Hi folks,
Any knowledge among the cognoscenti of a "final" omnibus 983 firmware release?
Personally, I remain very much pleased with the unit, though I've periodically encountered some aspect ratio detection issues that I hope might be resolved.
I'd be appreciative of any news... (i.e. any beta version as yet to be released?)
Peter

the aspect ratio issues are mainly solved with a quick click of the "info" button. I doubt we'll see any firmware updates till the BDP-83 has some dust on it.

the aspect ratio issues are mainly solved with a quick click of the "info" button. I doubt we'll see any firmware updates till the BDP-83 has some dust on it.

Sadly, I doubt we'll see ANY more fw updates for the 983. It's dead...prematurely...but dead nonetheless.

They're trying to hop on the BD train, hoping their past success with reasonably-priced players will get the suc...I mean aficionados...to pony up $500 for a unit that's not multi region, won't play DVD-A but carries the Oppo logo. Of course, they had to discontinue the 983...to make room for the 83.:rolleyes:

Try using the Beta Firmware if you have not done so already, particularly if you are using 4:3 PAL discs.

Sadly, I doubt we'll see ANY more fw updates for the 983. It's dead...prematurely...but dead nonetheless.

They're trying to hop on the BD train, hoping their past success with reasonably-priced players will get the suc...I mean aficionados...to pony up $500 for a unit that's not multi region, won't play DVD-A but carries the Oppo logo. Of course, they had to discontinue the 983...to make room for the 83.:rolleyes:
I think that once the BDP-83 is out the door, they'll be able to put some attention back onto the 983H.

Oh, and just to be nit-picky, the BDP-83 will support DVD-Audio by the time it is released - in fact, they have said they hope to have it working for the second round of EAP players that are due to ship out in a few days.

I think it's sad the "subtitle with lines through it" - problem isn't solved. Bugs me two or three times during every single movie played.

Sadly, I doubt we'll see ANY more fw updates for the 983. It's dead...prematurely...but dead nonetheless.

They're trying to hop on the BD train, hoping their past success with reasonably-priced players will get the suc...I mean aficionados...to pony up $500 for a unit that's not multi region, won't play DVD-A but carries the Oppo logo. Of course, they had to discontinue the 983...to make room for the 83.:rolleyes:

I believe the Oppo BDP-83 will play DVD-A and improve on the audio performance of the DV-983H. I recently purchased a DV-983H and I fully expect Oppo to address any remaining issues with that player.

Chris

I think it's sad the "subtitle with lines through it" - problem isn't solved. Bugs me two or three times during every single movie played.

Been there since the OPDV971H, which is a couple months over 4 years old at this point. The issue is with the MTK decoder. MTK has not resolved the issue for OPPO, ergo, OPPO has not resolved the issue in their firmware.

... to pony up $500 for a unit that's not multi region, won't play DVD-A but carries the Oppo logo.

It will play DVD-Audio. It does everything the DV-983H does, but better.

The only disadvantage, which has already been harped upon for months, is that it will not be region free in any capacity. This eliminates all international sales and all domestic sales for people who want region free playback ability.

It will play DVD-Audio. It does everything the DV-983H does, but better.

The only disadvantage, which has already been harped upon for months, is that it will not be region free in any capacity. This eliminates all international sales and all domestic sales for people who want region free playback ability.

If it improves upon DVD pq I will be amazed. I'll get to find out later this week!!

Joe

It can improve PQ if you are into tweaking your video settings. The biggest improvement with the BDP-83 is that you can individually adjust your Edge and Detail Enhancement. In the DV-983H you could only adjust "Sharpness". You would often end up with a picture that was over enhanced because the controls were imprecise and you were adjusting two parameters at once.

Thanks,

Yea I tried the sharpness control on the 983 and did not care for the results. There will be a lot to play around with on the 83 and report on over in that thread.

Gonna get crazy over there. No doubt you will keep up with it. :)

Joe

I picked this up recently and like what I see. One issue I've experienced, however, is audio/video sync where the audio runs ever so slightly ahead of the video. I'm running via HDMI to a receiver that allows me to adjust for that (with video forwarded on to the TV via HDMI), but I notice in going through this thread that nobody else seems to have had that issue.

I have the latest firmware as well. Anyone else see this? And if so, how did you remedy it and/or how much of a delay did you use in your receiver to compensate?

Hi

I believe it's because of the different video processing going on, first in the OPPO and then maybe the TV.

As the Audio Delay feature on the 983 only is for analog audio (or PCM) output it can't be used for raw digital bit stream output.

So I guess you're stuck with adjusting the delay on your Audio processor.

I've set up my processor to more or less always add around 40 ms to NTSC stuff and 50 ms for PAL stuff due to all the video processing going on in my home entertainment system.

I also think that it's not an issue if you send both video and audio to a display, or to a reciever/processor with pass-through for the video signal.

Cheers

I have to run a digital delay device in line with all my digital audio outs (including Direct TV Tuner) due to the delay's in my TV's processing time (Sony SXRD). I use 104ms. Quite a large delay.

It's been a while since I last posted here.
I have my 983 H since August and I am very happy.
Sadly in the last days I noticed that some home made DVDs that I've been given sound really low. They come from different people, and I assume they were made with diff. encoders (not sure of this).
Well, all of them have LPCM audio. Also I noticed that if I remade the menu, and do a smart rendering (not re-encoding the original Vobs), sound from menu is 7 or 8 times louder than the LPCM sound.
I have the 983H connected thru' HDMI to Onkyo 650 and HDMI to Samsung LCD LN81. I touched the Onkyo settings but nothing change.
I'm not really sure if this is an Oppo or Onkyo issue, but as I trust the people in this forum, I start asking here.
Do you have a clue of this?

Guys:

I've had this player for a good few months now and generally love it - it will play anything you throw at it (audio or video), and with good results.

But on some SACDs there is a very brief sharp popping/crackling noise in my speakers before the disc starts playing.

The Oppo is connected to the Yamaha DSP-A1 amp/receiver via analog.

Has anybody had (heard of) this issue and is there a firmware fix?

Thx

Sadly in the last days I noticed that some home made DVDs that I've been given sound really low.

Try ensuring that the Volume on the player is set to +20 when you press the Volume + button on the remote control.

It is also normal for PCM and a raw bit stream to actually have different output levels, particularly if the PCM track has been remastered or altered.

I've had my 983 for about three days and so far it's been everything I hoped it would be. My question is about aspect ratio settings. I have a Panasonic 65PZ850U that has HD1 and HD2 settings, the first being 95% image and the second being 100% which I presume is 1:1. This is the setting I left the display on. I had set the 983 to 16x9 wide/auto with the zoom mode set to 1:1, popped in Hellboy and when the disc started up it defaulted to 4x3 and I had to reset the 983 to 16x9 wide and the picture reset to full screen though I had slim black borders on the top and bottom which disappeared when I went into picture menu on the panny and set it to HD1. So I'm just a little confused as to what the proper settings for the 983 should be so I can see the film in its proper aspect ratio. Hope that's not too confusing and thanks for the help.
ed

I've had my 983 for about three days and so far it's been everything I hoped it would be. My question is about aspect ratio settings. I have a Panasonic 65PZ850U that has HD1 and HD2 settings, the first being 95% image and the second being 100% which I presume is 1:1. This is the setting I left the display on. I had set the 983 to 16x9 wide/auto with the zoom mode set to 1:1, popped in Hellboy and when the disc started up it defaulted to 4x3 and I had to reset the 983 to 16x9 wide and the picture reset to full screen though I had slim black borders on the top and bottom which disappeared when I went into picture menu on the panny and set it to HD1. So I'm just a little confused as to what the proper settings for the 983 should be so I can see the film in its proper aspect ratio. Hope that's not too confusing and thanks for the help.
ed

There is sometimes a bug where the aspect ratio is not correctly detected. Try leaving it at Wide/Auto and use your HD2 setting; toggle the INFO button and see if that corrects it.

HELLBOY is 1.85:1 so very small black bars at top and bottom is normal.

-Bill

I've had my 983 for about three days and so far it's been everything I hoped it would be. My question is about aspect ratio settings. I have a Panasonic 65PZ850U that has HD1 and HD2 settings, the first being 95% image and the second being 100% which I presume is 1:1. This is the setting I left the display on. I had set the 983 to 16x9 wide/auto with the zoom mode set to 1:1, popped in Hellboy and when the disc started up it defaulted to 4x3 and I had to reset the 983 to 16x9 wide and the picture reset to full screen though I had slim black borders on the top and bottom which disappeared when I went into picture menu on the panny and set it to HD1. So I'm just a little confused as to what the proper settings for the 983 should be so I can see the film in its proper aspect ratio. Hope that's not too confusing and thanks for the help.
ed

Zoom mode is canceled any time you change settings or stop playback. No reason to use it anyhow except for non-anamorphic DVDs. 16x9 wide/auto and 1:1 on your display should be right. Of course, you'll still see top and bottom black bars if the movie is wider than 16:9. Some displays have an auto aspect mode that applies it's own black bars, and for that you'd use 16:9 wide in the player.

There are occasional AR glitches which should be fixed if you hit the info button on the remote.

There is sometimes a bug where the aspect ratio is not correctly detected. Try leaving it at Wide/Auto and use your HD2 setting; toggle the INFO button and see if that corrects it.

HELLBOY is 1.85:1 so very small black bars at top and bottom is normal.

-Bill
I appreciate the input. I only ask because I was previously using a Pioneer DV-47Ai with a fully calibrated (no overscan problems) Toshiba 65HX81 that I just set to 16x9 on the dvd player and left the display on full and never saw the slim black bars when playing 1.85:1 movies. I agree with what you're saying that I should just be able to set it to wide/auto and HD2 and that would seem to be the proper settings to see the dvd correctly. So it may just be the 983 that doesn't detect the proper aspect ratio sometimes. I'll try it and hitting the INFO button and see how that goes. thanks.

So after checking the manual it recommends using 16:9/wide setting if you have a plasma so I left my display on HD2 and that seems to work fine. I was a bit confused when I would fire up a disc and ads etc before start of movie weren't in proper aspect ratios. (with the 983 set to 16.9 wide/auto these would be displayed letterboxed in 4:3 bars; pushing INFO button didn't do anything but bring up display with aspect ratio that read 4:3)). I tried a number of discs at different aspect ratios after setting it to 16:9/wide 1.66 has thin black bars on the left and right. 1.78 fits the screen; 1.85 has a black bar at the bottom about the width of my thumbnail and 1/4 in at the top and 2.35 seems just fine. Again, just bring this up since I never saw this on my old Toshiba display. One other question though I hear a soft scrapping sound when I close disc tray and when hitting command buttons to play disc etc. don't hear it all the time usually when I'm hitting a navigation arrow. wondering if this is normal or a problem. thanks again.

So after checking the manual it recommends using 16:9/wide setting if you have a plasma so I left my display on HD2 and that seems to work fine. I was a bit confused when I would fire up a disc and ads etc before start of movie weren't in proper aspect ratios. (with the 983 set to 16.9 wide/auto these would be displayed letterboxed in 4:3 bars; pushing INFO button didn't do anything but bring up display with aspect ratio that read 4:3)). I tried a number of discs at different aspect ratios after setting it to 16:9/wide 1.66 has thin black bars on the left and right. 1.78 fits the screen; 1.85 has a black bar at the bottom about the width of my thumbnail and 1/4 in at the top and 2.35 seems just fine. Again, just bring this up since I never saw this on my old Toshiba display. One other question though I hear a soft scrapping sound when I close disc tray and when hitting command buttons to play disc etc. don't hear it all the time usually when I'm hitting a navigation arrow. wondering if this is normal or a problem. thanks again.

It's normal for intro material to be letterboxed or have different aspect ratio than the feature. That's how it comes from the studio or ad agency.

If you did not see thin bars for 1.85:1 material on your previous setup with the same player, then the display was overscanning. If you play the disc on a PC and look at screen shots you'll see that the bars are really there and part of the image.

Quiet sounds when the laser is seeking a new position on the disc is normal.

-Bill

Lies. OPPO never tests their products, internally or externally, before they are mass produced and sold directly to the unknowing general public.

I thought that was Pioneer (05FD/51FD):D

I couldn't resist. I get my 83 today!

It's normal for intro material to be letterboxed or have different aspect ratio than the feature. That's how it comes from the studio or ad agency.

If you did not see thin bars for 1.85:1 material on your previous setup with the same player, then the display was overscanning. If you play the disc on a PC and look at screen shots you'll see that the bars are really there and part of the image.

Quiet sounds when the laser is seeking a new position on the disc is normal.

-Bill
thank you for those comforting words. I was thrilled to be able to pick up this unit and now I will sleep easier at night. I've been a professional photographer for 33 years and have shot with every type of 35mm film and the comment that the 983 creates a more film-like image is by far the best and truest reason to have this unit. Every dvd that I have played just look perfect as far as I'm concerned. Glad I started reading this thread and became part of the Oppo community.
ed

I've been a professional photographer for 33 years and have shot with every type of 35mm film and the comment that the 983 creates a more film-like image is by far the best and truest reason to have this unit. Every dvd that I have played just look perfect as far as I'm concerned. Glad I started reading this thread and became part of the Oppo community. Absolutely. I'll second that.

Gary

Since I am a new 983H owner and can't find the definitive answer on the thread which I am working my through, is 08-0709 the be all and end all of the software updates? this is what is on my player and this means it is totally up-to-date, correct?
ed

Since I am a new 983H owner and can't find the definitive answer on the thread which I am working my through, is 08-0709 the be all and end all of the software updates? this is what is on my player and this means it is totally up-to-date, correct?
ed
Have you checked the Oppo site under the 983 (support)?

Since I am a new 983H owner and can't find the definitive answer on the thread which I am working my through, is 08-0709 the be all and end all of the software updates? this is what is on my player and this means it is totally up-to-date, correct?
ed

You can also use the 1st post of this thread to find the latest and greatest firmware info. The number you are referencing is the batch number of the firmware and can get one confused. At least me.:confused: Many batch numbers can refer to the same firmware release.

The firmware number is the Mver number displayed. But, all that said, you are on the latest official firmware. There is a beta that has been released and you can either see the 1st post here or go to Oppo's site for a description of what it does to see if it is any benefit to you.

I still see some lip-sych issues (described by others in this thread) in both NTSC and PAL discs.

NTSC was "O Brother Where Art Thou".

Seems to be coming and going within one movie.

Anybody know whether the latest beta firmware (Nov 2008) takes care of that?

You can also use the 1st post of this thread to find the latest and greatest firmware info. The number you are referencing is the batch number of the firmware and can get one confused. At least me.:confused: Many batch numbers can refer to the same firmware release.

The firmware number is the Mver number displayed. But, all that said, you are on the latest official firmware. There is a beta that has been released and you can either see the 1st post here or go to Oppo's site for a description of what it does to see if it is any benefit to you.

thanks for the info. I did check the site and couldn't find any mention of firmware and saw the first post and wasn't sure about the latest firmware since I had no idea what was included in my batch number so I figured it couldn't hurt to ask. And man is this unit great. I keep throwing discs into it just to see how they look and nothing but great looking pictures. Haven't had any sort of problem or glitches after watching about 20 dvds. I actually threw in Cars blu-ray just to watch a bit and remember how good they can be but you have to look awful hard at the 983's picture to even see any type of difference.
ed

by the way, now that I am officially "region free boy" can anyone give me links to some good place to shop for region free dvd's. I aapreciate it.
ed

I still see some lip-sych issues (described by others in this thread) in both NTSC and PAL discs.

NTSC was "O Brother Where Art Thou".

Seems to be coming and going within one movie. The 983 doesn't seem to suffer with variable lip-sync errors.

Bear in mind that a fair number of movies have lip-sync errors encoded into the DVD. "Phantom of the Opera" is particularly notorious for this. Sporadic sync errors can be experienced in movies that have had studio voice-overs.

Another thing to watch out for: If the video signal is being processed in the player AND in the TV, video delays are more likely to occur. Try to feed the TV with its native resolution, perhaps using the Video-RGB colorspace to minimize multiple processing errors.

Gary

by the way, now that I am officially "region free boy" can anyone give me links to some good place to shop for region free dvd's. I aapreciate it.
ed

You can't do much better than www.amazon.co.uk right now; a check-out you'll be familiar with, and some excellent bargains.

You can't do much better than www.amazon.co.uk right now; a check-out you'll be familiar with, and some excellent bargains.

Ditto on Amazon.co.uk

I've picked up quite a few disks from them, including some great bargains, and shipping to the US is surprisingly reasonable.

And, right now the exchange rate isn't bad.

by the way, now that I am officially "region free boy" can anyone give me links to some good place to shop for region free dvd's. I aapreciate it.
ed

Ed,
I'll "second" others for amazon.co.uk as a resource. Good exchange rate, excellent service by Royal Mail. You'd be well-served to access Amazon UK through DVD Beaver http://www.dvdbeaver.com/, an excellent resource for disc/region comparisions, as well as timely info on release dates, sales and promotions. By accessing the Amazon sites though their links you are transparently contributing to keeping this invaluable resource viable. (More than once their comparisions have steered me away from inferior PAL=>NTSC ports[or vice versa], incorrect Aspect Ratio versions, non-anamorphic or "cut" editions)

A few other reputable sites that have served me well:
Diabolik DVD http://www.diabolikdvd.com/
Xploited Cinema http://xploitedcinema.com/catalog/index.php
DaaVeeDee http://www.daaveedee.com/

Pete

Ed, I'll "second" others for amazon.co.uk as a resource. Good exchange rate, excellent service by Royal Mail. You'd be well-served to access Amazon UK through DVD Beaver http://www.dvdbeaver.com/, an excellent resource for disc/region comparisions, as well as timely info on release dates, sales and promotions. By accessing the Amazon sites though their links you are transparently contributing to keeping this invaluable resource viable. (More than once their comparisions have steered me away from inferior PAL=>NTSC ports, incorrect Aspect Ratio versions, or censored editions)

A few other reputable sites that have served me well:
Diabolik DVD http://www.diabolikdvd.com/
Xploited Cinema http://xploitedcinema.com/catalog/index.php
DaaVeeDee http://www.daaveedee.com/

Pete
I appreciate the info. now that the 983 is paid for it will be fun to shop for some of those films I've always wanted but are available only in other regions, like Armaggedon. that's why I love this forum. thanks all.
ed

Another thing to watch out for: If the video signal is being processed in the player AND in the TV, video delays are more likely to occur. Try to feed the TV with its native resolution, perhaps using the Video-RGB colorspace to minimize multiple processing errors.

Gary

This could be it. I am feeding the 720p video out of Oppo via HDMI into a 768p plasma, and the audio via analog into my amp.

Perhaps it is all that video processing that is causing the delay. Funny thing, I've had the 983 for at least 6 months now and only now I have noticed it, so it must be very subtle and/or sporadic.

Guys:

I've had this player for a good few months now and generally love it - it will play anything you throw at it (audio or video), and with good results.
But on some SACDs there is a very brief sharp popping/crackling noise in my speakers before the disc starts playing.
The Oppo is connected to the Yamaha DSP-A1 amp/receiver via analog.
Has anybody had (heard of) this issue and is there a firmware fix?

Thx

Yes, I have this issue as well on SACD, connected with analog to preamp. It happens when you skip tracks as well. I just received mine back from Oppo for repairs and the new optical drive still does it, so I imagine it's just the way it is.

I just ordered a Pioneer PRO-151FD and decided I would upgrade my upscaling dvd player and when I went to the oppo site to look at the 983H it said that it would be replaced by the BDP-983h, does that mean they won't sell the upscaling dv-0983H when they introduce their new BluRay player? or at least that's what it said on their website.

The DV-983H is no longer in production. If you call OPPO, they may or may not have some stock of new or refurbished players on hand to sell you.
The new Blu-ray Universal player will actually be a bit better with sd-dvds than the DV-983H was, and it will only cost $100-$200 more.

I just ordered a Pioneer PRO-151FD and decided I would upgrade my upscaling dvd player and when I went to the oppo site to look at the 983H it said that it would be replaced by the BDP-983h, does that mean they won't sell the upscaling dv-0983H when they introduce their new BluRay player? or at least that's what it said on their website.
I believe that is correct. As best as I can tell, they made one last production run of the DV-983H last year and once it was sold out they weren't going to make more. The BDP-83 uses the same video processor, so its performance with standard DVD will be just as good (possibly a bit better), and it will cost $100 or maybe $200 more than the DV-983H while offering Blu-ray and a better analog section.

the 983 has been discontinued......replaced by the BD-83...which has the same
great Anchor bay upscaling chip....keep checking OPPO's website..you might get lucky and see a re-furb for sale....
In any case...the 983 has the best upscaling of ANY DVD player in the market...period..

Looks like I am the winner. Thanks Gonk and Hodges69. I'm sure you feel honored just for being nominated, but we can't all win.

I just ordered a Pioneer PRO-151FD and decided I would upgrade my upscaling dvd player and when I went to the oppo site to look at the 983H it said that it would be replaced by the BDP-983h, does that mean they won't sell the upscaling dv-0983H when they introduce their new BluRay player? or at least that's what it said on their website.

The 983H hasn't been available for MONTHS now. The new BluRay though does everything the 983H did (except region free playback) and adds BluRay capability for $100 more. Totally worth it.

Looks like I am the winner. Thanks Gonk and Hodges69. I'm sure you feel honored just for being nominated, but we can't all win.
I'm just honored to be nominated along the likes of you, SP... ;)

Looks like I am the winner. Thanks Gonk and Hodges69. I'm sure you feel honored just for being nominated, but we can't all win.


I'm not worthy......I'm not worthy!!!;)

I'm not worthy......I'm not worthy!!!;)

You're worthy lol

John

You're worthy lol

John

Thanks.John...:o

Just ordered The Apu Trilogy from Amazon UK. Good exchange rate. One could grow old waiting for it to be released in Region 1. With the 983 I can watch it in a week or two.

I just ordered a Pioneer PRO-151FD and decided I would upgrade my upscaling dvd player and when I went to the oppo site to look at the 983H it said that it would be replaced by the BDP-983h, does that mean they won't sell the upscaling dv-0983H when they introduce their new BluRay player? or at least that's what it said on their website.
Units have been popping up on eBay quite regularly the last month or so, I guess since people are starting to get the new blu-ray player. There were three available last week but were gone by yesterday. It's where I got mine, was only 7 months old and in perfect condition. I lucked out since the seller had a buy now tag on it so I grabbed it for $425.00 All the others have been being bid on and seem to be going for around the same price or higher. I was out bid on two units that went for $415.00 and $406.00 (lost that one by ONE DOLLAR!) If you are really interested in buying one I would check it out. Most sellers post all the pertinent information you need to now about the units and all the ones I looked over so far have the factory packing and other items, such as remote, batteries and HDMI cord included. Since getting and using the 983, I would vote heartily thumbs up if you have an extensive dvd collection. this is a great unit. as a matter of fact their are two units available right now on eBay one with a buy now tag. here is the link to that unit:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Oppo-Digital-DV-983H-DVD-Player_W0QQitemZ330317874003QQcmdZViewItemQQptZDVD_Players_R ecorders?hash=item330317874003&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318 %7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50
ed

Just ordered The Apu Trilogy from Amazon UK. Good exchange rate. One could grow old waiting for it to be released in Region 1. With the 983 I can watch it in a week or two.

That's why the new BDP83 ultimately sucks... It can't do that. At least so far.

And you people in the US must feel lucky. Not only you have a pretty good offer of DVDs, you can import them cheaply from Europe. Here in Brazil the offer is laughable and to import I pay like 50-80% of taxes over the DVD AND the shipping if you can believe so... :mad: I say that not out of envy (a little bit, I must admit) but so you can feel even better about your deal. Enjoy Apu. :)

Also, If one wants to buy the 983 I recommend calling OPPO by phone one or two times a week and ask for refurbs. I got mine after two tries for 319. They may also inform you when they have some new units. They had when I bought mine earlier this month. Another option is to check http://www.opposhop.com/. This is the European Oppo store. I don't know how it is to import to the US, but may be more worthy than buying used. And they seem to have 983 in stock all the time (thus they may keep putting some units for sale in the US as they may be still producing it).

That's why the new BDP83 ultimately sucks... It can't do that. At least so far.

And you people in the US must feel lucky. Not only you have a pretty good offer of DVDs, you can import them cheaply from Europe. Here in Brazil the offer is laughable and to import I pay like 50-80% of taxes over the DVD AND the shipping if you can believe so... :mad: I say that not out of envy (a little bit, I must admit) but so you can feel even better about your deal. Enjoy Apu. :)

I haven't been following the BDP83 thread. Is there an official/unofficial line from Oppo as to why they won't allow the player to be region-free for DVDs? I can understand it being region-locked for Blu-ray.

For better or for worse, the US does go easy on consumption taxes and many import tariffs. Since I'm not charged UK's high VAT, The Apu Trilogy is actually cheaper shipped to me in the US than it is for someone in the UK who lives down the street from the Amazon shipping warehouse.

This is from my first post on the BDP-83 thread:

The BDP-83 will support DVD Region 1 and Blu-ray Region A only. The Blu-ray Disc Association does not allow OPPO to support any region unlocking capabilities, even for DVD-Video playback.

As Blu-ray is a relatively new platform, OPPO wants to make sure they can sell Blu-ray players for many more years to come. They do not want to implement or excise any content control which could jeopardize their standing with the Blu-ray Disc Association.

These restrictions are non-negotiable. Do not discuss them in the forums.

Wow... It's even better than I thought... :)

Concerning Region Free, for OPPO to be able to produce a BluRay player they had to agree to lock Region Code for DVDs as well. They say they condoned Region Free on their other DVD players (it was not officially sanctioned by them), but now they can not do so due to the BR agreement.

These restrictions are non-negotiable. Do not discuss them in the forums.

Sorry I brought it up! :p

Well, that last part is more of a warning for the BDP-83 thread, because Region talking always led to major off topic bickering and several topic closures.

I wouldn't worry much about DVD region locking for the time being.
As someone said in the past:

"a couple of months after chastity belt invention by the moralist, the smart guy created the can opener" :) J/K

If that's true, which of the current players are region free?

If you're talking about Oppo, all models, except the new BDP-83.

Regards, Chuck

If you're talking about Oppo, all models, except the new BDP-83.

Regards, Chuck

No, was talking about all the BD Players out there that have been made region free. I don't see any can openers around yet.

Moxie,

and I was talking about DVD's. For BD's, it'll take a while longer, for sure.
What I know is there's a hack from UK that unlocks the Panny BD-30 (among others), making them region-free, but that applies for DVD's only.

Can openers are there, just waiting to be used someday, somewhere, by someone :p

No, was talking about all the BD Players out there that have been made region free. I don't see any can openers around yet.
Oh, there are some can openers (http://www.jvbdigital.nl/jvb.asp?cur=2&level=modifications&page=browse&searchtype=brand&searchstring=BluRay). They're just not sold by the companies selling the cans. A bit pricey, but I understand they do good work, and if you need the feature ...

Interestingly, this list contained the BDP-83 for a couple of days (DVD region-free only, not Blu-ray), but that player is not listed again. Maybe the fix wasn't quite ready.

Thanks for the link. Lots of can openers there.

See also review at dvdbeaver (http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/hardwarereviews/momitsu_bdp-899.htm). They've just posted a review of the Momitsu...

cheers

I just dont get it I guess..... (all the complication of Regions etc.)

Why dont the movie companies just release movies in all markets at the same time and not have all this region nonsense?

Obviously they must make money out of having Regions or they wouldnt go to all this trouble and complexity, but I just dont see where?

Different companies own the rights to different movies. For example, if a movie is under rights with FOX in the USA, that same movie may be under the rights of Miramax in Europe. If there were no region coding, the financial gain from both companies would be truncated by each other.
It's mostly about the money, especially with movie studis and music labels.
There is also the difference between PAL and NTSC as well. There were not always players like OPPO makes that could do PAL as well as they do.
A lot of slack has been let out of the line with Blu-ray though. More movies from overseas will play on regionA plyers since the PAL/NTSC encoding is moot with Blu-ray.

The short answer (so we don't get too far off topic) is that the distribution rights can be held by different companies in different markets. This means that while "Random Example Movie Title" may be distributed on DVD and Blu-ray in the US and Canada by MegaCorporation Studios, it may be distributed on those formats in Europe, Asia, and Australia by as many as three other companies. In each case, the licensed company doesn't want sales in their region getting stolen when customers import the title from another country (and another distributor). Even if all four companies release the titles at the same time (which may not be possible, since the studio that produced the movie may want to get first crack at it in their home region before letting anybody else sell it elsewhere), there's a risk of this - especially if one region gets some different bonus features or other content. Thus, we get region coding...

Has anyone successfully resolved the issue of Oppo DV-983h not passing upscaled 1080p video via HDMI through a Yamaha RX-Z11 (Z11 set to pass through HDMI)? I'm still trying to track down a solution, but no response from Oppo anymore on this issue. Last night I observed the message "REEN SA" (could have been "REEN 5A") displayed on the front panel of the 983. No idea what it means. I even tried other combinations of 983 & Z11 settings but seems like there is no way to pass 1080p video thru the Z11 from the 983. The only one that does work, sort of, is to set the 983 to output 480p and let the Z11 upscale the video to 1080p. The problem with using the 480p setting on 983 is that the digital audio is then restricted. Oppo support e-mailed me the ludicrous solution for me to bypass the receiver altogether and connect the 983 HDMI directly to the projector, but then I can forget audio altogether.

I had been planning to get the Oppo BDP-83 when available, but now I'm not so sure. I am disappointed with lack of Oppo response to this problem. I suppose that is because they discontinued the 983. My fear is this issue will carry over to the BDP-83 if it has not been resolved.

I know this is and older issue, but I only recently (within past month) installed a 1080p projector, so it just surfaced for me. I had been really happy with the 983 prior to this when I only used 720p, but now I'm concerned that when/if I still get the BDP-83, I will still have this problem. Any thoughts?

This is from my first post on the BDP-83 thread:

The BDP-83 will support DVD Region 1 and Blu-ray Region A only. The Blu-ray Disc Association does not allow OPPO to support any region unlocking capabilities, even for DVD-Video playback.

As Blu-ray is a relatively new platform, OPPO wants to make sure they can sell Blu-ray players for many more years to come. They do not want to implement or excise any content control which could jeopardize their standing with the Blu-ray Disc Association.

These restrictions are non-negotiable. Do not discuss them in the forums.

This is a 983 forum. Region-free IS discussed here.

And until BDP-83 can be chipped to be region-free (and it probably will be), it cannot be called a 983 replacement, at least not for the folks who bought 983 for its region-free capabilities, like myself.

This is a 983 forum. Region-free IS discussed here.

And until BDP-83 can be chipped to be region-free (and it probably will be), it cannot be called a 983 replacement, at least not for the folks who bought 983 for its region-free capabilities, like myself.
Nobody buys a 983 solely for it's R-0 capability. For that all you need is a $50 Phillips player.

Well, if you want Region Free with the best PQ yo do buy the 983. That's what I did. I guess the Philips you mentioned, which I have for my kids, doesn't deliver quite well...

Nobody buys a 983 solely for it's R-0 capability. For that all you need is a $50 Phillips player.
Actually, that's incorrect. I own a Philips 5982, and although it plays all regions and converts PAL to NTSC, there are many problems. Combing artifacts are present with many discs, and on some discs, the player seems to go into a "permanent combing" mode where it doesn't stop until the playback is completely stopped (not paused) and then restarted. You might have to do this several times per disc. That alone convinced me that a 983 was the right way to go. Not to mention that in most cases the 983 handles avi video files better (there is at least one bug that OPPO has acknowledged and claims to be working on).

$400 was a cheap price for not having my family wonder what I've done wrong now when the video doesn't play correctly. The beautiful PQ was just a bonus, though it has put off my acquisition of a hi-def player for a while :) . I compared all the OPPO players that were available at the time, and I decided the 983 was right for me (their site mentions *best* PAL conversion and so on). It took about 2 months to actually *get* one, but I've been very happy with it and never looked back.

If you have a multi-region family with roots in two (or more) cultures like I do, having R0 and PAL conversion is the biggest consideration. And yes, I'm considering a BDP-83 (if it can be modded). Time will tell. From my experience with the 983, I know I'll be happier with a BDP-83 over the long haul than I will with say, a modded BD-80, because of all the other capabilities it has, but not having region-free is a major minus, even though I know it's not OPPO's fault.

Nobody buys a 983 solely for it's R-0 capability. For that all you need is a $50 Phillips player.

Not the sole reason, but it definitely factored into my purchase and I wouldn't have purchased it otherwise... and I definitely won't replace it with a BD83 until that player can be made to be region free. LIke someone above me said, it's the best solution for region free playback with superior quality.

That being said when the 83 is altered to allow region free playback I'll be getting one. Until it is though it cannot replace my 983.

Well, if you want Region Free with the best PQ yo do buy the 983.

I agree. That is precisely the reason I bought the 983. And conversely, the reason I don't care about the 83 at all.

I just got a 983H. I have been using the PS3 as my SD DVD upconverter till now and I wanted to join the family.
I have a few DVD-As that I haven't been able to listen to for a while now. I was sorta waiting for the BDP-83 but have decided to just keep the PS3 for blurays and use the 983 for SD and music. I didn't see any advantage of the 83 over the PS3 other than having all the goodies in one box, and/or analog outs, which I'm not interested in. The PS3 has done a superb job in keeping up with the new bluray specs and I feel will be quicker and more reliable for any future updates needed.
So, I'm sticking with the PS3 and adding the much-proved 983 to the rack.

I just got a 983H. I have been using the PS3 as my SD DVD upconverter till now and I wanted to join the family.
I have a few DVD-As that I haven't been able to listen to for a while now. I was sorta waiting for the BDP-83 but have decided to just keep the PS3 for blurays and use the 983 for SD and music. I didn't see any advantage of the 83 over the PS3 other than having all the goodies in one box, and/or analog outs, which I'm not interested in. The PS3 has done a superb job in keeping up with the new bluray specs and I feel will be quicker and more reliable for any future updates needed.
So, I'm sticking with the PS3 and adding the much-proved 983 to the rack.

I also have the PS3 for bluray and the 983 for everything else. It's an excellent combination. The 983 was worth every penny.

I also have the PS3 for bluray and the 983 for everything else. It's an excellent combination. The 983 was worth every penny.

I agree 100%. The Momitsu is looking awfully good for non-region A blu-ray however, and could soon complete my quadrilogy of players (including my HD-A2 HD-DVD player)!

Oppo support e-mailed me the ludicrous solution for me to bypass the receiver altogether and connect the 983 HDMI directly to the projector, but then I can forget audio altogether. Well, none of us can speak for OPPO as far as this problem is concerned. But who says that this is solely an OPPO problem anyway? Other receivers work just fine with the 983. Have you contacted Yamaha?

As for OPPO's suggestion, why do you think its ludicrous? You can use another audio connection method. It may not be ideal, but it certainly doesn't mean that you have to "forget audio altogether".

Gary

Well, none of us can speak for OPPO as far as this problem is concerned. But who says that this is solely an OPPO problem anyway? Other receivers work just fine with the 983. Have you contacted Yamaha?

As for OPPO's suggestion, why do you think its ludicrous? You can use another audio connection method. It may not be ideal, but it certainly doesn't mean that you have to "forget audio altogether".

Gary

Actually, I have spoken to both Yamaha and Oppo on several occassions both by phone & e-mail. I even spoke with an Oppo support tech just yesterday afternoon who admitted it was their isssue to resolve. Oppo tech said they are aware of the 1080p output problem with the Z11. He also stated the 983 has the same porblem with other receivers that use the ABT VRS chip. He said Oppo has a Yamaha RX-V3900 on which they test, and they also cannot get the 983 to output an upscaled 1080p signal to it. Oppo claims that they have been following up with ABT on this problem, but no solution is available. My concerns are that ultimately, it will not and since the Oppo Blu-ray BDP-83 uses the same ABT chip for the SD-DVD funcions, then the problem is likely to continue into their blue-ray player. The tech guys agreed their Blu-Ray may have the same problem, but they won't know until it's released as they cannot test it, nor do they have a tester in their current EAP program who has reported that they are using a Z11 receiver.

I ended my conversation yesterday very disappointed with Oppo. Basically, the tech again told me to live with the problem. I don't find that to be acceptable support and makes more me concerned about spending more on another Oppo that may also have the same problem. I got the feeling that Oppo will only look at this problem only passively now, as they have discontinued the 983. On the other hand, if they experience the same problem when the BDP-83 is ultimately released, then maybe they will continue to pursue the fix.

Granted the 983 was only a $400 DVD player, but that is pricey compared to the price of most other DVD players. Then, to tell a user, basically, to live with a problem, just isn't very good custiomer support. Sure I can use other audio connections, but that defeats the purpose of having a receiver such as the Z11 and HDMI connections for watching DVDs. I'd gotten this receiver to listen to the newer audio formats that are basically only available on blu-ray over HDMI. I'd gotten the 983 to use in the interim when I realized I'd have to wait for the Oppo blu-ray until sometime this year. I had been impressed by the reviews that Oppo DVD players were getiing. I do admit the images and sound from the 983 were stellar, as long as I was only viewing up to 720p. Now that I have the ability to view 1080p, I cannot take full advantage of it.

I have been anxious to get a hi-def player since Hi-def DVD was first introduced but I have been waiting until the HD-DVD/Blu-ray issue was resolved. I was set on the Oppo blu-ray, which originally was due out end of last year. Now I'm not sure if is s prudent to continue to wait for another Oppo unit since Oppo can not fix this problem nor do they know if will occur on the BDP-83. I am also concerned that it may be more of a risk rather than an investment to purchase another Oppo player if I may have to continue to "live" with an upscale problem on a new unit. I'll probably pick up another manufacturer's blu-ray and wait until Oppo gets to the 3rd or 4th generation of their blu-ray palyers, but that's a different issue.

I had posted on this forum to learn if anyone else who experienced this upsacle problem may have found a solution or viable work-around to get 1080p video displayed. Since HDMI is such a trickly connection, I was wondering if there may just be a certain combination of option settings on both units that may have worked, or a speciific start up handshake sequence that may have worked for them.

This came up in the BDP-83 thread a few weeks back, and the information I saw at that time was that the BDP-83 was working successfully with the RX-V3900 at 1080p. I wasn't following it closely, as I haven't owned any Yamaha gear in a while and there's a lot going on in that thread, but that's one more bit of data to add to the equation...

The only one that does work, sort of, is to set the 983 to output 480p and let the Z11 upscale the video to 1080p. The problem with using the 480p setting on 983 is that the digital audio is then restricted. Oppo support e-mailed me the ludicrous solution for me to bypass the receive

May be a dumb question, but how is the audio restricted?

Because if you want to get HD audio, you'll need to set the video option at 720p, minimum. That's the way is works, though. It's written in the manual.

For instance, if you have it set at 480p, you'll have 2.0 PCM thru HDMI and same applies to SACD/DVD-A. It's all related to bandwidht though.

Regards, Chuck

May be a dumb question, but how is the audio restricted?

From my understanding of HDMI, though limited, to get higher resolution audio thru HDMI it is necessary to select the higher video output in order to get sufficient bandwidth that will support hi res audio. Even the Oppo 983 manual (Audio Setup,p. 52) states that at 480p over HDMI, audio is limited to 2 channels at high sampe rate or 8 channel at lower sample rates, especailly when used for SACD & DVD-A.

I see. Thanks.

Because if you want to get HD audio, you'll need to set the video option at 720p, minimum. That's the way is works, though. It's written in the manual.

For instance, if you have it set at 480p, you'll have 2.0 PCM thru HDMI and same applies to SACD/DVD-A. It's all related to bandwidht though.

Regards, Chuck

Thank you. I did not have this issue until I installed a Mitsubishi HC6500 projector. The HC6500 is a 1080p and I cannot find option to change/limit the default resolution. This shouldn't be an issue, as I'd probably want to display the highest res video available to me, anyway.

When I had a 720p problem, Mitsubishi HC3000U, I did not observe this problem. But now, if I try to output more than a 480p signal from the 983 on HDMI, I either get no video signal whatsoever and with choppy audio, or I get video with both video and audio drop outs. Oppo tech told me it's a compatibility problem with the same ABT VRS chip in both units.

This came up in the BDP-83 thread a few weeks back, and the information I saw at that time was that the BDP-83 was working successfully with the RX-V3900 at 1080p. I wasn't following it closely, as I haven't owned any Yamaha gear in a while and there's a lot going on in that thread, but that's one more bit of data to add to the equation...

Thanks. I'd posted a direct question about this problem to the person with the RX-V3900. I was not assuaged by the response I got. The response was that all was tested and even tested an Oppo DV-980 with a Marantz receiver with no problem. Don't believe those have the same ABT processor.

Apparently, this has been an outstanding issue with the Z11 & V3900 since sometime mid-2008. I was looking in this 983/ABT forum to see if anyone had since resolved it somehow, or at least , to raise awareness for one of the BDP-83 EAP testers who might be able to look further into it.

Beigecat,

after reading your issues with the 983/Z11, a basic question though:

did you try to set the upscaling to off on the Z11?
It seems the conflict happens when 2 ABT chipsets are in-between, right?

Regards, Chuck

Nobody buys a 983 solely for it's R-0 capability. For that all you need is a $50 Phillips player.

I did not say solely.

I wanted best PQ, price, and region-free capability, all in one package. 983 delivered it, plus good audio to boot.

Beigecat,

after reading your issues with the 983/Z11, a basic question though:

did you try to set the upscaling to off on the Z11?
It seems the conflict happens when 2 ABT chipsets are in-between, right?

Regards, Chuck

Chuck, I believe so. Z11 offers a couple of options, I believe, in this respect. Turn internal Z11 HDMI processing off completely, and/or to set HDMI resolution to "through", instead of preforming upscaling. I used many different combinations of these options along with various options on the 983. No luck.

The technician who was here to calibrate my projector last week said he'd come across this issue with another client. His theory is the conflict is arising because of the HDCP processing among the units. I am not in a position techically to disagree, but I thought that made a bit of sense.
Thanks, Duane

Apparently, this has been an outstanding issue with the Z11 & V3900 since sometime mid-2008. I was looking in this 983/ABT forum to see if anyone had since resolved it somehow, or at least , to raise awareness for one of the BDP-83 EAP testers who might be able to look further into it.

It has been a known issue, but there is no resolution from either OPPO or Yamaha. Neither side really knows who is at fault, nor what needs to be addressed.

To add a wrinkle to the issue, the RX-V3900 will not pass 1080p/60Hz when on. However, if the receiver is turned off into a standby state, it will pass 1080p/60Hz. In standby the RX-V3800 acts merely as a passthrough.

To add a wrinkle to the issue, the RX-V3900 will not pass 1080p/60Hz when on. However, if the receiver is turned off into a standby state, it will pass 1080p/60Hz. In standby the RX-V3800 acts merely as a passthrough. That's a glaring bug on Yamaha's end. Who knows what else they have implemented incorrectly.

Gary

Which is why neither OPPO or Yamaha have fixed the issue. It is probably a timing issue on Yamaha's end when the unit is turned on. However, Yamaha can take the stance that it is not their issue because other products, even the BDP-83, do not have an issue.

Similarly, OPPO can make the same claim. Only the Yamaha receivers with ABT de-interlacing and scaling solutions are having compatibility issues with the DV-983H, so obviously it is not their issue.

This is a major case of "he said; she said".

Not the sole reason, but it definitely factored into my purchase and I wouldn't have purchased it otherwise... and I definitely won't replace it with a BD83 until that player can be made to be region free. LIke someone above me said, it's the best solution for region free playback with superior quality.

That being said when the 83 is altered to allow region free playback I'll be getting one. Until it is though it cannot replace my 983.


Dito!

Thanks again guys for your input. I thought as much and now feeling more that I am right. This issue will never be fixed. I would have thought that ABT would have entered the fray and offerred what they could to resolve it, since it obviously affects them too. I would have thought ABT would have shown a vested interest in resolution.

Yamaha had at least offered for me to return the Z11 receiver to them for analysis and repair, or replacement. Oppo told me I would have to live with the problem. So I'm not convinced who is really at fault here, but Oppo's response is not acceptable.

Since Neither Oppo nor Yamaha can, or is willing ,to test the new BDP-83 with the Z11 either, looks like my decision is made for me. I can't chuck a $5k+ receiver as easily as I can a $400 DVD player. This 983 will be off to ebay, and I'll replace it with a non-Oppo blu-ray. Now back to the selection process for me.

Since Neither Oppo nor Yamaha can, or is willing ,to test the new BDP-83 with the Z11 either, looks like my decision is made for me. I can't chuck a $5k+ receiver as easily as I can a $400 DVD player. This 983 will be off to ebay, and I'll replace it with a non-Oppo blu-ray. Now back to the selection process for me.

I must be missing something, cause I don't really see a problem with bypassing the AVR with HDMI and running optical for audio. It's not ideal, but it works and lets you keep using the best DVD player ever made. Don't cut off your nose, so to speak.

I must be missing something, cause I don't really see a problem with bypassing the AVR with HDMI and running optical for audio. It's not ideal, but it works and lets you keep using the best DVD player ever made.
That's what I do in my system. My receiver doesn't have a problem with the 983, it has a problem with my Sony TV when doing HDMI/HCDP. The solution is the same, though. Bypass the receiver for video but not for audio.

It will be tougher to do this for the BDP-83 or other BD player if I get one, since I will want the hi-def audio. I may end up with either an HDMI splitter, if I can find one that works, or an HDFury2. I have a Denon, but it sounds like nobody can really get all the connections completely right with HDMI (at least not in the mid-price levels).

I must be missing something, cause I don't really see a problem with bypassing the AVR with HDMI and running optical for audio. It's not ideal, but it works and lets you keep using the best DVD player ever made. Don't cut off your nose, so to speak.

Don't see it that way. I started upgrading my theater since last summer. Was given the Z11 as a present to replace a Z9 because it had HDMI connections so I could eventually take full advantage of the blu-ray functionality. I don't see the point of having to negate the advantage of the HDMI just to make a player work. Already waited too long now for the 83, and have become very disappointed in Oppo support. If the problem with the 983 has been outstanding for so long, whoever is at fault, and Oppo doesn't seem to me to be too interested in following up on it now, with same chips in the 83 I would then expect to have the same problem. Don't need to make same mistake twice nor to be told again that I will have to live with the problem or use a bypass solution. I've only had the 983 for a couple of months now. If Oppo will not resolve the issue with Yamaha, then they could have discussed alternative warranty resolutions.

Supports a big issue with me and, at least, Yamaha offered to repair or replace the Z11 under warranty. I've owned many Yamaha flagship receivers in the past. Only once did I ever have a problem with one and that was after 2 years of use where I lost the center channel. It was promptly replaced under warranty with a new receiver.

Yamaha offered to repair or replace the Z11 under warranty.
:confused: ummmmm...:confused:

Don't see it that way. I've only had the 983 for a couple of months now. If Oppo will not resolve the issue with Yamaha, then they could have discussed alternative warranty resolutions.


Well, I guess it's a matter of priorities. Oppo can't do anything about it unless ABT or Yamaha gives them a solution. If it's more important to you to be right than to have stellar DVD quality, then so be it. One little optical cable and all your troubles are over.

Going to a digital coax or optical toslink and bypassing the AVR video/audio HDMI switching is waht I had to do because of a Denon AVR and Sony XBR dropout problem (it's an HDMI thing). Only drawback is you need to hookup RCA 6-8 cables for the SACD/DVD-A playback in surround. But I got it working.

I'm in deep **** when I get around to having a BlueRay player (hopefully a Oppo 83 & sell the 983 but we'll see) because then you actually lose the HD Audio formats / features by not going HDMI to the AVR.... Going to cross that bridge when I come to it. If you problem is actually with the DVD player itself consider yourself lucky! You can do the Digital audio to AVR and Video to monitor trick and not loose out on a format/feature (improvement/quality) and not have the same issue/headache if you go to another player (a BluRay/Oppo 83 for example).

Going to a digital coax or optical toslink and bypassing the AVR video/audio HDMI switching is waht I had to do because of a Denon AVR and Sony XBR dropout problem (it's an HDMI thing). Only drawback is you need to hookup RCA 6-8 cables for the SACD/DVD-A playback in surround. But I got it working.

I'm in deep **** when I get around to having a BlueRay player (hopefully a Oppo 83 & sell the 983 but we'll see) because then you actually lose the HD Audio formats / features by not going HDMI to the AVR.... Going to cross that bridge when I come to it. If you problem is actually with the DVD player itself consider yourself lucky! You can do the Digital audio to AVR and Video to monitor trick and not loose out on a format/feature (improvement/quality) and not have the same issue/headache if you go to another player (a BluRay/Oppo 83 for example).

If a Blu-ray player can decode the advanced audio codecs internally (which the BDP-83 can), and incorperate 7.1 channel mulitchannel analog output (which the BDP-83 does), then no, you do not need to use HDMI for audio with a Blu-ray player. You can use the the multichannel analog connection, the same as you are doing right now.

Smarty pants - Thanks for reminding me of that. I had known that but forgotten about it. For some reason I'm not using the 983's decoding for movies just using a digital audio connection. Although I am using the 983's decoding (RCA audio surround outputs) for multichannel audio. Thankfully the Harmony One remote makes the settings transperant (control wise) when picking an activity.

So using the 83's surround audio output for Blu-Ray movies you can get all (I know thiers multiple HD (better than DVD DTS) audio tracks but you just loose having your AVR lightup all pretty and have HDMA (or whatever format) lit up on it's display (it'll just be 6.1 input). Heck who watchs the AVR display anyways (well atleast once you settle on a volume).

Has anyone commented on how good the 83's internal HD audio decoder is? (I can wait if the answer is "can't say now")

Thanks again for the reminder.

If a Blu-ray player can decode the advanced audio codecs internally (which the BDP-83 can), and incorperate 7.1 channel mulitchannel analog output (which the BDP-83 does), then no, you do not need to use HDMI for audio with a Blu-ray player. You can use the the multichannel analog connection, the same as you are doing right now.
The negative to this (and I thought about this too because I have the same dropouts), depending on which receiver one has, is that Audyssey, etc. is disabled when using the 7.1 analog inputs. It is on my 3808. That might be OK for music (although I suspect room correction could help there, too), but you don't really want that for movies. Anyone who has a more capable receiver where this limitation is not in place doesn't have to worry about it.

Sure Audyssey is nice. I have it and love it. However, it's really just a "lazy man's tool". Everything that Audyssey does, can be replicated with manual calibration. So you can get the same results with mch analog connections. It'll just take more work.

Sure Audyssey is nice. I have it and love it. However, it's really just a "lazy man's tool". Everything that Audyssey does, can be replicated with manual calibration. So you can get the same results with mch analog connections. It'll just take more work.
Ouch! That hits a little too close to home! :o On the other side, I don't have the equipment for a really good manual calibration either, which is why I wanted to get Audyssey. So maybe I can still justify feeling good about my laziness in this area! :)

As an FYI. I have had some discusssion via e-mail with OPPO support on the Yamaha/983.
I own a RX-V3900 that has identical HDMI connectivity problem as the higher end Yamaha AVRs. Apparently I was the first to report the 3900/983 connectivity issue.

OPPO has purchased V3900 to test against the 983. They agree that it is a "Handshake" issue between the Yamaha and the 983. Apparently Yamaha has not been too concerned about solving it. I have no further information.

My solution is the same as others, direct connect the 983 to my Panasonic Plasma with a coax to the 3900 for the audio. I use the multi-channel connectivity to the 3900 for my SACDs. Looks great and sounds great but I will replace my Panasonic BD player with the BDP-83 when it is released to the general public.

KG

I am curious: this is an OUTSTANDING SD player, but I am really wanting to get the 83 bluray machine. The region-free aspects of this are nice, but I don't have a lot of call for it (and have a cheap Daewoo that does it).

Anyone interested in a 983 at a good price?

I experimented with my Z11 & 983 perhaps sucesssfully. Looks like I may now be passing a 1080p signal from the 983 thru the Z11 to my projector. Neuromamcer's earlier comment about the V3900 passing the signal when the v3900 was powered off but the HDMI signal was set to HDMI passthru when in standby mode. Got me to thinking about taking the Z11 out of the chain during my power up sequence. I have a URC remote sequence programmed to power on everything and set applicable options when I want to watch a DVD.

What I did was to put the Z11 into HDMI standby passtrhu then alter the power on sequence. There are several Z11 options, including the advanced option "monitor check" to be checked or changed. After I made the setup changes, I put both 983 & Z11 into 1080p upscale mode, and now the info menu on my HC6500 shows that a 1920x1080p signal is being displayed.

I've watched 4 full DVDs, in addition to my various trial attempts, so far, and no drops outs occurred, no choopy audio and I no longer see the "no signal" message displayed. I need to do more tesing, but it may actually be working. I'm only willing to say it may be working as I need to make more observations to be sure. Only fluke I've observed, but just once, was when I stopped DVD playback for a couple of minutes. When I resumed play (press 983 play button) display showed a blue outline around people and objects. It looked like personal aura being displayed around things. Pressing stop and play again corrected that problem.

Interesting way of getting around the issue with the Yamaha Z11 and 1080p video passthrough.

Interesting way of getting around the issue with the Yamaha Z11 and 1080p video passthrough.

Yes it is. It was still working last night. Now I feel a bit less frustrated with Oppo & Yamaha. It should all work much cleaner than this, but, at least, it may be a work-around and partially alay my concern about getting the BDP-83. I'll have to get back to Oppo now, with all of the settings I employed, to see if they are interested in trying to duplicate my results with their V3900. Maybe then they could develop a better solution.

The problem must be with the HDCP protocol. My work around is only allowing the 1080p if both units, the 983 & Z11, are in 1080p mode. The Z11's HDMI passthrough setting will allow the video signal through, but allows display of 480i regardless of the resolution from the 983. Could not even get that much before. I really hope one to the EAP testers is following up on this.

I experimented with my Z11 & 983 perhaps sucesssfully. Looks like I may now be passing a 1080p signal from the 983 thru the Z11 to my projector. Neuromamcer's earlier comment about the V3900 passing the signal when the v3900 was powered off but the HDMI signal was set to HDMI passthru when in standby mode. Got me to thinking about taking the Z11 out of the chain during my power up sequence. I have a URC remote sequence programmed to power on everything and set applicable options when I want to watch a DVD.

What I did was to put the Z11 into HDMI standby passtrhu then alter the power on sequence. There are several Z11 options, including the advanced option "monitor check" to be checked or changed. After I made the setup changes, I put both 983 & Z11 into 1080p upscale mode, and now the info menu on my HC6500 shows that a 1920x1080p signal is being displayed. This is good news... and good detective work. Thanks for posting it here for the benefit of others.

Gary

Hello,
sorry for my english. I came from germany and this is my first time here.

to topic:

I bought the Oppo 983H (directly from the OppoShop in Sweden). But I have a problem:
The problem is, that i have picture problems with miscellaneous DVDs, for example Dawn of the Dead (the remake from 2002) or Spongebob the Movie. The Problem is, that the colour is to retighten. It is hardly to discribe this. It sesms to be, that the colour is slower then the movie itselfs.
I have tested the Movies in several DVD Players with no problems. I also changed the HDMI Cable and the TV.
My TV is Pioneer LX5090 and the G9 of Panasonic Plasma.

THX for help

V3900 - 983 1080P Passthrough

Just to add another wrinkle into this problem solving.
I applied the just released V3900 firmware upgrade (v1.07) to my 3900 as there is a note that it improves HDMI connectivity. Based upon my testing, the 983-3900 standby passthrough of a 1080P signal no longer works. All other resolutions are passed through on standby but no 1080P. This appears to be the only noticable change with the Yamaha firmware.
I have reverted to a direct HDMI connection between the 983 and my plasma panel with audio via coax to the V3900. I was hopeful for several minutes.


BDP83-V3900 1080P Processing

I did ask 1 of the EAP participants (he also has a V3900) if he noted any problem with a 1080P signal from the BDP-83 passing through the V3900. He was very helpful and does not have any connectivity issues between the BDP-83 and the V3900 (this includes testing with a 1080P signal). So far the 83 appears to be a solid piece of equipment.

KevinG46,
I'm sure you already re-checked all of your settings, but I think when installing a firware upgrade, all options are reset to defaults. I have the same issue with a Z11-983, but I seem to have the HDMI connection working, at least for the moment, after a lot of trial and error.

For me, power on sequence is critical...1)-projector, 2)-983, 3)-Z11. Z11 is in standby passthru, HDMI resolution is "1080p" ("through", does not seem to work), and 983 output is 1080p. I set the options first, powered everthing off, then powered back on in sequence. Note that both 983 & Z11 must be set to 1080p, otherwise, if I set the Z11 to "through", even though 983 is set to 1080p, I'll only get a 480i display. I'll be happy to document all of my settings & e-mail to you, if you like. Not sure if Z11 & V3900 are all same, but it cannot hurt.

beigecat,

I have tried your setup and sequence as well as any other that I could think up but no success. I will leave it at that and wait for new 983 firmware from OPPO or the new 83 which ever comes first.

I passed this info on to OPPO and they replied that they have talking with Anchor Bay but have no date for updated 983 firmware.

Thanks for your help.

KG

Brainstorm2201,

I am no expert but possibly adjusting the Y/C Delay in the 983 video setup page (Page 56 in the English 983 user manual). The parameter description (smearing) could match your problem description.

Failing that, you should contact OPPO service. OPPO Service (service@oppodigital.com).


BTW. Welcome to North America. I am Canadian and need to be more general in my welcome.

KG

Hello,
sorry for my english. I came from germany and this is my first time here.

to topic:

I bought the Oppo 983H (directly from the OppoShop in Sweden). But I have a problem:
The problem is, that i have picture problems with miscellaneous DVDs, for example Dawn of the Dead (the remake from 2002) or Spongebob the Movie. The Problem is, that the colour is to retighten. It is hardly to discribe this. It sesms to be, that the colour is slower then the movie itselfs.
I have tested the Movies in several DVD Players with no problems. I also changed the HDMI Cable and the TV.
My TV is Pioneer LX5090 and the G9 of Panasonic Plasma.

THX for help


I suffered exactly the same problem some time ago (I´m an European user too). I experienced the problem a few times and I concluded that the problem appears when you use (or have used for some time) the "screen capture" function with a PAL capture as wallpaper. It seems that this problem doesn´t happen when you use a NTSC capture or the default wallpaper.
Anyway I fixed the problem with this method:

1.- Choose the "default" wallscreen image in the setup menu.
2.- Unplug the player from the AC outlet for five minutes.
3.- Reinstall the player´s firmware

The problem doesn´t fix unless you do the step 2 too. (at least in my experience)

Hope this works for you too.

Cheers.

I have a question. Last night I tried to install the latest firmware for the 983. Once it updated, the "home screen" came on. I set the resolution to 1080p. I wanted to turn it off, and then back on again (long story), but when I turned it back on, I got no picture . . . I think it wasn't handshaking. Has anyone had a problem with no image after the firmware update? Did I need to set the video to HDMI before I turned it off or something?
OK, here's the long story anyway: I have a Marantz SR8001 receiver. It has always played nicely with all of my gear PERFECT handshaking (including seven or eight months with the Oppo. I had the Marantz sent in for some work and had them apply their newest firmware (h55) since they had the unit there anyway. Well, when it came back, the Oppo and the Marantz had a terrible fight and now they are on a "talk to each other when they feel like it" basis. Now I figured the Marantz update was the culprit (I hate HDCP), but I figured I'd update the Oppo to see if it corrected the problem. SO . . . that is why I turned off the player and turned it back on . . . to see how the handshake went. Nada, didn't work. I tried changing cables, and hooking it up directly to the TV as well. I couldn't get anything from it. So I went back to the last "stable" firmware and it was instantly fine directly to the TV, still problems through the Marantz (by the way my other gear works fine with the Marantz still). Sometimes it works right away, sometimes I have to reset equipment/try to re-initiate a handshake as many as 10 to 15 times. i was blaming the Marantz, but when the new Oppo firmware didn't work with the TV directly, I got concerned. It would be an odd coincidence indeed if the Oppo went bad right when I changed the receiver firmware. Phew, if you got through this post, maybe you have some ideas.

I have a question. Last night I tried to install the latest firmware for the 983. Once it updated, the "home screen" came on. I set the resolution to 1080p. I wanted to turn it off, and then back on again (long story), but when I turned it back on, I got no picture . . . I think it wasn't handshaking. Has anyone had a problem with no image after the firmware update? Did I need to set the video to HDMI before I turned it off or something?
OK, here's the long story anyway: I have a Marantz SR8001 receiver. It has always played nicely with all of my gear PERFECT handshaking (including seven or eight months with the Oppo. I had the Marantz sent in for some work and had them apply their newest firmware (h55) since they had the unit there anyway. Well, when it came back, the Oppo and the Marantz had a terrible fight and now they are on a "talk to each other when they feel like it" basis. Now I figured the Marantz update was the culprit (I hate HDCP), but I figured I'd update the Oppo to see if it corrected the problem. SO . . . that is why I turned off the player and turned it back on . . . to see how the handshake went. Nada, didn't work. I tried changing cables, and hooking it up directly to the TV as well. I couldn't get anything from it. So I went back to the last "stable" firmware and it was instantly fine directly to the TV, still problems through the Marantz (by the way my other gear works fine with the Marantz still). Sometimes it works right away, sometimes I have to reset equipment/try to re-initiate a handshake as many as 10 to 15 times. i was blaming the Marantz, but when the new Oppo firmware didn't work with the TV directly, I got concerned. It would be an odd coincidence indeed if the Oppo went bad right when I changed the receiver firmware. Phew, if you got through this post, maybe you have some ideas.

You'll probably find my response to you useless, but I thought I'd pass it along anyway because you're the only other person I've seen here with a Marantz receiver.

I have the Marantz SR-8002 and have had no, none, nada problems between it and the 983. Handshaking is seamless and the other problems the Yamaha and Onkyo people post about are non-existent for me.

My only suggestion is to stick with the non-beta Oppo firmware and if you continue to have issues, check out the 983 -- unless your Marantz is on the fritz again. They have an awesome warranty, though I've never had any problems with mine whatsoever -- it's awesome!! They did it right!

That said, I have the 8002, so there may be a few glitches with the 8001 that I'm not aware of. Call Marantz and see what they say about the differences...if any.

Sorry, but I warned you up front my comment would be useless. Good luck!

You'll probably find my response to you useless, but I thought I'd pass it along anyway because you're the only other person I've seen here with a Marantz receiver.

I have the Marantz SR-8002 and have had no, none, nada problems between it and the 983. Handshaking is seamless and the other problems the Yamaha and Onkyo people post about are non-existent for me.

My only suggestion is to stick with the non-beta Oppo firmware and if you continue to have issues, check out the 983 -- unless your Marantz is on the fritz again. They have an awesome warranty, though I've never had any problems with mine whatsoever -- it's awesome!! They did it right!

That said, I have the 8002, so there may be a few glitches with the 8001 that I'm not aware of. Call Marantz and see what they say about the differences...if any.

Sorry, but I warned you up front my comment would be useless. Good luck!

Thanks anyway. Yeah, I had NO problems until I "upgraded" my Marantz firmware. The service center that I had it done at is talking with Marantz about it, and they will get in touch with me. They me put the older firmware back on the Marantz.

I have a question. Last night I tried to install the latest firmware for the 983. Once it updated, the "home screen" came on. I set the resolution to 1080p. I wanted to turn it off, and then back on again (long story), but when I turned it back on, I got no picture . . .
I have been having similar issues since upgrading to the latest firmware. There are definitely handshake bugs in the latest release because the problem never occurred previously. To work around the problem I have found two solutions. One is to power up the display first and power on the Oppo by pressing eject on the remote. The other is to power on the Oppo, press STOP if there is a disc in the tray, then press HDMI to cycle through 480...1080p again to make it sync. Both are annoying and inconvenient.

I'd also like Oppo to fix the coax audio sync issue with my processor. Other products work fine with my processor but the Oppo takes 4 seconds or more to resume audio sync after I resume from pausing a disc. Oppo support has repeatedly given me the brush-off by blaming my processor and disregards the fact that my PS3 has no such problem in the same setup and therefore the Oppo is somehow contributing to the issue. They mentioned implementing a "black noise" insertion workaround but I fear it will never be done.

Is there any perceived audio benefit with the 983 by using HDMI directly hooked up to my Onkyo 805 versus connecting it via HDMI directly to the television, and using the coax to the receiver? I realize bitsreaming Dolby Digital or DTS there won't be a difference, but I'm thinking more in terms of CD's.

Is there any perceived audio benefit with the 983 by using HDMI directly hooked up to my Onkyo 805 versus connecting it via HDMI directly to the television, and using the coax to the receiver? I realize bitsreaming Dolby Digital or DTS there won't be a difference, but I'm thinking more in terms of CD's.

SACD and DVD-A won't send multi-channel over optical. Apart from that, no difference.

Are there any risks to placing the Oppo BDP-83 on top of a 980? I have limited space in my rack so it make sense to stack the players on top of each other, unless there is a strong reason not to do it.

Are there any risks to placing the Oppo BDP-83 on top of a 980? I have limited space in my rack so it make sense to stack the players on top of each other, unless there is a strong reason not to do it.

I have players stacked three high now.

Do you mean the 983H or the BDP-83? The Blu-ray player is quite a bit heavier, so I would put it on the bottom.

-Bill

I meant the BDP-83. I was going to put that on top since it was more valuable, but your logic makes sense.

Plus the BDP-83 is quite a bit bigger (taller and most inportantly deeper), so the 980 would have to go on top.
I would just be careful to only have one player on at a time, that way the heat doesn't build too high.

Just bought the last 983 from HKFlix a couple of weeks ago. This may sound picky, but I was surprised that the unit doesn't seem to support asingle frame advance function - the manual doesn't mention it with the remote control options/functions. Every DVD player I've had in the past, has had this capability. :confused:

I don't know if this is what you want but with the player paused, if you hit forward it advances. I don't know if it advances a field, frame, or multiple frarmes when it does this.

Just bought the last 983 from HKFlix a couple of weeks ago. This may sound picky, but I was surprised that the unit doesn't seem to support asingle frame advance function - the manual doesn't mention it with the remote control options/functions. Every DVD player I've had in the past, has had this capability. :confused:

Hit pause, then hit forward or backwards. This will advance a single frame forwards or backwards.

Edit: Gah, didn't see Moxie's post. He's correct.

I don't know if this is what you want but with the player paused, if you hit forward it advances. I don't know if it advances a field, frame, or multiple frarmes when it does this.

In this context, what is the difference between a field and a frame?

I had my 983 many months before I learned it could do frame/field advance.

In this context, what is the difference between a field and a frame?

I had my 983 many months before I learned it could do frame/field advance.
I believe a field is like half a frame, ie the odd lines in an interlaced scan. A frame would have both odd and even lines of the scan.

^^^ correct.

larry

Thanks, guys. Should have tried that before posting. I guess I was looking for a "Step" or some similar button on the remote. ;)

One might think that this would be addressed in the manual, but I guess many other players might work the same way. I've only owned Sony (725P) and Helios (H4000) DVD players.

And a Malata DVD-N996.

And a Malata DVD-N996.
Great player for its time -- I still have one in operation, though mainly as a CD player.

However, in spite of some of the cool features it had (very exact zooming, etc.), the 983 blows it away.

You've got that right. In fact, I side-by-sided the Helios 4000 with the 983 swapping out the same HDMI cables and using the same TV input, in an attempt to make the comparison as close to apples-to-apples as possible. The 983 was significantly better. The only advantage to the Helios is that it upconverts ALL DVD's via component (720P) and HDMI (720P/1080P). Since my Toshiba 32HL67 has a native 720P resolution, component worked fine.

I've noted that whenever I select subtitles on my 983H (my father-in-law is deaf), there's always an annoying cross-line under the subtitles and I've tried basically every single tweakin and no way to get rid of it.

BTW, this only happens when I'm using the PJ.

Any suggestions on how the solve out this issue?

Regards, Chuck

I've noted that whenever I select subtitles on my 983H (my father-in-law is deaf), there's always an annoying cross-line under the subtitles and I've tried basically every single tweakin and no way to get rid of it.

BTW, this only happens when I'm using the PJ.

Any suggestions on how the solve out this issue?

Regards, Chuck

It it happening constantly or intermittently?

I see slight subtitle corruption once or twice an hour. This is a known fault with the decoder chip and will probably not be fixed.

The BDP-83 Blu-ray player is free of the fault.

-Bill

It it happening constantly or intermittently?

I see slight subtitle corruption once or twice an hour. This is a known fault with the decoder chip and will probably not be fixed.

The BDP-83 Blu-ray player is free of the fault.

-Bill

I've had a 983 for almost a year and have never noticed the phenomenon on the dozens and dozens of foreign language movies with subtitles I watch. And even if I did see a "slight" subtitle corruption every few hours during a viewing, it would take wayyy more than that to prompt me to pop $500/US for a BDP-83.

I wonder if those who plan to purchase an 83 have also factored in the substantial increase in price of BD vs. SD titles? And having to replace their SD collection -- while faced with the expensive option of backing up their expensive BD movies to justify the diminishing returns?

I guess it's nice to be rich enough to ignore the cost...:D

Follow-up on the frame advance function. Yes, it does work as described in a couple of recent posts for DVD's. It just doesn't work for AVI's (xvid or Divx).

It it happening constantly or intermittently?

I see slight subtitle corruption once or twice an hour. This is a known fault with the decoder chip and will probably not be fixed.

The BDP-83 Blu-ray player is free of the fault.

Thanks Bill,

it's an intermittently subtitle corruption. I even tried to change the subtitle languages (other than English), but same thing happens all the time.

Guess you're right about the chip fault though, so I might have no choice other than living with this bug, unfortunately :(

Regards, Chuck

Guess you're right about the chip fault though, so I might have no choice other than living with this bug, unfortunately :(

Regards, Chuck

Hi

Yes, unfortunately there's nothing to do about it, it's an MTK chip design flaw.

However, for AVI files there's a work around, you use a nifty little software called AviAddSub which is readily available for free on the Web. With it you can choose position, size colour etc and above all you don't get any truncations. It adds an srt file to the avi container, so it's burned into the file, but is selectable if you don't want any subs, and you can add several different subs (for instance one for the hard of hearing, and one for plain speak).

Unfortunately, it does involve a bit of fixing on the computer so it's not ideal, and doesn't solve the DVD situation.

Cheers

I'm having a problem with my 983/Marantz sr8001 combination. They worked fine together until I had the Marantz receiver's firmware "upgraded". Unfortunately, the receiver's firmware can not be rolled back. That is, you can never put older firmware back on it. So now I'm having major handshake issues between the 983 and the Marantz. I'm trying to get Marantz to deal with it somehow, but if that doesn't work, I was wondering if using patched firmware for the 983 to remove HDCP could do the trick. I've seen a lot of posts about it, some with conflicting info. I was wondering what the latest regarding this issue is. Is anyone currently running an HDCP hacked 983 with a non HDCP compliant display for HDMI connection? If so what firmware/patch versions?

Hi,

I would have a question for those who bought DV-983H when it was available.
When you got the player newly, when you first put of the box, was there a protecting film on the LCD display of the player?

Thanks a lot!

I know the Blu-ray player does, but can't remember if the DV-983H did as well.

Mine didn't when i took it out of the box.

nor did mine.

Thanks for answers. Hmmm that's weird.
I asked this because I bought a 983H from Swedish Opposhop, and it didn't have a protecting film on the LCD, and the LCD display had strong scratches on it.
I think the players should have protecting film on LCD when it is new. I had that on my 980H also, and the new BDP-83 said to having that too.

So I have thought that they sent me some second hand or refurbished product, so I returned it. Then I ordered another one from the local reseller (which is getting from Opposhop too), and it either didn't have the protecting film, and LCD was also scratched a little bit.

So I really don't know what is the case with 983H, but I still think it should have when it is new, so these that were sent, are not brand new one, I suppose.

But that's it, I ordered it too late.

Hi,

I would have a question for those who bought DV-983H when it was available.
When you got the player newly, when you first put of the box, was there a protecting film on the LCD display of the player?

Thanks a lot!

Mine was new and had no film but with the fine soft cloth covering protecting the entire player there was really no need for a film over the face. My guess is; If you didn't get the cloth cover it was likely not new.

Mine was new and had no film but with the fine soft cloth covering protecting the entire player there was really no need for a film over the face. My guess is; If you didn't get the cloth cover it was likely not new.

Same with me; sounds as if someone got a refurbished unit.:(

Same with me; sounds as if someone got a refurbished unit.:(Hold on guys. Don't jump to that conclusion yet... Batagy didn't say there was no cloth bag around his unit.

Gary

Yeah, the cloth bags. A nice touch. Did the old 971 come in one? Probably still in my box. Have the one from the 983 and two from 83 units. Beach week the whole family can use them as totes and give OPPO a little exposure.

Upgraded our second room this week and just for kicks compared the 983 to the 83 with DVD via the Anchor Bay chip. As expected, no difference.

Joe

Yeah, the cloth bags. A nice touch. Did the old 971 come in one? Probably still in my box. Have the one from the 983 and two from 83 units. Beach week the whole family can use them as totes and give OPPO a little exposure.

Upgraded our second room this week and just for kicks compared the 983 to the 83 with DVD via the Anchor Bay chip. As expected, no difference.

Joe

971 came also with the clothes bag.
Good to know that there is no difference in performance on SD DVD between 83 and 983 - except the region free part!!!! (big advantage for me).

971 came also with the clothes bag.
Good to know that there is no difference in performance on SD DVD between 83 and 983 - except the region free part!!!! (big advantage for me).

Where did you read that review?!? I thought the 83 is still in beta (early adopters, etc. etc.). Have they fixed its inability to play DVD-Audio, the fast-forward and backtrack problems, lip-synch issues with some SD discs...and other glitches? Let me know, it'll be interesting to see test results of the "no differences" reassurance.

I know Oppo have a lot riding on the 83, having discontinued selling and updating f/w for the 983, but prospective buyers should have as many documented reviews and facts before plunging into a $500 blind faith purchase.

Read the 1st post here to get up to speed on the BD-83.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=15914837#post15914837

Where did you read that review?!? I thought the 83 is still in beta (early adopters, etc. etc.). Have they fixed its inability to play DVD-Audio, the fast-forward and backtrack problems, lip-synch issues with some SD discs...and other glitches? Let me know, it'll be interesting to see test results of the "no differences" reassurance.

I know Oppo have a lot riding on the 83, having discontinued selling and updating f/w for the 983, but prospective buyers should have as many documented reviews and facts before plunging into a $500 blind faith purchase.

I was referring to the comparison of bronco70 between bd83 and 983. I had the chance to get a bd83 but declined due to the price and the region free issue. Now I see that someone has both and compared them and found no pq quality difference in sd in his opinion. But looking forward to a professional review.

There should be no PQ differences with standard definition media. The only way the BDP-83 would have an edge is if you wanted to take advantage of separate Detail and Edge Enhancements. The DV-983H has a general "Sharpness" (Edge + Detail Enhancement) which is not fine tuned.

I know Oppo have a lot riding on the 83, having discontinued selling and updating f/w for the 983, but prospective buyers should have as many documented reviews and facts before plunging into a $500 blind faith purchase.
I realize that the 983 has been discontinued, and that there has been no firmware update in a while, but after I reported a bug to OPPO earlier this year having to do with decoding of .avi files, they indicated that a fix for that problem might show up in a future firmware update. Of course, that does not sound like a firm commitment, but I think it likely that there will be further updates for the 983 once their engineers actually have time to breathe again (probably after another couple BDP-83 updates).

I do intend to keep my 983, since a fairly large percentage of my library is foreign (non-region 1 and PAL) DVD material that I don't intend to rip and reburn as region 0 so that it can be used with a BDP-83. Even should JVB digital eventually come through with an 83 mod, I'll probably still keep the 983 as a backup. Other than the avi decode bug, I've had no problems with it, and it's been a great player.

The 83 that I have on order is not really a blind faith purchase, though it isn't a cheap BD player. There have been many people on AVS testing this player, as well as a couple of reviewers, so I hardly think purchasing one is a leap in the dark. Plus, my experience with the 983 so far has made me comfortable with shelling out another $500 to OPPO. That's more than I can say for Sony or Denon at this point.

The 83 that I have on order is not really a blind faith purchase, though it isn't a cheap BD player. There have been many people on AVS testing this player, as well as a couple of reviewers, so I hardly think purchasing one is a leap in the dark. Plus, my experience with the 983 so far has made me comfortable with shelling out another $500 to OPPO. That's more than I can say for Sony or Denon at this point.Yes, you can say that with a great deal of confidence. You will not be disappointed with the BDP-83.

Gary

Yes, you can say that with a great deal of confidence. You will not be disappointed with the BDP-83.

Gary

Not to keep sounding like a skeptic, but dishing out $500US for a yet-to-be professionally reviewed blu-ray player (despite the respect Oppo's received for their previous offerings), based on the comments of some beta-testers who have already purchased it, still seems like an article of faith. And I have yet to read that the 83 will play DVD-audio -- a work in progress, I guess; but after constantly being blown away by the audio of my DVD-A collection played the 983, that alone is a deal-breaker. Of course the 83's prohibition of playing multi-region DVDs is another issue without any resolution.

Those of us who aren't lemmings continue to wait and see (the current economy notwithstanding). :rolleyes:

Not to keep sounding like a skeptic, but dishing out $500US for a yet-to-be professionally reviewed blu-ray player (despite the respect Oppo's received for their previous offerings), based on the comments of some beta-testers who have already purchased it, still seems like an article of faith.
It may be an "article of faith" - but there are now hundreds of these players out in the wild, and the consensus opinion continues to be just as positive as that reported previously by the large team of beta testers. We also need to define what qualifies as a professional review, as this review (http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/viewpoint/0609/aachapter116.htm) (which echoes the positive comments offered by others) could easily qualify as such. Each person must decide for themselves.
And I have yet to read that the 83 will play DVD-audio -- a work in progress, I guess; but after constantly being blown away by the audio of my DVD-A collection played the 983, that alone is a deal-breaker.
Have you been reading these threads much in the last six weeks or so? DVD-Audio has been listed as a feature (http://www.oppodigital.com/blu-ray-bdp-83/) on OPPO's site for quite a while now, and it is working nicely. There are a handful of discs that are being coordinated with due to assorted minor playback issues, but my entire DVD-A library has been playing like a charm for quite some time now.
Of course the 83's prohibition of playing multi-region DVDs is another issue without any resolution.
It's resolved, just not in a way everyone likes.
Those of us who aren't lemmings continue to wait and see (the current economy notwithstanding). :rolleyes:
You are welcome to continue to wait and see. You are even welcome to elect not to buy this player at all. I'd suggest that labeling others as lemmings just because they are buying now seems rather uncalled for, though.

Gonk...
In order to make a statement like that,one would have to be the first person to buy something as soon as it is available.....the rest would be considered lemmings since they would all be followers and not leaders...:rolleyes:

It may be an "article of faith" - but there are now hundreds of these players out in the wild, and the consensus opinion continues to be just as positive as that reported previously by the large team of beta testers. We also need to define what qualifies as a professional review, as this review (http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/viewpoint/0609/aachapter116.htm) (which echoes the positive comments offered by others) could easily qualify as such. Each person must decide for themselves.



Sorry, but "Dr. Bill Gaw" shilling on his blog (google him and you'll find a few "review" blurbs in online ads selling various audio products) doesn't pass the Skeptic Smell test. It'll take more legit and recognized review sources (CNET, ZDnet, HDTV Magazine, Audioholics et al) to pronounce the 83 a $500 "must have".;)

Sorry, but "Dr. Bill Gaw" shilling on his blog (google him and you'll find a few "review" blurbs in online ads selling various audio products) doesn't pass the Skeptic Smell test. It'll take more legit and recognized review sources (CNET, ZDnet, HDTV Magazine, Audioholics et al) to pronounce the 83 a $500 "must have".;)
I'd hope that anyone preparing to buy a Blu-ray player has done at least some research, although I know that's not always going to be the case. Such research would almost inevitably include some internet resources, and any internet resource needs to be read with some consideration as to the source. That includes my posts, your posts, my reviews, other "amateur" reviews, and professional magazine/website reviews. I know of a few professional reviewers whose opinions I trust very strongly for specific product categories, just as there are other reviewers whom I read with some pretty specific mental filters applied and some I simply skip entirely. There are also a number of folks on different forums whom I place similar trust in.

Personally, the list of recognized review sources you mention doesn't match well with my list of preferred information sources. I can't remember the last time I actually worried what CNET or ZDnet thought about a consumer electronics product. Granted, I generally don't spend much time at EnjoyTheMusic.com either (their "first review anywhere" caption gave me a rather twisted chuckle), but I bet they have a regular readership who do find value in their reviews.

I get that you aren't yet convinced, and you are welcome to wait for CNET or ZDnet to weigh in if you want. But your "skeptic's" attitude toward folks who are coming into threads like this one to do their research rather than waiting for some "professional" opinion is not especially heart-warming. :rolleyes:

It'll take more legit and recognized review sources (CNET, ZDnet, HDTV Magazine, Audioholics et al)
Ah, the masters. :rolleyes:

Ah, the masters. :rolleyes:

Ahh, but he left out Consumer Reports.:rolleyes:

Sorry, but "Dr. Bill Gaw" shilling on his blog (google him and you'll find a few "review" blurbs in online ads selling various audio products) doesn't pass the Skeptic Smell test. It'll take more legit and recognized review sources (CNET, ZDnet, HDTV Magazine, Audioholics et al) to pronounce the 83 a $500 "must have".;)
Why do you care what others are doing (regarding buying a $500 player that hasn't yet been reviewed to your satisfaction)? Seems to me you must have something better to do with your time.

What's wrong with Audioholics?:confused:

What's wrong with Audioholics?:confused:+ 1:confused::confused:

What's wrong with Audioholics?:confused:

I guess it's not esoteric enough for the BD-83 fanboys...:p

I know in the past Audioholics was very Denon biased. Don't know if this has changed or not.

I know in the past Audioholics was very Denon biased. Don't know if this has changed or not.

Does that imply that Avsforum is "Oppo-biased"? :D

Does that imply that Avsforum is "Oppo-biased"? :D

I don't think so, just OPPO owners... and for good reason :).

Does that imply that Avsforum is "Oppo-biased"? :D

Maybe, maybe not. But AVS DOES have rules against name-calling. Certainly if you ever wish to be taken seriously you might consider losing that behavior. Just a suggestion.

I've had this player about three weeks now and within the past week, have noticed that the OPPO logo and background have come up blurred after the "load". The DVD is also blurred during playback. Usually, I turn it off, wait a few seconds, and then turn it on and it is okay at that point.
Anyone else experience this issue?

I've had this player about three weeks now and within the past week, have noticed that the OPPO logo and background have come up blurred after the "load". The DVD is also blurred during playback. Usually, I turn it off, wait a few seconds, and then turn it on and it is okay at that point.
Anyone else experience this issue?

No similar issues yet. However, when electronics start to act funny it might be a good idea to reflash it with the preferred firmware.

Cheers

971, 983 and 83 owner here. All have worked as advertised without a problem.

When pulling a sled, the scenery only changes for the lead dog.

I don't think so, just OPPO owners... and for good reason :).
ditto! I love my 983H.
ed

The 983 for me is the best player I use the multi region all the time as I have both region 1 + 2 disks.

The pictures is fantastic. So the blu-ray version for me was the best next step but due to no region free playback I stuck.

I want another player for another room, I can not track down a 983 anywhere.


I terms of upscaling how much of a difference is there between the 983 and say the 980 ( if the 980 better than the 981 ? )

Any have both machines?

The 983 for me is the best player I use the multi region all the time as I have both region 1 + 2 disks.

The pictures is fantastic. So the blu-ray version for me was the best next step but due to no region free playback I stuck.

I want another player for another room, I can not track down a 983 anywhere.


I terms of upscaling how much of a difference is there between the 983 and say the 980 ( if the 980 better than the 981 ? )

Any have both machines?

It is not so much an issue of scaling as deinterlacing. The ABT solution has very impressive performance in this regard, but is expensive. I beta tested the 983H but probably could not have justified spending my own money on it.

The 980 is sharper than the 981, but has rougher deinterlacing. The 983 has a more film-like appearance than the 980 and is sharper than the 981.

But in truth, I notice these differences most when doing A/B switching between players. When watching an actual movie the differences tend to fade away.

-Bill

I do have both, the 981 and 983 and in terms of picture quality, que 983 wins, hands off. Don't know about the 980, though.

Regards, Chuck

The 983 for me is the best player I use the multi region all the time as I have both region 1 + 2 disks.

The pictures is fantastic. So the blu-ray version for me was the best next step but due to no region free playback I stuck.

I want another player for another room, I can not track down a 983 anywhere.


I terms of upscaling how much of a difference is there between the 983 and say the 980 ( if the 980 better than the 981 ? )

Any have both machines?

983s are turning up on eBay pretty regular. I'd go for a used 983 before a new 980.

983s are turning up on eBay pretty regular. I'd go for a used 983 before a new 980.

Doing an ebay search just now, I turned up only two (2) used Oppo DV-983h units, one for $449 as a "buy it now" and another that's starting at $202 with 9 bids already and 3 days left. I'm sure more will follow, so I'd wait a bit until the 83 comes out and the prices drop...maybe.

I too love my 983 -- it's discernibly superior to my 980 and 971, both still working beautifully in different rooms in the house.

To those who have 983s and eventually want to bite the blu-ray bullet, keep the Oppo and purchase an inexpensive ($200 or so) BD player -- thus having the best of both worlds. I've seen side-by-side demonstrations of both a $150 Samsung 1500 & a Marantz $2000 BD8002 and, watching 1/2 hour each of the same 3 blu ray titles, saw no difference whatsoever.
Unlike the visibly superior upscaling abilities of the Oppo SD players, 1080 bd is 1080 bd -- nothing to upscale. Of course there are those who will differ with me...surprise, surprise.:D

I've had this player about three weeks now and within the past week, have noticed that the OPPO logo and background have come up blurred after the "load". The DVD is also blurred during playback. Usually, I turn it off, wait a few seconds, and then turn it on and it is okay at that point.
Anyone else experience this issue?

I had the same issue and sent mine in to be repaired-they sent me a new one with the comment "could not find indicated problem", I did a firmware update on the new unit and it started doing the same thing (tearing on reds, lots of blurring)-I rolled back the firmware-it disappeared.

I had the same issue and sent mine in to be repaired-they sent me a new one with the comment "could not find indicated problem", I did a firmware update on the new unit and it started doing the same thing (tearing on reds, lots of blurring)-I rolled back the firmware-it disappeared.

I loaded the beta firmware from the get-go. As I mentioned, if I turn the unit off and wait a few seconds, the logo comes back un-blurred, and I can play DVD's again.

Think it might be the beta firmware?

I loaded the beta firmware from the get-go. As I mentioned, if I turn the unit off and wait a few seconds, the logo comes back un-blurred, and I can play DVD's again.

Think it might be the beta firmware?

Also possible that you are using the "auto" resolution setting instead of selecting a resolution, or similar issue with "auto" color space setting. Errors in handshakes would cause what you are seeing, so set everything to force the correct output.

Doing an ebay search just now, I turned up only two (2) used Oppo DV-983h units, one for $449 as a "buy it now" and another that's starting at $202 with 9 bids already and 3 days left. I'm sure more will follow, so I'd wait a bit until the 83 comes out and the prices drop...maybe.

Good luck with waiting for the price to drop. I would venture to say that most of us who have them are not going to sell them (and I speak as someone who also has a BDP-83). I realize a few were sold by those who upgraded, but I would bet that a very large percentage of those who bought the 983 did so because of the excellent multi-region and PAL-NTSC conversion capabilities. The BDP-83 has the latter, but not the former.

Actually, even if there is ever a high-quality region/zone-free mod available for the 83, I probably still won't sell the 983 -- it would be too useful as a backup DVD player, and too hard to replace. If I had had a lot of extra money to blow, I might have even bought a second one and left it in the box. Studios just don't get that many of us want to watch foreign stuff, and we'll go the extra mile to work around their trying to control the market. I also own a Philips 5982 that has both multi-region and PAL-NTSC conversion capabilities, but the PQ is very inferior to that of the 983. I'm actually quite surprised that OPPO killed that product, because I bet they could still sell enough to keep building them.

Doing an ebay search just now, I turned up only two (2) used Oppo DV-983h units, one for $449 as a "buy it now" and another that's starting at $202 with 9 bids already and 3 days left. I'm sure more will follow, so I'd wait a bit until the 83 comes out and the prices drop...maybe.

I too love my 983 -- it's discernibly superior to my 980 and 971, both still working beautifully in different rooms in the house.

To those who have 983s and eventually want to bite the blu-ray bullet, keep the Oppo and purchase an inexpensive ($200 or so) BD player -- thus having the best of both worlds. I've seen side-by-side demonstrations of both a $150 Samsung 1500 & a Marantz $2000 BD8002 and, watching 1/2 hour each of the same 3 blu ray titles, saw no difference whatsoever.
Unlike the visibly superior upscaling abilities of the Oppo SD players, 1080 bd is 1080 bd -- nothing to upscale. Of course there are those who will differ with me...surprise, surprise.:D
that is exactly what I did, found one on eBay with a buy now tag (I got outbid for 2 different units by a total of 6 bucks) but mine was only 405.00 plus 25 for shipping. Use it for my large collection of dvds ( all of which play and look amazing) and I have a Sony BDP-S550 for blu-ray which has been great.

The 983 for me is the best player I use the multi region all the time as I have both region 1 + 2 disks.

The pictures is fantastic. So the blu-ray version for me was the best next step but due to no region free playback I stuck.

I want another player for another room, I can not track down a 983 anywhere.


I terms of upscaling how much of a difference is there between the 983 and say the 980 ( if the 980 better than the 981 ? )

Any have both machines?

I purchased a 983 after owning a 980 for a couple of years. I like the 980 a lot and think it is a better value and I could be perfectly happy with it. The 983 is better but it is a lot more expensive and now due to such limited availability, the used prices are holding firmer than I thought would be possible after the BDP-83 was released. At only $100 more expensive, the BDP-83 is a much better value in my opinion than the 983 also. I have never owned a 981 and can't comment on a direct comparison to the 980.

Chris

The 983 for me is the best player I use the multi region all the time as I have both region 1 + 2 disks.

The pictures is fantastic. So the blu-ray version for me was the best next step but due to no region free playback I stuck.

I want another player for another room, I can not track down a 983 anywhere.


I terms of upscaling how much of a difference is there between the 983 and say the 980 ( if the 980 better than the 981 ? )

Any have both machines?
About a year ago, I took some time to write up my thoughts on the various 98x OPPO players (http://www.prillaman.net/oppodvd_review.html), including both the 981HD and 980H alongside the 983H. I'm still quite fond of my 980H, even though the 981HD has a bit more video processing muscle.

I had the same issue and sent mine in to be repaired-they sent me a new one with the comment "could not find indicated problem", I did a firmware update on the new unit and it started doing the same thing (tearing on reds, lots of blurring)-I rolled back the firmware-it disappeared.

Same experience here. Something in the beta firmware seemed to be causing the problem. Reverting back to the official firmware solved the issue.

Well, my beloved 983 is going back to Oppo because of the continuing audio dropout problem I've posted here in the past. I was sort of okay with the dropouts while playing movies but I'm now buying quite a few opera and symphonic DVDs and the dropouts are unacceptable with these.

I sent them a detailed email, explaining all the hdmi cable, firmware and input changes and they said it's time to send it in for repair. I agree. Hope they can eliminate the condition since I can't use the 83 with all my PAL/region 2 disks. Like most everyone else around here I really appreciated their prompt reply and courteous service. Now awaiting an RMA and away it goes, hopefully to be returned quickly and sans dropouts.

arkiedan

Does the Oppo 983, when set to output RGB video level at 720p, perform the "twist" inside the player (from 601 to 709)?

Or does it display the 601 (SD colorpsace) straight to the display, in RGB? I need to know what color standard to calibrate my display to, and I'm completely lost (I've read conflicting information).

Thanks.

Does the Oppo 983, when set to output RGB video level at 720p, perform the "twist" inside the player (from 601 to 709)?

Or does it display the 601 (SD colorpsace) straight to the display, in RGB? I need to know what color standard to calibrate my display to, and I'm completely lost (I've read conflicting information).

Thanks.

For YCbCr: yes, the color standard is converted properly. 480i and 480p use 601, everything else is 709.

The variations don't apply to RGB, which has only one color standard.

-Bill

For YCbCr: yes, the color standard is converted properly. 480i and 480p use 601, everything else is 709.

The variations don't apply to RGB, which has only one color standard.

-Bill

Thank you for the reply; greatly appreciate you taking the time on Memorial Day, no less.

Ok, so do I calibrate my display to sRGB color primaries (from what I've occasionally come across reading, is very similar to rec 709) when outputting RGB Video Level?

I can't use YCBCR because my TV screws up the conversion.

Thank you for the reply; greatly appreciate you taking the time on Memorial Day, no less.

Ok, so do I calibrate my display to sRGB color primaries (from what I've occasionally come across reading, is very similar to rec 709) when outputting RGB Video Level?

I can't use YCBCR because my TV screws up the conversion.

You are adjusting the the temperature of the RGB components? You are beyond me there. I'd check the stickies in Calibration Forum and maybe ask there: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=139

-Bill

Haha, actually I have no idea what I should be adjusting. I'm just baffled as to what color standard I, through my display's CMS, should calibrate my HDTV display to when outputting RGB Video through my Oppo 983.

FYI.

I asked OPPO for an update on the 983/Yamaha RX-V3900 HDCP handshake problem and thought I would pass on their reply.
- "There has been no advancement with this issue. It has been reported to our engineers, and our engineers are working with ABT to resolve this issue, but we do not have any firmware which has been designed to resolve this incompatibility error. This issue is still an investigation in progress."

... Insert opinion of DVD hardware and video encryption standards here ...

KG

FYI.

I asked OPPO for an update on the 983/Yamaha RX-V3900 HDCP handshake problem and thought I would pass on their reply.
- "There has been no advancement with this issue. It has been reported to our engineers, and our engineers are working with ABT to resolve this issue, but we do not have any firmware which has been designed to resolve this incompatibility error. This issue is still an investigation in progress."

... Insert opinion of DVD hardware and video encryption standards here ...

KG
I got the same response a couple of weeks ago when I asked about the RX-Z7 :(

I got the same response a couple of weeks ago when I asked about the RX-Z7 :(

Alas, as I've been observing, except for token lip service to issues such as yours, Oppo has abandoned tweaks and firmware updates for the 983 and putting all efforts into their $500 blu-ray unit. IMO, that's not good PR for a company that built their reputation and base loyalty with value offerings and diligent attention to customers' issues.

I hope for their sake the 83 pays off.

Alas, as I've been observing, except for token lip service to issues such as yours, Oppo has abandoned tweaks and firmware updates for the 983 and putting all efforts into their $500 blu-ray unit. IMO, that's not good PR for a company that built their reputation and base loyalty with value offerings and diligent attention to customers' issues.

I hope for their sake the 83 pays off.
I'd question the "abandon" comment, personally. They are a small outfit, and each time they launch a new player they focus the bulk of their resources on that new product. Once it gets out of the gates, they have a chance to catch up and you frequently see updates for older players at that time. It's a consistent pattern.

Agreed. The accusation of abandonment is a bit harsh.

No doubt OPPO will continue to support the 983. With that said, that doesn't mean all problems are garanteed be solved. Sometimes there are incompatability issues that are not resolvable. Of course there is also the possibilty that some problems don't fall on the shoulders of OPPO, but on the other components that may be causing the issue.
Time and time again, OPPO has created firmware fixes for other manufacturers issues, just so their customers can be happy and be able to use equipment together in a given setup.
It's a shame that the other OEMs will not accept and fix their own problems a lot of the time. Instead their policy is to just release a new product that works better, and the consumers of the previous product are SOL.

I don't think it's ever been established that the source of the issue with the 2 Yamaha AVRs is in the 983 alone. AFAIK, the issue lies with the ABT processors in both the 983 and Yamaha components. It takes 2 to play nice.

I'd question the "abandon" comment, personally. They are a small outfit, and each time they launch a new player they focus the bulk of their resources on that new product. Once it gets out of the gates, they have a chance to catch up and you frequently see updates for older players at that time. It's a consistent pattern.

Unless I'm mistaken, since the release of the 983 a little over a year ago I've seen one (1) official firmware update and a beta released last fall. I used to see the pattern you speak of with their previous players, but I'd be surprised to see another one for the 983...period. They've switched gears (pun somewhat intended) and are banking on the good will they *used* to have in favor of their $500 blu-ray player -- a format that has yet to overwhelm the marketplace with its high-priced titles, zoning and other anti-consumer restrictions.

BTW, I find it interesting that those who jump to criticize my opinion (AFAIK AVS Forum is *still* a discussion board last time I looked) are all beta customers for the 83 blu-ray player...hmmm.:rolleyes:

Well, I'm going to unload my 983 w/ the release of the 83. Anyone interested, send me a pm.

Unless I'm mistaken, since the release of the 983 a little over a year ago I've seen one (1) official firmware update and a beta released last fall. I used to see the pattern you speak of with their previous players, but I'd be surprised to see another one for the 983...period. They've switched gears (pun somewhat intended) and are banking on the good will they *used* to have in favor of their $500 blu-ray player -- a format that has yet to overwhelm the marketplace with its high-priced titles, zoning and other anti-consumer restrictions.

BTW, I find it interesting that those who jump to criticize my opinion (AFAIK AVS Forum is *still* a discussion board last time I looked) are all beta customers for the 83 blu-ray player...hmmm.:rolleyes:

Hold the phone there buddy!
Are you saying that you allowed to express your opinion, but no one else is? Doesn't the traffic flow both ways?

If you would like OPPO to continue to support the 983, they will need overhead to do so. Without selling players, they have no funds to do that. Puting all primary efforts into the -83 is how they will accomplish that scenario.

Unless I'm mistaken, since the release of the 983 a little over a year ago I've seen one (1) official firmware update and a beta released last fall. I used to see the pattern you speak of with their previous players, but I'd be surprised to see another one for the 983...period. They've switched gears (pun somewhat intended) and are banking on the good will they *used* to have in favor of their $500 blu-ray player -- a format that has yet to overwhelm the marketplace with its high-priced titles, zoning and other anti-consumer restrictions.
You might want to check the first post of this thread. Neuromancer lists four official firmware versions (the original production firmware from 3/10/08 as well as updates from 4/7/08, 5/9/08, and 6/25/08) and two public beta firmwares (9/16/08 and 11/13/08). Note that one of those public betas was released during the BDP-83's beta testing period.
BTW, I find it interesting that those who jump to criticize my opinion (AFAIK AVS Forum is *still* a discussion board last time I looked) are all beta customers for the 83 blu-ray player...hmmm.:rolleyes:
Hmmmm.... How odd it is... People who have extensive first-hand experience with the company are offering opinions that run counter to yours. Shame on us!

Hold the phone there buddy!
Are you saying that you allowed to express your opinion, but no one else is? Doesn't the traffic flow both ways?

If you would like OPPO to continue to support the 983, they will need overhead to do so. Without selling players, they have no funds to do that. Puting all primary efforts into the -83 is how they will accomplish that scenario.

Ah, I see! So if everyone gets behind Oppo's $500 blu-ray player when it's released, it'll free up some resources to fix the remaining bugs in their quickly-discontinued 983, right? And at the same time help them support the blu-ray with firmware updates and other inevitable issues.

Ok, gotcha...thanks for the tip.;)

Ah, I see! So if everyone gets behind Oppo's $500 blu-ray player when it's released, it'll free up some resources to fix the remaining bugs in their quickly-discontinued 983, right? And at the same time help them support the blu-ray with firmware updates and other inevitable issues.

Ok, gotcha...thanks for the tip.;)

More than anything, your attitude is what brings people out of the woodwork to challenge you. Consider that it's not what you say, it's how you say it.

That said, it's STILL is not clearly established that the 983 has any such "bug" to be dealt with. If Oppo thought it did, they would fix it post haste. But without support from ABT on the issue, there's nothing they can do even if they want to.

Saying the player has "bugs" does not make it so. But if you can find one single player maker that spends as much time and effort on fixing bugs as Oppo does, then buy their product as fast as you can.

More than anything, your attitude is what brings people out of the woodwork to challenge you. Consider that it's not what you say, it's how you say it.

That said, it's STILL is not clearly established that the 983 has any such "bug" to be dealt with. If Oppo thought it did, they would fix it post haste. But without support from ABT on the issue, there's nothing they can do even if they want to.

Saying the player has "bugs" does not make it so. But if you can find one single player maker that spends as much time and effort on fixing bugs as Oppo does, then buy their product as fast as you can.

Sorry, it seems that my opinions bring the $500 Oppo blu-ray player beta customers out of the woodwork in a highly defensive mode. I'll leave it up to the marketplace - and fanboys -- to decide for the rest of us...it's pointless to say more; just wait to see how this fiasco turns out.:D

Sorry, it seems that my opinions bring the $500 Oppo blu-ray player beta customers out of the woodwork in a highly defensive mode. I'll leave it up to the marketplace - and fanboys -- to decide for the rest of us...it's pointless to say more; just wait to see how this fiasco turns out.:D

And thanks for so aptly illustrating my point. :rolleyes:

:D:rolleyes::D

Ouch! This is like arguing religion or politics. I have lived a long time and have yet to see anyone ever change their mind.

I believe that OPPO makes a superior product that is unique in the market place and to back that up I have an 83 on order and I intend to keep my 983. It meets my needs.

Another FYI.
1 of the local Toronto OPPO distributers is offering up to 80% trade in, against his original 983 purchase price, for any 983 that was purchased from him towards the purchase of an OPPO 83.

KG

... To date, perfection has been hard to find. My search continues.

I have a 983 and don't see any reason to get an 83 as I already have an BD-P2500, the 2500 does everything I want it to do (don't need or care about SACD or DVDAudio)-the 983 and 2500 both do sddvd upconversion very well, thank you.

I have a 983 and don't see any reason to get an 83 as I already have an BD-P2500, the 2500 does everything I want it to do (don't need or care about SACD or DVDAudio)-the 983 and 2500 both do sddvd upconversion very well, thank you.
Boy do I agree with you. I had a hard time waiting to get a blu-ray player but glad I did (eventually bought a Sony BDP-S550 and love it!) and was even happier to land a 983 before buying it because it has been an amazing player. no problems, great picture and it lets me enjoy my large collection of dvds over and over again, displayed perfectly. I'm happy with my set-up until someone comes out with a state of the art blu-ray player proven to be better than anything available right now. (my Sony included).

I have a 983 and don't see any reason to get an 83 as I already have an BD-P2500, the 2500 does everything I want it to do (don't need or care about SACD or DVDAudio)-the 983 and 2500 both do sddvd upconversion very well, thank you.
And even if you did care about SACD or DVD-A, the 983 will do those (it won't do DSD for SACD like the 83, but you don't care! :) ), so you have most of that capability already.

Boy do I agree with you. I had a hard time waiting to get a blu-ray player but glad I did (eventually bought a Sony BDP-S550 and love it!) and was even happier to land a 983 before buying it because it has been an amazing player. no problems, great picture and it lets me enjoy my large collection of dvds over and over again, displayed perfectly. I'm happy with my set-up until someone comes out with a state of the art blu-ray player proven to be better than anything available right now. (my Sony included).

Same here! Why pay $500.00+ for the 83 when my cheapo Samsung BD plays Blu-ray as vividly as any other BD player and while my Oppo 983 upconverts SD as good as it gets? Best of both worlds, without the added costs.

Same here! Why pay $500.00+ for the 83 when my cheapo Samsung BD plays Blu-ray as vividly as any other BD player and while my Oppo 983 upconverts SD as good as it gets? Best of both worlds, without the added costs.
Well, to some extent you are right -- there certainly are a lot less reasons to buy the 83 if you already have a 983. Even OPPO has to know that they are not going to get all (or maybe even most of) the "replacement" crowd, since the 83 cannot fill in for the 983 if you use the region-free capabilities (and I do).

So then you need to decide if the capabilities the OPPO BDP-83 has apart from the 983 capabilities are worth the premium. For some of us (and you can call us kool-aid drinkers if you like), we have determined that the combination of features is worth it. For me, just the speed of the player, the things it is compatible with, and the ability to do easy firmware upgrades are worth it. Frankly, I've had to deal with Sony and Denon support (or I should say, the relative lack thereof), and I have come to appreciate the difference between that and what OPPO offers in that department. If you ever have issues, you may find that that alone is worth the difference. My time is precious enough that it sure is for me. I don't have to spend hours on the phone to get an answer from support since they will actually give real answers through email, and in a timely fashion.

Obviously, you have decided that a cheaper BD player fits the bill in your case. I certainly don't see any problem with that -- just don't assume that the cost difference between your Samsung BD player and a BDP-83 is only paying for hype, even if you personally don't need what it pays for.

Well, to some extent you are right -- there certainly are a lot less reasons to buy the 83 if you already have a 983. Even OPPO has to know that they are not going to get all (or maybe even most of) the "replacement" crowd, since the 83 cannot fill in for the 983 if you use the region-free capabilities (and I do).

So then you need to decide if the capabilities the OPPO BDP-83 has apart from the 983 capabilities are worth the premium. For some of us (and you can call us kool-aid drinkers if you like), we have determined that the combination of features is worth it. For me, just the speed of the player, the things it is compatible with, and the ability to do easy firmware upgrades are worth it. Frankly, I've had to deal with Sony and Denon support (or I should say, the relative lack thereof), and I have come to appreciate the difference between that and what OPPO offers in that department. If you ever have issues, you may find that that alone is worth the difference. My time is precious enough that it sure is for me. I don't have to spend hours on the phone to get an answer from support since they will actually give real answers through email, and in a timely fashion.

Obviously, you have decided that a cheaper BD player fits the bill in your case. I certainly don't see any problem with that -- just don't assume that the cost difference between your Samsung BD player and a BDP-83 is only paying for hype, even if you personally don't need what it pays for.

You make some good points, especially about Oppo's great customer service, it's second to none. Yes, I suppose if I didn't have a 983H and wanted to add BD, I'd be a good candidate for the 83, though I also have a number of DVDs that need a multi-regional player. I purchased many of the them from eBay and Amazon Marketplace, most titles not even available in the US or Region 1, only because of the 983's capabilities.

Another issue brought up by a few folks is how much in premium dollars do people want to invest in BD movies, especially when they'd duplicate titles many of us have and love to watch with the 983's amazing up-converting capabilities? Even Netflix and Blockbuster (ugh!) charge extra for BD rentals, IF the movies are even available in that format. That, in a nutshell, is the "X Factor" in this whole Blu-ray business.

My "el cheapo" Samsung BD player (now they're less than $135) has been used maybe a dozen or so times the past 4 months for the occasional "blockbuster" movie with special effects that my kids love, and it does the job perfectly on my Panny 50" TH-50PX75 plasma. None of the bells & whistles of the 83, but for just watching Blu-ray movies (and not all of the BDs I rent look that much better than their upconverted SD equivalents) it's a good afterthought, with the 983 still getting 99% of the workout :-)

You make some good points, especially about Oppo's great customer service, it's second to none. Yes, I suppose if I didn't have a 983H and wanted to add BD, I'd be a good candidate for the 83, though I also have a number of DVDs that need a multi-regional player. I purchased many of the them from eBay and Amazon Marketplace, most titles not even available in the US or Region 1, only because of the 983's capabilities.

Another issue brought up by a few folks is how much in premium dollars do people want to invest in BD movies, especially when they'd duplicate titles many of us have and love to watch with the 983's amazing up-converting capabilities? Even Netflix and Blockbuster (ugh!) charge extra for BD rentals, IF the movies are even available in that format. That, in a nutshell, is the "X Factor" in this whole Blu-ray business.

My "el cheapo" Samsung BD player (now they're less than $135) has been used maybe a dozen or so times the past 4 months for the occasional "blockbuster" movie with special effects that my kids love, and it does the job perfectly on my Panny 50" TH-50PX75 plasma. None of the bells & whistles of the 83, but for just watching Blu-ray movies (and not all of the BDs I rent look that much better than their upconverted SD equivalents) it's a good afterthought, with the 983 still getting 99% of the workout :-)

I'm with ya. I ended up in a heated debate on a DVD review site on this subject, when recently released statistics show the general public isn't moving "in-mass" to BD. I, like your assessment, think it is a lot to do with pricing. I sit 10 feet back on a 50" Kuro, and with the 983 and a well shot and authored DVD, I feel I am getting a fantastic picture, and can't justify the additional expense of BD ....... your "x factor". I think Sony is blowing it with pricing. Today, Wal Mart was doing us a favor with a bunch of older BD titles in the $15 to $20 discount range. Virtually all of these movies have been re-released in re-mastered SD versions and are now in the $5 to $7.50 range,......... again, your "x factor". Add in some non consumer friendly "non picture" issues like load times and no pause and easily resume, and it only adds to the "x factor". I am not bashing BD, quite the opposite, mostly bashing Sony I guess. I had hoped we would have "one" Hi Def standard replace SD DVD, but after the BD/HD wars, and BD being the "not ready for prime time" candidate out the shoot, plus the pricing, I think that it is going to be relagated to a niche product. That is a shame. I was seriously thinking about buying the 83, and moving the 983 to the bedroom, but I will probably wait and "possibly" one day pick up an inexpensive BD player, like you guys are doing. I have my Denon 2910 in the bedroom system, so don't really need to move the 983 :)

John

I totally agree with the last 2 posts..
I had an XA-2 that died...was replaced (under warranty) with with a Samsung
5000 dual format HD-DVD and BD player since the xa-2 could not be replaced...
I have watched this player perhaps 4 times over the last 11 months or so...The harry Potter series in HD-DVD version,,,while the 983 is getting the lion's share of the playing..for the reasons stated in John and rajmahid's posts..

Have watched a total of one BD movie altho I own about 25 or so....and 50 HD DVD movies...while I have a rather extensive film library of SD's...I just cannot justify the expense for BD extras..which I seldom,if ever watch..and,putting on my fireproof suit,I cannot see that much of a differeence between BD and the 983 to justify the price..

Borrowing hodges69 phrase: "I agree with the last three posts", his included! I have the 983 and two Panasonic BD30's. I have the best of both worlds!

You're just one step ahead of me, Electrico...

... not because you have the best of both worlds, but because you have TWO BD-30's, though :o

Regards, Chuck

FYI.

I asked OPPO for an update on the 983/Yamaha RX-V3900 HDCP handshake problem and thought I would pass on their reply.
- "There has been no advancement with this issue. It has been reported to our engineers, and our engineers are working with ABT to resolve this issue, but we do not have any firmware which has been designed to resolve this incompatibility error. This issue is still an investigation in progress."

... Insert opinion of DVD hardware and video encryption standards here ...

KG

Hi

I'm glad I found this thread. I'm in Brisbane Australia and just got a Yamaha RX-V3900 last week, and have very frustratingly this past week wasted a lot of time it now seems, trying to get a picture using my Oppo DV-983H. Tried every set-up input/output and combination for both units, different HDMI cords etc...lol

I was about to call the Yamaha dealer before a final desparate Google search using RX-V3900 DV-983H "no picture" lead me here.

It would be nice to have on screen volume adjustments etc with input to the amp rather than Oppo direct to my panel.

Anyone else with a similar issue please post when and if solution/firmware update is available to fix this issue. Until then I will continue to watch this thread for any updates.

Cheers.

Glad the info. helped.

I considered using my binoculars to read the volume level directly from the V3900 panel but received a strange reaction from my wife. Now I am back to where I started just adjusting the volume until it sounds right. LOL

Glad the info. helped.

I considered using my binoculars to read the volume level directly from the V3900 panel but received a strange reaction from my wife. Now I am back to where I started just adjusting the volume until it sounds right. LOL

I like the binocular solution better, trusting your eyes rather than your ears.:)

Seriously, though, like the 83 fanboys keep saying, Oppo will get right back to working on new firmware for the 983 just as soon as their $500 BD player is finally released. Got that...?:rolleyes:

I like the binocular solution better, trusting your eyes rather than your ears.:)

Seriously, though, like the 83 fanboys keep saying, Oppo will get right back to working on new firmware for the 983 just as soon as their $500 BD player is finally released. Got that...?:rolleyes:
Well, I'm not buying it. :rolleyes: I've been waiting for them to resolve the 983 vs. Z11 problem for about a year now. I currently have an 83 paired with my Z11 and it works so that problem has been overtaken by events. Unfortunately (for me) though, one of my 983s (I have two) is now connected to my Z7, and though it has somewhat different symptoms from the Z11, it doesn't work properly with the 983 either. My other 983 is connected to a V3800 and that seems ok. As I see it, Oppo is a small company with fairly limited resources so I can understand why there's not alot of incentive for them to fix this in a product that they no longer sell. However for those of us stuck with a non-working player, it is quite the pain.

Again, who is to blame for the issue? Have you been pushing Yamaha to resolve the problem? Have they produced any changes to their firmware to address the issue? What is their statement on the matter?

Exactly. It's never been duplicated by Oppo and only happens with a couple Yamaha AVRs. The BDP-83 has completely different ABT and HDMI architecture, so no comparison should be drawn. In any case, there's nothing Oppo can do about it unless ABT comes up with a solution.

Again, who is to blame for the issue? Have you been pushing Yamaha to resolve the problem? Have they produced any changes to their firmware to address the issue? What is their statement on the matter?
I did push on Yamaha about it but got nowhere with them. They pretty much just said that they had no Oppo players to test with. They did suggest that I install the new firmware for the Z11 as it claimed to fix some HDMI compatibility problems (this was last summer), which I did to no avail. Last time I emailed Yamaha support with a fairly simple question about discrete codes for HDMI output switching on the Z11 it took them two weeks to reply with an email saying that due to budget cuts they were way behind on responding to email and please be patient. That was a couple of weeks ago now and still no actual response.

I've pretty much given up on expecting to see a fix the compatibility issues between the 983 and some of the Yamaha AVRs. I have no idea "who" is at fault...really doesn't matter I guess since none of them have the resources or incentive to address the issue. I'm certainly not trying to place blame on anyone. Just too bad they won't play nicely together. :(

Seriously, though, like the 83 fanboys keep saying, Oppo will get right back to working on new firmware for the 983 just as soon as their $500 BD player is finally released. Got that...?:rolleyes:Don't be quite so sceptical. Each time OPPO has released a new player, they have looked at porting FW improvements in the new player into the older ones (if the old hardware supports it, of course).

Gary

Don't be quite so sceptical. Each time OPPO has released a new player, they have looked at porting FW improvements in the new player into the older ones (if the old hardware supports it, of course).

Gary

Gary, as an Oppo fan from the early days (I still have a 970 and 980 in addition to the 983) I dearly wish that would be so. But given their quick dump of the 983 after about a year to jump on the blu-ray bandwagon (prematurely, IMO), I strongly doubt any FW improvements for the 83 will work on the former unit. I know their resources are relatively limited, but is that really an excuse for countless people who shelled out $400 for the 983 to be ignored while they take months to beta test their $500 blu-ray?

Oppo appear to have abandoned their value-driven philosophy of "great bang for the buck" and outstanding support that earned them a loyal following with fabulous upscaling models for a costly "everything in a box" unit with a format that inherently restricts playing multi-region DVDs (so why even bother with PAL then?) and costs almost three times more than their original players.

Hence my cynicism.:(

but is that really an excuse for countless people who shelled out $400 for the 983 to be ignored while they take months to beta test their $500 blu-ray?



Countless people? I count one or two in your situation. Maybe 3. Or is there some other firmware issue I've missed? I'd also take exception with the use of the term "ignored".

Countless people? I count one or two in your situation. Maybe 3. Or is there some other firmware issue I've missed? I'd also take exception with the use of the term "ignored".

I don't have "situation" with my 983, so I don't get your meaning.

Except for a relatively small issue I called them about seven months ago regarding the 983's screen saver mode that goes to black instead of the bouncing logo of previous models -- sometimes resulting in having to turn the unit off & on again to regain HDMI handshake -- their response was that they were aware of the problem, and it would be addressed in the "next" firmware release. Still waiting, btw. Other than that, my unit works splendidly in tandem with a Marantz SR8002 (lucky me). But a fair number of Yamaha & Denon owners aren't as fortunate -- unless they had the "earlier" ...or was it "later"...version of the 983 chipsets that may not have been compatible with the same FW. Messy and not what we've come to expect from Oppo.

I've seen more than "1 or 2 or maybe 3" posters having more serious issues with their 983s (read the posts) and nothing in the way of newer FW has been released to address their issues. And we're talking months here...not quick fixes. Now multiply that by an X-factor of 983 owners who don't post on or read AVSForum (they *DO* exist, difficult as it is to believe) who may have the same issues and I perceive a problem with Oppo's current direction.

I believe I articulated my position clearly enough in the earlier post...but I suppose if I had $500+ invested in a beta unit (or worked for a niche company that's betting the farm on blu-ray), I too would get defensive and "take issue" with anything less than glowing praise for the 83 concept.

I don't have "situation" with my 983, so I don't get your meaning.

Except for a relatively small issue I called them about seven months ago regarding the 983's screen saver mode that goes to black instead of the bouncing logo of previous models -- sometimes resulting in having to turn the unit off & on again to regain HDMI handshake -- their response was that they were aware of the problem, and it would be addressed in the "next" firmware release.

And that's your definition of "ignoring"?
But a fair number of Yamaha & Denon owners aren't as fortunate -- unless they had the "earlier" ...or was it "later"...version of the 983 chipsets that may not have been compatible with the same FW. Messy and not what we've come to expect from Oppo.

Huh? So "countless" has become "a fair number".

I've seen more than "1 or 2 or maybe 3" posters having more serious issues with their 983s (read the posts) and nothing in the way of newer FW has been released to address their issues.

"Serious issues", like what?

I believe I articulated my position clearly enough in the earlier post...but I suppose if I had $500+ invested in a beta unit (or worked for a niche company that's betting the farm on blu-ray), I too would get defensive and "take issue" with anything less than glowing praise for the 83 concept.

Thus far the only thing I can discern from your posts is sour grapes, I see no issues or any position being articulated at all other than "Oppo sucks". And FYI, this thread is about the 983, not the BDP-83.

And that's your definition of "ignoring"?


Huh? So "countless" has become "a fair number".



"Serious issues", like what?


Thus far the only thing I can discern from your posts is sour grapes, I see no issues or any position being articulated at all other than "Oppo sucks". And FYI, this thread is about the 983, not the BDP-83.

Sigh...

There's no discourse with zealots...that's pretty apparent. Whenever there's a post that takes Oppo to task for abandoning 983 issues with a lack of FW support because it's diverted its resources on a $500 blu-ray beta, it must be..."sour grapes." Instead of legitimate criticism to be addressed with civility, I read "shoot the messenger" ad homs.

Yes, this IS a 983 thread and everything I've posted relates to the 983. It seems the 83 fanboys (oops, I mean beta buyers, sorry that was ad hom:)) come out of the woodwork (as I've expressed before) whenever the issue of updated 983 FW is mentioned, and speculation about the reasons why it hasn't been addressed are dismissed as "Oppo sucks." Now that's real forum discourse. Thanks for the courtesy...:p

Sigh...

There's no discourse with zealots...that's pretty apparent. Whenever there's a post that takes Oppo to task for abandoning 983 issues with a lack of FW support because it's diverted its resources on a $500 blu-ray beta, it must be..."sour grapes." Instead of legitimate criticism to be addressed with civility, I read "shoot the messenger" ad homs.

Yes, this IS a 983 thread and everything I've posted relates to the 983. It seems the 83 fanboys (oops, I mean beta buyers, sorry that was ad hom:)) come out of the woodwork (as I've expressed before) whenever the issue of updated 983 FW is mentioned, and speculation about the reasons why it hasn't been addressed are dismissed as "Oppo sucks." Now that's real forum discourse. Thanks for the courtesy...:p

I think there is a case to be made about Oppo abandoning the issues with the 983H. The player was released in March 2008 and the last firmware was June, 2008. That's three months. From release to last firmware update the 970 was 10 months, the 980 was 12 months, and the 981 21 months. The numbers don't lie. Oppo dropped the ball on the 983H, their most expensive DVD player offered with the shortest player and support lifecycle.

I think there is a case to be made about Oppo abandoning the issues with the 983H. The player was released in March 2008 and the last firmware was June, 2008. That's three months. From release to last firmware update the 970 was 10 months, the 980 was 12 months, and the 981 21 months. The numbers don't lie. Oppo dropped the ball on the 983H, their most expensive DVD player offered with the shortest player and support lifecycle.
There was also a beta firmware from November, as well as probably the most demanding new product development project in the company's history going on over the last six or eight months. Also, the underlying platform (the Mediatek portion) was well-established at that point, having been carried over from the 980H, reducing the potential need for updates.

The Yamaha compatibility issues are troubling, no doubt about it, but as others have said it is difficult to lay all the blame at OPPO's feet when Yamaha and ABT are also involved - after all, it's still conceivable that the problem must be resolved through changes to the Yamaha receivers or other measures that cannot be handled via firmware updates to the 983H.

I have never observed any compatibility issues with the DV-983H and Yamaha RX-V663 I own. I do recall reading of issues with other players and some Yamaha receivers over the years. If the problem is isolated to only a couple Yamaha receivers, I would think the best chance for a fix would be from Yamaha. That isn't to say that Oppo can't figure out a fix but it might be difficult from the Oppo side to say the least.

Chris

Sigh...

There's no discourse with zealots...that's pretty apparent. Whenever there's a post that takes Oppo to task for abandoning 983 issues with a lack of FW support because it's diverted its resources on a $500 blu-ray beta, it must be..."sour grapes." Instead of legitimate criticism to be addressed with civility, I read "shoot the messenger" ad homs.

Still patiently waiting for you to post what "issue" it is that you're having with your 983 that Oppo is "ignoring". Along with all the issues ("more than a few") that others are having. You seem to want to throw around inflammatory terms and stir the pot, but you have yet to substantiate a single statement.

Obviously you're unhappy about Oppo introducing the BDP-83 and discontinuing the 983, but apart from THAT, what are you complaining about?

Still patiently waiting for you to post what "issue" it is that you're having with your 983 that Oppo is "ignoring". Along with all the issues ("more than a few") that others are having. You seem to want to throw around inflammatory terms and stir the pot, but you have yet to substantiate a single statement.

Obviously you're unhappy about Oppo introducing the BDP-83 and discontinuing the 983, but apart from THAT, what are you complaining about?

My goodness, how the fanboy(s) inflame!

In addition to the issues in this thread, I clearly stated my own -- albeit minor, it's indicative of Oppo's new attitude towards 983 owners. Reading carefully is fundamental, so I'll re-quote it for you from my earlier post:

"Except for a relatively small issue I called them about seven months ago regarding the 983's screen saver mode that goes to black instead of the bouncing logo of previous models -- sometimes resulting in having to turn the unit off & on again to regain HDMI handshake -- their response was that they were aware of the problem, and it would be addressed in the "next" firmware release. Still waiting, btw."

Your insistence on dissing the messenger and stifling opinion is getting kinda stale...I suggest you focus on beta testing the blu-ray and leave the 983 posters have their opinions; this IS a 983 thread, as you pointed out, isn't it?:D

Your insistence on dissing the messenger and stifling opinion is getting kinda stale...I suggest you focus on beta testing the blu-ray and leave the 983 posters have their opinions; this IS a 983 thread, as you pointed out, isn't it?:D

+1 on that. This is a 983 thread and rdgrimes doesn't even own one.

You guys must be spoiled as hell. You have NO IDEA what bad customer service and product disappointment is about.
Why doesn't everyone just StF^ and enjoy their player until OPPO releases a new firmware. If you don't like it, you can just sell your player for almost as much (if not more) then you paid for it. No one is forcing anyone to USE the 983.
Whining like little babies on the forum is going to get you nothing. As Dr Phil would say, "How's that workin for ya?"
If you want results, why not try writing a cordial letter_of_discontent to the CEO of Oppo Digital? Oh wait, that might actually produce results...:rolleyes:

You guys must be spoiled as hell. You have NO IDEA what bad customer service and product disappointment is about.
Why doesn't everyone just StF^ and enjoy their player until OPPO releases a new firmware. If you don't like it, you can just sell your player for almost as much (if not more) then you paid for it. No one is forcing anyone to USE the 983.
Whining like little babies on the forum is going to get you nothing. As Dr Phil would say, "How's that workin for ya?"
If you want results, why not try writing a cordial letter_of_discontent to the CEO of Oppo Digital? Oh wait, that might actually produce results...:rolleyes:

You mean a mere letter to Oppo's CEO to produce long overdue FW updates for the 983 -- instead of months of mere lip service when their customer service is called -- will do the trick?? What a great idea...good advice, champ!

Oh, and thanks for the vitriol, too. What would a 983 thread be anymore without 83 fanboys telling everyone who voices issues to "StF^" -- you're a class act.;)

Corrections require that the error is duplicated (which OPPO has admitted to), are isolated (which OPPO has not admitted to), can be addressed through software, and resources are available to implement a compatibility fix.

OPPO has said they are working with ABT to resolve the issue. We will presume they are. Now what becomes an issue is if the issue is correctable on OPPO's end, if it is correctable on Yamaha's end, and what resources are required to further diagnose and fix the issue.

OPPO is a very small company and they may not have enough inhouse or external partner support to fix this issue. OPPO is very reliant on their partners (particularly MTK) when it comes to fixing inherent chipset issues. This is why you see some very long standing issues not resolved. If their partners are not helpful, OPPO does not have the inhouse hands to fix standing issues.

+1 on that. This is a 983 thread and rdgrimes doesn't even own one.

You do not need to own the player to offer advice. If owning something was a requirement of AVS Forum posting, then you would see a lot less support from the community.

You do not need to own the player to offer advice. If owning something was a requirement of AVS Forum posting, then you would see a lot less support from the community.

Sorry, but the last ten posts of rdgrimes in this thread have been anything but helpful. Just playing Oppo fanboy, not AVS contributing member.