Oppo DV971H Faroudja DCDi [Text View] - Page 17

bakpakva

10-12-05, 08:33 AM

Has anyone tested the "don't go into the setup menu while watching" theory to see if it eliminated their lip sync problems? I never get lip sync and I rarely access the menus anymore.

I have had my Oppo for several months now and have the latest firmware update. I never saw lip synch issues until this weekend. Usually I pause a movie at least once for intermission (and to get another beer or popcorn). This past weekend I had some friends over to watch "Shakespear in Love". About 3/4 of the way through the movie the lip synch bug hit. I had not paused the movie or tinkered with the settings, just played it straight through. I do think it was slowly building, and finally reached a point where everyone noticed it. The dvd was the original, not a copy, and fresh out of the wrapper. I thought I had noticed a couple of scene stutters as well before that point, but they were so fast I can't be sure (and I wouldn't want to have to sit through that movie again!). Anyhow, I paused the movie and started it back up and the lip synch disappeared. That is the first out of several dozen or more movies that has shown the bug. It wasn't that big of a deal, but it did get some boo's from the back row seats :( I don't think adding a delay would help, as it would make the rest of the movie out of synch. I am still inclined to blame it on Faroudja as the S97/S77 threads are also seeing lip synch issues. I am also not convinced it can ever be fixed by a firmware update unless both the audio and video are buffered somehow and resynched, but time will tell. In the meantime, it is back to intermissions.... :rolleyes:

Martin Butler

10-12-05, 09:47 AM

Ja Phule

10-12-05, 09:56 AM

There are 2 issues with lip sync. Audio getting progressively worse and audio that is contantly out of sync from the get go. The latter is (and is being) addressed with the audio delay options. The slight delay is caused by Faroudja processing and usually isn't much but depending on the displays additional processing, it may add more delay. The first issue I think is the most important one that needs to be addressed.

A new feature they should add to dvd players is "motion adaptive" lip syncing. :)

bakpakva

10-12-05, 10:02 AM

That brings up an important issue bakpakva, dos the OPPO lip sync problem get progressively worse, or is it just more noticeable on some DVD's? There must be some way to test this other than our guessing. I think it should still be some sort of calculation that firmware could address, but I'm out of my league here with this issue.

I have no real way of knowing but I have a theory and I am sticking to it. When I first started the dvd, the lipsynch was perfect. I think that during the movie it slowly lost a few msec here and there. Perhaps the video processing lagged in a few places. At some point, the accumulation of short video delays exceeded the just noticeable point and entered the just annoying point. Pausing and restarting synched everything back up for the remaining part of the movie. This is why I don't think it is possible to add some fixed delay and make everything ok. The point of just annoying is probably different for every dvd, depending on how many times the video lags the audio and by what amount. I could throw that dvd back in the player and check to see if it occurs at approximately the same point, but my projector just arrived at HeartLand for a firmware update. :p

Edit: I second Ja's theory. Two seperate issues. Delay from the get-go is easy to fix, delay that accumulates is probably not, unfortunately.

digibal235

10-12-05, 11:31 AM

I'm purchasing the new Sony 60" SXRD TV and I understand from some of the current owners that the OPPO 971H DVD player is the way to go.

I've got a 60" Sony WF655 (RPLCD). I bought the Oppo to replace a progressive scan Panasonic with an old Faroudja chipset. I've seen no noticible macroblocking (the primary concern with this machine) and no lip-sinc (the other chief concern).

Of course, you have to plug the Oppo into the HDMI or it's just another player. I only have one HDMI so I had to put my HD cable box through component (no problems there).

I think the consensus of Sony RPLCD HDTV owners is that the Oppo is the way to go.

Toonces T. Cat

10-12-05, 11:43 AM

I think the consensus of Sony RPLCD HDTV owners is that the Oppo is the way to go.

I have to agree...I haven't had either issue with my 50" Sony RPLCD...

-Toonces

HiHoStevo

10-12-05, 03:58 PM

Many folks in the Sony SXRD threads are using either the Oppo 971V OR the Pany S97S with equal measure of satisfasction (with a few Oppo firmware updates). Can anyone provide some insight as two [Oppo 971V OR Pany S97S] how these two compare? I mainly watch DVD movies and HD boradcasts.

Thanks!

My understanding is that if you are going to use the digital connection that the Oppo is superior... if you are going to connect via component, just get a good 480p player and let the TV do the heavy lifting.

captain3d

10-12-05, 04:11 PM

Wow this thread has grown since I last looked.

So I have joined the oppo owners club and will be using it with my infocus 4805 projector.

I am looking for the latest list of how to best set the oppo. Sharpness on or off, what res to out put etc. Is there such a list anywhere?

Thanks all. I will start looking through this thread...phil

Ja Phule

10-12-05, 04:24 PM

captain3d

10-13-05, 06:02 PM

Got it thanks

phil

Martin Butler

10-13-05, 08:41 PM

Ja Phule

10-13-05, 09:34 PM

If the lip sync issue is one where it gets progressively worse than SOMETHING is causing it and a given amount of delay will not remedy the problem. My Arcam receiver has more than enough delay if I want it and that didn't seem to be the cure when I tried it. Perhaps it's a clock error, I don't know but since hundreds of millions of DVD players don't have this issue OPPO should certainly figure out what is going wrong and fix it. I'll try calling them tomorrow to see what they have to say about it.

Personally I have yet to see this. It's due to the video buffering of Faroudja. Someone posted Oppos response here:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=6345596&&#post6345596

wwwin

10-13-05, 09:35 PM

If the lip sync issue is one where it gets progressively worse than SOMETHING is causing it and a given amount of delay will not remedy the problem. My Arcam receiver has more than enough delay if I want it and that didn't seem to be the cure when I tried it. Perhaps it's a clock error, I don't know but since hundreds of millions of DVD players don't have this issue OPPO should certainly figure out what is going wrong and fix it. I'll try calling them tomorrow to see what they have to say about it.

They are going to say that they "are aware of the problem, and plan to address it at a future firmware update, the time of which is not now known."

Same can answer for questions about the underscaning. Oh yeah, and this upcoming firmware update will let you watch JPEGs better. Go figure.

Martin Butler

10-14-05, 02:32 AM

I had the Denon 3910 and had to sell it and bought the OPPO (long story). The 3910 has the same Faroudja chip as the OPPO and did not have any sync issues, so the chip is not the issue (even if it has faults) it's either OPPO's implementation or the Denon has something the OPPO does not.

wwwin

10-14-05, 10:21 AM

Neuromancer

10-14-05, 03:42 PM

If the lip sync issue is one where it gets progressively worse than SOMETHING is causing it and a given amount of delay will not remedy the problem. My Arcam receiver has more than enough delay if I want it and that didn't seem to be the cure when I tried it. Perhaps it's a clock error, I don't know but since hundreds of millions of DVD players don't have this issue OPPO should certainly figure out what is going wrong and fix it. I'll try calling them tomorrow to see what they have to say about it.

This is a fairly good read if you havn't checked it out yet: Lip Sync Errors - A Short Tutorial. (http://www.pixelinstruments.tv/5ProfesArticles/Lip%20Sync%20Errors%20-%20A%20Short%20Tutorial.pdf)

Neuromancer

10-14-05, 05:05 PM

They are going to say that they "are aware of the problem, and plan to address it at a future firmware update, the time of which is not now known."

Same can answer for questions about the underscaning. Oh yeah, and this upcoming firmware update will let you watch JPEGs better. Go figure.

And would you rather they said "you are screwed"? Oppo has been very frank the last couple of months about what they can, and can't do. I for one believe they are looking into the issue, but that does not mean they are making any headway into fixing it. Time will make fools of us all.

deez

10-14-05, 08:15 PM

Again, this issue is display dependent...as i do not experience any lip-sync issues on my hitachi s500........as far as underscanning , most players have some under/over scanning and if they dont, i will venture to say the dvd performance falls well short of the oppo especially for the price.

dgkp

10-15-05, 04:56 AM

Neuromancer, that article on lip sync was interesting. Especially this:

"For the most part, these standards or guidelines are in agreement that lip sync errors start to become noticeable if the audio leads the video by 25 ms to 35 ms, or if the audio lags the video by 80 ms to 90 ms. The smaller limit on advanced audio tends to support the theory that advanced audio is more annoying because it is an unnatural condition."

If true this would suggest that oppo need to add significant extra audio delay to make sure that in any noticable error the video precedes the audio as the article suggests there is much more room there, and I guess that makes sense as sound travels more slowly than light and we are actually used to a certain amount--even if very small--of delay.

In my own set up (oppo to ae700, sony DDW870 6.1) the video definitely lags the audio even at +50ms. It's only very rarely annoying, but if the error was the other way maybe it wouldn't even register.

Dave

checklst

10-15-05, 10:26 AM

I think the issue is a tough one indeed, for everyone that has had lip sync problems their are many of us that do not. I run the Oppo direct to my PE7700 through DVI and the Oppo is linked to my Onkyo receiver through a 24" optical cable. I've had no lip sync yet !!knock on wood!! Not suggesting it's not an Oppo problem just a hard one to solve if some electronic circuit in their unit is not playing well with an electronic circuits in certain receivers or even possible circuits in the projectors.

I've noticed that a lot of lip sync problem reported so far has been random and can not be duplicated on the same DVD at the same frame every time, so a sync delay is not vary useful on random problems.

Hopefully they will get a solution for this random problem but my guess is it won’t be any time soon. :)

Chris Ma

10-15-05, 10:53 AM

MikeSRC

10-15-05, 11:05 AM

I run the Oppo direct to my PE7700 through DVI and the Oppo is linked to my Onkyo receiver through a 24" optical cable. I've had no lip sync yet !!knock on wood!!

I'm using the Oppo with an MT700 (same as the 7700) and an Onkyo receiver as well without lip sync problems. I've also used other projectors without a problem, so it leads me to agree with your assessment that the Oppo just does not play well with certain display/amplifier combos. They are still working on a solution, but as you speculate, it may not be soon.

Toolboxx

10-15-05, 12:22 PM

I just received my new Oppo DV971H yesterday but I'm having a problem and wanted to see if anyone can help me. I have the Oppo connected via DVI to my Mitsubishi WS-55313 RPTV. After going through the menu's and setup, changing the resolution to 1080i, I noticed the screen is shaking, a slight flicker problem that is really noticable on the OPPO main screen. I'd say that the shaking of the OPPO logo moves about...maybe 3 lines of vertical resolution.

Could this be power or cable related? I have not noticed this problem before until yesterday...

Josh Z

10-15-05, 07:22 PM

This lip sync..ee stuff I guessed is mainly related to the video signal get hold up or interrupted by the video setup command changes. If the time it takes for this command change of video process can be registered somewhere and issue the same amount of time (registered) interruption to the audio signal then we would not have out of sync issues. Now that is easy for me to say and this is just my "guestimate" :)

The problem with this theory is that if you variably delay the audio throughout the movie this will be perceptible to the listener's ear, much more so than a variable video delay. The audio has to be kept at a consistent rate throughout the listening session or you will notice slow downs and speedups especially during music or dialogue.

If this problem is going to be solved, it's going to have to be dealt with in terms of adjusting the video delay, not the audio delay. I suggest a larger video buffer is needed in order to give the Faroudja chip enough time to 'catch up' with its complex algorithms, and then when that is settled apply a constant delay to the audio in the same amount.

Then again, I'm not an engineer, so what the hell do I know?

Toonces T. Cat

10-15-05, 07:51 PM

I suggest a larger video buffer is needed in order to give the Faroudja chip enough time to 'catch up' with its complex algorithms, and then when that is settled apply a constant delay to the audio in the same amount

Josh,

You're about half right on this. It is the video delay that needs to be corrected and not the audio. The answer, however, is not to buffer the data stream. The real answer is to create a scaling chip that can process the data fast enough so as not to create a perceptible delay in the visible information. Exotic materials exist now that could probably eliminate most, if not all, of the problem. The rub there is that using them would likely be prohibitively expensive at this time.

Then again, what the hell do I know...I am an engineer... :rolleyes:

-Toonces

BTW - How is the remote working? Are the batteries lasting longer? Do you know if OFA ever updated the remote codes for us?

Chris Ma

10-15-05, 10:01 PM

I was thinking only delay the audio signals with the same time it needs to take effect of the video changes by different setting command entered by user when the Set Up Menu is used while watching the movie. Not through out the entire playback process. That said my assumption is that only when settings changes lip sync may or may not occurs. :)

wwwin

10-15-05, 11:13 PM

Neuromancer

10-15-05, 11:35 PM

I get same flicker on 1080i, use 720p or 540p if you have a native 1080i resolution. Oppo claims that 540p sends same info as 1080i and should be used with native 1080i displays, if 1080i flickers

The only problem with te 540p solution is that most display types which experience the flickering/shimmering problem at 1080i do not support 540p through the digital connection.

wwwin

10-16-05, 09:50 AM

The only problem with te 540p solution is that most display types which experience the flickering/shimmering problem at 1080i do not support 540p through the digital connection.

540p fine on mine, not 1080i

alexkidd

10-16-05, 11:28 PM

540p fine on mine, not 1080i

Why would you want to use 540p when you bought the player because of the 1080i?

Neuromancer

10-17-05, 04:31 AM

Why would you want to use 540p when you bought the player because of the 1080i?

Because 540p is technically 1080i, just in a progressive. One of the reasons why Oppo added 540p support was to eliminate screen shaking and flickering which some users have had a problem with when using 1080i. Ironically, most of the sets which this fix was designed for don't accept a native 540p signal. Shaking/Jittering will effect all users at 1080i, but the flickering seems to only effect CRT and select RP users.

Josh Z

10-17-05, 10:39 AM

Because 540p is technically 1080i, just in a progressive.

No, it's really not. At all. 1080i has twice the resolution of 540p, just interlaced instead of progressive.

Josh Z

10-17-05, 10:50 AM

You're about half right on this. It is the video delay that needs to be corrected and not the audio. The answer, however, is not to buffer the data stream. The real answer is to create a scaling chip that can process the data fast enough so as not to create a perceptible delay in the visible information.

Ah, but that would require more than just a firmware upgrade!

Other players using this same Faroudja chip have managed to work out the lip sync problem. I'm confident that Oppo will figure it out eventually.

BTW - How is the remote working? Are the batteries lasting longer? Do you know if OFA ever updated the remote codes for us?

I haven't checked with OFA recently. I'm currently using the black remote and hate its button layout.

TXP3064W

10-17-05, 05:32 PM

540p seems to help me alot on some occurrences that I get flickering ~ shimmering on 1080i. I have a Sammy CRT HDTV Model TXP3064W and I'm stoked that it accepts 540p on my DVI connect. My native resolution is 480p/1080i, but what's funny on my spec sheet it states that it only has a "maximum of 800 lines of horizontal resolution" so technically it doesnt support the full rez of a true 1080i, which CRT display would though?!?!

drbonbi

10-17-05, 06:24 PM

... technically it doesnt support the full rez of a true 1080i, which CRT display would though?!?!

Well, my Sony KV-34XBR910 does. :)

Dana

Neuromancer

10-17-05, 08:30 PM

NEW 1012 FIRMWARE RELEASED

Here is the release information:
1. Added support for 2:2 Cadence for PAL playback.
2. Proper DivX aspect ratio support. 4:3 content will no longer be stretched to fit the screen.
3. Enhanced DVD+R Dual Layer support.
4. Fixed TrueLife turning off DCDi. Turning Off TrueLife functionality will now retain all DCDi functionality.
5. Added Noise Reduction function.
6. Fixed Frame Stepping for Black remote users.
7. Fixed proper aspect ratio support while zooming.
8. Added support for DTS and Dolby Digital tracks on DVD-Audio discs
9. Added memory function for single ejected disc
10. Added Random and Shuffle functionality for Audio CD playback.
11. Increased the DVI mode change display time.
12. Added firmware Version display through OSD button.
13. Added support for DivX Digital Right Management (DRM) and Video on Demand (VOD)
14. Increased baseline Brightness. Default Brightness is now equivalent to “+5” in previous firmware.
15. Changed user interface font to Arial.

Here is the Support link (http://www.oppodigital.com/opdv971h_support.html)

Toonces T. Cat

10-17-05, 08:43 PM

NEW 1012 FIRMWARE RELEASED

Is it still possible to change back to the white remote by holding the "Stop" button on the player for 3 seconds?

If not, then I am on hold for awhile until OFA updates their remote capture for the OPPO.

Thanks in advance!

-Toonces

MikeSRC

10-17-05, 08:44 PM

Is it still possible to change back to the white remote by holding the "Stop" button on the player for 3 seconds?

The default after installation of the firmware is for the white remote. You have to hold down the Stop button to change it to the black remote.

Toonces T. Cat

10-17-05, 08:47 PM

The default after installation of the firmware is for the white remote. You have to hold down the Stop button to change it to the black remote.

Mike,

You are talking about the new 1012 firmware...Yes?

Thanks!

MikeSRC

10-17-05, 09:03 PM

Toonces T. Cat

10-17-05, 09:28 PM

Yes, it's in the instructions for the firmware update if you go to the download page.

Mike,

Do I ever feel stupid... :rolleyes: In the military we had a word to pass to people like me..."RTFM"

I'm sure you can decypher the acronym... ;)

Thanks again and the update worked perfectly for me!

-Toonces

Neuromancer

10-17-05, 09:29 PM

Yes, it's in the instructions for the firmware update if you go to the download page.

Also, before anyone asks, they're still working on the underscan and audio sync issues. Just haven't been able to solve it yet.

It is better to have some enhancements in the interim then none at all. I will finally be using the DivX capability now.

Birchwood

10-17-05, 09:39 PM

Damn! Underscan and lip sync are my two biggest issues with this player. I hope the nexct firmware update is not 3 months away.

aaronwt

10-17-05, 09:47 PM

I just installed the upgraded firmware. So what should CSS and True Life be set to? On or off?

Toonces T. Cat

10-17-05, 09:54 PM

Two minor notes on the new firmware:

.1) - It resets the region code to "1" so you will have to do the setup, 9210, 0 thing to get it back to region free status.

.2) - The change remote by holding "Stop" on the player works great because I had to do it twice... :o I'm using my OFA Kameleon remote and it's set up for the white control. I have customized the 1, 5 and 0 buttons so I had to reset to the black unit to get to region 0 and then reset again to get back on my OFA remote.

-Toonces

Neuromancer

10-17-05, 10:16 PM

I just installed the upgraded firmware. So what should CSS and True Life be set to? On or off?

TrueLife can now be turned On or Off at your discretion because it is no longer tied to DCDi. I found that it slightly reduced macorblocking on while watching Toy Story on my Panasonic TH-42PX50U.

CCS should still be left off unless it is something that is effecting proper video reproduction.

mbake5

10-17-05, 10:20 PM

Could someone please verify that the aspect ratio of DivX and xvid files is accurate with the new firmware? Testing files with aspect ratios of 2.35:1 and 4:3 on a widescreen display would be appreciated. Thanks.

brinyhenry

10-17-05, 10:47 PM

Toonces T. Cat

10-17-05, 11:08 PM

Everything sounds great with the new firmware, however I have one concern regarding the new baseline brightness level. With the current firmware I am getting BTB at the baseline level in my situation, can anyone comment on the new baseline level and picture quality? I played around with the brightness (pushing it to +5) level on the current firmware and recalibrated the brightness on my television and I really didn't care for the picture as much. It seemed to be a little washed out. If I upgrade the firmware is this what I will be left with?

I was calibrated at "0" with the 0628 firmware and it was passing BTB. I installed the the 1012 firmware, set the brightness on he OPPO to -5...and everything is back to square-one as far as the image is concerned.

If something did change, I am unable to detect it.

-Toonces

CJayB

10-17-05, 11:54 PM

TrueLife can now be turned On or Off at your discretion because it is no longer tied to DCDi. I found that it slightly reduced macorblocking on while watching Toy Story on my Panasonic TH-42PX50U.

CCS should still be left off unless it is something that is effecting proper video reproduction.

My worst macroblocking disc is disc 5 of Angel Season 5, episode Shells. With the new firmware, by turning TruLife OFF I can almost get the macroblocking at the beginning of the disc reduced to the same level as my SDI RP-91 (this is a poorly mastered disc, thus the macroblocking shows even on a player not known for showing it). The macroblocking is very much reduced from the prior firmware, and as far as I can tell on the couple discs I've checked, macroblocking is no longer going to be any kind of a problem for me (it was not though a major problem even with the prior firmware, as long as I kept TruLife set to OFF). With the previous firmware I preferred CSS ON, but now leave it OFF along with leaving the noise reduction OFF and TruLife OFF. Comes very close now to the unenhanced look of the RP-91 but with a sharper picture. Still too early to tell, but I think the Oppo is going to replace the RP-91 (both being run through an iScan HD+) as my main DVD player. Really like 720p DVI.

Also love that forwards and now backwards frame by frame advance.

I suspect if Secrets re-reviews the Oppo, the rating is going up a couple notches.

Audio sync is not a problem for me, but still would like to see that fixed to make sure I won't have a problem with the next display I get; but other than that the only things I would still really like to see are gamma adjustment (promised long ago but still not delivered) and a greater range of adjustment for sharpness and TruLife--other players have multiple settings for TruLife instead of just ON and OFF).

aoleg

10-18-05, 12:13 AM

brinyhenry

10-18-05, 12:16 AM

I shot over a message to the Oppo customer support and they answered back within 1 hour, wow that was fast! Anyways my question to them was similar to that posted earlier regarding the baseline brightness level on the new firmware. Sounds like a few of you already confirmed this in the real world. Here's what they told me:

The firmware artificially inceases the brightness to the previous "+5"
setting. Therefore, just drop the brightness down "-5" compared to your
current settings. For example, if you are using a brightness of "+2"
your new setting should be "-3".

Best Regards,

Customer Service
OPPO Digital, Inc.
453 Ravendale Dr, Suite D
Mountain View, CA 94043

This might not sound correct (kind of new at this) but it sounds like they didn't "organically" recalibrate the brightness control.

Dick Laurent

10-18-05, 01:25 AM

>> Added support for 2:2 Cadence for PAL playback

Now, this is really strange. ...... What is actually happening, however, is that selecting "Video 2" effectively disables PAL>NTSC conversion on DVI as well as analog video outputs.

Does anybody else experiense this problem?

I'm having the same problem. Kind of a useless feature for me at the moment.

Ja Phule

10-18-05, 01:40 AM

Neuromancer

10-18-05, 01:59 AM

I'm having the same problem. Kind of a useless feature for me at the moment.

2:2 Cadence is designed specifically for PAL users. I don't think Oppo supported 2:2 Cadence for PAL to NTSC because the 971H would do 2:2 (PAL to NTSC) and then apply 3:2 pulldown. I could be totaly wrong, though.

Neuromancer

10-18-05, 02:03 AM

I'd hate to nitpick, but I guess that's what most of us are here for. :)

With the 0628 firmware, I had to have the Oppo brightness at +5 to get it to the proper dvi levels.

With the new firmware, the 0 setting should now be equal to the +5 setting on the 0628 firmware. However, I popped in DVE and checked the BTB test and I had to bring the Oppo down to -3 to get it to proper dvi levels. Anyone else want to chime in on this?

I've also tested 4:3 divx and it does show up in the correct aspect ratio. When in 16:9 mode, 4:3 divx will fit in the center of the 16:9 screen. 16:9 aspect divx will be letterboxed in a 4:3 window when set to 4:3.

I use a DVR on my computer recording 720x480 dvd format mpeg2 content to my hard drive and burn it on dvdr and watch on the Oppo. The Oppo doesn't seem to play mpeg files in the correct aspect ratio like it does for divx files. It didn't do this on the previous firmware either.

I love the Oppo and this new firmware makes it even better despite my nitpicks. I can live happily with the Oppo the way it is now.

This may sound ass backwards, but have you tried changing your display type to Normal/LB? I know I had a problem with a DivX file that was 720x480 encoded, and it would only play 4:3 when I had the unit set to Wide/SQZ. But, when I changed my TV to "Normal/LB" it became the correct aspect ratio. Don't know if this will work for MPEG2 files.

If you can't fix it, send it to Oppo. I sent them in some DVD-DL discs a month or two ago for inspection, and it seems that this was fruitful, because they now work perfectly in the new firmware.

CJayB

10-18-05, 02:25 AM

Neuromancer

10-18-05, 02:26 AM

>> Added support for 2:2 Cadence for PAL playback

Now, this is really strange. They claim the following: "in "Video 2" mode all analog video outputs (Composite, S-Video, Component) will not perform NTSC/PAL system conversion. The video output from any of the analog connectors will have the same NTSC or PAL system as encoded on the DVD disc itself."

What is actually happening, however, is that selecting "Video 2" effectively disables PAL>NTSC conversion on DVI as well as analog video outputs.

I have "NTSC" selected in the last tab in the Setup, and yet, with the "Video 2" mode the player outputs PAL, even that my TV is connected through DVI. I was unable to make it output NTSC in "Video 2" mode regardless of anything (I tried cycling through 480/540/720/1080i).

Does anybody else experiense this problem?

I am having a different problem. I could not get Video 2 to work in PAL on my Optoma H78. Every time I changed resolutions, or attempted to go into PAL through the Setup menu or press the P/N button, it would always come back as a 60hz frequency. If I turned it back to Video 1, I can switch between PAL and NTSC correctly. Sent an e-mail to Oppo and hope for a response in the morning.

dgkp

10-18-05, 04:11 AM

Anybody tested the "new" zoom yet? Is it better?

Dave

aoleg

10-18-05, 04:22 AM

Nope, no changes in the zoom quality domain. They fixed the incorrect zoom ratios in Wide/SQZ mode, though. Still, it is pretty much unwatchable.

LordJezo

10-18-05, 07:50 AM

I am sad the player doesnt have a more fine tuned "zoom"

I know TVs overscan so when play divx/xvid files they chop off a bunch of the picture around the edges.

I found that when you do a reverse zoom and put it on 1/2 size or smaller you get all of the picture. This means all the subtitles around the edges of the video for everything. Problem is that 1/2 size is 1/2 size. It would be nice if there could be a way to get the player to not overscan anything and just get it to shrink the picture to display everything in the file.

I know this is a long shot and it will never happen but it sure would be nice to have, especially for watching subtitles anime on my big screen.

Any chance the new firmware fixes it? I just checked the site and saw "Proper DivX aspect ratio support. 4:3 content will no longer be stretched to fit the screen."

GoSpurs99

10-18-05, 09:07 AM

The improvements and changes included in this version are the followings:

1. Support 2:2 cadence for PAL movies.

In the “General Setup” menu page, there is now a “Video Mode” option. The choices are “Video 1” and “Video 2”. The “Video 1” mode is the same as the previous version firmware, which does not support 2:2 cadence for PAL movies. The “Video 2” mode supports 2:2 cadence for PAL movies. However in “Video 2” mode all analog video outputs (Composite, S-Video, Component) will not perform NTSC/PAL system conversion. The video output from any of the analog connectors will have the same NTSC or PAL system as encoded on the DVD disc itself.

In summary:

If you mainly watch North American NTSC versions of movies and video programs on DVD, and would like to keep the NTSC/PAL system conversion function on the analog video outputs, you should select the “Video 1” mode. In this case imported PAL discs with 2:2 cadence will still play, but not with the best possible picture quality.
If you only use the DVI video output and would like to get the best possible picture quality for both NTSC and PAL discs, you should select the “Video 2” mode. In this case the analog video outputs will not perform NTSC/PAL system conversion.

2. Enhance aspect ratio for DivX contents

The player no longer stretches DivX contents to fill up the entire screen. Instead, the player maintains proper aspect ratio of the picture, provided that the DivX content is encoded with correct aspect ratio and the “TV Display” setting in the “General Setup Page” of the DVD player is correct.

3. Enhance support for DVD+R Dual Layer discs

The player has better support for DVD+R Dual Layer discs. However the playability of self-recorded discs may vary depending on media and formatting software types.

4. Fix for the problem of turning off DCDi when “TrueLife” is turned off

In the previous version firmware, when the “TrueLife” option is turned off from the “Video Setup” menu page, the DCDi function is turned off at the same time. This version fixes the problem. When “TrueLife” is turned off, it does not accidentally turn off DCDi at the same time.

5. Add noise reduction function

The “Video Setup Page” now has a “Noise Reduction” option. The selections are “Off”, “Low”, “Medium”, and “High”. When this option is turned on, the DVD player enables the Motion Adaptive Noise Reduction function provided by its Genesis/Faroudja video processing chip to reduce the video noise. This function is most useful for DVD programs that are mastered from broadcast video sources, such as TV series. It can help reducing the “mosquito noise” and make the picture smoother and cleaner. For DVD programs that are mastered from film sources, such as most movie titles, this noise reduction function is normally not necessary.
Although best noise reduction result can be achieved by setting the noise reduction option to “High”, this setting may cause fast changing scenes to become blur or to leave ghosting traces. It is recommended that the option be set to “Off” normally. Use the “Low” or “Medium” selection when noise reduction is necessary.

6. Support frame-by-frame reverse and forward

When playing a movie, press the “PAUSE” key to pause the playback. At this time the “REV” and “FWD” keys can be used to reverse and forward the video frame-by-frame.

7. Maintain proper aspect ratio when zooming

In all zooming levels the proper aspect ratio of the video content is maintained, provided that the “TV Display” setting in the “General Setup Page” matches the actual display device and video contents.

8. Support DVD-Video or DTS/Dolby tracks on a DVD-Audio disc

In the “General Setup” menu page, there is now a “DVD-Audio Mode” option. The choices are “DVD Audio” and “DVD Video”. When set to “DVD Audio”, the player will play the DVD-Audio tracks of a DVD-Audio disc. When set to “DVD Video”, the player will play the DVD-Video or DTS/Dolby tracks of a DVD-Audio disc. This option does not affect DVD-Video discs so that even when it’s set to “DVD-Audio”, DVD-Video discs will play correctly.
The “DVD Play Mode” option can only be set when the tray is ejected or when there is no disc in the player.

9. Memory function to resume playing a movie from where it was left off.

This function works for DVD-Video discs only. To use the function, press the “EJECT” button on the remote. The player will show “Saving Breakpoint…” on screen and eject the disc tray. You can then turn off the DVD player using the “POWER” button on the remote. The tray will retract and the player will turn off. Next time when you turn on the DVD player, it will prompt “SELECT Key: Jump to the breakpoint; other key: Play from beginning”. At this point you can press the “SELECT” key to resume playback from the saved breakpoint. If you press any other key or do not press a key, playback will start from the beginning.
The memory function can remember 1 breakpoint only. Any new “EJECT” operation will overwrite the previous breakpoint with a new one.

10. Random/Shuffle for audio CD

While playing an audio CD, pressing the “ANGLE” key will cycle the play mode through “Shuffle”, “Random”, and “Normal” options. In “Shuffle” mode the player will play all tracks on the CD in random order, with no repetition and then stop when each track is played once. In “Random” mode it will play tracks in true random order, so there might be repeated play of a track, and playback does not stop until the user stops it.
This function supports audio CD only.

11. Extended display time for DVI resolution

When the “DVI” button is pressed to change the DVI resolution, the on-screen display shows the DVI resolution. Some display devices take a longer time to adjust to the new DVI resolution, so extending the time that the resolution is displayed on the screen gives users of such display device an opportunity to see what the selected DVI resolution is.

12. Firmware version number display

With the disc tray ejected, pressing the “OSD” button on the remote will show the firmware version on the video screen.

13. Support DivX Digital Right Management (DRM) and Video on Demand (VOD)

It is possible to play AES encrypted DivX contents that you may either purchase or rent from content providers. For more information about the DivX DRM and VOD, please visit www.divx.com/vod.

14. Increased baseline brightness level

The baseline brightness level (Brightness level when the “Brightness” setting in the “Video Setup Page” is set to 0) has been increased to calibrate the DVI output. The new baseline brightness level is equivalent of +5 brightness level in previous firmware versions.

15. New user interface font

A new user interface font (Arial) replaces the font used in previous firmware versions to give the user a clean view of on-screen display and menu options.

I am posting this because I see many questions being asked that are answered here. Just trying to help in case people did not see the link to the details on the new firmwae!!

#9 is a welcome addition!

Martin Butler

10-18-05, 09:59 AM

GoSpurs99, thanks for taking the time to post all that helpful info. I haven't had a chance to focus on tweaking the OPPO yet. I received the player the same week they did the last upgrade and am fairly sure it had the latest firmware. Just to be clear, they've recently released a newer firmware?

Please help me catch up with things here.

First, what do I do to check my firmware number?

Second, I've never done a firmware upgrade. I have a mac powerbook G4. Do I need to borrow a PC, or can I get a firmware disc from OPPO?

Thanks in advvance...

Smarty-pants

10-18-05, 10:10 AM

...can I get a firmware disc from OPPO? -MB

That's what I did. Oppo states right on their website that they'll send you one. My burner was broken, so I sent them a request via e-mail and they sent one out a couple days later.

BigFoot_Lives

10-18-05, 10:50 AM

GoSpurrs99,

I agree that #9 is a welcome addition, but the procedure (as you describe it) to enact the feature seems rather involved. Are you certain that it won't work, if I simply hit stop and power down the unit?

Even if your procedure is the only way it is a welcomed addition.

I also thank your for your detailed post outlining the features included with this firmware release. Thanks for any input

-BigFoot_Lives

MikeSRC

10-18-05, 10:55 AM

First, what do I do to check my firmware number?

With no disk in the player, push "Setup", followed by 9-2-1-0. A new menu will pop up with the firmware version displayed.

With the new firmware, press the "OSD" button on the remote control.
A menu will pop up to show the firmware version of the OPPO player. If you don't see the firmware version, this means that you have an older firmware version installed.

To everyone new to this thread, there is a full description of the changes as well as the procedure for checking firmware and upgrading on the Oppo website. Just go the oppodigital.com and click on Support. It's all linked from there.

brinyhenry

10-18-05, 11:21 AM

I'd hate to nitpick, but I guess that's what most of us are here for. :)

With the 0628 firmware, I had to have the Oppo brightness at +5 to get it to the proper dvi levels.

With the new firmware, the 0 setting should now be equal to the +5 setting on the 0628 firmware. However, I popped in DVE and checked the BTB test and I had to bring the Oppo down to -3 to get it to proper dvi levels. Anyone else want to chime in on this?

I've also tested 4:3 divx and it does show up in the correct aspect ratio. When in 16:9 mode, 4:3 divx will fit in the center of the 16:9 screen. 16:9 aspect divx will be letterboxed in a 4:3 window when set to 4:3.

I use a DVR on my computer recording 720x480 dvd format mpeg2 content to my hard drive and burn it on dvdr and watch on the Oppo. The Oppo doesn't seem to play mpeg files in the correct aspect ratio like it does for divx files. It didn't do this on the previous firmware either.

I love the Oppo and this new firmware makes it even better despite my nitpicks. I can live happily with the Oppo the way it is now.
Quick question. When you readjusted the brightness level on the Oppo, did you have to recalibrate the television? Was the end result in brightness exactly what you had before the firmware update? My blacks are perfect at 0 with the previous firmare, and I'm afraid to disturb the wonderful picture I'm getting.

boysmile

10-18-05, 11:37 AM

Hello everyone,

has anybody tested if the new FW is compatible with the BBK branded "Oppo-Players"?

Thanks
Stefan

Paul Simoneau

10-18-05, 11:56 AM

MikeSRC

10-18-05, 11:58 AM

I don't see any mention of discrete IR on/off codes in the new release notes. Does anyone know if this is still on Oppo's radar screen ?

Yes, it is. I thought they would have added it by now just to shut me up. :D

Ja Phule

10-18-05, 12:10 PM

Quick question. When you readjusted the brightness level on the Oppo, did you have to recalibrate the television? Was the end result in brightness exactly what you had before the firmware update? My blacks are perfect at 0 with the previous firmare, and I'm afraid to disturb the wonderful picture I'm getting.

I didn't have to recalibrate my display, but I did anyway as a test. :)

My Infocus 4805 is calibrated to pass BTB and WTW in its DVI port as long as the source is sending out the correct studio dvi levels. With the 0628 firmware, the Oppo was sending the correct studio dvi levels when its brightness is set to +5. With the new firmware, the calibration on my display should be the same with the Oppo at brightness 0, however, it is not the case and it has to be set to -3 in order to pass BTB.

In any case, it really doesn't matter what combination of brightness level on the Oppo and my display is, as long as it is calibrated to pass BTB and WTW, then it should be the same. Technically, the Oppo needs to be outputting the correct studio (aka) dvi levels as well as any other video dvi device, which the Oppo is not doing in my case. If I have 3 dvi devices connected to my set up, they need to be sending the correct dvi levels so that I don't need to change the display's dvi picture setting each time I switch dvi sources.

Neuromancer

10-18-05, 12:35 PM

I don't see any mention of discrete IR on/off codes in the new release notes. Does anyone know if this is still on Oppo's radar screen ? It's a feature I'd love to have included in this already marvelous player.

Discrete On/Off will not be implimented. This is a hardware limitation of the unit. It is designed to only accept a single signal (power) when the unit is shut off. Because of this, discrete On/Off commands will not work. I don't know why Oppo has not made an official statement yet.

MikeSRC

10-18-05, 12:58 PM

Discrete On/Off will not be implimented. This is a hardware limitation of the unit.

Hmmm, hadn't heard that one. I assume someone at Oppo told you this? They were supposed to be sending me some hex code for discretes. I guess not. :(

Neuromancer

10-18-05, 01:11 PM

Hmmm, hadn't heard that one. I assume someone at Oppo told you this? They were supposed to be sending me some hex code for discretes. I guess not. :(

Back in August they were able to get discrete On/Off commands working on a modified unit. They were hoping to get the hardware modification working in software, but it did not pan out. In September when I contacted them again about discrete On/Off commands they told me it is infeesable in the current hardware.

Like I said before, I don't know why this was never posted on the FAQ.

Josh Z

10-18-05, 01:17 PM

TrueLife can now be turned On or Off at your discretion because it is no longer tied to DCDi.

Has anyone had a chance to test this with the HQV Benchmark DVD yet? I installed the firmware last night but did not have time to thoroughly test it, and I will be busy tonight as well.

On the beta firmware Oppo had us testing a few weeks ago, turning off TrueLife still had some effect on deinterlacing. The player would pass the diagonal filter tests, but would fail the racetrack test. Turning TrueLife back on resolved this.

I can probably test this out in a couple of days, but if anyone has that disc now and can check it out, that would be helpful.

Neuromancer

10-18-05, 01:20 PM

Martin Butler

10-18-05, 01:21 PM

Gotta give OPPO some credit, they're sending the firmware ASAP and it took me all of two minutes to arrange for it! I'm anxious to try the new firmware with True Life off and Faroudja still operating. It might bring the DVD pq a bit closer to the stellar Denon 3910 pq. By the way, I've had both the 3910 and Pioneer's 9500. The 9500 audio was far superior to both the OPPO and the Denon, but the OPPO gets my vote for audio over the 3910. Many words that were lost on the somewhat congested sounding 3910 are clear on the OPPO. The OPPO's bass is more well defined as well.

* some may disagree with me but I wish OPPO had used a detachable power cord. I've almost always found DVD players looked a bit less hashy (hence, cleaner blacks) with a decent replacement power cord. I've used Harmonic Technology and Acoustic Zen brands and been very satisfied and they don't cost an arm and a leg either. At Audiogon they can sometimes be had for $75.

** some spell checker, I typo'd saatissfied and it didn't catch it :rolleyes:

andersls

10-18-05, 01:22 PM

Paul Bigelow

10-18-05, 01:23 PM

Josh,

The HQV 3:2 (so called "Film Detail" test) is passed whether or not the True Life is turned on.

I haven't tried the various permutaions but will this evening. Turning True Life "on" however, will enable the Noise Reduction circuit. The NR feature works quite well actually. High is definitely too high for fast motion (see the racetrack test), but Medium and lower does a decent job (if one is inclined to remove noise).

Paul

boysmile

10-18-05, 02:01 PM

andersls,

do you have a european model and where did you buy it?

Stefan

andersls

10-18-05, 02:05 PM

Stefan...yes its is european. I bought it at livingcinema.nl

Can you help with the other problems???
Anders.

boysmile

10-18-05, 02:12 PM

andersls,

thank you for the quick response!

Sorry I can´t help with your problem since I don´t have the player yet.

I am just about to decide wheter or not I should buy a BBK branded player from the same place in nl.
I live in Germany and don´t know any place here to buy one so far.
Just wondering if the Oppo FW-Updates work for the BBK models as well.

How is the CD sound of the player (digital) compared to other better known players?

Thanks
Stefan

Neuromancer

10-18-05, 02:16 PM

I am having a different problem. I could not get Video 2 to work in PAL on my Optoma H78. Every time I changed resolutions, or attempted to go into PAL through the Setup menu or press the P/N button, it would always come back as a 60hz frequency. If I turned it back to Video 1, I can switch between PAL and NTSC correctly. Sent an e-mail to Oppo and hope for a response in the morning.

Got a response from Oppo. It seems the implimentation in the current firmware does not do 2:2 Cadence for PAL/NTSC. The CSR said they will be downgrading the firmware to a day earlier revision this afternoon.

The CSR advised that people should only downgrade to the earlier revision of the firmware if they need PAL/NTSC 2:2 Cadence. He also advised that users who have not upgraded wait a couple of days for a proper OP971-C-1012 release.

The only difference between the 1012 and the interirm 1011 is that the "TV Type: Auto" setting will not work in Video 2 mode. That means that if you want to play a PAL disc natively, you will have to manually select PAL through the menu system, or the P/N button.

andersls

10-18-05, 02:17 PM

Stefan.....I am running an Denon 3910 parallel..........and there is NO major difference...to my ears.....I have a Lex Mc-12 front-end./Def Tech speakers. Sounds really nice....honestly
though....I bought the Oppo/BBk(they are the same machine..BBk has cscart) for the picture
and non.hdcp output(for my old plasma)!

Anders.

Neuromancer

10-18-05, 02:20 PM

Hello Guys...I have just received my Oppo(BBK)...it works great! Fantastic picture with the DVI output!
Two questions.....mine says "2.20 version" on the back...is this the newest software version?
During SW TESB....how do you remove the "kershner", "muren"..and others names from the
the film during playback. Their names pop-up once in a while???

You will need to go through the DVD Disc's menu system and turn off subtitles. There is a current bug in all BBK/Oppo players where forced subtitles do not show, and word captioning subtitles do appear.

andersls

10-18-05, 02:25 PM

neuromancer...thanks.....so just go through the dvd menu..?? Are BBK/OPPO doing anything about it? What about the 2.20............

thanks...Anders.

boysmile

10-18-05, 02:26 PM

Thanks again Anders,

I had a 3910 as well but sold it because I was somewhat disappointed with the Macroblocking in a 1,100 Euro player. Soundwise it was a great machine to my ears. So the Oppo/BBK must be very good when you don´t hear a big difference with your good equipment.
Is the EuroScart connection additional or does replace one of the "original" connections.
Does it also have a european standard power plug?
And how´s the picture quality compared to the 3910?

Sorry... so many questions from me. ;)

Stefan

andersls

10-18-05, 02:31 PM

Stefan...the scart is additional! The picture is fabulous......i have tested alot of scenes on either player.....no real difference! For the money...it is fantastic value!!! I only have one very slight bif.....the loading tray is very thin plastic! be careful!!!

Anders

Neuromancer

10-18-05, 02:31 PM

FIRMWARE UPDATE:

Note: After the release of the OP971-C-1012 firmware OPPO has identified a problem with the 2:2 cadence support for PAL playback. The "Video 2" mode would not allow for PAL/NTSC conversion. For this reason OPPO recommends that you do not download and install the current firmware at this time. A proper OP971-C-1012 release will be forthcoming. However, if 2:2 Cadence for PAL and PAL/NTSC conversion is important for you, then use OP971-C-1011 in the interim.

Version: OP971-C-1011
Release Date: October 18, 2005

andersls

10-18-05, 02:32 PM

Stefan.....poweplug is european standard-

Ja Phule

10-18-05, 02:38 PM

I did try the Oppo last night to see if it would pass 2:2 on the HQV DVD in Video Mode 2 and it did not. I'm glad they've fixed it already.

MikeSRC

10-18-05, 02:54 PM

Josh,

The HQV 3:2 (so called "Film Detail" test) is passed whether or not the True Life is turned on.

I haven't tried the various permutaions but will this evening. Turning True Life "on" however, will enable the Noise Reduction circuit.

It also passes all the tests on the Faroudja test disk.

FYI, turning TrueLife off also disables the ability to turn CCS on or off, as well as the NR.

Neuromancer

10-18-05, 03:06 PM

neuromancer...thanks.....so just go through the dvd menu..?? Are BBK/OPPO doing anything about it? What about the 2.20............

thanks...Anders.

I know Oppo has been made aware of it for some time. They have not made any headway into the issue, though. They just need to work around the Forced Subtitle issue that is plagueing their current designs.

The V2.20 does not fix this problem. I have faith in Oppo and BBK.

Dixie Flatline

10-18-05, 03:43 PM

As a soon-to-be Oppo owner (the package left San Jose yesterday), I've been following this thread with great interest. Can someone please tell me: is the newly-introduced procedure in item 9 of the firmware release notes currently the only way to have the player remember where you were in a movie when you power it off? Also, if you hit the stop button while playing a movie, does the player immediately lose your place and make you start over from the beginning (or manually jump back to the chapter you were watching) when you hit play? My impression is that both answers are yes, but it's hard to tell for sure from what people have said.

Given the awkwardness of the procedure in the new firmware, I'd certainly hope that the firmware engineers could work out a way to simply have the player remember your position when powering off, without needing to eject.

Also, a thought about the discrete remote codes for power on/off: might it be possible to put an option into the firmware which causes the following behavior?

The current power-toggle code is recognized as a discrete "ON" code.
A new discrete "OFF" code is recognized.

Thus, when the "discrete power codes" option is on, the existing power toggle would still wake up the player (since it's hardwired to recognize only that code when it's off), but it would not turn the player off; only the new "OFF" discrete code would do that. Of course, this means that with the option on, it would be impossible to power off the player using the standard black/silver remotes, but users with programmable universal remotes could have their discrete codes. Meanwhile, users of the standard remote would simply leave the new option off and have the remote power button work as it does now. A bit awkward, certainly, and the new menu option would require some big warning signs around it, but based on Neuromancer's description of the problem, it seems more likely to work without needing hardware modifications.

rwestley

10-18-05, 04:09 PM

Link to new firmware update. As has been stated they do not recommend using it unless you have the specific problem they discuss. Another version is coming soon.

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

Neuromancer

10-18-05, 04:45 PM

As a soon-to-be Oppo owner (the package left San Jose yesterday), I've been following this thread with great interest. Can someone please tell me: is the newly-introduced procedure in item 9 of the firmware release notes currently the only way to have the player remember where you were in a movie when you power it off? Also, if you hit the stop button while playing a movie, does the player immediately lose your place and make you start over from the beginning (or manually jump back to the chapter you were watching) when you hit play? My impression is that both answers are yes, but it's hard to tell for sure from what people have said.

Given the awkwardness of the procedure in the new firmware, I'd certainly hope that the firmware engineers could work out a way to simply have the player remember your position when powering off, without needing to eject.

The 971H has always resumed playback when it has been stopped. What the 971H did not do is remember its position when a disc is ejected (say, to access the 5th Setup tab) and then re-insterted or powered down.

Previously, Oppo stated that the bookmarking feature was a limitation of the hardware because all memory not associated to the firmware was released when the unit was shut down (ex. change the volume controls, and then shutdown the unit. The volume is back to 20). Somehow they found a way, not matter how combersome, around the issue and we at least have the ability to bookmark a single disc segment.

Dixie Flatline

10-18-05, 04:52 PM

The 971H has always resumed playback when it has been stopped. What the 971H did not do is remember its position when a disc is ejected (say, to access the 5th Setup tab) and then re-insterted or powered down.
Thanks. I hoped it couldn't be that bad (losing position when hitting STOP), but somehow I got the impression from the other Oppo thread that this is what happened.

Neuromancer

10-18-05, 05:20 PM

Thanks. I hoped it couldn't be that bad (losing position when hitting STOP), but somehow I got the impression from the other Oppo thread that this is what happened.

Previously, anytime the disc was ejected and/or the unit was powered down, all resume functionality was lost. However, the resume from a stopped position has always been in the unit.

drbonbi

10-18-05, 05:40 PM

...

First, what do I do to check my firmware number?

Second, I've never done a firmware upgrade. I have a mac powerbook G4. Do I need to borrow a PC, or can I get a firmware disc from OPPO?

Thanks in advance...

Martin,

First, as noted on the previous page,

"12. Firmware version number display

"With the disc tray ejected, pressing the “OSD” button on the remote will show the firmware version on the video screen."

Second, I have burned an iso image onto a CD using Disk Utility successfully
for both major firmware updates June and October using my iMac G5. Don't use the Finder as you'll get a data disk instead. Use Mac Help from Disk Utility. As usual with a Mac, it's easy. :) BTW. You can request a CD from Oppo. Hope this helps.

Dana

GSB

10-18-05, 05:47 PM

The 971H has always resumed playback when it has been stopped. What the 971H did not do is remember its position when a disc is ejected (say, to access the 5th Setup tab) and then re-insterted or powered down. I tried the new memory function (without powering down) to access the 5th menu tab, and it did not work on any of the disks I tested, even though the player displayed the "Jump to the breakpoint" message.

Here's what I did:
I pressed the "EJECT" button on the remote. The player showed "Saving Breakpoint…" and ejected the tray. Then I closed the tray and got the message, "SELECT Key: Jump to the breakpoint; other key: Play from beginning".

When I pressed the "SELECT" key, the disk played from the beginning instead of from the breakpoint.

Neuromancer

10-18-05, 06:18 PM

I tried the new memory function (without powering down) to access the 5th menu tab, and it did not work on any of the disks I tested, even though the player displayed the "Jump to the breakpoint" message.

Here's what I did:
I pressed the "EJECT" button on the remote. The player showed "Saving Breakpoint…" and ejected the tray. Then I closed the tray and got the message, "SELECT Key: Jump to the breakpoint; other key: Play from beginning".

When I pressed the "SELECT" key, the disk played from the beginning instead of from the breakpoint.

This may be disc specific. I tried the same steps you mentioned above on the Incredibles Disc 2 with Jack Jack Attack and had no problem. I tried it again on The Lion King SE Disc 1, and instead of resuming playback, it jumped to one of the advertisements at the beginning of the DVD for Disney World.

Will have to do some more testing later.

GoSpurs99

10-18-05, 07:15 PM

Hi Guys,

I'm sorry if I was misleading regarding the newest firmware information that I posted on P. 137. That was not mine, it was in the release notes on the Oppo support page.

I just had noticed there were a lot of questions being asked that were answered there. I also noticed that the release notes link could be easy to miss, so I cut and pasted to this thread.

Sorry about the confusion!!! Just trying to give something back to the forum!

Dave

Neuromancer

10-18-05, 07:45 PM

Dave,

Don't worry about it, just giving you a hard time.

GSB,

Tried the Breakpoint on a couple more DVDs and they worked properly as well. Have you had time to mess with it futher as well?

Trance Dog

10-18-05, 08:08 PM

What about long file name support and proper subdirectory structure??? That is the feature to die for (at least for me). Many players have that. Kudos to Shinco that was able to implement it in a MEDIATEK portable I have. It scrolls through a name if it is long enough to fit on the screen.

Can't wait for Oppo to do something about it. Otherwise their mp3 support is useless to me because I don't know what exactly is being played.

Extremephono

10-18-05, 08:12 PM

Unless experiencing specific difficulty, otherwise, stay with the last major FW update, 0628. The current shipping units come with 0928 FW

Neuromancer

10-18-05, 08:22 PM

GSB

10-18-05, 08:23 PM

Tried the Breakpoint on a couple more DVDs and they worked properly as well. Have you had time to mess with it futher as well? No. Last night I tried a couple of Disney DVD's and a recorded copy of another movie. The copy is on a DVD+RW disk, that has no menus or special features - the movie lauches immediately after loading.

The breakpoint did not work on any of them, but I'll try a few more titles tonight, and I'll try turning the player off to see if that makes a difference.

wwwin

10-18-05, 10:02 PM

I was calibrated at "0" with the 0628 firmware and it was passing BTB. I installed the the 1012 firmware, set the brightness on he OPPO to -5...and everything is back to square-one as far as the image is concerned.

If something did change, I am unable to detect it.

-Toonces

Hope so, I have not upgraded yet but will put to -5 based on this

wwwin

10-18-05, 10:14 PM

GoSpurs99

10-18-05, 10:16 PM

So, should True Life be left on?

BTW, when I press stop (DVD+R), the player remembers where it left off, without ejecting or powering off.

CJayB

10-18-05, 10:19 PM

wwwin

10-18-05, 10:20 PM

[QUOTE=He also advised that users who have not upgraded wait a couple of days for a proper OP971-C-1012 release.
[/QUOTE]

Thanks, I will email them in a couple of days and see if it is the final.

CJayB

10-18-05, 10:32 PM

It also passes all the tests on the Faroudja test disk.

FYI, turning TrueLife off also disables the ability to turn CCS on or off, as well as the NR.

This is true, basically. You can't turn CSS or NR on or off if TruLife is off, but both CSS and NR will stay on if you turn TruLife off, so if you don't want TruLife but want the other two, turn all three to on and then turn off TruLife. I have not however tested to see if NR works once you turn TruLife off if NR is set to on, but at least with the prior firmware, I know that CSS worked if turned on even after TruLife was turned off.

QuadZ400

10-18-05, 10:36 PM

I just got my Oppo yesterday, and so far I was very pleased with the picture on my Sony XBR HDTV. Then I noticed some issues with some of my DVD+R backups. The player trys to load them and the infamous No Disc. They play fine on my Denon DVM 1805, but not on the Oppo. Then one of these DVD+R 8x discs did play, but after trying several others again later, none of them played and even the one that did, then showed the No Disc message later.

I loaded the latest firmware, from Oct., and still no better.

Any thoughts or similar experiences??? I have really liked what I've seen so far, but if this player can't handle my +R's, it's going back.

Thanks,
QuadZ

Neuromancer

10-18-05, 10:52 PM

dusterscott

10-18-05, 11:20 PM

Since I only watch region 1 DVD's on this DVD Player, none of the upcoming firmware changes are important to me. So, in spite of the recommendation to wait for the release of the next firmware upgrade, I installed today's version anyways. I felt there were enough improvements made to make it worth my time. I'm glad I made the changes. I recalibrated my display with the Avia DVD and all I had to do was reduce my display's brightness a bit. It's just below mid-scale now and it was at 50% scale. I personally see an improvent in PQ. The Arial font looks much better too.

As far as the new memory function goes, the procedure is a little bizarre. It would be nice to be able to shut the DVD player off with the DVD still in the player. When the DVD Player is turned on again, it remembers where you were.

A couple of odd observations with the new firmware... I own the black remote, so after upgrading to the latest version, I followed the instructions, opened the tray and pressed the 'stop' button on the Oppo for 3 seconds. 'New RC' didn't display on my screen. Also, I tried to display my firmware version by opening the tray and pressing the OSD button. The version number isn't displayed on my screen even though I have the latest firmware version and the remote works fine.

MikeSRC

10-18-05, 11:41 PM

A couple of odd observations with the new firmware... I own the black remote, so after upgrading to the latest version, I followed the instructions, opened the tray and pressed the 'stop' button on the Oppo for 3 seconds. 'New RC' didn't display on my screen. Also, I tried to display my firmware version by opening the tray and pressing the OSD button. The version number isn't displayed on my screen even though I have the latest firmware version and the remote works fine.

The "New RC" should be displaying on the top left of your display and the firmware version on the bottom left. Neither display on the DVD player itself.

Neuromancer

10-18-05, 11:47 PM

dusterscott,

Try updating the firmware again. The OSD should display the Version information as long as the disc has been stopped.

I think memory function is done the way it is now due to the remote lacking a "bookmark" or other such button. By ejecting the disc, bookmarking just becomes an automated response by the unit. Hopefully it will be designed to be done manually. In Oppo we trust.

dusterscott

10-19-05, 12:07 AM

The "New RC" should be displaying on the top left of your display and the firmware version on the bottom left. Neither display on the DVD player itself.

I wasn't refering to the DVD Player's display. I've tried upoading the firmware three times and the firmware version number still doesn't display on my tv. Other than the fact that the words 'New RC' don't display on my tv screen after programming the DVD Player to the black remote, the new firmware appears to function correctly.

Dick Laurent

10-19-05, 12:14 AM

As far as the new memory function goes, the procedure is a little bizarre.

A couple of odd observations with the new firmware... I own the black remote, so after upgrading to the latest version, I followed the instructions, opened the tray and pressed the 'stop' button on the Oppo for 3 seconds. 'New RC' didn't display on my screen. Also, I tried to display my firmware version by opening the tray and pressing the OSD button. The version number isn't displayed on my screen even though I have the latest firmware version and the remote works fine.

A little bizarre, I was playing with a R2 DVD and (not being patient, as I sometimes shouldn't let myself be) I was pressing buttons faster than the Oppo could keep up. Somehow I activated the memory when I put the disc back in. No idea what I did, but it was really easy. Just press a bunch of buttons really fast! :D (not really.....please, not really... )

As far as the new remote, I've always held the stop button down with the tray closed to change remotes. Is it supposed to be open? I might have missed that. But changing to black RC works for me by holding the STOP button down for 3 sec with the tray closed.

Dick Laurent

10-19-05, 12:21 AM

"First, make sure there is no disc loaded in the player. Press and hold the STOP key on the player's front panel (not on remote) for 3 seconds and then release. The TV display will show "New RC". The black-colored remote now works with the new firmware."

A little vague, but Oppo means to close the tray back after confirming no disc is loaded.

...I had to post again since I forgot to make a big deal about my 10th post. Great, I'll never hear the end of myself until at least the 50th post... :rolleyes:

Neuromancer

10-19-05, 02:31 AM

I wasn't refering to the DVD Player's display. I've tried upoading the firmware three times and the firmware version number still doesn't display on my tv. Other than the fact that the words 'New RC' don't display on my tv screen after programming the DVD Player to the black remote, the new firmware appears to function correctly.

That is just bizarre. But if it is working, I guess there is "no harm done."

Neuromancer

10-19-05, 02:37 AM

A little bizarre, I was playing with a R2 DVD and (not being patient, as I sometimes shouldn't let myself be) I was pressing buttons faster than the Oppo could keep up. Somehow I activated the memory when I put the disc back in. No idea what I did, but it was really easy. Just press a bunch of buttons really fast! :D (not really.....please, not really... )

You might beable to trigger the bookmarking by pressing the Eject button twice very fast. The first press has to stop the DVD from spinning before it can be ejected, so you have a second to catch input the "close" command to the unit (The 971H runs like DOS in a way, as you can input one or two commands before they are actually processed). I will have to test this in the morning and see what I can produce.

As far as the new remote, I've always held the stop button down with the tray closed to change remotes. Is it supposed to be open? I might have missed that. But changing to black RC works for me by holding the STOP button down for 3 sec with the tray closed.

There is no difference. As long as the 971H does not have a DVD in the unit, you can change the RC with the "No Disc" error (closed tray) or with the "Open" error (tray open).

sharkshark

10-19-05, 03:31 AM

forgive a bit of "nerding" out....

It's times like this, when a company -clearly- listens to those people who bought their products, when they work hard and dillently to improve their product beyond expectation, well... I've never really seen times like this. I mean, I've bought lots of products that -needed- firmware upgrades (weird disc incompatibilities, functional quirks) that required a visit to a service bureau and a wait of sometimes up to a week! But Oppo, dear Oppo.... Sure there's a bit of synch issue, and sure I've still got my RP-82 in case something really barfs, but man...

Couple points...

- I never watch DIVX, but there's no Canadian telecast of the Colbert Report. Shame. So, caught the torrent, it's in 4:3, stretched to fill screen at 1080i. Workaround was to dump to 480, and use Sony's zoom modes to put on sidebars. Post firmware (some 20 minutes after I watched the show I visited the Oppo site to find the nice suprise!) the same disc plays back perfectly with (black) bars on the side... Beauty.

- Although I generally hate Arial (gimme Helvetica, or even "Swiss") really does make the OSD text look more, er, "professional".

- dvd-audio mode. excellent!

- the brightness defaulted back to 0 (I had raised to 5 on y'alls recommendation) and, pending a bunch of Avia/DVE fun, the pic looks great

- indeed, region change remains impressively easy to do, god forbid this ever goes away...

- is it tasteless that Orek is advertising hurricane strength vacuums on CNN? (off topic, sorry...)

- OSD with eject works as advertised OP971-C-1011

I'm so happy.... they're listening!!!!!

haven't seen this requested yet (I don't think) - add colour for side bars (off, light grey, dk grey) - shouldn't be hard, might help us CRTers, and, heck, can always be greedy for new features!

vjren

10-19-05, 04:07 AM

Yesterday I tested the Oppo firmware on the BBK 971H. (1011.iso)

Results are good. VIDEO 2 with 2:2 pull down kicks in quite late, but it does work, there is this movie called "The straight story" with some horrible diagonal patterns and pans (scene in chapter 1 when the lady is laying in the garden, look at the roof edges when the camera moves)

It takes some seconds before the faroudija kicks in but then it is smooth as silk!

Using a test dvd (peterfinzel) part 3 of the fim mode test does work but not every time if you fiddle with the settings and go back and forth to the setup menu. But if you let it run, it all works out! Great to see 2:2 pull down working.

Need some more testing and viewing to be sure though.

Graphics are nicer, DVD-AUDIO works great.

Brightness issue in PAL (forgets setting every time) is known to Oppo, and the underscan issue are now important to be fixed issues.

dgkp

10-19-05, 05:03 AM

With reference to PAL issues with the new firmware. I'm in a PAL zone (UK) but play very many NTSC disks as well. Is the issue with the new firmware on 2:2 cadence only one of conversion, i.e., whether the oppo coverts PAL for NTSC displays? Or is it general PAL problem? I ask because my display device (AE700) plays PAL and NTSC presumably without conversion. If the oppo isn't converting is it a problem. I found the advice on the oppo release notes quite confusing.

So, a question for those in the know, is the new firmware something I should hang back on?

Thanks,

Dave

dvdr

10-19-05, 05:54 AM

Hi

I upgraded to FW 1012 yesterday - works very well for me. My unit is set to PAL, 720p at the moment, feeding HDMI to a Sanyo Z4.
Here's a question about de-interlacing in PAL - let me say right away: it does not depend on the new video-mode settings, it's the same with Video1 and Video2.
I watched the new Amityville Horror (directed by andrew Douglas). Before the movie starts, there is some sort of Dolby Digital Trailer, starting with a look into the black void with stars, and then "DOLBY DIGITAL" flying in. I could clearly see interlacing lines at the edges of these letters, no matter what settings the Oppo had (Video1, Video2, CCS, True Life, Sharpness etc.). It stayed even the same in 575p.
When I forced the SANYO to do the de-interlacing (Oppo's Component out, interlace mode output from 2 other DVD players), the effect had gone: the SANYO did a great job deinterlacing this trailer.

Could someone please explain to me, what that means? Is there still some issue with the OPPO when having to de-interlace any PAL discs? Or are there some other explanations for this behaviour? I did some testing with the Z4 de-interlacing, since I read in this forum, that some users had problems and reported bad deinterlacing from the Z4. At least in PAL, watching interlaced TV-material from my Satellite-receiver, and feeding interlaced component signals from my other DVD-players, I get good results....

Thanks!
Joerg

andersls

10-19-05, 07:00 AM

Neuromancer (others!)...I have watched a few films and concert dvd´s on the BBK..it seems there is a small problem with certain dvd´s. On my plasma(LGpz70)..the picture needs to be "moved" about 1cm. to the left. The plasma cannot move a dvi-signal. I have tried everything, even changing dvi cables. Is it likely to be the authoring of the dvd?? Can it be fixed? Is there someway to "move" the picture from the BBK?

thanks....Anders.

vjren

10-19-05, 07:02 AM

@dvdr, try the 1011.iso.

2:2 pull down takes some time to kick in, it needs to sample the video stream and if it is inconsistent the results vary.

When a clean 2:2 stream is fed after a couple of seconds the cadence is detected and it works.

Maybe the trailer is too short. Maybe the Z4 does a better job.

@dgkp Just make sure that when you play PAL the video 2 is enabled. The Pany benefits from it.

vjren

10-19-05, 07:04 AM

@Anders, move your screen 1 cm to the right :)

Most of the times it is always the screen at fault..what happens if you use the zoom.

andersls

10-19-05, 07:09 AM

vjren...purdy funny;-)))) The zoom function will clip to much of the picture! The whole picture is there....but it just needs to be moved about 1cm....on certain dvds! Strange!
Ok...how do I manipulate the service menu of the LG plasma , so I can move the picture??

QuadZ400

10-19-05, 09:51 AM

I would try getting a replacement/repair from Oppo. One thing you can try doing is setting your Region Code to 1 (if you changed it to 0) and cleaning the bottom of your discs. Sometimes the 971H can be very finicky about unclean discs (scratches are OK).

So, just to clarify, by and large everyone out here is having zero issues playing DVD+R backups? Also worth mentioning, one of these dvd backups is brand new, just made a few days ago (no dust or scratches), and plays fine on the Denon, no go on the Oppo. Same was true of my "Robots" backup. This one played fine the first time, and my jaw was on the floor with how awesome it looked in 1080i... that's why I'm really bummed... if this thing can't play my collection of 8x and 4x +R's, it will have to go back :-(

QuadZ

Ja Phule

10-19-05, 10:01 AM

So, just to clarify, by and large everyone out here is having zero issues playing DVD+R backups? Also worth mentioning, one of these dvd backups is brand new, just made a few days ago (no dust or scratches), and plays fine on the Denon, no go on the Oppo. Same was true of my "Robots" backup. This one played fine the first time, and my jaw was on the floor with how awesome it looked in 1080i... that's why I'm really bummed... if this thing can't play my collection of 8x and 4x +R's, it will have to go back :-(

QuadZ

DVDr playback depends on a variety of factors such as the type of media, type of brand (type of manufacturer), type of burner, type of software, burn speed, and book type. It seems for dvd+r media, there is better compatibility if you set the book type to dvd-rom (most burners default to setting it to dvd+r).

I haven't had a single issue with dvdr playback as of yet and I use media I know that are known to be of decent or high quality. I've had a few cheap media and rw media and they work fine also.

QuadZ400

10-19-05, 10:41 AM

DVDr playback depends on a variety of factors such as the type of media, type of brand (type of manufacturer), type of burner, type of software, burn speed, and book type. It seems for dvd+r media, there is better compatibility if you set the book type to dvd-rom (most burners default to setting it to dvd+r).

I haven't had a single issue with dvdr playback as of yet and I use media I know that are known to be of decent or high quality. I've had a few cheap media and rw media and they work fine also.

I totally agree... friends and I use to have all sorts of issues years ago with cheap media and different burning packages, etc., etc. But, I've been using 'only' TDK 4x and 8x media and Nero for years now and my DVD+R backups have played on every DVD player me and others have tried them on -- up until now. The only other exception is my really old Toshiba player (6 or 7 years) which won't play +R's but will play -R's. So, while I agree with your comments, I'm not sure there should be an issue with the proven track record of my backups and the fact that they play on my Denon and every other newish player tried except the Oppo.

Ja Phule

10-19-05, 10:56 AM

It really does depend on the dvd player also, as they do have different loaders. Oppo's loader seems to be better than most of the other players out there. I'm not too sure how Denon's compare but I'm guessing it must be good also. If you haven't tried setting the book type of your dvd+r media to dvd-rom when you burn, I'd suggest trying that and see if compatibility is any better.

manono

10-19-05, 11:31 AM

Hi-

No problems with playing DVD+/-R on the Oppo. I create an ISO with ImgTool Classic which then burns using DVD Decrypter. I've used Nero a few times, also with no issues, but prefer the former method. Using Costco 8X TDK+R, with a smattering of 8X TDK-R. I burn at 4X though.

Stacy Huff

10-19-05, 01:21 PM

I learned about this firmware update yesterday and installed it without incident on my Oppo. I'm pleased to report that a previously unrecognized dual layer DVD+R that I burned with Nero several months ago now plays without problem in the Oppo. I've not found the layer change yet, but it has no problem loading or navigating to any point of the disc. None of my other DVD players has been able to play this DL DVD+R, and only one was even able to load the disc (although it then would hang up on the menus).

So what a pleasant surprise.

Neuromancer

10-19-05, 01:30 PM

Neuromancer

10-19-05, 01:46 PM

I totally agree... friends and I use to have all sorts of issues years ago with cheap media and different burning packages, etc., etc. But, I've been using 'only' TDK 4x and 8x media and Nero for years now and my DVD+R backups have played on every DVD player me and others have tried them on -- up until now. The only other exception is my really old Toshiba player (6 or 7 years) which won't play +R's but will play -R's. So, while I agree with your comments, I'm not sure there should be an issue with the proven track record of my backups and the fact that they play on my Denon and every other newish player tried except the Oppo.

I have not had a single DVD+R not work on my 971H. If you are only experiencing random DVD+R support, send in the problematic discs to Oppo and see if they get them to run on their machines. If they run on their machines, then your unit needs to be fixed. If it does not run on their machines, then the media, software, or burner (settings or unit) need to be calibrated for proper 971H playback support.

QuadZ400

10-19-05, 02:10 PM

I have not had a single DVD+R not work on my 971H. If you are only experiencing random DVD+R support, send in the problematic discs to Oppo and see if they get them to run on their machines. If they run on their machines, then your unit needs to be fixed. If it does not run on their machines, then the media, software, or burner (settings or unit) need to be calibrated for proper 971H playback support.

That's what I really wanted to hear, and I think that's a great idea -- to send Oppo a disc or two. I like what I'm seeing so much, that I really want to keep this thing... it just sucks to think about keeping another DVD player or XBOX around or something to play my DVD+R's, until I can figure out what this machine likes as far as making backups going forward. I will try what someone else recommended as far as setting the book type to DVD-ROM. I will also try using my old 4x DVD burner. One of those discs did play fine too. The newer 8x DVD+R's, burned on my newer NEC drive at 12x with DVDShrink and Nero, are the ones that will not play (although like I said, Robots played fine once, and after trying it again, it failed).

Dick Laurent

10-19-05, 03:33 PM

I'd be curious to know if you have the same problem with DVD+Rs from a set-top DVD recorder. I just use cheap, bundled HP software to burn my DVDs from my computer, and they play fine on my Oppo, as does the DVD+Rs I record from my Phillips recorder.

mcbuckeye

10-19-05, 03:45 PM

Hello.

Just a quick question for everyone regarding your selection and recommendation of 1080i vs. 720p for the Oppo resolution output to my system.

I have a JVC DLA-HX1 projector, with native resolution of 1400 x 788, so no matter which resolution I select, the projector has to do some scaling.

Is there any mathematical (or other) reason to select either 720p or 1080i on the Oppo? I've mostly used 720p, thinking it's "closest" to the native resolution.

But now, I'm thinking maybe the 1080i is "closer."
1280 x 720 vs 1920 x 1080

hmm... 1280 and 720 are both less than my native resolution, so the display has to "upscale" and add info that isn't there. 1920 and 1080 are both higher than native resolution, so the display has to "downscale", which I'd think is easier to do and retains the most info. (Of course I realize the info's not really there anyway since it's coming from DVD 480i, but you get the concept).

Also, there is obviously the consideration of interlaced vs. progressive scan signal.

I've looked at them both, but it's impossible to do a true A/B comparison with only one player/projector, especially given the delay associated with switching between the settings.

Any recommendations? If you have a projector that's also not native resolution for either 1080i or 720p, what do you use?

Are there any good tests in DVE or Avia that can point me in the right direction?

Thanks!

GSB

10-19-05, 03:59 PM

Tried the Breakpoint on a couple more DVDs and they worked properly as well. Have you had time to mess with it futher as well? Last night I tried 7 retail DVD's from different movie Studios. The breakpoint did not work on any of them, even though all the correct procedures were followed and the appropriate messages appeared. I think I'll try reflashing the firmware, but only after v1012 is rereleased.

GSB

10-19-05, 04:08 PM

Neuromancer

10-19-05, 04:12 PM

dusterscott

10-19-05, 04:18 PM

Last night I tried 7 retail DVD's from different movie Studios. The breakpoint did not work on any of them, even though all the correct procedures were followed and the appropriate messages appeared. I think I'll try reflashing the firmware, but only after v1012 is rereleased.

I'm going to reflash tonight with the original 1012 version. I had the same problem as you and after the third try, the DVD Player locked up on me and wouldn't respond to the remote. Unplugging the player from the electrical outlet, waiting a few seconds, and plugging the player back in brought the player back to life. I also want to make sure the player is programmed for the black remote and would like it to display my firmware version on my tv display. I read everyone's suggestions this morning but didn't have time to do anything before work this morning.

Josh Z

10-19-05, 05:03 PM

I have a JVC DLA-HX1 projector, with native resolution of 1400 x 788, so no matter which resolution I select, the projector has to do some scaling.

Is there any mathematical (or other) reason to select either 720p or 1080i on the Oppo? I've mostly used 720p, thinking it's "closest" to the native resolution.

Since your display's native resolution is not a choice that Oppo scales to, either option will require the video signal to be scaled twice. You're really just going to have to try the Oppo at 480p, 720p, and 1080i and see which one looks best. There's no conclusive way to tell which interaction will work best without trying.

hmm... 1280 and 720 are both less than my native resolution, so the display has to "upscale" and add info that isn't there. 1920 and 1080 are both higher than native resolution, so the display has to "downscale", which I'd think is easier to do and retains the most info.

This is a valid train of thought, but keep in mind that the 1080i signal will also have to be deinterlaced by the projector. Unless the projector offers motion adaptive deinterlacing for 1080i (none in the under $10k category do), this means that the 1080i signal will be processed with a simple 'bob' deinterlacing that scales it down to 540p and then back up to the projector's native resolution. This seem like entirely too much scaling for any movie picture (480i DVD -> 1080i Oppo -> 540p projector -> 1400x788 also projector).

dgkp

10-20-05, 04:19 AM

Am I missing something (it wouldn't be the first time!). So many of you seem to be wowed by the new firmware--I've noticed no difference to pq (all that matters) at all. A caveat to the following gripe: I love my oppo + ae700 and use it everyday, 2 or 3 times a day when time allows.

We have the new brightness setting--I used to be at +5 now, to get the same effect on Avia I'm at -3. We have a new font--admittedly it's nicer. But everything that macroblocked before still does. I can't see any difference between having truelife on or off in terms of EE (or in terms of anything else, eg. mb.). I'm not sure what difference 2:2 cadence should make and as I haven't noticed any I guess it was never going to be much (I watch 70% PAL DVDs). The zoom is still wretched in terms of pq as has been noticed above. OK, I don't use DivX or DVD-A so maybe there never was going to be much. But I have to say I'm nonplussed with the whole thing--so far...

Now, I would be really grateful for anything I should be noticing with respect to improved pq on DVD playback?

Thanks,

Dave

mdray

10-20-05, 05:25 AM

dgkp

10-20-05, 06:17 AM

Mdray, by break point I think GSB means the place where the oppo bookmarks the stop point on a DVD--something the new firmware is supposed to do but with erratic results.

Toonces T. Cat

10-20-05, 09:06 AM

Dave,

You are correct about the breakpoint. It is basically a "Last Memory" on an ejected DVD.

I PM'ed you the link for Waterland yesterday...I apologize for taking two weeks to notice that I had private mail... :rolleyes:

-Toonces

PAD

10-20-05, 09:19 AM

May be an unfair question, but would the Oppo give a better picture than a Denon 2910 which is also supposed to be able to output 1080i?

Using a Sharp XVZ2000 DLP that has 720p native res.

brinyhenry

10-20-05, 09:25 AM

CJayB

10-20-05, 09:34 AM

Martin Butler

10-20-05, 10:21 AM

Got this from OPPO, hope it doesn't take too long..

"After the release of the OP971-C-1012 firmware OPPO has identified a
problem with the 2:2 cadence support for PAL playback. The "Video 2"
mode would not allow for PAL/NTSC conversion. For this reason OPPO we
will not be sending out the firmware CDs as promised. A proper
OP971-C-1012 release will be forthcoming, in which time the firmware CD
will be posted in the mail.

There is no action required. The firmware CDs will be posted
automatically upon the creation of a proper OP971-C-1012."

Best Regards,

Customer Service
OPPO Digital, Inc.

deez

10-20-05, 10:51 AM

All i can say is:

1-It is nice to see such conscientious customer support from a "no-name" company.

2-I dont know about you but half the fun of this player for me is the ability to tweak with it!!! I mean i really enjoy updating firmwares it makes me feel like an engineer!!!

lol

chengka

10-20-05, 11:26 AM

Can anyone address the Noise Reduction in terms of the 3 NR items in the S97? A lot has been written regarding the 3 flavors of NR in the s97 and I wonder how much would apply to the Oppo. My assumption is that the NR is a Faroudja feature and therefore it should be very similar on both players.

QuadZ400

10-20-05, 11:34 AM

Neuromancer

10-20-05, 02:40 PM

This is going to sound like a real newbie question, but what is 2:2 cadence? The reason I am asking is because I recently purchased a few R2 titles including the new rerelease of Flash Gordon (1980). Overall the discs look about as good as any R1 discs except for the occasional "stair stepping" I can see on certain seens with diagonal lines. Will the new firmware help to alleviate this problem somewhat? Mind you, I love this player and the ability to play R2 PAL titles is an added bonus which wasn't one of my original motivations for buying it.

PAL uses a 50 field per second scan rate. Like NTSC, in order to get 24 fps from the film source to correctly display on video source, a pulldown (cadence) is needed. In NTSC, we use 3:2 pulldown. In PAL, we use 2:2 cadnece (pulldown). When a 2:2 cadence is operating, each film frame is scanned twice and slightly sped up to 25 fps.

A correct 2:2 cadence operation will reduce aliasing (jagged edges).

Neuromancer

10-20-05, 02:44 PM

Well, every system is different. On my system, I definitely see improvements in PQ with reduced macroblocking and also reduced video noise. A more filmlike picture, though we are not talking huge differences with the new firmware over the old. And also, I can't stand TruLife, so being able to turn it off and still get the use of superior DCDI deinterlacing is very nice.

I concur on all points. Macroblocking has not been removed, but in cases where it occured occasionaly (such as the door frame in Jack Jack Attacks!) it is almost not noticeable. Macroblocking will never disappear on my Lion King SE, however. I cry everytime an elephant crosses my screen.

I wish all so called "video enhancers" could be turned off on all devices. I always hate going to my friends house to watch something on his Samsung DLP, and having to put up with the crap that is DNIe.

DaViD Boulet

10-20-05, 02:45 PM

How do we get on OPPO's list to get the free firmware-upgrade CDs in the mail?

BTW, has anyone yet figured out how to still-frame-advance on the OPPO?

Neuromancer

10-20-05, 03:00 PM

How do we get on OPPO's list to get the free firmware-upgrade CDs in the mail?

BTW, has anyone yet figured out how to still-frame-advance on the OPPO?

Write service@oppodigital.com and request a firmware CD

The 1011/1012 firmware has frame stepping for the black remote. All you have to do is press PLAY/PAUSE and the SKIP buttons to do frame stepping.

RaveD

10-20-05, 03:13 PM

With the new firmware is there a consensus on the settings that produce the best quality but at the same time minimize macroblocking?

Neuromancer

10-20-05, 03:17 PM

With the new firmware is there a consensus on the settings that produce the best quality but at the same time minimize macroblocking?

I don't think there has been enough testing to determine the best settings. I pesonaly have TrueLife, CCS, and NR to Off. Everything else is left at the base level. I tweaked my display after the firmware just to make sure I was fully calibrated. I payed particular attention to my contrast and brightness settings.

The 2:2 cadence is a welcome addition, because I have several PAL discs of things that never made it to the US (God of Gamblers and Taxi/Taxi 2 being my favorites).

guitarman

10-20-05, 05:49 PM

How do we get on OPPO's list to get the free firmware-upgrade CDs in the mail?

BTW, has anyone yet figured out how to still-frame-advance on the OPPO?

One frame is one of my pet peaves, it mucked up my screens shots. :) Best you can do is Play Freeze Play Freeze.

TerryJ

10-20-05, 06:43 PM

So... quick question... to play a Region 2 PAL dvd with the best possible picture (correctly dealing with 2:2 cadence), should I set my Oppo to "Video 2" mode and NTSC? (If I switch my Oppo to "PAL", my tv, a Sony KDF55XS955 LCD RP, does not show any image.)

I also checked the new firmware with the HQV Benchmark tests for "mixed cadences", one of which is 2:2 (30fps), and it didn't look like the Oppo did particularly well on that test. Still some jaggy/rubbery look on coffee cups and newspaper. (I tried both Video 1 and Video 2 modes.) the regular 3:2 cadence looked fine, however.

I did play a Doctor Who (new series) R2 PAL dvd with the new firmware, and I can't say I notice much of a difference.

-Terry

guitarman

10-20-05, 06:44 PM

BigFoot_Lives

10-20-05, 08:00 PM

guitarman,

Yes you have a problem. The image file (the .iso file) was burned as a "data" disc not as an image file. Depending on your burning software, you must select the burn image file and when you browse for the downloaded filefile types should list as *.iso, *.img, *.udi, *.gi. Each burning engine handles things differently and may or may not support each of these file types.

Do a google search for "image burning" and you should find lots of help. Good luck.

-BigFoot_Lives

Neuromancer

10-20-05, 08:02 PM

In Oppos inxtrx it says make sure you read as an ISO image file and the CD should contain a 935.bin file if you burned sucessfully.

Well we just burned a CD, in properties it says ISO image file but reads 1.24mb no 935.bin. Do I have a problem?

I don't hv a CD burner here so I sent the file over to my wife. They have a PC and she says it burns CD automatic and that she had no control to set it up in making sure it's an ISO file. Though reading the properties it says ISO image file.

If you don't have burning software that will burn the disc as an Image, then you will not get a proper firmware disc. Request a firmware CD from Oppo, or invest in a new burning software like Nero, Alcohol 120%, and so forth.

BigFoot_Lives

10-20-05, 08:07 PM

guitarman

10-20-05, 08:28 PM

Thanks ok 1.24mb indicates data, we have a Mac at home so maybe we'll find the ISO option.

Oppo emailed me back and they're not sending out disc's since the new version will be out soon. Those they'll ship automatic to anybody that asked for this latest one.

MikeSRC

10-20-05, 08:37 PM

It's been mentioned here before, but if you need a free, easy-to-use program (for a PC, not Mac) to burn an image to CD, get BurnAtOnce (www.burnatonce.com). I have Nero, but this is simpler to use for Oppo upgrades.

TerryJ

10-20-05, 08:50 PM

TerryJ,

To which firmware did you update? The initially released version 1012 addressed the 2:2 cadence for PAL discs, but it did not employ the PAL->NTSC conversion for the VIDEO2 mode. As such they removed this firmware and supplied the 1011 firmware (which I believe was identical save for the PAL 2:2 cadence fix).

If your Sony does not display a PAL signal then you are not testing the PAL 2:2 cadence fix. Oppo has said that the 1012 firmware will be released again soon with the PAL->NTSC in VIDEO2 mode.

- BigFoot_Lives
So, those people talking about 2:2 cadence in this thread, are they talking about NTSC 2:2 discs they have (as they are stating that the firmware is doing something), or are they using the revoked 1012 firmware with 2:2 PAL discs?

And... shouldn't the 1011 firmware (which I have) help the 2:2 cadence clip on the HQV benchmark DVD (which is NTSC) in Video 2 mode?

I guess I am slightly confused.

-Terry

GFletch

10-20-05, 08:55 PM

Also, if you already have Dvd Decrypter, this is a very simple method to burn as well. Under mode...choose ISO...then write. Bingo, very simple. Just another suggestion.

GSB

10-20-05, 09:18 PM

One frame is one of my pet peaves, it mucked up my screens shots. :) Best you can do is Play Freeze Play Freeze.Guitarman, what did you mean by this? The new firmware has fixed the forward and reverse frame-stepping.

OK, I read through your other posts... you have not upgraded your firmware yet.

drbonbi

10-20-05, 09:51 PM

Thanks ok 1.24mb indicates data, we have a Mac at home so maybe we'll find the ISO option....

Guitarman,

I have successfully burned the last two major updates as .iso CD discs using Disk Utility on my iMac G5. Don't use the Finder to burn the CDs as you'll get data discs. Use Disk Utility Help if you need guidance.

Dana

LordJezo

10-20-05, 10:02 PM

slateef

10-20-05, 11:03 PM

does the oppo player have a problem with "macroblocking"? i used to have the zenith 318 and actually sold it because the macroblocking was so bad.

i am assuming the oppo has it as well since it also uses the faroudja chipset, but is it to the same extent?

wwwin

10-21-05, 12:03 AM

If you don't have burning software that will burn the disc as an Image, then you will not get a proper firmware disc. Request a firmware CD from Oppo, or invest in a new burning software like Nero, Alcohol 120%, and so forth.

I don't think you burn the disk as an image, but rather burn the image to disk.
The image ISO file is what you download from Oppo, the actual CD should not contain an ISO image, just the result of burning that image to the CD.
I know that Oppo's intructions say "burn disk as an image" but that is very confusing terminology, although I know what they mean b/c I have burned many CDs from images. If you have Nero, the actual option says "Burn Image to Disk".
If you have Roxio Easy CD creater, choose "Record CD from CD Image" or simply just double click on the ISO file you downloaded, as the ISO file is already associated with Easy CD Creator and double clicking will open Easy CD with the proper options.

Trance Dog

10-21-05, 12:16 AM

WAA!!

Help!

I installed the newest firmware on the site (Oppo told me to via email) and now the remote does not work. I did what they said and held down the stop key for 5 seconds but that didnt do a thing. Now all the buttons are screwed up and I can't do a thing.

Anyone else run into this problem? Any suggestions?

You do it wrong. Oppo has precise instructions how to do it on the web-site. I have had the same issue, then I read it again and got it straighten out.

TXP3064W

10-21-05, 12:37 AM

Well, my Sony KV-34XBR910 does. :)

Dana

Does it support 720p natively? I doubt it.........This Sony sets the standard for CRT displays, but christ at nearly 2 grand and a hefty 200 lbs. you should've gone for a fixed pixel display that truly gives the Oppo the best platform to shine..............

dgkp

10-21-05, 04:42 AM

Quote from Big foot lives "they removed this firmware and supplied the 1011 firmware (which I believe was identical save for the PAL 2:2 cadence fix). "

I thoght the second version of the firmware (ending in 11) does have the Pal 2:2 cadence, it just won't automatically select PAL or NTSC--you have to do it using the P/N key on the rmote? At least that's how I understood the release notes.

Dave

LordJezo

10-21-05, 08:29 AM

You do it wrong. Oppo has precise instructions how to do it on the web-site. I have had the same issue, then I read it again and got it straighten out.

O.

Would you look at that.

Hold the stop button on the DVD player, not the remote.

Oops.

BigFoot_Lives

10-21-05, 08:41 AM

TerryJ & dgkp,

My earlier post about the PAL 2:2 cadence was based on reading the revision notes from the oppodigital.com website. Perhaps my interpretation/explanation is lacking. For your benefit the pertinent text from the release notes (OP971-C-1011) is quoted below:

The improvements and changes included in this version are the followings:

1. Support 2:2 cadence for PAL movies*.

In the “General Setup” menu page, there is now a “Video Mode” option. The choices are “Video 1” and “Video 2”. The “Video 1” mode is the same as the previous version firmware, which does not support 2:2 cadence for PAL movies. The “Video 2” mode supports 2:2 cadence for PAL movies. However in “Video 2” mode all analog video outputs (Composite, S-Video, Component) will not perform NTSC/PAL system conversion. The video output from any of the analog connectors will have the same NTSC or PAL system as encoded on the DVD disc itself.

In summary:

If you mainly watch North American NTSC versions of movies and video programs on DVD, and would like to keep the NTSC/PAL system conversion function on the analog video outputs, you should select the “Video 1” mode. In this case imported PAL discs with 2:2 cadence will still play, but not with the best possible picture quality.
If you only use the DVI video output and would like to get the best possible picture quality for both NTSC and PAL discs, you should select the “Video 2” mode. In this case the analog video outputs will not perform NTSC/PAL system conversion.

*Please note that there is still a slight problem with 2:2 cadence support. When the "TV Type" setting in the "Preference Page" is set to "Auto", the player will NOT automatically switch NTSC or PAL output based on the content being played. An OP971-C-1012 version released on October 17, 2005 automatically switches NTSC/PAL output based on the content being played, but does not support NTSC/PAL conversion on the DVI output. We are reverting to the OP971-C-1011 version for its NTSC/PAL conversion function on the DVI output. For users who set "Video Mode" to "Video 1", the problem has no effect. These two versions are identical in "Video 1" mode. OPPO is working on a solution that will support both NTSC/PAL system conversion and automatic switching on the DVI output, and an update will be provided in a few days.

Interpret as you will.

-BigFoot_Lives

digibal235

10-21-05, 10:04 AM

So when the final update comes out I should be using Video 2 as I exclusively use the DVI output (albeit with NTSC material)? I plan to get a couple of R2 titles, but my Sony WF655 won't play PAL. The Oppo will convert PAL to NTSC via Video 2?

I haven't decided on the TrueLife (on/off) question. I watched some of Metropolis (2001) and couldn't really tell the difference, but this title is hardly a reference standard. What have others used as reference when comparing TL on and TL off?

wensteph

10-21-05, 10:24 AM

I don't think you burn the disk as an image, but rather burn the image to disk.
The image ISO file is what you download from Oppo, the actual CD should not contain an ISO image, just the result of burning that image to the CD.
I know that Oppo's intructions say "burn disk as an image" but that is very confusing terminology, although I know what they mean b/c I have burned many CDs from images. If you have Nero, the actual option says "Burn Image to Disk".
If you have Roxio Easy CD creater, choose "Record CD from CD Image" or simply just double click on the ISO file you downloaded, as the ISO file is already associated with Easy CD Creator and double clicking will open Easy CD with the proper options.

Several people on this thread, including myself, have had great results with the freeware program burnatonce.

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

QuadZ400

10-21-05, 10:46 AM

I wanted to update you guys on the my problems with DVD+R playback on the Oppo. As mentioned from a few members, Oppo said they would send me another player or test the DVD's in question. I spent some more time testing the unit last night, and all of my TDK 4x DVD+R's played. It's only the newest TDK 8x DVD+R's that were burned on my NEC burner at 12x that won't play. I checked DVDShrink and the Book-type DVD was already checked off, so I made another backup of something, but this time setting the NEC to only burn at 8x. Walla, the disc played. I will try it again tonight, but the Oppo does seem to be a little more sensitive, since all of the DVD+R's play on my other units, but I least I know the deal now. Thanks for all the help...

When I powered on the Oppo last night, it had the same DVD+R in it that had worked the night before with what I thought were the ideal settings for a backup to play on this player... well, I received the infamous "No Disc" again. So, I'm starting to get the feeling that DVD+-R's in the Oppo will be flakey... so, either I do have a bad unit (which I doubt since every commercial DVD is playing just fine) or this unit just isn't going to provide the same disc to disc compatibility that my Denon, XBOX, and most other commercial players offer. I'm sending these discs to Oppo, but I will probably have to return the unit. :-(

I can't believe that I'm the only person that is seeing these types of issues...