I'm guessing you didn't mean to indicate all players using Mediatek chips.

I was referring specifically to the chip's use in the Oppo.

This is different to the image shift that others are describing. You may be confusing pixel cropping with scaling problems. Did you use a proper pixel-cropping test pattern?

You should find NO cropping at all. However, if your display is not 1280x720 NATIVE resolution, then it could be the DISPLAY that is not rescaling the image to fill the screen. Have you tried another upscaling player? you may find exactly the same issue.

Gary

I have no pixel cropping (DVE pattern perfect), but the AR is incorrect at 480p DVI to my IF 4805 PJ... Image is a little squeezed.

Could you add this bug other 4805 users have noticed to Oppo ? Thanks !

Oh, if it's only going to be a few months before you get a DVI-equipped TV, then that's different. I don't think you'd see any difference between the Panny and the Oppo over S-video. I haven't used a PAL disk with S-video, but it should work. Maybe someone else has tried that.

I agree...but it would only make sense on 2 conditions:

1. that you're really going to go DVI in a couple of months. This player is not for going 480i. There are other players that do it better for about the same bread.

2. You're willing to put up with a few quirks while the firmware upgrades continue to roll out. Of course this is likely to continue even after you get your new TV.

If you're okay with all that, then you'll probably like this player. If you want instant dependability.....with no hassles whatsoever, I'd look elsewhere.

Javry

According to Oppo, the artificial sharpening of the MediaTek has been fixed, along with the shimmering issue.

It is apparently in late beta, and will be out soon.

The MediaTek produces an excellent image without the sharpness, It's just the engineers thought it looked better with the sharpness on.

Us videophiles prefer a pure image without outside edge enhancement

Please forgive me for not reading all 84 pages of this thread (but I did do a search). I was wondering if anyone could comment on the pros/cons for this player over s-video. I'm looking for a new player (multi-region and pal>ntsc are key) but presently only have an older TV with composite and s-video. I'm looking to get a new plasma sometime this year though. I know that most of the talk on this player is with regard to DVI (and the chips involved in the processing on that side of things). Right now I'm using a Panny CP-72 and have been happy with it. Could anyone comment on what I could expect from the Oppo over s-video?

Thanks!

A good friend of mine borrow my Oppo for some test. It's seem that the PAL to NTSC conversion is not that good with the Oppo. His Malata (996?) Does a better job. It's multi region so best thing to do is to get it to ouput PAL (50hz) when you play a PAL DVD, if your display can accept it of course. Most projector would. But you never mention what kind of display you are using.

A good friend of mine borrow my Oppo for some test. It's seem that the PAL to NTSC conversion is not that good with the Oppo. His Malata (996?) Does a better job. It's multi region so best thing to do is to get it to ouput PAL (50hz) when you play a PAL DVD, if your display can accept it of course. Most projector would. But you never mention what kind of display you are using.


Did he test it over DVI or component?

The Oppo does a superb job at PAL > NTSC conversion over DVI.

The Oppo wasn't exactly designed as a component player.

According to Oppo, the artificial sharpening of the MediaTek has been fixed, along with the shimmering issue.

It is apparently in late beta, and will be out soon.

The MediaTek produces an excellent image without the sharpness, It's just the engineers thought it looked better with the sharpness on.

Us videophiles prefer a pure image without outside edge enhancement

This is the news I was waiting for. thx

Another thing, there's a ton of Home Theater guys using the new DVD matched res 854X480 DLP projectors. Oppo if you're out there is there any way you can add a 854X480 res to the lineup? If so you could corner the market in sales to the needy 480p projector owners and there's thousands of them.

That would be nice.

Wow what a great new company. I just talked to the tech area and yes they are about to fix the EE and they're going to take a look at adding a 854X480 resolution for the DLP guys. Keep your fingers crossed.

Wake up call, you mean there's a ton of 480p 854X480 DLP guys in this thread and you never thought to ask for a pixel map 854X480? ;)

I believe Oppo said that the Faroudja chip does not support custom resolutions (ie 854x480). It is something they are considering for future players.

EDIT: Well, I guess the customer rep that I emailed lied. :)

"Well, I guess the customer rep that I emailed lied."

lol, the tech even said they were looking at a 13xx X xxx resolution for a LCD user. They can't do them all but I explained the sheer numbers of 480p DLP users, that got his interest.

This has got to be the greatest news ever. :)
Thanks Tom.

Did he test it over DVI or component?

The Oppo does a superb job at PAL > NTSC conversion over DVI.

The Oppo wasn't exactly designed as a component player.

I did all my test using the DVI. I do not see any reason to use this DVD player otherwise.
I'm using a DVD that is quite challenging with a lot of diagonals and stripped patterns (and I'm talking about a movie not something like DVE).

The FLI2310 is doing an OK job, nothing more. A lot of artefacts are introduced in difficult scenes.

So far I've only seen what I would qualify as a superb conversion on the Mediamatic chipset (pantera2). My old Malata N996 is doing a better conversion but it's deinterlacing is flag based and the overall picture quality is not so great.

As reference the movie is "Le diner de cons", a french movie. (The Diner Game is the english title).

Although I no longer have my Malata N996 hooked into my system to directly compare to the Oppo, I did use the Malata enough over a substantial period of time to still have a good feel for the quality of the player, and although PAL to NTSC conversion was very good with the Malata (the first player I owned that was true for), I don't think overall it did a better job than the Oppo (comparing component to component) and the Oppo is substantially better (that is actually an understatement, but I like to avoid saying things like "blows away the other player") when it comes to deinterlacing. The Malata's big claim to fame was X-Y scaling, a feature that all players should have, but other than for the Malata and a couple clones, I don't know of any other standalone players that have this great feature.

According to Oppo, the artificial sharpening of the MediaTek has been fixed, along with the shimmering issue.

It is apparently in late beta, and will be out soon.



Is this going to be a new machine or a firmware upgrade for the 971?

- Tom

...a firmware upgrade.

well.....when's it comin :D

Wow what a great new company. I just talked to the tech area and yes they are about to fix the EE and they're going to take a look at adding a 854X480 resolution for the DLP guys. Keep your fingers crossed.

Very cool!

I'm using a DVD that is quite challenging with a lot of diagonals and stripped patterns (and I'm talking about a movie not something like DVE).

The FLI2310 is doing an OK job, nothing more. A lot of artefacts are introduced in difficult scenes. If those artifacts are present in scenes with lots of diagonals and striped patterns, you may well be seeing jaggedness caused by the Mediatek edge enhancement, not by the FLI2310. Reevaluate those scenes after the firmware update.

Gary

From Oppo:

Thanks for your interests on supporting 854x480 res. We are looking into it but at this stage it is very early to determine if we are able to do it or not.


Still, the fact that they're looking into it is impressive. I'll state again, this responsiveness is quite out of the norm for an electronics company, and makes buying anything Oppo pretty easy.

If those artifacts are present in scenes with lots of diagonals and striped patterns, you may well be seeing jaggedness caused by the Mediatek edge enhancement, not by the FLI2310. Reevaluate those scenes after the firmware update.

Gary

I will off course but I saw the same effects on a Denon 3910. (I'm assuming it's the FLI2310 that is doing the conversion but it can also be the mediatek because I also tested that on a Cambridge Audio Azur 540D and it was similar)

Oppo was flickering a bit more, probably the shimmering.

What I observed also is that even if you select (on player that can) a HD resolution like 720p, the conversion seems to be done before the scaling.

I;m just picky about PAL to NTSC conversion (in fact I avoid it when I can, my projector accept PAL signal but not my RPTV). Most of the time you won't feel it but in some occasion, it clear that I've seen better conversion.

Got my Oppo back yesterday after a failed attempt to upgrade a firmware fix, I have a Sony with 1080i resolution....Everything seems to be as it should be---- AWESOME CUSTOMER SERVICE!!!! As promised, within 24 hours of receiving my player I had an email with a Fed Ex link telling me it was on its way home...don't know what happened and don't really care as long as it works!! The boys down at Oppo were kind enough to upgrade my firmware to make my Sony happy as well. The only question I have is what resolutions does this player cycle through? 1080i comes in loud and clear but as I cycle through, there is 1 between 480p and 720p that just shows a black screen. Any ideas?? I really don't care 'cuz my Sony probably doesn't play it anyway, just wanted to know....Again, THANX OPPO... You boys ROCK!! :D :D :D

The only question I have is what resolutions does this player cycle through? 1080i comes in loud and clear but as I cycle through, there is 1 between 480p and 720p that just shows a black screen. Any ideas??

Well you have probably 1080i fix firmware or maybe newer(?) (dont know if this cycles 480p/720p/540p/1080i) or something else..

Check the version of firmware in your player and let us know what it is. The Oppo support page tells you how to do this, if you don't know how. The setting between 480p and 720p is likely 540p (that may have been added in very recently).

Got my Oppo back yesterday after a failed attempt to upgrade a firmware fix, I have a Sony with 1080i resolution....Everything seems to be as it should be---- AWESOME CUSTOMER SERVICE!!!! As promised, within 24 hours of receiving my player I had an email with a Fed Ex link telling me it was on its way home...don't know what happened and don't really care as long as it works!! The boys down at Oppo were kind enough to upgrade my firmware to make my Sony happy as well. The only question I have is what resolutions does this player cycle through? 1080i comes in loud and clear but as I cycle through, there is 1 between 480p and 720p that just shows a black screen. Any ideas?? I really don't care 'cuz my Sony probably doesn't play it anyway, just wanted to know....Again, THANX OPPO... You boys ROCK!! :D :D :D

For the guy asking about S-Video:

I've used my Oppo via compnent (480i) to my 36" XBR and used the PAL -> NTSC conversion. It was fine. Nothing galringly wrong, looking just as good as my Sony 999ES player does.

When hooked to my projector via DVI it's even better. :)

LiteUp.. I attempted the firmware following Oppo site instructions exactly and my player went dead at that point. Don't know what happened... It works now, thats the important thing. As far as firmware versions...how do I check it??
thanx in advance

Here's an easier way to determine:

Go to the Video setup page. What settings options do you have for Sharpness control?

From Oppo:


Quote:
Thanks for your interests on supporting 854x480 res. We are looking into it but at this stage it is very early to determine if we are able to do it or not.



Still, the fact that they're looking into it is impressive. I'll state again, this responsiveness is quite out of the norm for an electronics company, and makes buying anything Oppo pretty easy.

Very true, hey how many Oppo's do you think they can sell by adding 854X480? The DLP 854X480 users that put together a 110" screen home theater must be massive.

Roll them bones Oppo!

Hi Guys,

I wondering if any of you have come across the following problem, I live in Australia and have just gotten my Oppo DVD player and also a new Fujitsu P50XHA40US plasma.
Anyway the problem is when I put the Oppo into PAL mode and try to upscale to either 720p or 1080i the image on the plasma is shifted to the left about 1/3 of the screen.
It works fine in either NTSC (all upscale modes) and in PAL@520p.
The Oppo is connected via the supplied DVI/hdmi converter cable into the HDMI on the Fujitsu. Another person in Australia has the same problem, except his plasma is an NEC ED 42inch and it's connected via DVI to the Oppo.

Any ideas? I have also emailed Oppo support about this, but just wanted to see if any of you guys have seen or heard of this problem.

Cheers,

Scaven

LiteUp...
Under sharpness I have a low, medium and high. Is that the answer you were looking for? I am really new to this player and haven't had a lot of time to tweak it or even read the manual yet, so any help or advice would be very appreciated. I will be feeding a Sony kp51ws520 if that helps. Is there a page with a default listing of all these settings that people have found work best for those of us "noobs" to the Oppo. The player it replaced was a Pioneer 525 if that tells you anything. LOL
thanx in advance.

Scaven,

If you look back a few pages this is something that happens on some displays. On my plasma on both PAL and NTSC it shifts like that. My fix was to run Avia's overscan pattern and recenter the pic with the settings on the TV. Works fine since then.

I will buy the BKK-971H today (because the Oppo is not available here). Can I use the Oppo firmware in the BKK or will it destroy the machine?

I will buy the BKK-971H today (because the Oppo is not available here). Can I use the Oppo firmware in the BKK or will it destroy the machine?

You can order it directly from oppo (holland is one of countries they ship).

You can order it directly from oppo (holland is one of countries they ship).

I know, but I can buy the BKK from a reseller that lives only 20 km from where I live :-)

Scaven,

If you look back a few pages this is something that happens on some displays. On my plasma on both PAL and NTSC it shifts like that. My fix was to run Avia's overscan pattern and recenter the pic with the settings on the TV. Works fine since then.

I'm not talking about a few pixels, I'm talking about nearly a third of the screen, My plasma won't allow me to move the picture that far, it is fine with NTSC (which is of no use to me), I really think this is something that Oppo will have to look at as I'm not the only one here is Australia with this problem.

Scaven

I've got a newbie question. I have a 6.1 audio receiver. The oppo dvd player is only 5.1. If I hook this player to my receiver through s/pdif connection, would that force my 6.1 reciever to reduce to 5.1?

I've got a newbie question. I have a 6.1 audio receiver. The oppo dvd player is only 5.1. If I hook this player to my receiver through s/pdif connection, would that force my 6.1 reciever to reduce to 5.1?

If you use a digital connection, your receiver is doing the decoding and you should get whatever is stored on the disc so long as the receiver is compatible with 6.1. If you use the 6-channel analog cables, the DVD player is doing the decoding and will only support 5.1.

newbie dvd-a question. previous dvd player gave options of stereo, 5.1, or dts. same disc in oppo only has stereo and surround as choices. when choosing surround, denon shows dolby at first, then pro logic ll when playing. what happened to dolby or dts? thanx

I've read most of both main threads for this DVD player, and saw just a couple of references to Toshiba CRT's.

Can anyone tell me their thoughts of this DVD player using DVI to the Toshiba 65HX93. I'm currently using an Onkyo DV-CP500 connected via component as my DVD player, but I'm looking at replacing with the Oppo.

Thanks,
Rick

newbie dvd-a question. previous dvd player gave options of stereo, 5.1, or dts. same disc in oppo only has stereo and surround as choices. when choosing surround, denon shows dolby at first, then pro logic ll when playing. what happened to dolby or dts? thanx

DVD-Audio is its own sound format, not compatible with Dolby or DTS. You must use the player's 6-channel analog sound connections to hear DVD-Audio.

thanx. i'm running optical digital out to amp. i've got the downmix set at 5.1. was mainly wondering why the dvd-a says it has dolby 5.1 and dts soundtrax, (neil young-harvest) and my old pioneer had the dolby and dts choices in the menu, and the denon read them as dolby or dts. was the pioneer just playing it as a regular dvd, while the oppo is reading it as a true dvd-a?

campberm,
I believe most dvd-a discs have extra sound options (in this case DD5.1 and DTS5.1) that go along with the real DVD-Audio format for those who do not have a real DVD-Audio player. For best sound, you will want to listen to the DVD-Audio track using the analog connections from the Oppo.

newbie dvd-a question. previous dvd player gave options of stereo, 5.1, or dts. same disc in oppo only has stereo and surround as choices. when choosing surround, denon shows dolby at first, then pro logic ll when playing. what happened to dolby or dts? thanx

...plus, this player doesn't have a dvd-a/dvd-video mode for playback of the discs (unlike, say, the Panasonics and various other players).

DVD-A discs tend to have two "sections", one that comes up when played back on any ol' dvd player, one that comes up only on players capable of playing back the hirez sound stuff (MLP for the uninitiated).

On the oppo, it's assuming that any dvd-a you put in you'll want to play the "good" layer, so gives you those options. And, yeah, the sound quality is superior to what can pass through toslink or coax, and thus must be hooked up using analogue cables. The difference, by the way, on a decent system is considerable when comparing MLP to, say DTS. But, of course, that's a whole 'nother issue...

In the braindump thread there have been requests for the feature to select the dvd-a mode, making, if you wish, the oppo behave like a generic dvd player whenever you like. For now, however, your "stuck" with the better of the two options (not a terrible place to be stuck, when you think about it...)

as for those hoping for SACD support via firmware, I'm pretty darned sure it'll require more than a software fix. Obviously there's no DSD support natively, and to convert DSD to PCM (a la Pioneer) would be something that I'm not sure the existing chips could do. Then again, I ain't a programmer, and it'd certainly be a fun and cheap way of getting sacd playback for the heck of it...

Now, a feature request on the oppo site - while I of course implicitly trust Paul, Lite-up etc. to speak up for oppo regarding fixes, etc., it'd be really nice for them to be more active with their site, indicating fixes that they're working on, rather than just after they are released (if that's even possible.) I literally bought this player because of their continuing support of it, and their dilligence in solving "issues" with the unit. I'd see it as even more positive for them to have an official list of elements they're addressing, so we know that they've taken our suggestions and concerns to heart. while we certainly hear that second hand, it ain't on the site or anything...

heck, they could even setup a forum on -their- site where we could all visit...:)

Maybe Oppo just needs to give permission to post the fixes in their beta releases so far, so everyone knows where we are headed. I'll ask them later today.

...plus, this player doesn't have a dvd-a/dvd-video mode for playback of the discs (unlike, say, the Panasonics and various other players).

DVD-A discs tend to have two "sections", one that comes up when played back on any ol' dvd player, one that comes up only on players capable of playing back the hirez sound stuff (MLP for the uninitiated).

On the oppo, it's assuming that any dvd-a you put in you'll want to play the "good" layer, so gives you those options. And, yeah, the sound quality is superior to what can pass through toslink or coax, and thus must be hooked up using analogue cables. The difference, by the way, on a decent system is considerable when comparing MLP to, say DTS. But, of course, that's a whole 'nother issue...

In the braindump thread there have been requests for the feature to select the dvd-a mode, making, if you wish, the oppo behave like a generic dvd player whenever you like. For now, however, your "stuck" with the better of the two options (not a terrible place to be stuck, when you think about it...)

as for those hoping for SACD support via firmware, I'm pretty darned sure it'll require more than a software fix. Obviously there's no DSD support natively, and to convert DSD to PCM (a la Pioneer) would be something that I'm not sure the existing chips could do. Then again, I ain't a programmer, and it'd certainly be a fun and cheap way of getting sacd playback for the heck of it...

Now, a feature request on the oppo site - while I of course implicitly trust Paul, Lite-up etc. to speak up for oppo regarding fixes, etc., it'd be really nice for them to be more active with their site, indicating fixes that they're working on, rather than just after they are released (if that's even possible.) I literally bought this player because of their continuing support of it, and their dilligence in solving "issues" with the unit. I'd see it as even more positive for them to have an official list of elements they're addressing, so we know that they've taken our suggestions and concerns to heart. while we certainly hear that second hand, it ain't on the site or anything...

heck, they could even setup a forum on -their- site where we could all visit...:)
thanx for the education. i'm an old vinyl buff and this new tech is killing me. (but i like it) so you're saying i'll get better sound through the analog jacks and let the amp do the dolby, dts decoding rather than the optical out?

You have to use the analog output for DVD-A. It is not available over the digital output. Use the digital output for any DD or DTS tracks and let your receiver do the decoding.

You have to use the analog output for DVD-A. It is not available over the digital output. Use the digital output for any DD or DTS tracks and let your receiver do the decoding.
gracias!

campberm,
The optical output will only take a digtal signal from inside the player. It then sends it to the reciever and the reciever does the coverting from digital to analog while at the same time varying the phase and volume and steering which you hear as the different sound modes [DTS, Dolby, ect....].

To get DVDA, the player has to do the conversion from a digital signal to an analog signal internally. There is a converter built inside the unit to do that. And of course, once the signal goes through the converter and becomes analog, the digital devices inside the unit can't read it anymore. And again, since it is now an analog signal, the digital devices in the receiver can't read it any more than the digital devices in the DVD unit could. So you have to have a seperate set of interconnects to get the analog signal to your receiver. To do that, hook the interconnects up between the r/l analog outputs of the Oppo and into the correspnding analog inputs of the reciever [be sure to remember the old rule......red to red and black to black]. Then turn your receiver to your analog channel [it may be "stereo"....not sure]. That should give you true DVDA sound from the Oppo.

Let us know how it goes. We're here to help. :)
Javry

Here's another newbie question but related to the topic. I'm planning to buy the OPPO DV971H player but I'm here in the Philippines, we use region 3. Amazingly, they don't sell this player here even though we're the first ones to get all China based products.

1) Is there a region hack for this player?

2) Can I do the firmware upgrade myself? I do have a CD/DVD burner. As I understand it, you just download the firmware upgrade, burn it on a CD, and then run it on the player.

3) I wonder how durable this player is? ALL China DVD player sold here have a reputation of lasting just 1 year.

1 - Yes see the Oppo FAQ here:
DV971H FAQ (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=491306)

(from that referenced thread)

TO MAKE REGION FREE:

The latest shipment of units are not region free. To change to region free mode do this:

• Press Setup on remote control to access the setup page
• Enter 9210 on the remote
• A secret menu will pop up
• Select 0 to 6 in region code (0 is region free)
• Press Setup on remote again to exit

2 - Yes (just be careful). I've done it several times. Read the instructions carefully.

3 - Mine has been working without problem since January 2005. Other people have reported some problems but Oppo service has been outstanding.

Paul

Now, a feature request on the oppo site - while I of course implicitly trust Paul, Lite-up etc. to speak up for oppo regarding fixes, etc., it'd be really nice for them to be more active with their site, indicating fixes that they're working on, rather than just after they are released (if that's even possible.) I literally bought this player because of their continuing support of it, and their dilligence in solving "issues" with the unit. I'd see it as even more positive for them to have an official list of elements they're addressing, so we know that they've taken our suggestions and concerns to heart. while we certainly hear that second hand, it ain't on the site or anything...

This isn't going to happen. The danger in what you suggest is that it gets people's hopes up for enhancements that can't be guaranteed and may not come to pass. If the company announces that they're working on a new feature and people get excited about it, then the feature can't be implemented after all, a lot of people get upset over something they were never promised in the first place.

...so, instead we have a select few hinting at potential fixes, "talking" to Oppo, etc., with nothing official.

Now, I'm soooo not saying that you guys haven't put a tonne of work into testing these players, etc. However, I haven't exactly seen a section of the site where you can volunteer to be a beta tester.

I know it's only software, but take the dvdprofiler site (where many of you no doubt go to catalogue your dvds). Intervocative has a list of upcoming features that it updates regularly. It has a forum for tech support, and it has a beta program for paid members of the program. If you =wish=, at your =own risk=, you can use the beta and help diagnose the problem.

Oppo is clearly a company tightly integrated with the community (read: us) that knows this stuff, does all the testing, etc., etc. What qualifications did liteup, paul, etc. give to apply for beta testing? (paul, if you're not, forgive me, but I can only assume...) I'm a tech, years of experience with computer hardware and software, why shouldn't I get to discuss beta fixes in detail, get firmware right away, etc. ?

You say that you're worried about making false promises, instead we have this thread where there's rampant claims of "they're working on it" and "wait and see" from NON OPPO EMPLOYEES. I'm not a doubting man, to be sure, but I'm highly doubtful that Liteup (and, my friend, I'm =only= using you as the example a couple messages up) has been asked to be their spokesperson...:)

An officialcomment from Oppo would, in fact, set the record straight right from the horses mouth. The thing works as advertised, it plays DVDs. The rest is gravy. If you think that someone is going to sue because they try to, say, completely disable sharpness only to find that doing so screws up something else even worse in terms of PQ, then they could simply revise the current beta firmware/future fixes list online.

Hey, that's how I'd do it anyway... heh.

So, where do I sign up to be a beta tester... ;)

Kudos to all the guys, beta testers or no, that have worked hard (for free, mind you) making our player work better. can't wait to see the future of this bad boy...

To answer my own question:
Yes the Oppo firmware works fine in the BKK-971H as well!

You say that you're worried about making false promises, instead we have this thread where there's rampant claims of "they're working on it" and "wait and see" from NON OPPO EMPLOYEES. I'm not a doubting man, to be sure, but I'm highly doubtful that Liteup (and, my friend, I'm =only= using you as the example a couple messages up) has been asked to be their spokesperson...:)

Well simply oppo probably dont have time to answer everyones every question here. If you cant trust ppl here and instead need everything heard from oppo then fine but i think you are also only one who think that way.

Another newbie question, this is the last time... :)

On the DV971H specs sheet, it says it has a "S/PDIF (IEC-958) Coaxial/Optical Digital Audio" connection. The audio receiver this player will hook up to (Yamaha RX-V450) has a "coaxial out". Do I just a regular coaxial cable to hook these up? What does S/PDIF Coaxial/Optical mean? I know they're digital audio connection, but is this 2 seperate connection? One for S/PDIF Coaxial and another one for Optical? Why put a slash in the middle?

Another newbie question, this is the last time... :)

On the DV971H specs sheet, it says it has a "S/PDIF (IEC-958) Coaxial/Optical Digital Audio" connection.

It has 2 digital audio connections. 1 coaxial and 1 optical.

which one is better?

which one is better?

They are about same i would think since both are digital. I use regular coaxial cable with mine and works great. My yamaha rx-v650 has both coaxial and optical inputs (well many of them).

sharkshark,

If you don't like the way things are, just get rid of the Oppo and buy something else. Then you won't have to concern yourself about the accuracy of the posts placed here by users who have far more experience with both the player and the company.

I swear, the cojones on some people! How the hell can you spend $200 and behave like you just purchased a f*****g Porsche??? Get real, dude! You think we would've gotten this level of product support from Sony or Denon?

Zipperman, coaxial digital is usually preferred over optical, mainly because it has a more secure connection. There's a bunch of debates you can search for over the "sound" differences between the two, but I wouldn't worry about it.

BTW, you mentioned your receiver has a "coaxial out". That's not the connection you want to make from the DVD player. You need to connect it to a digital input on the receiver (ie: coaxial in).

sharkshark,

Stay tuned. ;)

Seriously though, feel free at any time to submit DV971H issues to Oppo Digital. The "beta testers" are not the only ones submitting problems/requests or the only ones getting responses. Put the player through its paces, make notes, and send them in to Oppo.

Paul

I remember reading on this forum somewhere about a nice feature on Sony's upconverting DVD player (DVP-NS975V). At least, I think it was the Sony. I've done some searching in the Sony threads and can't seem to find it again, so I have nothing to reference.

Anyhow, here is the feature that I "remember": When a DVD is paused (perhaps for longer than a minute or two) the player displays the movie's splash screen (as opposed to displaying the player's splash screen). Ofcourse this would only work for discs which contained a slpash screen. This is a fairly frivolous feature, but I thought it was kinda cool.

Does anyone know what I'm talking about who could clarify how the Sony does it?

Sooke

Hey SharkShark, is that name from the old intellivision game of the same name?

Sooke,

The feature is called "jacket feature" and is displayed on the Sony DVP-NS975V when the DVD is stopped. This item must be confiured. Other Sony and some Toshiba, if I recall, players have the feature. The "jacket" file is contained on the DVD in folder Jacket_P. I believe the jacket files begin with a "J00...".MP2

It would be a neat feature for the Oppo. Quite a number of discs use them -- especially MGM and some Columbia titles.

Paul

Thanks Paul. That rings a bell.

So is it sufficient to post my request here and assume one of the folks (like you) who are in regular touch with Oppo is compiling a list of feature requests? Or do I email Oppo directly?

Sooke

The "jacket" file is contained on the DVD in folder Jacket_P.

I always have wondered what that dir is. Now i know :)

Thanks Paul. That rings a bell.

So is it sufficient to post my request here and assume one of the folks (like you) who are in regular touch with Oppo is compiling a list of feature requests? Or do I email Oppo directly?

Sooke

You're welcome.

I can send it in or you can send it in. Doesn't matter. Oppo listens and responds!

Believe it or not, I've been thinking about submitting it also. I like the feature on the Sony player.

Paul

1) Now that DIVX 6 is out, is there any possibility that the Oppo might be upgraded to support it at some point via a firmware upgrade?

2) Is the Oppo supposed to remember the place you left off on a DVD when you hit stop and remove it, the next time it's inserted? Mine doesn't seem to. I know other players I've had could do this for up to 5 different DVDs and it's a nice feature. Is this something that could be added?

Thanks

1) Now that DIVX 6 is out, is there any possibility that the Oppo might be upgraded to support it at some point via a firmware upgrade?

Have you verified that this doesnt already work? Er actually to think of it should work but some feature might not (multiple subtitle tracks or something maybe?) but i have not tested divx 6 personally.

2) Is the Oppo supposed to remember the place you left off on a DVD when you hit stop and remove it, the next time it's inserted? Mine doesn't seem to. I know other players I've had could do this for up to 5 different DVDs and it's a nice feature. Is this something that could be added?

The Oppo does not currently bookmark your position if you remove the disc. I personally find that feature really irritating on another DVD player I own. If I cue up a particular scene for reference or for a demo, I don't want the player to start at that same point the next time I put in the disc. I really dislike having to chapter skip all the way back to the beginning just to watch a movie.

The Oppo does not currently bookmark your position if you remove the disc. I personally find that feature really irritating on another DVD player I own. If I cue up a particular scene for reference or for a demo, I don't want the player to start at that same point the next time I put in the disc. I really dislike having to chapter skip all the way back to the beginning just to watch a movie. I agree.

Gary

The Sony NS975V makes the position memory a configurable option. The Panasonic S97 has it so position is not memorized unless ones make an effort to memorize the position.

Paul

So is it sufficient to post my request here and assume one of the folks (like you) who are in regular touch with Oppo is compiling a list of feature requests? Or do I email Oppo directly? Sooke, we're listening. I update our defect list fairly regularly, and keep Oppo posted. Right now we are concentrating on getting the defects worked out before pushing for wishlist items. But Oppo has already worked on a few wishlist items that were reasonably simple to implement.

Gary

I'm not talking about a few pixels, I'm talking about nearly a third of the screen, My plasma won't allow me to move the picture that far, it is fine with NTSC (which is of no use to me), I really think this is something that Oppo will have to look at as I'm not the only one here is Australia with this problem. I still don't understand why this only occurs on so few displays. What's different about them? The common denominator appears to be: unusual native resolutions. In that case, is this a display issue, or a player issue?

Gary

Sooke, we're listening. I update our defect list fairly regularly, and keep Oppo posted. Right now we are concentrating on getting the defects worked out before pushing for wishlist items. But Oppo has already worked on a few wishlist items that were reasonably simple to implement.

Gary

Is this your current list?
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=5594795&highlight=defect+list#post5594795


There is not:
- 480i/576i over DVI
- 2-2 cadence support
- longer filenames to filebrowser or possibly using right screen area
to display fullname when item is selected
- "Jacket_P" Support. When a DVD is paused (perhaps for longer than a minute or two) the player displays the movie's splash screen (as opposed to displaying the player's splash screen).

modified oppo firmware for bbk 985S also has these (i have not personally tested since i dont have player/remote):
- bigger font, lowered and extended area for subtitles, same position for PAL and NTSC

some other minor changes that are not probably useful.

sharkshark,

If you don't like the way things are, just get rid of the Oppo and buy something else. Then you won't have to concern yourself about the accuracy of the posts placed here by users who have far more experience with both the player and the company.

I swear, the cojones on some people! How the hell can you spend $200 and behave like you just purchased a f*****g Porsche??? Get real, dude! You think we would've gotten this level of product support from Sony or Denon?

rudy, did you -read- what I wrote? I mean, really. Scroll up. Hell, do a search for what I've written in the past... these are all positive suggestions, nutbar... chill, I ain't the guy you think I am, slamming Oppo for this or that. I bought the damn thing =because= of this forum, because they follow our suggestions carefully, etc., etc. I'm not worried about accuracy, I'm worried about people making claims for future fixes =on Oppo's behalf=, when they don't make these announcements themselves. It's a recommendation, not a condemnation that Oppo takes the good relationship with this and other forum members and localizes announcements on their site, rather than have the news spill out from the (nice/unpaid) unofficial spokespeople here.

so, chill...

and, no re: the Intellivision thing, although that makes me quite happy. I was never an Atari guy.

The Oppo does not currently bookmark your position if you remove the disc. I personally find that feature really irritating on another DVD player I own. If I cue up a particular scene for reference or for a demo, I don't want the player to start at that same point the next time I put in the disc. I really dislike having to chapter skip all the way back to the beginning just to watch a movie.

On every player I've seen with this feature you can erase the bookmark by pressing stop twice. Easy enough.

On every player I've seen with this feature you can erase the bookmark by pressing stop twice. Easy enough.

Exactly what I was thinking of.

You press stop once, and on screen see a message something to the effect of, "Upon pressing play or reinserting this disc, it will start from the same location. Press stop again to erase this setting."

Something very straightforward like that.

It can be very valuable when you want to interrupt a kid movie and continue later, or when you have a wife who falls asleep in the middle of *every* movie and needs to watch the rest the next night. :)

sharkshark,

If you don't like the way things are, just get rid of the Oppo and buy something else. Then you won't have to concern yourself about the accuracy of the posts placed here by users who have far more experience with both the player and the company.

I swear, the cojones on some people! How the hell can you spend $200 and behave like you just purchased a f*****g Porsche??? Get real, dude! You think we would've gotten this level of product support from Sony or Denon?


take it easy Rudy.....we're all here to learn. This IS a discussion forum afterall.
Javry

It can be very valuable (...) when you have a wife who falls asleep in the middle of *every* movie and needs to watch the rest the next night. :)

That's why I'll see Spanglish again tonight ! :rolleyes: Paz Vega did you say ?
That's why I love DVDFab/Shrink !

Is this your current list?
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=5594795&highlight=defect+list#post5594795


There is not:
- 480i/576i over DVI
- 2-2 cadence support
- longer filenames to filebrowser or possibly using right screen area
to display fullname when item is selected
- "Jacket_P" Support. When a DVD is paused (perhaps for longer than a minute or two) the player displays the movie's splash screen (as opposed to displaying the player's splash screen).

modified oppo firmware for bbk 985S also has these (i have not personally tested since i dont have player/remote):
- bigger font, lowered and extended area for subtitles, same position for PAL and NTSC

some other minor changes that are not probably useful. jriihi, yes, that is the current list. Thanks for the additions. I'll add them, but please bear in mind that the list is already very long and we don't want to swamp Oppo with relatively minor things to the degree that would cause dismay. That might make them less motivated to work on the more important defects and wishes.

I definitely agree with 480i/576i over DVI if it is possible. But as for 2-2 Cadence, Kris Deering, I think, mentioned that it would not be a possibility in this player. It would mean a major overhaul of the O.S. (Others have mentioned that Oppo MAY be considering it). Nevertheless, it is a relatively minor wishlist item and we wouldn't want to get everybody's hopes up prematurely, especially if it may not be possible.

Gary

Maybe someone can explain what I'm seeing as I toggle through DVI on the Oppo.

At 480 PSCAN the Benq reports 525p.

Pressing DVI again I get 540 PSCAN and the Benq reports this as 1080i 60.

Pressing DVI again gets me to 720 PSCAN and the Benq tells me I'm seeing 1280/720/60 (and it shrinks the image a bit all around).

Finally pressing DVI again I get 1080 ISCAN and the Benq tells me it sees 1080i 60, which suggests it's the "same" as the 540 PSCAN.

I've set the Oppo to NTSC rather than Auto. The manual indicates that I should be seeing 3 rather than 4 alternate output modes. What's going on here?

And which of these, apart from the native 720p, which does not appear to provide a properly sized image, should I be using?

At 480 PSCAN the Benq reports 525p.

this is correct. 480p is the same as 525p (525 scan lines 480 active lines)


Pressing DVI again I get 540 PSCAN and the Benq reports this as 1080i 60.

the benq does not take 540p. It syncs it at 1080i.


Pressing DVI again gets me to 720 PSCAN and the Benq tells me I'm seeing 1280/720/60 (and it shrinks the image a bit all around).

720p is 1280x720 at 60hz. This is correct. the small shrink u see is also normal for many dvds. Many are transferred with a little gap at sides. (e.g. Fifth Element Super Bit.). Also dun forget 1.85 movies should not fill ur 16:9 screen fully. 16:9 is 1.78. A 1.85 source will have a gap at top and bottom (e.g. MIB )


Finally pressing DVI again I get 1080 ISCAN and the Benq tells me it sees 1080i 60, which suggests it's the "same" as the 540 PSCAN.


1080is is correctly synced at 1080i.

The best is to feed 720p or 1080i to the Benq, and see which one u prefer.

modified oppo firmware for bbk 985S also has these (i have not personally tested since i dont have player/remote):
- bigger font, lowered and extended area for subtitles, same position for PAL and NTSC



Very easy to do implement with the correct MTK tools.

Hey SharkShark, is that name from the old intellivision game of the same name?

COMPLETELY off topic, but check out the new avatar thanks to a note from this forum! Just LOOK at what you can learn here! :)

this is correct. 480p is the same as 525p (525 scan lines 480 active lines)


the benq does not take 540p. It syncs it at 1080i.


720p is 1280x720 at 60hz. This is correct. the small shrink u see is also normal for many dvds. Many are transferred with a little gap at sides. (e.g. Fifth Element Super Bit.). Also dun forget 1.85 movies should not fill ur 16:9 screen fully. 16:9 is 1.78. A 1.85 source will have a gap at top and bottom (e.g. MIB )


1080is is correctly synced at 1080i.

The best is to feed 720p or 1080i to the Benq, and see which one u prefer.

Actually I see the shrink with no DVD in the drive. This seems to be something to do with some inherent incompatibility between the Oppo and the 8700. I have not seen this with my Momitsu DX or any other DVD player. Others have noted this as well with the Oppo / Benq combination. I've not experimented with other outputs from the Oppo to the Benq, since I don't believe any similar results would show up. But I could be wrong. I'm guessing the way the two devices "communicate" and the Benq "adjusts" is not "standard".

My setup currently consists of a Zenith DVB318 upconverting to 1080i over component, feeding an Infocus X1. I'm seriously considering replacing the projector with an Optoma H31 for the sake of the faster color wheel, better blacks, 16:9 native resolution and higher contrast. Will replacing the Zenith with an Oppo and using DVI bring about any further improvement in image quality?

Will replacing the Zenith with an Oppo and using DVI bring about any further improvement in image quality?

Maybe or maybe not. Depends in general if H31 looks better with dvi.

What resolution are you guys playing it on? 720p or 1080i? I'm not asking which is best, I'm asking which one you prefer when using this player.

My setup currently consists of a Zenith DVB318 upconverting to 1080i over component, feeding an Infocus X1. I'm seriously considering replacing the projector with an Optoma H31 for the sake of the faster color wheel, better blacks, 16:9 native resolution and higher contrast. Will replacing the Zenith with an Oppo and using DVI bring about any further improvement in image quality?

are you just not happy with your current setup? Or, are you just ready for a change? The reason I ask is because the jury is still out on whether DVI gives you better PQ in all cases. Several guys in previous posts via this thread are sticking with component [meaning sticking with your Zenith] and inserting a Mosquito into the system. You might try that first if you're not happy with your current setup. A Zenith> Mosquito>Optoma H31 setup through component sounds pretty darned nice in my book.
Javry

I have read pretty much this whole thread and I am still wondering if Oppo fixed the jaggedness/shimmering yet with the firmware upgrade? I need a new player to go with my recently ordered Pio 5050HD and I am strongly leaning towards this player. I want a player with super fast layer change, great flexibility and as little side-effects/problems as possible.

Is the layer change really fast on this player?

Can someone explain to me more about this jaggedness/shimmering that almost all are experiencing? I will be connecting this unit to the Pio Media box thru DVI ... or HDMI if someone suggests I go that way. I will not be using component.

Thanks. Look forward to the replies.

The Oppo has a fast layer change. The shimmering is still there in the latest firmware, but seems to be something they are fixing for the next firmware update.

HUmmm. strange the June 9th update as been removed from the support page....

...........Can someone explain to me more about this jaggedness/shimmering that almost all are experiencing? I will be connecting this unit to the Pio Media box thru DVI ... or HDMI if someone suggests I go that way. I will not be using component..................

It's a great choice. Especially if component is not your bag. The shimmering issue is being worked and, I'm sure, will be resolved over time. BTW, not all of us have experienced it. As you've seen in the posts, the player still has a few bugs but the PQ is pretty good.
Javry

I have read pretty much this whole thread and I am still wondering if Oppo fixed the jaggedness/shimmering yet with the firmware upgrade? I need a new player to go with my recently ordered Pio 5050HD and I am strongly leaning towards this player. I want a player with super fast layer change, great flexibility and as little side-effects/problems as possible.

Is the layer change really fast on this player?

Can someone explain to me more about this jaggedness/shimmering that almost all are experiencing? I will be connecting this unit to the Pio Media box thru DVI ... or HDMI if someone suggests I go that way. I will not be using component. cue03, the jaggedness/shimmering is a direct result of the unusual Mediatek edge enhancement. It is a relatively simple firmware fix and Oppo is addressing it as a top priority. Stay tuned here.

The Oppo is one of the very best Faroudja-based players. It has a seriously fast layer change (virtually instantaneous). There are still a few quirks to be worked out, but they are being fixed at a pretty steady pace, thanks to OPPO Digital's engineers and P.R. people. Very soon the wishlist will be longer than the list of quirks. See the defect list in this thread for more info.

Gary

Thanks for the input guys. I think I am going to place an order for this player in another week or two. I am going to wait until I get my Pio in house and setup before I order another DVD player. Hopefully the new firmware will be released in the next week or 2.

thanks. Good to know that the layer change is extremely fast.

Curtis

HUmmm. strange the June 9th update as been removed from the support page....

Hmmm......

Paul

HUmmm. strange the June 9th update as been removed from the support page....

I noticed the same thing. I wonder if the page is being prepped for the new firmware, or too many eager people were downloading that one and rendering their remote un-useable, since the codes in that one were for the newer remote.

From Oppo:
Thanks for your interests on supporting 854x480 res. We are looking into it but at this stage it is very early to determine if we are able to do it or not.

Still, the fact that they're looking into it is impressive. I'll state again, this responsiveness is quite out of the norm for an electronics company, and makes buying anything Oppo pretty easy.

Any update on this Jack ?

I am keeping a close eye on this. I just got a call that my Pio will be delivered tomorrow. :)

Didn't expect it that soon. This means my DVD purchase will be expected even sooner.

Curtis

Keep those eyes open!

Paul

I am keeping a close eye on this. I just got a call that my Pio will be delivered tomorrow. :)

Didn't expect it that soon. This means my DVD purchase will be expected even sooner.

Curtis

if it is 59avi, you will be amazed with difference in picture/video

if it is 59avi, you will be amazed with difference in picture/video

You mean compared to the Oppo??

if it is 59avi, you will be amazed with difference in picture/video

:eek: How rude in an Oppo thread ! Hey guys, seems a lot of people having paid 5x Oppo's MSRP keep an anxious eye on
our "constantly improving" little player ! :p

I think he meant a Pio receiver.
But I can be wrong...

Peace

Actually, I think Curtis is expecting a Pioneer plasma.

Paul

I have had the Oppo for 2 weeks and I'm impressed with the PQ. I'm running to a Benq 7800, which uses the Matterhorn DLP chip (1024x576). PAL DVD's look great at 576P (only scaling horiz and not vert) and for NTSC, I'm running at 720P. The 7800 changes to 50Hz when fed a PAL disc...you can hear the color wheel change speeds.

No shimmering that I can see but maybe I don't know what to look for??
The lipsync issue is there but comes and goes and isn't too annoying to me.

The best thing is this DVD player makes my PJ look much sharper (less soft) than your standard 480P player.

Overall, I'm very happy with the purchase.

Great report idog1969,

Keep an eye on this page for firmware updates:

Oppo Digital DV971H support page (http://www.oppodigital.com/opdv971h_support.html)

Paul

idog1969,

Some people reported problems with the Benq 8700 & 720p resolution.
When you run yours at 720p are there any borders around the screen or a few rows of pixles missing?

I am having the same problem with my Marantz VP12S3 at 720P. When I switch DVI modes, I get changing borders (farily large - inches, not a pixel or two), but definitely no pixel to pixel match ... which was the whole point? What gives? I will look at this tonight in detail.

[EDIT] My problem was an alignment issue and not a problem with the player.[EDIT]

Wow this is a long thread. OK, I had printing out the Oppo website and even downloaded and printed the Oppo player manual to get ready to purchase one but then I saw "shimmering" mentioned and an issue with 4:3 material. I've believe the 4:3 stretch issue is resolved which is good to hear because I really need any player I get to be able to pillar box 4:3 material.
I have gone over the Oppo site's firmware page as well and was very impressed the progress.

Is it wise to get one now or wait until a final verdict is reached on the shimmering?

I don't have DVI or HDMI as of yet, does this player handle 480P over component well? Is the Faroudja processing applied or not?

Thanks in advance for any information.

Wesley,

There will be a new firmware release very soon. The shimmering issue will be definitely fixed in this coming release. 480p is only available over DVI (as is upscaling). Component is only 480i, which means no Faroudja. This is meant to be a high quality DVI/upscaling player.

afasso,

I'm running the 7800, which uses a different chip than the 8700.

I do see 10-15 pixels missing on the right side. I wouldn't call it a cropping issue yet as I have not compared it to 480P to see if pixels are indeed gone or the pic is just shifted to the left.

I too need to check this out further. I did read other people having the same type of issue with missing pixels on the right side and bottom. I guess I'm in that group, however it has not been a big distraction, yet.

I orederd the Oppo 971 today. I'll be using it to replace an Onkyo DV CP500 playing to a Toshiba 65HX93. I'll be running DVI of course. I'll post my results

Rick

OK probably a NooB question here but.... I just installed my DVI blade in my Pany 7UY, i hooked up my new, wonderful Oppo player and...when i try to change outputs (720, 1081) i have no signal to my display...When i come back to the 480 panscan , i get a picture...Is this normal?I can't upscale the signal ? Sorry if this is covered elsewhere.

idog,

I am pretty sure this is your display doing this. I don't have any problem like this with my Z2. All pixels of the image are present. I have used DVE and AVIA to check this with my display.

afasso,

I'm running the 7800, which uses a different chip than the 8700.

I do see 10-15 pixels missing on the right side. I wouldn't call it a cropping issue yet as I have not compared it to 480P to see if pixels are indeed gone or the pic is just shifted to the left.

I too need to check this out further. I did read other people having the same type of issue with missing pixels on the right side and bottom. I guess I'm in that group, however it has not been a big distraction, yet.

Lite up....
Would you mind telling me your settings. I have a Z2 and some kind of picture shrink thing going on. I get borders on all four sides. I imagine you are using the HDCP setting and the Sanyo forces it to "true". I would also assume you are using 720p through the DVI set to NTSC and wide/sqz. Is there anything you set up special? The Sanyo support guy said to turn off "progressive" but I have no idead where that is. Did you do any stretching...I don't know how to do that either. Anything could help. I got my Sanyo a year ago December. I wonder if it's a firmware thing. I could have set something stupidly, but would have expected it to pretty much work out of the box. The I have a new firmware to try but I want to see if I did something stupid first.
Thanks-Jeff

One more stupid question. I have AVIA. What test do I check the pixels with?
Thanks-Jeff

Greetings. What a great thread. My DVD player is no longer reliable, so I have taken the plunge. I have a few questions:
I waited a bit so I wouldn't have to do much with new firmware. Right now, I am confused. Is there, or isn't there a new update coming soon?
I don't have a DVD writer, I have a CD writer. Can I download the new firmware and write it to a CD and load it up that way? If not, do I have to get Oppo to mail me a DVD update of the firmware?

Thanks.

LiteUp!

I'm sure you're right about the display shifting the pixels. The question is, is it cropping. i will use Avia to determine that and post my findings.

Update is coming and yes use your cd writer

I just want to say that if Oppo can fix the shimmering (or failure to fully resolve problem) it will be a giant killer and "THE" player to own.

Does the Oppo use remote codes from a different, ie. more popular, manufacturer, or would I have to manually import the codes/keystrokes into my remote. I guess it's not to bad to do it once, but it's always a pain to do.

Don't forget the lip synch issue as well. ;)

I have a oppo and a PE8700 and I checked with DVE if the borders around the screen erase pixels and no...it's not pixel croping...It's a size picture issue.

And with my setup, it's the ultimite config...I touch the zoom a little bit when I use the oppo and it's perfect !

Keep those eyes open!

Paul


I am on it.

And Paul is also correct in a later post. I am waiting on the Pioneer PDP-5050HD to be delivered. Should be tomorrow. Looking forward to it. Adding the Oppo player with soon to be released firware increases my excitement even more.

Tomorrow will be a long day waiting for those delivery guys.

Thanks again.

Curtis

One more stupid question. I have AVIA. What test do I check the pixels with?
Thanks-Jeff Look for the Avia pixel-cropping pattern. BUT... don't confuse pixel-cropping with overscan. If your display is an RPTV it will have a small percentage of overscan (borders of the image hidden behind the bezel). So use the TV to zoom out a little to expose all 4 sides of the image.

I can assure you that there is no pixel-cropping coming from the Oppo. If you have a problem, it would likely be an image shift/scaling issue in the display, perhaps caused by a signal anomaly from the Oppo. Note that most displays have no shift/scaling problems at all.

Gary

@ GSB, please remain objective, stating "perhaps" is right!
simarddominic is reporting what I have been reporting, negative pixelcropping.
Resolution patterns look just a tiny bit compressed, therefore 1:1 pixelmapping resolution does NOT work.

I have tested with DVI an PAL though, I should try NTSC with avia on a 480 projector.

Other players like denon 1910 momitsu v880 yamakawa an panasonic S97 had 1:1 pal scaling, the oppo is still not right in this regard. Get those firmware guys a test disc with a (PAL?) resolution pattern and a good display to figure that out. (They probably have it but why doesn't it make it on the flaw/fix list?)

I have confirmed that I am NOT getting 1:1 pixel mapping. When I change DVI modes, I get different sizes on my screen (Marantz VP12S3 using DVI). I am talking to OPPO now and if not resolved, I will return the unit.:(

OK probably a NooB question here but.... I just installed my DVI blade in my Pany 7UY, i hooked up my new, wonderful Oppo player and...when i try to change outputs (720, 1081) i have no signal to my display...When i come back to the 480 panscan , i get a picture...Is this normal?I can't upscale the signal ? Sorry if this is covered elsewhere.


Can anyone help me???

Cholerabob,
Is your display capable of receiving 720p/1080i? What firmware does your Oppo have? The latest firmware fixes an issue with some displays not showing 1080i correctly.

I wonder why some ppl have pixel cropping and some dont. I have DVE and AVIA so going to check my sanyo plv-z3 720p projector today (PAL and NTSC). I also check if that wide and wide/sqw setting in oppo setup has something to do with it or not.

JaPhule -Thanks for helping me. I have a Panasonic TH42PWD7UY plasma display, it's ED, but, shouldn't the signal come in and be downscaled to match the display's resolution ? If i remember correctly the only resolution it doesn't take is 720. I have the latest firmeware, i received my player last Tuesday.

Cholerabob,
Since your Panny is ED Plasma, it's best to send it 480P from the Oppo and minimize the signal processing that occurs when you send it any other resolution. If you upconvert to 720P or 1080i in the Oppo, the Panny is only going to scale it down to its' native 853 x 480 resolution anyway. I've sent upconverted signals from my Oppo and my Pio DV-59Avi to my Panny ED plasma, and it looks best when the DVD player is sending it a 480P signal.
BTW, my Panny Plasma only accepts the 480P and 1080i outputs from the Oppo.

COMPLETELY off topic, but check out the new avatar thanks to a note from this forum! Just LOOK at what you can learn here! :)

Awesome! LOL

idog1969,

Some people reported problems with the Benq 8700 & 720p resolution.
When you run yours at 720p are there any borders around the screen or a few rows of pixles missing?


I see the same problem with my Optoma H77

Look for the Avia pixel-cropping pattern. BUT... don't confuse pixel-cropping with overscan. If your display is an RPTV it will have a small percentage of overscan (borders of the image hidden behind the bezel). So use the TV to zoom out a little to expose all 4 sides of the image.

I can assure you that there is no pixel-cropping coming from the Oppo. If you have a problem, it would likely be an image shift/scaling issue in the display, perhaps caused by a signal anomaly from the Oppo. Note that most displays have no shift/scaling problems at all.

Gary

As you say. I use to call it the "AR 4805/Oppo Glitch". Compared to my xp30, the Oppo shrinks (reduces without any pixel cropping) the image on 3 out of 4 sides: left, right and top. As the Oppo's projected image is smaller everywhere but at the bottom, the pic is stretched up-down, hence the "skinny look" on Leeloo's face.

Using 480p over DVI, Wide or Wide/Sqz showing same issue. The 4805 is a native 454x480 PJ.

From what I've read, Oppo seems to have this AR issue with Projectors, period.
So a very nice "for-everything-but-PJ" DVI player... ?!?

Gary or Paul: please tell Oppo. They seem to pretend it's the 4805 (when replying to my previous email). When fed DVI with other players or when HD-fed, there's no known AR issue like that.

Cricricri.

This is very unfortunate. I have a Benq 8700+ and wanted to get the Oppo. But it seems like many people are noting that the Oppo doesn't scale the image correctly with front projectors. So far the list seems to be Benq 7800/8700+, Marantz, Optoma 77 and 4805. I really hope that Oppo looks into this.

I was thinking about ordering the Oppo tonight for my Toshiba MT700 but this issue has made me pause. Hmmm.

Cricricri.

This is very unfortunate. I have a Benq 8700+ and wanted to get the Oppo. But it seems like many people are noting that the Oppo doesn't scale the image correctly with front projectors. So far the list seems to be Benq 7800/8700+, Marantz, Optoma 77 and 4805. I really hope that Oppo looks into this.

Lite Up!'s Z2 is fine. So it appears to be a DLP FP/Oppo incompatibility...
What's unique in FP DLP technology regarding scaling ?

Edit: just sent a mail to Oppo regarding this not-so-minor issue... Combining 854x480 pixel-mapping capability with the fixing of this issue would be interesting...

For the record...my Z2 is not fine. I've messed with it for hours. I have a border on all 4 sides no matter what. I guess LiteUp and I could have different firmware.
Thanks-Jeff

Cri,
Oppo told me the player may require hardware modification for 854x480 pixel mapping...

I was thinking about ordering the Oppo tonight for my Toshiba MT700 but this issue has made me pause. Hmmm.

I tried the oppo on the MT700 and had no pixel cropping according to AVIA pattern. I did not notice AR problem (which does not mean there is not)
The only problem I had with the toshiba was that it was not able to sync on 720p 50Hz signal from the oppo (playing a PAL dvd and upscaling to 720p).

With panasonic AE500 the Oppo is cropping pixel on top and bottom.
No problem with PAL DVD at 720p.

I emailed Oppo about the sizing issue and they do not seem to have a solution. I can see how this issue would be challenging if not all displays show the problem. I guess the Oppo isn't an option for all of us.

Dear xxx

Thank you for your interest in the OPDV971H. The OPDV971H outputs the standard HD resolutions of 720 by 480 pixels for 480p and 1280 by 720 for 720p. Usually the display has to then resize the video in order to fit its native resolution or not resize at all and show borders around the video. Beyond outputting the exact resolution as specified by the HD resolution specs, we don't know what else can be done to accomodate these display devices. Typically, a user can make various changes on the display device on how to handle the video and suit the output to the user's tastes. Besides changing the DVI output modes, there are no other settings that affect the resolution output from the DVI.

Along with the reports of some users having some sort of compatiblity problem with their display devices, a majority of our customers have had great experiences with the OPDV971H.


Best Regards,

Customer Service
Oppo Digital, Inc.
2269 Old Middlefield Way
Mountain View CA 94043
Tel: 650-961-1118

I wonder why some ppl have pixel cropping and some dont. I have DVE and AVIA so going to check my sanyo plv-z3 720p projector today (PAL and NTSC). I also check if that wide and wide/sqz setting in oppo setup has something to do with it or not. It isn't pixel cropping. Certain displays are shifting or incorrectly scaling the image for some reason. The Wide/Sqz setting doesn't have anything to do with it either.

Gary

Cricricri.

This is very unfortunate. I have a Benq 8700+ and wanted to get the Oppo. But it seems like many people are noting that the Oppo doesn't scale the image correctly with front projectors. So far the list seems to be Benq 7800/8700+, Marantz, Optoma 77 and 4805. I really hope that Oppo looks into this.

I don't see it as that problematique. I have another format on my H77 call 16:9 that overscan by a few pixels If I used it I lose one or two pixelx on top. None on the bottom and on the side. It will be nice if it could be fix by Oppo.

Bruno

I'll jump in on this, but I have no projector experience. It seems this issue is pretty much restricted to projectors.

Do projectors force 1:1 pixel mapping? Is is possible to not use 1:1 pixel mapping or take projectors out of a possible PC mode?

In the case of the Toshiba display (using the MT500 manual as a guide), is "REAL" or 16:9 being utilized for aspect?

My brief experience with forced 1:1 :

When I had a Sharp TC-26D7U display recently I tried the Sharp's DVI-PC mode and the 1:1 pixel mode and, sure enough, the screen wasn't filled with 480p -- it only occupied the center portion of the screen with big, fat black bars all around. The screen is 1366x768 -- no surprise there, 480p is not 1366x768. 720p as I recall, needed a bit of tweaking with clock and phase to get a full, centered, non-banded picture.

Now, when the Sharp's DVI-Video was used (no 1:1), 480p, 540p, 720p, 1080i all filled the screen just fine.

Does any of this help?

Paul

Paul

Good input. Was it the display that required tweaking with clock and phase?

Gary

I'm looking at the Infocus 4805 manual (page 9) and it looks like 480p isn't a supported input for "Progressive DVD" via DVI. It shows only 1035i, 1080i, and 720p as a supported input. The manual does not seem to suggest to use 480p over DVI for any type of input. 480p is spec'ed by the 4805 for component.

For the 4805 is the aspect ratio of 16:9 (default) selected or is "Native" being selected?

Paul

As you say. I use to call it the "AR 4805/Oppo Glitch". Compared to my xp30, the Oppo shrinks (reduces without any pixel cropping) the image on 3 out of 4 sides: left, right and top. As the Oppo's projected image is smaller everywhere but at the bottom, the pic is stretched up-down, hence the "skinny look" on Leeloo's face.

Using 480p over DVI, Wide or Wide/Sqz showing same issue. The 4805 is a native 454x480 PJ.

From what I've read, Oppo seems to have this AR issue with Projectors, period.
So a very nice "for-everything-but-PJ" DVI player... ?!?

Gary or Paul: please tell Oppo. They seem to pretend it's the 4805 (when replying to my previous email). When fed DVI with other players or when HD-fed, there's no known AR issue like that. We have already informed Oppo. Unless we can help them find the common denominator, there is little they can do. (Read response from Oppo in the post above).

This issue does seem to be restricted to projectors, but NOT ALL of them. The reason seems to be that many projectors do not have the same native resolution as the Oppo's output resolution. Paul has a very valid point about 1:1 mapping too.

TO EVERYONE:
The Oppo is not responsible for shrinking the image. The DISPLAY is shrinking and/or shifting it for some reason. That reason may well have to do with the signal from the Oppo. I'm sure we'll find an answer eventually. So please keep the comments coming... but let's keep them constructive. The more solid information we gather, the better. So be thorough in your report. Tell us everything that Oppo might need to know, ESPECIALLY if you're using a PAL disk and/or a PAL display.

Gary

Paul

Good input. Was it the display that required tweaking with clock and phase?

Gary

Whoops! Not clear on that. It was the *DISPLAY* that needed the tweaking.

Paul

Alright, everyone that is having this underscanning issue, if you can run another 480p/720p/1080i source over dvi/hdmi and see if you get underscanning with those sources. I'll try to test out the dvi on my cable box sometime this week and post my results.

I tried the oppo on the MT700 and had no pixel cropping according to AVIA pattern. I did not notice AR problem (which does not mean there is not)


There's no such problem with my MT700 (ND2+ 720p DLP) either. Attached are some pictures of the Avia Pro pixel cropping and resolution patterns (sorry if they're not that sharp, but you can see there's no problems with either).

Nice pictures Mike! Maybe I need to shell out the dough for Avia Pro.

Paul

Nice pictures Mike! Maybe I need to shell out the dough for Avia Pro.

Paul

It's pretty expensive, but it's sooo easy to use. Fortunately, it came packaged with the OpticOne probe and software I bought to do calibrations. BTW, the overscan pattern shows the same results as the pixel cropping.

Hm i think that 576p in sanyo plv-z3 does underscan(?). If i adjust overscan to 3 instead of 0 (default setting is 10) then seems to be fine (aligning to screen). This is if i understood DVE (PAL) version overscan pattern correctly and those (last?) white borders are not supposed to show when overscan is set correctly. This could also be my projector alignment to screen or something :)

I didnt check 720p PAL or 480p NTSC/720p NTSC yet.

It's pretty expensive, but it's sooo easy to use. Fortunately, it came packaged with the OpticOne probe and software I bought to do calibrations. BTW, the overscan pattern shows the same results as the pixel cropping. Mike, thanks for posting the pictures. The Oppo does a perfect job on most displays, including my 1280x720 DLP.

Does Avia Pro come with PAL test patterns too? Some people are having trouble with PAL shift/scaling and I'd really appreciate it if you were able to verify the Oppo's PAL-to-NTSC conversion and PAL-to-PAL output.

Gary

Paul,

4805 does indeed support 480P over DVI. You are looking in the "HDTV" section, look under EDTV.

I'm looking at the Infocus 4805 manual (page 9) and it looks like 480p isn't a supported input for "Progressive DVD" via DVI. It shows only 1035i, 1080i, and 720p as a supported input. The manual does not seem to suggest to use 480p over DVI for any type of input. 480p is spec'ed by the 4805 for component.

For the 4805 is the aspect ratio of 16:9 (default) selected or is "Native" being selected?

Paul

You mean, the AR should be right then if I send the 720p signal from the Oppo to the 4805 ? I'll need to check. Other 4805 users, could you check it please and report ?

We use 16:9 on the display, not Native.

Well , I did'nt follow this thread from the beginning or can I read the whole thing .

But I was wondering from those that kept up with this thread...........Will this Oppo work with my Mits 65613 RPTV ? My set has the DVI input so that is covered .

Thanks

dmcclayton,

I was looking here:

4805 manual (http://www.infocus.com/service/sp4805/downloads/userguides/SP4805_UG_English.pdf)

on page 9.

What do you think? Is there a discrepancy between the guides?

Paul

Cricricri,

I don't know if it will be right, I don't have a projector, I was just looking through the manual and seeing what ideas there might be.

Page 23 suggests to adjust horiz/vert for non-centered pictures.

Page 37 describes the controls for phase and tracking.

Do these controls have an effect?

Paul

drunkonjack,

There are no other mentions of the Mit 65613 on the thread, but I don't know of any reason why the Oppo wouldn't work.

Paul

drunkonjack,

There are no other mentions of the Mit 65613 on the thread, but I don't know of any reason why the Oppo wouldn't work.

Paul


Thanks Paul . I ordered one and will match it up against my Elite 47ai and see what I like better . The 47ai has the dreaded chroma bug issue and would like to improve the picture quality .

How has the responce of this DVD player been as a cd player or transport ?

How has the responce of this DVD player been as a cd player or transport ?
I use my Oppo SPDIF RAW audio output via optical TOSlink connection to my home theater amplifier. Excellent sound. (I retired my CD player as a result.)

Dana

Cricricri,

I don't know if it will be right, I don't have a projector, I was just looking through the manual and seeing what ideas there might be.

Page 23 suggests to adjust horiz/vert for non-centered pictures.

Page 37 describes the controls for phase and tracking.

Do these controls have an effect?

Paul

Paul, these controls are disabled when using DVI.

I'll try to take pictures of xp30-components VS Oppo DVI of the same scene. If it would be only for a little shrinking that keeps the correct AR, I wouldn't mind at all ! I would just zoom a little...

With the two pics, hopefully someone would tell which AR is the correct one: xp30's or Oppo's... I'm suddenly wondering...

Ja Phule had a good suggestion about trying other DVI devices. Cable boxes, for instance.

Paul

Guys, thanks for jumping on this issue so quickly. I have to say my fears are alleviated and I will probably order one soon for my Toshiba MT700. Can't wait for this week's firmware update!

edit: wow, I'm at the top of the last two pages...what luck. I should sell these posts for ad space! ;)

OK. So I was testing various things with the Oppo and my 4805. And I'm not seeing any kind of underscanning as I had seen earlier. This is at 480p/720p/1080i. I didn't really test a/b the DVI connection with my hd box, b/c I didn't need to. There's a blank button for my projector that will just project a blank screen, so I a/b the blank screen with the oppo's menu and I'm not seeing any difference. The oppo's picture and the blank screen lined up just fine. I also tested the blank screen with my hd box over component and I got the same results. I put in some DVDs with the Oppo and realized it is some of the movies that aren't filling up the screen, not the Oppo. So there you have it, the underscanning, for me at least, is from the dvd source, not the Oppo. Some dvds have the underscanning, some don't. I believe someone mentioned this earlier as a possible reason why we are seeing the underscanning.

OK. So I was testing various things with the Oppo and my 4805. And I'm not seeing any kind of underscanning as I had seen earlier. This is at 480p/720p/1080i. I didn't really test a/b the DVI connection with my hd box, b/c I didn't need to. There's a blank button for my projector that will just project a blank screen, so I a/b the blank screen with the oppo's menu and I'm not seeing any difference. The oppo's picture and the blank screen lined up just fine. I also tested the blank screen with my hd box over component and I got the same results. I put in some DVDs with the Oppo and realized it is some of the movies that aren't filling up the screen, not the Oppo. So there you have it, the underscanning, for me at least, is from the dvd source, not the Oppo. Some dvds have the underscanning, some don't. I believe someone mentioned this earlier as a possible reason why we are seeing the underscanning. Well that's a big relief! Thanks for sharing this.

There are still a few other projectors experiencing problems, and quite a few happen to be PAL setups. I'm still hoping MikeSRC and/or a few others would be able to test the PAL performance for us.

Gary

Hm i think that 576p in sanyo plv-z3 does underscan(?). If i adjust overscan to 3 instead of 0 (default setting is 10) then seems to be fine (aligning to screen). Excellent.

I didnt check 720p PAL or 480p NTSC/720p NTSC yet. Keep us posted.

Gary

Paul, these controls are disabled when using DVI.

I'll try to take pictures of xp30-components VS Oppo DVI of the same scene. If it would be only for a little shrinking that keeps the correct AR, I wouldn't mind at all ! I would just zoom a little...

With the two pics, hopefully someone would tell which AR is the correct one: xp30's or Oppo's... I'm suddenly wondering... This test wouldn't tell us anything useful. The projector handles DVI and component in different ways... some of your controls are even disabled when using DVI. For the results to be meaningful, you should be comparing the Oppo to another DVI player.

Gary

I have confirmed that I am NOT getting 1:1 pixel mapping. When I change DVI modes, I get different sizes on my screen (Marantz VP12S3 using DVI). I am talking to OPPO now and if not resolved, I will return the unit.:( So, Tim, what have you discovered? The VP12S3 has a native 1280 x 720 DMD panel. So you should be feeding it 720p, and tweaking the projector's settings to scale the image correctly. I'm sure it has nothing to do with the Oppo, unless you're looking at a PAL DVD (the jury is still out on PAL support).

Gary

Gary:

You are right and I am an idiot. My projector got knocked out of alignment (not sure how). So, the OPPO had no problem, my apologies Oppo. Now to add insult to injury, I interupted the power during a firmware update. Ughhh! So I am hoping they can somehow help me. I'm an ass! :(

Some DVDs are "widescreen" but not enhanced for the 16:9 frame. When viewed on a 16:9 screen, these DVD's will have "black bars" around the entire image. Zooming and stretching (player and/or display) are the options to "fill the screen".

Paul

So there you have it, the underscanning, for me at least, is from the dvd source, not the Oppo. Some dvds have the underscanning, some don't. I believe someone mentioned this earlier as a possible reason why we are seeing the underscanning.

The thing is for me (Z2), the splash screen is the same too, with the 480p being different than 1080i, ,720p, and VGA. The 480p seems to have multiple "edges" on the right side(vertical lines). I to have done the a/b comparison between the projectors splash screen and the dvd player and the frame is different every time. I even had the wife hold her finger on the edge.

Paul,
The black bars I'm seeing are much smaller than the black bars from a letterbox dvd.

Thanks-Jeff

The thing is for me (Z2), the splash screen is the same too, with the 480p being different than 1080i, ,720p, and VGA. The 480p seems to have multiple "edges" on the right side(vertical lines). I to have done the a/b comparison between the projectors splash screen and the dvd player and the frame is different every time. I even had the wife hold her finger on the edge.

Does this happen only on the Oppo or other sources too? It sounds like the z2 is causing the issue every time it receives a different video signal.

The Z2 has a lot of options, Full, Full Through, Normal Through, and others when 480p is being utilized (it appears the selections are not possible with 720p or 1080i).

With 480p DVI which format is being used?

From the Z2 manual on page 30, I would expect Full Through and Normal Through to produce and image that might have black bars around the image (as illustrated in the manual).

If a PC mode is being used, there are some further adjustments detailed beginning on page 38. Have these adjustments been tried.

Paul

Does Avia Pro come with PAL test patterns too?

No, it doesn't. I think I only have one PAL disk in my collection, but I haven't tried it yet.

Does this happen only on the Oppo or other sources too? It sounds like the z2 is causing the issue every time it receives a different video signal.

The only other source I've ever had through the DVI is my pc, which had an ATI card running through power strip. Worked excellent. My Nvidia card wont work correctly because the EDID in the projector tells the card it is only capable of displaying 1024x768...seperate issue though.

I'm thinking of buying a Panasonic s77 in the next couple of days to see if it has any issues with the DVI. It's too bad that the component picture is fuzzier. I would just switch it over an be done with it. It could totally be my Z2 firmware is old or something. I don't know, but I kind of think I've spent too much time on this already.

Thanks-Jeff

The Z2 has a lot of options, Full, Full Through, Normal Through, and others when 480p is being utilized (it appears the selections are not possible with 720p or 1080i).

With 480p DVI which format is being used?

From the Z2 manual on page 30, I would expect Full Through and Normal Through to produce and image that might have black bars around the image (as illustrated in the manual).

If a PC mode is being used, there are some further adjustments detailed beginning on page 38. Have these adjustments been tried.

Paul


Paul,
I read the whole manual Monday. Your options are limited with the DVI. You really can't change anything. I can't recall which mode the 480p was but it was different. I haven't messed with 480p much because I thought the idea of an upscaling player was to just let the player scale it once and then send it to the display. The people I bought it from suggested I use the HDCP mode. Actually, I wonder if this is my problem....I see no difference between these 2 modes. I will check it out. I bought my Z2 about 18 months ago....maybe the firmware?

Thanks-Jeff

Hey I have a newbie question about how you set this player up? I was reading on benchmarks that this player is no good unless you use HDMI. I have HDMI slot on my TV, but my reciever can only go component, do most of you with this player either not use/have a receiver, or do you just wire thru component thru your receiver? Is it possible to run the digital audio connection out to your receiever, but only run the video out to your tv?

Hey I have a question about how you set this player up? I was reading on benchmarks that this player is no good unless you use HDMI. I have HDMI slot on my TV, but my reciever can only go component, do most of you with this player either not use/have a receiver, or do you just wire thru component thru your receiver?


I think you mean DVI . This player has no HDMI output .

I think you mean DVI . This player has no HDMI output .

yh sorry meant DVI

Dave, Yes this is exactly how to do this . This is also How I will set mine up.

Dave, Yes this is exactly how to do this . This is also How I will set mine up.

I'm sorry jack I dont think I follow, which are you doing? audio thru receiver, and dvi video straight to TV, bypassing the receiever? or via component thru receiver? appreciate the help

Is it possible to run the digital audio connection out to your receiever, but only run the video out to your tv?

Yes, that's how you want to do it. Don't use component at all. DVI to the TV and digital audio to the receiver.

Yes, that's how you want to do it. Don't use component at all. DVI to the TV and digital audio to the receiver.

thanks guys....for some reason i thought you had to send a video signal to your receiver as well? but you guys are saying your receiver does not need to have a video signal at all, right?

I'm sorry jack I dont think I follow, which are you doing? audio thru receiver, and dvi video straight to TV, bypassing the receiever? or via component thru receiver? appreciate the help

I will run straight from player using DVI to TV and run audio to my Pre/Pro .

This player shines when using DVI and has issues when using component . So make sure to take advantage of the DVI output .

Dave,
The only reason to connect video to your receiver is if you want to use the receiver to switch between different video sources. Instead of having to switch both your tv input and receiver input. There's only a handful of receivers out that have HDMI/DVI inputs, so almost all of us have the Oppo straight to our display via DVI and audio to receiver.

wow...thanks alot guys (drunkonjack, MikeSRC, and japhule) in about 10 minutes you guys answered all my questions. Now all i have to do is make a tough decision on what gets my 1 hdmi slot on my tv, the dvd player, or my comcast hd box. AVS forums is awesome.

Now all i have to do is make a tough decision on what gets my 1 hdmi slot on my tv, the dvd player, or my comcast hd box.

Typically, if you have to choose one, you want to have your highest resolution source (in this case, the HD box) use the HDMI or DVI input. You can always have both with an HDMI or DVI switcher, but that costs as much as the DVD player. ;)

I agree with Mike with one caveat - if you're using a fixed-pixel display. ydave77, I don't know what kind of TV you have, but on my CRT RPTV, the difference between component and DVI is minimal at best. I ended up switching the Comcast box over to component and moved the DVI cable to the Oppo (where the DVI output is far superior to component).

I agree with Mike with one caveat - if you're using a fixed-pixel display. ydave77, I don't know what kind of TV you have, but on my CRT RPTV, the difference between component and DVI is minimal at best. I ended up switching the Comcast box over to component and moved the DVI cable to the Oppo (where the DVI output is far superior to component).

I have a sony kv30hs420--the 30 inch widecreen. I am not sure if that is a fixed pixel display, but it sounds like both of you recommend using the hdbox with the hdmi input. I will go ahead and do that, now I guess I have to try to find another dvd player that has good quality over componenet wiring. Time to search some DVD threads, and chack out benchmarks again. Thanks for your help guys.

I planned on reserving my DVI input for HDTV, but then I realize most of my viewing is on DVD, so the Oppo got the DVI spot and HD goes over component (and still looks great).

ydave77,
Your set is a direct view CRT, and not a fixed-pixel (LCD, plasma, etc.). If you already have the Comcast box, try it both ways. Run each type of cable from the box directly to your TV (don't go through your receiver for component). That way, you can evaluate with your own eyes which looks better, if either. My guess is they'll be very similar.

I have the Oppo running straight to my Panasonic's HDMI input via a (DVI->HDMI) adapter cable.

HD cable and DVHS each go directly to a component input.

ydave77,

The KV30HS420 is a CRT, not a fixed pixel display -- still it's a nice 16:9 Trinitron CRT. You should be getting a good picture from it.

Paul

I also use component for my comcast box. Works well enough for me, and since there's no HD-Component on the oppo, seems like the only way to do it.

Sanyo plv-z3 (720p native lcd projector) and oppo dv971h:

DVE (PAL) 720x576 overscan:
576p ok at overscan 3
720p ok at overscan 0
1080i image seems to move up and right

oppo menu:
480p white line at right when overscan 0, ok at overscan 3
576p white line at right when overscan 0, ok at overscan 3
720p/PAL white line at right and left when overscan 0, ok at overscan 2
720p/NTSC white line at right and left when overscan 0, ok at overscan 2

white lines seen at oppo menu dont appear when playing dvds

AVIA (NTSC) overscan:
480p image shift to right at overscan 0, ok at overscan 2
720p ok at overscan 0
1080i image shift to right at overscan 0, ok at overscan 2

AVIA (NTSC) pixel cropping:
480p image shift to right at overscan 0 with no cropping (ok alignment at overscan 2 but very little cropping)
720p ok at overscan 0
1080i image shift to right at overscan 0 with little cropping maybe (ok alignment at overscan 2 with bit more cropping)

Can you move the subtitles with the oppo? i.e. move them from the black bars onto the picture? I have a 2.35 Constant Height screen and subtitles are off the screen so I can't see them. So far the only player I know that can do this for sure is the Panny s97, and they aren't easy to come by.
Warren.

Can you move the subtitles with the oppo? i.e. move them from the black bars onto the picture? I have a 2.35 Constant Height screen and subtitles are off the screen so I can't see them. So far the only player I know that can do this for sure is the Panny s97, and they aren't easy to come by.
Warren.

I believe it's been requested to be added to the Oppo. I'm thinking of building a 2.35 mask on my screen, so this feature would be great too.

Sanyo plv-z3 (720p native lcd projector) and oppo dv971h:
Good detail in your post. Obviously, since the Z3 is a native 1280x720 display panel, you would feed it with 720p for best results... and your test results back that up... the image is OK in all cases, except maybe the Oppo logo.

Gary

Cricricri.

This is very unfortunate. I have a Benq 8700+ and wanted to get the Oppo. But it seems like many people are noting that the Oppo doesn't scale the image correctly with front projectors. So far the list seems to be Benq 7800/8700+, Marantz, Optoma 77 and 4805. I really hope that Oppo looks into this.

Since 1080i works fine and should provide you with probably as fine an image as you'll get via 720p I'd still go for it. I'm one of the people who've got an 8700+ and have been successfully using the Oppo since February. Overall it's a killer DVD player for the 8700+ and it's audio section is superb. As with others I've noted, on rare occasion, lip sync issues but I'm more suspicious of the discs than the player on that one. Also, I've not noticed many of the other anomolies that plague other setups, like shimmering. So, I'd definitely give it a go. If you're unhappy, I'm sure the retailer would be willing to take it back. Most have 30-day trials.

OK. So I was testing various things with the Oppo and my 4805. And I'm not seeing any kind of underscanning as I had seen earlier. This is at 480p/720p/1080i. I didn't really test a/b the DVI connection with my hd box, b/c I didn't need to. There's a blank button for my projector that will just project a blank screen, so I a/b the blank screen with the oppo's menu and I'm not seeing any difference. The oppo's picture and the blank screen lined up just fine. I also tested the blank screen with my hd box over component and I got the same results. I put in some DVDs with the Oppo and realized it is some of the movies that aren't filling up the screen, not the Oppo. So there you have it, the underscanning, for me at least, is from the dvd source, not the Oppo. Some dvds have the underscanning, some don't. I believe someone mentioned this earlier as a possible reason why we are seeing the underscanning.

That's a nice test, just did it with my 4805 but got different results ! When doing a/b testing between blank screen and Oppo's splash page, the images aren't aligned: I loose pixels on all 4 sides !

Could you give your exact setup ? I use the 4805 1.02 firmware, M1toDVI adapter, toggled between 480p, 720p: results are the same. Toggled between Wide and Wide/sqz: results are the same....

Other 4805 owners, please share.

Cri...
I'm using the more recent 4805 firmware (from december). No flickering over DVI. :)

Cri...
I'm using the more recent 4805 firmware (from december). No flickering over DVI. :)

Tell me more: 720p with Native ? 480p with 16:9 ?

The new firmware is up on the Oppo Page
The link is wrong so just cut and paste the url for the new firmware in your browser to get the new firmware.

Cheers,

Scaven

I see that the new firmware is up on the website. Have been waiting for the fixes before pulling the trigger on this machine. Anyone have this player to a tube hdtv? I am impressed with Oppo and the commitment they have demonstrated for this product.

The new firmware looks very good on Avia. I have zero pixel cropping on all sides. There is still some minor chroma delay but this one looks like a winner. I turned off the Faroudja image processing options for now... Back to the show...

http://www.oppodigital.com/opdv971h_support.html

http://www.oppodigital.com/Download/Firmware0628.iso

Have fun everyone....this is awesome stuff.

Ok I am having a bit of a problem here. I downloaded the file firmware0628.rar to my comp and then tried to burn that file to a CD using ISO. I am using NERO as my burner software. After it's done burning, I verify the file on the CD. It has one file:

firmware0628.rar

I read this part from the OPPO support page: "The CD should contain a 935.bin file if you burned successfully."

Am I doing something wrong here? Should I have extracted the .bin from the .rar first and then do the iso burn? Or is this correct? Need help please!!! Thanks!

You have to burn it as an ISO file (load it as ISO in NERO as they explain on the Oppo site. This is an ISO disc image. Where did the .rar come from???

Another question! I noticed the new firmware has the option to turn ON and OFF the "Trulife Enhancement". From what I read, this seems to be the reason for the Macroblocking issue. Does this mean the MB goes away if I turn this off? Is there a significant drop in PQ when this is turned off?

Do NOT turn off TrueLife! (although you can experiment) You will get jaggies everywhere (and fail the infamous waving flag test). This basically disables the valuable Faroudja processing you paid for. You can experiment with the CCS though....I prefer it ON. Sharpness should also be OFF or LOW. Shimmering is now totally gone......even with the Sharpness controls turned up.

You have to burn it as an ISO file (load it as ISO in NERO as they explain on the Oppo site. This is an ISO disc image. Where did the .rar come from???

My bad it wasn't a .rar but a .iso. For some reason the .iso file automatically attaches to my WINRAR tool. Yes I am using ISO1 via NERO but when I burned it to the CD the CD had the exact firmware0629.iso in it and not the 935.bin that the instructions described. What to do???

Open Nero, then at the "New Compilation" window, click the Open button down at the bottom right hand corner. This will let you open image files (.iso).

WOW OPPO support is really amazing! I just called them and the CSR pointed me to cnet.com to download the ULTRAISO tool. It worked! Now I have the 935.bin on the CD and ready to the upgrade. It's funny coz I just received my OPPO today.

OK, I hate to bring this up again, but I updated the firmware and was messing with the Oppo and my 4805 once again today.

It seems the "undercanning" that many of us are getting... is still there. I know I posted earlier that the underscanning that I thought I saw was not there when I tested the Oppo last night, but as I was playing with it today, I noticed that I had the "overscan" option on my 4805 turned on, so it covered up the black borders when I did the test last night.

I tested it again with the "overscan" option off (we want overscan off so that all 4 sides are not cropped so we can get the full picture). I did the "blank" test where I had my projector project a blank screen and I compared it with the Oppo's menu and there is definitely some underscanning going on with the Oppo on all 4 sides. I've done the pixel cropping test on AVIA and it passes, cropping nothing on any of the 4 sides. However, it is just not filling the screen.

So this time, I went ahead and tested the DVI on my HD Box and compared it with the DVI results from my Oppo. The HD box (Scientific Atlanta 3250HD) filled the entire when watching 720p and 1080i. I compared the blank image and the 720p/1080i output and they match up, unlike 480p, 720p, 1080i from the Oppo.

Although I did just update to the newer firmware, I believe the new firmware IS NOT causing this issue (I just wanted to make that clear). It has been there since the beginning (I would assume).

So this is what I think is happening. Oppo has set their DVI output so that there is no pixel cropping, and that it will fill the whole picture display with the idea that most displays have some sort of overscan. I know that practically all of my old standard crt displays exhibit overscan. Most projectors have no overscan, showing the entire picture (many of which have options to turn overscan on like the 4805). Maybe this will explain how the Oppo fits perfectly when I turn overscan on and has borders around with overscan off.

I guess for now I will turn overscan on when using the Oppo but I would prefer to leave it off.

The Sharpness fix has done it!

No more vertical edge enhancement.
No more shimmering.
No more jaggedness of near-vertical lines.
No more moiré in vertical wedge patterns.
No more fluctuating brightness levels in burst patterns.
Very exciting... the picture is stunning without all those artifacts. THANK YOU OPPO!

The audio delay options also work really well to compensate for video delays in the DVD, player and display.

Gary

Ahh! No more shimmering! Picture looks great, finally!

Thanks Oppo! Great job!

-Terry

p.s. I now heartily recommend the Oppo to everyone looking for a great, low cost upconverting DVD player!

I turned on TrueLife as well when I saw the artifacts. Great job, Oppo!

As a suggestion, would it be possible to add 60 ms audio delay? In my setup, 50 ms is just a tad shy... 60ms would be perfect.

It's amazing how system dependent all this stuff is, and disc dependent.

Personally, I've found that the problems I was experiencing with many discs are solved by turning off the TrueLife enhancement. For example, Angel Season 5 is unwatchable with TrueLife on, but beautiful with it off (every brown wall in the series dances crazily when TrueLife is on and is calm with it off--I also found the same to be true of Wong Kar Wai's 2046 in a few scenes). I didn't see anything bad happen by turning TrueLife off, but have so far only watched a few minutes on a handful of discs. These same discs are not improved by turning off the sharpness control (Angel is far too soft with it off).

I also am not using the Oppo the way most people are, I run DVI at 480P and let my iScan HD scale to 1080i.

Regardless of how you set the Oppo up, at least it now has the controls it needs to get the job done.

Thanks, Oppo! I also will now be recommending this player with very little reservation (only a macroblocking warning for some users).

Sanyo plv-z3 (720p native lcd projector) and oppo dv971h:

oppo menu:
480p white line at right when overscan 0, ok at overscan 3
576p white line at right when overscan 0, ok at overscan 3
720p/PAL white line at right and left when overscan 0, ok at overscan 2
720p/NTSC white line at right and left when overscan 0, ok at overscan 2

white lines seen at oppo menu dont appear when playing dvds. For the benefit of all...

The Oppo logo has a white-ish highlighted border all the way around the extremities of the image. The vertical edge enhancement in the old firmware made the left and right borders a brighter shade of white. If you have a projector, you are SUPPOSED to see the white lines around the logo. Don't overscan to get rid of them, because you'll lose those pixels on a DVD.

So jriihi, that means the image on your Z3 is perfect at 720p (in all your test cases, including the Oppo logo). And 720p is what you should be feeding your projector.

Gary

hopefully the hdmi oppo dvd player with sacd comes soon now :) :)

For those who are having a problem burning the firmware as an ISO I would suggest the following. These instructions have never failed for me.

1. Download the new firmware and place on desktop.

http://www.oppodigital.com/Download/Firmware0628.iso.


2 Download free program "Burn At Once 0.95.5" This free utility is just for burning ISO
files.
It works great and you will not make any mistakes.

http://www.burnatonce.com/index.htm?downloads

3. Open "Burn at Once" and from the file menu go to load new image. Load the Oppo
file you downloaded to your desktop.

4. I would also suggest that you next go to the device settings menu and change the
burn speed to 4 or 8 times for a slower burn.

5. Hit write and your ISO file will be ready in less than a minute.

I have used Burn At Once hundreds of times with no problems for burning ISO files. I also have Nero and Roxio but I like Burn At Once for ISO's because it is mistake proof. (Be sure to use a CD not a Dvd disk) Your finished disk will read 0629. The bin file will be 935.

6. Follow the instructions on the Oppo page as to how to upgrade firmware after
you have made your disk.

http://www.oppodigital.com/%5COP971HFirmware0628.htm

Good Luck and thanks to Oppo, Liteup, Paul and others for testing the firmware.

Gary and others:

Now that I have sent my unit back for getting its brain unscrambled (I powered down during a firmware upgrade), I want to address another issue.

My Marantz VP12S3 is supposed to have the full Farujda processing (3 chips - like their separate video processor) versus the watered down version in most equipment. It sounds like I can turn it off now and have my Marantz do the work. Yes? In this case, I should feed 480P and have the Marantz do the rest.

Second, which Avia test patters should I look at to compare the differences, and can I evaluate from a paused frame?

My bad it wasn't a .rar but a .iso. For some reason the .iso file automatically attaches to my WINRAR tool. Yes I am using ISO1 via NERO but when I burned it to the CD the CD had the exact firmware0629.iso in it and not the 935.bin that the instructions described. What to do???

I had the same problem. After 2 coasters, I tried it on my desktop that doesnt have Winrar. It burned successfully the first time.
Jeff

OK, I hate to bring this up again, but I updated the firmware and was messing with the Oppo and my 4805 once again today.

It seems the "undercanning" that many of us are getting... is still there. I know I posted earlier that the underscanning that I thought I saw was not there when I tested the Oppo last night, but as I was playing with it today, I noticed that I had the "overscan" option on my 4805 turned on, so it covered up the black borders when I did the test last night.

I tested it again with the "overscan" option off (we want overscan off so that all 4 sides are not cropped so we can get the full picture). I did the "blank" test where I had my projector project a blank screen and I compared it with the Oppo's menu and there is definitely some underscanning going on with the Oppo on all 4 sides. I've done the pixel cropping test on AVIA and it passes, cropping nothing on any of the 4 sides. However, it is just not filling the screen.

So this time, I went ahead and tested the DVI on my HD Box and compared it with the DVI results from my Oppo. The HD box (Scientific Atlanta 3250HD) filled the entire when watching 720p and 1080i. I compared the blank image and the 720p/1080i output and they match up, unlike 480p, 720p, 1080i from the Oppo.

Although I did just update to the newer firmware, I believe the new firmware IS NOT causing this issue (I just wanted to make that clear). It has been there since the beginning (I would assume).

So this is what I think is happening. Oppo has set their DVI output so that there is no pixel cropping, and that it will fill the whole picture display with the idea that most displays have some sort of overscan. I know that practically all of my old standard crt displays exhibit overscan. Most projectors have no overscan, showing the entire picture (many of which have options to turn overscan on like the 4805). Maybe this will explain how the Oppo fits perfectly when I turn overscan on and has borders around with overscan off.

I guess for now I will turn overscan on when using the Oppo but I would prefer to leave it off.

We're on the same boat. Definitely a problem with the Oppo. It can be reproduced. Sooo: next firmware ???

For the benefit of all...

The Oppo logo has a white-ish highlighted border all the way around the extremities of the image. The vertical edge enhancement in the old firmware made the left and right borders a brighter shade of white. If you have a projector, you are SUPPOSED to see the white lines around the logo. Don't overscan to get rid of them, because you'll lose those pixels on a DVD.

So jriihi, that means the image on your Z3 is perfect at 720p (in all your test cases, including the Oppo logo). And 720p is what you should be feeding your projector.

Gary

I see them ! They just don't fill my entire 4805 pixel grid !!!

Hello,

Just for reference, I downloaded the latest firmware file and burned a CD on my iMac using Disk Utility. Oppo updated without incident.

Dana

I turned on TrueLife as well when I saw the artifacts. Great job, Oppo!

As a suggestion, would it be possible to add 60 ms audio delay? In my setup, 50 ms is just a tad shy... 60ms would be perfect.

Gut feeling or something you could objectively measure ? If so, which DVD test are you using ?

So, with all these new setting choices, what are each of you using/recommending to set them at?

Sharpness
CCS
TrueLife

Thanks!

Hi JaPhule, Cricricri, everyone,

I just ordered the OPPO yesterday. I had the Denon 3910 and loved the DVD PQ via DVI to my InFocus 4805. I didn't love the audio quality, so I traded over to an Marantz DV9500 since reviews suggested it would be at least the equal of the 3910 in PQ and better for audio. The 9500's sound just slayed the 3910 but unfortunately the PQ didn't. I wasn't able to enjoy the 9500 knowing that the 3910 looked better, so I promptly sold it. I know, upgraditis ;). I had an unexpected financial problem in the interim and can no longer afford a $1000 DVD player this summer, so I figured, it's not expensive, it has DVI, try the OPPO!

But no..... instead of a plug and play DVI connection, there's a particular problem with the 4805. Sheeeeut! Cricriccri,Ja Phule, please stay on the case, hopefully there's a fix for this. I should receive the OPPO next week, I'll cross my fingers and hope the most recent firmware is 4805 friendly.

Why not experiment....but personally, I prefer:

TrueLife = ON
CCS = ON
Sharpness = OFF or LOW (still deciding) [Medium or High starts adding edge enhancement]

So, with all these new setting choices, what are each of you using/recommending to set them at?

Sharpness
CCS
TrueLife

Thanks!

Do NOT turn off TrueLife! (although you can experiment) You will get jaggies everywhere (and fail the infamous waving flag test). This basically disables the valuable Faroudja processing you paid for. You can experiment with the CCS though....I prefer it ON. Sharpness should also be OFF or LOW. Shimmering is now totally gone......even with the Sharpness controls turned up.

That's not what SHOULD happen. I had a Philips DVD-963 that had an option to turn TrueLife on and off. All it did was make the image look overprocessed when on and did not do anything bad when off. If you check Faroudja's web site this is a separate feature and turning it off should not affect the other functions of the chip. Hopefully Oppo did not do something wrong the enabling this to be switched.

Why not experiment....but personally, I prefer:

TrueLife = ON
CCS = ON
Sharpness = OFF or LOW (still deciding) [Medium or High starts adding edge enhancement]

So if we are suppose to leave these things turned on, what was the reasoning for making them available to turn 'off'? Aren't they 'on' by default in previous versions of firmware? Somehow, I thought they were related to the shimmering that I do see on some dvd's. Perhaps that is an entirely different issue that they fixed.

I am not complaining about having these options available now, as it does give you the option. I am just confused as to what they actually do? Kudo's to Oppo for their great support in getting out upgrades so quickly! I am still a very happy owner!

Turn TrueLife OFF and look at the waving flag demo on DVE, the Faroudja test disc, or the HQV 1.4 disc. You'll see what I mean.

I would suggest that updated information about the firmware be posted on the first page of this thread or a seperate thread should be used.

Sharpness=OFF (no shimmer -- high freq vertical patterns look great with virtually no artificial banding)
CCS=OFF (reduces some flickering between colors -- at least with 1080i)
TrueLife=ON (OFF is not good)

The "panning" of the skyscrapers in DVE looks very good with none of the artifacts noted recently.

The "zooming" towards the Vehicle Assembly Building looks great and the strips of the flag remain solid and shimmer-free.

Paul

I'm putting info in the FAQ thread.

Paul

Gary and others:

Now that I have sent my unit back for getting its brain unscrambled (I powered down during a firmware upgrade), I want to address another issue.

My Marantz VP12S3 is supposed to have the full Farujda processing (3 chips - like their separate video processor) versus the watered down version in most equipment. It sounds like I can turn it off now and have my Marantz do the work. Yes? In this case, I should feed 480P and have the Marantz do the rest.

Second, which Avia test patters should I look at to compare the differences, and can I evaluate from a paused frame?

If you are feeding 480p from the Oppo onto the Marantz, it will only use Faroudja's scaling, not any of its deinterlacing features (from the Marantz). You have to send the Marantz 480i to let your Marantz's Faroudja chip do the full processing. With the Oppo, you must send 480i via component (as you cannot send 480i over DVI).

Sharpness=OFF (no shimmer -- high freq vertical patterns look great with virtually no artificial banding)
CCS=OFF (reduces some flickering between colors -- at least with 1080i)
TrueLife=ON (OFF is not good)


I agree. There's no reason to leave Sharpness or CCS on, as they will only cause shimmering or flickering in some scenes. Turning TrueLife off softens the picture too much, which shouldn't happen, so that may need to be revisited on the next go around. Leaving it on is not a problem with this player (like it is with some), so it's not a big deal.

Sharpness=OFF (no shimmer -- high freq vertical patterns look great with virtually no artificial banding)
CCS=OFF (reduces some flickering between colors -- at least with 1080i)
TrueLife=ON (OFF is not good)

I concur. This is what works for me as well.

Turning TrueLife off loses a lot of detail in the image. It's better on.

Sharpness=OFF (no shimmer -- high freq vertical patterns look great with virtually no artificial banding)
CCS=OFF (reduces some flickering between colors -- at least with 1080i)
TrueLife=ON (OFF is not good)


Ditto. Mine defaulted to these selections after the upgrade so I left them there. Great job, Oppo (and kudos to Gary and Paul, too).

Ted

Greetings,
I want to do the 6/28 firmware update but I'm concerned about potentially screwing it up, as I don't have a lot of experience in burning cd's from downloads.
Below is an email I sent to Oppo:

Hello,
I downloaded the trial software you recommended for the 6/28 firmware update.
When I burn the disk the final step says "error ejecting/reinserting disk" when my cd burner drive tray pops open.
The disk does show a "935" file on it with a file type of "bin". It opens with UltaISO and shows 2.00 MB (2,097,152 bytes).
I have done this three times, once at maximum speed, once at 4x speed and once at 8x speed and I get the same message after burning all three disks.
My question is did I burn this correctly, considering the error message, and if so which speed should I use of the three disks I burned?

Anyone have any suggestions or should I just wait for Oppo's reply?
b.

I would suggest that you use the 4x disc. If you can put the disc in your computer's drive and it can read it (and it says 935.bin when you look at the disc's contents), all should be fine.

I use Magic ISO. I burn to a Sony CD-R using 4x with a Sony drive -- have never had a problem.

Paul

Greetings,
Thanks for the quick reply.
If I try to open the disk in my drive by just clicking on it I get an "invalid or unknown image file format" message.
Yet if I just look at the properties of the disk it shows a "935" file on it with a file type of "bin" and 2.00 MB (2,097,152 bytes).
Any advice is appreciated.
b.

Bob4Action follow my instructions on burning ISO cd's posted on page 91 of this thread.

I have just updated my Oppo using this method with no problems.

OK...that is correct. Your PC doesn't know how to open the file because Windows does not have anything associated with the .bin file extension.