

-Bill

"Worth" is subjective. What kind of improvement are you looking for? In general, the difference between better quality players is more subtle than dramatic.

Are you using a calibration disc? I would put some time into that before buying new hardware.

-Bill


I have used a calibration disc with great results. The reason I'm considering the dv-983h is that I want the best possible picture quality for DVDs and I'm just curious if the Oppo would give me that in relation to the S350 or is the difference so subtle it's barely detectable.

Turn on "Alt RC Code" in the 983H setup and use some of the codes listed for Toshiba DVD players - it won't get you all of the controls, but it will get you all of the standard controls.

Thanks for the quick response, guys. I should have noted that Alt RC Code is turned on. I tried the Toshiba codes (again) and still no joy. One more remote on the coffee table isn't that big a deal, but still...

Brandon: I have a Panasonic DMP-BD50 which I would say is comparable to your S350. The difference between my now retired Toshiba SD-9200 and the 983H was fairly dramatic; the difference between the BD50 and 983H less so. [A well-masteded DVD will show more improvement than a poorly mastered one.] But, as wmcclain said, worth is subjective. I'm a graphic designer, so I'm highly attuned to visual quality. Although I don't own a lot of SD-DVDs, I get a steady supply of them from Netflix and I wanted the best VQ I could get; everything I read said the 983H was the way to go. Also, if you're interested in audio, the 938H will play both SACD and DVD-A. I only have a DVD-A demo disc, but it's quite impressive. I'll be looking into those in the future.

If $400 is in your budget and you watch a lot of standard definition DVDs, I say go for it. But yes, the difference will be subtle.

Brandon: I have a Panasonic DMP-BD50 which I would say is comparable to your S350. The difference between my now retired Toshiba SD-9200 and the 983H was fairly dramatic; the difference between the BD50 and 983H less so. [A well-masteded DVD will show more improvement than a poorly mastered one.] But, as wmcclain said, worth is subjective. I'm a graphic designer, so I'm highly attuned to visual quality. Although I don't own a lot of SD-DVDs, I get a steady supply of them from Netflix and I wanted the best VQ I could get; everything I read said the 983H was the way to go. Also, if you're interested in audio, the 938H will play both SACD and DVD-A. I only have a DVD-A demo disc, but it's quite impressive. I'll be looking into those in the future.

If $400 is in your budget and you watch a lot of standard definition DVDs, I say go for it. But yes, the difference will be subtle.

Thanks Hawkster I guess I'll just go ahead and get it.

I have used a calibration disc with great results. The reason I'm considering the dv-983h is that I want the best possible picture quality for DVDs and I'm just curious if the Oppo would give me that in relation to the S350 or is the difference so subtle it's barely detectable.

Maybe you should wait a couple months for the Oppo BDP-83 and kill both birds with one stone? I would. ;) Then you can sell the Sony. If you buy the 983 now you might regret it when the BDP-83 comes out.

maybe you should wait a couple months for the oppo bdp-83 and kill both birds with one stone? I would. ;) then you can sell the sony. If you buy the 983 now you might regret it when the bdp-83 comes out.

+1

I have to say that I've lost some confidence in Oppo.

I reported some problems with a DVD and SACD on the 983. Oppo confirmed the problems and promised a fix. That was many months ago, and no fix yet. I'm quite sure Oppo has decided not to address these issues. That makes me less desirous of getting any future player from Oppo, given their promises to fix problems that they don't fulfill.

I have to say that I've lost some confidence in Oppo.

I reported some problems with a DVD and SACD on the 983. Oppo confirmed the problems and promised a fix. That was many months ago, and no fix yet. I'm quite sure Oppo has decided not to address these issues. That makes me less desirous of getting any future player from Oppo, given their promises to fix problems that they don't fulfill.

To denounce Oppo to the masses, will require more specifics on your part.
Do you have direct/exact quotes on what Oppo told you they would do? What did they promise? What is the problem? Is the problem even fixable?

I'm quite sure Oppo has decided not to address these issues.

How are you so sure? Did Oppo tell you directly that they "decided not to address these issues"? What exactly did they say when you contacted them concerning your "issues" or did you even contact them to follow up on this?

A description of the actual problem, might indeed, be helpful.

That makes me less desirous of getting any future player from Oppo, given their promises to fix problems that they don't fulfill. You'd better be prepared to provide proof of these claims... You just threw chum in the water!

Even if they did promise to fix it, they likely did not give you an estimated resolution date, because some seemingly minor issues can be much harder to fix than you'd expect.

Since you say you reported problems with a DVD and SACD, I'm sure that the issue would not be regarded as their highest priority. We understand that they are also working hard on their Blu-Ray player, so we would expect non-critical fixes on the 983 to be delayed for a while. They're a small team.

Hang in there, I'm sure they'll get around to it... if it's possible to fix, that is.

Gary

I have used a calibration disc with great results. The reason I'm considering the dv-983h is that I want the best possible picture quality for DVDs and I'm just curious if the Oppo would give me that in relation to the S350 or is the difference so subtle it's barely detectable.

I watch at a 50" plasma at about 10', and I am surprised how much better the 983 is when compared to the new Panasonic BD35. Value is subjective, but there is a clear difference to my eyes.

I watch at a 50" plasma at about 10', and I am surprised how much better the 983 is when compared to the new Panasonic BD35. Value is subjective, but there is a clear difference to my eyes.This is exactly what I've been hoping to hear. I'm glad I waited on the BD35 then... I'll hold out for the new OPPO Blu-Ray player (92" screen).

This is exactly what I've been hoping to hear. I'm glad I waited on the BD35 then... I'll hold out for the new OPPO Blu-Ray player (92" screen).

But will the new Oppo Blu Ray player be multi-region for DVD's? The Oppo 983 is.

But will the new Oppo Blu Ray player be multi-region for DVD's? The Oppo 983 is.Not an issue for me, but I understand it's a big issue for some people.

I've got the cash right now to buy this the second it comes out. Although I should probably let some other people hammer on it for a bit first and post their reviews, just in-case. Heh. I almost bought the Panasonic BD50, and a few months later the much-better BD55 comes out (as well as the BD35, which was even a better-fit for me).

I just hope <CENSORED> can post his experiences with the new player from beta testing once it's officially released. I assume releasing it releases him from his NDA.

But will the new Oppo Blu Ray player be multi-region for DVD's? The Oppo 983 is.

That was my understanding as well. However, on page 61 of my DV-983H owner's manual it states, "Region Management Information: This DVD player is designed and manufactured to respond to the region management information. If the region number of a DVD disc does not correspond to the region number of this DVD player, this DVD player cannot play the disc. The region number for this DVD player is region No. 1." [italics added]

So, has Oppo added Region Management to newer units, or are people confusing multiregion with the 983's NTSC and PAL compatibility?

That was my understanding as well. However, on page 61 of my DV-983H owner's manual it states, "Region Management Information: This DVD player is designed and manufactured to respond to the region management information. If the region number of a DVD disc does not correspond to the region number of this DVD player, this DVD player cannot play the disc. The region number for this DVD player is region No. 1." [italics added]

So, has Oppo added Region Management to newer units, or are people confusing multiregion with the 983's NTSC and PAL compatibility?

Well all region's work in mine.

I think you mean the player is a native R1 DVD player, but it can be made multi region with a simple hack. Mine came unlocked.

Someone will be along with the code I'm sure. I can just remember it's something like 90210...

The procedure to make the player region free is in the 1st post of this thread. Have there ever been any Oppo players that weren't capable of being region free? I can't remember any.

All of their players have used the same procedure (which is covered in the first post of this thread and other OPPO DVD threads) to allow the user to change the region code from 1 to any other region (including 0 to be completely region free). It is an undocumented feature, however, so as far as the manual is concerned it is a region 1 player only.

All of their players have used the same procedure (which is covered in the first post of this thread and other OPPO DVD threads) to allow the user to change the region code from 1 to any other region (including 0 to be completely region free). It is an undocumented feature, however, so as far as the manual is concerned it is a region 1 player only.

Much thanks. I shouldn't have just jumped in at the end of this long thread, I guess.

Hi

I've more or less solved one of the subtitle issues I had with DivX .srt files (truncation and line breaks not functioning) and the 983.

What I do is I'm using a nifty little program called "AVIAddXSubs". It really is brilliant. What it does is that it compiles the .srt and DivX file into one avi file. Which then can be transferred to a USB stick or burned onto disc. The great thing with AVIAddXSubs is that one can add several subtitle files, choose the font size, position, color, outline, etc.

One then uses the remote to choose the subtitle file. It works great with the 983!

The rendered AVI file works just like a regular DVD (with the occasional issues that goes for all discs, but this is much better than what it used to be).

Best of all, it takes less than 2-3 minutes to render a 700Mb file.

I was very happy when it turned out to work so well with the subtitle short comings of the 983.

Cheers

You'd better be prepared to provide proof of these claims... You just threw chum in the water!

Even if they did promise to fix it, they likely did not give you an estimated resolution date, because some seemingly minor issues can be much harder to fix than you'd expect.

Since you say you reported problems with a DVD and SACD, I'm sure that the issue would not be regarded as their highest priority. We understand that they are also working hard on their Blu-Ray player, so we would expect non-critical fixes on the 983 to be delayed for a while. They're a small team.

Hang in there, I'm sure they'll get around to it... if it's possible to fix, that is.

Gary

Yes, I'm aware that I threw chum in the water.

The DVD issue was with some of the first James Bond DVDs. After the intro, the movie itself is heavily pixelated. It's been at least three months since I reported it. I even sent them the movie. It was either Dr. No or From Russia With Love. Oppo confirmed the problem and felt it was related to the video decoder. Not really a big deal with regard to this particular movie, as I have been replaced with later versions and now BD, but the concern was for other DVDs that I haven't played recently, but may in the future.

The SACD was a recording of Scheherazade. One track, number 4, would not play. The title of the track was very long and Oppo felt the length of the title might be the problem, perhaps an out of bounds string pointer. They obtained a copy of the SACD disk and confirmed the problem.

As I said, it's been at least 3 months, if not longer. So my patience has certainly been there. They have my name and email address. But so far, no fix and not communication.

I know they are working hard on the BD player. But previous players should be supported on an ongoing basis. Will problems with their first generation BD player be ignored when there next BD player comes out?

Yes, I'm aware that I threw chum in the water.

The DVD issue was with some of the first James Bond DVDs. After the intro, the movie itself is heavily pixelated. It's been at least three months since I reported it. I even sent them the movie. It was either Dr. No or From Russia With Love. Oppo confirmed the problem and felt it was related to the video decoder. Not really a big deal with regard to this particular movie, as I have been replaced with later versions and now BD, but the concern was for other DVDs that I haven't played recently, but may in the future.

The SACD was a recording of Scheherazade. One track, number 4, would not play. The title of the track was very long and Oppo felt the length of the title might be the problem, perhaps an out of bounds string pointer. They obtained a copy of the SACD disk and confirmed the problem.

As I said, it's been at least 3 months, if not longer. So my patience has certainly been there. They have my name and email address. But so far, no fix and not communication.

I know they are working hard on the BD player. But previous players should be supported on an ongoing basis. Will problems with their first generation BD player be ignored when there next BD player comes out?
Reality check:
In both those cases the issue is the disc either directly or indirectly. What other hardware maker can you name who would even ask for the disc for testing or even discuss it with you? No player can handle 100% of the off-spec or odd-ball discs in the world. Oppo is limited by the support from the chip makers, they can't fix things if the chip maker doesn't have a fix for them to apply, unless the issue is in the firmware code. Even then, they may have to wait for the chip maker to supply corrective code. It's just not as simple as ignoring the issue or not ignoring it. You may well be the one and only person to report these 2 issues.

As I said, it's been at least 3 months, if not longer. So my patience has certainly been there. They have my name and email address. But so far, no fix and not communication.

I know they are working hard on the BD player. But previous players should be supported on an ongoing basis. Will problems with their first generation BD player be ignored when there next BD player comes out? So OPPO confirmed the problem, but did they promise a fix?

Even if they were working on the 983 full-time, 3 months is a short time to fix particularly troublesome problems, and OPPO always tries to consolidate a bunch of fixes into a single FW upgrade to minimize the impact to the customer.

Their previous players are never ignored when a new one is released, but updates could certainly be delayed.

Gary

This afternoon I watched Get Smart and noticed a lot of jaggies or aliasing on my 983. I then put in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and noticed the same thing. Just to confirm my 983 is running in 1080P. I don't seem to recall having this problem before. My 983 goes between my Onkyo 875 receiver with a 3' HDMI cable then a 6' cable from the receiver to the input on the TV. My receiver is set for pass through on HDMI sources so it does not interfere with the processing of the players. So I doubt the receiver has anything to do with it. I tried a blu ray in a different player that's hooked up the same way and no jaggies. So I suspect its something with the 983. Any ideas what this mind be caused from and how to fix it?

Make sure the DVD player's De-Interlacing is still at Auto or Film.

Ensure that your output resolution is indeed set to 1080p.

I found two issues with the 983 when playing sacd discs and wonder if anyone here has had the same issue(s).

1) Occasionally, while playing a track, the machine will skip to the next track. I've just noticed this in the past couple of months, now that I'm playing more sacd's and notice it more when skipping to the next track in session.

2) When there's a scrolling of the artist/album/song title, there are symbols (two) that follow at the end. I seem to remember noticing the scrolling issue after installing the latest firmware.

Using Beta Test Version:
DV983H-11-0910

Some discs will terminate the track prematurely. An example of this is David Bowie "Heathen". Known issue: not resolved.

Don't know what the symbols are. Have not payed attention to the SACD OSD.

The SACD was a recording of Scheherazade. One track, number 4, would not play. The title of the track was very long and Oppo felt the length of the title might be the problem, perhaps an out of bounds string pointer. They obtained a copy of the SACD disk and confirmed the problem.


Which SACD of Scheherazade? I have the RCA Living Stereo 3ch SACD and every track plays OK. Track 4 does have a very long name however.

Make sure the DVD player's De-Interlacing is still at Auto or Film.

Ensure that your output resolution is indeed set to 1080p.

Thanks for the tips. I will check these out tomorrow since I am now at work.

I did check it and its running in 1080P. Not sure about the De-Interlacing being set to Auto or Film. Before heading off to work I did check out the set up menu and I did not see a De-Interlacing option in the setup menu. Just where is the De-Interlacing option?

I've more or less solved one of the subtitle issues I had with DivX .srt files (truncation and line breaks not functioning) and the 983.
Thanks for sharing your solution!

Now let's hope OPPO will solve the subtitle strikethrough issue and we're all set. ;)

Btw, I sent a mail to them asking how likely it is that the strikethrough issue will be fixed. The answer was the standard "We are working with our engineers to resolve subtitle errors, but at this time we do not have any firmware which can address this concern."

Has anyone(s) posted the optimal settings for the 983H when hooked up to a professionally ISF calibrated TV? I have the 983 and a great Samsung 67" LED DLP set. Please advise. Thanks!

Has anyone(s) posted the optimal settings for the 983H when hooked up to a professionally ISF calibrated TV? I have the 983 and a great Samsung 67" LED DLP set. Please advise. Thanks!

Several of us like sharpness set to -2 or -1. Otherwise leave the video settings at zero or off unless you have reason to move them.

-Bill

I found two issues with the 983 when playing sacd discs and wonder if anyone here has had the same issue(s).

1) Occasionally, while playing a track, the machine will skip to the next track. I've just noticed this in the past couple of months, now that I'm playing more sacd's and notice it more when skipping to the next track in session.

2) When there's a scrolling of the artist/album/song title, there are symbols (two) that follow at the end. I seem to remember noticing the scrolling issue after installing the latest firmware.

Using Beta Test Version:
DV983H-11-0910

Some discs will terminate the track prematurely. An example of this is David Bowie "Heathen". Known issue: not resolved.

Don't know what the symbols are. Have not payed attention to the SACD OSD.

Last night, I reverted back to the current non-beta firmware DV983H-07-0619. This seems to have taken care of the scrolling symbol problem.

Has anyone(s) posted the optimal settings for the 983H when hooked up to a professionally ISF calibrated TV? I have the 983 and a great Samsung 67" LED DLP set. Please advise. Thanks!

There's no need to make any picture settings in the player at all. Some folks prefer -1 on the sharpness, but I find that on a properly calibrated display this is not beneficial. Just leave the picture settings alone and use the correct color space for your monitor setup. You may also find that "auto" works fine for color space.

There's no need to make any picture settings in the player at all. Some folks prefer -1 on the sharpness, but I find that on a properly calibrated display this is not beneficial. Just leave the picture settings alone and use the correct color space for your monitor setup. You may also find that "auto" works fine for color space.


Thanks for your opinion. Much appreciated. On a Samsung HL67A750 LED DLP set, which color space should I be using with the 983? Thanks.

Thanks for your opinion. Much appreciated. On a Samsung HL67A750 LED DLP set, which color space should I be using with the 983? Thanks.


It shouldnt matter. However, my Samsung 6188 doesnt do the transformation between YCC and RGB very well. Eliab's calibration instruments were RGB so setting the oppo to RGB resulted in the Brightness and Contrast being absolutely perfect with the display calibration defaults. Using YCC out of the Oppo LOOKED good but I had to set the display brightness/contrast quite a bit off of the defaults. Note that the problem here is with my Samsung.. not the Oppo. The same result can be seen with the PS3 between YCC and RGB output.

EDIT: Clarification

Thanks for your opinion. Much appreciated. On a Samsung HL67A750 LED DLP set, which color space should I be using with the 983? Thanks.
Whichever the A750 is set for. I also have an A750, it has multiple settings for wide color space and black levels, the 983 needs to be set appropriately. Try auto first, and if you have a calibration disc for setting blacks and whites, use it to find which setting gives you the correct black level. The A750 accepts all flavors of color space.

There's no need to make any picture settings in the player at all. Some folks prefer -1 on the sharpness, but I find that on a properly calibrated display this is not beneficial. Just leave the picture settings alone and use the correct color space for your monitor setup. You may also find that "auto" works fine for color space.
I find quite a bit of ringing on a Sharpness level of 0 - much less so on -2. Am I missing something? My display is an Pioneer Elite Kuro 111FD, and it is not yet ISF calibrated. I have set it up per the D-Nice settings in the Kuro thread though.

I find quite a bit of ringing on a Sharpness level of 0 - much less so on -2. Am I missing something?

A lot of people have found the same. -2 gives the best test pattern; I leave it at -1, but it's a matter of personal preference.

-Bill

I find quite a bit of ringing on a Sharpness level of 0 - much less so on -2. Am I missing something? My display is an Pioneer Elite Kuro 111FD, and it is not yet ISF calibrated. I have set it up per the D-Nice settings in the Kuro thread though.

I have the 151FD and use it with my 983H. Although there is ringing on test patterns at 0, it is not visible to my eyes at my seating of 11ft.

I find quite a bit of ringing on a Sharpness level of 0 - much less so on -2. Am I missing something? My display is an Pioneer Elite Kuro 111FD, and it is not yet ISF calibrated. I have set it up per the D-Nice settings in the Kuro thread though.

Depends on the monitor I think. With sharpness set to "0", my Sammy has no ringing at all with the 983 set to "0". Setting the 983 to "-1" produces some softness or does nothing at all depending on the disc. Many displays use EE and HF boost regardless of the sharpness settings, and a variety of other picture "enhancements" also include EE and HF boosts. If there's no other way to acceptably eliminate that from your monitor setup, then using the 983's setting would be a solution.

I have the 151FD and use it with my 983H. Although there is ringing on test patterns at 0, it is not visible to my eyes at my seating of 11ft.

Same here, 983 to a 5010, main seating at 11 ft. I can't see any ringing at this distance either.

John

I just watched my first 3D movie ever, "Journey to the center of the earth". with my Oppo 983 on my 92" projection screen

Damn it's fun, my 4 years old son was trying to touch moving things in the movie........ the only problem i can see is these stupid paper 3D glasses, does anyone knows where i can find good 3D glasses with plastic frames,something like sunglasses, i know there are "kind" of 2 types: blue/red and green/red.........are there some other kind i'm missing.

Sacha

I just watched my first 3D movie ever, "Journey to the center of the earth". with my Oppo 983 on my 92" projection screen

Damn it's fun, my 4 years old son was trying to touch moving things in the movie........ the only problem i can see is these stupid paper 3D glasses, does anyone knows where i can find good 3D glasses with plastic frames,something like sunglasses, i know there are "kind" of 2 types: blue/red and green/red.........are there some other kind i'm missing.

Sacha

I haven't dealt with this place: http://www.rainbowsymphonystore.com/3dglasses.html but I have them bookmarked for their paper Solar Eclipse glasses. They have plastic 3D glasses and specifically mention what you need for JOURNEY... , but I don't see that style available in plastic. You might contact them.

-Bill

I just watched my first 3D movie ever, "Journey to the center of the earth". with my Oppo 983 on my 92" projection screen

Damn it's fun, my 4 years old son was trying to touch moving things in the movie........ the only problem i can see is these stupid paper 3D glasses, does anyone knows where i can find good 3D glasses with plastic frames,something like sunglasses, i know there are "kind" of 2 types: blue/red and green/red.........are there some other kind i'm missing. Somewhere on AVSforum recently, I saw mention of THX glasses for this purpose. Try a search.

Gary

I find quite a bit of ringing on a Sharpness level of 0 - much less so on -2. Am I missing something? My display is an Pioneer Elite Kuro 111FD, and it is not yet ISF calibrated. Yes, the EE at the "0" Sharpness setting, annoys me too. I set it to -1, and in real-world DVD material, the EE becomes unnoticeable (unless the ringing is encoded into the DVD, of course). Sharpness test patterns are considered a fairly abnormal stress-test for ringing.

The EE comes from the ABT scaler... If I use the 480p output, the ringing disappears on my Sony LCD, but the Sony's scaler is certainly no match for the ABT.

Gary

This is a follow up to my problem regarding some pretty severe jaggies or aliasing artifacts I reported a few days ago. The problem is still there and I checked some of the other menu's and De-interlacing was set to auto by default and I switched it to film. It made no difference with the problem. I also confirmed that it was running in 1080P.

Its very odd once you notice it. Basically ever line no matter what it is that runs diagonally is jagged. It sticks out like a sore thumb on text such as opening titles and text in end credits but once noticed it affects just about everything.

What is odd is it seems to be far worse on the 983 then on players with known aliasing problems yet the Oppo should be almost completely free of any aliasing problems.

As soon as I get my digital camera back from a family member I will try and take a picture. It might not be easy to see though unless maybe I get close but its definitely there and a problem. When new I don't recall seeing it so its something it started doing not long ago.

Any ideas before I contact Oppo?

I was thinking about swapping the HDMI cable in the unlikely chance its this and then maybe trying to go direct into the TV to see if perhaps the reciever is doing something to the signal. It was reconfirmed that its running in pass through. My display is a Samsung 67" 1080P DLP rear projection. Can't remember the model off the top of my head but its the one sold at Costco a few years ago. Its a pretty good TV and I don't get aliasing on any other player. I currently have a Samsung 1400 Blu Ray player in addition to an RP62 hooked up via component cables.

I was thinking about swapping the HDMI cable in the unlikely chance its this and then maybe trying to go direct into the TV to see if perhaps the reciever is doing something to the signal. It was reconfirmed that its running in pass through..

going direct to display is the very first thing i would have tried. trying a different cable, second.

going direct to display is the very first thing i would have tried. trying a different cable, second.

Yeah I will try this tonight or tomorrow when I have the time. I am thinking its more likely the receiver is doing something to the signal then the cable being bad. Usually HDMI cables either work or don't work but some have reported odd anomalies that went away after replacing the cable.

Another thing it could be is perhaps some of the DVD's I have been watching or not mastered the best. Searching this thread others have reported severe Stair Stepping on some DVD's especially newer releases lately. So before I do anything maybe I should through in an older well mastered DVD first.

Stair stepping is the best way to describe it. The letter capital letter "A" in a title or end credits looks like a set of stairs.

Try changing the de-interlacing to Video rather than Film to see if there is an improvement in regards to aliasing errors.

Try changing the de-interlacing to Video rather than Film to see if there is an improvement in regards to aliasing errors.

My copy of Kung Fu Panda just arrived and playing with it now. I made no changes to anything other then setting the Sharpness on the 983 down to -2. A common practice in this thread. It was originally at the Default 0 position.

With this movie I don't see the least bit of aliasing anywhere in the film. The transfer is absolutely stunning. Its just as good if not slightly better then some of the Pixar stuff. So I am now wondering if its just a series of poor transfers that sent me in a panic?

I suppose its possible that at the default zero it over processes some of the edge enhancement found on so many disc. When set to -2 it no longer does it.

I suppose its possible that at the default zero it over processes some of the edge enhancement found on so many disc. When set to -2 it no longer does it. That is a possibility, but its not common with quality DVD transfers. I have observed stair-stepping on a few DVD's, and each time, it turned out to be a transfer issue. Did you compare the same problem DVD's and scenes on other players, while using the same display? The 983 should not be any worse in this regard.

Have you turned off all of the image enhancement "features" in your display? It is possible that your display is contributing to this problem too.

I assume you know that pausing the player will result in stair-stepping? The deinterlacing only occurs on moving images.

I'd say that the most common sharpness settings on this thread are -1 or 0 for normal viewing. So check for stair-stepping in "Kung Fu Panda" again, with sharpness set to -1 or 0.

Gary

Will there be any new firmware updates or is that it? If not ~ when?

That is a possibility, but its not common with quality DVD transfers. I have observed stair-stepping on a few DVD's, and each time, it turned out to be a transfer issue. Did you compare the same problem DVD's and scenes on other players, while using the same display? The 983 should not be any worse in this regard.

Have you turned off all of the image enhancement "features" in your display? It is possible that your display is contributing to this problem too.

I assume you know that pausing the player will result in stair-stepping? The deinterlacing only occurs on moving images.

I'd say that the most common sharpness settings on this thread are -1 or 0 for normal viewing. So check for stair-stepping in "Kung Fu Panda" again, with sharpness set to -1 or 0.

Gary
I notice the ringing most, actually, on the oppo's setup and info menus. To me, it is quite clear and obvious there. I don't notice it much, if at all, on source material. Just my opinion.

Will there be any new firmware updates or is that it? If not ~ when?

OPPO is always working on new software. Unfortunately they never give out release schedules or planned fixes, as these are both in flux.

Because the 983H uses ABT chips for upscaling, I keep reading about bypassing the Reon chips in my Onkyo PR-SC885P preamp, but even after studying the Onkyo manual I can't figure out how to do this. (I'm asking this in the 885 forum as well, but thought it would be OK to double down here.)

Conversely, was buying the 983H overkill, even as nice as it is? With the Reon in the 885, would I have been just as well off with the cheaper 981? Or even just sticking with my Panasonic BD50? I'd read about the mediocre SD-DVD performance of the BD50, but found the improvement with the 983H to be fairly subtle. Is the Reon in the 885 absolving most of the BD50's standard def sins?

Also, I'm using HDMI and YCC for all of my video signal paths (all of my gear does support it). Some say this is the way to go, others promote RGB. Your opinion?

Because the 983H uses ABT chips for upscaling, I keep reading about bypassing the Reon chips in my Onkyo PR-SC885P preamp, but even after studying the Onkyo manual I can't figure out how to do this. (I'm asking this in the 885 forum as well, but thought it would be OK to double down here.)

Conversely, was buying the 983H overkill, even as nice as it is? With the Reon in the 885, would I have been just as well off with the cheaper 981? Or even just sticking with my Panasonic BD50? I'd read about the mediocre SD-DVD performance of the BD50, but found the improvement with the 983H to be fairly subtle. Is the Reon in the 885 absolving most of the BD50's standard def sins?

Also, I'm using HDMI and YCC for all of my video signal paths (all of my gear does support it). Some say this is the way to go, others promote RGB. Your opinion? The first question is... can you get 480i HDMI (not 480p) from the BD50, in order to take advantage of the Reon's deinterlacing?

Secondly... how well is the Reon implemented in the Onkyo PR-SC885P? That can make a big difference. If done well, it can match the performance of the ABT, aside from the common complaint that the Reon makes the image look a wee bit "plastic" by comparison.

You wouldn't want to use the 981 if the Reon is doing the deinterlacing. It would be best to use the 480i output from the 980.

Using the YCbCr colorspace is fine, if the display handles the conversion to RGB correctly. If you're not sure, the safest option is to use RGB, because we know that the 983 does the conversion properly.

Gary

The first question is... can you get 480i HDMI (not 480p) from the BD50, in order to take advantage of the Reon's deinterlacing?

Secondly... how well is the Reon implemented in the Onkyo PR-SC885P? That can make a big difference. If done well, it can match the performance of the ABT, aside from the common complaint that the Reon makes the image look a wee bit "plastic" by comparison.

You wouldn't want to use the 981 if the Reon is doing the deinterlacing. It would be best to use the 480i output from the 980.

Using the YCbCr colorspace is fine, if the display handles the conversion to RGB correctly. If you're not sure, the safest option is to use RGB, because we know that the 983 does the conversion properly.

Gary

1> No 480i. The BD50 does Auto, 480p, 720p, 1080i, and 1080p. I've got it set to 1080p to match the TV.

2> I dunno. There's not much discussion of the 885P's Reon quality.

4> The YCC seems accurate, but maybe I'll try RGB. I do have the AVIA calibration disc. Perhaps running that would be a good place to start.

Thanks for the info.

1> No 480i. The BD50 does Auto, 480p, 720p, 1080i, and 1080p. I've got it set to 1080p to match the TV.

2> I dunno. There's not much discussion of the 885P's Reon quality. Well then, hang onto the 983 for dear life!

Gary

Because the 983H uses ABT chips for upscaling, I keep reading about bypassing the Reon chips in my Onkyo PR-SC885P preamp, but even after studying the Onkyo manual I can't figure out how to do this. (I'm asking this in the 885 forum as well, but thought it would be OK to double down here.)

Conversely, was buying the 983H overkill, even as nice as it is? With the Reon in the 885, would I have been just as well off with the cheaper 981? Or even just sticking with my Panasonic BD50? I'd read about the mediocre SD-DVD performance of the BD50, but found the improvement with the 983H to be fairly subtle. Is the Reon in the 885 absolving most of the BD50's standard def sins?

Also, I'm using HDMI and YCC for all of my video signal paths (all of my gear does support it). Some say this is the way to go, others promote RGB. Your opinion?

In relation to your question about bypassing the Reon chip in the Onkyo prepro: I have the Integra 9.8, pretty much a clone of the 885. Would seem that you are concerned about the SD "color space bug" that both the Onkyo and Integra exhibit. In short the Reon does not process the video signal to a proper Rec.709 color space with an incoming native SD source. The claim is that Green is pushed on the order of 20%. I use a colorimiter and the required software to calibrate my front projection display device. I have not seen the error that has been reported. After calibration the CIE diagram shows all targets quite close. About as close as my pj is ever going to get.

I have run both an SD calibration disc with the 983 and a BD calibration disc with my PS3. The result on the CIE diagrams are the same.

All that I can infer is that, as has been reported, all oppo units going back to the 971 properly "twist" SD DVD Rec.601 to 709 at output.

I do leave Reon on with my 9.8. My 3 year old pj is a lowly 720p unit, not to be replaced until there is a good fit LED based solution:). The Reon chip is superior in scaling 1080p material from BD discs to 720p than the PS3.

The 983 is also superior to the PS3 in upconverting SD DVD's.

The 983 as overkill? Nah, we all purchased the killer SD DVD player.

To turn off Reon processing in the 885, it must be a similar menu choice in setup to the 9.8. From the HDMI monitor out section find "resolution" and select "through".

So how is Audyssey working for you?

Cheers

Joe

To turn off Reon processing in the 885, it must be a similar menu choice in setup to the 9.8. From the HDMI monitor out section find "resolution" and select "through".

So how is Audyssey working for you?


The Audyssey is great. A 5.1 set-up takes about 20 minutes, and requires almost no tweaking. A real benefit of the 885 (but I wont' be getting rid of my SPL meter just yet.)

Much thanks.

"If you have HDMI connected while using component, the output resolution will always be restricted to 480i."

Is this also true when running an S-VHS from the 983 to the TV as well as HDMI?

<If you have HDMI connected while using component, the output resolution will always be restricted to 480i.>

Is this also true if you feed S-VHS to the TV as well as HDMI to the AV receiver?

Sorry for the double post. Damn browser.

"If you have HDMI connected while using component, the output resolution will always be restricted to 480i."

Is this also true when running an S-VHS from the 983 to the TV as well as HDMI?

The restriction applies to component, not HDMI.

By their nature, s-video and composite are limited to 480i/576i. Component is capable of HD resolutions, but HDMI must be disconnected and PRIMARY OUTPUT in setup must be set to COMPONENT.

-Bill

Careful with this topic, there is a big gotcha:

Video up-conversion over the component output is only available for unencrypted discs such as
home video and consumer-created contents. Most commercially pressed DVD discs are CSS-
encrypted and will be limited to 480i/480p resolution. This restriction applies to the component
output only. The HDMI output is protected with HDCP and has no such restriction.

Extract from 983 manual.

I patched my firmware to remove the HDCP but I don't think it works to enable the upscaling to the component output.

Careful with this topic, there is a big gotcha:

Video up-conversion over the component output is only available for unencrypted discs such as
home video and consumer-created contents. Most commercially pressed DVD discs are CSS-
encrypted and will be limited to 480i/480p resolution. This restriction applies to the component
output only. The HDMI output is protected with HDCP and has no such restriction.

Extract from 983 manual.
This is a well-known gotcha - and one that will be found on any upscaling disc player available today, not just the 983H.
I patched my firmware to remove the HDCP but I don't think it works to enable the upscaling to the component output.
I don't know of a firmware patch that will remove HDCP from the 983H or defeat this limitation. The only such patch I know of is for the 970HD (eliminates HDCP and overrides CSS encryption so that commercial DVD's can be upscaled at the component output) and the 981HD (eliminates HDCP). The 980H and 983H use a different version of the Mediatek chip and the 970HD hack doesn't work with that version of the chip - at least not for the upscaling via component output.

18-1108 Firmware (http://oppodigital.com/dv983h/dv983h-firmware-18-1108.html) has been released. The only change in this firmware versus the previous firmware is:

Improved SACD Error Handling

When playing certain SACDs and the player encounters an encoding error on the disc, previous firmware versions skip to the next track. This version handles the situation more gracefully - it ignores the error and continues to play the track. So far only two such SACD titles are identified - "Heathen by David Bowie" and "All the Way ... A Decade of Song by Celine Dion". Our test indicated that when the error is ignored there is no audible glitch.

Have they fixed the power on/no display bug?

Only if you have the original 2-chipset hardware.

Which I have.

Power on/no display bug?

I have the orginal two chip set and have never experienced a no display problem.

Darn it! :mad: :D

18-1108 Firmware (http://oppodigital.com/dv983h/dv983h-firmware-18-1108.html) has been released. The only change in this firmware versus the previous firmware is:

Improved SACD Error Handling

When playing certain SACDs and the player encounters an encoding error on the disc, previous firmware versions skip to the next track. This version handles the situation more gracefully - it ignores the error and continues to play the track. So far only two such SACD titles are identified - "Heathen by David Bowie" and "All the Way ... A Decade of Song by Celine Dion". Our test indicated that when the error is ignored there is no audible glitch.

Correction:

The following new features and improvements are included in this version:

1. PAL 4:3 DVD Aspect Ratio Detection

This version enhances the detection of PAL DVD aspect ratio. When played on a DV-983H with previous firmware versions, some PAL 4:3 DVD discs could be displayed with an incorrect aspect ratio. For example, a 4:3 movie could be displayed as 16:9 even when the "TV Display" setup menu option "16:9 Wide/Auto". With this firmware version, the DV-983H automatically detects the aspect ratio of the DVD video program. If the program is 4:3 aspect ratio, the player adds borders in order to display the video correctly on a 16:9 screen.

2. Proper Aspect Ratio for Analog Video Output

Previous firmware versions always output full screen video through the player's analog output (Component, S-Video and Video), simply because the DV-983H is designed to be used with an HDMI-equipped display device. Users can override the full screen output by setting the "TV Display" setup menu option, but any interruption of playback will restore the video to full screen. With this firmware version, when the "Primary Output" setup menu option is set to "Component" and no HDMI cable is plugged in, the aspect ratio chosen by setting the "TV Display" setup menu option will be applied. Interruption of playback, such as pausing, fast forwarding or reversing will not change the selected aspect ratio. The user still needs to select the aspect ratio at the beginning of the playback by changing the "TV Display" setup menu option. OPPO is working on applying automatic aspect ratio detection to the analog output.

3. Improved SACD Error Handling

When playing certain SACDs and the player encounters an encoding error on the disc, previous firmware versions skip to the next track. This version handles the situation more gracefully - it ignores the error and continues to play the track. So far only two such SACD titles are identified - "Heathen by David Bowie" and "All the Way ... A Decade of Song by Celine Dion". Our test indicated that when the error is ignored there is no audible glitch.

All features and improvements of the previous firmware update are also included in this version.

There is no correction needed, as all the previous enhancements of the older firmware is in this firmware. This firmware only adds one adjustment over the previous beta: proper SACD Track playback. There is no point in re-iterating the changes introduced in previous firmware releases (please reference the 11-0910 Firmware Release Notes (http://www.oppodigital.com/dv983h/dv983h-firmware-11-0910.html#RN)).

Power on/no display bug?

I have the orginal two chip set and have never experienced a no display problem.

Darn it! :mad: :D

If you had the previous BETA Firmware (11-0910) and you have the ABT1018/102 solution, then you should have experienced an issue with the HDMI not producing an image if you used Power to turn on the player. You had to use Eject in order to obtain an image.

The new firmware does not have this issue with the original two chipset hardware design.

It would be interesting to see if they fixed the SACD scrolling symbol issue from the last beta firmware. I guess, the only way to find out, is for me to install this latest firmware. Uhhh, I think I'll wait for the next non-beta official release. Thank you very much!

If you had the previous BETA Firmware (11-0910) and you have the ABT1018/102 solution, then you should have experienced an issue with the HDMI not producing an image if you used Power to turn on the player. You had to use Eject in order to obtain an image.

The new firmware does not have this issue with the original two chipset hardware design.

I did install the last beta firmware but never did have that issue. My issue was with the two symbols after the title, track, etc. within the SACD menu.

I don't know of a firmware patch that will remove HDCP from the 983H or defeat this limitation. The only such patch I know of is for the 970HD (eliminates HDCP and overrides CSS encryption so that commercial DVD's can be upscaled at the component output) and the 981HD (eliminates HDCP). The 980H and 983H use a different version of the Mediatek chip and the 970HD hack doesn't work with that version of the chip - at least not for the upscaling via component output.

I patched this firmware http://oppodigital.com/dv983h/dv983h-firmware-07-0619.html for the 983 successfully with patch http://www.box.net/shared/ak0jg6gbc0 removing HDCP.
I indeed read many blog posts about this before trying and I wasn't sure it will work for the 983,,, but it did.
It seems that this patch only flip a bit in the firmware that disable the HDCP encoding. It is not linked to the hardware.

Gam

Hi.

I have just bought the 983H and I am having som problems playing a DVD -R disc. When I insert the disc I get the message "unknown disc". I have burned the DVD my self on my computer and the computer have no problems playing it. It containes a movie. I have upgraded to the latest official firmware realese and I have made sure the player i code free.

Have anybody experienced the same or know what the problem is?

Hi.

I have just bought the 983H and I am having som problems playing a DVD -R disc. When I insert the disc I get the message "unknown disc". I have burned the DVD my self on my computer and the computer have no problems playing it. It containes a movie. I have upgraded to the latest official firmware realese and I have made sure the player i code free.

Have anybody experienced the same or know what the problem is?

Do you know what the media code is? I have tried a variety of media and had only one batch that would not play on the 983 and other Oppo players: "CMC MAG. AM3" which was a Memorex DVD-R from a few years ago.

Does it play on other standalone players? Computer software players are more generous in what they will accept than are standalone players.

Finally, remember this caution from Oppo's web site:

Compatibility with user-encoded contents or user-created discs is on a best effort basis with no guarantee due to the variation of media, software and techniques used.

-Bill

Hi.

I have just bought the 983H and I am having som problems playing a DVD -R disc. When I insert the disc I get the message "unknown disc". I have burned the DVD my self on my computer and the computer have no problems playing it. It containes a movie. I have upgraded to the latest official firmware realese and I have made sure the player i code free.

Have anybody experienced the same or know what the problem is?

Need a lot more information. Is the disc burned as a DVD-Video? If it's DVD-VR or any other type disc it will not play in the 983. Does it play in any other DVD players besides your PC?

I thought I could play the DVD on my computer but when I actually tried it would not work. It must be something wrong with the image or the burn out process.

Anyway thank you for your replys! :)

I patched this firmware http://oppodigital.com/dv983h/dv983h-firmware-07-0619.html for the 983 successfully with patch http://www.box.net/shared/ak0jg6gbc0 removing HDCP.
I indeed read many blog posts about this before trying and I wasn't sure it will work for the 983,,, but it did.
It seems that this patch only flip a bit in the firmware that disable the HDCP encoding. It is not linked to the hardware.

GamThanks for sharing. Useful.

Gary

I patched this firmware http://oppodigital.com/dv983h/dv983h-firmware-07-0619.html for the 983 successfully with patch http://www.box.net/shared/ak0jg6gbc0 removing HDCP.
I indeed read many blog posts about this before trying and I wasn't sure it will work for the 983,,, but it did.
It seems that this patch only flip a bit in the firmware that disable the HDCP encoding. It is not linked to the hardware.

Gam

Sorry for my ignorance, but what exactly are the benefits of disabling HDCP encoding?

Sorry for my ignorance, but what exactly are the benefits of disabling HDCP encoding?

Some older displays, mostly with DVI input, do not support HDCP. If the player requires it, the combination won't work.

Or, it could be that the HDMI chain is flakey somehow and removing HDCP fixes certain compatibility issues.

If HDMI or DVI are working properly there is no benefit.

-Bill

Some older displays, mostly with DVI input, do not support HDCP. If the player requires it, the combination won't work.

Or, it could be that the HDMI chain is flakey somehow and removing HDCP fixes certain compatibility issues.

If HDMI or DVI are working properly there is no benefit.

-Bill

Bill is exactly right. My incentive to do it is that my venerable projector Sanyo Z2 was released before the HDCP standard was settled and the implementation in the Sanyo was done according to the current draft. The Z2 works perfectly with all of my Macs (with HDCP) but not with the Oppo.
I heard that you can upgrade the Z2 firmware to get rid of this problem. If I ever do it before upgrading my projector, I'll update the thread.

Gam.

So can we get a review of the component with the HDCP hack vs the HDMI in terms of PQ? My tv I bought is one of the last crt's made as it has (2) HDMIs with HDCP. However I've always liked the way component looked on it as compared to the HDMI.

So can we get a review of the component with the HDCP hack vs the HDMI in terms of PQ? My tv I bought is one of the last crt's made as it has (2) HDMIs with HDCP. However I've always liked the way component looked on it as compared to the HDMI.

It would be the same as for a non-CSS protected disc playing over component.

It's going to depend on your gear and personal preferences, but the ABT processing used for HDMI would be very difficult to match.

Component performance on the 983 is about the same as on the 980, which is only $169.

-Bill

Even with the HDCP hack as described, there is no way to make the 983 provide more than a 480p progessive signal over component?

The component is limited to 480i/p and can not be hacked to provide a 720p or 1080i/p signal?

The ABT processing is hardwired to the HDMI only? Just like my old 971

Even with the HDCP hack as described, there is no way to make the 983 provide more than a 480p progessive signal over component?

The component is limited to 480i/p and can not be hacked to provide a 720p or 1080i/p signal?
The component output will provide 480p, 720p, and 1080i under certain circumstances. The HDMI output needs to not be in use (primary output set to component) for you to get 480p, and the source material needs to not be copy protected to get higher than that. I don't recall if it will do 1080p or not.
The ABT processing is hardwired to the HDMI only? Just like my old 971
That is correct. The deinterlacing and scaling at the component output is handled by the Mediatek chip, just as happens with the 980H.

Some older displays, mostly with DVI input, do not support HDCP. If the player requires it, the combination won't work.

Or, it could be that the HDMI chain is flakey somehow and removing HDCP fixes certain compatibility issues.

If HDMI or DVI are working properly there is no benefit.

-Bill

Thanks for the concise answer, Bill. Having a non-problematic system that consists of a Pioneer Elite & Marantz 8002 receiver, my only experience with HDMI and the 983 (and it's predecessors) has just been plain old boring "plug & play"...:rolleyes:

The component output will provide 480p, 720p, and 1080i under certain circumstances. The HDMI output needs to not be in use (primary output set to component) for you to get 480p, and the source material needs to not be copy protected to get higher than that. I don't recall if it will do 1080p or not.

It does!

-Bill

Why even bother then, if it ain't broke don't fix it!

My main system is two channel but I recently built a home theatre

I own a Pioneer 05 blu ray player, Arcam AVR350, JL Audio sub
I'm using the glass digital connection

Am looking to play some dvd-audio and put less use on the pioneer for sd dvd.
The new Genesis 1970-75 dvd-a and Talking Heads dual disc dvd-a were something I'm insteresting in doing 5.1

Was thinking about the oppo's is there a huge upgrade from the 981 to the 983? Is it more audio or video improvement?

thanks,

tom

981 had macro blocking fault the 983 doesn't so picture quality has improved, I upgraded for this reason alone.

is there a huge upgrade from the 981 to the 983? Is it more audio or video improvement?

Define "huge upgrade".

I can't speak to audio. In video, most careful observers can see the difference and some are enthusiastic about it. My view is that the differences between better quality players is most easily seen when doing A/B testing and tends to fade away when watching actual movies.

-Bill

...is there a huge upgrade from the 981 to the 983? Is it more audio or video improvement? The power supplies and audio components were upgraded in the 983, but the biggest improvement is in the video. See My OPPO DV-983H Review (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=13348563#post13348563), which lists a few of the advantages over the Faroudja-based players.

Gary

My 983 wasn't outputting video. Audio was there. I did a little trouble shooting and decided it was the player. I power cycled and it seemed to work fine. I just turned it on again and the oppo screen saver was in 4:3 instead of 16:9 before the last resume kicked in.

Any thoughts?

It is right around 30 days old.

My 983 wasn't outputting video. Audio was there. I did a little trouble shooting and decided it was the player. I power cycled and it seemed to work fine. I just turned it on again and the oppo screen saver was in 4:3 instead of 16:9 before the last resume kicked in.

Any thoughts?

It is right around 30 days old.

Is it stuck on 4:3 when playing 16:9 titles? Trying toggling the Info button.

-Bill

I searched online but I couldn't find the answer. I'm thinking of getting the 983 but I wanted to know if it's ok to have it running in a closed non-ventilated cabinet?

It'll only be running for 2-3 hours at a time at the most and fairly infrequently.

I searched online but I couldn't find the answer. I'm thinking of getting the 983 but I wanted to know if it's ok to have it running in a closed non-ventilated cabinet?

It'll only be running for 2-3 hours at a time at the most and fairly infrequently.

I do and have had no problems.

The Oppo web page says:

Operating Temperature:

5°C - 35°C
41°F - 95°F

If your cabinet gets extremely hot it might be an issue. The 983 itself uses only 20 watts when playing.

-Bill

yes, sometimes the video is in 4:3. I have to force 16:9 from set-up. Then it is fine. I don't know why screen saver would be in 4:3 mode?

Oppo suggested I put newest beta fw on player. I did and the screen saver came up in 16:9. The first time I fired up a dvd the screen saver went into 4:3 from 16:9 when the dvd launched. 16:9 was being displayed when video was present but it is still odd for the screen saver to pop in and out of different aspect ratio's like that.

Seems to be pretty random problem. I get the distict feeling I'm going to get some titles displayed in correct 16:9 aspect ratio and others will be forced into 4:3 when they should be 16:9. I'll check with Oppo again.

I am running 1080p to panny 50pz800u direct via hdmi. spdif to receiver.

At times my player does the same thing. It occurs when i play a 4.3 movie and then put in a 16.9 movie it will come up in 4.3 form till i hit play then displays 16.9. It shows 16.9 on screen saver all the time and 16.9 when going to the same format as the last movie. 4.3 only happens after playing a 4.3 movie and strangely the screen saver comes on in 16.9.

I tested further and it looks like it has something to do with the resume function. After putting in a 4.3 movie it saved the last spot and when i put in a 16.9 it comes up in 4.3 from resume memory i guess but goes to 16.9 when the disk starts.

yes, sometimes the video is in 4:3. I have to force 16:9 from set-up. Then it is fine. I don't know why screen saver would be in 4:3 mode?

The MTK solution sends a flag to the ABT solution. The ABT solution then performs any Aspect Ratio controls to the signal.

If the MTK solution decides that something should be flagged (incorrectly or not) as 4:3, your TV Type is set to 16:9 Wide/Auto, then the ABT solution will pillarbox the signal 4:3. If the TV Type is 16:9 Wide, then the player will stretch all contents horizontally, regardless of original aspect ratio.

With the official firmware all PAL media is treated as 4:3 off the bat, with the correct Aspect Ratio being ascertained when the Info button is pressed. The Beta Firmware (previous and current) addresses this improper flagging.

For the most part NTSC discs should not have issues with improper aspect ratios. Possibly, as the previous person stated, it s caused by a bad memory dump, where the MTK solution remains in a 4:3 flag when a 4:3 disc has been played. This would cause errors such as all other discs appearing as 4:3, or the screen saver appearing as 4:3.

Additionally, you may notice brief exchanges of the video going 16:9 to 4:3 (or 4:3 to 16:9) when starting or stopping disc contents or during previous and menus (many previews and menus are 4:3, while the main feature is some 16:9 variant). This is caused by the exchange of AR information between the MTK and the ABT solution.

I'm not asking for this to be on the 983H, to be clear, but does anyone think Oppo might be able to do de-judder in a future player and output that as 24p? I want a 983H real bad but if they came out next year with a player that did everything the 983H does *and* did de-judder correctly I'd just freak. :)

I'm not asking for this to be on the 983H, to be clear, but does anyone think Oppo might be able to do de-judder in a future player and output that as 24p? I want a 983H real bad but if they came out next year with a player that did everything the 983H does *and* did de-judder correctly I'd just freak. :)

I think they might do that.

You understand it would be a more expensive player?

-Bill

Sadly, the latest firmware still doesn't fix the problem with the Oppo barfing over track 4 of my classical SACDs. Only 4 months since I reported the problem to Oppo and they were able to reproduce the problem.

Hard to get excited about their upcoming BD player.

Sadly, the latest firmware still doesn't fix the problem with the Oppo barfing over track 4 of my classical SACDs. Only 4 months since I reported the problem to Oppo and they were able to reproduce the problem.

Hard to get excited about their upcoming BD player.

Because of one track on one disc?

I do and have had no problems.

The Oppo web page says:

Operating Temperature:

5°C - 35°C
41°F - 95°F

If your cabinet gets extremely hot it might be an issue. The 983 itself uses only 20 watts when playing.

-Bill

Thanks Bill, it's much appreciated. :)

I think they might do that.

You understand it would be a more expensive player?

Depends on how much more expensive. $100? Sure. I mean if it's the "ultimate" DVD player that takes the current perfect scores for video processing and adds perfect de-judder then that would be worth it. If the BD player does it then I'd probably get that, even though I am pretty happy with my PS3 as a BD player.

Depends on how much more expensive. $100? Sure. I mean if it's the "ultimate" DVD player that takes the current perfect scores for video processing and adds perfect de-judder then that would be worth it. If the BD player does it then I'd probably get that, even though I am pretty happy with my PS3 as a BD player.

According to all the reviews I have read, if you simply want to upgrade the PS3, then drop $275.00 at Big River and get yourself a Panansonic BD-35. Better picture then the PS3. I believe the Oppo Blu Ray will have every BD player beat under $800.00.

OK, so I woke up today and happened to fire up the 983 only to find out the HDMI has stopped working. yes, I have contacted Oppo Service for resolution (... awaiting reply from Oppo Service)... but thought I'd ask here as well for some diag tips. My setup is this:

Oppo 983--> Integra 9.8--> Sony HS60 / no picture
I also run
Tivo S3--> Integra 9.8--> Sony HS60 / works fine

both via HDMI, Tivo works, 983 does not
I notice the HDMI light on the 9.8 flashes with the Oppo now

I then tried
Oppo 983--> Sony HS60 / bypassing the 9.8 = still no picture

I also run a zone2 LCD via component and this still works from the 983

anything else I can try to diag this. With bypassing the 9.8, I am using a known good HDMI cable (works with the Tivo S3) directly to the projector, and I still get no picture from the 983. Seems to me the HDMI out from the Oppo is dead. did I miss anything? TIA :)

BTW, this is Oppo 983 #2. This first one had non functional analog audio outs. Perhaps third one is the ONE.

Disconnect the DVD player from the power source for no less than 15 minutes. Press the Power button on the front panel of the DVD player.

Reconnect the power cable. Disconnect and reconnect the HDMI cable into the back of your DVD player.

Press Eject to turn on the player. Do you get a picture?

Also, which firmware is installed on your player?

Thanks for the tips... I cannot recall the exact FW version. I will try all this 2nite and report back.

Edit: Wow Neuromancer - your reply was right from the Oppo handbook... I just got the same advise form Oppo Service.

Sadly, the latest firmware still doesn't fix the problem with the Oppo barfing over track 4 of my classical SACDs. Only 4 months since I reported the problem to Oppo and they were able to reproduce the problem.

Hard to get excited about their upcoming BD player.Out of curiosity, which Sheherazade SACD is it? There are at least four SACDs of the symphonic poem out there. (Not sure why I haven't asked this before.)

Edit: Wow Neuromancer - your reply was right from the Oppo handbook... I just got the same advise form Oppo Service.

It is a very common diagnostic testing. If you have been around electronics as long as I have, you learn little tricks to get things operating properly again.

Because of one track on one disc?

Absolutely! Oppo went to the trouble of acquiring the same SACD (for which I give them credit). They confirmed the problem.

And this very same SACD disk plays without difficulty in my Oppo 980. That tells me a lot, and does cause me to lose confidence in Oppo.

After many months, Oppo still hasn't gotten back to me about this situation.

Out of curiosity, which Sheherazade SACD is it? There are at least four SACDs of the symphonic poem out there. (Not sure why I haven't asked this before.)

It's the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with Barry Wordsworth conducting. The disk also has Capriccio Espagnol, which is the reason I picked this recording of Scheherazade.

When the 983 hits the 4th track, there is no sound and display shows complete static. The 983 almost completely freezes. I can't skip to the next track, but must eject the disk.

Absolutely! Oppo went to the trouble of acquiring the same SACD (for which I give them credit). They confirmed the problem.

And this very same SACD disk plays without difficulty in my Oppo 980. That tells me a lot, and does cause me to lose confidence in Oppo. The 980 has a Sanyo disc drive (and laser tracking system), while the 983 has a Sony. So these players are fundamentally NOT the same. This issue is not necessarily an OPPO defect, and there is no reason to lose confidence in them. The Sony drive improves compatibility with certain disk types, but for some reason, has issues with others, like this particular SACD, which is a Sony technology. Go figure.

If there is a way to fix this, OPPO will find it. Why continue to bad-mouth them all the while?

Gary

Disconnect the DVD player from the power source for no less than 15 minutes. Press the Power button on the front panel of the DVD player.

Reconnect the power cable. Disconnect and reconnect the HDMI cable into the back of your DVD player.

Press Eject to turn on the player. Do you get a picture?

Also, which firmware is installed on your player?

pulling power + discharge seems to have fixed the issue. :)

my current fw is Version: MVer: 05.00.01.07 Batch: DV983H-07-0619 where's the link for the current beta version. I've been searching the Oppo 983 page and do not see a DL link - it's early ... perhaps I am blind or the coffee is not working yet - ahh nm Google is my friend

pulling power + discharge seems to have fixed the issue. :)

my current fw is Version: MVer: 05.00.01.07 Batch: DV983H-07-0619 where's the link for the current beta version. I've been searching the Oppo 983 page and do not see a DL link - it's early ... perhaps I am blind or the coffee is not working yet - ahh nm google is my friend

Right-hand side of this page: http://www.oppodigital.com/dv983h/dv983h_support.asp

-Bill

If there is a way to fix this, OPPO will find it. Why continue to bad-mouth them all the while?

Gary

Waiting four months is long enough to either fix it and tell me it can't be fixed.

I'm simply stating facts and my displeasure at an otherwise fine machine being flawed. Don't you think most people in my situation would express themselves on this issue. I certainly hope you don't think that it's wrong to criticize Oppo or that my complaint isn't legitimate.

And this very same SACD disk plays without difficulty in my Oppo 980. That tells me a lot, and does cause me to lose confidence in Oppo.

You do realize that the servos completely different (Sanyo versus Sony) and the interaction with the decoder are not the same between both players, right? The units are not carbon copies of each other. Differences in the hardware substrates will cause compatibility issues between product designs.

A disc that works in one player is not guaranteed to work in another. I have seen this multiple times in the past. This is due to each OPPO product being designed differently from the next (both in hardware and software) so it is impossible to port the same level of compatibility between products.

Waiting four months is long enough to either fix it and tell me it can't be fixed.

The SACD issues has been known since the launch of the player. It took 7 months to resolve this issue, as there were only two discs which OPPO had at their disposal for testing.

You greatly inhibit their ability to diagnose and respond to an error if it is extremely isolated. For all we know they could have fixed the issue for that disc, but then found other discs which became broken (as was the case with the CD truncation fix with the DV-980H).

pulling power + discharge seems to have fixed the issue. :)

Glad to hear that a simple power reset resolved your issue.

According to all the reviews I have read, if you simply want to upgrade the PS3, then drop $275.00 at Big River and get yourself a Panansonic BD-35. Better picture then the PS3. I believe the Oppo Blu Ray will have every BD player beat under $800.00.

That makes no sense to me - given that the player is just taking the digital info off the disc and sending it to my receiver (no D/A happens, it's just a transport) I have to wonder how one BD player could look better than another.

That makes no sense to me - given that the player is just taking the digital info off the disc and sending it to my receiver (no D/A happens, it's just a transport) I have to wonder how one BD player could look better than another.
There is decoding and various various processing. This is not like a CD transport that literally send the data from the disc to the DAC. PQ does vary by player even with HDMI.

That makes no sense to me - given that the player is just taking the digital info off the disc and sending it to my receiver (no D/A happens, it's just a transport) I have to wonder how one BD player could look better than another.

I'm with you on this one!...The post after yours refers to the signal passing through a DAC...Last I checked that acronym stands for "Digital to Analog Converter"...and if the BD was mastered at 1080p and the display is 1080p, I'd sure like to know where the PS3 uses a DAC with the HDMI output. I'm sorry, but BD is basically taking the 1's and 0's off the disc and sending them to your display.

If we're wrong on this, then I'd sure appreciate if someone could explain the process to me in a coherent manner that a simple EE like me can understand...:D

-Toonces

You greatly inhibit their ability to diagnose and respond to an error if it is extremely isolated.


Well, I don't really understand your statement, but it sounds like you're saying I'm to blame here. Whatever.


For all we know they could have fixed the issue for that disc, but then found other discs which became broken (as was the case with the CD truncation fix with the DV-980H).

Well, I guess any theory is better than no theory.


BTW, you, and others, need to understand the concept of expectations. If some low end company has product defects, no one really expects them to be fixed. But Oppo has been elevated to near God-like levels. Therefore any flaw will be looked upon with very high expectations for a quick fix. To summarize, I've got an Oppo player that's supposed to be the cat's meow. When it doesn't play one of the SACDs, it's frustrating and disappointing. Sorry if this upsets you.

That makes no sense to me - given that the player is just taking the digital info off the disc and sending it to my receiver (no D/A happens, it's just a transport) I have to wonder how one BD player could look better than another.



I forgot to add in my previous post that I also believe the new Oppo Blu Ray will better other Blu Ray players costing over $800.00. And yes, not all Blu Ray players are created equal and perform the same. Nothing does, and nothing is.

Have I got this straight: One track on one SACD disc that does not play nice with the 983?

Amazing. OPPO tries to diagnose?

I must find the box of all the early, crappy CD's, that gave all my 1983-1985 vintage players fits.

Would be a fun experiment. Bet they all play on the 983.

Joe

Well, I don't really understand your statement, but it sounds like you're saying I'm to blame here. Whatever.

No, I am not blaming you. I am saying that if you can only isolate the error to a single content source, it makes diagnostics and repair almost completely impossible. The reason for this is that you can't do a thorough test to see what is causing the issue, what fixes can be produced for this and possible future errors, and what issues may arise from the fix.

BTW, you, and others, need to understand the concept of expectations.

I have high expectations of OPPO, which is why I run Official threads so I can easily communicate beneficial changes they have done to their players through software.

Therefore any flaw will be looked upon with very high expectations for a quick fix.

OPPO is small and does not have the same resources another manufacturing firm has. Many of the issues which are a part of their player designs are aligned squarely on the decoder. The problem is, OPPO is heavily reliant on MTK to help them resolve these issues. MTK's and OPPO's priorities will not always be the same, so we are stuck with unresolved issues, or later than expected updates.

To summarize, I've got an Oppo player that's supposed to be the cat's meow. When it doesn't play one of the SACDs, it's frustrating and disappointing. Sorry if this upsets you.

How many other companies would have, out of their own pocket, bought the SACD to diagnose the error? I've never dealt with another CE who has been so open to receiving user's media or purchasing their own copies of materials simply to diagnose issues with their products.

How many other companies would have, out of their own pocket, bought the SACD to diagnose the error? I've never dealt with another CE who has been so open to receiving user's media or purchasing their own copies of materials simply to diagnose issues with their products.

Not trying to jump in the middle here, but that is pretty dang impressive that a CE would do that. http://images.bimmerforums.com/smilies/buttrock.gif

Oppo is impressive, but I have to say, if I have an SACD player and it doesn't play even one track, I consider that a considerable fault. It wouldn't matter if it was Sony, Oppo, or Insignia.

A consumer should expect a product that is compliant with a standard to be completely compatible.

Oppo is impressive, but I have to say, if I have an SACD player and it doesn't play even one track, I consider that a considerable fault. It wouldn't matter if it was Sony, Oppo, or Insignia.

A consumer should expect a product that is compliant with a standard to be completely compatible.

So if you have a problem with one dvd in a dvd player, then that player has serious fault? How 'bout with Blu-ray? How 'bout CDs?
No player is perfect. Oppo players come pretty damn close though.
It's amazing how when a player is SO good, that when one little thing is wrong, it gets blown up to great proportions.
Not saying the problem doesn't desrve attention, just making observations.

Ive just tried to order the DV-983H from the oppo website but see they are out of stock, 2 only at Amazon. I dont want to order from Amazon, does anyone know when oppo will have more stocks?

Ive just tried to order the DV-983H from the oppo website but see they are out of stock, 2 only at Amazon. I dont want to order from Amazon, does anyone know when oppo will have more stocks?

Email Oppo and ask them.

-Bill

Email Oppo and ask them.

-Bill
Will do.

Do you know if I can use the optical out at the same time with HDMI, my reciever doesnt have HDMI? Thank you

Yes no problem

I dont want to order from Amazon, does anyone know when oppo will have more stocks?
Unknown, but they have refurbished for $319.00 (https://www.oppodigital.com/proddetail.asp?prod=ZDV983H).

Ive just tried to order the DV-983H from the oppo website but see they are out of stock, 2 only at Amazon. I dont want to order from Amazon, does anyone know when oppo will have more stocks?

I am selling mine, PM me if your interested. Minimal use, looks/functions perfectly.

Kills me, but it's time for an external video processor.

I'll be selling mine once the BDP-83 comes out.

Disconnect the DVD player from the power source for no less than 15 minutes. Press the Power button on the front panel of the DVD player.

Reconnect the power cable. Disconnect and reconnect the HDMI cable into the back of your DVD player.

Press Eject to turn on the player. Do you get a picture?

Also, which firmware is installed on your player?

Many thanks, Neuromancer. I had the same problem with my 983 last night and your info got me back up and going again.

I am selling mine, PM me if your interested. Minimal use, looks/functions perfectly.

Kills me, but it's time for an external video processor.

Why are you opting for an external VP? An Edge, I presume? I'm fence sitting between the Oppo or a panny BD35/55 + Edge combo. One certainly cost more, but then the Oppo doesn't help my cable signal or HD-DVDs either.

Why are you opting for an external VP? An Edge, I presume? I'm fence sitting between the Oppo or a panny BD35/55 + Edge combo. One certainly cost more, but then the Oppo doesn't help my cable signal or HD-DVDs either.

Yup, Edge. My cable is crying for it. If you go with a VP, the Pioneer 51 is very VP friendly (source direct and lots of Pic controls). However the Panny's seem excellent for the cost.

Email Oppo and ask them.

-Bill

I emailed Oppo to find out when will they have "new" stock (not refurbished) of the DV-983H and this is the reply, looks like thats the end of them:mad:

Unfortunately we do not have an estimate as to when new DV-983H hardware will be sold, so we are not offering any pre-ordering or shipping estimates at this time.

Best Regards,

Customer Service
OPPO Digital, Inc.
2629B Terminal Blvd.
Mountain View, CA 94043

I emailed Oppo to find out when will they have "new" stock (not refurbished) of the DV-983H and this is the reply, looks like thats the end of them:mad:

Unfortunately we do not have an estimate as to when new DV-983H hardware will be sold, so we are not offering any pre-ordering or shipping estimates at this time.

Best Regards,

Customer Service
OPPO Digital, Inc.
2629B Terminal Blvd.
Mountain View, CA 94043

So what's wrong with saving $80? Sounds good to me... :).
Notice that they did NOT say it was out of production or discontinued...

So what's wrong with saving $80? Sounds good to me... :).
Notice that they did NOT say it was out of production or discontinued...

Or mine and save $100. ;)

So what's wrong with saving $80? Sounds good to me... :).
Notice that they did NOT say it was out of production or discontinued...

That might be true, but they didnt give any future dates either that they would "ever" have anymore DV-983H's. Thats odd most manufactures know when they will have replacement stocks:rolleyes:

That might be true, but they didnt give any future dates either that they would "ever" have anymore DV-983H's. Thats odd most manufactures know when they will have replacement stocks:rolleyes:

[/shrugs_shoulders]:)

I should be getting my OPPO 983 tomarrow I have a qustion

if I want the receiver to do the audio decoding ( denon 3808ci ) do I set the the 983 to PCM I will be using a HDMI conection


Thanks Tim

That might be true, but they didnt give any future dates either that they would "ever" have anymore DV-983H's. Thats odd most manufactures know when they will have replacement stocks:rolleyes:

You are assuming that the guys behind the phone and the e-mail services are privy to all internal information. Remember, the units did not go "out of stock" until Monday. CSRs may not have been informed of when new units will be received. As a precaution, they will not give you an estimate.