People, you are paying never-before-seen prices for the ABT chips. You are not paying for an all-copper chassis with solid gold buttons and Eichmann RCA plugs. We're having a hard enough time convincing people that the ABT chips are worth it: imagine if we had to add "spacecraft-worthy" construction to the list.
Agreed.

And as for the price of copper these days, shudder. Ask a contractor, as anything with copper in it (condensing unit coils, backflow preventers, copper wire - even wire that's been pulled into conduit) is a target for walking off of jobsites...
Having said all that, Oppo needs to address any DivX problems that are out there. I'm confident they will.
Also agreed. The recent HDMI 1080p drop-out issue was likely their number one priority, but now that it's dealt with and firmware released they should be able to dig into other things such as this.

While waiting for the 983 to come back in stock, I ran across the Samsung BD-UP5000 and took a closer look at this unit. Since I already own 2 HD-DVD players and a BR player, I didn't look too closely at this unit when it was introduced. However, since I recently decided to upgrade my SD player, I've been looking at all DVD players out there. The Samsung boasts the HQV REON video processor, plays SD, HD-DVD, and Blu-ray!. It also can decode DTS-MA and Dolby True-HD, something my HD players cannot do (except my Sony BDP-300: a recent firmware update added TrueHD support). All this for only $100 more than the 983. Granted, there were some software issues with this unit when it was first released, as there is with everything released these days, but I have full confidence Samsung will address these issues in future updates.

I know alot of people may scoff at the idea of there being any advantage to HD-DVD player since the formats demise, but I for one have bought more HD-DVD's in the last two weeks than I have any movies previously. Getting HD-DVD's for $8.85-11.95 is nothing less than grand theft. I know it won't last, but getting a partial upgrade of my SD collection to HD at such a low price is spectacular.

I know the naysayers will come out with the reliability issue with HDMI, BR, HD-DVD etc, but in my experience I have yet to have any issue with my BR or HD-DVD players, other than a few video drop-outs on my Toshiba HD-A2 when I first bought it and had it connected to an old Sony GW2 via an HDMI to DVI connector. Firmware updates have completely resolved those issues. So, why not get this "jack-of-all-trades" player with superb video and audio performance, for a steal of a price?

So for something to be considered 'quality' in your life, it has to be heavy?


It's not just the wieght. How about covering the entire front with aluminum, instead of having a half inch plastic strip at the bottom? How about a disc tray that ejects the disc fully, not leaving over an inch still inside the player? How about something other than stick on rubber feet? How about a display big enough to actually read? There are many things that create a quality feel to a component.

But since you asked, my car and computer case are made out of steel, just like most cars and computer cases.

Sorry to have upset the fan boys.

So, why not get this "jack-of-all-trades" player with superb video and audio performance, for a steal of a price?

Because I personally didn't want to settle for 2nd best SD video performance.

If you have tried every combination of "TV Display" settings (16:9, 4:3 letterbox, etc) together with each of the "Zoom" settings, then you may have an odd resolution in your Xvid encode. The Mediatek encoder chip in the player cannot support every conceivable format.

Gary

No, I don't use zoom. I tried Wide from TV and 16:9 from Oppo (then 2,35:1 divx/xvid picture are horizontally stretched), Tv Wide and Oppo 16:9/auto (2,35:1 divx/xvid picture are horizontally stretched aswell). Only combination TV wide and from Oppo 4:3 letterbox shows 2,35:1 normally. But then are subtitles almoust centre of screen.
With DVD there isnt any problems with layout.

It's not just the wieght. How about covering the entire front with aluminum, instead of having a half inch plastic strip at the bottom? How about a disc tray that ejects the disc fully, not leaving over an inch still inside the player? How about something other than stick on rubber feet? How about a display big enough to actually read? There are many things that create a quality feel to a component.

But since you asked, my car and computer case are made out of steel, just like most cars and computer cases.

Sorry to have upset the fan boys.

All the things you mention simply add cost to the player and add ZERO to its performance.

Granted, there were some software issues with this unit when it was first released, as there is with everything released these days, but I have full confidence Samsung will address these issues in future updates.

I have taken a look at this player. Spec-wise, it's impressive, but with Samsung's track record with Blu-ray players, I have zero confidence that they will address issues successfully with firmware. My concern is that they've moved on to other things already and past releases are not high on their priority list. OTOH, Oppo has a limited number of units in their catalog, and with this being their flagship, we have seen and can expect to see tremendous responsiveness and effectiveness in dealing with issues.

Zarono asked "Why not get the Samsung 5000?" (instead of the OPPO 983). This is not the place to discuss their comparative merits, but I think the Engadget story I ran across here http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/23/the-samsung-bd-up5000-to-be-discontinued-in-may/ "The Samsung BD-UP5000 to be discontinued in May" provides one answer.

Furthermore, it illustrates a consumer electronics industry tendency that is in sharp contrast with OPPO Digital. The industry approach is "Pump and Dump" aka the Detroit auto syndrome. The commitment of the major manufacturers to any one model is only fleeting at best. "Wait 'till next year!" seems to be their motto.

OPPO Digital on the other hand really seeks to maximize the capabilities of its players, supporting them (and those who bought them) long after introduction.

Dana

I was also rather shocked at the cheap build quality for a $400 player.From an external viewpoint the 983 certainly is not as impressive as some DVD players, and it does look more like a toy than some high priced players, but when it comes to PQ I don't think it can be faulted. Personally I'd place it at or near the top of the heap for PQ. At $4K the Denon 5910 ought to be more impressive - and it is from a build quality point of view - but I'd much rather have the 983 when watching a SD DVD (and even Kris scores the 983 ahead of the 5910). You know the old saying about judging a book by its cover........;)

While waiting for the 983 to come back in stock, I ran across the Samsung BD-UP5000 and took a closer look at this unit. Since I already own 2 HD-DVD players and a BR player, I didn't look too closely at this unit when it was introduced. However, since I recently decided to upgrade my SD player, I've been looking at all DVD players out there. The Samsung boasts the HQV REON video processor, plays SD, HD-DVD, and Blu-ray!. It also can decode DTS-MA and Dolby True-HD, something my HD players cannot do (except my Sony BDP-300: a recent firmware update added TrueHD support). All this for only $100 more than the 983. Granted, there were some software issues with this unit when it was first released, as there is with everything released these days, but I have full confidence Samsung will address these issues in future updates.

A little homework might have been helpful. First and foremost, the player is discontinued as drbonbi already pointed out. Also, on the SD front:

1. No region hack yet, never mind PAL compatibility
2. No DivX
3. No USB port
4. No SACD playback

There are more, but those four alone just about kill it as an SD player, never mind in comparison to the Oppo DV-983H, which has the top-flight ABT processor. And on the HD front:

1. So far, the Samsung BD-UP5000 is still incapable of doing Dolby TruHD multichannel through HDMI. It's probable that this will be fixed in firmware, but this is still a bit of a crapshoot as the model is discontinued
2. Never will be Profile 2.0-capable (not enough memory)


I know alot of people may scoff at the idea of there being any advantage to HD-DVD player since the formats demise, but I for one have bought more HD-DVD's in the last two weeks than I have any movies previously. Getting HD-DVD's for $8.85-11.95 is nothing less than grand theft. I know it won't last, but getting a partial upgrade of my SD collection to HD at such a low price is spectacular.

I don't scoff: I've been ravenously buying HD-DVDs for my HD-A2 and LG GGW-H20l burner!

Can the 983H do 480i at 24Hz?

I have a PS3, two HD DVD players (A1 & A35), a region-hacked Denon 2910, and several cheapie DVD players and while I can understand the reasoning behind the "jack of all trades" mentality--it's all in how much an individual cares about getting every drop of performance out of a given format.

Can the 983H do 480i at 24Hz?
No, it doesn't do 24Hz, and the HDMI output does not support 480i.

2. No DivX

I cant name that what OPPO 983 does with divx and xvid "divx and xvid support". That is some kind of mass with layout and very poor subtitles support (only 40 characters in row, even cheapest Philips knows how resize subtitles when there are too much chars for display).
Maybe that will better after firmware updates but now is 983 divx support for me the most biggest disappointment.

I cant name that what OPPO 983 does with divx and xvid "divx and xvid support". That is some kind of mass with layout and very poor subtitles support (only 40 characters in row, even cheapest Philips knows how resize subtitles when there are too much chars for display).
Maybe that will better after firmware updates but now is 983 divx support for me the most biggest disappointment.

This is true, and must be fixed by Oppo. My colleague who purchased a bog-standard Coby has been laughing at me about this, and he must be silenced!

The BD-UP5000 will never have DivX support though.

No, it doesn't do 24Hz, and the HDMI output does not support 480i.

Thanks :)

For those that have a Pio Kuro, are you using the 1080p unconversion from the 983H or are you sending a 480p and let the Kuro do the processing? :confused:

It's not just the wieght. How about covering the entire front with aluminum, instead of having a half inch plastic strip at the bottom? How about a disc tray that ejects the disc fully, not leaving over an inch still inside the player? How about something other than stick on rubber feet? How about a display big enough to actually read? There are many things that create a quality feel to a component.

But since you asked, my car and computer case are made out of steel, just like most cars and computer cases.

Sorry to have upset the fan boys.

My car is made of Carbon Fiber!:D

Thanks :)

For those that have a Pio Kuro, are you using the 1080p unconversion from the 983H or are you sending a 480p and let the Kuro do the processing? :confused:

I haven't made that comparison yet with my Pioneer 150. What did you find when you compared the two methods?

My car is made of Carbon Fiber!:D

Must be junk then... Add some iron and steel so it will feel better... :) NOT.

No, I don't use zoom. Well that could be part of the problem. The first click or two of the "Zoom" button provides extra aspect ratio options, like "Stretch", "Letterbox", "Pillar Box", and "Full Screen". Try them.

Gary

I could not get a single Xvid or Divx file to play in the correct aspect ratio on my 983. My player arrived with a scratch on the faceplate, and the divx/Xvid issue was one of the reasons I returned it for refund, rather than exchange.

I was also rather shocked at the cheap build quality for a $400 player.

What does a problem with playing Divx/Xvid have to do with a scratch on your player and or the opinion of the build quality? Let it go and move on.

I'm still trying to find a 2.5", USB powered hard drive that will work with the 983. If anyone has a combination that works I'd love to hear about it, including specific brands of drives that require an enclosure as opposed to buying a ready-made drive/enclusre combo. I've gone through 3 ready-made setups now and none have worked.

Well that could be part of the problem. The first click or two of the "Zoom" button provides extra aspect ratio options, like "Stretch", "Letterbox", "Pillar Box", and "Full Screen". Try them.

Gary

That is not solution. I was write to Oppo and Oppo already knows the problem. I think that they were too much hurry up to release new model...
Danny,

DivX and XviD media may have issues related to proper aspect ratio detection due to poor or missing aspect ratio flags. We are working with our engineers to fix these flagging issues.

Best Regards,

Customer Service
OPPO Digital, Inc.

What does a problem with playing Divx/Xvid have to do with a scratch on your player and or the opinion of the build quality? Let it go and move on.

I was replying to someone else, who asked if anyone else had that issue. I realize that many of the owners can't stand to see anyone point out it's flaws. Get over it.

I'm still trying to find a 2.5", USB powered hard drive that will work with the 983. If anyone has a combination that works I'd love to hear about it, including specific brands of drives that require an enclosure as opposed to buying a ready-made drive/enclusre combo. I've gone through 3 ready-made setups now and none have worked.

I tried an external drive on mine. It's a Rosewill RX358-S BLK enclosure (Newegg) with an old 80GB drive I had laying around. Worked fine. If you read back in this thread, someone else pointed out that it has issues with drives over a certain size. If you stay under that size, it should work fine.

Has the drop-out problem finally been corrected?

Has the drop-out problem finally been corrected?

The answer to that continues to be "yes".

-Bill

WilliamZX11:

Thanks! I've been trying 50gig FAT32 partitions on 160gig drives (the smallest I could find at Best Buy) and they = fail.

I should've gone to the Egg first. ;)

That is not solution. I was write to Oppo and Oppo already knows the problem. I think that they were too much hurry up to release new model...

This problem is not exclusive to the DV-983H. Go check out the threads for the OPDV971H, DV-970HD, and DV-981HD. The same exact problem occurred on these player too due to the lack of proper flagging on external media. Anything you download off the internet can be potentially done incorrectly. Most DivX/XviD files should not have a problem, but there is no guarantee when there is no body designed to ensure that the file are properly encoded.

Changing the AR of the DVD player from 16:9 to 4:3 in most cases fixes these issues.

Thanks :)

For those that have a Pio Kuro, are you using the 1080p upconversion from the 983H or are you sending a 480p and let the Kuro do the processing? :confused:

I haven't made that comparison yet with my Pioneer 150. What did you find when you compared the two methods?

I am waiting for them to be back in stock, I got shut-out last round. Has anyone tried to see which looks better with a Kuro, 1080p upconversion from the 983H or are you sending a 480p signal and let the Kuro do the processing? :confused:

Thanks :)

I am waiting for them to be back in stock, I got shut-out last round. Has anyone tried to see which looks better with a Kuro, 1080p upconversion from the 983H or are you sending a 480p signal and let the Kuro do the processing? :confused:

Thanks :)

If you send 480p from the player.... the player has already done all the 'heavy' processing. Sending 480i (which the 983 cant) would shift the 'heavy lifting' to the Kuro.

If you send 480p from the player.... the player has already done all the 'heavy' processing. Sending 480i (which the 983 cant) would shift the 'heavy lifting' to the Kuro.

So, since the 983H can't do 480i, are you suggesting that letting the Oppo do the upconversion to 1080p is the best choice?

I am waiting for them to be back in stock, I got shut-out last round. Has anyone tried to see which looks better with a Kuro, 1080p upconversion from the 983H or are you sending a 480p signal and let the Kuro do the processing? :confused:

Thanks :)
I compared the two on an ISF calibrated 6010 and could see no difference with the material I was viewing. There was some earlier discussion on this thread that recommended to use 1080p due to some scenarios where you wanted to send the highest resolution to the Kuro -- maybe when some of 983 zoom modes.

So, since the 983H can't do 480i, are you suggesting that letting the Oppo do the upconversion to 1080p is the best choice?

I would... but I suggest that you try it both ways and pick which one looks best.

WilliamZX11:

Thanks! I've been trying 50gig FAT32 partitions on 160gig drives (the smallest I could find at Best Buy) and they = fail.

I should've gone to the Egg first. ;)

I think you need a drive smaller tham 100GB, no matter what size the partitions are, here a link to the post I was talking about:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=13802607#post13802607

Although it may have something to do with power, the enclosure I used had it's own power from a wall wart.

This problem is not exclusive to the DV-983H. Go check out the threads for the OPDV971H, DV-970HD, and DV-981HD. The same exact problem occurred on these player too due to the lack of proper flagging on external media. Anything you download off the internet can be potentially done incorrectly. Most DivX/XviD files should not have a problem, but there is no guarantee when there is no body designed to ensure that the file are properly encoded.

Changing the AR of the DVD player from 16:9 to 4:3 in most cases fixes these issues.

If it were improper flagging of the media, why would all these files play perfectly on my computer, my Yamaha DVD player, my old Marantz, and the cheap $39 player in my bedroom?

I think you need a drive smaller tham 100GB, no matter what size the partitions are ...

I've used 160GB drives with a 80GB main partition without an issue. I generally do not recommend drives larger than 12GB, however.

If it were improper flagging of the media, why would all these files play perfectly on my computer...

Do you realize how much more processing, memory, and software coding you can do on a PC? A small, self contained product such as a DVD player has a software suite which is no more than (total) 1.7MB in size. There is not enough memory space, processing architecture to compensate for poor encoding practices.

... my Yamaha DVD player, my old Marantz, and the cheap $39 player in my bedroom?

And how large are these companies? How many software and hardware engineers are dedicated to their DVD product line? I know for a fact I can count the core OPPO team on two hands.

Do you realize how much more processing, memory, and software coding you can do on a PC? A small, self contained product such as a DVD player has a software suite which is no more than (total) 1.7MB in size. There is not enough memory space, processing architecture to compensate for poor encoding practices.

... And how large are these companies? How many software and hardware engineers are dedicated to their DVD product line? I know for a fact I can count the core OPPO team on two hands.

It's true what you say, but doesn't Oppo want to have leading-edge DivX playback as well? IMHO the 983 has to at least equal the specs of every other player out there, especially the $30 jobbies. For example, I fully expected that the ABT would outperform any anti-aliasing/deinterlacing solution that Cyberlink could come up with in their PowerDVD software. And according to the test disc that Oppo included with my 983, I was right!

Neuromancer would know better, but given the successful decoding of DivX with previous players I feel confident that Oppo will resolve any decoding issues with the 983.

It's true what you say, but doesn't Oppo want to have leading-edge DivX playback as well?

That is why they are always improving the firmware on their players. The unit that goes out is not the end all in terms of product design. Time and time again have we seen their players have bloomed into more mature products.

IMHO the 983 has to at least equal the specs of every other player out there, especially the $30 jobbies.

There is only so much you can do in terms of design, implementation, and testing. The DVD player passes the DivX Certification. Within this guideline, the DV-983H is working as designed; designed to handle the DivX Profile. OPPO works under the "best effort basis" in terms of media compatibility.

If you find that you have media which does not work properly, send the file to them. They can diagnose a problem with the player much more quickly when they have been provided the precise media which is causing the poor performance.

I compared the two on an ISF calibrated 6010 and could see no difference with the material I was viewing. There was some earlier discussion on this thread that recommended to use 1080p due to some scenarios where you wanted to send the highest resolution to the Kuro -- maybe when some of 983 zoom modes.

I would... but I suggest that you try it both ways and pick which one looks best.

Thank you! :) I value your opinions.

And how large are these companies? How many software and hardware engineers are dedicated to their DVD product line? I know for a fact I can count the core OPPO team on two hands.

I thought BBK electronics, the parent company of Oppo, was the largest manufacturer of DVD players in the world. They OEM many of the drives sold by other brands.

I did check about a dozen of these file with Gspot. They are all correctly flagged.

I thought BBK electronics, the parent company of Oppo, was the largest manufacturer of DVD players in the world. They OEM many of the drives sold by other brands.

I did check about a dozen of these file with Gspot. They are all correctly flagged.Interesting subject.

BBK (Hong Kong) Corp Ltd
Company Description
BBK Electronics Corp, Ltd, a large and noted enterprise situated in the prosperous Pearl River Delta in Southern China, has devoted itself to enhancing the quality of life of common families by providing products and services in the fields of Digital Audio/Visual (VCD and DVD players and home theater), Communications (cord/cordless telephones) and Electronic Products for Educational Use (language reading and repeating player). The three factories specialized in these three fields have obtained ISO9001 accreditation and established a strict and efficient quality guarantee system in accordance with international standards. With superior quality and services, our products have gained a good reputation among customers and become a brand name in the domestic market. The CEO of the company, Mr. Yongping Duan, was listed by 'Asia Week' as one of the 20 Millennium leaders in Asian commercial and financial circles in recognition of his distinctive insight and innovative ability.

OPPO Digital was founded in 2004 as the US branch of BBK Electronics, a Chinese manufacturer of consumer, educational, and telecommunication electronics. BBK Electronics has been a private label OEM for companies such as Denon, TEAC, NEC and BOSE, employing approximately 12,000 people worldwide. Through BBK's desire to expand internationally, OPPO Digital was born.

Interesting subject.

BBK (Hong Kong) Corp Ltd
Company Description
BBK Electronics Corp, Ltd, a large and noted enterprise situated in the prosperous Pearl River Delta in Southern China, has devoted itself to enhancing the quality of life of common families by providing products and services in the fields of Digital Audio/Visual (VCD and DVD players and home theater), Communications (cord/cordless telephones) and Electronic Products for Educational Use (language reading and repeating player). The three factories specialized in these three fields have obtained ISO9001 accreditation and established a strict and efficient quality guarantee system in accordance with international standards. With superior quality and services, our products have gained a good reputation among customers and become a brand name in the domestic market. The CEO of the company, Mr. Yongping Duan, was listed by 'Asia Week' as one of the 20 Millennium leaders in Asian commercial and financial circles in recognition of his distinctive insight and innovative ability.

OPPO Digital was founded in 2004 as the US branch of BBK Electronics, a Chinese manufacturer of consumer, educational, and telecommunication electronics. BBK Electronics has been a private label OEM for companies such as Denon, TEAC, NEC and BOSE, employing approximately 12,000 people worldwide. Through BBK's desire to expand internationally, OPPO Digital was born.


:eek: Where did you get that from? I knew OD was associated somehow with BBK, but I didn't know they actually WERE BBK. I wonder why so much secrecy.:confused:

The secrecy is because they know of the reaction to being Chinese and the backlash right now with trade issues and product problems.

:eek: Where did you get that from? I knew OD was associated somehow with BBK, but I didn't know they actually WERE BBK. I wonder why so much secrecy.:confused:See this early article concerning Oppo 971H entitled "A Winning Digital DVD Player (http://www.projectorcentral.com/oppo_opdv971h_dvd_player.htm)"

A early topic involving the Oppo 971H (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?threadid=482239) on AVS forums. Notice the reference to Chinese OEM Winbase Electronics. In some circles it was called BBK DV971.

Now for some fun, back in Dec 2004 this comment was made "
Quote:
Originally posted by Huey
Because Oppo is a no name brand compared to other DCDi upconverting players like Zenith, Panny, Samsung, Denon, etc.

Chris: It is made by a Chinese OEM that makes several players for other companies including at least some from brands you just mentioned. The Oppo may actually end up one of the better players capable of playing all of those formats. It looks like the best but we won't know until somebody gets one and posts a review."

All I got to say to Oppo Digital is you sure showed the AV world a thing or two since those early comments, and after numerous awards we are now using the Oppo 983H!

As far as I'm concerned It's great to learn Oppo Has big bucks behind them! So much for worrying about this company:D

As far as I'm concerned It's great to learn Oppo Has big bucks behind them! So much for worrying about this company:D

The only thing I've ever been "worried" about, is when they become SO BIG, that they become corporate snobs like the other companies. Sacrifice the customer and product in order to squeeze out every penny that can be had. Customer service out the window and quality control in the dumper. Hopefully NOT.
They are THE VERY BEST at customer service and loyalty that I have experienced anywhere in the last three years!... and oh yah, they make pretty good products too. Hopefully that will never change :)

:eek: Where did you get that from? I knew OD was associated somehow with BBK, but I didn't know they actually WERE BBK. I wonder why so much secrecy.:confused:

I remember discussing this in forums years ago and thought it was common knowledge by now?

That is why they are always improving the firmware on their players. The unit that goes out is not the end all in terms of product design. Time and time again have we seen their players have bloomed into more mature products.

I hope so. But as time shows 980 doesnt have still 2:2 cadence support as they promised 5 month ago.
I hope that with 983 things will be better. Until now I cant see NO ONE divx or xvid files normally. Not files from internet, not these which I was filmed by myself.
And about subtitles I was talk to them long time ago, when I was buy 980. Still no changes. :(

@danny16: But do your divx files comply with divx theater profile? Eg. vertical and horizontal resolution dividable by 16, mpeg2 used as quantization matrix and so on. Also packeted bitstream is not defined by divx, but could work. As for the subtitles, I do not know, as noramly I do not bother with subs, but I think srts should work. Also Xsub (divx technology for storing 8 streams of audio and subtitales) could work, as oppo is divx certified product and offers VOD.

@danny16: But do your divx files comply with divx theater profile? Eg. vertical and horizontal resolution dividable by 16, mpeg2 used as quantization matrix and so on. Also packeted bitstream is not defined by divx, but could work. As for the subtitles, I do not know, as noramly I do not bother with subs, but I think srts should work. Also Xsub (divx technology for storing 8 streams of audio and subtitales) could work, as oppo is divx certified product and offers VOD.
Yes, I'm using 640x272 resolution, it is dividable by 16. I'm using mpeg2 as quantization matrix and I'm tried offically bought Divx 6.0 or Xvid (Nicks ver) as codec. Not matter, Oppo will stretch that 2,35:1 picture to 16:9.
Srt and sub works either but if in row is 41 chars and subtitle has 2 rows then Oppo shows in first row 40 chars (with font 2), in second row puts one char from first row and will delete actual second row. Better is if I will give example.
Subtitle:
Tere minu nimi on Maksim ja ma tulen linnast.
Ma olen väsinud ja tahan süüa ning magada.

Oppo shows:
Tere minu nimi on Maksim ja ma tulen lin-
n

So, I've got one of these puppies hooked up to a Panasonic PT-AE2000U on a 120" screen. It's connected via HDMI and set to 1080p.

Now, despite both the player and the projector being new and shiny, I'm still very much a novice when it comes to this stuff. Does anyone have any recommendations on settings on the 983?

I know our eyes and opinions of what looks good will vary, but I'd still appreciate some recommendations as a starting point.

Thanks in advance!

KM

So, I've got one of these puppies hooked up to a Panasonic PT-AE2000U on a 120" screen. It's connected via HDMI and set to 1080p.

Now, despite both the player and the projector being new and shiny, I'm still very much a novice when it comes to this stuff. Does anyone have any recommendations on settings on the 983?

I know our eyes and opinions of what looks good will vary, but I'd still appreciate some recommendations as a starting point.

Thanks in advance!

KM

Most people leave the player settings at 0 or Auto. I have two exceptions:


Sharpness 0 seems too sharp to many people, and I usually set it to -1 or -2.

I use a specific color space setting rather than Auto, simply because I don't trust auto-negotiation with the display.


The best thing you can do with a new setup is to use a calibration disc to make adjustments to the display settings.

-Bill

The best thing you can do with a new setup is to use a calibration disc to make adjustments to the display settings.
This is excellent advise. If there is a thread around here for your AE2000, it may have some "typical" video settings that you can use as a starting point, but like Bill I'd still suggest tossing a calibration disc (like Digital Video Essentials, AVIA, or GetGray) in and checking the settings.

What about audio quality of 983H?
I used 971 for couple years and while video was top notch, the audio portion coming through digital audio out was very lousy. Most concert DVD's I would watch on my Sony 9000ES or Marantz DV18. While Sony and Marantz would provide much softer picture their sound was in completely different league. I understand that both Sony and Marantz were originally sold for over $1K, but the question of audio quality remains.
Earlier OPPO players were modified for extra $300-500 to sound better by several Audiogon dealers.

I hope 983 got a major improvement in audio (not processing, just digital out).

If any audiophiles are here, please comment.

As with the 980 model before the 983, both have received great improvement in the AQ department compared to the "older" models.

I thought BBK electronics, the parent company of Oppo, was the largest manufacturer of DVD players in the world. They OEM many of the drives sold by other brands.

What relationship does OPPO have with BBK? Last I checked their relationship was purely original financial backing, they provide the hardware manufacturing, and they share some of the software engineering load. But in terms of man power resources, they do not have BBK at their beckon call. Man resources are completely OPPO's responsibility.

Like I said, I can count the number of core employees on two hands.

I did check about a dozen of these file with Gspot. They are all correctly flagged.

Send OPPO your files for testing.

I hope so. But as time shows 980 doesnt have still 2:2 cadence support as they promised 5 month ago.

It does:

07-0328 Firmware (http://oppodigital.com/dv980h/dv980h-firmware-07-0328.html).
1. 2:2 Cadence Support
This version enhances the DV-980H's de-interlacing ability to add 2:2 cadence support. Both 2:2 PAL film cadence and 2:2 NTSC 30fps video cadence are supported. This is in addition to 3:2 NTSC film cadence already supported by the previous firmware releases.

In terms of this being equal to a true HARDWARE 2:2 solution, there is no way. This is due to the MTK solution never being designed for PAL de-interlacing. OPPO has thrown you a free bone by including a software solution which better handles PAL media than its original implementation.

Until now I cant see NO ONE divx or xvid files normally. Not files from internet, not these which I was filmed by myself.

I watch a lot of anime, and have only had a couple of XviD encodes show the improper aspect ratio. Switching to 4:3 mode, like all other OPPO products, fixed the AR issues.

And about subtitles I was talk to them long time ago, when I was buy 980. Still no changes. :(

This is likely a MTK MT1389 issue, as both the DV-980H and the DV-983H have the same issue. OPPO has been served proper PRD requests to fix this issue, but it is completely up to them to determine how their resources are handled.

What relationship does OPPO have with BBK? Last I checked their relationship was purely original financial backing, they provide the hardware manufacturing, and they share some of the software engineering load.

What relationship? They own Oppo, and as you stated, they do the manufacturing and the software development. Sounds like quite a relationship to me.

As far as sending files to Oppo, no need, I have two players and a computer that read them perfectly, and have sent the Oppo back.

What relationship? They own Oppo, and as you stated, they do the manufacturing and the software development.
OPPO Digital, Inc is privately held. It is not owned or operated by BBK. There is a difference between an ownership and a financial stake in an incorporated company.
As far as sending files to Oppo, no need, I have two players and a computer that read them perfectly, and have sent the Oppo back.
So you would rather spend your time dissuading people on this FAQ/DUMP from using the DV-983H, instead of helping OPPO fix the issue for future customers?

What relationship? They own Oppo, and as you stated, they do the manufacturing and the software development. Sounds like quite a relationship to me.

As far as sending files to Oppo, no need, I have two players and a computer that read them perfectly, and have sent the Oppo back.

I sense some trolling going on here?

Ditto. The logic makes no sense. I have never heard of a company that says "send us your problem discs and we'll go to work on a new firmware to fix the problems you are having." Most companies will just laugh at you if you were to propose such a thing. To scoff at the idea and just send the player back is... well... stupid.

So you would rather spend your time dissuading people on this FAQ/DUMP from using the DV-983H, instead of helping OPPO fix the issue for future customers? Slam dunk!

Fellow posters, let's keep this thread constructive, rather than destructive.

Gary

I hope so. But as time shows 980 doesnt have still 5 month ago. Caught napping, old chap? OPPO is way ahead in the game, with another slam dunk! 2:2 cadence support, just as they promised!

Gary

...I have two players and a computer that read them perfectly, and have sent the Oppo back.
Then there is no reason for you to hang around here. Why don't you just go away? :confused:

As far as sending files to Oppo, no need, I have two players and a computer that read them perfectly, and have sent the Oppo back.

Thanks for being a waste of bits on the internet then. Rather than help others with a simple email or mailing of a CD, or even letting Oppo know how to get the files in question, you chose the route of being a selfish ass.

As others have said, feel free to vacate this thread if that is your attitude.

And about subtitles I was talk to them long time ago, when I was buy 980. Still no changes. :(

I asked them to work on this back in January, and have asked again back in April. They seem willing to fix it at some later point, but I suspect this isnt a priority.

So you would rather spend your time dissuading people on this FAQ/DUMP from using the DV-983H, instead of helping OPPO fix the issue for future customers?

I'm not trying to disuade anyone from buying the Oppo. Someone else asked if anyone else had noticed the issue, and I responded. That's what forums are for, the sharing of information.

Everyone,

I'm sorry I responded to a poster asking if anyone else had an issue with Divx files. I guess I should have just kept the info to myself. Apparently this thread is not for the sharing of information, but just for Oppo apologists and fan boys to praise the player, no matter what it's faults.

Have a nice day.

It is your attitude, not your "information" that has everyone all over you William.

Gentlemen. More science at AVScience Forum, please.

-Bill

It is your attitude, not your "information" that has everyone all over you William.

My attitude? I'm sorry if it came across wrong, but no attitude was intended. You will also notice I praised the players picture quality with DVD's and answered a question or two on it's operation, and using an external hard drive with the unit.

Everyone seems upset that I sent the player back, and chose not to get a replacement. I'm very busy these days, and don't have the time to do troubleshooting and beta testing on a DVD player I paid for.

To return to topic, and seek a reprive from heated invective, I think there are just two issues that we'd like to see Oppo confirm that they're working to remedy:

1. The SACD-preference reset issue, and
2. The DivX screen-stretch override option.

The first of these would seem to be the more important (IMHO), as it appears to affect all units, and the playback of all SACD software. As I understand it, the SACD-preference reset issue (my description) causes the player to reset the SACD playback preference to the DSD stereo layer when no multi layer is present, such that all subsequent SACDs default to their stereo layer, even when a mutli layer is present. Has this glitch been resolved (sorry if I missed any such announcement)?

The second of these has certainly generated more heat recently in this thread, but seems to be isolated to poorly encoded DivX titles. The only way they can possibly get behind this issue, and develop a fix, is for those who experience it to forward the relevant software to Oppo so they can try to determine what's going on. It's my impression (I could be wrong) that Oppo hasn't gotten their hands on the offending software yet.

Anything I'm missing?

I am *very* impressed that Oppo issued a fix for the HDMI drop-out issue as quickly as they did. Is there anything the Oppo insiders can tell us about efforts to resolve the SACD-preference issue?

Has this glitch been resolved (sorry if I missed any such announcement)?

No, this will be addressed in the future. All hands were working on the dropout error, which takes a much higher precedent.

To return to topic, and seek a reprive from heated invective, I think there are just two issues that we'd like to see Oppo confirm that they're working to remedy:

1. The SACD-preference reset issue, and
2. The DivX screen-stretch override option.
...
Anything I'm missing?

...

A minor problem with the 983 not initially recognizing the correct aspect ratio of some 4:3 PAL Region 2 DVDs, easily remedied as a work-around by pressing the INFO button on the remote. OPPO Digital is well aware of the issue and since the problem is not present on the 981, I am confident it will be corrected in due time.

Dana

As far as sending files to Oppo, no need, I have two players and a computer that read them perfectly, and have sent the Oppo back.

OK. Fine. Great. Terrific.

Now ENOUGH!

You hated the Oppo. You returned it. That's your choice. Now, what are you still doing in this thread with your moaning and groaning? I really don't think that's what this thread is for. Please go away. Please.

BTW, welcome to my ignore file.

I'm very busy these days, and don't have the time to do troubleshooting and beta testing on a DVD player I paid for.

You seem to have plenty of time to hang around here

Zarono asked "Why not get the Samsung 5000?" (instead of the OPPO 983). This is not the place to discuss their comparative merits, but I think the Engadget story I ran across here http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/23/the-samsung-bd-up5000-to-be-discontinued-in-may/ "The Samsung BD-UP5000 to be discontinued in May" provides one answer.

Furthermore, it illustrates a consumer electronics industry tendency that is in sharp contrast with OPPO Digital. The industry approach is "Pump and Dump" aka the Detroit auto syndrome. The commitment of the major manufacturers to any one model is only fleeting at best. "Wait 'till next year!" seems to be their motto.

OPPO Digital on the other hand really seeks to maximize the capabilities of its players, supporting them (and those who bought them) long after introduction.

Dana

Thank you sir for the link, after reading this and a few other sources I've crossed the Samsung 5000 off my list, and reaffirmed that I'll be buying an Oppo as soon as one is available.

A little homework might have been helpful. First and foremost, the player is discontinued as drbonbi already pointed out. Also, on the SD front:

1. No region hack yet, never mind PAL compatibility
2. No DivX
3. No USB port
4. No SACD playback

There are more, but those four alone just about kill it as an SD player, never mind in comparison to the Oppo DV-983H, which has the top-flight ABT processor. And on the HD front:

1. So far, the Samsung BD-UP5000 is still incapable of doing Dolby TruHD multichannel through HDMI. It's probable that this will be fixed in firmware, but this is still a bit of a crapshoot as the model is discontinued
2. Never will be Profile 2.0-capable (not enough memory)


I don't scoff: I've been ravenously buying HD-DVDs for my HD-A2 and LG GGW-H20l burner!

All excellent points, and thanks for your input. After looking a little closer the Samsung 5000 is no longer an option for me. The 983 will be my next SD-DVD player, as soon as I can get one.

OK. Fine. Great. Terrific.

Now ENOUGH!

You hated the Oppo. You returned it. That's your choice. Now, what are you still doing in this thread with your moaning and groaning? I really don't think that's what this thread is for. Please go away. Please.

BTW, welcome to my ignore file.

You seem to have plenty of time to hang around here

Gentlemen. More science at AVScience Forum, please.

-Bill
As Bill said in an indirect way.....

Gentlemen... lets move on and get back on topic

Less than 2 days untill the next shipment goes out. That is, if things are on schedule.

All excellent points, and thanks for your input. After looking a little closer the Samsung 5000 is no longer an option for me. The 983 will be my next SD-DVD player, as soon as I can get one.

The crowd goes wild, hhhhaaaa hhhhaaaa .... :) You're definitely making the right choice.

I considered the Samsung BD-UP5000 myself as a Blu-Ray/HD-DVD combo player, but at this point I'm just going to ride out my HD-A2 and pickup a "last-gen" combo or current BR player. I'm loving the 983 for SD discs and for all audio discs and casual use of the USB port. It's nice not to have to think about which player (including PC) to use for most of my software.

Caught napping, old chap? OPPO is way ahead in the game, with another slam dunk! 2:2 cadence support, just as they promised!

Gary
Yes thank for God they did. Personally I can't use that, because I sold 980 (just because PAL problems, most of my collection is PAL) I was waiting and waiting month and month, and sold it in ebay finally. Must I attach e-mail where they PROMISED fix that problem before new year?
Very good of course then they finally did what they promised.
Hope that subtitles and divx/xvid support for 983 will fixed before next 5 month.:o

So, since the 983H can't do 480i, are you suggesting that letting the Oppo do the upconversion to 1080p is the best choice?
It's a pretty close call but my preferred setup is to have the OPPO send 1080P to my PRO-110FD with the Kuro in dot-by-dot mode.

There is one other issue OPPO is working on they admitted to me, There is a problem playing Divx files over 2GB in size. DV-983H may not play file all the way through.

I found this same problem with files sizes less than 2GB (1.2 to 1.3) and have mailed OPPO a disc today so they can check it out. It will play the file fine then 1 to 3 minutes before the end of the file it will jump to the next file on the disc. I found this with multiple burned episodes of Smallville. If you combine more than one vob file together when converting to Divx file it exhibits this problem. If I convert the vob files separately, copy to a folder and then burn the folder the episode plays all the way through. The same discs 983H skips on my 980H plays without a problem.

fish1050

A minor problem with the 983 not initially recognizing the correct aspect ratio of some 4:3 PAL Region 2 DVDs, easily remedied as a work-around by pressing the INFO button on the remote. OPPO Digital is well aware of the issue and since the problem is not present on the 981, I am confident it will be corrected in due time.

Dana

Does the OPPO play windows media video (WMV) and MPG (MPEG 1 and MPEG 2) video files burned to a DVD+R?

Does the OPPO play windows media video (WMV) and MPG (MPEG 1 and MPEG 2) video files burned to a DVD+R?

MPG: yes.

WMV: I'm not certain of the official support status, but during the beta I found that some WMV9 files did play, although audio support was not complete. Here are my notes on playing files found on the divxtest.com downloadable disc:

These WMV files are now visible and play:

VID-5A WMV9 MP@ML + WMA9 sdt CBR

VID-5B MPEG4 AVC Bitrate Crash Test + LC-AAC CBR

Some WMV9 files that previously did not show in the browser now show and play:

CONT-6A WMV9 + WMA9 sdt 48KHz 96Kbps CBR
Video and audio ok.

CONT-6B WMV9 + WMA9 sdt 48KHz 96Kbps VBR
Video and audio ok.

CONT-6C WMV9 + WMA9 pro 5.1 48KHz 192Kbps CBR
Message: "audio codec not supported", video ok, no audio.

CONT-6D WMV9 + Multiple WMA9 sdt 48KHz 96Kbps CBR
Video and audio ok, but only 1 audio track.

CONT-6E WMV9 + Multiple WMA9 pro 5.1 48KHz 96Kbps CBR
Message: "audio codec not supported", video ok, no audio.


-Bill

Must I attach e-mail where they PROMISED fix that problem before new year?

OPPO will never guarantee something will be released on a specific date. They will use language such as "hope", "expect" or "anticipate". Yes, the PAL 2:2 firmware was expected to be finalized before New Years, but there were issues with 2:2 breaking 3:2 and other cadence de-interlacing and scaling. This is why the firmware did not get released until March.

It's a pretty close call but my preferred setup is to have the OPPO send 1080P to my PRO-110FD with the Kuro in dot-by-dot mode.

Thanks! :) When they ship my Unit I will definitely try it at 1080p, dot-by-dot.

Well, I just received a 983 pre-order email from OPPO. My order has been placed. Now the wait begins...

Well, I just received a 983 pre-order email from OPPO. My order has been placed. Now the wait begins...

Me too :)

Me too!! Told them it get going on a Blue Ray!!

Blu-ray

:)Me too!

Blu-ray
I can has blu laser? ;)

Me too!! Told them it get going on a Blue Ray!!

Blu-ray

:)Me too!

Wow.

:confused:

Me too!! Told them it get going on a Blue Ray!!Discussion about that topic is Oppo BR thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=997188), not in this Oppo 983H thread. :)

Why is there no mention of DivX playback anywhere on the 983 webpage? And does it upconvert divx or just play it as is? Does the 980? What player upconverts DivX?

Why is there no mention of DivX playback anywhere on the 983 webpage? And does it upconvert divx or just play it as is? Does the 980? What player upconverts DivX?Per Neuromancer: "It is DivX certified, but DivX is slow in actually announcing/updating their product line, so the DV-983H doesn't list the logo on their player."

Interesting that Oppo doesn't mention DivX on any of the web pages associated with the Oppo 983H.

The Oppo 980H and Oppo 981HD are DivX certified.

It could be one of those permission things. OPPO can't willfully use the DivX logo without proper consent.

Or it could cost them some money to use the logo/name, so they don't use it at all (which could explain why XviD is prominently displayed on the player).

...And does it upconvert divx or just play it as is? Does the 980? What player upconverts DivX?
As for the question about upconverting, all of OPPO's players will upconvert the files to the player's current output resolution just as they will with DVD's. There is a resolution limit, as well - since the decoder is designed to handle DVD (with a resolution of 720x480), that's the highest resolution video file that it will play.

To all of you, techies:

In a previous post I explein I am considering buying the 983H player, obviosuly, for the upconverting task that all of you praised a lot (due to the ABT chip, right?).

Well, new gen Blu Ray players are here (almost), so I wonder myself if it will be a smart move to get the Oppo, or move forward to the next step.

I found the following announce of Sony:

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/080226/latu018a.html?.v=1

What do you think of?. Sincerely, pls?.
Anybody knows how is the upconverting virtues in this new kind of product?. Or which chipset is carrying inside to do the task?.

At a price of around u$s 500 the upper model, is just a bit over the Oppo player, who is a standard DVD player in the end.

I must admit I have no idea what kind of files -except DVDs and BDs- are able to manage the Blu Ray devices (Xvid?, DivX?, WMV?, SACD?, DVD-Audio?)

Any thought about it?

To all of you, techies:

In a previous post I explein I am considering buying the 983H player, obviosuly, for the upconverting task that all of you praised a lot (due to the ABT chip, right?).

Well, new gen Blu Ray players are here (almost), so I wonder myself if it will be a smart move to get the Oppo, or move forward to the next step.

I found the following announce of Sony:

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/080226/latu018a.html?.v=1

What do you think of?. Sincerely, pls?.
Anybody knows how is the upconverting virtues in this new kind of product?. Or which chipset is carrying inside to do the task?.

At a price of around u$s 500 the upper model, is just a bit over the Oppo player, who is a standard DVD player in the end.

I must admit I have no idea what kind of files -except DVDs and BDs- are able to manage the Blu Ray devices (Xvid?, DivX?, WMV?, SACD?, DVD-Audio?)

Any thought about it?As far as SD upconversion, there should be no improvements (Sony BDP-S350 Profile 1.1, bitstreaming and Sony BDP-S550 Profile 2.0, full internal decoding). The upscaling is about the same quality as the NS-77/NS700 family that sells for $79. The Oppo 980H offers better upconverting.

To all of you, techies:

In a previous post I explein I am considering buying the 983H player, obviosuly, for the upconverting task that all of you praised a lot (due to the ABT chip, right?).

Well, new gen Blu Ray players are here (almost), so I wonder myself if it will be a smart move to get the Oppo, or move forward to the next step.

I found the following announce of Sony:

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/080226/latu018a.html?.v=1

What do you think of?. Sincerely, pls?.
Anybody knows how is the upconverting virtues in this new kind of product?. Or which chipset is carrying inside to do the task?.

At a price of around u$s 500 the upper model, is just a bit over the Oppo player, who is a standard DVD player in the end.

I must admit I have no idea what kind of files -except DVDs and BDs- are able to manage the Blu Ray devices (Xvid?, DivX?, WMV?, SACD?, DVD-Audio?)

Any thought about it?
There are two primary reasons I have an Oppo player in my system (980H currently, 983H when I get it). The first is that I have yet to see a Blu-ray player that will play either SACDs (got lots of these) or DVD-As (not so many, but the Complete Lord of the Rings Trilogy soundtrack on DVD-A is reason enough). The second is that all of the Blu-ray players that I have and have tried are rather slow at everything and I'm an impatient person when it comes to powering on/starting such a device; and although I can put up with it with my Blu-ray discs (no choice), I don't want to with DVDs or SACDs. :)

To all of you, techies:
...
Well, new gen Blu Ray players are here (almost), so I wonder myself if it will be a smart move to get the Oppo, or move forward to the next step.
...
Any thought about it?

Personally, I don't think it's a technology issue so much as a question of your viewing interests. Are you into watching the latest Hollywood releases? Then, a Blu-ray player might be logical if you are willing to pay nearly double the price to buy BR discs vs. the same titles on SD DVD.

If you only rent, be aware that I just saw a report on another AVS Forum thread of a playability problem with rental BR discs. The inevitable scratches and scuffs associated with rentals may affect playability of high bitrate BR discs more than it does SD DVDs. The issue may be just emerging as circulation of rental BR discs increases with a larger installed base of BR players. On the other hand, it's too early to tell and rentals circulate locally so it may not be a universal problem in any event.

As an early adopter of a good BR player, I find that I use my OPPO 983 much more because of my viewing preferences.

Dana

Oh, God!
I have already test the NS-77 doing the upconvertion and is pretty awful, to say the least. I've tried Spiderman 1 DVD connected to Bravia KVL-S3000 in a Sonystyle Shop and the whole image was full of squares. You don't want to even go further the menu, which image look like the worst encoded DivX.

Anyone knows which chipset will carry the new one DBP-S550?. Maybe we can expect some improvements in this departament.

Oh, God!
I have already test the NS-77 doing the upconvertion and is pretty awful, to say the least. I've tried Spiderman 1 DVD connected to Bravia KVL-S3000 in a Sonystyle Shop and the whole image was full of squares. You don't want to even go further the menu, which image look like the worst encoded DivX.

Anyone knows which chipset will carry the new one DBP-S550?. Maybe we can expect some improvements in this departament.Sony tends to use their own chips, BTW this line of questioning should be in the Blu-Ray topic (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=&f=149).

Sony tends to use their own chips, BTW this line of questioning should be in the Blu-Ray topic (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=&f=149).

I´m sorry, John. I was not trying to mix topics.
I was totally convinced to buy the Oppo 983, till I know the new BD players gen are coming.
After reading and reading the post in this forum, now I don' tknow what to do.
Just trying to clear things up and make the right move.
Upscaling is an issue due to the amount of Standard DVD I have, most of them unavailable since they are unreleased collector items. But also is an issue to buy a pricey SD player that could be the best but also could be outdated in 6 months or so.
Can you see my point?

Mantas,

I don't understand why you think the OPPO 983 will be outdated in six months. If you think that future generations of Blu-ray players will also provide higher quality DVD upscaling, then I think the evidence in the marketplace is against you.

Upscaling SD DVD capability was important as a way to introduce BR players to new HD display owners who had an investment in SD DVDs, not unlike the DVD player/VCR combo deck of some years ago was a transition product.

As the competitive demand for lower priced BD players continues, the major manufacturers already are finding ways to cheapen their players. More decoding is/will be bitstream transferred to next gen AVRs. And there is a trend as noted in some reviews I've read to deemphasize quality upscaling of SD DVDs. Sony and other major player manufacturers really don't want us to buy more SD DVDs.

SD DVDs will be around for years to come. But, you won't find the best quality SD playback in combo players in years to come. IMHO.

Dana

I´m sorry, John. I was not trying to mix topics.
I was totally convinced to buy the Oppo 983, till I know the new BD players gen are coming.
After reading and reading the post in this forum, now I don' tknow what to do.
Just trying to clear things up and make the right move.
Upscaling is an issue due to the amount of Standard DVD I have, most of them unavailable since they are unreleased collector items. But also is an issue to buy a pricey SD player that could be the best but also could be outdated in 6 months or so.
Can you see my point?No problem, the moderators get annoyed if we start talking Blu-ray too much in this topic (I've been politely scolded) :D

What you are asking is two questions.....is $399 pricey for a SD player? NO. When you buy better brand players (Pioneer Elite, Marantz, Denon to name a few) that are Faroudja based, they usually cost more then the Oppo 983H, sometimes a lot more. The Anchor Bay deinterlacing/scaling processing in the 983H is about the best out there.

Is SD-Players suddenly going to be obsolete because Blu-Ray is available? NO. Most content is in SD-DVD format. There are 580 BR titles right now, and about 65,000 SD-DVD titles. Based on film to DVD conversion costs, its highly doubtful of majority of old content will ever make it to BR, so a high quality SD player is necessary.

As the competitive demand for lower priced BD players continues, the major manufacturers already are finding ways to cheapen their players. More decoding is/will be bitstream transferred to next gen AVRs. And there is a trend as noted in some reviews I've read to deemphasize quality upscaling of SD DVDs. Sony and other major player manufacturers really don't want us to buy more SD DVDs.

DanaThey can hope we don't buy SD-DVD's but when 2% of DVD's sold are BR, such is life. :)

Economics rule these days and SD-DVD's right now are a bargain.

No problem, the moderators get annoyed if we start talking Blu-ray too much in this topic (I've been politely scolded) :D

What you are asking is two questions.....is $399 pricey for a SD player? NO. When you buy better brand players (Pioneer Elite, Marantz, Denon to name a few) that are Faroudja based, they usually cost more then the Oppo 983H, sometimes a lot more. The Anchor Bay deinterlacing/scaling processing in the 983H is about the best out there.

Is SD-Players suddenly going to be obsolete because Blu-Ray is available? NO. Most content is in SD-DVD format. There are 580 BR titles right now, and about 65,000 SD-DVD titles. Based on film to DVD conversion costs, its highly doubtful of majority of old content will ever make it to BR, so a high quality SD player is necessary.


Can see your point.

As you must keep a turntable for the old vinyls that never made to CD and a VHS player for VHSs that never made to DVD, now we must have a good (or the best) Standard DVD player for the thousand of titles that will never made to Blu ray.
So it will be better to make more room to fit each and every device for each and every format.

In the end, what all of you are saying is: Blu ray devices don't and won't take care of the upconverting issue, just supply a low cost solution for the masses. Did I get it right?

So, I get back to the Oppo 983H choice.

I don't understand why you think the OPPO 983 will be outdated in six months. If you think that future generations of Blu-ray players will also provide higher quality DVD upscaling, then I think the evidence in the marketplace is against you.

...there is a trend as noted in some reviews I've read to deemphasize quality upscaling of SD DVDs. Sony and other major player manufacturers really don't want us to buy more SD DVDs.

SD DVDs will be around for years to come. But, you won't find the best quality SD playback in combo players in years to come. IMHO. An excellent post, Dana. You are so right.

Gary

Upscaling is an issue due to the amount of Standard DVD I have, most of them unavailable since they are unreleased collector items. But also is an issue to buy a pricey SD player that could be the best but also could be outdated in 6 months or so.
Can you see my point?
I certainly understand the potential concern about investing $400 in a standard DVD player in mid-2008, but I'll offer this observation: you mention a large collection of DVD's, including many titles which are not likely to be available on Blu-ray soon if ever. That library will still be sitting on your shelves years from now. The 983H offers standard DVD performance that will not be outdated as long as you have and want to watch those discs.

Me too :)

Me too. :)

...and it will come with latest update (Drop-out fixed), right?

Me too. :)

...and it will come with latest update (Drop-out fixed), right?
Right. Latest firmware will already be loaded.

Has OPPO commented on whether or not the recent earthquake in China has affected their production of the 983?

Is their factory located in Sichuan province?

Has OPPO commented on whether or not the recent earthquake in China has affected their production of the 983?BBK is located Pearl River Delta in Southern China, not even close to quake area. (Hong Kong)

Is their factory located in Sichuan province?

Not if previous information on this thread about OPPO Digital having a manufacturing relationship with BBK Electronics Corp, LTD is true (and I think it is) which is described as "... a large and noted enterprise situated in the prosperous Pearl River Delta in Southern China." The Pearl River Delta has Macau on its western side and Hong Kong on its eastern shore.

Dana

Does anyone know if Oppo is working on or at least aware of the following issue?

It plays 16:9 (or 2.35:1) content on a 4:3 tv as being stretched vertically when using component as primary output and NO HDMI and TV type set to 4:3. When any navigation button (or stop) is pressed the settings for 4:3 are lost and it reverts back to default 16:9 (stretched vertically)

I am awaiting a replacement player (which I am keeping regardless because I still love this player) but just wanted to check if Oppo was working on this issue.

I know that Neuromancer had put in a request to them so I am assuming they are aware of this.

Does anyone know if Oppo is working on or at least aware of the following issue?

It plays 16:9 (or 2.35:1) content on a 4:3 tv as being stretched vertically when using component as primary output and NO HDMI and TV type set to 4:3. When any navigation button (or stop) is pressed the settings for 4:3 are lost and it reverts back to default 16:9 (stretched vertically)

I am awaiting a replacement player (which I am keeping regardless because I still love this player) but just wanted to check if Oppo was working on this issue.

I know that Neuromancer had put in a request to them so I am assuming they are aware of this.

Yes they know about that. I have too 983 problem with layout. I presume that Youre problem is too with divx/xvid files? Just hope that they doing software update soon.

The issue has been reported but there has been no resolution to it at this time.

My 983 is leaving San Jose as I type...:):):):)

After farting around with a samjunk BD-P1200 and a BD-UP5000-both of which have excellent sd upscaling thanks to the HQV Reon chip-I decided to go with this little baby-it's on the way now-I got it with my bushy bucks (economic stimulus rebate). Can't wait to play with it!!

has anyone used the 983 with its vertical stretch feature with an anamorphic lense on a 2.35x1 cih projector setup yet? if so, how's it look?

also, this may have been mentioned, how does 983 fare with -r discs made on stand-alone dvd recorders?

I had the 981 and the tray still had about a quarter inch of the circle still in the machine, I bought a 980 and the tray comes all the way out. How far does it come out on the 983? Im just wondering if i'm going to upgrade or not i like the 980 but want the top of the line but not if the tray is set back somewhat into the machine.

waiting for my 983 to come from San Jose too, i can't wait!

After reading the last few pages of this thread, I can guarantee you, Rosie

O'Donnell will win the Miss America Pageant before the 983 becomes obsolete.

You have nothing to worry abouthttp://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g268/i30krab/122289.jpg (http://i58
.photobucket.com/albums/g268/i30krab/122289.jpg) :eek::D:eek:

Those who received the confirmation e-mail, have you already been charged?

The e-mail I received said that a credit card wouldn't be charged until the unit actually shipped, which according to my order status won't happen until next week, but my card was charged yesterday when I actually placed the order.

Those who received the confirmation e-mail, have you already been charged?

The e-mail I received said that a credit card wouldn't be charged until the unit actually shipped, which according to my order status won't happen until next week, but my card was charged yesterday when I actually placed the order.
i just checked my credit card and I have not been charged yet (my unit shipped today from San Jose).

After reading the last few pages of this thread, I can guarantee you, Rosie

O'Donnell will win the Miss America Pageant before the 983 becomes obsolete.

You have nothing to worry abouthttp://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g268/i30krab/122289.jpg (http://i58
.photobucket.com/albums/g268/i30krab/122289.jpg) :eek::D:eek:

LMAO... ROTF. On the other hand, I may have nightmares :eek:

I had the 981 and the tray still had about a quarter inch of the circle still in the machine, I bought a 980 and the tray comes all the way out. How far does it come out on the 983? Im just wondering if i'm going to upgrade or not i like the 980 but want the top of the line but not if the tray is set back somewhat into the machine.
The 983H's tray behaves the same as the 980H's tray.

i just checked my credit card and I have not been charged yet (my unit shipped today from San Jose).

Did you get confirmation?

They said mine would be going out between 5/22 and 5/28. No charge posted on my CC but they did do an authorization. This is normal and I am not worried about that.

I had the 981 and the tray still had about a quarter inch of the circle still in the machine, I bought a 980 and the tray comes all the way out. How far does it come out on the 983? Im just wondering if i'm going to upgrade or not i like the 980 but want the top of the line but not if the tray is set back somewhat into the machine.

About half an inch of the disc remains in the machine.

About half an inch of the disc remains in the machine.

And the problem with this is what?

I've viewed/listened to over 100 disks in my 983 and never had the slightest bit of trouble putting a disk onto the tray or taking it out. I've never even had a need to look at how far the tray comes out as I've never hit the disk against the player.

Is there someone who actually has difficulty getting a disk onto the tray or removing it?

And the problem with this is what?

I've viewed/listened to over 100 disks in my 983 and never had the slightest bit of trouble putting a disk onto the tray or taking it out. I've never even had a need to look at how far the tray comes out as I've never hit the disk against the player.

Is there someone who actually has difficulty getting a disk onto the tray or removing it?

I just answered his question, no opinion stated one way or the other. What is with you guys?

ETA 5/22 for the 983 inbound:D:D:D:D

And the problem with this is what?

I've viewed/listened to over 100 disks in my 983 and never had the slightest bit of trouble putting a disk onto the tray or taking it out. I've never even had a need to look at how far the tray comes out as I've never hit the disk against the player.

Is there someone who actually has difficulty getting a disk onto the tray or removing it?

The 983H's tray behaves the same as the 980H's tray.

Have I entered a parallel universe? :) WTF does it matter how far the tray comes out so long as you can put a disc in and take it out again? This is the finest SD disc player that has ever been created and it gives a new lease of life to every SD disc I have played in it, giving a smooth, film-like presentation that squeezes every last drop of picture quality from the DVD - and people are worrying about *how far the disc tray opens*?! TBH I hadn't even noticed this until I read it here and I own 4 DVD/HD/BD players. Really guys, come on.....

i just checked my credit card and I have not been charged yet (my unit shipped today from San Jose).

Mine shipped yesterday. No charge showing up as of now. There was a pending charge for it last week, but that's no longer there.

Timing question.....Is now the time to purchase or do you think some of the problems with these units might be hardware related? Also wouldn't it be better if the firmware/software updates are installed at the factory before the final tests? I'm definitely getting one, just would like opinions on when to pull the trigger. TNX

Also, is there any place to purchase less than $399.99??

Timing question.....Is now the time to purchase or do you think some of the problems with these units might be hardware related?

There is no reason to suspect a hardware problem. Everyone who has spoken up has confirmed that the current firmware corrects the dropout problem.

Also wouldn't it be better if the firmware/software updates are installed at the factory before the final tests?

Not following you. New units shipping will have the current firmware.

Also, is there any place to purchase less than $399.99??

Probably not. You might get free shipping from one of these places, but confirm availability: http://www.oppodigital.com/wheretobuy.html

-Bill

Timing question.....Is now the time to purchase or do you think some of the problems with these units might be hardware related? Also wouldn't it be better if the firmware/software updates are installed at the factory before the final tests? I'm definitely getting one, just would like opinions on when to pull the trigger. TNX
From what I can tell, the biggest problem (the drop-outs) was not hardware, and was corrected by the recent firmware update. I don't see any reason to be concerned about the hardware. As for where the firmware gets installed, it would certainly be more convenient for OPPO if the firmware update was done at the factory (save them a bunch of hassle doing it in California), but I can't think of any reason that it would be any better or worse from a QA standpoint.
Also, is there any place to purchase less than $399.99??
Nope.

So, there shouldn't be an "old stock" problem? It would be nice if Amazon started carrying the 983, no tax or shipping. Are these drop shipped or do these retailers have them in stock and where do most of the forum members buy from?

So, there shouldn't be an "old stock" problem?

Correct.

where do most of the forum members buy from?

I think most people order directly from Oppo.

-Bill

Oppo's probably the way to go for obvious reasons. HKFlix has $8.98 shipping and 2 free DVDs (of their choice).

If I'm in the wrong thread please chastise me. I've had my 983H for a month now and with some setup help from Gonk I'm really impressed with it's PQ on my Pioneer 1150. Way better than the 970HD it replaced. I picked up a Harmony One in order to placate the wife about remote clutter and the "How do I watch TV if you die"? complaint. I've read through this thread and searched several other threads on AVS as well as Logitech's forums about how well the Harmony One works with the 983H and what, if anything, has to be done to adjust to the long startup delay. The thread was a good read...some of it way over my head, but informative. thanks

As far as I know, all Harmony remotes use the same database. My 520 controlled the 983H perfectly, all comands were available.

I think most people order directly from Oppo.In Canada, OnlyBestRated.com

Did you get confirmation?

They said mine would be going out between 5/22 and 5/28. No charge posted on my CC but they did do an authorization. This is normal and I am not worried about that.
yes i got the fedex tracking number. shipped yesterday and delivery date of 5/20.

If I'm in the wrong thread please chastise me. I've had my 983H for a month now and with some setup help from Gonk I'm really impressed with it's PQ on my Pioneer 1150. Way better than the 970HD it replaced. I picked up a Harmony One in order to placate the wife about remote clutter and the "How do I watch TV if you die"? complaint. I've read through this thread and searched several other threads on AVS as well as Logitech's forums about how well the Harmony One works with the 983H and what, if anything, has to be done to adjust to the long startup delay. The thread was a good read...some of it way over my head, but informative. thanks

I didn't have to do a thing with my Harmony One and it seems to work fine.

Ok, this player sounds fantastic. The only difficulty I am having is I know there are plenty of people here who can afford this player and blu-ray players. And Yes I know blu-ray picture is the best I hear all the time, but between this player and a BD player is there a night and day difference? I mean I like movies but I'd rather spend 5 dollars on movies and not 20-40 per movie. Im just seeking opinions not dvds suck or blu-ray sucks or anything of that type just an unbiased opinion on the difference between this particular player and BD in general. I have a 40 inch sammy lcd. Thanks.

Ok, this player sounds fantastic. The only difficulty I am having is I know there are plenty of people here who can afford this player and blu-ray players. And Yes I know blu-ray picture is the best I hear all the time, but between this player and a BD player is there a night and day difference? I mean I like movies but I'd rather spend 5 dollars on movies and not 20-40 per movie. Im just seeking opinions not dvds suck or blu-ray sucks or anything of that type just an unbiased opinion on the difference between this particular player and BD in general. I have a 40 inch sammy lcd. Thanks.Since you have a 40" LCD, have you considered the $169 Oppo 980H or possibly the $229 Oppo 981HD? There are many other discussions regarding the PQ of watching SD-DVD versus BR DVD's. For me if I see a film I haven't seen, I'm not going to go out of my way to get the BR version unless its something really special. There's just too many good bargains out there to collect.

Ok, this player sounds fantastic. The only difficulty I am having is I know there are plenty of people here who can afford this player and blu-ray players. And Yes I know blu-ray picture is the best I hear all the time, but between this player and a BD player is there a night and day difference? I mean I like movies but I'd rather spend 5 dollars on movies and not 20-40 per movie. Im just seeking opinions not dvds suck or blu-ray sucks or anything of that type just an unbiased opinion on the difference between this particular player and BD in general. I have a 40 inch sammy lcd. Thanks.

On a large display, the difference in resolution between DVD & BR is night and day. The 983 does an amazing (perhaps the best) job with DVD. However, based on what you've said and your display size, the difference may not be terribly significant to you. I'd recommend getting the 980 or 981 and adding a BD player when you can.

I hope so given their great success on standard/upconversion players.

Oppo Blue Ray is desired.

Oppo Blue Ray with upconversion as good as 983 is desired.

I have the old Oppo 971 and only 1080i/720 display so I wait.

I hope so given their great success on standard/upconversion players.

Oppo Blue Ray is desired.

Oppo Blue Ray with upconversion as good as 983 is desired.

I have the old Oppo 971 and only 1080i/720 display so I wait.Well in that case your in for a terribly long wait, but if you want the best SD-DVD player right now then the oppo 983H is available. Otherwise you'll be waiting, waiting, waiting.......

Would you people stop saying Blue Ray?... please?
It's Blu-ray, and there is another thread to discuss Oppo's possible delve into those waters. That topic should be discussed there.

As in this OPPO Blu-Ray Thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=997188)

If I'm in the wrong thread please chastise me. I've had my 983H for a month now and with some setup help from Gonk I'm really impressed with it's PQ on my Pioneer 1150. Way better than the 970HD it replaced. I picked up a Harmony One in order to placate the wife about remote clutter and the "How do I watch TV if you die"? complaint. I've read through


Good to see your wife has her priorities right :)

I use a Harmony 1000 (they all use the same database info AFAIK) and it controls every aspect of my 983H to perfection.

Keith

Ok, this player sounds fantastic. The only difficulty I am having is I know there are plenty of people here who can afford this player and blu-ray players. And Yes I know blu-ray picture is the best I hear all the time, but between this player and a BD player is there a night and day difference? I mean I like movies but I'd rather spend 5 dollars on movies and not 20-40 per movie. Im just seeking opinions not dvds suck or blu-ray sucks or anything of that type just an unbiased opinion on the difference between this particular player and BD in general. I have a 40 inch sammy lcd. Thanks.

I have a 50 inch Samsung and I'm pretty fussy about PQ. I own several hundred SD DVDs and rather fewer HD-DVDs and BDs. It's difficult really to directly compare PQ between BD and SD in the way I think you're meaning. BD has much higher resolution and the main difference you would see (not the ONLY difference) is much more detail in the picture.

On SD discs through the 983H, you will see the best image quality you have ever seen from DVD. It can't possibly match the BD discs for resolution because the info isn't on the disc to begin with. But the Oppo 983H upscales (adds pixels by interpolation - a 50 dollar word for 'guesses' :) ) brilliantly.

What the Oppo will give you is a smooth, very 'film-like' presentation of SD DVDs. It's the film-like nature that impressed me the most about this player. From across the room, sometimes you might think you're watching BD - my girlfriend has walked into the room halfway through a movie and asked me if it's high def - that's how good it is. But if you had the BD version playing alongside, you wouldn't need to ask which was which - mainly because of all that extra detail. Also, the Oppo has superb display of colours and contrast, adding to the realism of the image and it's faithfullness to the film source.

Simply, the Oppo is State of the Art for SD DVD and you will not regret buying it. (Oppo even give you 30 days to send it back for a full refund, so what's to lose?).

This might help too: when I was watching SD through my Toshiba A35 or my Panasonic BD10A, I noticed that I was stopping watching my SD discs - I'd hesitate as I was choosing a movie and was starting to favour BD and HD-DVD most of the time. Now this is someone who has *several hundred* SD DVDs! Since getting the Oppo - guess what? I am watching *more* SD DVDs than high def DVDs. In fact, I am sometimes choosing to revisit favourite movies on SD just to see them again 'for the first time'. That's how good this player is.

So yes, you're right in thinking that it's a good plan to pay 5 bucks and build a fabulous movie collection in SD while BD discs are so expensive. Incidentally, since getting the Oppo I have been raiding the back catalogue bargain bins like crazy.

Buy the Oppo - you won't regret it.

HTH

Keith

Hi guys,

Has anybody retired an s97 for the 983h? If so, are you happy with that move, was it worth it and what are the benefits and diferences between the 2?

Currently I use the Panny, a Samsung BDP1200 bluray and a Tosh HDa30.

My dvd players would be connected to a Sony KDF-E60A20 rpLCD. I can go either hdmi or component... Limited to 1080i at this time but I have no complaints with that.

Thanks for the input.
Blade

Is there an out of state place to purchase one so I don't get stuck with CA sales tax?

I just put in my order for the DV-983H with second day delivery, because I want the best dvd player on the market today and also an excellent audio player too. I am currently using the Sony DVP-NS700h dvd player that I bought April 22 and I will be returning it on Monday, because I'm noticing jaggy edges in movies, somewhat not to smooth motion, 15 seconds loading times, and I'm not too pleased with its pq. I currently have a Sharp Aquos 37 inch lcd tv and I will be buying at least 40 to 42 inch lcd or plasma tv this summer. I might end up getting the new highend Panasonic 42 inch plasma tv or one of the upperline new Sony lcd 40 inch tvs. One of my friends who had the DV-983H about a month and tried out the Sony DVP-NS72H (Costco's version of the Sony DVP-NS77H) which he returned recently (Sony dvd player), also has last years 40 inch Sony W series lcd. He noticed a huge improvement in PQ from the NS72H to the DV-983H. Hopefully I will be happier with DV-983H, more than the not so good Sony DVP-NS700H.

Thanks for all the info you seem to be reading my mind. I too love the 5 dollar bin. lol. I have no problem with the asking price of the 983H but I guess since i can't do A-B comparisons with blu and dvd i wont really notice. Case in fact walmart has the mummy collection all 3dvds for under 15 and supposedly the Bds will be 40 each, i dont like them that much. lol But thanks i got the email asking if i wanted to order it so i think ill pull the trigger.

I have a 50 inch Samsung and I'm pretty fussy about PQ. I own several hundred SD DVDs and rather fewer HD-DVDs and BDs. It's difficult really to directly compare PQ between BD and SD in the way I think you're meaning. BD has much higher resolution and the main difference you would see (not the ONLY difference) is much more detail in the picture.

On SD discs through the 983H, you will see the best image quality you have ever seen from DVD. It can't possibly match the BD discs for resolution because the info isn't on the disc to begin with. But the Oppo 983H upscales (adds pixels by interpolation - a 50 dollar word for 'guesses' :) ) brilliantly.

What the Oppo will give you is a smooth, very 'film-like' presentation of SD DVDs. It's the film-like nature that impressed me the most about this player. From across the room, sometimes you might think you're watching BD - my girlfriend has walked into the room halfway through a movie and asked me if it's high def - that's how good it is. But if you had the BD version playing alongside, you wouldn't need to ask which was which - mainly because of all that extra detail. Also, the Oppo has superb display of colours and contrast, adding to the realism of the image and it's faithfullness to the film source.

Simply, the Oppo is State of the Art for SD DVD and you will not regret buying it. (Oppo even give you 30 days to send it back for a full refund, so what's to lose?).

This might help too: when I was watching SD through my Toshiba A35 or my Panasonic BD10A, I noticed that I was stopping watching my SD discs - I'd hesitate as I was choosing a movie and was starting to favour BD and HD-DVD most of the time. Now this is someone who has *several hundred* SD DVDs! Since getting the Oppo - guess what? I am watching *more* SD DVDs than high def DVDs. In fact, I am sometimes choosing to revisit favourite movies on SD just to see them again 'for the first time'. That's how good this player is.

So yes, you're right in thinking that it's a good plan to pay 5 bucks and build a fabulous movie collection in SD while BD discs are so expensive. Incidentally, since getting the Oppo I have been raiding the back catalogue bargain bins like crazy.

Buy the Oppo - you won't regret it.

HTH

Keith

Keith,
My dilemma exactly. I still love my std dvd collection. Yes Blue-ray is far superior period when pitting a well mastered dvd against a well mastered blue-ray or well mastered HDdvd but... I do still love my std dvd's so, question is......

will the OPPO 983H give me a better picture, with std dvd, than my Samsung bd-p1200 with it's Reon HQV processing? I still want the best possible std dvd picture but not at Denon prices.

Blade

I just answered his question, no opinion stated one way or the other. What is with you guys?

sum guys r just arrogant!:eek:

:D

THIS IS HOW YOU SPELL Blu-ray... AGAIN :rolleyes:

Is there an out of state place to purchase one so I don't get stuck with CA sales tax?

"big river" sells OPPO and they do not collect CA sale tax.

Good to see your wife has her priorities right :)

I use a Harmony 1000 (they all use the same database info AFAIK) and it controls every aspect of my 983H to perfection.

Keith

I'm using Universal Remote MX-850. Pause dont work with this but all other controls are ok.

sum guys r just arrogant!:eek:

:D
Are you uneducated or are you just trying to be funny?

I still have some issues be4 press the buy button.
Most important is the PAL issue.

All of you who have already tried Pal DVDs (and see them in color I guess), have a PAL LCD to watch them?. Or you turn the Oppo 983 to send the signal in NTSC (if the 983 do that, I do not know?).

AFAIK, in USA you only can buy NTSC based LCD (ex: SonyStyle do not offer any variant as they offer in India or Southamerica).

The other issue is what type of PAL is the one delivered by the Oppo 983.
You could ask:why that question?.

Well, as all of you know there are many PAL variants and many LCD TVs supporting the PAL system. But the one Sony offers in India (I use Sony as example only) offers (besides NTSC and SECAM) a wide variety of PAL (B,G,I, etc.) that not includes the PAL-N AND PAL-M (used in Argentina and Brasil). But in Brasil and Argentina, Sony offers NTSC/PAL-N/PAL-M, but not the other types of PAL (B, I, G, and many others, mostly the european types)

What's the point then?

I already have a couple of DVD players that supported NTSC/ PAL reproduction, but when using PAL in a PAL-N LCD, you see black & white images.

See the point?

I mailed Oppo Customer Service and the answered me the following:

The variants of PAL are only important for the baseband of analog signals, as you have to modulate the signal. If the display does not support the modulation, then you will receive a black and white image. For digital displays over HDMI you only need to support 50Hz synchronizations. We have not heard of any issues related with PAL output from our Argentina customers.

Best Regards,

Customer Service
OPPO Digital, Inc.
2629B Terminal Blvd.
Mountain View, CA 94043
Service@oppodigital.com
Tel: 650-961-1118
Fax: 650-961-1119


Some of you, dear techies, can explain that a little further?
Will I see PAL DVDs in color thru' my PAL-N/M Sony Bravia?.
Some of the people in PAL countries can share your PAL experiencie with the OPPOs devices?.

Thank you.

I'm using Universal Remote MX-850. Pause dont work with this but all other controls are ok.

Your remote can just "learn" the pause button,yes?

I still have some issues be4 press the buy button.
Most important is the PAL issue.

All of you who have already tried Pal DVDs (and see them in color I guess), have a PAL LCD to watch them?. Or you turn the Oppo 983 to send the signal in NTSC (if the 983 do that, I do not know?).

AFAIK, in USA you only can buy NTSC based LCD (ex: SonyStyle do not offer any variant as they offer in India or Southamerica).

The other issue is what type of PAL is the one delivered by the Oppo 983.
You could ask:why that question?.

Well, as all of you know there are many PAL variants and many LCD TVs supporting the PAL system. But the one Sony offers in India (I use Sony as example only) offers (besides NTSC and SECAM) a wide variety of PAL (B,G,I, etc.) that not includes the PAL-N AND PAL-M (used in Argentina and Brasil). But in Brasil and Argentina, Sony offers NTSC/PAL-N/PAL-M, but not the other types of PAL (B, I, G, and many others, mostly the european types)

What's the point then?

I already have a couple of DVD players that supported NTSC/ PAL reproduction, but when using PAL in a PAL-N LCD, you see black & white images.

See the point?

I mailed Oppo Customer Service and the answered me the following:

The variants of PAL are only important for the baseband of analog signals, as you have to modulate the signal. If the display does not support the modulation, then you will receive a black and white image. For digital displays over HDMI you only need to support 50Hz synchronizations. We have not heard of any issues related with PAL output from our Argentina customers.

Best Regards,

Customer Service
OPPO Digital, Inc.
2629B Terminal Blvd.
Mountain View, CA 94043
Service@oppodigital.com
Tel: 650-961-1118
Fax: 650-961-1119


Some of you, dear techies, can explain that a little further?
Will I see PAL DVDs in color thru' my PAL-N/M Sony Bravia?.
Some of the people in PAL countries can share your PAL experiencie with the OPPOs devices?.

Thank you.

Looks like OPPO didn't fully understand your question. Maybe you should copy this post to send to them or just give them a call.

I watch PAL Region 2 DVDs on my NTSC 1080p LCD using an HDMI connection. I select NTSC as the TV Type on the OPPO 983 and it does the rest. I also select Video 2 as the Video Mode since I am using HDMI. The 983 Manual page 57 says:

Video 2 – Video 2 mode utilizes the Precision Video Scaling™ and RightRate™ video
processing technologies from VRS™ by Anchor Bay (Video Reference Series) to perform
PAL/NTSC conversion.

Dana

Some of you, dear techies, can explain that a little further?
Will I see PAL DVDs in color thru' my PAL-N/M Sony Bravia?.
Some of the people in PAL countries can share your PAL experiencie with the OPPOs devices?.

I'm in NTSC-land, but I do play PAL dvds (from Europe and Australia) to an LCD that accepts PAL. I have not heard of problems with the different varieties of PAL before.

Oppo says they have not had this problem with owners in your region, which sounds encouraging.

It also sounds like the differences would not matter for HDMI. Have you found that to be not true?

-Bill

Looks like OPPO didn't fully understand your question. Maybe you should copy this post to send to them or just give them a call.

I think it's a safe bet that OPPO Digital understood his question. I read their answer to be that the various flavors of PAL are significant for analog connection only. If a digital HDMI connection is used, no problem.

Dana

Is the 983h the best solution OPPO offers for 1080i via component output?

Is the 1080i performance of the 983h via hdmi and component equal in video quality? If not, what are the differences?

Blade

Is the 983h the best solution OPPO offers for 1080i via component output?

Is the 1080i performance of the 983h via hdmi and component equal in video quality? If not, what are the differences?

Blade

For component use, OPPO Digital recommends its 980 player. A comparison chart is here http://www.oppodigital.com/dv980h/dv980h_comp.asp

Dana

Is the 983h the best solution OPPO offers for 1080i via component output?

You'll get the same component performance with the 980 which is only $169.

Is the 1080i performance of the 983h via hdmi and component equal in video quality?

No.

If not, what are the differences?

For HDMI the 983 uses two ABT chips for deinterlacing and scaling. For component, the 983 and 980 use a single Mediatek chip.

The ABT solution produces a better video image, and has additional functionality in zooming and aspect ratio control. It also has better conversion between NTSC and PAL.

Note that with both players you are limited to 480i and 480p on component for CSS-protected discs. Discs without copy protection scale to 720p, 1080i, and 1080p.

-Bill

I'm in NTSC-land, but I do play PAL dvds (from Europe and Australia) to an LCD that accepts PAL. I have not heard of problems with the different varieties of PAL before.

Oppo says they have not had this problem with owners in your region, which sounds encouraging.

It also sounds like the differences would not matter for HDMI. Have you found that to be not true?

-Bill

Bill, Which kind of PAL is the one accepted by your LCD?.

It must says if it is PAL B, PAL I, PAL N, PAL M, PAL 60 or others.

PAL B (used mainly in Europe) is, afaik, the most pure of the PAL versions.

PAL N was a kind of creation used in Southamerica to allowed compatibility with electric current and the B&W TVs back in that day, which were mostly the american type.

PAL M (adopted by Brasil) was another deformation (most related to NTSC than PAL itself) adopted purely for comecial reasons (build their own TV sets).

The PAL world is a complete mess we are in.

Also I send another mail to Oppo Costumer Service to know if I understand what they said to me:
If I go thru' HDMI, any Pal LCD (no matter B, I, N, M) will get PAL signal (not converted to NTSC) from Oppo 983 as far as the LCD can manage 50 hz frequency.

Sounds right?

Bill, Which kind of PAL is the one accepted by your LCD?.

The LCD documents do not mention PAL at all. I found that it would accept a PAL signal from the Oppo players by trying it.

If I go thru' HDMI, any Pal LCD (no matter B, I, N, M) will get PAL signal (not converted to NTSC) from Oppo 983 as far as the LCD can manage 50 hz frequency.

Sounds right?


I believe that is correct.

-Bill

sum guys r just arrogant!:eek:

:D

Do you really like to embarrass yourself in public?

You'll get the same component performance with the 980 which is only $169.



No.



For HDMI the 983 uses two ABT chips for deinterlacing and scaling. For component, the 983 and 980 use a single Mediatek chip.

The ABT solution produces a better video image, and has additional functionality in zooming and aspect ratio control. It also has better conversion between NTSC and PAL.

Note that with both players you are limited to 480i and 480p on component for CSS-protected discs. Discs without copy protection scale to 720p, 1080i, and 1080p.

-Bill


Bill,

Outstanding thanks. I have the OPPO hdmi switcher that I use for my HDdvd and Blu-ray players. So if I jump on the 983 I'll just use the 3rd hdmi input for the Oppo, get all the benefits of the 1080i w/ABT...and I'll just have to find a happy setting on my video input on the Sony since the single hdmi would be handling all 3 players. Right now my Panny s97 uses the component due to the macro-blocking bug with Faroudja via hdmi.

Any tips on settings in the 983 that may make it work closely with the other players that share the same input?

Blade

I don't think this has been asked here, sorry if i missed it, but:

Has anyone used the USB port on the 983 to stream music from their computer??? Using either an external DAC or the internal one of the oppo. As far as I can tell this is a possibility and and avenue I would like to explore further. Thanks

-Funk

Dear people,

Thank you so much for all your superb hints and tips :)
All of you on this forum, makes it really professional ;)

I will buy a 983 soon, but i like to read more about the PAL quality.
In the Netherlands we use PAL region 2 dvd's :D
And yes... european people love the RGB scart.

Michel

Any tips on settings in the 983 that may make it work closely with the other players that share the same input?

You mean calibrating it so that it matches the the other devices sharing the same HDMI port on the display?

That's a tough one. The standard advice is to calibrate the display, not the DVD player. The player adjustments are not as fine as those on most displays, and it has been suggested here that moving the player's brightness or contrast settings off zero hurts the grayscale performance.

The solution would seem to be multiple custom presets on the display, but I don't know what displays have that. Mine doesn't, so I just keep a written list of settings and change them manually when switching players.

-Bill

I will buy a 983 soon, but i like to read more about the PAL quality.
In the Netherlands we use PAL region 2 dvd's

Maybe someone with a larger PAL collection than mine will speak up, but I believe PAL and NTSC performance are the same from the ABT deinterlacing chip: http://www.anchorbaytech.com/products/semiconductors/abt102.php

To my eyes, PAL performance on the 983 is as good or better as with the 981/971, better than the 980, which is said to be better than the 970.

-Bill

I'm using Universal Remote MX-850. Pause dont work with this but all other controls are ok.
The 980H and 983H have a separate pause command, while earlier OPPO players had a combined play/pause command. It sounds like you are using an OPPO code that pre-dates this change. Learning will take care of that...

You mean calibrating it so that it matches the the other devices sharing the same HDMI port on the display?

That's a tough one. The standard advice is to calibrate the display, not the DVD player. The player adjustments are not as fine as those on most displays, and it has been suggested here that moving the player's brightness or contrast settings off zero hurts the grayscale performance.

The solution would seem to be multiple custom presets on the display, but I don't know what displays have that. Mine doesn't, so I just keep a written list of settings and change them manually when switching players.

-Bill

Bill,

Exactly. I always adjust at monitor and I have tweaked with DVE for years now. My Sony will allow custom settings to be saved for each input. It has 2 hd component in's and the 1 hdmi. Trusts me, in fall 05 when I got the tv I did not think i'd have 3 hdmi sources and actually I could use a 4th, for the Comcast I have which will be FIOS in 30 days.

My HDdvd abd blu-ray players are both fine on the same setting, I am sure I can tweak the setting a little bit for an OPPO.

That $ 100 Oppo switcher will definately get its workout.

Thanks again,
Jon

I didn't have to do a thing with my Harmony One and it seems to work fine.
Setup the remote last night. As you said no problems with the 983H. All the basics were covered. If I need to go deeper there's always Oppo's remote. Thanks

Hi guys, can someone tell me if is there any difference with the version is going to be distributed soon in europe?

Regarding the 7.1 analog audio outs on the 983/980, can I use the FL/FR to send analog stereo while using HDMI for 5/7.1 to my pre amp.

I currently send anlaog outs + S-video to an RF modulator to feed the MBR TV.

Will the audio from the FL/FR give me down mixed stereo for this setup without having to do menu changes on the DVDp?

Rmassey, I believe you can have both the L & R analogs going while also sending 5/7.1 to your pre-amp, since all all audio and video outputs are active at the same time. HOWEVER, I think you'll have to make sure the output is PCM. Also, the L/R channels will not be downmixed, it will be just the L and R channels of the soundtrack being played. The only way to have it downmix to stereo, it to change the setting in the menu, and if you do that, then your HDMI connection will also be downmixed to stereo as well.

it will be just the L and R channels of the soundtrack being played. The only way to have it downmix to stereo, it to change the setting in the menu, and if you do that, then your HDMI connection will also be downmixed to stereo as well.

thanks sp, this is what I get using my 981, I was just hoping the 980/983 would be different since they do not have dedicated L/R outs.

It's kinda of a pain to work thru the menus to set it to downmix and then remember to put it back to 5.1

I'll prob just use an old dvdp L/R outs + S-video to feed the RF modulator and only use the 983 for the HT via HDMI.

Hey guys;
I've been having the 983 in my sights for awhile now as part of my new HT setup and also have had the 9G 151fd pioneer plasma in my sight as well. Guys over at that thread (knowledgeable ones) are claiming the pioneer plasma's native processing is on par with the 983 in terms of upconverting and suggests the 980 for outputting 480i and to let the plasma do the rest....anyone have any comments to this? Also, my other main use for the oppo player will be to play CD and SACD (audio) for my speakers....would there be a difference in doing this between the 980 and the 983? Thanks so much in advance for your assistance.

Maybe someone with a larger PAL collection than mine will speak up, but I believe PAL and NTSC performance are the same from the ABT deinterlacing chip: http://www.anchorbaytech.com/products/semiconductors/abt102.php

To my eyes, PAL performance on the 983 is as good or better as with the 981/971, better than the 980, which is said to be better than the 970.

-Bill

We in New Zealand are Pal, but I also buy many NTSC discs from Amazon USA. The Pal discs look just as good as the NTSC discs on the DV-983H.

I have the "Worlds Fastest Indian" on HD DVD and also a Pal Standard DVD copy, the differance in qaulity between the two is only very subtle!
Excellent image, clean and plenty of detail.

Has anyone used the USB port on the 983 to stream music from their computer??? No. The USB port can only be connected to a mountable drive - a flash drive or a FAT16/32 hard drive. I have used both for music and it works extremely well (no lossless formats are supported, though).

Gary

...have had the 9G 151fd pioneer plasma in my sight as well. Guys over at that thread (knowledgeable ones) are claiming the pioneer plasma's native processing is on par with the 983 in terms of upconverting and suggests the 980 for outputting 480i and to let the plasma do the rest....anyone have any comments to this? The 9G Pioneer Kuro plasmas have not been released yet. How can anyone tell you that its processing is on a par with the 983? See Miata's posts about the 983 vs. the current Kuro models. The 983 is still King.

Gary

Thanks for the reply, I believe they were comparing the processing on the current 8G models and assume that the 9G will be greater. I will check out Miata's posts. Thanks for the help.

Your remote can just "learn" the pause button,yes?

Yes. I tried several things. Copy from Oppo remote codes (in MX browser mode), tried to learn from original Oppo remote. Nothing works. When I will pause from original remote then I can start play from UR learned/copied button. So it does only half what it must do.

The 980H and 983H have a separate pause command, while earlier OPPO players had a combined play/pause command. It sounds like you are using an OPPO code that pre-dates this change. Learning will take care of that...

Nope. It doesnt work with 980 neither 983. And I tried to copy new codes and learn from my new 983 remote.

Hi guys, can someone tell me if is there any difference with the version is going to be distributed soon in europe?

As 983 supports equally Pal and Ntsc I hope that European version (if such version will distribute) probably means European power cord instead American.

I'm using Universal Remote MX-850. Pause dont work with this but all other controls are ok.

I have an MX-850 and the pause (learned) works fine. When I originally programmed it I some issues with a few learned keys and had to repeat the process. I found when doing the learn process a short, quick press from the Oppo remote worked every time but if I depressed and held the key on Oppo during the learn process the MX-850 would show it good but it wouldn't work with the player.

Do you really like to embarrass yourself in public?

never have, never will.

Keith,
My dilemma exactly. I still love my std dvd collection. Yes Blue-ray is far superior period when pitting a well mastered dvd against a well mastered blue-ray or well mastered HDdvd but... I do still love my std dvd's so, question is......

will the OPPO 983H give me a better picture, with std dvd, than my Samsung bd-p1200 with it's Reon HQV processing? I still want the best possible std dvd picture but not at Denon prices.

Blade

Hi Blade.

I don't have a Samsung bd-p1200 so I can't give you a direct A-B comparison unfortunately. But I do have the Panasonic BD10A and the Toshiba A35 and I can definitely say the PQ from the 983H is in a different league to either of those when playing SD. I have also had a lot of experience of various upscaling DVD players over the past few years and I can definitely say, again, that the 983H beats all of them that I have tried - including players that have cost around 1000 bucks!

I have *never* seen DVDs look this good (on a 50 inch screen). I have been watching one after another and marvelling at the smoothness, the film-like nature of the image, the colour, the contrast and also the sound, which is also superb. I have seen no artefacts or PQ problems at all on the dozens of DVDs I have watched since getting the player just over a month ago.

Out of the tens of thousands of bucks I have spent on AV gear over the years, the 983 is one of the very best buys I have ever made. For the revitalisation of your SD library, this player is *cheap*. If it was twice the price, I'd still say it was good value because I have several hundred SD DVDs and now I can continue to enjoy them even more than I did in the past. Not to mention being able to snap up the bargains.

If I were you I'd try to get a proper comparison between your Samsung and the 983H so you can see for yourself if the investment is worth it. I'd suspect it was - if the Sammy played SD DVDs as well as the Oppo, I think we'd have heard about it before now!

HTH

Keith

Maybe someone with a larger PAL collection than mine will speak up, but I believe PAL and NTSC performance are the same from the ABT deinterlacing chip: http://www.anchorbaytech.com/products/semiconductors/abt102.php

To my eyes, PAL performance on the 983 is as good or better as with the 981/971, better than the 980, which is said to be better than the 970.

-Bill

I'm in the UK and own at least 500 PAL SD DVDS. They are *superb* on the 983H. Read my other comments here for my opinion of this player and its abilities with PAL discs.

Keith

I'm using Universal Remote MX-850. Pause dont work with this but all other controls are ok.

Can you 'teach' the Harmony to learn the pause control from the Oppo remote?

Keith

I still have some issues be4 press the buy button.
Most important is the PAL issue.

All of you who have already tried Pal DVDs (and see them in color I guess), have a PAL LCD to watch them?. Or you turn the Oppo 983 to send the signal in NTSC (if the 983 do that, I do not know?).

AFAIK, in USA you only can buy NTSC based LCD (ex: SonyStyle do not offer any variant as they offer in India or Southamerica).

The other issue is what type of PAL is the one delivered by the Oppo 983.
You could ask:why that question?.

Well, as all of you know there are many PAL variants and many LCD TVs supporting the PAL system. But the one Sony offers in India (I use Sony as example only) offers (besides NTSC and SECAM) a wide variety of PAL (B,G,I, etc.) that not includes the PAL-N AND PAL-M (used in Argentina and Brasil). But in Brasil and Argentina, Sony offers NTSC/PAL-N/PAL-M, but not the other types of PAL (B, I, G, and many others, mostly the european types)

What's the point then?

I already have a couple of DVD players that supported NTSC/ PAL reproduction, but when using PAL in a PAL-N LCD, you see black & white images.

See the point?

I mailed Oppo Customer Service and the answered me the following:

The variants of PAL are only important for the baseband of analog signals, as you have to modulate the signal. If the display does not support the modulation, then you will receive a black and white image. For digital displays over HDMI you only need to support 50Hz synchronizations. We have not heard of any issues related with PAL output from our Argentina customers.

Best Regards,

Customer Service
OPPO Digital, Inc.
2629B Terminal Blvd.
Mountain View, CA 94043
Service@oppodigital.com
Tel: 650-961-1118
Fax: 650-961-1119


Some of you, dear techies, can explain that a little further?
Will I see PAL DVDs in color thru' my PAL-N/M Sony Bravia?.
Some of the people in PAL countries can share your PAL experiencie with the OPPOs devices?.

Thank you.


I'm in the Uk and I have a Samsung full HD 50 inch plasma screen. Like all screens sold in Europe it can handle PAL or NTSC.

I have at least 500 PAL discs and I can tell you, without hesitation, that the 983 reproduces them *superbly*. The best I have *ever* seen my DVDs look. I would not worry about PAL if I were you.

HTH

Keith

Is the HDMI cable that comes with the 983H "good enough" or do I need to replace it? With? :confused:

I will be using the their HDMI Switch, as I have used up all my inputs, if this makes any difference. Thanks!

Is the HDMI cable that comes with the 983H "good enough" or do I need to replace it? With? :confused:

It's fine. About the same as the basic Monoprice cables.

-Bill

Nope. It doesnt work with 980 neither 983. And I tried to copy new codes and learn from my new 983 remote.
Try using this file (http://www.prillaman.net/mx700_files/custom_devices/oppo_dv983h_jrp.mxd) - it's a copy of my 983H device file, created for the MX-700. Note that it's a device file, not the whole system file (which can be found here (http://www.prillaman.net/mx700_files/mx700_jrp.mxf)).

Hi Blade.

I don't have a Samsung bd-p1200 so I can't give you a direct A-B comparison unfortunately. But I do have the Panasonic BD10A and the Toshiba A35 and I can definitely say the PQ from the 983H is in a different league to either of those when playing SD. I have also had a lot of experience of various upscaling DVD players over the past few years and I can definitely say, again, that the 983H beats all of them that I have tried - including players that have cost around 1000 bucks!

I have *never* seen DVDs look this good (on a 50 inch screen). I have been watching one after another and marvelling at the smoothness, the film-like nature of the image, the colour, the contrast and also the sound, which is also superb. I have seen no artefacts or PQ problems at all on the dozens of DVDs I have watched since getting the player just over a month ago.

Out of the tens of thousands of bucks I have spent on AV gear over the years, the 983 is one of the very best buys I have ever made. For the revitalisation of your SD library, this player is *cheap*. If it was twice the price, I'd still say it was good value because I have several hundred SD DVDs and now I can continue to enjoy them even more than I did in the past. Not to mention being able to snap up the bargains.

If I were you I'd try to get a proper comparison between your Samsung and the 983H so you can see for yourself if the investment is worth it. I'd suspect it was - if the Sammy played SD DVDs as well as the Oppo, I think we'd have heard about it before now!

HTH

Keith

Keith,
I hear ya. I am very close pulling the trigger. The Sammy did score a 96 on the Benchmark, close to OPPO, and it does have an awsome picture. I remember when I 1st got the Sammy, had no Blu-ray disks yet, and I wanted to rewatch all my dvd's again, until Blu came.
I'd love to get a note from KrisDerring since he has worked closely with both. Gotta make sure since I am using a 60" screen but Oppo does sound like they'll reel me in. I appreciate the feedback. I am interested in any product that makes me wanna rewatch all my std dvds.
Blade

Can you 'teach' the Harmony to learn the pause control from the Oppo remote?

Keith

I dont know. I never had Harmony, but as far I was read about Harmony it seems easier than UR remotes programming.

Hi guys,

Has anybody retired an s97 for the 983h? If so, are you happy with that move, was it worth it and what are the benefits and diferences between the 2?



Just recently replaced an S97 with a 983H, and I'm quite happy with the purchase. Of course, in my case it was because the Panasonic had locked up completely and had turned into an overpriced doorstop, but that just allowed me to justify an upgrade that I was tempted to make anyway.

Comparing the two, the big improvement was in the area of macroblocking. I generally liked the picture from the Panasonic, but the Faroudja chipset in the S97 never did play nicely with my Sony SXRD display, and the result was noticable macroblocking on a number of movies. With the Oppo, no more macroblocking, and the overall image quality is outstanding.

Hope this helps.

Keith,
I appreciate the feedback. I am interested in any product that makes me wanna rewatch all my std dvds.
Blade

Yeah - that was the clincher for me. Instead of my SD discs becoming a poor relation, they're now giving me as much pleasure (in a different way) as my high def discs do. Gotta be worth the money for that eh?!

Keith

Comparing the two, the big improvement was in the area of macroblocking. I generally liked the picture from the Panasonic, but the Faroudja chipset in the S97 never did play nicely with my Sony SXRD display, and the result was noticable macroblocking on a number of movies. With the Oppo, no more macroblocking, and the overall image quality is outstanding.

Hope this helps.

Yea, my s97 is hooked up with component to avoid the MB bug which was horendous via hdmi.... It was nice to lose the edge enh though.

Yeah - that was the clincher for me. Instead of my SD discs becoming a poor relation, they're now giving me as much pleasure (in a different way) as my high def discs do. Gotta be worth the money for that eh?!

Keith

wUrd...

I have an MX-850 and the pause (learned) works fine. When I originally programmed it I some issues with a few learned keys and had to repeat the process. I found when doing the learn process a short, quick press from the Oppo remote worked every time but if I depressed and held the key on Oppo during the learn process the MX-850 would show it good but it wouldn't work with the player.

Thank you man! Now it works fine. It wants only short push, it takes 5-6 times but finally I was found proper pressing lenght :)

I'm in the Uk and I have a Samsung full HD 50 inch plasma screen. Like all screens sold in Europe it can handle PAL or NTSC.

I have at least 500 PAL discs and I can tell you, without hesitation, that the 983 reproduces them *superbly*. The best I have *ever* seen my DVDs look. I would not worry about PAL if I were you.

HTH

Keith

Hi Keith:

First of all, are you watching PAL in PAL, right? (I mean, not converted to NTSC by Oppo 983).

Which kind of PAL Version handles your PLASMA?
As you stated your are in UK, I guess they are the European PAL types (B, I, etc). Your PLASMA states the PAL-N type among the systems supported?.

On the other hand, are you feeding your PLASMA thru' HDMI?

Mantas.

Love the forums here, I check them nearly every day...

Been following this thread and the critical acclaim the 983H has received fervently. I just recently ventured into the HD world and love my new 50" Panasonic Viera/DMP-BD30 combo for playing blu-rays. My viewing distance is 9.5ft. However, I own over 1250 SD DVDs (98% Region 1) and am not all that impressed with the upconverteding on the BD30. So, I began looking for a top-notch SD upconverter in the hopes of getting the most PQ-wise out of my collection and came across the 983H.

With my set-up would I really see all that much benefit in going with the 983H instead of the 980 or 981? I've noticed that even Oppo Digital would not necessarily recommend the jump to the 983H if your set-up does not warrant it. Money is not a necessarily a concern, but would be nice to save in a scenario where I get the most 'bang for my buck,' and not throw away extra cash for a flagship model that will not yield noticeable differences/increases in PQ.

Question: At which screen size/viewing distance does one start seeing the PQ benefits of upgrading to the 983H vs. either the 980H or 981HD?

Follow-Up: If it turns out that the 983H is not worth it for my 50" set-up, which between the two (980H vs. 981HD) presents the lesser of two evils? I believe I've read the 980H has a sharper picture, but is less film-like and exhibits some de-interlacing issues, but that the 981HD has macroblocking problems due to the Faroudja chip taht is especially apparent in Panasonic flat-panels among other displays.

Which is the more drastic problem? In the end which player of the three would you recommend?

I KNOW THIS QUESTION HAS BEEN POSED COUNTLESS TIMES, but would nonetheless very much appreciate a specific recommendation based on my display. Help a new guy out. Thanks in advance.

ChaplinM,

OPPO Digital has posted a product comparison discussion and chart of all three of its players that should be helpful if you haven't seen it. http://www.oppodigital.com/dv983h/dv983h_comp.asp

Dana

I KNOW THIS QUESTION HAS BEEN POSED COUNTLESS TIMES, but would nonetheless very much appreciate a specific recommendation based on my display. Help a new guy out. Thanks in advance.

I cannot help you with your specific display, but...

I have all three players and all produce a pleasing image on my 37" LCD viewed from 7 feet. I can see a difference between them when testing and switching between them, but when actually watching movies the differences fade away.

The sensible course would be to buy the 980 and be happy.

If you are subject to nagging doubts as to whether the 983 might give better viewing pleasure, the extra $230 will relieve that anxiety.

That sounds flip, but it is true. I think a completely rational being at these viewing angles would be happy with the 980. But being the psychologically complicated people we are, you could spend the extra and relax in the knowledge "no worries, it doesn't get any better than this."

-Bill

ChaplinM,
Budget minded?... get the 980
Don't mind the price?... get the 983 (it IS better)

The standard formula often used for seating distance from a display is 1.5 to twice the width of the display. At 4M you are sitting a long way to notice any major improvements by using the DV-983H.

The design of the DV-981HD is not unatractive at all and many prefer its slim lines.

Many of us use a projector to get closer to the 1.5 to 2x seating distance and thats where the DV-983H will really show its true colours!

Based on the seating guidelines offered by RapalloAV, both Bill and ChaplinM are sitting too far away to get an immersive feeling from a 1080p display. Another seating calculator offered here http://myhometheater.homestead.com/viewingdistancecalculator.html is compatible with RapalloAV's guidelines.

If you follow these seating guidelines, you will notice a difference in the performance of the three OPPO players with the 983 being the best as RapalloAV noted.

Dana

Another (more PAL-based) review here... DVD Times (http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=67760) ...with some more thought to possible PAL playback improvements for a future firmware release.

For info... the Reviewers site is: Lyris Lite (http://www.lyris-lite.net/index.php)

OPPO Digital has posted a product comparison discussion and chart of all three of its players that should be helpful if you haven't seen it. http://www.oppodigital.com/dv983h/dv983h_comp.asp

Thanks Dana... I had come across that comparison chart a number of times, but I'm borderline OCD on this decision and wanted to get some testimonials, especially when it came to others' experiences with this set of Oppos and Panasonic plasmas at 50" and approx. 8-12ft viewing distance.


I think a completely rational being at these viewing angles would be happy with the 980. But being the psychologically complicated people we are, you could spend the extra and relax in the knowledge "no worries, it doesn't get any better than this."

EXCELLENT point, and as much as I'd like to deny it, absolutely true. This is an almost subconscious argument for the 983.Our 'sub-culture' (hate referring to it that way, but it is what it is) tend to be comprised of a higher percentage of perfectionists when comapred to the average population.

The other point is that though not yet relevant, in the future I am planning to implement a large screen projection unit for my HT, in which case the 983 would in a sense be "future-proof" when it comes to optimal PQ for SD DVDs, though by the time that happens I may just get the anticipated Oppo BD player (Spring '09?) should it show the same upconverting potential as the 983.

Thanks for comments/suggestions.

Based on the seating guidelines offered by RapalloAV, both Bill and ChaplinM are sitting too far away to get an immersive feeling from a 1080p display. Another seating calculator offered here http://myhometheater.homestead.com/viewingdistancecalculator.html is compatible with RapalloAV's guidelines.

If you follow these seating guidelines, you will notice a difference in the performance of the three OPPO players with the 983 being the best as RapalloAV noted.

Dana


Dana,

I initially had the display at an 8ft. viewing distance, which is just about 2x the width. However, both my fiancee and I felt the distance was too small.

In addition since I've discovered that I am rather sensitive to judder, I've found that increasing the distance helped with this issue considerably since I can take in the entire display, and don't have to shift/pan focus across different areas of the screen. Having an '07 Panasonic 700U that does not support 24p; it was another nitpick detail I was frustrated over having missed especially since I purchased the set only 6 weeks ago, 4 weeks before the new 800U came out (though I've read the 48Hz refresh rate on those produces a tremendous amount of bothersome flicker).

So, the greater distance is an argument for the 980H, and not needing/noticing the 983H differences, but Bill hit the nail on the head about our psychology.

Either way, it's been 3 weeks of research and I am about fed up.

EXCELLENT point, and as much as I'd like to deny it, absolutely true. This is an almost subconscious argument for the 983.Our 'sub-culture' (hate referring to it that way, but it is what it is) tend to be comprised of a higher percentage of perfectionists when comapred to the average population.

The other point is that though not yet relevant, in the future I am planning to implement a large screen projection unit for my HT, in which case the 983 would in a sense be "future-proof" when it comes to optimal PQ for SD DVDs, though by the time that happens I may just get the anticipated Oppo BD player (Spring '09?) should it show the same upconverting potential as the 983.
Blah, nothing is ever really "future-proof" in A/V, the 983 might be the top pf the heap now, but in a year or so something will come down the pipeline that will be too hard to resist in its advantage over the 983 in the DVD performance realm. Just look at how crazy most went over V's Bravo DVD players or the first Oppo DVD player in the past. Now those players are archaic.

Hell, Oppo might even be the ones to top the 983 with the DVD ability in their eventual BD player. Though maybe if Toshiba's Spursengine gets out in the wild they might be the ones to have the next "ultimate" DVD player.

This is why I've "settled" on the 980 for now, since I know something better will be arriving, I don't think for a minute we've reached the "absolute" in DVD performance with the 983.

Blah, nothing is ever really "future-proof" in A/V, the 983 might be the top pf the heap now, but in a year or so something will come down the pipeline that will be too hard to resist in its advantage over the 983 in the DVD performance realm.

Hell, Oppo might even be the ones to top the 983 with the DVD ability in their eventual BD player. Though maybe if Toshiba's Spursengine gets out in the wild they might be the ones to have the next "ultimate" DVD player.

This is why I've "settled" on the 980 for now, since I know something better will be arriving.The PlayStation 3 has the capability or power to do better upscaling, but it's up to Sony to improve their algorithm.

I don't see that happening unless there is demand or complaints. I think they'll be content on good enough or acceptable. God forbid they shoot for best. :p

Well my 983 comes in this week. I won't be able to do much with it until the following weekend but I will compare it to the 981. I will probably also hook it up to both my Sony 46" LCD and my Panny 900 FP. Then I have to decide if it is worth it to my eyes.

Another (more PAL-based) review here... DVD Times (http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=67760) ...with some more thought to possible PAL playback improvements for a future firmware release.

For info... the Reviewers site is: Lyris Lite (http://www.lyris-lite.net/index.php)

Thank you for the tip. But again, welcome to the wierd world of PAL:

1) The UK reviewer stated some issues of the Oppo 983 H on detecting and compensating for the 2:2 PAL film cadence. It was stated as "disappointing", losing the cadence and fall back to Video mode.

Question: What does exactly this means? It goes out of synchro or something?

2) Also is pointed out that the device uses the american firmware optimised for NTSC playback and that Oppo’s European division will improved in a later firmware update for European users.

Question: What does exactly this means? Is it not supposed to be a Universal player?. Those who lives where NTSC and PAL are equally used will have to choose between the american or the european firmware and be punished in one way or another?


And again, what about the different types of PAL? B, I, N, M, etc.? Still waiting further precision from Oppo Customer Service on this issue.

For anyone who's in this round of "pre"-orders....
I placed my order last week...status said it should ship 5/22-28.
Others who are in this window and said their unit already shipped. When did you place your order. I'm too excited about getting this to miss out on this round!

The UK reviewer stated some issues of the Oppo 983 H on detecting and compensating for the 2:2 PAL film cadence. It was stated as "disappointing", losing the cadence and fall back to Video mode.

Question: What does exactly this means? It goes out of synchro or something?
The video looks "jaggy" and less film-like without proper 2:2 PAL cadence (or until it "locks" onto the proper 2:2 PAL cadence).

2) Also is pointed out that the device uses the american firmware optimised for NTSC playback and that Oppo’s European division will improved in a later firmware update for European users.

Question: What does exactly this means? Is it not supposed to be a Universal player?
It means Oppo has slightly different priorities for NTSC and PAL territories.

Those who lives where NTSC and PAL are equally used will have to choose between the american or the european firmware and be punished in one way or another?
It's not exactly "equally used", but more "equally owned" or preference. I personally have a few hundred PAL discs despite living in a NTSC area, so I'm going with the 980 with the European firmware, that seems to offer both the benefits of NTSC and PAL playback (proper and fast 3:2 and 2:2 cadence detection w/ a "forced" deinterlacing mode option).

double post! :o

1) The UK reviewer stated some issues of the Oppo 983 H on detecting and compensating for the 2:2 PAL film cadence. It was stated as "disappointing", losing the cadence and fall back to Video mode.

Question: What does exactly this means? It goes out of synchro or something?

2) Also is pointed out that the device uses the american firmware optimised for NTSC playback and that Oppo’s European division will improved in a later firmware update for European users.

Question: What does exactly this means? Is it not supposed to be a Universal player?. Those who lives where NTSC and PAL are equally used will have to choose between the american or the european firmware and be punished in one way or another? Simple. OPPO/ABT can choose to bias the Auto De-interlacing Mode toward film, video, PAL, etc. Hence the European FW will bias to PAL, and the US FW to NTSC.

The 983 has the following forced/override settings: Film Bias Mode, Video Mode, 2:2 Even, and 2:2 Odd. Using these settings will ensure that the player stays in the desired mode.

Gary

I am curious, will the 983 actually show a sharper, more detailed picture over say a 980 or A35, or will it mostly be a cleaner picture with nearly the same amount of detail?

I have a 50" 720p plasma. (Front projector is in my future, no doubt.)

I am curious, will the 983 actually show a sharper, more detailed picture over say a 980 or A35, or will it mostly be a cleaner picture with nearly the same amount of detail?

I have a 50" 720p plasma. (Front projector is in my future, no doubt.) The 983 probably won't show much more detail or sharpness than the 980, but its scaling is smoother and its de-interlacing is more accurate. It also reproduces graduated colors and grayscale extremely well, thus the image looks more natural and film-like.

Gary

The 983 probably won't show much more detail or sharpness than the 980, but its scaling is smoother and its de-interlacing is more accurate. It also reproduces graduated colors and grayscale extremely well, thus the image looks more natural and film-like.

Gary

Ok, that sounds good. Thank you!

Dana,

I initially had the display at an 8ft. viewing distance, which is just about 2x the width. However, both my fiancee and I felt the distance was too small.

In addition since I've discovered that I am rather sensitive to judder, I've found that increasing the distance helped with this issue considerably since I can take in the entire display, and don't have to shift/pan focus across different areas of the screen. Having an '07 Panasonic 700U that does not support 24p; it was another nitpick detail I was frustrated over having missed especially since I purchased the set only 6 weeks ago, 4 weeks before the new 800U came out (though I've read the 48Hz refresh rate on those produces a tremendous amount of bothersome flicker).

So, the greater distance is an argument for the 980H, and not needing/noticing the 983H differences, but Bill hit the nail on the head about our psychology.

Either way, it's been 3 weeks of research and I am about fed up.

I have an '07 Panny TH-50PZ750U (11 foot seating distance) and sold my 981 after buying the 983. I noticed a marked difference between the two, with the 983 being head and shoulders above the older unit in terms of just about everything. Some of your comments lead me to believe that you notice detail and as such the $200 may be a small price to pay for the piece of mind that comes with knowing you have the best equipment for the job. :)

Hi Keith:

First of all, are you watching PAL in PAL, right? (I mean, not converted to NTSC by Oppo 983).

Which kind of PAL Version handles your PLASMA?
As you stated your are in UK, I guess they are the European PAL types (B, I, etc). Your PLASMA states the PAL-N type among the systems supported?.

On the other hand, are you feeding your PLASMA thru' HDMI?

Mantas.

Hi,

Yes, I am watching PAL in PAL. I have the 983H set to AUTO so it detects the disc type (PAL for PAL and NTSC for NTSC) and sends whichever it is to the display. The display can handle both PAL and NTSC. I have also tried setting the 983H to PAL for PAL discs and NTSC for NTSC discs but there is no difference between that and the AUTO mode so that is where I have left it - in AUTO.

I don't know which PAL version my plasma handles and didn't even know there *were* different versions until you mentioned it. But it seems from Oppo's response that if you use HDMI (as I am of course) then the PAL versions are not relevant anyway.

Yes, I am feeding the plasma through HDMI.

I doubt if this will be an issue for you. PAL discs are handled perfectly here - most of my collection is PAL - around 400 discs I would guess, with 100/150 being NTSC American imports. The Oppo handles both types perfectly.

As Oppo will give you 30 days to change your mind and get a refund, why not just order it and see how it performs for you, in your system? I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

Keith

And again, what about the different types of PAL? B, I, N, M, etc.? Still waiting further precision from Oppo Customer Service on this issue.

The PAL subversion does only apply to broadcast media. And all PAL variants except PAL-M are interoperatable, this means that with PAL-B reciever you can accept PAL-D and vice versa.

PAL-M in cotnrast uses colour subcarier (3.575611 MHz) which is more closer to NTSC (3.579545 MHz) than PAL (4.43 MHz) and uses same resolution as NTSC (525 lines at 29.97MHz) that's why it does not work well with other PAL versions.

Note that PAL is just a color system, and can be used with any resolution and frame rate, while NTSC mandatory defines video lines and frame format.
So if your set supports 50 (PAL - 625 lines/25 frames) and 60Hz (NTSC, PAL-60 - 525 lines/30 frames) you'll be able to see NTSC and PAL material without problems.

I cannot help you with your specific display, but...

That sounds flip, but it is true. I think a completely rational being at these viewing angles would be happy with the 980. But being the psychologically complicated people we are, you could spend the extra and relax in the knowledge "no worries, it doesn't get any better than this."

-Bill


That's exactly what I did Bill - and I have NO regrets. I view a 50 inch screen from about 7 feet away and I am very happy with the 983H.

Also, of course, there's the issue of potential future upgrades. If I decide to go to a 60 or 65 inch screen in the future, I won't have to upgrade the Oppo again.

Keith

I am curious, will the 983 actually show a sharper, more detailed picture over say a 980 or A35, or will it mostly be a cleaner picture with nearly the same amount of detail?

I have a 50" 720p plasma. (Front projector is in my future, no doubt.)

I have a 983H and an A35. The 983H gives a visibly better performance than the A35 on SD discs. Smoother, more film-like, no artefacts, superior colour and contrast.

Keith

The video looks "jaggy" and less film-like without proper 2:2 PAL cadence (or until it "locks" onto the proper 2:2 PAL cadence).


It means Oppo has slightly different priorities for NTSC and PAL territories.


It's not exactly "equally used", but more "equally owned" or preference. I personally have a few hundred PAL discs despite living in a NTSC area, so I'm going with the 980 with the European firmware, that seems to offer both the benefits of NTSC and PAL playback (proper and fast 3:2 and 2:2 cadence detection w/ a "forced" deinterlacing mode option).

So, You recommend to go with the upcoming European Firmware to manage both NTSC & PAL?. Or it will fix the PAL 2:2 cadence but will fail with the NTSC cadence?. What do you think about?

Simple. OPPO/ABT can choose to bias the Auto De-interlacing Mode toward film, video, PAL, etc. Hence the European FW will bias to PAL, and the US FW to NTSC.

Gary

So you think you win on one side, but you lose on the other side?


The 983 has the following forced/override settings: Film Bias Mode, Video Mode, 2:2 Even, and 2:2 Odd. Using these settings will ensure that the player stays in the desired mode.

Gary

So what the reviewer was talking about if he can lock the desired mode. If you know the DVD is PAL, can you set (or force) the 2:2 cadence for PAL? Did I understand right?

The PAL subversion does only apply to broadcast media. And all PAL variants except PAL-M are interoperatable, this means that with PAL-B reciever you can accept PAL-D and vice versa.
PAL-M in cotnrast uses colour subcarier (3.575611 MHz) which is more closer to NTSC (4.43 MHz) than PAL and uses same resolution as NTSC (525 lines at 29.97MHz) that's why it does not work well with other PAL versions.

I do not think so. I live in the reign of PAL-N (the PAL-M is for Brasil, Pal-N is for Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay), and PAL B or I does not work properly. But maybe is the 50 or 60 Hz issue only.

I have the RJTech 1200 player, which is NTSC/PAL, but PAL is seen in B&W thru' analogue cable.

Note that PAL is just a color system, and can be used with any resolution and frame rate, while NTSC mandatory defines video lines and frame format.
So if your set supports 50 (PAL - 625 lines/25 frames) and 60Hz (NTSC, PAL-60 - 525 lines/30 frames) you'll be able to see NTSC and PAL material without problems.

My ordinary CRT TV Set (not the LCD) is NTSC/PAL-N (so it manages 50 or 60 Hz, right?) and, as I told before, PAL is shown in B&W.

I will insert the just arrived answer from Oppo Customer Service:

As long as the TV can support 50hz then this will work fine. Check your user manual or the sony-argentina website for information on your set.

Best Regards,
Customer Service
OPPO Digital, Inc.
2629B Terminal Blvd.
Mountain View, CA 94043
Service@oppodigital.com

So, the LCD is NTSC/PAL-N/PAL-M. And I think it will could work only thru' HDMI. Am I right?.
I will contact Sony Customer Service to get the proper info. This will take a little time as Sony here is not as techie as Sony up there (I want to see their faces when I start asking them about the 50 or 60 Hz subject).

I'll be back to update the issue.

Thanks to everybody. You people rule!!!

Mantas.

So, You recommend to go with the upcoming European Firmware to manage both NTSC & PAL?. Or it will fix the PAL 2:2 cadence but will fail with the NTSC cadence?

So you think you win on one side, but you lose on the other side?

So what the reviewer was talking about if he can lock the desired mode. If you know the DVD is PAL, can you set (or force) the 2:2 cadence for PAL? Did I understand right?
The reviewer was no doubt using AUTO mode, and was disappointed by slower PAL detection and cadence-locking. The European FW will be better at detecting PAL cadences and lock faster. That does not mean that it will fail with NTSC material... it might just be slower.

Yes, if you know the DVD is PAL, you can set (or force) the 2:2 cadence for PAL.

Gary

The reviewer was no doubt using AUTO mode, and was disappointed by slower PAL detection and cadence-locking. The European FW will be better at detecting PAL cadences and lock faster. That does not mean that it will fail with NTSC material... it might just be slower.

Yes, if you know the DVD is PAL, can you set (or force) the 2:2 cadence for PAL.

Gary

Gary,

I presume you meant to write "Yes, if you know the DVD is PAL, you can set (or force) the 2:2 cadence for PAL."

Dana

Another nice review of the Oppo 983H. "Flagship OPPO DVD Player Another Value Hit (http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/3119)" by Dr. William Campbell Douglass II for Canada Free Press.

"Needless to say, I’ve been thrilled with the OPPO’s performance and once again am blown away by the quality vs. price quotient. I can’t wait to see what they do with Blu-ray."

I presume you meant to write "Yes, if you know the DVD is PAL, you can set (or force) the 2:2 cadence for PAL." Correct. Fixed my post. Thanks Dana.

All of the reviews I am reading is the 983h and it's 1080p output however, my TV is 1080i. Would I get the same great performance out of the 983h with 1080i??? Does the ABT/vrs flex it's muscle with 1080i, or will it make no difference? Again, considering an upgrade IF it can outperform my Sammy bd-p1200 with the Reo?HQV. A 96er in the Benchmark.
Jon

Hey guys I need help with the PAL/NTSC question as well. I bought the 983H and found the code to make it a region free player. My family watches a lot of BBC and British Murder Mystery series and I would like to get some PAL discs from overseas....if I have a compatible tv, does the 983 send a straight PAL signal to the tv or does it do the conversion to NTSC as the manual states. If it has to do the conversion, how much are we losing with the extra step... just trying to figure this all out. Thanks