I downloaded the new firmware last night and getting "unknown disc" on the screen. Anyone come across this?
I burned the CD's as data files and I am following the instructions as noted.

After 15 minutes I figured this puppy wouldn't hunt.....

Originally posted by SamDLP61TX
I downloaded the new firmware last night and getting "unknown disc" on the screen. Anyone come across this?
I burned the CD's as data files and I am following the instructions as noted. Did you use a CD burning program that extracts the ISO files? An ISO is an "image" file, containing other files. You can't just burn the ISO straight to a CD.

rwestley recommended "Burn at Once", a free program that is very simple
to use. Burns great image disks.

Gary

I used Nero and burned it straight to a CD. I guess I'll try and figure out how to extract the file . Do you know if Nero can do that ?

Yes it can. Look for "Burn ISO image".

Guys, thanks for all the input on the DVI scrolling issue. This is obviously relatively serious. Keep the comments coming. I'll give Oppo the feedback. I have confirmed that warm-up plays a big part. The sparkling disappears after the Oppo has been on for a few minutes, but the scrolling may continue, unless, after the warm-up period, you fiddle with the DVI mode setting.

My newer model Samsung DLPTV only scrolls VERY occasionally, and is easy to fix. The old one was considerably more difficult to sync.

Gary

Got it working using Burnatonce. Thanks for the Tip.....

nothuru22 - yes, my Samsung SPN4235 will accept the 852x480 digital output from the D1, which looks significantly better than the 480P or 720P that the player can also send. There must be other folks in same position of having the 852x480 resolution, and am curious what their impression is with the Oppo?

Hi-

I also have the scrambled picture issue for a few minutes after turning on the Oppo. Oppo over DVI 720P to a Samsung HLN4365W. It's quite bad initially, and slowly improves over time. Using the cable that came in the box. Once it's good, it's OK afterwards.

I think the "banding" problem I have seen with this player is what people refer to as "macroblocking" (caused by the Faroudja de-interlacer.) Obvously other people have noticed this (as it has been mentioned many times in this thread.) I had not personally witnessed this before, so I wasn't sure what to call it.

I guess my question is... isn't it driving anyone else as crazy as it does me? It's very apparent on the Oppo, and I can't help but be distracted by it when watching almost any DVD in my collection. (Some are better than others, of course.)

Is this macroblocking problem as bad on other Faroudja-based DVD players as it is on the Oppo? If so, I don't understand why people would consider this the best de-interlacing chip. I assume there are benefits, but this problem is so huge in my mind, that I can't seem to ignore it.

-Terry

As I understand it Banding is when you get very prominent bands of color change istead of a smooth transition. You'll see it a lot around lights and things like that.

And as I understand Macroblocking, it's when you get blocks of various blacks or dark greys when it should be completely black. The original 2001 disc and Bladerunner have this problem throughout. Usually gets lumped into the realm of artifacts.

I've found properly calibrating a set and then adjusting it to fit the player takes care of most of these issues and tones down whatever problems remain.

No scrolling on my 5674.

Thanks HiDeaf. How about sparkles around the edge of the Oppo logo after power-up? My HLP4674W always sees the sparkles, but only occasionally sees scrolling.

Gary

Originally posted by TerryJ
I think the "banding" problem I have seen with this player is what people refer to as "macroblocking" (caused by the Faroudja de-interlacer.) Obvously other people have noticed this (as it has been mentioned many times in this thread.) I had not personally witnessed this before, so I wasn't sure what to call it.

I guess my question is... isn't it driving anyone else as crazy as it does me? It's very apparent on the Oppo, and I can't help but be distracted by it when watching almost any DVD in my collection. (Some are better than others, of course.)

Is this macroblocking problem as bad on other Faroudja-based DVD players as it is on the Oppo? If so, I don't understand why people would consider this the best de-interlacing chip. I assume there are benefits, but this problem is so huge in my mind, that I can't seem to ignore it. Banding and macroblocking are completely different. Banding looks like a bunch of contours where you should be seeing smoothly graduated color. Macroblocking looks like continuously moving blocks, particularly on background walls or floors in the mid- to low-tones. There's a noticeable pulsation to the movement of the blocks, with an approximate 1/2 second interval.

Macroblocking is recorded on a DVD as an artifact of heavy MPEG2 compression, but it is exaggerated by a bug in the Faroudja processor. Macroblock enhance is common to all Faroudja players, but it depends to a large degree on your display... what type, and how well it is calibrated.

If you notice macroblocking on a Faroudja player, throw the disk in a good component player and look closely. You can see it there too, but it is subdued by the softer image and the dithering effect of the noise from the component connection. The first movie I saw on the Oppo was "Princess Diaries 2". The macroblocking was absolutely unbearable. I was surprised to see the macroblocking, to some degree, in almost every single scene, on every single color or shade, from the brightest picture to the darkest. But I could see much of it on my component player too. However, after properly calibrating my display to the Oppo's DVI output, that macroblocking was reduced to very bearable levels (it only occasionally became distracting). Most of my favourite movies are spectacular on the Oppo, with no noticeable macroblocking at all! It all depends on the quality of the recording.

Gary

I disagree with a little bit of what you said, Gary. Look at Mt Doom in Return of the King. On my old HK DVD 25 it's a solid, nonmoving dark browm. On the panasonic S97 (pre firmware) and Oppo it's filled with dancing pink blocks. I saw no small trace of dancing pink blocks on the HK.

Ok... so Macroblocking and Banding are actually two different issues. Well, I guess that means the Oppo exhibits TWO really bad problems, then.

I have gone through trying to adjust the overall "sharpness" of my set (using the Service Menu and Avia's sharpness and resolution test screens) as well as brightness and color, and while I can smooth out the overall picture, it looks like I reduce the overall clear resolution the set can provide. While the "smoothing" out helps the banding/macroblock issue a bit, I am still wondering why I would even put up with this player, considering I am (to a degree) defeating the purpose of getting an upconverting DVD player in the first place... which was to get a clearer/better picture and more detail.

The color, smoothness and lack of macroblocking/banding of my Pioneer over component (at 480i, no less) are much better than the Oppo. I am confused... are other Oppo owners really getting a better picture out of their Oppo players than their previous (non-upconverting) players?

-Terry

Originally posted by TerryJ
The color, smoothness and lack of macroblocking/banding of my Pioneer over component (at 480i, no less) are much better than the Oppo. I am confused... are other Oppo owners really getting a better picture out of their Oppo players than their previous (non-upconverting) players?

-Terry

With many DVDs and some displays, yes. The macroblocking and banding problems are very display and title dependent. With some displays, it is a hopeless cause and you may have one.

Chris

Originally posted by Chris Gerhard
With many DVDs and some displays, yes. The macroblocking and banding problems are very display and title dependent. With some displays, it is a hopeless cause and you may have one.

Chris
Yeah. I think the scaler/de-interlacer in my TV is pretty good, as well, making the Pioneer (at 480i over component) and my TV (Sony KDF55XS955 LCD RP) a pretty good combo. Seemingly the Oppo and my particular set (using the Oppo's Faroudja scaler/de-interlacer, and bypassing the TV's de-interlacer when using DVI) don't fare as well together.

Just one of those things, I guess. I tried!

You'll be seeing my Oppo on eBay pretty soon!

-Terry

Originally posted by nothru22
Look at Mt Doom in Return of the King. On my old HK DVD 25 it's a solid, nonmoving dark browm. On the panasonic S97 (pre firmware) and Oppo it's filled with dancing pink blocks. I saw no small trace of dancing pink blocks on the HK. nothru22, you're right about that. In fact, as far as I'm concerned, that's ANOTHER issue with Faroudja - the pink and green macroblocking in really dark scenes - REALLY obnoxious. Thankfully, I have not seen that issue on my setup. But I don't have Return of the King. I'll have to rent it someday.

Gary

well, i just received an e-mail from oppo saying that they wont be sending me another player. they told me that the scrolling is an issue with the sammy. they said they'll try to fix this with the next firmware. also my player has locked up twice during some movies.i wonder why?

Originally posted by TerryJ
Ok... so Macroblocking and Banding are actually two different issues. Well, I guess that means the Oppo exhibits TWO really bad problems, then. Now hold on a minute. Macroblocking and banding artifacts are recorded on the disk. The Oppo is not adding them, just showing them off, in all their glory. A full calibration of my set definitely reduced their severity. Bear in mind that a well-recorded disk shows NO banding or macroblocking AT ALL on the Oppo.

On the other hand, as nothru22 mentioned, if you see pink and green macroblocking in really dark scenes - THAT is being added by the Faroudja (but it also depends on your display). Thankfully, I have not seen any yet.
The color, smoothness and lack of macroblocking/banding of my Pioneer over component (at 480i, no less) are much better than the Oppo. I am confused... are other Oppo owners really getting a better picture out of their Oppo players than their previous (non-upconverting) players? I also have a good Pioneer 480i player, and I'm very DEFINITELY getting a better picture with the Oppo. Colors and smoothly graduated tones are much more accurate. BUT... ONLY after proper calibration.

An analog component connection can help mask or smooth artifacts, but then I know I'm not seeing all the detail that's on the disk. Everything is a compromise.

Gary

We are getting to the point where what we are discussing as flaws is the same with all things in the high end audio and video world. Which is better a transparent device that reproduces the source faithfully (warts and all) or maybe a very high end device that is designed to make everything sound/look good, or maybe just a cheap device that doesnt have the ability to resolve details? There is no answer, it depends on the individual. I'm not saying the Oppo is "high end" but it definately tends towards the "transparent" warts and all side of the equation.

Originally posted by Charles J P
We are getting to the point where what we are discussing as flaws is the same with all things in the high end audio and video world. Which is better - a transparent device that reproduces the source faithfully (warts and all) or maybe a very high end device that is designed to make everything sound/look good, or maybe just a cheap device that doesnt have the ability to resolve details? There is no answer, it depends on the individual. I'm not saying the Oppo is "high end" but it definately tends towards the "transparent" warts and all side of the equation. Charles J P, you are ABSOLUTELY RIGHT!

Gary

Originally posted by Charles J P
We are getting to the point where what we are discussing as flaws is the same with all things in the high end audio and video world.

With the clear exception of the audio sync issues - I'd call lengthy delays between audio and video unacceptable even at the low end. I'll accept it on DIVX movies, but not on plain vanilla Dolby stereo soundtracks.

Originally posted by Damian Allen
With the clear exception of the audio sync issues - I'd call lengthy delays between audio and video unacceptable even at the low end. I'll accept it on DIVX movies, but not on plain vanilla Dolby stereo soundtracks. I don't like it either. But any player that uses the Faroudja chip suffers with this issue... even the MUCH more expensive Denons have had this problem. Thankfully, there are firmware workarounds (compromises), that we are holding out for. The Faroudja has become the defacto standard because it does deinterlacing and scaling really well, but it messes up pretty badly in a few other areas.

Better chips are available now (like the Silicon Optix Realta chip), but you have to pay THOUSANDS of dollars for such players... just to play DVD's that are RIDDLED with artifacts anyway! To me THAT'S unacceptable too.

Gary

Well what do you know... The "sharpness" control is, in fact, a sharpness control. I know everyone thought it was just a mis-labled color saturation control, which it does affect (doesn't make much sense, but it does), but it also does affect "sharpness" level, too.

So... setting it to Low does reduce the sharpness (while also increasing color saturation.) After doing that, and then recalibrating my color saturation... the banding and macroblocking are considerably reduced.

Whew.

I still don't like the shimmering lines, but overall the picture is much, much more acceptable to watch!

-Terry

We need a firmware update to address the Y/C delay. It is quite unacceptable.

I tested yhe y/c problem and compared to the V880.

Here we go:

DV971H Y/C problem

Same on V880

no problem...

Here with a y/c pattern

mind the "banding" and running colours

And again the V880, has no problem

43 TVL pattern clearly shows the delay

While the V880 shure looks better

The last firmware was used by the way on a DV971H

V880 was the old version, not the DX.

Some firmware fix is needed, also the sharpness is too heavy as indicated already.

Y/C delay and sharpness have been on the "Fix List" from the beginning. OppoDigital is working on it.

Originally posted by GSB
I don't like it either. But any player that uses the Faroudja chip suffers with this issue... even the MUCH more expensive Denons have had this problem. Thankfully, there are firmware workarounds (compromises), that we are holding out for. The Faroudja has become the defacto standard because it does deinterlacing and scaling really well, but it messes up pretty badly in a few other areas.

Better chips are available now (like the Silicon Optix Realta chip), but you have to pay THOUSANDS of dollars for such players... just to play DVD's that are RIDDLED with artifacts anyway! To me THAT'S unacceptable too.

Gary

I really don't see this as much of an issue. Most receivers have a delay setting for the speakers. I put a 1 ms delay on my center channel and problem is gone.

I've also experimented with the player and have noticed that if I don't go into setup or monkey around with the player settings during playback the lip sync issue usually doesn't come around....

GSB and others,

I haven't been able to get to my computer to report back regarding the screen rolling on the Sammy HLP 5674W (Army stuff).

Well GSB you are the man!!!!!!

After reading about the player having to warm-up, I tried it and it worked. 100% of the time, in fact.

So, I'm not bothered by this minor problem, I just turn on the Oppo about 5 min before I want to use it, and it works every time.

So, once again the members of this awesome forum come to the rescue.

Thanks everbody!!!

Originally posted by renaldow
I really don't see this as much of an issue. Most receivers have a delay setting for the speakers. I put a 1 ms delay on my center channel and problem is gone.

It IS an issue when the length of sync delay varies during the course of the program, which is what most of us have experienced. You don't notice this as much on 5.1 Surround, but 2 channel Dolby stereo digital soundtracks seem to have some very extreme swings in the duration of sync loss - up to half a second or more, varying over the time of the playback.

Originally posted by Damian Allen
It IS an issue when the length of sync delay varies during the course of the program. Yes, it is impossible to compensate for an intermittent (or variable) delay.

Gary

Originally posted by GoSpurs99
regarding the screen rolling on the Sammy HLP 5674W... After reading about the player having to warm-up, I tried it and it worked. 100% of the time, in fact.

So, I'm not bothered by this minor problem, I just turn on the Oppo about 5 min before I want to use it, and it works every time. Well, I'm very glad to hear it. Does this work for the other Samsung owners too?

Gary

Seriously, I'm glad the issue of screen rolling is being addressed on the Sammy for 720P, ... BUT ... there is still a very real issue with the screen rolling on 1080i on some TVs. I sure hope that this problem is being addressed in the upcoming firmware. No amount of "warming up" corrects this. It is definitely a problem of the player. This definitely should be on the fix list.

Hi-

Does this work for the other Samsung owners too?

Yep. Good call, GSB. However, I'm a bit disappointed to find out that just waiting a few minutes was the answer to the problem. I was under the delusion that opening and closing the tray, pushing buttons on the remote, and starting and stopping the movie was actually having an effect. :) I'm using the 720P over DVI.

How does the Oppo sound with 2 channel music?

Is this model supposed to be region-free? It will not play any of the Region 2 DVDs I got from England.

It is, it also does pal conversion. I've been playing many dvds from china/europe.

Screen scrolling and other artifacts might be a case of an undervolted signal.

Originally posted by Rudy1
Is this model supposed to be region-free? It will not play any of the Region 2 DVDs I got from England.

It plays all of my R2 DVD's from England or any other Euro country. It also plays my Aussie and Asian discs without a problem. What happens when you try to play the discs? Do you get a wrong region message or something else?

Suggest checking the discs for defects, otherwise request an exchange from Oppo. They X-ship.

The Oppo has a great DAC and sound quality, however, 2 channel audio loses sync often, this is a bug with the Farjouda DCDi. The more expensive Denons also have this problem.

If your playing CDs, its great.

Rudy,

What titles won't play? I've used the Oppo for many PAL region 2 discs and all have played so far.

I've tried 3 titles: "Alien", "Alien 3", and "La Reine Margot". Each time, I get the following message onscreen: WRONG REGION.

I have "La Reine Margot", I believe it is the Region 2 DVD, so I'll look for that disc and report back.

Rudy,

Probably time to return your unit. The PAL 2 "La Reine Margot" plays without a problem on my Oppo.

Originally posted by CJayB
Rudy,

Probably time to return your unit. The PAL 2 "La Reine Margot" plays without a problem on my Oppo.

Thanks so much for testing that for me. I'll email them.

Extremephono has excellent customer service. Color me impressed.

Has anyone heard any news on when the next firmware update might be available? Even though I'm getting excellent results running the player at 480p via HDMI, I would prefer to feed my DLP a 720p signal but the Y/C delay is awful at that resolution.

Originally posted by Rudy1
Has anyone heard any news on when the next firmware update might be available? Not yet, but they are working furiously on it. They've recently asked for clarification on one of the defects toward the end of the list. I don't know how many defects will be fixed in the next revision.

Gary

Awesome! Thanks for the update!

This is the email I got from them:

We target to release another version of the firmware within weeks. This release will cover major issues, such as Y/C delays, and pixel cropping. Thanks in advance for your patience.

I wonder if those are the ONLY issues being addressed by this firmware. At this point, I'd like to see some of the functionality issues addressed as well, such as the subtitles issue.

another thing I'd like to see is an automatic squeeze mode for 4:3 material like the momitsu does. Either that or a discrete code we can program on a universal remote that does this so we don't have to go into the menu every time.

Oppo is going to be (are) a great company. Their customer service is outstanding, which is a lot given the way CS normally is nowadays!

Hopefully they will be around for a long time!

Just got my Oppo yesterday and now have it connected to my Vizio PD via DVI and I now have some questions/comments:

1. I notice in the black areas of a scene there are small white dots. This is extremely noticable when looking a totally black screen or on letterboxed dvd's. This was NOT the case with my previous dvd player (cyberhome 402)

2. I've only watched one movie partially through but I noticed when watching Cellular during the first 30 minutes that at two points the video would start to skip and pause for about 5 seconds and then continue on normally. It's still to early for me tell since I've only viewed this one dvd for a short time, I'll have a better grasp once I view some more dvd's. Is this the dvd itself or has anyone else experienced similar happenings. What is the purpose of those additional outputs if one uses coax or optical?

3. DVD-AUDIO - In order to take advantage of the full capabilities of DVD-A do I need to connect cables to the rear of the Oppo for the center, front, rear and sub or will an optical or coax cable do the job? I could be misinformed but I thought you needed to feed those to your receiver as well as the coax which I am currently using for dvd video playback.

Overall I'm quite impressed with the PQ I am getting with the Oppo when compared to my old non-progressive Cyberhome player. It appears to be very HD-like. If I can just get #1 and #2 above fixed it will be perfect. Very glad with my purchase thus far.

Thanks to everyone for helping me make the decision to purchase this little beauty!

Tom

You're right, you'll need to hook up the front, rear, center and sub analog cables to your receiver to get DVD-A.

1. If you haven't done so already, use Avia or DVE to calibrate the set to the new player and DVI. That will help out. Keep in mind that when you're using DVI it passes along exactly what is on the disc, there's no lossiness. So, anything that was put on the disc is going to show. This can be good and bad. A great disc looks great, a bad disc looks real bad.

2. That's odd. I wouldn't worry about it until after you've played a lot of other discs. It could be the disc itself, or it could be the player. I haven't had that problem with my Oppo and I haven't seen a layer change on it either.

3. Yeah, for DVD-A's copy protection scheme you have to have a receiver that accepts 5.1 analog connections and run those from the player to the receiver. That's why they're there. Also, if you have it hooked up that way you don't need to have the coax or the digital cable hooked up, you could run all of the sound that way. Depending upon your Receiver and the source, it could sound better. Maybe not though.

I have not seen any mention of how this player handles movies with angles...... in reguards to the angle icon display. This is a deal breaker for me.

I have played the James Bond SE of Tomorrow Never Dies, which has multiple story boards throughout the movie as a angle option. On players without a angle icon display "off" this movie, and others like it are virtualy un-watchable due to the anoying angle display popping up ontop of the movie during play, letting you know a storyboard or alternate angle is available. I do not care to know when anything else is available during movie watching, unless i want to, as this distracts from the movie. Thus, i would like to know if this unit has a angle icon "off", or does it just show up on the players display window, and not the on TV's display when it wants to.

Like the subtitle problem, all you have to do is go into special features of the disc and tell it specifically you don't want to use that feature. Most discs with angle features have on/off options in the menu.

I don't know why this player will sometimes default to having them on, but I'm betting it's related to how it will automatically play subtitles on some discs.

Thanks guys for your recent replies to my previous post above.

A couple other things:

I notice when I first power on the Oppo the image appears to have jagged edges and I also notice some white sparkles thoughout the entire screen. All this eventually goes away within a minute or so. Is this a DVI cable issue? I'm not using the dvi cable that came with the oppo but a cable from Best Buy (not the Monster version but the other brand they carry).

The other item I notice is some shimmering in various parts of certain scenes. For instance there was a shot of house and the camera was panning and zooming in. The outlines of the window panes were all shimmering and very annoying looking. I hadn't noticed this anomaly when connected via component cables.

Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Tom

Originally posted by renaldow

2. That's odd. I wouldn't worry about it until after you've played a lot of other discs. It could be the disc itself, or it could be the player. I haven't had that problem with my Oppo and I haven't seen a layer change on it either.

3. Yeah, for DVD-A's copy protection scheme you have to have a receiver that accepts 5.1 analog connections and run those from the player to the receiver. That's why they're there. Also, if you have it hooked up that way you don't need to have the coax or the digital cable hooked up, you could run all of the sound that way. Depending upon your Receiver and the source, it could sound better. Maybe not though.

I finished watching Cellular (the last 60 minutes) and didn't notice any skipping or jumping so I hope it was just the dvd itself. I will keep an eye on this.

I have both coax and analog outs to the reciever and to be honest with you I couldn't tell the difference between the two when playing a DVD-A. There was maybe a slight improvement with the coax but maybe it was just my ears playing tricks on me.

Originally posted by RaginCajun92
I finished watching Cellular (the last 60 minutes) and didn't notice any skipping or jumping so I hope it was just the dvd itself. I will keep an eye on this.

I have both coax and analog outs to the reciever and to be honest with you I couldn't tell the difference between the two when playing a DVD-A. There was maybe a slight improvement with the coax but maybe it was just my ears playing tricks on me.

Cellular played perfectly on mine - your disk must have had a scratch, abrasion, or fingerprint on it. The symptom you describe is typical of a bad disk surface or a bad copy.

To play DVD-A tracks, you have to use the 6-channel ANALOG outputs. However, in addition to the DVD-A track on the disk, there may be a DD and/or DTS track that allows compatibility with every DVD player. That's what you would be hearing through the DIGITAL optical/coaxial output.

There is no difference whatsoever between optical and coaxial sound quality. Both transmit the same (purely digital) signal.

Gary

Originally posted by RaginCajun92
I notice when I first power on the Oppo the image appears to have jagged edges and I also notice some white sparkles thoughout the entire screen. All this eventually goes away within a minute or so. Is this a DVI cable issue? I'm not using the dvi cable that came with the oppo but a cable from Best Buy (not the Monster version but the other brand they carry).

The other item I notice is some shimmering in various parts of certain scenes. For instance there was a shot of house and the camera was panning and zooming in. The outlines of the window panes were all shimmering and very annoying looking. I hadn't noticed this anomaly when connected via component cables.

I haven't experienced the sparkles, that's kind of odd. I get a regular screen when I turn mine on. I'm using the DVI cable that came with it. It wouldn't hurt to try the one that came with it just for kicks.

The shimmering sounds like it is going to be Edge Enhancement. Calibrating the TV to the player with Avia or DVE will help out with that, but it's something that they do when they master the DVD, so you'll always be stuck with some amount of it. It's not so much a problem, just an annoyance. This player via DVI is going to pass through exactly what's on the disc, good and bad.

Garbage In, Garbage Out.

The shimmering he is describing is exactly the problem I had with this player and no other ones. It was described to me by Oppo as possibly a defect in the way the player outputs 1080i and that it could be fixed in the future. The reason it doesn't happen over component is because the component bypasses the upscaler completely (and does 480i only.)

Originally posted by nothru22
The shimmering he is describing is exactly the problem I had with this player and no other ones. It was described to me by Oppo as possibly a defect in the way the player outputs 1080i and that it could be fixed in the future. The reason it doesn't happen over component is because the component bypasses the upscaler completely (and does 480i only.)
This also happens on 720p mode as well. It is very annoying and it is defintely the Oppo, not the television. I actually think this is the biggest problem with this player (which hopefully gets solved by this upcoming firmware upgrade.)

-Terry

Might ragin' be describing the symptoms of a player that needs to warm-up, even though it's not a Samsung?

Just a thought. Maybe let it warm-up for 5 minutes or so.

I have never had to let my player warm up. It always plays flawlessly from the moment I turn it on.

Originally posted by GoSpurs99
Might ragin' be describing the symptoms of a player that needs to warm-up, even though it's not a Samsung?

Just a thought. Maybe let it warm-up for 5 minutes or so.
It doesn't look to be that problem. (Although there are accounts of some Oppos needing warming up. But seems like that is a different issue.)

It looks like some kind of unwanted edge enhancement or deinterlace/scaler error (or artifact). I can see it in specific places. I mentioned before in this thread, the Jedi Library scene in Star Wars ATOC, where the blue (glowing) vertical "volumes" on either side of the shot look shimmering on the Oppo at 720p HDMI (as the camera "pans" down), but the same shot is smooth and solid on my Pioneer via component. There are other shots in ATOC that reveal this problem with the player (the tiny green "windows" in the wide establishing shot of the Galactic Senate building at night, shimmer on the Oppo, but do not on the Pioneer.)

They gotta fix this!

-Terry

Just wondering, how many of you need to warm-up and how many of you don't?

I'm thinking this could be a problem in the machines signal strength, It gets boosted a little bit after being turned on, is anyone willing to multimeter it?


Oppo could do by increasing the voltage by 10%

Originally posted by Rudy1
I have never had to let my player warm up. It always plays flawlessly from the moment I turn it on.

Same here. Never experienced that problem and I run it at 1080i throught DVI. Maybe it only does that with the right combination of TV?

It is not possible to use a multimeter to measure the DVI voltage.

A single-link DVI connection can support a bandwidth of 165 MHz (165 million on/off bits per second). You'd need an extremely high-speed oscilloscope or signal analyser to measure it. VERY expensive!

Output voltage is not the only thing to consider either. The DVI specification includes many other factors too - like the signal protocol, the speed & shape of the digital on/off transitions, the amount of noise permissible, the input/output impedances, etc, etc.

The Oppo's DVI output is perhaps very close to the limits of the specification on one or more of those factors, particularly during warm-up. If the display is ALSO close to the limits of the specification (like the Samsung DLP), a few bits of information could be going missing, causing random pixels to receive corrupted data (sparkles). If the corruption becomes more severe, loss of video sync (scrolling) could result.

My DVI LCD monitor (connected to a PC) will also display "sparkles" if I route the DVI cable too close to the power cable. This allows the power supply to induce spikes of noise on the DVI cable. If the monitor sees those spikes as bits of digital information, the signal becomes corrupted and causes sparkles.

Gary

Initially I never had the scrolling but recently I've had a few sec of side scrolling at 720p that goes away in <1min. on Sammy DLP

How often are people running into DVD's that won't play? I tried to watch a DVD of "Bulls**t" by Penn and Teller and none of the DVD's will go past the FBI warning on the oppo (stops at 6 sec) but I can play in on my computer and other DVD players. This is the first disk that I've had a problem with (no significant scratches that I can see).

Also does anyone know how to check the firmware version?

Carey

Does anyone know if this player's DVI output is HDCP compliant?
If it isn't then will it play on a plasma with an HDCP compliant HDMI input(using a dvi/hdmi adapter)?
Thanks

Originally posted by mnahmia
Does anyone know if this player's DVI output is HDCP compliant?
If it isn't then will it play on a plasma with an HDCP compliant HDMI input(using a dvi/hdmi adapter)?
Thanks

A non HDCP compliant source into an HDCP compliant monitor isn't an issue. The issue is when the source is HDCP compliant and the monitor isn't. The answer is, it should work fine but the smart thing to do is ask if anybody is using your specific monitor to make sure that there isn't a compatibility problem.

Chris

Whenever I power on the player (which is feeding via DVI to my SPN4235 Samsung Plasma) there are a few minutes of rippling in 720P and similar chaos in 1080i - NO problems in 480P (other than picture not so good :-) and the 720p does eventually 'warm up'.

Not awful, but I really need this fixed to have confidence in keeping the player - I bought it as a supposedly more stable replacement for my Bravo D1, but it doesn't become a keeper for sure until 1) the rippling goes away, and 2) I am able to output in EDTV native resolution of 852x480 as I can out of box with the D1.

Anyone else in similar boat out there ? I have to say that Oppo _seem_ like they are responsible and responsive, so I'll hold out for a little bit but not until my return data passes. Other than above 2 issues, player performs as advertised (and you could argue it never promised #2)

-g

How do I get a 480i signal? I want to check the deinterlacing between the onboard DCDi and a iScan HD+. Cycling through the DVI button gives me 480p, 720p, and 1080i. I'm outputting component.

I thought Oppo outputs only 480i on component. No?

stephenju,

Cycling the DVI button gives me 480p, 720p and 1080i. I can't find anything in the setup menus to turn progressive "off" or anything. Seems like I remember setting something for progressive, but that may be some other player. That could be an argument that I buy too many of these. :)

Originally posted by stephenju
I thought Oppo outputs only 480i on component. No?

Correct. Apparently 480p over component isn't possible with that design.

Chris

Has anyone tried hooking this up to a normal PC monitor through the DVI port? According to the website, it says this will work (i.e., the unit is non-HDCP).

Originally posted by loganx3d
Has anyone tried hooking this up to a normal PC monitor through the DVI port? According to the website, it says this will work (i.e., the unit is non-HDCP). Yes, it works fine. I have tried it on a 19" KDS Rad9 LCD monitor over DVI.

Gary

Originally posted by wensteph
How do I get a 480i signal? I want to check the deinterlacing between the onboard DCDi and a iScan HD+. Cycling through the DVI button gives me 480p, 720p, and 1080i. I'm outputting component. DVI only handles 480p, 720p, and 1080i (progressive mode cannot be turned off). Component only handles 480i.

Gary

Chris, Gary,


??? OK. I'm stumped. I'm using component. I do not even have a DVI cable attached to the Oppo. When I play a DVD the OSD shows 480p, 720p, 1080i when I cycle the DVI button on the Oppo remote. I don't know of any way to verify what is being output, but, again, what the Oppo OSD is telling me is 480 with a "P" as in "Papa".


After I posted this I thought maybe the Oppo would only output what my projector would take, but that wouldn't be the cause because I get 480i out from my HD Tivo and 480i on OTA over component. Still stumped.

Originally posted by gocam
Not awful, but I really need this fixed to have confidence in keeping the player - I bought it as a supposedly more stable replacement for my Bravo D1, but it doesn't become a keeper for sure until 1) the rippling goes away, and 2) I am able to output in EDTV native resolution of 852x480 as I can out of box with the D1.

I run my Oppo at 1080i on a Zenith plasma EDTV that has Faroudja DCDi to descale it down to the native format for the TV. Looks great!

Sounds like there is some known bad interplay between Samsung units and the Oppo - 1080i looks particularly bad on my display and the picture is also not centered, such that I get bad lines at edge. If I correct on panel, then other modes are screwed.

Ug.

I didn't have a centered pic on my TV either and had to center it. Luckily, on the TV each input has it's own settings so I can recenter the DVD player without screwing up the other inputs. I can see how that would be frustrating!

Which model of Samsung do you have?

I have an SPN4235 (Plasma EDTV) - only way I can get half way decent picture is feeding it DVI, and D1 did a grand job at 852x480 - Tivo @ 720P is great also and Oppo is good @ 720P but requires warmup (I know in theory 480P should result in better picture as it is closer to native res, but isn't the case - most odd!).

Okay, color me stupid, but I just hooked up my Oppo in place of my Momitsu V880... how can I tell which mode the DVI is being upscaled to when I hit the DVI button? I'd like to set the player on 1080i, but on Silverado, I can't tell anything.

I'm wondering if this is an interaction with my Gefen DVI switcher, beacuse when I hit the DVI button, the screen "tears" and then switches back to my HDTivo. When I switch back to the DVD player, it's back to the blue screen already, with no OSD.

Originally posted by gocam
I have an SPN4235 (Plasma EDTV) - only way I can get half way decent picture is feeding it DVI, and D1 did a grand job at 852x480 - Tivo @ 720P is great also and Oppo is good @ 720P but requires warmup (I know in theory 480P should result in better picture as it is closer to native res, but isn't the case - most odd!).

Kind of off topic, but are you using a regular tivo, and if so how are you getting it to 720p?

I don't know about the theory that it should result in a better pic using 480p, my experience is the opposite and a lot of what I've read also disagrees with that theory. 720p or 1080i should provide a better pic assuming your TV has a good scaler. 480p looks OK on my Zenith, 720p looks a little distorted, and 1080i looks great.

Do you know what scaler/deinterlacer your TV uses? I'm wondering if maybe there's a conflict between the one in your TV and the one in the Oppo? Maybe conflict isn't the right word, compatability issue might be more accurate? Just an idea. The Oppo and my TV both use the same Faroudja DCDi chip, so I could see why there's no problem there if that's the case. Just tossing out ideas.

Kind of off topic, but are you using a regular tivo, and if so how are you getting it to 720p?

The HD Tivo. HR10-250.

And yes, this is off topic.

jeffster,

From your first paragraph I was going to ask if you had OSD turned on, but from your second I take it you do. Mine shows the output upper left of the screen when I cycle the DVI button on the remote. You must hit the stop button to change outputs, but when you attempt it during playback you should get a circle/slash figure. Do you get that?

I'm running component to a front projector, but I do have a Gefen 2x1 DVI switch and HD Tivo. Since the Tivo is always on, if it is connected to input A of the Gefen you may lose signal long enough when you press the DVI button to cause the Gefen to revert to the active input which is the Tivo. Been awhile since I used it, but I think that is how it worked. I'll hook things up that way and try to duplicate your setup. I'll post what happens this afternoon.

Anyword on when the new firmware is going to drop?

I'm looking for a fix on 1080i display... right now, I get an image thats 4 times the size of my TV, and the display stretches way off the screen.

Originally posted by wensteph
Chris, Gary,


??? OK. I'm stumped. I'm using component. I do not even have a DVI cable attached to the Oppo. When I play a DVD the OSD shows 480p, 720p, 1080i when I cycle the DVI button on the Oppo remote. I don't know of any way to verify what is being output, but, again, what the Oppo OSD is telling me is 480 with a "P" as in "Papa".


After I posted this I thought maybe the Oppo would only output what my projector would take, but that wouldn't be the cause because I get 480i out from my HD Tivo and 480i on OTA over component. Still stumped.

The DVI button controls the output of the player over that particular connector only. The component video connector only outputs 480i. Even though the OSD shows 480p, 720p, and 1080i when you cycle the DVI button, you're only getting 480i because you're connected via component cables.

Rudy1,

That makes as much sense as anything. I assumed what the OSD was saying had some validity. Silly me.

Originally posted by wensteph
That makes as much sense as anything. I assumed what the OSD was saying had some validity. Remember that you're pressing the DVI MODE button, not the COMPONENT MODE button. The OSD does have validity, because it IS indeed changing the DVI mode, even while you're viewing component or composite.

I'm glad for that feature, because my DVI display blanks out for a few seconds when I hit the DVI button, so I can never see what mode I'm in, unless I view the OSD through composite.

Originally posted by jeffster
how can I tell which mode the DVI is being upscaled to when I hit the DVI button? Jeffster, this answers your question too. Connect the basic composite output (yellow) to your display as well, then view that output when changing your DVI mode. A cheap cheezy cable is all you need.

Gary

jeffster,

It's a combo of the Gefen and the Tivo being always "on" and connected to input A which is the default input for the Gefen. I connected my Tivo to A and the Oppo to B, when I stopped and hit the DVI button the Gefen switched back to input A. When I switched back to B the blue screen with the Oppo logo was there. When you say blue screen I don't know if you mean this one or a blue screen signifying no input from your display.

A cure is to reverse the inputs. Oppo on A, Tivo on B.

I wish they'd get the firmware update out already. Patience is most certainly NOT one of my virtues.

Originally posted by Rudy1
I wish they'd get the firmware update out already. Patience is most certainly NOT one of my virtues.


hehehe...

I second that.

It seems that the aspect ratio for 4:3 content issue is not completely solved from the first firmware release. For regular DVD movies the OPPO can output correct aspect ratio for 4:3 contents on a widescreen display with the wide-squeeze mode. But for DivX 4:3 contents, it still outputs abnormally stretched aspect ratio on a widescreen display. This was not a problem on my Bravo D1. Can we have the next or the future firmware releases address this problem? Thank you.

Confirmed, AVI ratio does not work properly, we need a firmware update for that.

I have the Optoma H31 and am looking at getting the OPPO OPDV971H DVD player. I am also thinking about getting the Harman Kardon AVR 135 for a receiver. I was wondering if there is a better receiver to use that has a DVI input/output (under $500)? I hope to ceiling mount and would like to only run one cable to my projector. I also would be hooking up an xbox to the receiver via component cables. I am kind of new at this. Will that even work?

The Oppo is an excellent player, once Oppo gets the Y/C / EE issues resolved.

This is not a hard problem to fix, and Oppo should get it out soon. GSB reports Oppo asked him for clarification on some of the problems on the list.

The Oppo also has a NTSC - PAL converter, and is also region free.

Once the new firmware comes out, nothing can really beat it in its price range. People have reported good news with Optomas,(they don't need to warm up).

I tried looking through the treads for answers but didn't find it. I apologize if this has been discussed already.

I hooked up my Oppo via DVI to my Samsung DLP (HLN507) and noticed two issues.

1) When in 1080i mode, the entire picture shakes/vibrates. This also happens when I stop the movie. The Oppo blue screen that come up also shakes/vibrates. Is there a fix for this? Or do I need to have my player serviced?

2) In 720p mode, there's a one inch black border around the entire picture. This may be a a result of the resolution switch and thus not a real issue. Can someone please confirm?

Otherwise I like the player. PAL and NTSC and region free is pretty sweet.

Thanks,
H

hliao,

Welcome to AVS!!

I have an HLP-5674, and the Oppo.

I, and many others here, have noticed that you must "warm-up" the Oppo for 5-10 minutes to get rid of any problems.

Just turn the player on (before you put the TV on the dvd source input) and don't put the TV on the source channel until after the warm-up period is over.

Experiment with this until you determine the right amount of time.

BTW, there is a firmware upgrade available on the Oppo support page, and a newer firmware upgrade due soon.

Keep track of this thread. GSB seems to be one of the leading people on Oppo, and AV in general.

Hope this helps!!

Dave

hliao, GoSpurs99 is correct. Only switch the TV to the DVI input after the Oppo has warmed up (5 minutes should be plenty). This is a known issue with the Oppo, but for some reason the HLN models struggle to sync much more than later models. I've owned both the HLN437W and the HLP4674W. The HLN also had some trouble with DVI signals coming from a PC.

Gary

Thanks for the info guys. I appreciate it.

H

I believe the warmup has something to do with the capicitators, it seems they can't regulate flow too well before warming up. It doesn't seem to effect my TV though.

Hey guys, I finally had a chance to take a pic of the black border issue I talked about in my original post. Have you guys run into this? It only happens when I'm in 720p...480p and 1080i doesn't have that problem.

I'll try and attach the pic. Let's see if it works.

Thanks,
H

Originally posted by hliao
Hey guys, I finally had a chance to take a pic of the black border issue I talked about in my original post. Have you guys run into this? It only happens when I'm in 720p...480p and 1080i doesn't have that problem. It can only be your TV that is scaling the image incorrectly. (Or NOT scaling the image, if the NATIVE resolution of your TV is higher than 1280x720).

Just checked your original post... you have a Samsung DLP (HLN507), which matches the Oppo's output resolution (1280x720) perfectly. To get accurate 1:1 pixel-mapping, you have to set the TV's aspect ratio to "Wide (TV)". The default, "Wide (PC)" shrinks the image to prevent overscan when using a PC... that's why you're seeing a border. Check your TV manual.

Gary

GSB,

Just double-checking something. For 1:1 pixel mapping on a HLP 5674, I need to set the Sammy to Expand, correct?

Thanks,
Dave

Originally posted by GoSpurs99
Just double-checking something. For 1:1 pixel mapping on a HLP 5674, I need to set the Sammy to Expand, correct? Correct.

Gary

Hi, anybody from this thread knows about the OPPO DVD-DL317 Mini DVD Home Theatre System? I am checking on one for my bedroom. It is also by OPPO Digital.

Originally posted by BlackerthanBlack
Hi, anybody from this thread knows about the OPPO DVD-DL317 Mini DVD Home Theatre System? I am checking on one for my bedroom. It is also by OPPO Digital. Yes, for a small component player, it works extremely well. It is designed with the same superb Mediatek MPEG decoder chip for super-fast response and excellent picture quality. The sound is a little limited because of the tiny speakers, but connected to a DD/DTS receiver, the sound is outstanding, through both the analog and digital (optical) connections. Highly recommended.

Gary

Thanks GSB. I am going to try one from Amazon - It fits my budget of $200.

I can confirm that 4:3 Divx content is displayed incorrectly. That's a drag... I got the player today with the hopes of being able to watch some 4:3 stuff this weekend.

On another note, I cannot get a picture in 1080i to my Sanyo HT30744. (I know, I know, this is too much player for a cheap TV, but I'm planning on keeping the player for a while if it works out.) I'm running through a DVI-HDMI cable. I know 1080i works since my Comcast STB looks great at 1080i over DVI.

I've searched through this thread but haven't found a definitive solution to this problem. Are people just waiting to see if a firmware upgrade will help?

Originally posted by pantala
I can confirm that 4:3 Divx content is displayed incorrectly. Thanks for the confirmation.
I cannot get a picture in 1080i to my Sanyo HT30744. Do you see anything at all?

Gary

Originally posted by pantala
On another note, I cannot get a picture in 1080i to my Sanyo HT30744. (I know, I know, this is too much player for a cheap TV, but I'm planning on keeping the player for a while if it works out.) I'm running through a DVI-HDMI cable. I know 1080i works since my Comcast STB looks great at 1080i over DVI.

I've searched through this thread but haven't found a definitive solution to this problem. Are people just waiting to see if a firmware upgrade will help?
I also don't get 1080i over DVI/HDMI on my Sony KDF55XS955. (No picture whatsoever.)

720p works, however.

(I do know a Momitsu 880DX was able to do 1080i on this set.)

Yep.. hoping new firmware will help. Anyone hear anything about when this might be coming?

-Terry

I know this has probably been previously addresses but I can't seem to find it in this extremely long thread. Last night I used the zoom function of the remote for the first time, and the little icon showing zooming from 1 to 2 stayed on screen forever. I could not find a function of the remote that would make that go away other than cycling thru the whole zoom menu to 1:1.

The zoom icon has been discussed and is one of the things on the glitch list. There is no way with the current firmware to make the zoom icon disappear. This is extremely annoying and very high on my personal list of things to be corrected by a future firmware upgrade.

Originally posted by GSB
Thanks for the confirmation.
[B] Do you see anything at all?

Gary

No picture with 1080i mode, in fact the TV reports "No signal".

Originally posted by pantala
No picture with 1080i mode, in fact the TV reports "No signal". Did you try switching the TV to the 1080i input only AFTER the Oppo has warmed up for 5 minutes?

Does your TV recognize the 720p signal? If so, use that instead.

Gary

Anyone on the forum have an idea as to when new firmware may land ? Would be grand to see the pending fixes and givem them a whirl!

It would be a nice gesture if someone from Extremephono posted a reply to let interested parties know the progress of the expected firmware upgrade. It's been a while since we've heard directly from them.

y'all have to let your DVD player warm up? lol, that's silly.

I don't know about that warm up thing.

I know my Samsung 931 and Plasma display needs to be powered on in a specific order in order (plasma first to the DVI input then turn on Sammy) to acquire the HDCP handshake but it never needed to warm up.

If it is warming up that needs to be done, well, this just dropped off my list.

I don't have any warm up issues with my Oppo connected to Toshiba 34" widescreen. The picture quality is excellent.

My one gripe has to do with the delay and slowness in load/unload time. Has anyone found a way to improve the tray performance?

Al

No problems with Oppo having to 'warm up' on my Zenith Plasma. I still think sets that need that have some kind of a DVI port issue. Not the player, the set itself.

Originally posted by VideoInSF
It would be a nice gesture if someone from Extremephono posted a reply to let interested parties know the progress of the expected firmware upgrade. It's been a while since we've heard directly from them.

Extremephono's not working on the firmware, why do you want a post from them specifically? I bought mine straight from Oppo Digital. You can send them an email and they'll usually respond within a few hours (depending on time of day, business hours, you know?)

www.oppodigital.com

My experience with them is that they'll answer any question they have an answer to and let you know which ones they can't answer because they're working on it.

Thank you renaldow for the clarification on who is responsible for the firmware. I will contact Oppo directly to get an answer to the question that most people in this forum have been patiently waiting for.

Methinks Oppo fixed the warmup issue.

Recently, my player has been acting up, so I called Oppo and they told me to send my player back. I recieved it a week later, issues gone.

I suggest the same for anyone with a Oppo.

Hi,
The firmware release is near. It should be within 2 weeks. We learnt from the factory that it was significantly more difficult and took longer and with more elaborate work than anticipated, as it involved Genesis and MTK engineers. We should appreciate Oppo bent over backwards to do this.

The warm-up issue is supposedly fixed via a simple hardware modification, Samsung owners who want this fix please either contact us or Oppo digital for an RMA.

Is it possible to add discrete power on/off remote code to this player by way of firmware update?

Originally posted by Extremephono
Hi,
The firmware release is near. It should be within 2 weeks. We learnt from the factory that it was significantly more difficult and took longer and with more elaborate work than anticipated, as it involved Genesis and MTK engineers. We should appreciate Oppo bent over backwards to do this.

The warm-up issue is supposedly fixed via a simple hardware modification, Samsung owners who want this fix please either contact us or Oppo digital for an RMA.

Extremephono, do you have a list of what will be fixed in the next firmware release?

Once again, hats off to OppoDigital and Extremephono for their tireless efforts to keep their customers happy! We look forward to the new firmware release.

Important note on the warm-up issue: This service is only worth doing if your setup is affected, and if it bothers you. In a cold start environment, a single capacitor on the board can cause interference with certain display models (especially Samsung). The only service they have to perform, is remove the capacitor.

Gary

Just wanted to say hi to everyone first of all since this is my first post on here. What a great resource! Really helped me make an informed decision on what projector and DVD player to get. I finally decided on the Infocus 4805 and the Oppo DVD player.

Well, I received the Oppo today ahead of the projector, so I thought I would hook it up and make sure its working. What I had available to hook up to was my computer which has an ATI All-in-Wonder card w/HDTV tuner and video inputs. First of all, let me say the 5.1 signal coming from the player was great! Now, for the video.

First I hooked up the composite as it was the easy for me to get to the connector (again, I don't have anything with a DVI signal input yet and this was a test run just to make sure it's functioning). The Oppo screensaver came up fine, but as it progressed to playing the DVD content(movie-new DVD of Flight of the Phoenix), the screensaver compressed down vertically to about 5/8 the screen, and the next bit of data started playing in a compressed horizontal 'banner' in the remaining 3/8 of the screen on top. Curious. I hit the menu button to go to the root menu. Ah-ha, complete and clear picture of the menu screen. Great, I though, must have just glitched. Well, I hit 'Play Movie', and wham! it compresses down the root menu and a vertically compressed banner of the movie starts playing.

OK, so now I think maybe it's just composite. I proceed to hook up S-Video, and while the picture is much clearer-as expected-I start to experience the same problem.

Now, before I go any further, I know some may be thinking maybe my video input setup on my computer may be cr@p. For the record, I have my DirecTV and PS2 hooked up the same way and they work perfectly and I have never experienced this glitch.

Well, next step for me was to call Oppo. Now-at this point I want to praise the company. The reason I chose the Oppo over the Momitsu V880, is the fact that they have an office in Mountain View and a distributor just over the hills from me in Livermore-I like the idea of close support.

So, I called them, found their phone support to be great (picked up very fast and got me through to Alan? in tech support very quickly), and was basically told that they pushed this through to the market quickly to provide an affordable DVI player for the enthusiast market. As such, the other video out feeds haven't been as de-bugged as the DVI has. I am informed though, that this next firmware release (which is supposed to be out in the next week or two), addresses issues of image centering and something to do with pixelation (sorry, I'm still working on the jargon learning curve) and it should fix my problem.

Ok-long story short. I supposedly have a great, bargain, DVI-enabled DVD player. Catch-22, it no worky on any other video signals, and thats all I have around here in the meantime :(

So-props to them for great phone support and, judging by ExtremePhono's posts, great dealer support. Until the firmware fix-Beware trying to hook this up any other way other than DVI!! And, I'll be sure to post my non-technical review of my 4805 DLP w/Oppo combo when everything is here and my DVI is hooked up :D

-BTW, I still have to say I like feel and appearance of the unit, and I still am not displeased with the purchase, just kind of in digital limbo!

mlogan24,

Thanks for sharing your experience, but that doesn't sound right at all. I have used both the composite and component outputs, and not had any banner-type compressing of movies. Nobody else has complained of problems like that, so, unless there's some strange interaction between with your All-In-Wonder card, it may be a dud unit.

Try plugging the composite output into an old CRT TV, or wait until you get the DLP set, before testing it again.

I agree, Oppo Digital is trying really hard to look after their customers. Unlike any other company. They deserve a large share of the market for their dedication, their excellent products and their reasonable prices.

Gary

Gary-

Thanks for the feedback. Yeah, my main reason for posting was just to give people a head's up on my experience and to bounce my situation off everyone to see if someone had experienced the same.

I'm pretty sure it's not my card, but to fair I can't rule that out until I hook the player up to something else. Fortunately, if I do need to send it back I'm confident that they will handle it appropriately.

I'm not in a big hurry to use it, so I'm just going to wait and see how the DVI and everything else works on the projector. If I'm still having the same problems and the firmware upgrade doesn't fix it, I'll definitely send it in.

If they could somehow match the macroblocking fixes of the Panasonic S97 and also solve the shimmering/1080i compatibility problems this would be the player to beat! I can't deny that Oppo and Extremephono have excellent customer service and this is coming from a person who gets pissed at the smallest things.

The hardware modification (capacitor extraction) has completely solved the warm-up issue linked to my Samsung DLP. No more sparkles, no more video sync problems, and no discernible side-effects either! Kudos to Oppo Digital.

Gary

Originally posted by nothru22
If they could somehow match the macroblocking fixes of the Panasonic S97 and also solve the shimmering/1080i compatibility problems this would be the player to beat! The 1080i compatibility problems you mention, may have been addressed with the new hardware modification. Check with Oppo Digital - its worth a try.

Gary

Gary,

Did you ship yours back or was it a DIY project?

Does this warmup issue extend to the HLPxx74 Samsungs? My son has one and I'm thinking of sending him either the Oppo or my old Momitsu.

Originally posted by wensteph
Did you ship yours back or was it a DIY project? Oppo Digital would prefer you to send it back. However, I did mine myself, understanding that I would void the warranty... its a fairly simple job with a good soldering iron.

Does this warmup issue extend to the HLPxx74 Samsungs? My son has one and I'm thinking of sending him either the Oppo or my old Momitsu. Yes, the issue does affect the HLPxx74. It is not as severe as on the HLN, but it still causes sparkles and intermittent loss of sync for the first few minutes.

I have the HLP4674, and the fix has worked perfectly! All the new Oppos will be modified to correct this issue.

Gary

I believe this also fixes sparkling, inproper sync, etc.

Now for the Y/C Delay/EE fix...

After updating to the latest firmware, it seems LPCM now has 192K option. Maybe it was there before and I never noticed it.

Anyway, should I change the default 48Kbps to 192Kbps?

Also, in the back of the OPPO there are 2 sets of Analog Outs for the Front speakers, Front Right-Left, and Front Mixed. What are the differences?

I will be listening to CD 2-ch stereo and DVD-Audio 2-ch stereo as well. Which analog output should I choose for my 2 front speakers?

...should I change the default 48Kbps to 192Kbps? LPCM (Linear Pulse Code Modulation) is an uncompressed audio track. LPCM is mandatory in DVD-Audio discs, with up to 6 channels at sample rates of 48/96/192 kHz and sample sizes of 16/20/24 bits. Multichannel PCM is downmixable by the player, although at 192kHz only two channels are available due to bit-rate (bandwidth) limitations.

The LPCM option in the Oppo menu applies to the digital audio output only (for use by external DAC's). Set it to the highest LPCM rate your receiver can handle. If your receiver supports 192kHz, then change it to 192. If you are only using analog outputs, this setting does nothing... leave it at the default.

Also, in the back of the OPPO there are 2 sets of Analog Outs for the Front speakers, Front Right-Left, and Front Mixed. What are the differences? The "Front Mixed" output will combine (mix) all 6 audio channels into 2, for use by an analog stereo/DD2.1 receiver. The "Front Right-Left" output will only carry the information for the front speakers, for use by an analog 6-channel DTS/DD5.1 receiver.

I will be listening to CD 2-ch stereo and DVD-Audio 2-ch stereo as well. Which analog output should I choose for my 2 front speakers? Choose Front Right-Left.

Gary

Thank you Gary.

I wish manuals could be written by you for all audio/video equipment :)

I'm glad I could help.

I hear you on the issue of manuals. They sometimes make you wonder whether the design of your expensive new purchase is as shoddy as the explanations (or lack thereof) in the manual.

Gary

I have been cruising around these forums reading feedback on several interesting DVD players and discovered this Oppo thread. Previously, I had never heard of Oppo Digital; nevertheless, based on the feedback in this forum, they appear to have excellent customer service and actually pay attention to customer feedback and needs. How refreshing and unusual these days.

I am looking to replace my Panasonic CP-72 which appears to be on its last legs. With the progressive scan turned on, it has major glitches with most DVDs. With it turned off, I still have problems playing many DVDs. I think its time for a reliable replacement. I am disappointed this highly regarded Panasonic unit lasted less than 2 years with very moderate use.

Here's my setup and requirements for a DVD player:

TV - Sony XBR800 34" CRT widescreen HDTV with 1080i native HD resolution and DVI-HDCP and component inputs
HDTV Receiver: LG LST 4200-A currently connected to the Sony DVI input

In addition to DVD-Video, I need to be able to play DVD-R/RW and DVD+R/RW DVDs.

Audio considerations are not so important right now.

It looks like most of you have DLP/RPTV/LCD sets. Is the Oppo a good option for my setup? If so, I assume the recommendation would be to connect my HDTV receiver through component and the Oppo through the DVI?

Originally posted by lmadsen
Previously, I had never heard of Oppo Digital; nevertheless, based on the feedback in this forum, they appear to have excellent customer service and actually pay attention to customer feedback and needs. How refreshing and unusual these days. So true! I'm really impressed myself.

It looks like most of you have DLP/RPTV/LCD sets. Is the Oppo a good option for my setup? If so, I assume the recommendation would be to connect my HDTV receiver through component and the Oppo through the DVI? I'm not sure if anyone else has a similar set, but with a 1080i DVI input, I'm sure it will be fine. The actual display technology is unimportant - its the input that matters most (and hopefully, it matches the native resolution of the display element). This player does really well with all the formats you mentioned, and much more.

Your connection assumption sounds good, depending what priority you give to watching TV or DVD's. You may want to consider a DVI switcher to handle both via DVI.

Gary

Originally posted by GSB
That Oppo menu setting applies to the digital audio output only (for use by external DAC's). Set it to the highest LPCM rate your receiver can handle. If your receiver supports 192kHz, then change it to 192. If you are only using analog outputs, this setting does nothing... leave it at the default.
Any pros and cons as to why one should have the DVD player resample to the highest one supported by the receiver?

Originally posted by Stimby
I believe this also fixes sparkling, inproper sync, etc.
Now for the Y/C Delay/EE fix...
I'm very close to getting an Oppo but the Y/C delay is a big turn off for me. Is the Y/C delay present on all resolutions? I hope they can fix it.

I do have one question about this player. My Zenith DVB318 exhibits white dotted lines above the picture. I can adjust my CRT projector to blank those out but for a legitimate reason I would prefer not having to do that. Does the Oppo have this same problem?

A 30 day return exists, I would suggest buying the player, and returning it if they don't fix it within 30 days.

I have not seen any reports of white lines at the top of the screen, so that is most likely not an issue.

If you wish, you could purchase a DVI-HMDI cable and connect the Oppo or the reciever to the HMDI port.

I think I posted in the firmware issues thread but I dont think anyone responded. Has there still just been the one firmware released in January? or is there a new version? Do we have any word on timing of another release?

Originally posted by George Montemayor
Any pros and cons as to why one should have the DVD player resample to the highest one supported by the receiver? It is not likely that the player will resample to a higher bitrate. But it will downsample to a lower bitrate if your receiver cannot support the high bitrates recorded on some disks. So, for example, if you set the LPCM output to 192kHz, it will pass all bitrates directly to the receiver, but if you set 96kHz, it will pass 48 and 96, but will downsample 192 to 96.
I'm very close to getting an Oppo but the Y/C delay is a big turn off for me. Is the Y/C delay present on all resolutions? I hope they can fix it. All DVI resolutions, yes. It is fixable with firmware. The latest version is due out any day now.
I do have one question about this player. My Zenith DVB318 exhibits white dotted lines above the picture. I can adjust my CRT projector to blank those out but for a legitimate reason I would prefer not having to do that. Does the Oppo have this same problem? No it does not, but are you sure this isn't a display/compatibility issue?

Gary

Originally posted by Charles J P
I think I posted in the firmware issues thread but I dont think anyone responded. Has there still just been the one firmware released in January? or is there a new version? Do we have any word on timing of another release? Yes, only one release so far. The next one is due out in a few days.

Gary

Thanks for the update. Truly appreciated.

Hi All,
Thanks for the patience, we have been testing the new FW release for the last few days, and other than a few very minor changes, the key Y/C delay and pixel cropping problems are fixed. Using Avia, running to my LCD TV, there the Y/C delay is reduced to almost 0.0, and no detectable pixel cropping, if there is perhaps 1 pixel, beyond my ability to see.

The zoom settings also added a tonne of aspect ratio settings, although personally I usually don't use that preferring to see the movie as intended.

As a bonus, DTS Audio is now supported, I'm amazed!!

However, there are a few minor changes, in the UI department so the final release should be up very soon.

I am not prepared for the dramatic improvement in PQ after the Y/C delay is fixed. DVD after DVD I forgot that I am actually reviewing the FW changes for bugs, I was captivated by the texture and details presented.

Extremephono, thanks for the update. I can't wait to get it ;)

Any update on the subtitle bug?

Originally posted by Charles J P
Any update on the subtitle bug? I'd guess that's not on the high-priority list yet.

Interestingly, I found that if I go to the audio setup menu on the affected DVD's and manually select a language option, the subtitle bug fixes itself.

Gary

This unit is starting to look pretty good.

After this new flash is released....

They just need to do one more flash to take care of the ANGLE icon from displaying on the TV during DVDs with multiple angles, a on-screen-displays on/off will handle that, and fix the subtitle bug and its good to go.

Case closed!! :)

Badabbing,

Look at the defect list earlier in this thread. I think this player does have great promise but it also has a lot more problems to be fixed than what's being mentioned by yourself and extremephono. So it doesn't quite appear "good to go." But we will have to wait and see what the new firmware brings us before a new defect list is compiled.

My two biggest complaints not being mentioned as fixed are the inability to tone down the sharpness and to turn off the zoom icon when zooming non-anamorphic widescreen films so that they fill the screen (I'm surprised that extremephono didn't mention this fault when saying "preferring to see the movie as intended"; that is the very reason for not having an icon on while zooming non-anamorphic films).

And also something I haven't seen mentioned before, don't most Faroudja based players have mutiple settings for de-interlacing, as in Auto1, Auto2, Video, etc., to dial in the best de-interlacing setting?

According to Oppo, the fixed it so Sharpness controls Sharpness.

I presume this should fix EE

CJayB,

Let's wait until the new firmware has actually been loaded onto end-users' players before we assume that certain bugs have not been corrected. This player is not in the same price-point as the Denon 2910, 3910, etc., all of which have issues which have yet to be resolved to the full satisfaction of the end-users. We should adjust our expectations accordingly.

---Rudy

Originally posted by CJayB
My two biggest complaints not being mentioned as fixed are the inability to tone down the sharpness...
Actually, the sharpness control, as is (prior to this new firmware), does control sharpness to some degree. It also alters the color saturation, which is weird (and wrong), but it does affect sharpness. Originally i had my player with Sharpness on "high", which output a more "normal" color saturation level, but the sharpness was unbearable... when I altered the Sharpness control to "low" it threw the color out of whack, but it did tone down the sharpness. I just recalibrated the color saturation on my set, and the picture (color and overall sharpness) was much better.

Originally posted by Stimby
According to Oppo, the fixed it so Sharpness controls Sharpness.

I presume this should fix EE
I wonder if there is now a separate color control at all (with the new firmware.) Also, I wonder if the Sharpness control has more than just "high", "medium", and "low" settings. Even with the Sharpness on "low" right now (prior to new firmware), there is still too much EE or something similar. Would be nice if there was a way to turn it "off" completely... and/or have a more gradual control over it (other than just three steps of it.)

-Terry

Originally posted by triodeuser
One thing you need to be aware of, is that a number of the the HDCP non-compliant DVI input devices are locked into PC resolutions, _not_ standard HD resolutions. Meaning that the DVI input on those displays will only accept input signals that are computer resolutions and will not accept any other resolutions for input.

Not sure if this will affect you or not. Just trying to keep you from going a ways down the same blind alley that I did _grin_

Regards

Ken L

are we saying that with an external video processor it would not matter if things are hd resolutions or computer????

did i get this right??

martin'

I sent my Oppo to Oppodigital for the hardware upgrade last week. They've just e-mailed me to let me know that it is being Fedex'ed back to me with the hardware fix and the latest firmware. I should be receiving it tomorrow or on Wednesday.

The date of the firmware is April 5, so I would suspect that they will post it within the next few days. They also let me know what the firmware fixed and I can say that I am impressed. I don't expect this to be the "FINAL" firmware, but it will make quite a few people happy.

Overall, I'm EXTREMELY happy with Oppodigital and their customer service. Emails were answered within the next business day, and they were all personally handled in a professional and friendle manner. They paid the Fedex postage also.

Here's the information that they sent me about the firmware:

OPPO OPDV971H DVI DVD Player Firmware Upgrade Release Notes
Version: OP971-2-0404

Release Date: April 5, 2005

This release of firmware addressed the following issues:

Fixed pixel cropping

Improved Y/C delays via DVI and component outputs

Corrected the mislabeled Sharpness/Contrast/Brightness control options.

Added Saturation control as an option. (Contrast is black level. Brightness is whitest white level. Sharpness is clarity level to which clear, distinguishable details of an image are rendered. Saturation is the color level.)

Corrected PAL 720p and 1080i output at 50Hz instead of 60Hz

Fixed AVI aspect ratio stretching by enabling Wide-SQZ mode for DivX AVI files, supporting the following 6 resolutions: 720x480, 720x576, 704x480 704x576, 352x240 and 352x288

This release added the following new features:

Automatically closing the tray when pressing the POWER button on the player unit to power off

Enabled DTS decoding through analog connection in addition to digital connection

Zoom and Angle on-screen-displays are set to disappear after 5 seconds. The 'Pause" is set to stay on screen to remind the user of the pause mode, based on the user input.

Added more zoom options: 1.2x, 1.3x, 1.5x, 2.5x, and 3.5x, in addition to the original 2x, 3x, 4x, ½x, 1/3x & ¼x options. This allows letterbox to fill the screen with a non-anamorphic widescreen DVD.

Pressing the Backward key skips to the beginning of the chapter; pressing it again skips to the beginning of the previous chapter.

Added Saturation control as an option.

This release changed the following default setting:

Changed the default setting of Subwoofer to 'off" on the Speaker Setup Page.

These fixes should make 80% of us very happy ;)

Originally posted by Extremephono
Hi All,
Thanks for the patience, we have been testing the new FW release for the last few days, and other than a few very minor changes, the key Y/C delay and pixel cropping problems are fixed. Using Avia, running to my LCD TV, there the Y/C delay is reduced to almost 0.0, and no detectable pixel cropping, if there is perhaps 1 pixel, beyond my ability to see.

The zoom settings also added a tonne of aspect ratio settings, although personally I usually don't use that preferring to see the movie as intended.

As a bonus, DTS Audio is now supported, I'm amazed!!

However, there are a few minor changes, in the UI department so the final release should be up very soon.

I am not prepared for the dramatic improvement in PQ after the Y/C delay is fixed. DVD after DVD I forgot that I am actually reviewing the FW changes for bugs, I was captivated by the texture and details presented.

Extremephoto,

If I place an order on Amazon now, will I get a unit that is shipped with the soon to be released April firmware?

If so I plan to order tomorrow. Else I might wait a couple days. . .

Thanks,

Wes

I believe extremephono does not perform the hardware upgrade nor firmware update on players. You'd have to order at Extremephono and then send it to Oppo, or order from Amazon and request the beta firmware.

Someone ought to try emailing Oppo and requesting the Beta firmware, last update, they released it beforehand to people before doing a public release on their website.

As Oppo runs the amazon store by themselves, I would suggest firing off an email to service@oppodigital.com

I know this has probably been asked but does this player have macroblocking and has anyone tested this player on a known macroblocked disc??

and what is the hardware upgrade and pq compared to momitsu v880 and has secrets reviewed this yet??

thanks

arent the momistu and the oppo both use the sigma board,,with the elu something soomething?>>
so they should be comparable
i think///
martin

Originally posted by Prehjan
arent the momistu and the oppo both use the sigma board,,with the elu something soomething?>>
so they should be comparable
i think///
martin

no, Oppo uses Faroudja and the Momitsu uses Sigma Designs. There is another user around, I think his nick is vjren, he has both. he says the momitsu has better picture, but that is mostly because of the y/c delay issues that Oppo has. Hopefully when Oppo releases updated firmware he will give an updated comparison between the two.

"These fixes should make 80% of us very happy "

Sounds like these changes should make just about everyone happy, even if a few issues remain to be resolved. It looks like the changes will be sufficient to make the Oppo the player to beat in the sub-$200 (and probably sub-$300) price range.

Thank you VideoInSF for the rundown.

can anyone answer my questions from 3 posts back??

Originally posted by deez
I know this has probably been asked... Then why not search this thread?
...but does this player have macroblocking and has anyone tested this player on a known macroblocked disc?? Yes it does - its a Faroudja player.
...and what is the hardware upgrade and pq compared to momitsu v880 and has secrets reviewed this yet?? Hardware upgrade fixes incompatibility with certain TV's (especially Samsung).

Both have their merits, but with the new firmware, the Oppo will probably be quite a bit better.

No, Secrets has not reviewed it.

Originally posted by wes nance
If I place an order on Amazon now, will I get a unit that is shipped with the soon to be released April firmware?

If so I plan to order tomorrow. Else I might wait a couple days. . . Either wait, or do the upgrade later yourself. The firmware is in beta testing, and not quite ready yet.

Gary

I hope the firmware comes out soon enough so that the Oppo can be added to the Secrets site. I believe Kris is waiting for the firmware before they can do the review.

Thanks for your reply gsb...and yes ive been watching this thread.....so it does not show macroblocks or it does which one??

Originally posted by deez
Thanks for your reply gsb...and yes ive been watching this thread.....so it does not show macroblocks or it does which one??

It exhibits macroblocking.

Originally posted by CJayB
"These fixes should make 80% of us very happy "

Does that mean only 20% of us find the audio sync issues significantly annoying? I find that's a far more serious issue than the others being addressed.

Originally posted by Damian Allen
Does that mean only 20% of us find the audio sync issues significantly annoying? I find that's a far more serious issue than the others being addressed. Audio sync and macroblock enhance are both very annoying, but unfortunately inherent to the Faroudja chip. They are certainly not easy to fix, and involve compromise. Oppo Digital is working really hard at this... let's be patient and see what they can do.

Just as other technologies have their drawbacks, so does Faroudja. DLP suffers with rainbows, plasma suffers with burn-in, but we still buy them, because we decide to live with the imperfections in order to enjoy the amazing picture. We pick Faroudja players because they provide impressive images from terrible DVD recordings.

There is no perfect upscaling player yet. Even the $3500 Denon flagship with the new Realta chip has issues. We're paying only $200 - for a fabulous player, with outstanding support.

Gary

Originally posted by VideoInSF

Corrected the mislabeled Sharpness/Contrast/Brightness control options.

Added Saturation control as an option. (Contrast is black level. Brightness is whitest white level. Sharpness is clarity level to which clear, distinguishable details of an image are rendered. Saturation is the color level.)

[/B]

Does this mean that the EE issue is resolved (or improved)?

Is the adjustment range of the options expanded or were the settings just fixed to only adjust what they were supposed to?

I am curious because I had eliminated this player from my search due to Y/C and EE issues. I will be using the Optoma H31 for display and these were huge issues for this projector.

Oppo is working hard at fixing issue. The first firmware release had noticible fixes and enhancements. Oppo seems to be more than willing to fix issues.

Keep in mind that "macroblock enhance" is visible on some displays. On other displays the enhancement is rarely noticed. Other players that do not exhibit the enhancement will still macroblock in a way inherent to the DVD encoding and can be visible under certain circumstances.

Paul

Gary or VideoInSF,

Where is the info on sending the player back to Oppo for the capacitor fix? I've looked both on the Oppo and Extremephono site and didn't notice anything.

Gary,

Has anyone posted photos of which capacitor to remove?

Originally posted by Damian Allen
Does that mean only 20% of us find the audio sync issues significantly annoying? I find that's a far more serious issue than the others being addressed.

No one's saying that only a small percentage of people find the audio sync issue "significantly annoying". But you must put everything in perspective: The audio sync problem does not show up on EVERY disc, and it does not show up each and every time you play a disc. And in my experience, stopping and starting playback corrected the problem 99% of the time.

I've owned a couple of very expensive Denons, as well as a couple of other inexpensive Faroudja-based players, and they all had audio sync and macroblocking issues. Though nothing could make the macroblocking go away COMPLETELY, the start/stop trick worked with all of the players.

I think I've posted this here before, but a quick/easy work around for the lip sync issue is to set a 1 or 2 ms delay on your center channel. This is one of the reasons receivers have this setting.

Originally posted by renaldow
I think I've posted this here before, but a quick/easy work around for the lip sync issue is to set a 1 or 2 ms delay on your center channel. This is one of the reasons receivers have this setting. No Renaldow, the lip-sync we're talking about is intermittent, and in excess of 60ms. No delay setting can compensate for a problem that only shows up occasionally.

Gary

Originally posted by vreath
Does this mean that the EE issue is resolved (or improved)? EE seems better, but is still present on the "Low" setting. Oppo Digital will be working on this for the next round.
Is the adjustment range of the options expanded or were the settings just fixed to only adjust what they were supposed to? Brightness, Contrast, and Saturation have fine adjustment scales. Sharpness has "Low, Medium & High"; all we really need is "OFF"!

Gary

Originally posted by wensteph
Where is the info on sending the player back to Oppo for the capacitor fix? I've looked both on the Oppo and Extremephono site and didn't notice anything. Read Extremephono's post here (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&postid=5365676#post5365676)
Has anyone posted photos of which capacitor to remove? No. Doing it yourself would void your warranty.

Gary

Originally posted by GSB
No Renaldow, the lip-sync we're talking about is intermittent, and in excess of 60ms. No delay setting can compensate for a problem that only shows up occasionally.

Gary

Yes, it's intermittent, but I've never experience anything like 60ms delay. At most I've seen 5ms.

A small question, has anyone recieved the new Beta firmware and tested it?

What can we expect from it?

Originally posted by Stimby
A small question, has anyone recieved the new Beta firmware and tested it?

What can we expect from it?

Hi-

but I've never experience anything like 60ms delay. At most I've seen 5ms.

I'm pretty sure that you both might mean 600 ms. It's generally said that you can't notice an audio asynch of less than 100 ms (one tenth of a second). I'm positive you can't notice one of 5 ms. But yes, I sometimes notice an asynch on my oppo of up to half a second or so (500 ms). It doesn't happen all that often, but when it does, it's damn annoying.

Originally posted by manono
I'm pretty sure that you both might mean 600 ms. It's generally said that you can't notice an audio asynch of less than 100 ms (one tenth of a second). I'm positive you can't notice one of 5 ms. But yes, I sometimes notice an asynch on my oppo of up to half a second or so (500 ms). It doesn't happen all that often, but when it does, it's damn annoying. I said, "in excess of 60ms"...

60ms is often accepted as the standard specification for A/V sync. The Faroudja seems to have a buffer issue that causes the delay to suddenly swing way out of spec, into hundreds of milliseconds, but I seriously doubt it would ever reach 600ms.

Gary

Originally posted by Stimby
A small question, has anyone recieved the new Beta firmware and tested it?

What can we expect from it? I've tested two versions. The last version did really well, and had only one bug left. VideoInSF posted the list of fixes here (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?postid=5433900#post5433900). Note that the comments in parentheses are incorrect and did not appear on the original Firmware Upgrade Release Notes; "(Contrast is black level. Brightness is whitest white level...)" ?! Nonsense!

The Y/C delay took the longest time to fix, involving many rounds of joint back-and-forth efforts between MTK, Genesis and Oppo Digital. Y/C delay is now very close, but they will continue to work on it for another release. Edge enhancement (due to sharpness) is slightly toned down, but still present. They will continue to work on that for the next release too. I wasn't able to test the PAL fix, but, except for the bug, the rest of the fixes worked perfectly.

As soon as the final release is ready, I'll update my firmware fix list.

In the mean time, don't badger Oppo Digital with emails and calls... they are doing their best, and need to focus on getting the firmware right, not taking care of impatient customers.

Gary

As always, thank you Gary.

Hi-

I said, "in excess of 60ms"...

Ok, GSB, I stand corrected. If you can spot a 60 ms asynch, you're a better man than I. I do quite a bit of work with AVI, and every so often run into one that has audio asynch after being encoded and muxed, and anything less than 100 ms or so is hard as all getout for me to spot and fix. "Well, something's wrong, but is the sound happening before or after the gun is fired?" That kind of thing.

On a side note, if the AVI bad AR bug for widescreen TVs is fixed in this next firmware, I'll be a happy man, and can go back to watching my AVIs, along with the DVDs.

AVI will be be fixed next firmware. Read, VideoinSFs post.

Couple of questions:

1. Does anyone have an updated release date for the new firmware? Originally I heard the 5th, but I do not yet see it on the OppoDigital site.

2. I did not see the audio sync issue listed in VideoInSF's post of the fixes contained in the new firmware. Anyone heard of them working on this issue? I know that stopping and restarting the DVD generally fixes it, but that is kind of a pain. If they fixed that, this would have to be one of the better players in most any price range. Overall, I am quite satisfied with it.

RLReady,

I emailed Casey at Extremephone about the capacitor mod and in his reply dated the 6th he mentioned firmware whould be completed "in the next few days".

(side note to you picky ones out there. I know Extreme isn't doing the fw, but they do have a close working relationship with Oppo and are in the same metropolitan area.)

Just wanted to let everyone know that the firmware that OppoDigital put on my machine that I had the hardware modification performed on turned out to be a beta for the second firmware.

They wrote yesterday that they believed that this would be the final verson of the second firmware, but found out that there were still some minor improvements that they wanted to make.

Originally posted by RLReady
2. I did not see the audio sync issue listed in VideoInSF's post of the fixes contained in the new firmware. Anyone heard of them working on this issue? Audio sync will not be fixed in this release, but I'm sure they'll fix it in a future release. It will not be an easy thing to fix - it involves considerable work, and compromises.

Gary

Reguards to VideoInSF;

>Zoom and Angle on-screen-displays are set to disappear after 5 seconds. The 'Pause" is set to stay on screen to remind the user of the pause mode, based on the user input.

5-seconds "MAY" be fine for zoom, but is "NOT" fine for the angle icon..... WHY... because most movies that have multiple angles have them throughout different parts of the movie... THUS, still being an eye sore to look at due to randomly popping up for 5-seconds at a time, while enjoying a good movie. The best way to handle icons.... zoom, angle, and pause is to have a universal user ON/OFF. I can't see why any user would be recommending having no control of the angle icon from continually popping up, even for 5-seconds during the middle of a movie. Also.... if anyone is thinking of recording a DVD with angles as their own personal backup.... get use to recording the angle icon pop-up as well.

I guess I'm lucky...the only movies I have with multiple angles are porn titles. :D

Originally posted by badabing
5-seconds "MAY" be fine for zoom, but is "NOT" fine for the angle icon..... WHY... because most movies that have multiple angles have them throughout different parts of the movie... THUS, still being an eye sore to look at due to randomly popping up for 5-seconds at a time, while enjoying a good movie. The best way to handle icons.... zoom, angle, and pause is to have a universal user ON/OFF. I agree it should be possible to disable the angle icon, but why disable the zoom and pause icon?

Gary

I agree,

I should of worded it better.... it should be more like;

5-seconds "MAY" be fine for zoom and pause, but the angle icon needs its own on/off.

I don't think pause should be left on all of the time..... WHY... if i pause a movie, it is to look at a scene more closely, i do not wish to see the word pause hanging up the whole time. BTW... what happens during slow step forward/reverse, then pause.... Does the pause word then pop-up as well???... that would not be cool. :)

So, all in all.... IMO... this is the correct way it should be;

(1) IMO.... ZOOM is perfect at 5-seconds.

(2) IMO.... PAUSE should be changed to 5-seconds.... ONLY>>if it does not pop-up after slow forward/reverse pausing and stepping... If it does, it needs to have an on/off as well.

(3) IMO..... ANGLE ICON must have an on/off.

Originally posted by badabing
if i pause a movie, it is to look at a scene more closely, i do not wish to see the word pause hanging up the whole time.

Lookin at boobies, huh?

Originally posted by nothru22
Lookin at boobies, huh?

"Zoom" censorship right over the pootie!! lol

I have a suggestion for Oppo. The time between firmware updates (3-4 months) is too long. Waiting to get all the bugs fixed delays the release - right now, I have not used my Oppo in 4 months because of the chroma delay problem. Given a solution, if only to this problem, I could start enjoying it again.

Why not release firmware updates once a month - you can get people to test the fixes and provide feedback. We are not looking for perfection in a release - incremental fixes on a regular basis are, to me, preferable to a super-release that takes 4 months.

Maybe the solution is - release firmware updates more regularly to AVS folks who are tweakers - many of us understand what a beta firmware release means. Update the consumer market customers on a less frequent basis to limit customer service calls.

sounds reasonable..but is anyone listening??

Martin

That may sound reasonable, but it isn't.

For one, it has only been two months since the last update. They are running a little late because of unforseen problems, but they have been working around the clock, involving various chip manufacturers to fix some of the issues inherent to those chips. The chroma delay has taken almost the entire 2 months to fix, and will continue to be tweaked in future releases, just as you suggested.

Chill, you should have it this week.

Gary

The angle indicator should never appear by default. It's really distracting when watching a film. I mean I've "discovered" quite a few I'd rather not have even been bothered with over the past months.

It seems that the folks at Oppo really didn't do their homework on the user side of things; otherwise they'd have fallen into line with other company's functional specs. I gather that the Panasonic S97 is potentially at the othre extreme when it comes to user friendly design. 'Course they've been at it for so long.

As for firmware updates, it's a challenge when you're at the mercy of multiple vendors. What would be helpful is if we all had a preview or insight into what they plan to deliver in each upcoming release. On the other hand, if what you want is not coming, you'll just be pissed off. But we all can't get everything at once.

One of the problems with beta releases is that some joe will download it, find bugs/errors, then return the player.

As for the fact that the Oppo is not a perfect player, keep in mind that Oppo is fairly new to the market, and its nice to see newcomers that acutally read these forums and respond to customer demands. Too many companies such as Apex/Cyberhome simply dump out low quality products and don't bother with support. Oppo acutually reads these forums, and gathers up a list of fixes needed, and makes an attempt to fix them.

A company that is responsive and supportive of it's customers is a good one.

People should be happy that they even have firmware updates.

GSB,

Is there anything wrong in asking that more of us be beta testers? Look at the HTPC forum and how Cliff Watson beta's MyHD software. It becomes a collaborative effort.

I am just suggesting to Oppo to open up beta firmwares to more people. That is all.

I am not being critical of Oppo. I appreciate their interest - that is the reason why I've kept the player, even if unused.

That sounds perfectly reasonable to me. I'm not sure how many testers they do have, but I certainly know that I'm not the only one.

Gary

I don't understand all the fussing about the angle indicator being "ON" by default. How many theatrical release movies HAVE multiple angles? And how is the average user supposed to be alerted to the fact that a movie has multiple angles if the angle indicator doesn't pop up? Do average people actually read every last word printed on the DVD case before playing a movie? Some of us need to remember that the manufacturers/designers of these machines have to appeal to a broad spectrum of buyers, and not exclusively to "videophiles". If you have found a better player than the Oppo, then by all means go out and buy it. While I've been waiting for the firmware updates, I've auditioned six other brands, none of which was perfect. I'm as anxious as everybody else to get the issues with the Oppo resolved, but I have to be realistic...with so many outstanding issues I can't expect them all to be COMPLETELY resolved in just a matter of weeks. I suggest we all try to be a little more patient.

I'm looking to replace my aging Malata n996 that actually Blew-Up on me the other day (as in 3-4 capacitors inside decided to EXPLODE!).

At the moment I've only got 6 year old 32" Wega that doesn't do progressive scan (but does do the 16x9 squeeze). So I'd only be using Component inputs at the momemnt, but I'm looking to upgrade in the next few years to a DLP Projector.

The Oppo is right in my price range and looks to have all the features I want, do you think it's a good buy for my needs? Also I just wanted to double check and make sure the OPPO was Region Free (does it come this way or is there a hack).

Thx guys...

Heliosphann,
Since you're only going to use the dvd player for non progressive, I'd probably wait and look to get a player when you have a progressive capable display. Think of how much better dvd players will be a few years from now. If you get the Oppo now, you're not going to benefit from some of its biggest features (ie. Faroudja), and will probably want to upgrade in a few years when you do get your new display. Just my opinion.

Heliosphann,

The Oppo comes region free out of the box and does a great job of converting PAL to NTSC.

My advice, get the Oppo now if your Malata N996 blew up. I still have an N996 sitting in storage, and can tell you that there is no comparision between the Malata and an Oppo, even without using progressive scan the Oppo will beat the Malata in almost every way except you lose the X-Y scaling of the Malata.

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for a 480p/1080i DVD player mainly for Divx and PAL-to-NTSC features for a RPCRT TV. Is Oppo the best DVD player for me?

Originally posted by Stimby
I believe extremephono does not perform the hardware upgrade nor firmware update on players. You'd have to order at Extremephono and then send it to Oppo, or order from Amazon and request the beta firmware.

Someone ought to try emailing Oppo and requesting the Beta firmware, last update, they released it beforehand to people before doing a public release on their website.

As Oppo runs the amazon store by themselves, I would suggest firing off an email to service@oppodigital.com

Upon the firmware release, both Oppo and Extremephono will start shipping updated units. There is no magic involved, as each player is powered up and FW loaded. Please have some understandings that the players will have to be removed and repackaged (with utmost care, of course).

OPPO OPDV971H DVI DVD Player Firmware Release Notes
Version: OP971-2-0412 Release Date: April 13, 2005

This release of firmware addressed the following issues:
1. Fixed pixel cropping
2. Improved Y/C delays via DVI and component outputs
3. Corrected the mislabeled Sharpness/Contrast/Brightness control options. Added Saturation control as an option.
4. Corrected PAL 720p and 1080i output at 50Hz instead of 60Hz

This release added the following new features:
1. Supports multiple aspect ratios for DivX AVI files, including: 720x480, 720x576, 704x480 704x576, 352x240 and 352x288
2. Automatically closes the tray when pressing the POWER button on the player unit to power off
3. Enabled DTS decoding through analog connection in addition to digital connection
4. Zoom and Angle on-screen-displays are set to disappear after 5 seconds. The “Pause” is set to stay on screen to remind the user of the pause mode, based on the user input.
5. Adds more zoom options: 1.2x, 1.3x, 1.5x, 2.5x, and 3.5x, in addition to the original 2x, 3x, 4x, ½x, 1/3x & ¼x options. This allows letterbox to fill the screen with a non-anamorphic widescreen DVD.
6. Pressing the Backward key skips to the beginning of the chapter; pressing it again skips to the beginning of the previous chapter.
7. Adds Saturation control as an option.
8. Memorizes previous DVI setting in TV “Auto” mode in addition to in NTSC and Pal modes

The firmware is available at http://www.oppodigital.com/opdv971h_support.html

Can someone please comment on the PQ and y/c delays after firmware update??is picture sharper than momitsu??or better?

Y/C delay is currently nonexistent.

I have not yet tested for EE, Though I can play a AVI file without the stretching.

The PQ right now is simply amazing, it is considerbaly superior to the V880. When comparing both units side by side, the Oppo pretty much dominates once the new firmware is applied.

That's funny, I didn't even see it at 480P.

This player will be in the benchmark within a week, and the results will be something.

The PQ is great! At 720p on my HT1000 projector, I get 0-pixel cropping on ALL sides. Chroma delay at 720p is about -0.07, very acceptable. I recommend that Sharpness be set to Off as even low introduces artifacts on Avia resolution patterns.

I also tried native PAL playback at 50Hz and at 576p/720p, PQ was great (this is native PAL - display is set to PAL).

Loaded new firmware and confirmed I have the new version but:

First thing I noticed was no 1.2x or 1.3x zoom. New 1.5x and the other new zoom modes are there. Thank god the zoom icon now goes away.

2nd thing I noticed is that the tray is still not closing when powering down on the unit. Also the green power on light is gone (red when unit is off, but no light when powered on).

OMG....please post the link to results Kris i cant wait to see them!!!


that is good news about pq as i am experiencing video drops and slight freezing on my unit for the first time since i bought it a year ago.....so im looking to pick up a inexpensive unit until i get a hd/bluray dvd player with networking capabilities.....hehe

PS-also ive been watching this unit since release and i just want to thank all the beta...i mean "early adopters" of this unit.......

peace

Originally posted by Kris Deering
That's funny, I didn't even see it at 480P.

This player will be in the benchmark within a week, and the results will be something.

Testing error of mine, sorry.

I have a feeling etremephono is going to get a lot of new business soon. :)

Originally posted by Ja Phule
I have a feeling etremephono is going to get a lot of new business soon. :)

I agree. Kris's last few posts seem to suggest than the results will be pretty good indeed. I wonder if the benchmark test was done with the new firmware applied.

It was.

Kris, et al,
Hopefully someone will comment about the sound of the DVD-Audio side, especially multichannel. I am wondering if it is an audio competitor to the 2910 or 3910. I have an old Technics A10 DVD-A for audio and want to replace it. I have a great SACD and redbook source so I'm quite interested in the Oppo as a DVD-Audio source and a possible video replacement for my Sony 999ES (modded by Modwright, it's my audiphile-level SACD and redbook, and currently my component video source). I have a Runco 930 FPTV so I'd use the Oppo's component outs (or try a Dtrovision DC-Da1 DVI-to-VGA converter?). I formerly had a Momitsu 880 as my video source and used the DVI-I capabilty to go DVI-adapter-VGA and scale to 768P (pj's sweetspot) but after Dan modded the 999ES the better power supply and Bybee filtering must have cleaned up the video a lot cuz at 480p through Petr's transcoder it was the equal of the Momistu at 768p, and much simpler to deal with. I'm hoping the Oppo kills two birds by giving me better DVD-A sound than the old A10 and better video than the 999ES modded.

Through component out, isn't the Faroudja chip used for at least deinterlacing? I noticed GSM said it wasn't used at all.

thx,

Ted

I believe you can't do 480p over component, only 480i, 576i...

Doh! I just reread that. OK, so for me to do the Oppo route with a CRT pj I need the Dtrovision DC-DA1 @ $259. So, I redress the video part of the question: will this DVI-D to Dtrovision to VGA to my projector (still way less $$ than 3910 for their 480p and DVD-A) outdo the 999ES 480p? (The dvd-audio side of the equation is as big of an issue for me, of course). Thanks and sorry for the brain freeze on the component question.

Ted

Allright, so far a lot better, but is it me or does my 971 lock up when I open the tray to take out a disc, then it automatically closes and my drive locks up. I press off/on and only then it starts loading.

(I tried an old firmware, no problem there with the disc loading unloading...)

720P50Hz DVI works very good, 576P has a DVI timing that is somewhat troublesome, my V880 works very good, but the 971 gives shimmers of red or green lines with a width of 10-20 pixels. (On other resolutions with my 10 M HQ DVI cable the occasional pixel flashes, but on the lower bandwidth of 576P its not so great.)

Y/C delay, on colour it is almost perfect, on black/white patterns there is still something but it might as well be sharpness, I have it on low, (no off possibility there?)

Although it's faroudija, the deinterlacer of the v880 (on right fully flagged discs that is) give same result, the 971 is still quite edgy. (running a limited number of test from my test disc, I have 1 point of complain for the V880: interlaced progressive fails, but the 971 has at least two.

And by the way, the 1:1 no cropping scaling is now so a bit overdone, so my projector needs scaling this results in a unoptimal 1:1 transform of resolution patterns, yielding crosstalk in >5MHz patterns both vertical and horizontal. Might be me and my projector, but it looks a bit better on my V880.

My pixel cropping test actually shows something like -1 left and right?

But so far congrats an some great improvements!

But whats with the tray?

Originally posted by CJayB
First thing I noticed was no 1.2x or 1.3x zoom. Everybody, please note:
The 1.2x and 1.3x zooms are currently only available in WIDE mode. Oppo Digital engineers are continuing to work on the zooms for Wide/SQZ mode and are fully committed to getting them right. Currently, the vertical stretch is not quite enough to maintain correct image proportions for the 1.5x and higher zooms in Wide/SQZ mode.

The firmware for the DVD zooms is very tricky, because they interact with AVI zooms. In the interest of time, they released this version anyway - to keep us happy.
Originally posted by CJayB
2nd thing I noticed is that the tray is still not closing when powering down on the unit. Also the green power on light is gone (red when unit is off, but no light when powered on). The tray does close when powering down. The blue power light is gone because you probably set the "Light Control" menu option to OFF.

Gary

Originally posted by vjren
...is it me or does my 971 lock up when I open the tray to take out a disc, then it automatically closes and my drive locks up. I press off/on and only then it starts loading. It's you. (Just kidding!) There's something wrong there, try reloading the firmware, but follow the instructions VERY carefully.

Originally posted by vjren
720P50Hz DVI works very good, 576P has a DVI timing that is somewhat troublesome, my V880 works very good, but the 971 gives shimmers of red or green lines with a width of 10-20 pixels. (On other resolutions with my 10 M HQ DVI cable the occasional pixel flashes, but on the lower bandwidth of 576P its not so great.) I don't have a PAL setup, so I can't comment. Have you tried 576P with a shorter cable?

Originally posted by vjren
Y/C delay, on colour it is almost perfect, on black/white patterns there is still something but it might as well be sharpness, I have it on low, (no off possibility there?) On black/white that is sharpness. It has been reduced, but Oppo Digital is still working on giving us a "Sharpness OFF" setting.

Originally posted by vjren
And by the way, the 1:1 no cropping scaling is now so a bit overdone, so my projector needs scaling this results in a unoptimal 1:1 transform of resolution patterns, yielding crosstalk in >5MHz patterns both vertical and horizontal. Might be me and my projector, but it looks a bit better on my V880. HUH?? What the heck do you mean by that?

Originally posted by vjren
My pixel cropping test actually shows something like -1 left and right? Wrong. There is no pixel-cropping whatsoever.

Gary

Kris,

for the love of god just give me the 2 digit number????


lol

I've been waffling between this and the Momitsu V880DX -- it looks like this last firmware upgrade may tip the scales in Oppo's favor. Does anyone with the Oppo have a tv similar to mine, or experience of any compatibility issues: I have a 62" Mitsubishi DLP (WD-62525). It has an HDMI digital input, but I already have a DVI cable and converter. Thanks

Kris-or maybe a 3 digit number???

Originally posted by brainee
I've been waffling between this and the Momitsu V880DX -- it looks like this last firmware upgrade may tip the scales in Oppo's favor. Does anyone with the Oppo have a tv similar to mine, or experience of any compatibility issues: I have a 62" Mitsubishi DLP (WD-62525). It has an HDMI digital input, but I already have a DVI cable and converter. Thanks

With the latest firmware, the Oppo simply creams the Momitsu in terms of picture quality. Farjouda DCDi is considerbaly superior to the Sigma chipset in the Momitsu, plus, the Oppo costs about 50 dollars less.

The Oppo also has excellent sound quality, while the Momitsu has only decent sound quality.

The Momitsu is pretty responsive, until you compare it to the Oppo. Once you get used to the nonexistent layer change, fast response times, you really start thinking other players are slow. Again, the Oppos MediaTek chipset wins out here.

Originally posted by Stimby
With the latest firmware, the Oppo simply creams the Momitsu in terms of PQ. Farjouda DCDi is considerbaly superior to the Sigma chipset in the Momitsu, plus, the Oppo costs about 50 dollars less.

The Oppo also has excellent sound quality, while the Momitsu has only decent sound quality.

The Momitsu is pretty responsive, until you compare it to the Oppo. Once you get used to the nonexistent layer change, fast response times, you really start thinking other players are slow. Again, the Oppos MediaTek chipset wins out here.

You should refrain from using words like CREAM, wins, etc..it makes you sound like a fanbois, in which case you will lose all credibility.

I've found that with most newer DVD players, there are subtle differences, but PQ is generally not all THAT extreme as some people elude to. As for layer changes, I almost never notice them on my v880dx, it certainly is not bothersome. I'm glad Oppo offers a good alternative, competition is good, and we all can enjoy our players of choice. I've posted in the past that Momitsu needs to lower their price. One thing I've found very interesting about the v880 is how well it holds its value! They still sell for $175-200 on fleabay

"The tray does close when powering down."

Yes, indeed it does, now that I unplugged the Oppo first to reset it.