Just got my 983 and tested on a few disks and found a nice improvement over my 980 and A-35.

Good to hear. I have a 980 right now and I'm not very impressed with it. I have high hopes for the 983.

Just got my 983 and tested on a few disks and found a nice improvement over my 980 and A-35. (Check my profile for equipment list if interested) It's too early to tell if it's worth the extra money or not so will need to live with it at least a week to make that call. I think this is what most of us need to do if on the fence. Reviews can't be the deciding factor as everyone has a different expectation and the displays and equipment is so varied who can tell by numbered specs and other folks reviews or opinions. Reading reviews helps, but nothing substitutes your own opinion after trying out a piece of AV gear. Enjoy your new Oppo 983H!
As a few have pointed out, if you don't have much of a SD DVD library Blu-ray would be a better choice if you need the best quality, but if not affordable the best bang for the buck would be to stay with a display under 40" and the 981, 980 and most any good DVD player will look great to most folks.The problem with suggesting Blu-ray would be a better choice conflicts with the absense of many movies, shows that don't exist in HD format yet. Its true you can build a nice collection of Blu-ray titles, but its mostly new movies or some of popular movies available. If you look at the number of titles in digitalbits Upcoming DVD Cover Art (http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articles/coverart/coverart.php) you will see most titles are SD not Blu-ray.

I agree, however as I said, if best quality is the most important being considered, no matter the price or the available library of movies.

A few suggestions for Oppo...

1) "Down-Mix" setting applying only to analog. Let's face it...any HDMI receiver this unit is hooked up to will have it's own abilities to process sound into 5.1 or 7.1. Having this setting impact HDMI needlessly reduces the audio quality of hi-res music sent via HDMI.

2) Speaker Distance needs to be adjustable in 6" increments. (On a separate note...I really don't like Oppo's restrictions on speaker distance settings. i.e. Fronts having to be the farthest away)

3) Channel Trim should impact analog only - once again...HDMI receivers will almost invariably have the ability to adjust channel trim internally.

4) Test tones for the channel trim sure would be nice...I don't know of any SD-DVD that has 7.1 test tones.

1. The DownMix effects any signal which is processed by the player. For someone who is using their television for their audio, they will need to be able to tell the HDMI to mix 5.1 sources to 2.0 Stereo.

7.1 can only be done through analog, anyways, so your argument for this feature becomes rather moot.

2. This is standard Dolby Digital protocols to not do speaker adjustments for speakers which further from the listener than the main speakers. There is no point in adding a delay for something that is already further away, and you need a base value to compare the rest of the channels to (hence the use of the Front Left/Right to Listening Position as the control distance).

3. Anything that is originally encoded as PCM or processed as PCM is governed by the controls of the DVD player. There is no way around this, as this is the nature of the PCM beast.

4. Not enough space in the firmware for this feature.

Actually, even though the manual claims 7.1 can't be done through HDMI, when you enable that feature, it drops the sampling rate of DVD-A.

My copy of Brain Salad Surgery by Emerson, Lake & Palmer outputs over HDMI at 96kHz when 5.1 is selected as the "Down-Mix" option. However if I enable 7.1 as the "Down-Mix" option, the signal over HDMI drops to 48kHz. This is through an Onkyo TX-SR705 which has the ability to display what resolution it is receiving.

Regarding #2) I believe it should also be kept in mind that this player is also used for SACD and DVD-A playback, which do have need for accurate distance controls to each speaker regardless of which is furthest away.

I would also like to mention again that 0.5ft distance increments would be useful.

http://www.hdtvexpert.com/pages_c/OPPO_DV-983H.html

For those reading this article, the processing in the Toshiba HD-A20/A30/A35 is not completely the same as what is in the Oppo DV-983H. All of these players use the ABT1018 with Anchor Bay's VRS Precision Video Scaling (up to 1080p) but only the Oppo has the ABT102 with VRS Precision Deinterlacing (as used in DVDO video processors).

For those reading this article, the processing in the Toshiba HD-A20/A30/A35 is not completely the same as what is in the Oppo DV-983H. All of these players use the ABT1018 with Anchor Bay's VRS Precision Video Scaling (up to 1080p) but only the Oppo has the ABT102 with VRS Precision Deinterlacing (as used in DVDO video processors).
Yeah. I thought it was kinda weird that they kept on making comparisons to the A30 about jaggies, etc. Isn't that a de-interlacer, processing pre-scaling issue? I don't know how much confidence I have in that review.

Glenn

After reading the review, should I worry if I have a display (A3000) that does 24fp? It seems like it's between the 983 and the XA2. I'd rather get the 983 (faster operation, better sound, apparently more "film-like" picture?), but wonder how much of an edge the XA2 gets with the A3000 because of 24fp. Also the fact that the XA2 will convert PAL directly while the 983 has to go through NTSC....

It's not like I can go into BB and compare....

After reading the review, should I worry if I have a display (A3000) that does 24fp? It seems like it's between the 983 and the XA2. I'd rather get the 983 (faster operation, better sound, apparently more "film-like" picture?), but wonder how much of an edge the XA2 gets with the A3000 because of 24fp. Also the fact that the XA2 will convert PAL directly while the 983 has to go through NTSC....

It's not like I can go into BB and compare....
I tried the HD-XA2 at 24fps and it is no big deal on my Pioneer 6010. Besides, with the HD-XA2 many DVD menus such as those on Star Wars just don't work in 24fps.

After reading the review, should I worry if I have a display (A3000) that does 24fp? It seems like it's between the 983 and the XA2. I'd rather get the 983 (faster operation, better sound, apparently more "film-like" picture?), but wonder how much of an edge the XA2 gets with the A3000 because of 24fp. Also the fact that the XA2 will convert PAL directly while the 983 has to go through NTSC....

It's not like I can go into BB and compare....

I have an A3000 and used to have the XA2. The XA2 displayed weird artifacts at 1080p/24 for DVD (no issues with HD) and even occasionally at 1080p/60. If you get the XA2, use it at 1080i for DVD. I'm getting a 983 next week (hopefully) and will post my feedback on it.

Just finished order for the 983. Have Samsung Plasma 5884
and Denon Avr 2807. Was this good choice?

Actually, even though the manual claims 7.1 can't be done through HDMI, when you enable that feature, it drops the sampling rate of DVD-A.

This is due to the hardware (decoder) not being able to send 96KHz/192KHz to the DAC for processing when set to 7.1. Because this is done through the decoder, the HDMI output is effected by the DownMix for high resolution audio files such as DVD-Audio (SACD I do not believe is effected).

7.1 channels of audio is still only obtainable with the analog outputs.

Regarding #2) I believe it should also be kept in mind that this player is also used for SACD and DVD-A playback, which do have need for accurate distance controls to each speaker regardless of which is furthest away.

This is what your receiver is for. Unless your receiver lacks any kind of channel trimming or speaker equalization with a PCM high resolution signal, there is no real need for OPPO to implement a more robust speaker configuration.

wow... reading lot of review.. finally place a order for 983..Fedx ground..
loooong waiting..
i just hope 983 can beat my phillips dvdr985.

i can say phillips dvdr985 is the best dvd player ever :cool: and no kidding.

i have try denon 1930 , 5900 ,Marantz dv7600. all of them were sent back.
and i got my oppo 981 one week ago. still can't beat phillips dvdr985 on video and audio part. (oppo 981 set on 1080i or 760p by hdmi ; phillips dvdr985 by Component ouput)


last, i found the same thing on oppo 983 and phillips dvdr985 that

thay both use xilinx spartan phatform. really fast calculation

is it a really heart of all dvd players ???????


ps.. 1930 has decoding error , 5900 too. Marantz dv7600 has red push and no DCDi.

ps... i open cover of every dvd player i bought...:cool:

i just hope 983 can beat my phillips dvdr985.

i can say phillips dvdr985 is the best dvd player ever :cool: and no kidding.

The 983H is certainly an excellent player - the best I've ever used. The Xilinx chip used by the 983H is its deinterlacer. I'd assume the same from the DVDR985. Other portions of the players' designs are going to be important, too. The 985 doesn't offer a digital video output (DVI or HDMI) as far as I can tell, so the video DAC will matter, and assuming that you are using the 985 with an HDTV then the HDTV's scaler will play a significant role (particularly when using a 480p input). When using the 983H's HDMI out with a digital display, there won't be video DAC's in the signal path to matter. The MPEG decoder also matters, of course. Details on the 985 seemed sparse, probably because it's an older player (reviews seem to date back to around 2002), although I've seen an assortment of complaints about reliability crop up in my searches (one site revised their review score from 5 out of 5 down to 2.5 out of 5 because of this). My old Panasonic A310 had similar problems, but my A310 still works after almost ten years - although, granted, it hasn't seen regular use in about six years.

Let us know how the 983H works out for you once it arrives.

got my 983 oppo about 3 days ago and with my 875 onkyo in the through position , my a3000 ..60" tv 1080p coupled with for comparing my bd panny 30 and i can not see a sign. diff. between the bd30 and the oppo.

got my 983 oppo about 3 days ago and with my 875 onkyo in the through position , my a3000 ..60" tv 1080p coupled with for comparing my bd panny 30 and i can not see a sign. diff. between the bd30 and the oppo.
This is unusual. Have you calibrated your TV to either component? When I read about results this strange there is usually a problem with the display being out of calibration and providing an equally poor image for both sources.

no i have not , e.g. i am not a real expert with this issue but i do have pretty good equip. and i did use the HQV disc and did some comparisions and my wife and i really saw no diff.. on a couple of sd we could see the skin pores on the face with both the oppo and panasonic. the colors were very simular. now if there is something i need to try for a better comp. i am open for sugg.

no i have not , e.g. i am not a real expert with this issue but i do have pretty good equip. and i did use the HQV disc and did some comparisions and my wife and i really saw no diff.. on a couple of sd we could see the skin pores on the face with both the oppo and panasonic. the colors were very simular. now if there is something i need to try for a better comp. i am open for sugg.
As a start you want to make sure that your video is not set to some vivid mode. Usually, something like cinema is better. The best thing to do is to get a calibration disc like DVE or AVIA and do some simple calibrations for brightness, contrast and saturation.

got my 983 oppo about 3 days ago and with my 875 onkyo in the through position , my a3000 ..60" tv 1080p coupled with for comparing my bd panny 30 and i can not see a sign. diff. between the bd30 and the oppo.

Something is wrong. The BD30 is not a very competent DVD player according to Kris Deering in his Secrets review. A few clips from http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/cd-dvd-player-product-reviews/dvd-players/panasonic-dmp-bd30-blu-ray-player---full-review.html follow ...

The BD30 borders on one of the worst SD DVD players I’ve seen. Under no circumstance could I get it to lock on to a film cadence, regardless of the test...

For video based material, the BD30 did alright. ...

On the core video performance side, the BD30 is about average...

General navigation of DVDs is quite good, though I am still not a big fan of their menu structure and interface. Using our high bitrate layer change test, the BD30 clocked in at a rather sluggish 1.75 seconds for a layer change, which is a bit long.

People looking to use this player as their primary DVD playback device may want to consider other options. There are sub-$100 DVD players on the market that would do a far better job.

Are you sure the Onkyo 875 isn't upconverting the video?

The 983H is certainly an excellent player - the best I've ever used. The Xilinx chip used by the 983H is its deinterlacer. I'd assume the same from the DVDR985. Other portions of the players' designs are going to be important, too. The 985 doesn't offer a digital video output (DVI or HDMI) as far as I can tell, so the video DAC will matter, and assuming that you are using the 985 with an HDTV then the HDTV's scaler will play a significant role (particularly when using a 480p input). When using the 983H's HDMI out with a digital display, there won't be video DAC's in the signal path to matter. The MPEG decoder also matters, of course. Details on the 985 seemed sparse, probably because it's an older player (reviews seem to date back to around 2002), although I've seen an assortment of complaints about reliability crop up in my searches (one site revised their review score from 5 out of 5 down to 2.5 out of 5 because of this). My old Panasonic A310 had similar problems, but my A310 still works after almost ten years - although, granted, it hasn't seen regular use in about six years.

Let us know how the 983H works out for you once it arrives.

:( one complain about my phillips dvdr985 that it only can read CD now...althought it went back to facoty once like 2 years ago...


Gonk , i have a question for you.. ;) how good the 983H handle the subtitle?

beacause 981hd is not prefectly handling the subtitle . if 10 is prefect.. 981hd , i give 6-7.....:p

FWIW, I had to fire off the following to Oppo CS today:

I am having intermittent trouble with my Oppo 983. I have had audio and video dropouts via the HDMI connection. The 983 is connected to an Integra 9.8 Pro/Pro via a 1.3a certified HDMI cable. My display is a Sharp Z20000 projector. I have had two occasions now where I could not get the 983 to play DVDs w/o frequent audio and video dropouts. When the problems occurred, I:

Switched cables
Toggled Pre/Pro inputs
Switched Pre/Pro inputs
Power cycled both the 983 & the Pre/Pro
Played the DVDs in an Oppo 981 & Panasonic BD30 w/o problems

When the video dropouts occurred, the display on the Pre/Pro read "No Signal." It appears the 983's HDMI transmission is not 100% reliable. I have played DVDs in-between these incidents mostly w/o issue. However, I have experienced an occasional audio dropout. The two incidents I'm reporting here make using the Oppo untenable. The discs played fine in the 983 on other occasions.

Please advise if there is anything you can recommend I try to diagnose the problem. Is this something you're aware of that might be addressed w/a firmware update in the future?

I cannot keep my 983 unless this problem can be resolved.

i will try the cal. disc , and which is best for someone that does not know alot about cal.. i am the kinda of guy that just enjoys watching a movie with the best possible equipment i can afford and really dont get to hung up about time to load , etc. but do enjoy reading post on this web site.

i will try the cal. disc , and which is best for someone that does not know alot about cal.. i am the kinda of guy that just enjoys watching a movie with the best possible equipment i can afford and really dont get to hung up about time to load , etc. but do enjoy reading post on this web site.

See brief notes here: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=9889995&&#post9889995

The best possible equipment deserves calibration (or it won't be the best).

-Bill

i really do not know alot about things like film cadence, video based material, etc. all i am saying is when i watch a movie on my 60" sony a3000 i could not tell any diff. between the two dvd players. now, i will try to watch the same movie via other modes on the tv to see if that changes things , because we did watch dvd using the vivid mode. also i made sure i had the onkyo in the thru mode....

Is this something you're aware of that might be addressed w/a firmware update in the future?

They are certainly aware of it. I've reported intermittent dropouts with a simple setup. I don't doubt they can address it with a firmware update, but haven't been told when. How long can you wait?

-Bill

i really do not know alot about things like film cadence, video based material, etc. all i am saying is when i watch a movie on my 60" sony a3000 i could not tell any diff. between the two dvd players. now, i will try to watch the same movie via other modes on the tv to see if that changes things , because we did watch dvd using the vivid mode. also i made sure i had the onkyo in the thru mode....

Is there a way to set 1:1 pixel mapping? Turn off any video enhancement features. You're using HDMI and 1080p, right? And calibrate for each DVD player separately.

Finally: what level of difference are you expecting? The SD-DVD source places limits on what can be done.

-Bill

i will give this a try before i send the 983 back with an end objective to see if it improves the pq. thanks.

Is there a way to set 1:1 pixel mapping? Turn off any video enhancement features. You're using HDMI and 1080p, right? And calibrate for each DVD player separately.

Finally: what level of difference are you expecting? The SD-DVD source places limits on what can be done.

-Bill
yes with HDMI and 1080p but what do you mean when you say cal. both players. like i said i am not aware of all the things you all talk about on this forum , e.g. i mostly just read and enjoy. but if i could improve the pq on the 983 with your help it would be highly appreciated.

yes with HDMI and 1080p but what do you mean when you say cal. both players. like i said i am not aware of all the things you all talk about on this forum , e.g. i mostly just read and enjoy. but if i could improve the pq on the 983 with your help it would be highly appreciated.

Use a calibration disc (such as I linked to before) to set a display's Brightness, Contrast, Saturation and Hue for each input. Or you can hire someone to make more advanced adjustments, but that is out of my league. See the calibration forum for more details.

-Bill

i really do not know alot about things like film cadence, video based material, etc. all i am saying is when i watch a movie on my 60" sony a3000 i could not tell any diff. between the two dvd players. now, i will try to watch the same movie via other modes on the tv to see if that changes things , because we did watch dvd using the vivid mode. also i made sure i had the onkyo in the thru mode.... Bill is correct. It is extremely important to set the player to the native resolution of your TV, set up 1:1 pixel mapping on the TV, calibrate the display (at least a basic calibration), and turn off its image "enhancement" features.

The area where the 983 shines is its de-interlacing and scaling - smooth upconversion with no hiccups, motion artifacts like combing, moire patterns, or jaggies on lines.

Bear in mind that you may not see glaring differences with many of the major hollywood DVD releases. They are reasonably well encoded onto the DVD, and some players can make them look quite respectable. However, there are so many badly-encoded disks available, and disks with unusual cadences, that severely trip up other players. DVD "Special Features" are often notoriously bad too. Using the VRS/HQV test disks, really shows up the shortcomings of other players.

Gary

FWIW, I had to fire off the following to Oppo CS today:

I am having intermittent trouble with my Oppo 983. I have had audio and video dropouts via the HDMI connection. ...

Interesting...I have noticed a couple of audio dropouts via the coax connection, but no hdmi video dropouts.

FWIW, I had to fire off the following to Oppo CS today:

I am having intermittent trouble with my Oppo 983. I have had audio and video dropouts via the HDMI connection. The 983 is connected to an Integra 9.8 Pro/Pro via a 1.3a certified HDMI cable. My display is a Sharp Z20000 projector. I have had two occasions now where I could not get the 983 to play DVDs w/o frequent audio and video dropouts. When the problems occurred, I:

Switched cables
Toggled Pre/Pro inputs
Switched Pre/Pro inputs
Power cycled both the 983 & the Pre/Pro
Played the DVDs in an Oppo 981 & Panasonic BD30 w/o problems

When the video dropouts occurred, the display on the Pre/Pro read "No Signal." It appears the 983's HDMI transmission is not 100% reliable. I have played DVDs in-between these incidents mostly w/o issue. However, I have experienced an occasional audio dropout. The two incidents I'm reporting here make using the Oppo untenable. The discs played fine in the 983 on other occasions.

Please advise if there is anything you can recommend I try to diagnose the problem. Is this something you're aware of that might be addressed w/a firmware update in the future?

I cannot keep my 983 unless this problem can be resolved.

I had to send mine back for dropouts. A few others reported the same but I've not heard nor seen anything by oppo or the betas to address the problem.

got my 983 oppo about 3 days ago and with my 875 onkyo in the through position , my a3000 ..60" tv 1080p coupled with for comparing my bd panny 30 and i can not see a sign. diff. between the bd30 and the oppo.

I have the exact same display and the BD30. I'm currently using the Oppo 980 and it definitely out performs the BD30 for DVD.

...because we did watch dvd using the vivid mode.

:eek:

Seriously, that is the worst possible mode you use on this set. Stick with Custom mode.

Actually, even though the manual claims 7.1 can't be done through HDMI, when you enable that feature, it drops the sampling rate of DVD-A.

My copy of Brain Salad Surgery by Emerson, Lake & Palmer outputs over HDMI at 96kHz when 5.1 is selected as the "Down-Mix" option. However if I enable 7.1 as the "Down-Mix" option, the signal over HDMI drops to 48kHz. This is through an Onkyo TX-SR705 which has the ability to display what resolution it is receiving.

Regarding #2) I believe it should also be kept in mind that this player is also used for SACD and DVD-A playback, which do have need for accurate distance controls to each speaker regardless of which is furthest away.

I would also like to mention again that 0.5ft distance increments would be useful.

The 983H won't do 7.1 over HDMI???? I just got me email from Oppo that my name came up on the waiting list, but if it won't handle 7.1 over HDMI why do I want this unit? Are there 7.1 DVDs out there? If not, I guess I don't need that abiity.

They are certainly aware of it. I've reported intermittent dropouts with a simple setup. I don't doubt they can address it with a firmware update, but haven't been told when. How long can you wait?

-Bill

Hi Bill. I've got about a week left on my return privilege. I'd like to hear what Oppo has to say about this. It's such a strange problem... Last night during The Mist I lost both A&V about every 5 minutes. It was so bad I finally finished the movie on a different player. I tried the very same disc this AM on the 983, watched about 30 mins., and it played w/o incident. Today I watched American Gangster and counted 5 very brief audio dropouts over the 3 hour movie. I just finished watching The Ring tonight and it played w/o incident. I really can't find any rhyme or reason to this malfunctioning. :confused:

Right now I'm inclined to return the unit and repurchase one once the bugs are worked out, but I'll see how Oppo responds first. If they let me keep the return privilege pending a fix I guess I'd hold on to it. I sure love the picture when it works!

BTW, 98% of what I watch is NTSC output at 1080p. Is Video 2 the preferred mode on the 983?

Is Video 2 the preferred mode on the 983?

yes

I had to send mine back for dropouts. A few others reported the same but I've not heard nor seen anything by oppo or the betas to address the problem.

If you note the other users on the forum who have complained about video dropouts had their errors resolved by replacing the HDMI cable. Other users have not yet reported back on their success after updating firmware, changing cables, or altering resolutions.

So far I have only seen two DV-983H returns due to video/audio dropout errors: Yours and another user who could no longer get 1080i to work through their HDMI to Component box.

I really can't find any rhyme or reason to this malfunctioning. :confused:

Have the unit replaced. If your errors are inconsistent, then there is nothing OPPO can really recommend outside of trying another unit.

To note I am using the DV-983H through an Integra 9.8 to two projectors (DVI and HDMI) and one old Sony CRT (HDMI) and have never experienced any audio or video dropouts with the final hardware and shipping firmware.

Last night I played a NTSC Region 1 DVD, a SACD and a DVD-Audio disc. All played perfectly with my 983 connected to a Panny XR700 receiver with 1080p HDMI. Stopped and resumed for coffee breaks, etc. The audio discs I played using the Audio On feature. (No wideo.) All played wonderfully well. No dropouts or other problems using shipping hardware and firmware Initial Release Version: DV983H-05-0303.

Dana

Have the unit replaced. If your errors are inconsistent, then there is nothing OPPO can really recommend outside of trying another unit.

To note I am using the DV-983H through an Integra 9.8 to two projectors (DVI and HDMI) and one old Sony CRT (HDMI) and have never experienced any audio or video dropouts with the final hardware and shipping firmware.

Final hardware and shipping firmware? So the problem has been fixed?

Have the unit replaced. If your errors are inconsistent, then there is nothing OPPO can really recommend outside of trying another unit.

To note I am using the DV-983H through an Integra 9.8 to two projectors (DVI and HDMI) and one old Sony CRT (HDMI) and have never experienced any audio or video dropouts with the final hardware and shipping firmware.

It's nice to know someone is using a 983 w/an Integra 9.8 w/o this problem. I must have a defective unit.

Your statement "...have never experienced any audio or video dropouts with the final hardware and shipping firmware" could be interpreted to mean that there were such problems during the beta period. Was this an issue then?

I anxiously await Oppo's reply.

Your statement "...have never experienced any audio or video dropouts with the final hardware and shipping firmware" could be interpreted to mean that there were such problems during the beta period. Was this an issue then?

The early beta had serious HDMI issues, not so much from dropouts as from total loss of signal. Oppo did a hardware modification that solved this. I suspect the dropouts can be addressed with firmware.

As an aside, reading the HDMI forum here and articles such as http://www.bluejeanscable.com/articles/whats-the-matter-with-hdmi.htm, I'm glad it's not my job to make HDMI work with a wide assortment of consumer devices. It has mostly worked well for me, but I think everyone sees strange glitches from time to time, and a few people live in HDMI hell.

-Bill

I received the latest firmware yesterday. I think I completed the installation process but I am not sure.

What is the name of the new firmware you guys see once you push the OSD button?

I received the latest firmware yesterday. I think I completed the installation process but I am not sure.

What is the name of the new firmware you guys see once you push the OSD button?

I'm on 06-0318.

-Bill

Mine still says the old firmware.

When the new firmware is updating, the player display counts up to 32. Before it hits 32 (at 31), the tray half closes, reboots, then the tray closes completely. I wait for it to do its thing and show "no disc". I put a disc on and the OSD still shows the old firmware. I may need for them to mail me another CD.

Have the unit replaced. If your errors are inconsistent, then there is nothing OPPO can really recommend outside of trying another unit.


I suspect the dropouts can be addressed with firmware.
-Bill

Bill, I'm curious. Neuromancer is suggesting that my unit is defective and should be replaced because I should not be having dropouts w/my setup, yet you are having dropouts and feel that your unit can be fixed with a firmware update. Is there something I'm missing?

Bill, I'm curious. Neuromancer is suggesting that my unit is defective and should be replaced because I should not be having dropouts w/my setup, yet you are having dropouts and feel that your unit can be fixed with a firmware update. Is there something I'm missing?

Perhaps Neuromancer and I disagree, or it could be that

(1) your unit is defective and
(2) Oppo needs to supply a firmware update

...are both true statements.

-Bill

Perhaps Neuromancer and I disagree, or it could be that

(1) your unit is defective and
(2) Oppo needs to supply a firmware update

...are both true statements.

-Bill

So, it's fair to say that you feel a dropout problem does exist in 983s as currently shipped? I'm not trying to corner you :) I'm really just trying to figure out whether to bother exchanging my unit, or to simply return it for a refund and re-purchase it when/if a fix is found. If there is a "known" dropout issue at this time which has been acknowledged by Oppo, then exchanging my unit seems pointless. Has Oppo acknowledged the problem exists, or have they taken Neuromancer's apparent position that it does not?

So, it's fair to say that you feel a dropout problem does exist in 983s as currently shipped? I'm not trying to corner you :) I'm really just trying to figure out whether to bother exchanging my unit, or to simply return it for a refund and re-purchase it when/if a fix is found. If there is a "known" dropout issue at this time which has been acknowledged by Oppo, then exchanging my unit seems pointless. Has Oppo acknowledged the problem exists, or have they taken Neuromancer's apparent position that it does not?

+1

Is there a way to set 1:1 pixel mapping? Turn off any video enhancement features. You're using HDMI and 1080p, right? And calibrate for each DVD player separately.

Finally: what level of difference are you expecting? The SD-DVD source places limits on what can be done.

-Bill
just got back and read your comments. first question.what do u mean by 1:1 pixel mapping

Neuromancer,

I have to say that I disagree with your reasoning behind not implementing a better speaker distance setting.

Any Onkyo user familiar with their multichannel inputs knows that you only have 3 DSP options:

Multichannel - uses the receivers delay, crossover, trim and Audyssey
Direct - ignores all the above settings
Pure AUdio - ignores all the above settings, plus turns off the video processing circuits

If I want the highest quality sound from my hardware combination, it would involved analog output from the 983 and Pure Audio selected on my Onkyo 705. The lack of adequate speaker distance control and being forced into a setup where the front main speakers must be the farthest away makes this impossible for me to use.

With the price of this player set at $399, I find that extremely upsetting. It seems that Oppo has given no thought to that set of circumstances. In addition, what about users who due to room constraints, cannot have their main speakers farther away than the rest?

For the price we paid to have the 'deluxe' version of universal DVD players, the lack of independent speaker distance controls is an ugly declaration of corner-cutting. Yes that is just my opinion, and yes my tone is decidedly different from my last post on the matter. The more I think about what I paid for this player and the more I think about how top-notch quality is basically being kept out of my reach for no good reason on Oppos part just pisses me off.

Please note that I'm not trying to attack you personally; you happen to be in a position to pass along requests/feedback directly to people who might fix the issue, so I am expressing myself fully so that my dissatisfaction on this issue is completely demonstrated.

To note I am using the DV-983H through an Integra 9.8 to two projectors (DVI and HDMI) and one old Sony CRT (HDMI) and have never experienced any audio or video dropouts with the final hardware and shipping firmware.

Neuromancer, what FW are you running on your 9.8?

So, it's fair to say that you feel a dropout problem does exist in 983s as currently shipped? I'm not trying to corner you :) I'm really just trying to figure out whether to bother exchanging my unit, or to simply return it for a refund and re-purchase it when/if a fix is found. If there is a "known" dropout issue at this time which has been acknowledged by Oppo, then exchanging my unit seems pointless. Has Oppo acknowledged the problem exists, or have they taken Neuromancer's apparent position that it does not?

You could ask them yourself and let us know. I was told they were investigating. I am experiencing intermittent dropouts, say once per hour, although they occur in clusters sometimes. I can live with it for a while.

If I were you I would ask Oppo what they recommend given your situation:

(1) Refund.

(2) Exchange.

(3) Hang on to the current unit waiting for a firmware fix. If you are unhappy with current performance then I would do this only if Oppo would still offer a refund if it is not corrected. I don't know if they will do that.

-Bill

just got back and read your comments. first question.what do u mean by 1:1 pixel mapping

It means the display uses the 1920x1080 signal from the player without any additional zooming or cropping of the image. In the past there have been displays that would not allow you to defeat their built-in overscan, which was a very bad thing.

Before you ask me how to do this on your display: I don't know. Check the thread for your display in one of the other forums.

-Bill

You could ask them yourself and let us know. I was told they were investigating. I am experiencing intermittent dropouts, say once per hour, although they occur in clusters sometimes. I can live with it for a while.

-Bill

Thank you for your candor regarding your experience with the dropouts. As you know, I have contacted Oppo, and I will let you know how they respond.

Thank you for your candor regarding your experience with the dropouts. As you know, I have contacted Oppo, and I will let you know how they respond.

Let us all know:)

It means the display uses the 1920x1080 signal from the player without any additional zooming or cropping of the image. In the past there have been displays that would not allow you to defeat their built-in overscan, which was a very bad thing.

Before you ask me how to do this on your display: I don't know. Check the thread for your display in one of the other forums.

-Bill

I do have a 1:1 pixel mapping option on my Samsung 50 inch full HD display but I usually use 16:9 instead of 'Just Scan' as they call it. You say overscanning is a very bad thing - can you please explain why? Thanks.

Keith

I do have a 1:1 pixel mapping option on my Samsung 50 inch full HD display but I usually use 16:9 instead of 'Just Scan' as they call it. You say overscanning is a very bad thing - can you please explain why? Thanks.

Keith

(1) We went to all the trouble to make as good a 1920x1080 image as we could, and now you want to scale it by a few percent again? That has to degrade the image.

(2) It clips off part of the picture. Don't you want to see the whole picture?

-Bill

True...but some channels have that flickering garbage at the top or sides. Having a little bit of overscan is good to prevent having to see that. I agree that some TVs have too much overscan, to the point of chopping off logos and what not, but 0 overscan introduces other problems. Maybe not so much with a DVD, as in this case, but definitely with TV broadcasts.

Can't the 1:1 pixel mapping just be set for the input the DVD is attached to or does it apply to all inputs?

Or scan rates?

What numbers are people typically using for receiver delays to fix lipsync?

What numbers are people typically using for receiver delays to fix lipsync?

My old reciever doesn't have this option. But the 983 does have a digital audio delay setting. I asked a few days ago if anyone has made use of this feature/option. All in all I am much more impressed / happy wiht the Oppo 983's lipsync (without adjustment) than my previous player.

My reciever does not have a delay either, and I am currently under the impression that the 983 delay does not apply to the coax output...at least I messed with it and did not notice any change. Am I stupid? I am trying to decide whether to get a Feltston delay box or a new receiver, but I see the that receivers I am looking at have a maximum delay of 100msec. Is 100ms enough for the 983?

Neuromancer, what FW are you running on your 9.8?

Don't know. How do you check your firmware revision?

I have to say that I disagree with your reasoning behind not implementing a better speaker distance setting.

I have not, and am not, disagreeing with you. I am merely stating an opinion that you should be using the receiver for all speaker distancing and trimming. Would it be good if the player had the ability to have more refined controls? Yes, but at the same time how many of the users will be taking advantage of these controls. OPPO has been using the same control schemes for the past 3 years, and any changes will either be very slow or disastrous to how the player sounds and operates.

My reciever does not have a delay either, and I am currently under the impression that the 983 delay does not apply to the coax output...at least I messed with it and did not notice any change. Am I stupid?

The Delay only effects PCM signals. RAW bitstreams are not effected.

Bill, I'm curious. Neuromancer is suggesting that my unit is defective and should be replaced because I should not be having dropouts w/my setup, yet you are having dropouts and feel that your unit can be fixed with a firmware update. Is there something I'm missing?

Here is the reason why I say a replacement unit: we can't rule out the possibility that this is a hardware error.

Secondly, OPPO will NEVER guarantee that a firmware will resolve your error. For this reason, they will not tell you to hold onto the player and see if they resolve the error in the future.

For OPPO there are only two real solutions: Refund or Replacement. If you like the DV-983H, it does not hurt you (it hurts OPPO financially) to have the unit replaced to ensure that your errors are not related to some kind of hardware defect. As I have noted, I have not had any issues with audio errors with my Integra 9.8 setup, so you can't assume that your errors are related to firmware malfunctions.

Final hardware and shipping firmware? So the problem has been fixed?

Final hardware and final firmware. I had issues with beta firmware, but all the beta testers did.

And no problem was fixed, because there was no problem to begin with in regards to the shipping product for my setup.

For the users who have experienced audio dropouts, for example, OPPO quickly released a firmware to resolve their errors.

Your statement "...have never experienced any audio or video dropouts with the final hardware and shipping firmware" could be interpreted to mean that there were such problems during the beta period. Was this an issue then?

It is well known that the beta hardware had many problems associated to it (one of the reasons the unit did not come out until last month). Once I received the final hardware, I had no problems at all with any errors, which included disc reading, unit not powering on, video not showing, audio and video dropouts, and a sleuth of other hardware related problems.

So, it's fair to say that you feel a dropout problem does exist in 983s as currently shipped? I'm not trying to corner you :) I'm really just trying to figure out whether to bother exchanging my unit, or to simply return it for a refund and re-purchase it when/if a fix is found. If there is a "known" dropout issue at this time which has been acknowledged by Oppo, then exchanging my unit seems pointless.

There are only two "known" dropout issues, and those are related to the VSX-92/94TXH and the Onkyo SR803. These were resolved through software.

All other reported problems have not been isolated. For your problem, you can't say it is a software or hardware compatibility error, as I have the Integra 9.8 and have no issues.

Has Oppo acknowledged the problem exists, or have they taken Neuromancer's apparent position that it does not?

I never said that these errors do not exist. What I have been saying all this time is we do not know the cause of these errors. That is, what is the underlying reason for them to occur.

As we have seen with some of the complaints, the errors were resolved either with new HDMI cables or with a firmware updated (see: Pioneer Elite VSX-94TXH). To my knowledge no one has received a replacement DVD player for their errors, so we can't rule out the possibility of some units have inherent hardware defects.

Summation: There is too much conjecture over what is causing these compatibility problems. It might be specific hardware, or it might be a software issue. But at this time no one can tell you which it is.

If I want the highest quality sound from my hardware combination, it would involved analog output from the 983 and Pure Audio selected on my Onkyo 705. This is merely a common presumption, not a general rule.

I have not seen/heard any dropout. My signal path is 983H - OPPO HM-31 - Onkyo TX-SR604 - Pioneer Kuro PRO-110FD, running at 1080p. My firmware on the 983H is the original 05-0303.

Based on my reading so far, it seems that three members experienced dropout issue: mjmbond, wmcclain (a beta tester?), and hikinokie. Since hikinokie returned his/her unit without trying a replacement, perhaps mjmbond and wmcclain can ask OPPO for a replacement unit to try?

The lack of adequate speaker distance control and being forced into a setup where the front main speakers must be the farthest away makes this impossible for me to use.

With the price of this player set at $399, I find that extremely upsetting. It seems that Oppo has given no thought to that set of circumstances. In addition, what about users who due to room constraints, cannot have their main speakers farther away than the rest?

For the price we paid to have the 'deluxe' version of universal DVD players, the lack of independent speaker distance controls is an ugly declaration of corner-cutting. Yes that is just my opinion, and yes my tone is decidedly different from my last post on the matter. The more I think about what I paid for this player and the more I think about how top-notch quality is basically being kept out of my reach for no good reason on Oppos part just pisses me off.


In my experience, I had a Denon DVD-2910CI which is much more expensive than the $399 OPPO DV-983H, and guess what? The speaker distance setting also required that the surround speakers cannot be further away than the front speakers. I also tried a Panasonic S97 briefly, and remembered that its speaker distance setting also had this limitation. This makes me think there might be some common restriction or reason behind this.

To study a little bit more on this, I found an article talking about speaker placement. http://www.practical-home-theater-guide.com/home-theater-speaker-placement.html



Avoid having the front center speaker closer to your main viewing position than the left and right speakers; this will unbalance the inter-mix between the different sound channels.

Avoid:

Placing surround speakers too far forward of your main seating position, as otherwise you will not get sufficient sound fill at the back.

Similarly, do not place your speakers to far back. This will result in voids in your listening area; you may loss the enveloping effect so important in surround sound.

Don't know. How do you check your firmware revision?

With your 9.8 turned on, press and hold the "display" button on the front of the unit, then press the "Standby/On" button. The firmware version will display for a couple of seconds. Mine is "87 1.04."

Onkyo/Integra is not forthcoming with the purpose of every FW update, and it may be possible that if you have a more recent update, that they may have addressed some HDMI connectivity issues. I'm just trying to figure out why you're not having the problem I am. :)

Mine is the same firmware: 87 1.04.

Here is the reason why I say a replacement unit: we can't rule out the possibility that this is a hardware error.

Secondly, OPPO will NEVER guarantee that a firmware will resolve your error. For this reason, they will not tell you to hold onto the player and see if they resolve the error in the future.

For OPPO there are only two real solutions: Refund or Replacement. If you like the DV-983H, it does not hurt you (it hurts OPPO financially) to have the unit replaced to ensure that your errors are not related to some kind of hardware defect. As I have noted, I have not had any issues with audio errors with my Integra 9.8 setup, so you can't assume that your errors are related to firmware malfunctions.

Let me just say that this unit is capable of a wonderful picture; I want things to work out here. However, I cannot live with this purchase with the kind of dropouts I've experienced. It's my hope that it is simply a malfunctioning unit. If Oppo is willing to let me try a replacement unit and extend my return privilege (which expires shortly) to allow for a reasonable test period, then I will go that route. If not, I'll have no other choice but to return it and hope that the issue is addressed by Oppo in the future.

Mine is the same firmware: 87 1.04.

Well, that blows one theory :confused:

Thanks for checking.

I never said that these errors do not exist. What I have been saying all this time is we do not know the cause of these errors. That is, what is the underlying reason for them to occur.


I used the phrase "apparent position", as you appeared to have implied that the problem should not exist with the 983s as shipped, by your "replacement" suggestion. I'm glad you clarified your position. :)

My hope is that Oppo will be concerned about the problem enough to work with me on finding where the problem lies, but I will not put myself in the position of owning a player that may not ever "play" nice with my equipment.

It will be interesting to hear what Oppo wants to do here.

There are only two "known" dropout issues, and those are related to the VSX-92/94TXH and the Onkyo SR803. These were resolved through software.

All other reported problems have not been isolated. For your problem, you can't say it is a software or hardware compatibility error, as I have the Integra 9.8 and have no issues.



I never said that these errors do not exist. What I have been saying all this time is we do not know the cause of these errors. That is, what is the underlying reason for them to occur.

As we have seen with some of the complaints, the errors were resolved either with new HDMI cables or with a firmware updated (see: Pioneer Elite VSX-94TXH). To my knowledge no one has received a replacement DVD player for their errors, so we can't rule out the possibility of some units have inherent hardware defects.

Summation: There is too much conjecture over what is causing these compatibility problems. It might be specific hardware, or it might be a software issue. But at this time no one can tell you which it is.

I have a Elite VSX-92TXH receiver. Is there a firmwate update I should obtain? If so, can you please let me know how and where to obtain it. Thank you.

I have a Elite VSX-92TXH receiver. Is there a firmwate update I should obtain? If so, can you please let me know how and where to obtain it. Thank you.

If you having the known compatability issues with your 92 model, then you need to contact Oppo directly. They may have a different firmware to fix your problem. Just call the or send them an e-mail. They should get back to you in very short time, as their customer support is steller.
Good luck to you.:)

Version: 06-0406 (http://www.oppodigital.com/dv983h/dv983h-firmware-06-0406.html)
Category: Minor Update
Release Date: April 7, 2008
Release Notes:

1. Improvement for Audio Drop-out Issue with Certain HDMI A/V Receiver Models

This version contains adjustment to HDMI audio information exchange with A/V receivers equipped with HDMI ports. The improvement solves the audio drop-out issue that a few users experience with their Pioneer VSX-94TXi and VSX-84TXSi receivers at 1080p resolution.

2. More Reliable Detection of DVD Aspect Ratio (4:3 or 16:9)

This version enhances the detection of DVD aspect ratio. OPPO beta test participants and some users have identified a limited number of DVD discs that contain inconsistent aspect ratio flags. When played on a DV-983H with previous firmware versions, these discs could be displayed with an incorrect aspect ratio. For example, a 16:9 movie could be displayed as 4:3. This version resolves the issue. The issue only affects users who set the "TV Display" setup menu option is set to "16:9 Wide/Auto". With this setting, the DV-983H automatically detects the aspect ratio of the DVD video program. If the program is 4:3 aspect ratio, the player adds borders in order to display the video correctly on a 16:9 screen.

3. Bass Management for 96k Source

This firmware version optimizes the DSP (Digital Signal Processor) usage and adds bass management for audio sources that are encoded in 96kHz sample rate. When the front speakers are set to "Small" and subwoofer is set to "On", the DV-983H can redirect bass from the front channels to the LFE subwoofer channel. This improvement applies to DVD-Video and DVD-Audio discs. It is in addition to bass management already supported in previous firmware releases for sources with less than 96k sample rate (CD, DVD-Audio/Video and SACD).

4. Improved Transition between CD Audio Tracks

This firmware version improves the transition between CD audio tracks. The improvement is noticeable on certain discs that have very tight transition between two tracks, and discs that start with a very strong note.

5. Improvements Based on User Provided Materials

This firmware version includes improvements made to enhance compatibility with some user provided materials. Although the product specification disclaims "Compatibility with user-encoded contents or user-created discs is on a best effort basis with no guarantee due to the variation of media, software and techniques used," OPPO tries very hard to accommodate customers' reasonable compatibility requests. This firmware version enhances compatibility to some DVD+R and DVD-R media, large Xvid files on USB drives, visibility/color of SRT subtitles, and recorded DVD with MPEG2 audio. These improvements are based on materials submitted by users. Thanks to all who provided materials for testing.

Version: 06-0406 (http://www.oppodigital.com/dv983h/dv983h-firmware-06-0406.html)
Category: Minor Update
Release Date: April 7, 2008
Release Notes:

1. Improvement for Audio Drop-out Issue with Certain HDMI A/V Receiver Models

This version contains adjustment to HDMI audio information exchange with A/V receivers equipped with HDMI ports. The improvement solves the audio drop-out issue that a few users experience with their Pioneer VSX-94TXi and VSX-84TXSi receivers at 1080p resolution.

[/indent]

Neuromancer, thanks for the heads up here.

#1 is a bit abiguous... It refers to "Certain" AVRs, and then goes on to say that "This version contains adjustment to HDMI audio information exchange with A/V receivers equipped with HDMI ports.", which appears to be a broader statement. Do you know if this might help my problem?

I have not heard back from Oppo yet...

TIA

It is not ambiguous. Officially the firmware was designed explicitly for these Elite receivers. Some other receivers may receive a benefit from this firmware, but they have not been identified or verified by OPPO.

Neuromancer,

Thanks for being on top of things - as usual. You have even updated Page 1 already! Nice.

FYI. The 983.BIN file for USB flash drive use stopped at 100 KB of a 1.7 MB download file. The .iso file for CD burning is coming down at a glacial pace. Oops. That has now stopped at 344 KB of a 1.8 MB file. Very unusual for OPPO downloads. Doesn't seem likely that with so few 983 users, we have swamped the OPPO server. Hmm.

Dana

It is not ambiguous. Officially the firmware was designed explicitly for these Elite receivers. Some other receivers may receive a benefit from this firmware, but they have not been identified or verified by OPPO.

If it had been stated as you stated it, it would not have been ambiguous :rolleyes:

Anyway, I do appreciate your help :)

The whole explanation part of the that release note makes it not ambiguous. They explicitly labeled those two receivers as effected receivers.

FYI. The 983.BIN file for USB flash drive use stopped at 100 KB of a 1.7 MB download file. The .iso file for CD burning is coming down at a glacial pace. Oops. That has now stopped at 344 KB of a 1.8 MB file. Very unusual for OPPO downloads. Doesn't seem likely that with so few 983 users, we have swamped the OPPO server. Hmm.

I just downloaded both files without an issue, but the download was really slow compared to what I normally pull files at from OPPO.

Wonder if anyone can help. I'm not fussed about DD EX via analogue since the receiver can do all the work. However I'm wondering if its worth the recabling effort as I move from a 981 to a 983 to add an extra set of cables. Is anyone aware of whether any multi channel SACDs utilise that many speakers?

Thanks in advance

Wonder if anyone can help. I'm not fussed about DD EX via analogue since the receiver can do all the work. However I'm wondering if its worth the recabling effort as I move from a 981 to a 983 to add an extra set of cables. Is anyone aware of whether any multi channel SACDs utilise that many speakers?

Thanks in advance

What receiver/pre-amp are you using?
Why not just put on a spdif cable for when you listen to those soundtracks on dvd?

Well, I managed to finally get the 983.BIN file downloaded. After checking to be sure the file I had downloaded was the size on the server (1.7 MB = 1,803,600 bytes), I transferred the file to my thumb drive, connected it in turn to the USB port on the 983 and ... nothing. Then I remembered. I'm using an iMac but the OPPO is looking for an MS-DOS FAT format on my thumb drive. No problem. I reformated the thumb drive using Disk Utility, transferred the file again, plugged it in to the OPPO 983 and followed OPPO's Firmware Update Instructions.

I began looking in vain on my monitor screen for the countdown cue to disconnect the USB drive and couldn't find it ... because you are supposed to look for it on the OPPO 983 display, not the TV display. :o Fortunately, I did so in time to remove it before it finished counting down.

All set. Update confirmed. I reset the player to my preferences, Region 0, etc., and played a couple of the problematic Region 2 PAL discs. The problem with the player not identifying them immediately as 4:3 aspect ratio remains but OPPO Digital didn't claim it had resolved that problem with this update. It will in due time because the 981 and 971 handle such discs perfectly.

I'll play more DVDs, CDs, etc., later. I just wanted to try using the USB thumb drive method of updating since on my 971 and 981, I'd always burned a CD. It really works well! Yippee! :cool:

Dana

What receiver/pre-amp are you using?
Why not just put on a spdif cable for when you listen to those soundtracks on dvd?
Sorry smartypants I did not make it clear. I'm already using analogue out for SACD on the 931 which works great. But the 983 has extra channels so I'm wondering if its worth the extra cables based on whether multi channel SACD are encoded with that degree of separation

Ya, I've been using the USB upgrade option since shortly after I got the 980. I've done it so many times now... with thumb drive in hand, and browser showing oppodigital.com, less than 5 minutes and the player is updated. :D
Wayyy better than the cd option.

Dana, don't worry about watching the countdown like a hawk. When it ends, the screen will say press play to update or eject to cancel. All you have to do is hit eject and then pull out the thumb drive. It won't start updating again unless you initiate it... and even if you did accidentally hit play, re-flashing the fw doesn't hurt anything either.

Sorry smartypants I did not make it clear. I'm already using analogue out for SACD on the 931 which works great. But the 983 has extra channels so I'm wondering if its worth the extra cables based on whether multi channel SACD are encoded with that degree of separation

Oh, ok. I don't have the answer to your 7.1 sacd question. My experience in that area is marginal.

Dana, don't worry about watching the countdown like a hawk. When it ends, the screen will say press play to update or eject to cancel. All you have to do is hit eject and then pull out the thumb drive. It won't start updating again unless you initiate it... and even if you did accidentally hit play, re-flashing the fw doesn't hurt anything either. Absolutely. No mess, no fuss, no panic. As long as you have a good USB flash drive and a good upgrade file, the USB method is certainly the way to go. And as you've highlighted... nothing can go wrong... just plug it in and follow the simple on-screen instructions, then grab a beer while the player does the rest! I've done dozens of upgrades this way - its quick and painless!

Gary

I had to send mine back for dropouts. A few others reported the same but I've not heard nor seen anything by oppo or the betas to address the problem.
Maybe because so few are having issues. I've only seen a handful here having similar issues. The 983H works fine with my 605, which would have similar HDMI characteristics to an Integra 9.8

So, it's fair to say that you feel a dropout problem does exist in 983s as currently shipped? I'm not trying to corner you :) I'm really just trying to figure out whether to bother exchanging my unit, or to simply return it for a refund and re-purchase it when/if a fix is found. If there is a "known" dropout issue at this time which has been acknowledged by Oppo, then exchanging my unit seems pointless. Has Oppo acknowledged the problem exists, or have they taken Neuromancer's apparent position that it does not?
I would expect that for the probable number of units sold vs. folks having issues, this is not a known issue. Not something they can confirm on their similar or exact equipment means that it's most likely due to a few specific units, and not a widespread issue.

Wonder if anyone can help. I'm not fussed about DD EX via analogue since the receiver can do all the work. However I'm wondering if its worth the recabling effort as I move from a 981 to a 983 to add an extra set of cables. Is anyone aware of whether any multi channel SACDs utilise that many speakers?
SACD does not inherently include surround back channels (it's limited to a max of 5.1), but if you set the 983H for 7.1-channel downmix then the analog outputs will get a signal when playing 5.1 SACD's. The 983H will use a bit of matrix decoding logic to generate rear surrounds from the side surrounds.

SACD does not inherently include surround back channels (it's limited to a max of 5.1), but if you set the 983H for 7.1-channel downmix then the analog outputs will get a signal when playing 5.1 SACD's. The 983H will use a bit of matrix decoding logic to generate rear surrounds from the side surrounds.
thanx gonk that's answered it for me

I would expect that for the probable number of units sold vs. folks having issues, this is not a known issue. Not something they can confirm on their similar or exact equipment means that it's most likely due to a few specific units, and not a widespread issue.

Well, I've got a replacement unit on the way, so we shall see if that's the case. ;)

All set. Update confirmed. I reset the player to my preferences, Region 0, etc., and played a couple of the problematic Region 2 PAL discs. The problem with the player not identifying them immediately as 4:3 aspect ratio remains but OPPO Digital didn't claim it had resolved that problem with this update. It will in due time because the 981 and 971 handle such discs perfectly.

Dana

I can also testify that the aspect ratio problem still remains. I was able to burn and upgrade this time with ease. The beta upgrade CD that Oppo sent would not install but this new firmware installed perfectly.

Version: 06-0406 (http://www.oppodigital.com/dv983h/dv983h-firmware-06-0406.html)
Category: Minor Update
Release Date: April 7, 2008
Release Notes:

1. Improvement for Audio Drop-out Issue with Certain HDMI A/V Receiver Models

This version contains adjustment to HDMI audio information exchange with A/V receivers equipped with HDMI ports. The improvement solves the audio drop-out issue that a few users experience with their Pioneer VSX-94TXi and VSX-84TXSi receivers at 1080p resolution.

2. More Reliable Detection of DVD Aspect Ratio (4:3 or 16:9)

This version enhances the detection of DVD aspect ratio. OPPO beta test participants and some users have identified a limited number of DVD discs that contain inconsistent aspect ratio flags. When played on a DV-983H with previous firmware versions, these discs could be displayed with an incorrect aspect ratio. For example, a 16:9 movie could be displayed as 4:3. This version resolves the issue. The issue only affects users who set the "TV Display" setup menu option is set to "16:9 Wide/Auto". With this setting, the DV-983H automatically detects the aspect ratio of the DVD video program. If the program is 4:3 aspect ratio, the player adds borders in order to display the video correctly on a 16:9 screen.

3. Bass Management for 96k Source

This firmware version optimizes the DSP (Digital Signal Processor) usage and adds bass management for audio sources that are encoded in 96kHz sample rate. When the front speakers are set to "Small" and subwoofer is set to "On", the DV-983H can redirect bass from the front channels to the LFE subwoofer channel. This improvement applies to DVD-Video and DVD-Audio discs. It is in addition to bass management already supported in previous firmware releases for sources with less than 96k sample rate (CD, DVD-Audio/Video and SACD).

4. Improved Transition between CD Audio Tracks

This firmware version improves the transition between CD audio tracks. The improvement is noticeable on certain discs that have very tight transition between two tracks, and discs that start with a very strong note.

5. Improvements Based on User Provided Materials

This firmware version includes improvements made to enhance compatibility with some user provided materials. Although the product specification disclaims "Compatibility with user-encoded contents or user-created discs is on a best effort basis with no guarantee due to the variation of media, software and techniques used," OPPO tries very hard to accommodate customers' reasonable compatibility requests. This firmware version enhances compatibility to some DVD+R and DVD-R media, large Xvid files on USB drives, visibility/color of SRT subtitles, and recorded DVD with MPEG2 audio. These improvements are based on materials submitted by users. Thanks to all who provided materials for testing.

Will the 983h being shipped at this time have this new firmware?

I can also testify that the aspect ratio problem still remains. I was able to burn and upgrade this time with ease. The beta upgrade CD that Oppo sent would not install but this new firmware installed perfectly.

I would note that the firmware release says "More reliable detection". OPPO didn't promise that it would fix all errors.

Will the 983h being shipped at this time have this new firmware?

Yes, all firmware which is not labeled as Beta goes out with all shipping hardware from OPPO Digital (other vendors may upgrade their stock, or not).

Holy cow!!

I've done Firmware updates on almost any piece of electronics, mostly computer boards (sound,video, mobo, etc..., but cameras, mp3 players, anything) but Oppo's DVD player firmware update is by far the simpliest solution (I did USB mem stick) I've ever came across. Not to mention the most (almost overly) documented procedure.

The owner's manual, customer service and now firmware updates are all 100% top-notch! Just unbelievable.

I would note that the firmware release says "More reliable detection". OPPO didn't promise that it would fix all errors.

Yeah, I shot them an email with a few of the discs that I tested. They replied very quickly.

They acknowledged that there are discs that still have the aspect ratio issue and that this firmware greatly reduces the problem from happening. I take it they are still working on the issue.

Wonder if anyone can help. I'm not fussed about DD EX via analogue since the receiver can do all the work. However I'm wondering if its worth the recabling effort as I move from a 981 to a 983 to add an extra set of cables. Is anyone aware of whether any multi channel SACDs utilise that many speakers?

Thanks in advanceSACD uses no more than 6 channels.

Yes, all firmware which is not labeled as Beta goes out with the latest firmware release.

So if I understand you correctly, those that were shipped yesterday, as mine was, will have the newest firmware updates and I will not have to worry except when the next one arrives????? That would be great if this is true.

Corrected:
Yes, all firmware which is not labeled as Beta goes out with all shipping hardware from OPPO Digital (other vendors may upgrade their stock, or not).

Upgraded my firmware, and I will echo the statement that that was the EASIEST firmware upgrade I've ever done. From pc's to servers to other dvd players, that was the easiest.

My last player was a Yamaha DVD-S2500, that I replaced with this Oppo 983H. On the Yamaha, after doing the ONE firmware upgrade they released... the player was put into PAL mode. So talk about a nightmare/heart attack.. the upgrade makes the player un-usable.. until you set it to NTSC.. which you have to do blindly, following the directions verbatim... basically re-entering your country code, over a squiggly unreadable screen. THAT is a cautious upgrade.

This was easy. Put the cd in, hit play... it ejects itself.. then you just wait. And done.
NICE NICE NICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My only "complaint" is that after doing it, you have to re-enter all of your settings. Of course, this led to me reading the manual to go over them all again.. and realized that I had set it up incorrectly the first time. So actually, I'm glad it wipes the settings back to default, otherwise I'd still be wrong.
What I had done before was left the downmix audio as stereo.. whereas the book clearly states if you do HDMI to a receiver, to set to 5.1 and set speakers to large, etc...
so I did that.. before I just had it all at default.

Customizable background screen?

While my unit is in the capable hands of FedEX I was skimming through the user manual. I see that the unit has a feature that you can substitute a captured image for the Oppo background screen. (see page 44)

Has anyone tried this out? seems like an opportunity to create a theater specific sign with the name of your theater etc.

Customizable background screen?

While my unit is in the capable hands of FedEX I was skimming through the user manual. I see that the unit has a feature that you can substitute a captured image for the Oppo background screen. (see page 44)

Has anyone tried this out? seems like an opportunity to create a theater specific sign with the name of your theater etc.

Of course :). You can make it whatever you want. All you have to do is get the image on the screen with a DVD or via USB. Then hit capture on the remote and 'VOILA', your own personalized screen. Now when all your friends and/or family see what you did and say "How did you do that?!?". You can tell them how complicated it is :cool::D;).

Customizable background screen?

While my unit is in the capable hands of FedEX I was skimming through the user manual. I see that the unit has a feature that you can substitute a captured image for the Oppo background screen. (see page 44)

Has anyone tried this out? seems like an opportunity to create a theater specific sign with the name of your theater etc.

It works on the 980; I haven't tried it on the 983. I presume it works the same.

-Bill

quick question can anyone give me an idea about how long till the DV-983H is back in stock? I hoping to buy it as soon as possible. I see that if you buy it from HKFlix.com they will throw in two dvds free which is kool but I going to buy from the first place it becomes available.

Probably completely sold out. Last I heard they were selling to people who signed up for the E-Mail Notification (http://www.oppodigital.com/notifyme.asp) on a first come, first serve basis. Depending on how much stock they received, how many e-mails and purchases were made, they could be out of stock completely again.

Shoot I've signed up to be notified but I hven't heard anything. I'm just hoping they are in stock within a week or two three at most. Oh well thanks for the reply

I did the e-mail reserve & was told they were in stock & purchased one. (last week) yesterday I get a FedEx e-mail that it has been shipped & will arrive on the 11th. Cool! So go ahead & register for one, that way you will get one before they run out. (again)

I registered to be notified as well and purchased within 30 minutes of being notified of availability on April 1. I'm in the current batch. FedEx says Mine will reach the east coast on the 11th.

Mine is due on the 11th too.

Just got mine today! It does have the latest firmware (06-406). So far, it looks great - still playing with it.

-Dave

Mine just arrived at the office. I'm suddenly not feeling so well and may have to go home.......

EDIT - later....

After viewing my favorite episode of Battlestar Galactica from the season 1 DVD and 2 more hours of Deadwood season 3 I am blown away by how much better the 983 is over the 981. Sound and picture are, to me, as if they took the 981 and squared the output quality.

I'm viewing via HDMI to an Oppo switch then to a Panasonic TH-50PZ750U.

Well I'm one of the lucky few down here in New Zealand who has secured a 983H. Only 5 are being released to NZ on the first shipment. I would like some advice on the audio side of things.

My setup is pretty simple, NAD T744 (no HDMI), and only two front speakers and a 42inch Panasonic plasma. For video I will connect directly to the Panny via HDMI from the 983 but I am uncertain what the best option will be for audio.

Any suggestions most welcome.

Unless you are interested in DVD-Audio and SACD, I'd just run a digital audio cable (coaxial or optical) from the 983H to the NAD. If you want DVD-A and SACD, you'll need to connect analog cables and there are some setup options that will need some attention.

One more person expecting on the 11th. It's still a race to see what will arrive first, my newborn or my Oppo 983 (and switch, ordered at the same time). I have to admit, I'm still routing for the newborn. Today would make a nice birthday. LOL But at least if I'm still pregnant Friday night, I know what I'm doing for entertainment. :)

Joy

....my newborn or my Oppo 983 (and switch, ordered at the same time)...

Didn't know you can switch between the two!:D:D

Congratulations (on both - baby and Oppo)!

One more person expecting on the 11th. It's still a race to see what will arrive first, my newborn or my Oppo 983 (and switch, ordered at the same time). I have to admit, I'm still routing for the newborn. Today would make a nice birthday. LOL But at least if I'm still pregnant Friday night, I know what I'm doing for entertainment. :)

Joy


Maybe you could name the baby "Oppo"? :)

Bought mine via the second email offer last week. Confirmed in transit via another email day before yesterday. Unit arrived today. Unmatched packing. Very high quality. Even the provided HDMI cable is quality. At this price point I don't know how they do it. I'm just glad they do. Hooked it up to the Sharp 37D90U HDTV. The factory settings were correct. Only the res' needed to be set to 1080p from the factory 420.
I put in the Lost in Space DVD and sat with a stupid smile on my face for 2 hours. Now watching the 1950's When Worlds Collide. I'm happy.

Thanks Gonk

Guess it's time to start investing in a bit more equipment so that I can take full advantage of what it can offer. I've never heard a SACD but from what I've read the audio is pretty amazing.

Mine is due on the 11th too.
Wow another baby:rolleyes::cool:;):D

Actually, mine arrived early - today. :)

Actually, mine arrived early - today. :)Great, let us know what you think of the Oppo 983H, after spending some time playing with it. :)

Well, I spent a couple of hours with the 983 tonight. I probably spent more of that time comparing it to my 980. Just an FYI, I'm viewing in dark environment with an ISF'd 60" Sony SXRD A3000 at 1080p. I'm sitting about nine feet back or so. I consider myself a pretty decent videophile of sorts. I just want my comments to be viewed within this context.

I made sure both players were calibrated in terms of user settings with Avia and DVE. I pretty much only use Avia for the sharpness pattern. I find the the frequency patterns in addition to the lines beneficial (although the Avia pattern here has a very slight amount of EE built into it, but I don't find that a bad thing actually).

On any rate, these are just preliminary comments and I plan to do much more comparing. One thing I've noticed is that the more you use a player, the more the (subtle) differences appear over time as compared to just doing a simple A/B or going back and forth between each player and looking at a few scenes for a few minutes each.

Looking at a variety of film based DVDs (including Risky Business, Return of the King EE, Star Wars: A New Hope and Revenge of the Sith, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Blues Brothers) I found the 983 slightly better in all areas including: sharpness, detail, color rendition, blacks, and just a bit more cleaner and tighter image. The image looks a bit more natural. However, the differences are not dramatic on film. I didn't bother with video material as I watch so little of it. I will say the 983 is the best DVD player I've ever used and based on sheer memory it seems slightly better than my previous XA2 Reon based unit and doesn't suffer from that ever-so-slight plastic look a few of us have complained about with the Reon.

One thing I want to make clear. Obviously, it depends on many factors such as screen size, seating distance, eyes, etc. but based on MY set-up and eyes there is no way in hell the 983 even approaches the average 720p and 1080i Time Warner cable broadcasts I get --- let alone Blu-ray. In fact, I would say it's really unfair for me to make such a comparison as its really apples vs oranges.

One more thing to mention. I know others mentioned this, but there is a very slight amount more EE built into the 983 compared to the 980. This can be seen on the test patterns, however, I can't say if this affects real life viewing too much as so many DVDs are riddled with EE anyway.

I'll post some follow-up comments over the next several days when I'm able to use the player more.

EDIT: Follow-up comments here (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=13637019#post13637019).

Also received mine today. Was impressed with the packing and also with the fact that OPPO emailed me to notify that the DV-983 was delivered. Tomorrow is my day off and I have a few discs(SACD, DVD-Audio, HDCD and DVD-Video) to try out.
- Esau

I know others mentioned this, but there is a very slight amount more EE built into the 983 compared to the 980. This can be seen on the test patterns, however, I can't say if this affects real life viewing too much as so many DVDs are riddled with EE anyway. Don't forget to try the "-1" and "-2" sharpness settings. They make a significant difference. I think "-1" seems to be the best compromise for real-world viewing.

Gary

Well I'm one of the lucky few down here in New Zealand who has secured a 983H. Only 5 are being released to NZ on the first shipment. I would like some advice on the audio side of things.

My setup is pretty simple, NAD T744 (no HDMI), and only two front speakers and a 42inch Panasonic plasma. For video I will connect directly to the Panny via HDMI from the 983 but I am uncertain what the best option will be for audio.

Any suggestions most welcome.

You can check out my mini review on audio setting for 2 channel analog listening. :)

Just in case any of you have not browsed the "News and Reviews" section at OPPO Digital yet, check it out... http://www.oppodigital.com/press/reviews.asp. Very impressive.

Gary

Don't forget to try the "-1" and "-2" sharpness settings. They make a significant difference. I think "-1" seems to be the best compromise for real-world viewing.

Gary

I've been using -1 and I agree it seems best.

I'm really happy with my 983H, running with my Optoma HD7100 DLP projector (720p); the HD7100 has DVI with HDCP, so I run the Oppo through an adaptor cable. It works great...

...except yesterday, for the first time, I tried to adjust the Oppo's Hue control (kind of a crummy DVD). The Hue adjustment is disabled in the projector when you use DVI, but I was happy that the Oppo had this control. Unfortunately, adjusting the Hue in the Oppo made absolutely no difference to my picture, and I discovered that this is definitely the case when I tried my Avia disc. (All the other controls in the Oppo work great.) Any idea what the problem is? Is it something to do with running the Oppo into DVI rather than HDMI? Thankfully, the hue normally looks great set at "0," but I would like to have the option to adjust if need be. Insights?? Do you think my Oppo's defective?--or is it a compatibility issue? (I hate to swap out the Oppo--I've been really, really happy with it--this is absolutely the first lack I've discovered.)

I've sent a question to Oppo's customer service too, but I think people in this forum might have even better ideas.

Thanks!

I've uncovered a minor (yet annoying) issue. I'm using a RF universal remote with a IR blaster, about 5ft away, to control all the AV equipment.

It appears the Oppo's IR receiver is easily overloaded, as I can't get reliable operation with the blaster. If I set the universal remote for IR instead of RF, it works great. I've tried placing the blaster further away - that also seems to help, but then the other equipment does not respond.

Is there some kind of filter I can put in front of the Oppo's detector to attenuate the IR signal?

-Dave

I've uncovered a minor (yet annoying) issue. I'm using a RF universal remote with a IR blaster, about 5ft away, to control all the AV equipment.

It appears the Oppo's IR receiver is easily overloaded, as I can't get reliable operation with the blaster. If I set the universal remote for IR instead of RF, it works great. I've tried placing the blaster further away - that also seems to help, but then the other equipment does not respond.

Is there some kind of filter I can put in front of the Oppo's detector to attenuate the IR signal?

-Dave

Try cutting a little piece of paper masking tape, you know the inexpensive beige stuff, and putting it between the receiver and emitter.

I know, I thought it sounded like a rinky dink fix too but it worked great on my boxes with a repeater.

The Hue adjustment is disabled in the projector when you use DVI, but I was happy that the Oppo had this control.

HUE only works for the analog outputs. And even then, the controls are too rough to be of any use to the end user.

Got my 983 yesterday and had fun trying it out.

I watched Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (uncut version), a non-anamorphic disc which suffers from ICP (interlaced chroma problem). The 983's zoom mode worked great on it, and the auto CUE correction setting perfectly detected and eliminated the ICP.

On the downside, I was not happy to discover how the 983 handles subtitles when zooming non-anamorphic discs. It generates the subtitles first, then zooms, so if the subtitles are below the area that gets zoomed, they get cut off. That is exactly what happens in the Star Wars theatrical versions, which use player-generated subtitles for alien dialog (Greedo in the cantina, Jabba in Return of the Jedi).

Zooming is done through the ABT, which is post decoding and subtitle muxing. In the Beta phase of the player they had adjustable subtitle support, but it didn't work well, so it was scrapped from all current firmware designs.

Heard from FedEx that my 983 is waiting at home to be installed, so a question about connections. I'll be connecting the 983 to a Denon AVS-2807; my question is for audio fidelity, should there be any difference between HDMI and analogue connections? I know that I could hook up both ways and listen for any differences, but with my setup it is a huge pain in the neck for me to access the analogue inputs on the 2807; I would have to disconnect the entire unit which I would like to avoid.

From a "theoretical" perspective, would anyone expect there to be a difference? I listen to mostly CD's, but also have a few SACD's and DVD-A's.

Sure. Using analog, the signals are decoded and converted to analog in the player. Then, the AVR has limited ability to process the signals and cannot apply room EQ. If the AVR does redigitize the signals so that one can use the room EQ, then the burden of redundant conversions is incurred. Stick with HDMI.

Just what I was looking for, thanks for the response

Zooming is done through the ABT, which is post decoding and subtitle muxing. In the Beta phase of the player they had adjustable subtitle support, but it didn't work well, so it was scrapped from all current firmware designs.
Do you know if there's any chance they will revisit this in the future?

Do you know if there's any chance they will revisit this in the future?

They said they would research it, but made no promises. The Constant Image Height people need it also.

If it is an important feature for you, you should contact Oppo and cast your vote.

As Neuromancer said, subtitles come from the Mediatek decoder stage, early in the process.

-Bill

One more thing to mention. I know others mentioned this, but there is a very slight amount more EE built into the 983 compared to the 980. This can be seen on the test patterns, however, I can't say if this affects real life viewing too much as so many DVDs are riddled with EE anyway.

Don't forget to try the "-1" and "-2" sharpness settings. They make a significant difference. I think "-1" seems to be the best compromise for real-world viewing.

I've been using -1 and I agree it seems best.
I also agree. From looking at DVE's resolution pattern, setting sharpness to -1 seems to bring my 983's output more in line with my 971 and PS3. I think I'll be sticking to -1 from now on.

They said they would research it, but made no promises. The Constant Image Height people need it also.

If it is an important feature for you, you should contact Oppo and cast your vote.

As Neuromancer said, subtitles come from the Mediatek decoder stage, early in the process.
Thank you. I'll be sure to send them an e-mail.

I have a great picture with my 983, however I'm getting some random horizontal lines under subtitles. I tried setting the Y/C setting +2 and seems to have helped, but not sure this is what I should do. I think I need to run the test disc that came with player and see if I can figure out what to do. I have to use subtitles because of my lack of hearing. Anyone got a clue!

I received my 983 yesterday and hooked it up this morning. My thanks to Gonk for the helpful notes in his review regarding setup. I had a brief cable glitch that probably had to do with my SonySTRDA5300ES receiver(the connection would intermittently cut out when connecting the OPPO-supplied cable to HDMI IN 1 but the problem was resolved as soon as I plugged the same cable into the receiver's HDMI IN 2). The picture is clearly improved compared to my Panasonic DMR ES40V DVD recorder/VCR recorder(which does it's own interlacing, not up to Anchor Bay's standard). Of course, there is no comparison to Blu Ray(nor would I ever expect it to be comparable to Blu Ray).

What I wasn't prepared for was the marked improvement in the sound quality. The Panasonic doesn't have a speaker setup menu, though I would have expected that to have more of an effect on DVD-Audio and SACD's. Nonetheless, the improvement in the bass output and quality was quite impressive.

Speaking of multi-channel audio, this was my first in-home exposure to DVD-Audio and SACD. The Who's "Tommy"(DVD-Audio) and Peter Gabriel's "So"(SACD) both made for incredible listening experiences. I prefer the music in "Tommy," but the sound quality of "So" (with music not to everyone's taste)was just as amazing. I also listened to Joni Mitchell's HDCD of "Court and Spark." I couldn't honestly compare the HDCD versus the CD sound during my brief listening session since my CD player is a Rega Saturn which is of higher quality (and costs more) than anything else in my HT system(well, it's about equal in price to my 40 inch Sony Bravia XBR5).

I should also point out that the sound via HDMI 1.3a versus multichannel analog was not significant during my early and admittedly quite limited listening session.

All in all, based on initial impressions, I was more than happy with the 983. Given the improvement in picture quality(even with my 40 inch Sony) plus the addition of DVD-Audio, SACD and HDCD capability, it was clearly right up my alley. It did leave me wondering if OPPO will choose to go with the Anchor Bay deinterlacing and upconversion systems when they inevitably come out with a Blu Ray player. I would vote in favor of that choice if they can do it at a competitive price point. Since OPPO reads this forum, I would also take a page from Sony Playstation 3's book by also voting in favor of including a wireless connection and maybe even a hard drive in the OPPO Blu Ray(again, if they can do it at a reasonable price point - I don't expect them to come out with a loss leader product like the PS3). Even with those upgrades, though, a flagship OPPO Blu Ray player could still be brought to the market at a lower price point than some of Denon's offerings.

Well, enough rambling for now. It's time to load in my Super Bit DVD of "The Fifth Element."
- Esau

However, the differences are not dramatic on film. I didn't bother with video material as I watch so little of it.

Thanks for all your comments regarding the 983 vs. 980, David. If it's not too much trouble, please let us know what you think about the differences on video material. Neuromancer pointed out earlier in this thread that the higher improvements would be observed on animation and video-based material.

Regards,

Fernando

voting in favor of including a wireless connection
Really. Really. Bad. Idea.

You want your neighbor's kid hacking into your DVD player to see what you're watching?

Can you say, Marketing nightmare?

Ethernet port, sure. Run cat 5e patch cord between wireless router and player if you must. But wifi in the player, that's a deal killer for me.

Really. Really. Bad. Idea.

You want your neighbor's kid hacking into your DVD player to see what you're watching?

Can you say, Marketing nightmare?

Ethernet port, sure. Run cat 5e patch cord between wireless router and player if you must. But wifi in the player, that's a deal killer for me.

LOL, you must watch a lot of porn... :D

Can you say, Marketing nightmare?

It is more of a technical nightmare. Even an ethernet connection can cause major havoc with people not assigning ports or IP addresses. It is a pain in the ass trying to help people set up their DNS correctly for media devices.

Thanks for all your comments regarding the 983 vs. 980, David. If it's not too much trouble, please let us know what you think about the differences on video material. Neuromancer pointed out earlier in this thread that the higher improvements would be observed on animation and video-based material.

Regards,

Fernando

I'll try to post some video-based material feedback this weekend. I also have some follow-up comments on some more film-based comparisons I want to post.

Try cutting a little piece of paper masking tape, you know the inexpensive beige stuff, and putting it between the receiver and emitter.

I know, I thought it sounded like a rinky dink fix too but it worked great on my boxes with a repeater.

Just wanted you to know - the idea worked like a champ! But - it took 4 layers of masking tape for it to just to start to work ok.

So, I took black electrical tape and cut a small slit in it. Works like a charm, and the black tape matches up enough with the black 983 such that it's not too obvious.

-Dave

Just wanted you to know - the idea worked like a champ! But - it took 4 layers of masking tape for it to just to start to work ok.

So, I took black electrical tape and cut a small slit in it. Works like a charm, and the black tape matches up enough with the black 983 such that it's not too obvious.

-Dave

Also the electrical tape will come off easily if you ever want it to (if you sell the player for example) whereas the masking tape just gets a firmer and firmer grip the longer you leave it until eventually it's a real pig to remove, if it's possible at all. IME of course - YMMV.

Keith

I have a great picture with my 983, however I'm getting some random horizontal lines under subtitles. I tried setting the Y/C setting +2 and seems to have helped, but not sure this is what I should do. I think I need to run the test disc that came with player and see if I can figure out what to do. I have to use subtitles because of my lack of hearing. Anyone got a clue!

Y/C is probably not the adjustment to change for this. It controls the synchronization of the color and b&w video and will degrade image quality if not set correctly. Calibration discs have Y/C test patterns.

Are you seeing subtitle lines frequently? I use subtitles also and from time to time see lines, combing and breakup of the text, but it has been the same for many different players. The mechanism of authoring subtitles on DVD is a bit quirky and I think not entirely robust.

-Bill

Taylor26, I appreciate your concern but we can, of course, respectfully disagree with each other. We're talking about a DVD player that remembers the last 5 discs that you played. No one would(or could) use this device to make credit card purchases over the internet. Anyway, based on Neuromancer's comments, it looks unlikely that there will be ethernet or wireless connectivity in any future OPPO BR player.
- Esau

I've owned far too many DVD players and was never 100% satisfied with any of them for whatever reasons. Three of those were expensive Denons, two of which failed shortly after installation, while the other was the infamous 5900 with it's unacceptable macroblocking (fortunately I got my money back on all three of those pigs). Up to this point my favorite player was a Pioneer unit which I should have never sold. But, all that aside, the 983 looks to be the end of my quest for a DVD player. The PQ is terrific and so is usability. It's amazing how a $400 unit can deliver top shelf PQ which equals or exceeds any Denon sDVD PQ yet gets so many little things right (like remembering where the last 5 disks were stopped, bookmarks, single button subtitles, personalized screensaver, etc). I wanted Blu Ray with decent/great deinterlacing for sDVD but when the Denon 3800 crapped out halfway thru the first movie I vowed to never again consider anything Denon. I may consider the forthcoming Pioneer BD player but what is now apparent is that I need to wait for an Oppo entry. If they can do DVD this well then they can surely excel with Blu Ray too. Oppo I hope you're already into the design phase of what I'm sure would be a killer BD player!! I'm a sale waiting to happen. :)

Well, my 30day re-turn option has just expired!!
So what- i ain't giving it back! For the last 30 days i have viewed about 12 full movies and peeked at another dozen just to see how they looked. 70 hours(who counts) of music- some times loud. I couldn't be happier. The wife stated after about the 3 movie, the PQ has vastly improved and we could hear the voice and sound effects more accurately (i have always calibrated my gear). very happy. I passed the WAF with flying colors....
** also, i haven't had any drop out or disk issue- but i just play standard DVD, and SACD/dvd-a

Can I use hdmi for the video and an optical cable for the audio? (I have an older tuner with no hdmi ports) Would there be any issues with this hookup, like you see mouths moving before the sounds hits you, like a bit of a lag, or anything like that? Sorry if this is a dumb question.

Just wanted you to know - the idea worked like a champ! But - it took 4 layers of masking tape for it to just to start to work ok.

So, I took black electrical tape and cut a small slit in it. Works like a charm, and the black tape matches up enough with the black 983 such that it's not too obvious.

-Dave

Sorry, I had forgotten and should have mentioned that I had played with the number of layers to get the best result. Glad you thought of it and it worked.

Can I use hdmi for the video and an optical cable for the audio? (I have an older tuner with no hdmi ports) Would there be any issues with this hookup, like you see mouths moving before the sounds hits you, like a bit of a lag, or anything like that? Sorry if this is a dumb question.


Shouldn't be an issue at all to have HDMI to TV for video only and either Toslink or Coax digital audio to AVR for sound! That's exactly they way I have it setup.

This player seems to have a much more accurate audio/video sync than my old model, but that's not saying much. I've actually had to adapt to seeing it more in sync. The audio delay setting (for fixing A/V sync) in the 983's setup does _not_ affect digital audio output (only analog).

So short answers:

Yes it'll work great
It'll depend on your equipment (If TV rescales the image, AVR has a delay setting wrong/if an option), I'm happy with it on mine.

PS Just realized you were thinking A/V sync issues with different connection paths. never though of that but I do not believe that's where any "out of sync" can/will happen. I always thought (slightly educated guess) that it was an internal DVD player thing, not at all related to connection options or as mentioned the TV rescaling and AVR being wierd.

Anyway, based on Neuromancer's comments, it looks unlikely that there will be ethernet or wireless connectivity in any future OPPO BR player.

No, they will need to have Eternet on the back of a BD player for the simple reason that profile 1.2 and 2.0 require this for BD Live functionality.

What becomes an issue is if OPPO will allow for other interactions with the player, and say, a PC for streaming video and audio.

Shouldn't be an issue at all to have HDMI to TV for video only and either Toslink or Coax digital audio to AVR for sound! That's exactly they way I have it setup.

This player seems to have a much more accurate audio/video sync than my old model, but that's not saying much. I've actually had to adapt to seeing it more in sync. The audio delay setting (for fixing A/V sync) in the 983's setup does _not_ affect digital audio output (only analog).

So short answers:

Yes it'll work great
It'll depend on your equipment (If TV rescales the image, AVR has a delay setting wrong/if an option), I'm happy with it on mine.

PS Just realized you were thinking A/V sync issues with different connection paths. never though of that but I do not believe that's where any "out of sync" can/will happen. I always thought (slightly educated guess) that it was an internal DVD player thing, not at all related to connection options or as mentioned the TV rescaling and AVR being wierd.


Wow, thanks for that detailed answer. Nice to know that it should work out the way I want it. I appreciate the info.

I've owned far too many DVD players and was never 100% satisfied with any of them for whatever reasons. Three of those were expensive Denons, two of which failed shortly after installation, while the other was the infamous 5900 with it's unacceptable macroblocking (fortunately I got my money back on all three of those pigs). Up to this point my favorite player was a Pioneer unit which I should have never sold. But, all that aside, the 983 looks to be the end of my quest for a DVD player. The PQ is terrific and so is usability. It's amazing how a $400 unit can deliver top shelf PQ which equals or exceeds any Denon sDVD PQ yet gets so many little things right (like remembering where the last 5 disks were stopped, bookmarks, single button subtitles, personalized screensaver, etc). I wanted Blu Ray with decent/great deinterlacing for sDVD but when the Denon 3800 crapped out halfway thru the first movie I vowed to never again consider anything Denon. I may consider the forthcoming Pioneer BD player but what is now apparent is that I need to wait for an Oppo entry. If they can do DVD this well then they can surely excel with Blu Ray too. Oppo I hope you're already into the design phase of what I'm sure would be a killer BD player!! I'm a sale waiting to happen. :) A good reference for those who are curious about how well the OPPO stacks up against the big boys! Thanks for posting.

Gary

Very happy. I passed the WAF with flying colors.... Congratulations! Passing the WAF is crucial!

Gary

...All in all, based on initial impressions, I was more than happy with the 983. Given the improvement in picture quality (even with my 40 inch Sony) plus the addition of DVD-Audio, SACD and HDCD capability, it was clearly right up my alley...

Well, enough rambling for now. It's time to load in my Super Bit DVD of "The Fifth Element."
- Esau Good show! You'll be seeing Milla like never before!

Gary

I have a great picture with my 983, however I'm getting some random horizontal lines under subtitles.

This is likely a MTK decoder issue. I have seen this error, especially on yellow subtitles, ever since the OPDV971H. It is very random and will usually happen once per movie that features subtitles.

I have a great picture with my 983, however I'm getting some random horizontal lines under subtitles. I tried setting the Y/C setting +2 and seems to have helped, but not sure this is what I should do. I think I need to run the test disc that came with player and see if I can figure out what to do. I have to use subtitles because of my lack of hearing. Anyone got a clue! Unfortunately, the occasional breakup of subtitles seems to be unavoidable. It has nothing to do with Y/C delay, or any other player settings. Its a random occurrence on many players, originating in the MPEG decoder chip, that we just have to live with.

Aaargh! Flash Gordon with his 4000 posts, just beat me to it again!!!

Gary

Can I use hdmi for the video and an optical cable for the audio? (I have an older tuner with no hdmi ports) Would there be any issues with this hookup, like you see mouths moving before the sounds hits you, like a bit of a lag, or anything like that? Sorry if this is a dumb question.

I have a similar setup, 983 digital coaxial audio to old htib receiver with no delay settings...and hdmi to xbr4 for video. The maximum player delay (100 ms, must set output to pcm) was not enough for me. I just got a felston 740 and am now using about 150-175 ms of delay to fix lipsyncing, (before the sound was ahead of the video). Just my two cents.

No, they will need to have Eternet on the back of a BD player for the simple reason that profile 1.2 and 2.0 require this for BD Live functionality.

What becomes an issue is if OPPO will allow for other interactions with the player, and say, a PC for streaming video and audio.

Neuromancer, thanks for the clarification on ethernet. Per the manual, the 983allows for hard disk connections via USB, though it will not interface with a PC. It also works with Windows Media Player. Like you said previously, however, it's a real question as to whether or not OPPO wants to push the envelope with connectivity and risk ending up having to devote a lot more energy to the technical support side of things.
- Esau

Just wondering if I would notice much of an improvement in video & audio if I upgraded to the OPPO, have an extensive DVD, DVD audio & SACD collections, use Sony 46 XBR3 and Denon 2807 with Mirage 6.1 speaker set-up

Just wondering if I would notice much of an improvement in video & audio if I upgraded to the OPPO, have an extensive DVD, DVD audio & SACD collections, use Sony 46 XBR3 and Denon 2807 with Mirage 6.1 speaker set-up

Here's Kris Deering's comments about the 983 in his Secrets Review as compared with Denon players. http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/cd-dvd-player-product-reviews/dvd-players/oppo-digital-dv-983h-dvd-player---a-secrets-dvd-benchmark-review.html

As far as video processing goes, this player is nearly without equal. The ABT-102 solution, combined with the custom Mediatek decoder gives the 983H a level of performance that we’ve only seen from designs costing a lot more than the 983H. We’ve seen this level of de-interlacing before from some Denon DVD player offerings, but we were a bit disappointed with their decoder performance. Not the case here. The 983 passed every test we threw at it (and a few more that aren’t part of our Benchmark) with flying colors. The 983 offers a few different video modes, but the “Auto” option breezed through our tests with no issues at all and gets our nod as the recommended setting.

The core video performance was superb. The player isn’t clipping any of the active image, retains the full dynamic range, and doesn’t show any signs of CUE. It even has a CUE filter that can be toggled on and off for 4:2:0 material.

Dana

Shoot!!!! No arrivals of any kind today. FedEx's system just shows the delivery pushed back until tomorrow. And I sat around all day today. *grumble grumble* It's not even in Massachusetts yet, just in CT. And this baby is staying put too. I guess no fun for me tonight.

Joy

I did the e-mail reserve & was told they were in stock & purchased one. (last week) yesterday I get a FedEx e-mail that it has been shipped & will arrive on the 11th...

Yes, I received the same email and the same ETA. This was confirmed by FedEx's site last week. However, checking FedEx's site today - April 11th - and I see NO ETA. It has not reached the depot here because there is no arrival scan. Man, I sure hope my unit didn't get hi-jacked or sumpin'...

Has anyone gotten their unit today?

-RW-

FedEx does not do phantom scans. So you will see a new update once it arrives near a local depot or sorting station.

My unit arrived at the depot this PM not at my house as promised by FedEx. The truck from Sacramento must have participated in one of those trucker strikes.

Got home at 4:00
FedEx was here at 2:30
Lady at FedEx said they will be out tomorrow about same time.
?What should I watch first?

I'll try to post some video-based material feedback this weekend. I also have some follow-up comments on some more film-based comparisons I want to post.

Thanks for your attention, David.

Fernando

My unit arrived at the depot this PM not at my house as promised by FedEx. The truck from Sacramento must have participated in one of those trucker strikes.

Hey BigMouth! Looks like you and I are both waiting on 983s sitting up in Hagerstown. I'm in Bethesda, I guess they'll deliver tomorrow (Sat.) - that's one of the cool things about FedEx Ground.

Oh well, and extra day's wait isn't gonna kill me...

-RW-

?What should I watch first? Well, the first thing you should watch is a calibration DVD, to set up the display correctly. Then take out your favorite movie. The Superbit edition of "The Fifth Element" is awesome if you have it. But if you really want to test the superiority of the player, throw something more challenging at it, like a European PAL DVD (of course you will need to make the player region-free first). This player will also make your DVD "Special Features" look as good as it is possible to make them look (the bad video-to-film edits and other artifacts can make them look quite hideous on less capable players).

Gary

The player arrived & I had a short time to hook it up & watch Stargate (the movie) Looked good, but needs some tweaking, as it is in default mode. Running Coax for sound and HDMI for video. I seen some noise on a still picture in video 1 mode & noise reducer off. I guess i will have to look at what some others have done as i am not real up on tweaking. I do have an older Avia disc, and i will look at this one that came with the player. What do you think of this disc?

What should I watch first?

Has someone tested SuperSpeedway DVD with 983 ?

SuperSpeedway has high speed takes and should demonstrate the capabilities of 983.

Comments ?

My player is "out for delivery," so it looks like the 983 is going to beat the baby here after all. Hope FedEx comes this morning! My 2.5 year old daughter naps at 1:30. I want to set it up and enjoy it then. We plan to do some 983 Denon 5900 A/B tests and will report in.

A sight for sore eyes, w00t!!:

Apr 12, 2008 7:15 AM On FedEx vehicle for delivery BELTSVILLE, MD

-RW-

Unfortunately, the occasional breakup of subtitles seems to be unavoidable. It has nothing to do with Y/C delay, or any other player settings. Its a random occurrence on many players, originating in the MPEG decoder chip, that we just have to live with.

Aaargh! Flash Gordon with his 4000 posts, just beat me to it again!!!

Gary
I should have known this because my old 971 was much worse for subtitle combing. I have found that some discs are not as bad as others, must be a lot to do with how subtitles are authored. It's to bad they can't make an upgrade of some kind to allow better quality subtitles on standard DVD. I'm sure most of you don't use them, however they are a must for me. This is another reason BD and HD_DVD is so appealing for me, the subtitles are perfectly clear and sharp and most of the time smaller which I think is better and almost all standard DVD are so large to start with it must ad to the problem of combing.

Recieved the Oppo Thurs hooked it up last night. I have pre pro without HDMI so I ran HDMI cable directly to monitor and used the Analog connectors for 5.1 surround. I will make change once I get new pre.

When setting up the speakers is it better to set the speakers to large or small? I was thinking large and then make adjustments through processor. Any pros/cons on this setup. Whats up with the power cord? Its a little short isnt it?

Yes slybasil... speakers should be set to large and downmix to 5.1.

Maybe this has been answered already so I apologize in advance. Does anyone know when the 983 will be available at Amazon.com and more readily available by Oppo themselves?

Maybe this has been answered already so I apologize in advance. Does anyone know when the 983 will be available at Amazon.com and more readily available by Oppo themselves?Not knowing the production volume of the Oppo 983H, I imagine it will be quite awhile as Oppo seems to be sold out of each weekly allotment they receive. Must be really tough to sell a Oppo 983H these days! :D

Best guess two months from now.

Hey, Just a few first thoughts....We are very impressed!!! We've only looked at a few quick scenes so far, but a quick look at Fellowship shows less noise, better contrast and amazing color saturation as compared to our Denon 5900 (which we shelled out $2k for new...yes we are those kind of a$$holes ;) ). The layer change on Good Will Hunting (our oldest DVD with a layer change known to foul up some players) was flawless. We haven't even hooked up the sound yet. I will report in with a lot more details later. Haivng fun for the few minutes we've owned it.

Joy

I listened to some music today with the OPPO. Some Jazz, vocal and instrumental, new age, and rock. I hooked it up analog ( some Kimber select 1010's I had laying around) to check it out between my Bryston SP2 Pre amp, and in by-pass mode so you only hear the OPPO's processing. At first it sounded restrained and crappy! Like just a single tweeter. I thought, What the h*ll did I buy? Then after some deeper investigation, I found that my grand daughter ( 3 yrs. old) had the separation knob all the way to the left, and digging some more, I found she had jerked on the speaker wire ( bi-wired) and had pulled one lead out. So, I was only hearing the tweeter! So, after fixing that, I set it up as the menu recommended. The Bryston sounds better to me on stereo, but I was impressed with the 983's sound quality. It beat the pants off my older Denon 3910. So, I will probably switch back & forth from time to time and see if the OPPO has to break in some. I was going to buy a separate CD player, but not now. For the little I paid for this OPPO, it is a keeper. ( btw, for the price of the Denon, I could have bought 3 1/2 OPPO's. Live & learn!)

I bought the used $700 denon 5900 at a local store in Boston 3 monthes ago, and just returned it. still waiting for my 983h..:{

I really want to see ,,, 3930ci vs 983H..

Well for the last 45 minutes I've been attempting to get my new 983 to work.

I pulled my old 971 out of my rack and hooked it up.

First off the remote appears to be DOA.
As for the player when I turn the unit on I get the start up earth orbit view just fine. Then my projector goes into a dance of resolutions looking to sync up with player. So far pushing the few buttons on the front of the unit specifically the HDMI button doesn't solve anything.

I'm running a 720P projector.

Not a happy camper.

I'm going to try switching the hdmi cable.

Update, I'm able to get a few buttons on the 971 remote to do things on the 983.
Like on/off.

Cable swap , no change. basically all is fine for 5 seconds then it goes bonkers.

Is this a handshake issue of some kind?

Running an Optoma H79. Haven't had any problems with HDCP issues to date including the DirecTV HR21

Well for the last 45 minutes I've been attempting to get my new 983 to work.

Sounds like no HDCP. Is this a DVI projector? What model?

-Bill

Running an Optoma H79. Haven't had any problems with HDCP issues to date including the DirecTV Hr21

Yes it is a DVI input HDCP compliant projector.

My Basement -warning progress is slow Loganed 4/2/08

:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:
!!!NICE!!!

Smarty , thanks

Update after a couple of hours of fiddling.

OK, I've definitely got some kind of HDMI handshake issue as I was able to coax the unit to display an image with a component cable.

Remote is still flaky. Some buttons work but the OFF and Eject buttons don't, go figure. And yes the disk was stopped.

So far I'm on a bumpy road with this player.

I wonder if it may be a bad HDMI card? Something is amiss. The H79 is a new enough pj that you shouldn't have this problem.
Is there some type of DVI setting in the H79 menus? Are you going directly to the pj from the 983 (for testing purposes right now)?

Well for the last 45 minutes I've been attempting to get my new 983 to work.

I pulled my old 971 out of my rack and hooked it up.

First off the remote appears to be DOA.
As for the player when I turn the unit on I get the start up earth orbit view just fine. Then my projector goes into a dance of resolutions looking to sync up with player. So far pushing the few buttons on the front of the unit specifically the HDMI button doesn't solve anything.

I'm running a 720P projector.

Not a happy camper.

I'm going to try switching the hdmi cable.

Update, I'm able to get a few buttons on the 971 remote to do things on the 983.
Like on/off.

Cable swap , no change. basically all is fine for 5 seconds then it goes bonkers.

Is this a handshake issue of some kind?

Running an Optoma H79. Haven't had any problems with HDCP issues to date including the DirecTV HR21


My remote does not work as good as the 981 remote. I checked the batterys & they are good. It just don't work as well as the older ones & the 981 works this player very good. I wonder if it is just a crappy remote? It does look different that the older ones.??????? ( button placement etc.)

I've been playing quite a bit more with 983 today - now that I have some time - and the thing continues to impress: I watch a lot of highish-bitrate Xvid MotoGP practices, qualifyings, and races ripped from British Eurosport because Speed's domestic coverage is spotty to non-existent. After watching today's quali from Estoril I can say that the high speed shots are rendered just beautifully and exhibit none of the macroblocking and far less aliasing than the 981 did. The kerbing, which at Estoril are alternating blue and white squares, also flow far better and with less angularity than with the previous player. I also fiddled a bit with the sharpness control that was mentioned earlier and agree that the -1 setting appears to be the best.

One aspect of the player I could use some input on is the USB function. I copied yesterday's 2nd practice onto a 4gb SanDisk thumbdrive and plugged it in for playback. I had 2 10-second pauses (both audio and video froze, 1.1gb file) over the course of 1 hour 20 minute's playback at more or less even intervals. There were no other files on the drive. My guess is that the pauses are indicative of re-buffering. I'll readily admit that the drive I used is nowhere near the quickest on the market and I played back the same file burned to disc and witnessed no pauses.

What I am wondering is is the port full-speed USB 2.0, and would an investment in a quicker thumb drive make any difference? It seems wasteful to burn so many discs but those pauses were hugely annoying. If the answer is yes brand references will be greatly appreciated.

I wonder if it may be a bad HDMI card? Something is amiss. The H79 is a new enough pj that you shouldn't have this problem.
Is there some type of DVI setting in the H79 menus? Are you going directly to the pj from the 983 (for testing purposes right now)?

I'm going to bypass all my other crap and test a direct to projector setup. But keep in mind that I've been using a DirecTV HR21 which is pretty sensitive to HDMI HDCP issues.

I have a 4:1 geffen dvi HDCP complaint switcher and a Dtrovision DVI hdcp compliant 1:2 distribution amp.

The displays are the Optoma H79 and a Westinghouse 1080P LCD.

First off the remote appears to be DOA.

Remove the batteries from the remote control:

1. Press and hold the Power button on the remote control for 3 seconds. Release.
2. Press and hold the Eject button on the remote control for 3 seconds. Release.
3. Repeat until all the buttons on the remote control have been pressed and held, individually, for 3 seconds each.
4. Replace the batteries with new ones.

If the remote still does not work, have OPPO replace it.
Update, I'm able to get a few buttons on the 971 remote to do things on the 983.

All of the buttons on the OPDV971H remote will control the DV-983H. DVI will change your output resolution, for example. You can use your OPDV971H in the interim to set up your player.
Running an Optoma H79. Haven't had any problems with HDCP issues to date including the DirecTV HR21
I am running the DV-983H through an Optima HD78 DVI projector with a 25' cable run. I go through a VP50, but I have also direct connected to the projector without any problems.

Set up my 983 and 3 way switch this afternoon. Couldn't get setup to work at first,
didn't know if it was the switch or what. Unplugged unit and when it came back on - everything seemed to work. Did setup and put in supplied disk. What is it supposed
to do? Also what is best audio output settings for SACD?

One step forward. I turned my LCD off and was able to get the 983 to work through the gefen switch and the dtrovision distribution amp rendering a gorgeous picture on my Optoma H79.

So then to determine if it was the fact that that I had two displays or the fact it didn't want to talk to the LCD I powered off the Projector and tried the Westinghouse LVM -37w1 by it's self. BINGO

I get a momentary flash of the image and then it looses signal.

So basically the 983 is not playing well with the Westinghouse LVM-37w1 1080P display.

I'll fiddle with that tomorrow.

One step forward. I turned my LCD off and was able to get the 983 to work through the gefen switch and the dtrovision distribution amp rendering a gorgeous picture on my Optoma H79.

So then to determine if it was the fact that that I had two displays or the fact it didn't want to talk to the LCD I powered off the Projector and tried the Westinghouse LVM -37w1 by it's self. BINGO

I get a momentary flash of the image and then it looses signal.

So basically the 983 is not playing well with the Westinghouse LVM-37w1 1080P display.

I'll fiddle with that tomorrow.

Some progress... good to hear :). That means your 983 is not a bad unit, more than likely.
What about the remote? Is that working ok for you yet?

Did setup and put in supplied disk. What is it supposed to do?

Basically the disc has some test patterns on it that allow you to see how well the de-interlacing and scaling characteristics of the ABT solution stacks up to your previous DVD player/scaler solution.

Also what is best audio output settings for SACD?

I use HDMI to keep everything in the digital domain.

My remote does not work as good as the 981 remote. I checked the batterys & they are good. It just don't work as well as the older ones & the 981 works this player very good. I wonder if it is just a crappy remote? It does look different that the older ones.??????? ( button placement etc.) The 983 remote should work just as well as the 981 remote. Make sure nothing is blocking your line-of-site to the player's sensor. Also try Neuromancer's suggestion above.

Gary

One aspect of the player I could use some input on is the USB function. I copied yesterday's 2nd practice onto a 4gb SanDisk thumbdrive and plugged it in for playback. I had 2 10-second pauses (both audio and video froze, 1.1gb file) over the course of 1 hour 20 minute's playback at more or less even intervals. There were no other files on the drive. My guess is that the pauses are indicative of re-buffering. I'll readily admit that the drive I used is nowhere near the quickest on the market and I played back the same file burned to disc and witnessed no pauses.

What I am wondering is is the port full-speed USB 2.0, and would an investment in a quicker thumb drive make any difference? It seems wasteful to burn so many discs but those pauses were hugely annoying. If the answer is yes brand references will be greatly appreciated. The USB port is plenty fast enough. The flash drive's read speed is the limiting factor. I can play high bit-rate movies with DTS soundtracks from uncompressed VOB files, stored on a USB hard drive, without a single glitch.

Gary

...
So basically the 983 is not playing well with the Westinghouse LVM-37w1 1080P display.

I'll fiddle with that tomorrow.

Hope it goes well. I have my 983 sending 1080p over HDMI through a Panasonic XR700 2:1 HDMI switching video pass-through receiver to my Westy LVM-47w1. Works great!

Dana

Remove the batteries from the remote control:

1. Press and hold the Power button on the remote control for 3 seconds. Release.
2. Press and hold the Eject button on the remote control for 3 seconds. Release.
3. Repeat until all the buttons on the remote control have been pressed and held, individually, for 3 seconds each.
4. Replace the batteries with new ones.

If the remote still does not work, have OPPO replace it.

All of the buttons on the OPDV971H remote will control the DV-983H. DVI will change your output resolution, for example. You can use your OPDV971H in the interim to set up your player.
...

Good Murphy's Law info here. May I suggest you add this guidance to the first page? It will soon get passed by here as the thread page count rises.

Dana

Thanks, I'll try the remote button thing today. I did spend a couple hours with the Universal 950 programing it for everything. The remote did not have the new OPPO in the liberary, but did have the older ones. It took some fideling (first time to program this remote) to geteverything customized, but with some help from a buddy that is a programer, it is up & working. Next, the Avia disc. Should I by pass the controls on the player (all set to 0) and set up the display instead of the OPPO ?????

Should I by pass the controls on the player (all set to 0) and set up the display instead of the OPPO ?????

Yes, adjust the display rather than the player.

-Bill

Thanks.... ;)

Update:

Remote still not 100% after the finger exercise.

Hooking the 983 directly to my Westy LVM-37w1 resulted in success so it boils down to the 983 not liking my switch/distribution amp arrangement. The distribution amp has a a strange dip switch arrangement and the manual is not very clear but it has to do with the hdcp and designating one of the displays as the primary. Since the current setting is the only one that the Directv box likes I think I'm stuck.

guess I need to try this baby when it comes out:

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=101&cp_id=10110&cs_id=1011002&p_id=3728&seq=1&format=2

...or even something like this BIGmouthinDC...
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=101&cp_id=10113&cs_id=1011303&p_id=2523&seq=1&format=2
Might work, might not... a cheap experiment though.

Might work, might not... a cheap experiment though.

when i read the fine print is says ...."Unfortunately, due to the current state of the technology, results using HDMI and/or DVI splitters can be mixed. Especially passive splitters which reply on the individual devices ability to negotiate a 3 way handshake. The problem is not all devices are programmed to deal with this properly and will sometimes default to an HDCP error state. To put it simply, some devices will consider a split of the signal to be a copyright violation, so it may decide that only one display should show at a time or may block the content entirely. This type of situation is considered to be a device compatibility issue and can not be fixed short of a firmware update by the individual device manufacturers.

If your problem stems from using a passive splitter, you may want to consider using one of our powered splitter options. Powered splitters have chips that will help negotiate the handshake. However, there is no way to know for sure if this solution will work except to try it."


I think the 983 is very sensitive to these kind of hand shake issues so it may be trial and error.

OK who has a 983 running on a 4:2 HDMI switch (or 2:2, 3:2) that is working on both displays? And what switch are you using?

I am using the 4X2 True Matrix HDMI 1.3a Powered Switch from monoprice and it is working flawless.
I have the 983H and other components via HDMI going into my NAD T785
1 HDMI out from the NAD going into the 4 x 2 matrix switcher
1 out from switcher going to a Infocus IN76
1 out from switcher going to a Vizio LCD
No problems what so ever.

I guess I should have asked "How do I use supplied disk"?
Where do I get info on how to use it?

I guess I should have asked "How do I use supplied disk"?
Where do I get info on how to use it?

See: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=13363146#post13363146

-Bill

Good Murphy's Law info here. May I suggest you add this guidance to the first page? It will soon get passed by here as the thread page count rises.

I actually stole those guidelines from OPPO. Don't think it needs to be on the mainpage, as OPPO will tell you the same information, and the likeliness of your remote being defective is fairly low.

Ok - I've ran into some wierd behavior when looking at some Jpeg files on a USB memstick. It's not the memstick as other images work fine. Could the 983 have some display issues with image files of odd resolutions? (say a postcard size image scanned and cropped to be what ever res it ends up)

What I got was a strange choppiness to the picture with horiztonal lines across it (black bars) and it looked like the top of the image was being repeated each time. Kind of like an old CRT tv with the vertical (or would it be horizontal) hold gone or out of wack.

Now if I backed out of the images/folder and went back into the folder images it might (about 50% of the time) show perfectly. I'll have to check what resolutions the images are when I'm back at home and post them. I was also looking at lower and much higher res pictures also which all had no issues at all.

PS In the 983 setup I do have it set for HD image stills. (which look great but are a long load time with 2-3 Mb files) BTW I could not easily adjust the slideshows advance rate!! It seems it is variable based on the file size. Smaller files load fast and get flipped through MUCH faster than large files.

Hi all,
I just got my 983 on Saturday. It replaces a 981. I agree with those who have commented on the much-improved audio section of the 983 -- it was immediately evident on some Depeche Mode and Pink Floyd DVD-Audio that I threw at it.

I have the 983 connected via HDMI to a Denon 3808 which outputs to a Klipsch 5.1 setup and a Sharp Aquos 52" LCD. Since I use HDMI for both Audio and Video, is there any need to worry about what is setup on the Speakers page? The manual on page 23 states that when using HDMI you should set all speakers to Large and down-mix to 5.1. I want my AVR to do as much of the work as possible, so I set it to 7.1 with all speakers Small. I tired various other combinations but I can't say I could hear any difference.

I did see 2 quick video drop-outs yesterday while watching some PAL discs (DVD+R DL). One time the audio + video dropped out (AVR lost sync), the other time just the video. This was the first time for me watching these discs so I hit rewind to see if it was in the source material, but it did not recur. My 983 came with the latest firmware. I doubt it is the HDMI cable since it is the same one the 981 used without problem.

I did not see any problem like this on the 4 pressed media NTSC discs I watched (Nemo, Cars, Bourne Identity/Supremacy).

Thanks,
-shoek

I did see 2 quick video drop-outs yesterday while watching some PAL discs (DVD+R DL). One time the audio + video dropped out (AVR lost sync), the other time just the video. This was the first time for me watching these discs so I hit rewind to see if it was in the source material, but it did not recur. My 983 came with the latest firmware. I doubt it is the HDMI cable since it is the same one the 981 used without problem.

You may want to contact Oppo directly to let them know your experiences. What happened, what discs you are useing, ect...
For them to be able to possibly diagnose what is happening and then possibly create a soultion via firmware, they need your input.

If anyone cares, here is the latest skinny from Toronto. :rolleyes:

First of all, Solutionsav.ca e-mailed me yesterday that there is a good chance of them being able to ship out the 983 tomorrow from Toronto for Wed delivery in Toronto so they must have had it in stock.

This weekend while writing a script to auto-populate new Bluray eBay auctions directly into my bidding software, I decided to also check out HD-DVD and.........sure enough.......one thing led to another and about 4 hours later I was hooking up a brand new Toshiba HD-A3 to my Mitsy 720p DLP.

Everything worked like a charm and I am at work now missing my jaw which rolled under the futon sometime Saturday afternoon during the bathhouse fight in Eastern Promises and even though I velcroed it back on, it fell off again while watching 300 :D :D :eek: :eek:

I WILL give the 983 a roll because I have a lot of SD DVDs, although, in all honesty, I would rather find a used copy of King Kong on HD-DVD and play that.

I hooked up the Toshiba to the DLP directly using a component cable so it is still untested using an HDMI cable which I still dont have.

I have asked Solutionsav.ca [local Oppo reseller] to include the Oppo HM-31 HDMI switch on my order as well and I have ordered another 50ft Toslink and two sets of 28AWG 6ft HDMI cables from Monoprice to match the one that comes with the 983.

When all is said and done, both the HD-DVD and the 983 will go the HDMI switch which will ouptut one signal to the Mitsy 720p DLP onto an 87" screen.

HD-DVD and Bluray titles will be amassed until Oppo comes out with a Bluray player.

Toronto out.

Last week I posted my initial impressions (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=13602943#post13602943)regarding the 983 vs 980 PQ on film. I just wanted to follow-up and say that I reinforce my earlier comments. After more hours of comparisons between the 980 vs the 983, here's what I notice most:

- Cleaner image. The 983 cleans up MPEG2 compression artifacting better. After a number of comparisons of the same scenes with both units, background "noise" is certainly less with the 983. I mean compression artifacting is virtually non-existant on decently mastered material. To me, this is most important improvement as it also allows for a bit more detail to be seen.

- Smoother image. The 980 in comparison looks a bit "etchy." By that I mean it doesn't look quite as smooth or refined; the 980 looks a little more digital as a result.

- Better contrast. The 983 has a bit better contrast and as an analogy it's almost as if a very thin veil has been lifted on it giving the image slightly more life compared to the 980. The colors come through a bit better too.

I just want to state that these differences are more appreciable to videophile folks or people who notice changes. These are not "night and day" differences with my eyes and display conditions, but certainly differences that become apparent over time while using both units. I think the 980 is the more ideal choice for average people who just want a good image. If you want a great image or possibly the best DVD image possible, the 983 fits. To me, the 983 improvements are worthwhile.

Regard the performance of video-based material, I found the same differences. The material I watched (older TV show), didn't have a lot of movement in it to really check for moving edges, etc. but I would suspect similar differences or improvements and less aliasing.

On any rate, hopefully this helps anyone who is on the fence about both units as I initially was. My refurbed 980 is going back to Oppo.

Last week I posted my initial impressions (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=13602943#post13602943)regarding the 983 vs 980 PQ on film. I just wanted to follow-up and say that I reinforce my earlier comments. After more hours of comparisons between the 980 vs the 983, here's what I notice most:

- Cleaner image. The 983 cleans up MPEG2 compression artifacting better. After a number of comparisons of the same scenes with both units, background "noise" is certainly less with the 983. I mean compression artifacting is virtually non-existant on decently mastered material. To me, this is most important improvement as it also allows for a bit more detail to be seen.

- Smoother image. The 980 in comparison looks a bit "etchy." By that I mean it doesn't look quite as smooth or refined; the 980 looks a little more digital as a result.

- Better contrast. The 983 has a bit better contrast and as an analogy it's almost as if a very thin veil has been lifted on it given the image slightly more life compared to the 980. The colors come through a bit better too.

I just want to state that these differences are more appreciable to videophile folks or people who notice changes. These are not "night and day" differences with my eyes and display conditions, but certainly differences that become apparent over time while using both units. I think the 980 is the more ideal choice for average people who just want a good image. If you want a great image or possibly the best DVD image possible, the 983 fits. To me, the 983 improvements are worthwhile.

Regard the performance of video-based material, I found the same differences. The material I watched (older TV show), didn't have a lot of movement in it to really check for moving edges, etc. but I would suspect similar differences or improvements and less aliasing.

On any rate, hopefully this helps anyone who is on the fence about both units as I initially was. My refurbed 980 is going back to Oppo.

Thanks David. This is very helpful to me.

First off I'd like to say that I am very interested in this player. I'm just curious as to how much the 983 will improve upon some of the latest DVD's? I've been noticing a disturbing trend lately with some major releases starting with the original release of Flags of Our Fathers. I've been noticing quite a bit of aliasing in these titles which also includes standard versions of "Into the Wild" and "There Will Be Blood." Catalog releases seem to be ok, but the latest and greatest just don't seem to be as good picturewise anymore. BTW I own an Oppo 971 and a Toshiba XA2 and have scene the aliasing on my CRT RPTV and LCD tv as well as my computer monitor.

I received OPPO DV-983H last Friday. Unfortunately, when I set HDMI as 1080p, audio dropout occurs quite often, either I connected 983H to my receiver, or directly to Sony XBR4 TV. Only when resolution is lowered to 1080i, audio dropout would not occur.

I am contacting OPPO to get help.

Anyone has similar problem? Than you.

If it only occurs at 1080p, then the problem is likely associated to a software issue (see: Pioneer Elite VSX-84/92/94 dropouts and software solution).

First off I'd like to say that I am very interested in this player. I'm just curious as to how much the 983 will improve upon some of the latest DVD's? I've been noticing a disturbing trend lately with some major releases starting with the original release of Flags of Our Fathers. I've been noticing quite a bit of aliasing in these titles which also includes standard versions of "Into the Wild" and "There Will Be Blood." Catalog releases seem to be ok, but the latest and greatest just don't seem to be as good picturewise anymore. BTW I own an Oppo 971 and a Toshiba XA2 and have scene the aliasing on my CRT RPTV and LCD tv as well as my computer monitor.

Sweeney Todd looked very good and filmlike for DVD; I haven't noticed other newer titles although I rent those on Blu-ray whenever possible. There are a couple of other newer DVD exclusives I'll be renting soon though.

If it only occurs at 1080p, then the problem is likely associated to a software issue (see: Pioneer Elite VSX-84/92/94 dropouts and software solution).

Is the issue only with HDMI? I ask because I have the VSX-91 Elite and get audio dropouts on the 980 and 983 with coaxial. I'm going to try digital optical as soon as my cable arrives (hopefully tonight).

HDMI only at this time.

If it is happening out of any of the other outputs, try a replacement or alternative cable connection type.

Is the issue only with HDMI? I ask because I have the VSX-91 Elite and get audio dropouts on the 980 and 983 with coaxial. I'm going to try digital optical as soon as my cable arrives (hopefully tonight).

In my case, audio dropout is only with HDMI in 1080p. No dropout for coaxial, or red/white audio cable.

DavidHir,

If you don't mind me asking... what did you settle on for the ME and CM setting for your A3000 on the 983 input?

DavidHir,

If you don't mind me asking... what did you settle on for the ME and CM setting for your A3000 on the 983 input?

I leave all of that stuff turned off. ME looks too unnatural to me and I keep CM turned off as that's only beneficial for interlaced sources - I'm running the 983 at 1080p.

In the last page of Settings, there is an options for Playback Control on/off.
The manual says that on = "follow the rules that the disc makes".

By turning this off, does this let you go immediately to a disc's root menu without having to see previews, warnings, etc?

I thought Oppo players had another backdoor way of doing that, IIRC pressing "stop" soon-after a disc begins playing, then pressing "menu". Does "Playback Control" formalize this backdoor?

TIA,
-shoek

If it only occurs at 1080p, then the problem is likely associated to a software issue (see: Pioneer Elite VSX-84/92/94 dropouts and software solution).

My 983H comes with Batch: DV983H-06-0406. Do I need a new firmware upgrade?

Thank you.

I'm just curious as to how much the 983 will improve upon some of the latest DVD's? I've been noticing a disturbing trend lately with some major releases starting with the original release of Flags of Our Fathers. I've been noticing quite a bit of aliasing in these titles which also includes standard versions of "Into the Wild" and "There Will Be Blood." Catalog releases seem to be ok, but the latest and greatest just don't seem to be as good picturewise anymore. BTW I own an Oppo 971 and a Toshiba XA2 and have scene the aliasing on my CRT RPTV and LCD tv as well as my computer monitor. I have not noticed such a trend with the latest DVDs. Can you be more descriptive of the issue? How pronounced is it? Is it brief occurrences of stair-stepping, or is it consistent? If the problem is truly in the source material, I doubt that a player could fix it, unless it's something like a bad edit, in which case the ABT chip in the 983 recovers much faster than the Faroudja chip in the 971. But if you're also seeing it with the Reon chip in the XA2, I'm not sure what it could be.

Gary

By turning this off, does this let you go immediately to a disc's root menu without having to see previews, warnings, etc?

I thought Oppo players had another backdoor way of doing that, IIRC pressing "stop" soon-after a disc begins playing, then pressing "menu". Does "Playback Control" formalize this backdoor? No. Different feature. When the "DVD Video" message appears on the display during disk loading, press MENU (or STOP then MENU).

Gary

My 983H comes with Batch: DV983H-06-0406. Do I need a new firmware upgrade? No. The Pioneer needs an upgrade.

Gary

My 983H comes with Batch: DV983H-06-0406. Do I need a new firmware upgrade?

I am talking a completely new firmware revision. The one that comes with your player is the current firmware release.

I have not noticed such a trend with the latest DVDs. Can you be more descriptive of the issue? How pronounced is it? Is it brief occurrences of stair-stepping, or is it consistent? If the problem is truly in the source material, I doubt that a player could fix it, unless it's something like a bad edit, in which case the ABT chip in the 983 recovers much faster than the Faroudja chip in the 971. But if you're also seeing it with the Reon chip in the XA2, I'm not sure what it could be.
For examples of this trend, see just about any recent release from Paramount. Zodiac (theatrical version) had the absolute worst aliasing I have ever seen on a DVD, with consistent stair-stepping from beginning to end. I also saw some aliasing in Transformers, but it was much less pronounced.

In these cases, the aliasing is clearly in the source, so the 983 will not make it look any better or worse.

For examples of this trend, see just about any recent release from Paramount. Zodiac (theatrical version) had the absolute worst aliasing I have ever seen on a DVD, with consistent stair-stepping from beginning to end. I also saw some aliasing in Transformers, but it was much less pronounced.

In these cases, the aliasing is clearly in the source, so the 983 will not make it look any better or worse. Man, this smells of conspiracy theory - purposely creating bad DVD transfers, perhaps even thwarting the magic of upconverting players - to force us to buy BluRay.

Gary

Man, this smells of conspiracy theory - purposely creating bad DVD transfers, perhaps even thwarting the magic of upconverting players - to force us to buy BluRay.

Gary
There is horrible video noise in several scenes in Blade Runner (Director's Cut)
and in a couple scenes in Valey of Elah when played back by my PS3
into BenQ W5000 projector.

Both BenQ and Sony engineers seem to say:
1080p? It must be perfect, so there is no reason
to perform any video-noise processing.
Very annoying!

Mike