This is good news...

Since they are still working on the zoom mode, do you know if they will fix the angle icon from popping up during the middle of a movie.... it is very distracting..... it needs to be turned off....and "NO", i'm talking about just porn movies... But it does apply to them as well since some of them have angles.

Just play james bond tommorow never dies special edition, and you'll see the angle icon pop up more than the movie itself.... I don't think the director intended it to be watched this way!! ....and again, the icon will pop up and get recorded as you record DVDs with storyboards or angles... this is to everyones future benifit. This angle icon needs a on/off period.

I'll say this again as well, they should also tweak the pause display icon with an on/off as well, perhaps the same one that does the angle..... It reminds me of a VCR, but most importantly, it distracts from studying a paused picture with words or action, like T2 or MATRIX.... Bottom line, it spoils studying special effects.

On-screen displays should be user selectable.

So what your saying is the angle icon comes on after the new firmware??And this is during playback of a storebought dvd?? That is idiotic to say the least........the angle icon needs to be off at all times........hope that is fixed and also disable the sharpness setting or allow it to be turned off...I will still buy one as soon as i see the results on secrets and as long as i know those are or will be resolved.....

The angle option comes on after a angle change and remains there for 5 seconds.

Deez, the angle icon was always there, but previously it stayed on during angle sequences, now it only comes on for 5 seconds.

Please let's keep the comments constructive! Oppo Digital is doing an incredible job, and is truly listening to our requests. I will add the request to optionally turn it off. However, this is not the highest priority right now.

badabing, you too, have been heard.

Gary

Thanks Gary. :)

Has anyone had any luck with anamorphic divx files? I was hoping that this firmware would allow me to watch some movies in the correct aspect ratio, but things are still vertically squished. I don't know specifics but I understand that there is an anamorphic flag that is set in the divx files which tells the players to display appropriately. The files display fine in programs such as Windows Media Player and WinDVD, but are incorrect on the Oppo.

Anything I am missing here?

Originally posted by GSB
It's you. (Just kidding!) There's something wrong there, try reloading the firmware, but follow the instructions VERY carefully.


I went back to old firmware, no problems with tray eject/close. New firrmware, I press open, just have enough time to take it out, then it closes and the display shuts down with just the power off button working.
Again, trying after previous firmware gives no trouble. (But is a lot worse in other regards )

Originally posted by GSB
I don't have a PAL setup, so I can't comment. Have you tried 576P with a shorter cable?
[/B]
It's not the cable, 720P works ok, and 576P from V880 works ok. Must be pixel frequency or something, I will try to make a picture.

Originally posted by GSB
On black/white that is sharpness. It has been reduced, but Oppo Digital is still working on giving us a "Sharpness OFF" setting.
[/B]
great, this sharpness adds nothing but PQ loss.

Originally posted by GSB
HUH?? What the heck do you mean by that?
[/B]
What i mean is that on a matterhorn scaling should allow almost 1:1 mapping which it does with a V880DX but not optimal now with 971. I'll make a picture.

Originally posted by GSB
Wrong. There is no pixel-cropping whatsoever.
Gary
[/B]
I know, that is why I say "-1" on my test disc there is now an edge around the image indicating the 1 pixel cropping marker, as such it seems 0 or -1 where -1 (sort of 1 pixel zoomed out picture) would be the cause for good 1:1 scaling to be not optimal. I'll make a picture.

The tray is my biggest concern..

I just checked the operation of my tray with the new FW: It opens with one touch of the 'Open/Close' button and the tray remains open unitil the button is pushed again. Only then does the tray close and the blue lights on the front panel remain lit.

No problems there.

Bob

If it weren't for this Forum, some days I would not laugh at all.

I'll try some more in the dark, after unplugging completely. What you describe is how it works when I revert to the older firmware. (Sometimes it works like that too with the new firmware, but most of the time it goes blue and blank.

Originally posted by Rudy1
If it weren't for this Forum, some days I would not laugh at all.
Says more about you then then about the forum??
But really what do you mean...

Oppo 971H Benchmark Results (http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/cgi-bin/shootout.cgi?function=search&articles=122)

More players to come over the next few days.

Originally posted by Kris Deering
Oppo 971H Benchmark Results (http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/cgi-bin/shootout.cgi?function=search&articles=122)


WOW! :eek:

OMG....a 94...are you kidding me........lol....denon 3k or oppo 199......hmmmm let me think???

I have already ordered one this morning. Should I order another as a back up? It's only $199. :D :D :D

Kris, I see that from your review the Oppo uses the Genesis FLI-2310, which I believe is the same chip as the one in Infocus 4805. My question is if I pass 480i signal through component to the Infocus scaler/ deinterlacer, would the result be the same since both use the Genesis FLI-2310 ? Or should I return my $95 Belden 1694a Blue Jeans component cable (only 15 days old) and get a DVI cable. My objective is of course to get the best PQ.

NOTE:My setup requires a 33ft long cable whether be component or DVI.

Alex

Use the DVI connection. It eliminates the digital to analog then analog to digital conversion which may impair the image.

We know the Oppo is good and they're listening to the users. The latest update is very, very good and addresses several of the nagging operational issues.

Paul

Hey Kris, this 'flickering' is something I also noticed from day one...

"The cross color suppressor function of the Faroudja processing is defaulted to ON with no way of turning it off. We saw this same issue with the Panasonic RP-62 awhile back, and can cause some abnormalities with chroma performance, including slight flickering."

...have they indicated that they are addressing this in a future firmware update?

[Great benchmark review, by the way.]

-Terry

I can't speak for Oppo but they have been superb in addressing issues so I wouldn't be surprised if it gets worked out. Guess we'll have to wait and see. I hope to continue working with them on this and future players.

Kris,
Minor thing: When you click on the link for Oppo Digital on that page, it doesnt' come up correctly. Just a formatting error I'm sure.

Great work Kris!

Anyone owning this player should get the latest firmware update.

Paul

I wonder when we can buy one with the latest firmware update already applied to it?

Originally posted by Shane Martin
I wonder when we can buy one with the latest firmware update already applied to it?

You can buy it now. All Oppos shipped from April 13 onward will have the new firmware installed.

Am I correct to say that the Oppo will work great as a 480i component player also?

Kris:

I'm fuzzy on the Oppo score. If it has flickering and macroblocking, why didn't it get a marginal score in those areas?

How does the PQ on the Oppo unit compare to the Denon 3910 DVI? The 3910 is overkill for my needs (DVI video only, no SACD etc needed) so the Oppo might be a suitable substitute but I don't want to move down in PQ.

Thanks,
Scott

Originally posted by Ja Phule
Am I correct to say that the Oppo will work great as a 480i component player also?

I too have the 4805 like you and asked Kris the same question because of the superior scaler the 4805 has and he suggested to use DVI to avoid the digital to analog and analog to digital conversion that MAY impair the image.
I am returning my blue Jeans cable and get the Infocus M1 cable.

Alex,
Yeah, I noticed that. The reason I ask though is just in case MB is a problem with the 4805. MB shouldn't be visible at 480i with the 4805's Faroudja doing the processing.

Ja Phule, Wes has the Oppo and 4805. I will post this question for him at 4805 thread.

I just ordered one of these. I am going to closely compare it to my Panasonic DVD-S97 with 540 firmware. I am loving the seamless layer change report in the shootout. This looks like it is really going to turn out to be a great product.

Originally posted by Ja Phule
Alex,
Yeah, I noticed that. The reason I ask though is just in case MB is a problem with the 4805. MB shouldn't be visible at 480i with the 4805's Faroudja doing the processing.

Ja Phule,

Since the 4805 has the same chipset, macroblocking could be an issue regardless of the source. Whether you're deinterlacing at the source or the projector with the same chipset, I don't see the difference.

My opinion is that the Infocus designers made sure the 4805 wasn't sensitive to macroblocking, since they were using the Faroudjia chipset. I would think that we would have macroblocking posts coming out of our ears in the monster "Offical" thread if this was any issue at all. We have some Panny S97 folks over there, also, and I've never seen a macroblocking complaint.

I think we're in good shape in that area!

My unit was shipped on April 13 and came with the new firmware installed.

I'm very happy.

Wes

Originally posted by Kris Deering
I can't speak for Oppo but they have been superb in addressing issues so I wouldn't be surprised if it gets worked out. Guess we'll have to wait and see. I hope to continue working with them on this and future players.

Kris, thanks for the review, great work.

The review was done in 480p over DVI, is that right? Did you mess around with 720p or 1080i, and was there a preferred output?

I'm running to a 4805 projector, and am sending it 1080i, mostly because I was used to using that with my Zenith 318.

Any suggestions?

Wes

Hello Lite Up!

The MediaTek chip is *fast*. If you like seamless, I think you'll like the Oppo.

Paul

How does this player do playing DVD-R disks.

Thanks for your reply,

rmlowz

Paul,

Yes...and it will be interesting to compare how well the different MPEG decoders work (Panasonic vs. MediaTek), in different scenes and using different test discs. This player has a lot of great features.

Does anyone know if there are plans to output 480p (and maybe 720p) via component as well?

LiteUp!

Lots of great features and performance. The 4/13 firmware really puts this player with the "big boys".

I haven't heard of any plans for 480p via component. I suspect that for component only the MediaTek solution is used. That means, as far as I know, that the best we can hope for with the current design is 480p via component. The MediaTek deinterlacer isn't bad at all.

Faroudja is used with the DVI.

Paul

This is a DVI player. No progressive via component.

It plays DVD-R and all other types of disks really well.

Gary

Thank you Kris. This is one heck of a player - for a fantastic price - AND with amazing firmware support!

The customer service from Oppo has been outstanding.

Gary

Originally posted by wes nance
Kris, thanks for the review, great work.

The review was done in 480p over DVI, is that right? Did you mess around with 720p or 1080i, and was there a preferred output?

I'm running to a 4805 projector, and am sending it 1080i, mostly because I was used to using that with my Zenith 318.

Any suggestions?

Wes

All resolutions were tested. All performed about the same. I personally would only recommend 480P or 720P with a digital PJ though since 1080i requires a lot more work by the PJ. But let your own eye decide.

Originally posted by vjren
I'll try some more in the dark, after unplugging completely. What you describe is how it works when I revert to the older firmware. (Sometimes it works like that too with the new firmware, but most of the time it goes blue and blank. vjren, sorry to hear the issues you're experiencing with loading the firmware. Here are 2 more things to try:
It may be that you have a corrupted image on the disk. Try burning another fresh disk - at a slow speed.
Try following Oppo's "Do It Yourself Instructions A". I've done that numerous times myself, and it worked just fine.Gary

So no one has any remarks about the DVD-Audio sound quality of this player? I bought it this morning, along with the Dtrovison DVI-to-VGA converter for my CRT pj. I will test the analog DVD-A sound first, and only unpack the converter if it beats my old A10 in sound quality. I'll report back.

Ted

Ted, I thought the 971H only supports DVI-D, no analog signal out of DVI. The DVI-to-VGA will not work for you.

Originally posted by ted_b
So no one has any remarks about the DVD-Audio sound quality of this player? I bought it this morning, along with the Dtrovison DVI-to-VGA converter for my CRT pj. I will test the analog DVD-A sound first, and only unpack the converter if it beats my old A10 in sound quality. I'll report back. Ted, I sent you a PM a few days ago, answering all your questions. Here's what I sent:

Originally posted by ted_b
Vid questions:

Is the Oppo 480p component a decent route? I noticed that your posts say that the component out doesn;t use the Faroudja chip; not even for deinterlacing? If I saved the $600+ on this player vs the 3910 and bought the Dtrovison DVI-to-VGA converter (http://www.digitalconnection.com/products/video/dcda1.asp) ?
480p looks rock-solid to me, but I suppose it might depend on your setup. I don't know this converter. Component out doesn't do progressive, nor does it use the Faroudja chip.
Originally posted by ted_b
Audio questions:

How does the multichannel DVD-Audio sound; how about 2 channel DVD-Audio (I don't care about redbook, I have a tremendous redbook source already)? Is the video/audio synch issue close to being fixed? Thanks,
Multichannel DVD-Audio sounds fantastic over analog. The Oppo uses a high-quality 192kHz 24-bit DAC for all 6 channels. 2-channel DVD-Audio is often recorded at 192kHz, so the match is perfect.

A/V sync is still a problem for some DVD's (entirely a Faroudja issue). I'd imagine it would take another few months to fix that via firmware. It requires consultation with Genesis engineers.

Gary

Does this player do PAL to NTSC or does it simply output either PAL or NTCS depending on the disc I watch on it?

EDIT: Nevermind. I just noticed the review answered my question. I dunno how I didn't notice it before. Sorry.

Originally posted by GSB
The Oppo uses a high-quality 192kHz 24-bit DAC for all 6 channels. 2-channel DVD-Audio is often recorded at 192kHz, so the match is perfect.

Gary

Gary,

Do you know a specific place online which has info/reviews on DVD-Audio bitrates? I'd like to find 192khz, specifically Jazz/Classic in 2-channel.

Thanks in advance.

Gary,
I got your PM yesterday. Thanks. My follow up was simply about audio. I was looking for some adtl audio feedback about quality, soundstage, etc.

You said the Oppo has "a" 24/192 DAC. That scares me a little. A decent DVD-A player has multiple dacs, hopefully Burr Brown 179X's.

Rieper,
There are plenty of good stereo 24/192 DVD-A's, especially jazz or clasical. PM me or check on such forums as Steve Hoffman's or the hi-rez Audio Asylum forum (down currently) for decent hi-rez discussions. AIX specifically is a great hi-rez label that does most of their work in 24/192. Chesky and Concord are two others. Also, Classic has some HDAD's (24/192 DVD-A one side, 24/96 linear pcm the other) that are incredible. I own several, including Cannonball Adderly, Coltrane, Muddy Waters (and Pete Townshend's Who Came First).

Trex8,
The converter is specifically for DVI-D. If it was for DV-I then all that is needed (as per Momitsu solution) is a $5 adapter.

Thx all,
Ted

Originally posted by Rieper
Gary,

Do you know a specific place online which has info/reviews on DVD-Audio bitrates? I'd like to find 192khz, specifically Jazz/Classic in 2-channel. Try this one: http://www.hiresmusic.com/homepage.html

Gary

Hi Guys:

With the glowing review from Kris, I'm considering trying out this player. Wish it was black. Black mus cost more to make, seems like all these less expensive ones are silver. Anyway...

Can anyone answer a couple questions for me:

1. Aspect behavior: Given a 16x9 display, DVI output, 720p resolution: When playing a 4:3 or 16:9 flagged disc, does this player automatically adjust the aspect as appropriate. For example if you play the Avia disc (4:3) is it sent to the display as 4:3 with pilarboxes. If the answer is yes, then part 2 is, will it change "on the fly" for discs with multiple aspect formats on one disc.

2. Anyone have an opinion on how this unit does with video as compared to the Denon 3910?

3. Does it have discrete on, and off IR codes?

Thanks,
Scott

Originally posted by ted_b
Gary,
I got your PM yesterday. Thanks. My follow up was simply about audio. I was looking for some adtl audio feedback about quality, soundstage, etc.

You said the Oppo has "a" 24/192 DAC. That scares me a little. A decent DVD-A player has multiple dacs, hopefully Burr Brown 179X's. Ted, no, the Oppo uses a single Crystal CS4360 6-channel DAC. If you're looking for seriously high-end audio, to match a seriously high-end listening room (specifically designed and engineered to match your speakers and their placement), you will prefer a player with multiple Burr Brown DAC's. Without such a room, it would not be possible to hear the difference.

Oppo's specs are posted here: http://www.oppodigital.com/opdv971h_specifications.html

Gary

Originally posted by GetGray
1. Aspect behavior: Given a 16x9 display, DVI output, 720p resolution: When playing a 4:3 or 16:9 flagged disc, does this player automatically adjust the aspect as appropriate. For example if you play the Avia disc (4:3) is it sent to the display as 4:3 with pilarboxes. If the answer is yes, then part 2 is, will it change "on the fly" for discs with multiple aspect formats on one disc. [Edit]: YES to both. It will change on-the-fly.

Gary

Damn I am glad I ordered one a few days ago lol this review should make this one popular DVD player....

I just purchased a 32" Samsung TX-P3271H and was using a Philips DVP-642 via component I will be switching to DVI with the Oppo... We also will be purchasing a 60" RP HDTV at some point in the near future.

Do you think this will be an improvement as most of what we watch is Animated as we have 2 kids under 3yrs old?

Can anyone recommend setting in the DVD player to max PQ?

Originally posted by GSB
No to both. Maybe eventually, in later firmware revisions.

Gary Bummer. That's the only thing I don't like about my 3910 so I suppose I'll have to stay put or go back to eyeing the Pio59avi...

GetGray,

The Panasonic S97 does this correctly. I have one. I also just ordered an Oppo today to compare to it.

The Oppo auto-pillarboxes. Set the Oppo to the new "Wide/SQZ" setting (starting with the previous firmware update).

Paul

Great news! Thanks Paul.

You're welcome! Unfortunately there's that slight loss of vertical detail (like the S97) when in pillarbox mode.

Paul

LiteUp!,

Just in case, here is the "brain dump" of the Oppo:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?postid=4924650#post4924650

The idea was to go thorugh all the DVE video patterns and make comments on each. Maybe it's overkill, maybe not.

In any event, the first post is in the process of being revised as a result of the new firmware. May also be getting another display this weekend.

Paul

Originally posted by GSB
Ted, no, the Oppo uses a single Crystal CS4360 6-channel DAC. If you're looking for seriously high-end audio, to match a seriously high-end listening room (specifically designed and engineered to match your speakers and their placement), you will prefer a player with multiple Burr Brown DAC's. Without such a room, it would not be possible to hear the difference.

Oppo's specs are posted here: http://www.oppodigital.com/opdv971h_specifications.html

Gary

Thanks. I looked for the dac specs and couldn't find them. Yes, my room (see gallery) is a serious dedicated music/HT room. That's what my first post (way back) was trying to say, but obviously did a poor job. Regarding the dac, it's a hurdle to have only one, but it's all in the implementation. Cambridge did a fine job with that dac in their 540D, but, of course, used good quality op amps, etc. We'll see. I just was wishing they'd have thrown some 1791's in there or something (hell, they spent $$ on the 2310's, why not). Dunno oem costs, though. :)

Ted

Sorry Ted. My bad, I didn't pay attention you were actually referring to a DVI-D-to-VGA converter. OT, are these converters any good?

If the DVI offers DVI-Analog the converter, in my experience, seems to work fine. I've used one on occasion with the Momitsu V880 (which does have DVI-Analog) and no problems.

Paul

Originally posted by Paul Bigelow
The Oppo auto-pillarboxes. Set the Oppo to the new "Wide/SQZ" setting (starting with the previous firmware update).

Paul Good news; maybe. One says it does, the other says it does not. The does not almost looks like a rep. Who's right?

What 2 or 3 clips would be good to see the worst of this player? MB, lip sync, etc.?

Originally posted by Paul Bigelow
If the DVI offers DVI-Analog the converter, in my experience, seems to work fine. I've used one on occasion with the Momitsu V880 (which does have DVI-Analog) and no problems.

Paul

?? The converter uses DVI-D, not DVI-A. There is no need for a converter with DVI-A (like the Momitsu), just a $5 gender changer/adapter. And no, the Oppo uses DVI-D only; hence the need for a $259 converter.

I don't know about how well the Dtrovision does its thing, but it's one of the only ones out there that do it legally; this is the other one I know about ($399)
http://www.ramelectronics.net/html/DVI_ADC-converter.html

I'll let you know, assuming the Oppo first passes my audio test and I'm ready to use it for DVD-Audio. I wouldn't use it for video only cuz then I'd have three DVD players (tubed modded SACD/redbook, DVD-A, video-only) in my music room rack, and life is too short.

Ted

Ted,

Misunderstanding here, apologies. I thought the discussion concerned the use of the DVI-Analog / VGA adpater. The Oppo does not have DVI-Analog so the adpater would be of no use.

Paul

I spoke to the customer service person at Oppo today and informed her that the angle indicator is not something that we (U.S. crowd) are accustomed to seeing. She agreed that if possible it would be a valuable option to allow the user to set its default visibility as on/off. Hopefully, this will be both easy to provide and soon in coming. It annoys me, for one. I don't need "surprises".

As for beta, the smart approach is to "find" users with specific issues and allow them to be beta testers. For those of us with external audio decoders, the capabilities for the variety of options offered are mute, and those of us with DVD-A or other capabilities are possibly few and far between, nor are we all into PAL and non-region 1. So, it would be nice for someone, maybe a member of our august community of forum afficionados, to act as a focal point to OppoDigital. Then testing would be less haphazard.

On the subject of hardware configurations, I may be one of the few who is using a BenQ 8700+ since nobody else seems to have raised the problem of using the 720p output setting of the Oppo. When I've attempted to do so, no matter the firmware release, it shrinks the image a tad in both the vertical and horizontal and puts a bright, white (though narrow) border completely along all the edges of the projected image. Wondering if anyone else has seen this one.

Anyway, I agree this is an outstanding player from a company really committed to customer support.

p.s. their roadmap extends into that brave new world of HD discs, though we'll have to wait and see how they navigate and then implement the current Blu-Ray / HD-DVD "wars".

Originally posted by GetGray
Good news; maybe. One says it does, the other says it does not. The does not almost looks like a rep. Who's right?

I'm right! ;) Had the first release, first firmware (introduced the Wide/SQZ), second firmware. Setting to "Wide/SQZ" will auto-pillarbox.

Paul

Originally posted by Paul Bigelow
Setting to "Wide/SQZ" will auto-pillarbox. Paul, GetGray, apologies... I agree... The player does auto-pillarbox in Wide/SQZ mode. I just tested it. I'll fix my previous post.

And yes, it will auto-pillarbox (on-the-fly) with a disk like "A Bug's Life", which is recorded with both the wide-screen and full-screen versions on the same disk.

Gary

Originally posted by GSB
Paul, GetGray, apologies... I agree... The player does auto-pillarbox in Wide/SQZ mode. I just tested it. I'll fix my previous post.

And yes, it will auto-pillarbox (on-the-fly) with a disk like "A Bug's Life", which is recorded with both the wide-screen and full-screen versions on the same disk.

Gary Well, to muddy the waters, before I asked here, I e-mailed oppo. They just replied it will not!

------------------------
Hi Scott,

No, the OPDV971H will not detect the output aspect ratio becuase some discs comes with dual aspect ratio, or some user perfer to watch the 4:3 disc in full screen (16:9) TV. You can select the aspect ratio easily with the remote controller.

Regards,

Customer Service
Oppo Digital, Inc.

------------------------

Who to believe??? :):) You'd think they would know...

Well, maybe customer service doesn't know that it works either! But it certainly does!

Originally posted by sjschaff
So, it would be nice for someone, maybe a member of our august community of forum afficionados, to act as a focal point to OppoDigital. Then testing would be less haphazard. sjschaff, I volunteered to be that "focal point" and I've worked long and hard to convey all the wishes of this forum to Oppo Digital and to beta-test their firmware. In return, Oppo Digital has always responded very favorably and graciously. They are still working tirelessly to accomodate us.

I've also maintained an updated firmware defect list, that others can check and comment on. Maybe now is a good time to post the latest list.

Gary

Thanks Gary. Wasn't clear that you're the man. Now if Oppo's customer support would get updated by the same people you communicate with, then we'd see some more consistency. Dream on I hear some of you saying :-)

Originally posted by GSB
Well, maybe customer service doesn't know that it works either! But it certainly does! Great. Just to verify, this is at 720p over DVI, right?

My main beefs with the Oppo I had was the Sharpness enhancement, the Sharpness control acted as a saturation control also. I couldn't get balanced colors even when running colorfacts. Seemed red was over saturated. But the main one was the sharpness, it brought out splotches or zits in all the actors faces.

Have these been fixed also?

Plus side they fixed the y/c delay and pixel crop.

This is what the Oppo support page says regarding the update, guitarman:

Major Firmware Release April 13, 2005

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:

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

This release added the following new features:

Supports multiple aspect ratios for DivX AVI files, including: 720x480, 720x576, 704x480 704x576, 352x240 and 352x288
Automatically closes 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.
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.
Pressing the Backward key skips to the beginning of the chapter; pressing it again skips to the beginning of the previous chapter.
Adds Saturation control as an option.
Memorizes previous DVI setting in TV “Auto” mode in addition to in NTSC and Pal modes

This release changed the following default setting:

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

"Corrected the mislabeled Sharpness/Contrast/Brightness control options. Added Saturation control as an option."

Mislabeled, but what about the funtion of the Sharpness control, its was a saturation control? Need to know if Sharpness will lower the sharpness or turn off the Faroujda's enhancement/sharpness.

Guitarman,

I've been using the latest firmware for some time, and I can assure you that the red push problem has been solved. As for the sharpness control, it's still my preference to keep it at the low setting. Other sharpness settings seems to introduce unnatural artifacts, like the ones that you've experienced.

All in all, I'm one very happy customer with the latest firmware.

Guitarman,

With the 4/13 firmware the controls as work correctly and as labeled on the screen. The Sharpness is high, medium, and low and they do affect sharpness. I set it low, but the picture still looks a bit edge-enhanced -- might be my display though.

Otherwise the Brightness, Contrast, Saturation work well -- the midrange settings for each are optimum. I'm sure only minor tweaks will be needed for calibrating displays.

If you have heve the player, download and use the 4/13 firmware -- it's a major improvement.

Paul

I just ordered one. I'm going to compare with my 59AVi at 720P. It's going to be interesting to see whether or not the additional $600-$800 (street) cost of the 59AVi is worth it as far as PQ is concerned.

Originally posted by GetGray
Great. Just to verify, this is at 720p over DVI, right? Yes.

Originally posted by guitarman
Need to know if Sharpness will lower the sharpness or turn off the Faroujda's enhancement/sharpness. Sharpness has been somewhat reduced, but the engineers are still working on giving us an "OFF" setting for the next update.

Gary

Is it just my imagination or are the brightness levels between PAL and NTSC discs now much more substantial? With the old firmware it seemed as if when I played the PAL disc of say Eyes Wide Shut and then the NTSC disc, the brightness levels were very close. Now for every PAL disc I've tried, brightness is set much too high and I have to always be turning it down when switching between the two formats (as I frequently do).

For sharpness, instead of an OFF setting, wouldn't it be much more useful to have a greater range of adjustment, as in -2 -1 0 1 2 3 (I'm figuring 6 levels would be sufficient)?

Other items for my wish list are Gamma control and Hue.

Finally, with the next firmware if Oppo could reduce macroblocking (I realize it can't be eliminated) and minimize the flickering (in an earlier entry, I called it pulsing) mentioned by Kris, the Oppo would become my main player, over my SDI Panasonic RP91, at a fraction of the cost.




.

Originally posted by CJayB
Is it just my imagination or are the brightness levels between PAL and NTSC discs now much more substantial? I don't know, and I'm not sure anyone else could verify this either. Maybe you could try reverting to the old firmware to test your theory.

Originally posted by CJayB
For sharpness, instead of an OFF setting, wouldn't it be much more useful to have a greater range of adjustment, as in -2 -1 0 1 2 3 (I'm figuring 6 levels would be sufficient)? What exactly, would be the benefit? Almost everybody here is praying to see it gone. As far as I'm concerned, 3 steps is fine (too many, as a matter of fact)!

Originally posted by CJayB
Other items for my wish list are Gamma control and Hue. I suspect Oppo Digital is not planning to incorporate these - they were removed from the features list on their web page. But I'll list it as a wish.

Originally posted by CJayB
Finally, with the next firmware if Oppo could reduce macroblocking (I realize it can't be eliminated) and minimize the flickering (in an earlier entry, I called it pulsing) mentioned by Kris, the Oppo would become my main player, over my SDI Panasonic RP91, at a fraction of the cost. I hear you. But we need to clearly define for Oppo what this flickering/pulsing looks like, and where you notice it most. Give as many specific examples as you can. Is it related to the "shimmering" of thin vertical lines?

Gary

I keep hearing that macroblocking is display dependant. That some are ok and some are not. Is this true compleatly? Or are do all displays show it and its just some more than others. From the screen shots I have seen of what it looks like there is no way I would buy a dvd player that does that. The whole reason we spend time reading these forums is to avoid equipment with problems. Most problems are people dependant. What drives other people nuts <layer change> doesnt bug me at all. Some people can deal with black crush. I cant. Some people dont actualy watch movies. They just look for bugs. Sometimes I think that 90% of the people here just do that. Any way to me from what I've read here macroblocking is the worst of the bugs I have seen. Is it realy that bad or it is it only that bad on some displays?

Can anyone test 576@50Hz pal playback?

I have some trouble in that regard, line (say 10 pixel wide) flashes and all, 720P50Hz works ok though.

[H]RedDog,

What's your display? The only way I see for someone to answer your question is if one of us has your display and could tell you yes or no. I'm using a Runco 710 DLP fp and have seen no macroblocking. None. Zip. Nada.

RedDog,

Try a search on "macroblock" or "MB" and your display model and see what turns up.

Paul

"What exactly, would be the benefit? Almost everybody here is praying to see it gone. As far as I'm concerned, 3 steps is fine (too many, as a matter of fact)!"

I have spoken before about the critical need to turn down sharpness, but the "what...would be the benefit?" (which is huge) is that there are now, what, like 40,000 titles out on DVD. Each transfer is different. For 80+% of the films I watch, I would set sharpness to "0" corresponding to "Off", but the others need either some sharpness control to improve a soft image or a "negative sharpness" control for films that are too sharp or edgy. Especially for non-anamorphic films (and most of the laserdisc titles I now have on DVD-R), I tend to like sharpness set a little higher and the Oppo looks better than most DVD players I've seen with those films because it is so sharp, even if a bit edgy. And the fact is, besides those 40,000 titles, there are now well over 100 million DVD viewers, and everybody's taste as to what looks best is different. Let the viewer decide.

Oppo, please let's not limit the options on your beautiful little machine. Let's give the DV971H more options, just like the big boys (i.e. Denon 2910/3910), not less, and let us decide what looks best. That is also why I would like to see more control over de-interlacing, with a VIDEO setting and AUTO1 AUTO2 AUTO3, etc. The de-interlacing is very good, but there is still room for improvement (especially on PAL titles).

And of the need for Gamma and Hue controls I mentioned earlier, Gamma would be by far the more important, if you have to prioritize. Even my $25 Yamakawa has an effective Gamma control.

The reason there is room for improvement with PAL is because of the lack of 2-2 support from the 971H.

Originally posted by GetGray
What 2 or 3 clips would be good to see the worst of this player? MB, lip sync, etc.?
It happens for me on any number of DVDs. However, it's an intermittent issue. Don't believe that it is directly related to a particular disk, as It doesn't seem consistent as to when it happens.

I am sure that others have items that are important to them, but, to me, this is the last really important thing remaining. I hate having to stop and restart a disk ... kind of takes you out of the "movie experience". I know that it is a hard issue to resolve, but I hope that this issues is their top priority on the next firmware release.

Originally posted by Kris Deering
The reason there is room for improvement with PAL is because of the lack of 2-2 support from the 971H.

Thanks for the testing, Kris. I had 2 questions for you as I use PAL playback.

Is your testing for native PAL or converted to NTSC? Do you set the display as PAL?

Also, you said previously that Oppo said they would fix 2:2 PAL in the next-generation player because of some hardware issues. Does this mean it is a Faroudja chip problem?

Thanks again for all the time you devote to our hobby ;)

I was wondering if the OPPO would work with my Mits 65813 because my 65813's DVI input is HDCP compliant and the OPPO DVI output is not HDCP compliant. Does this difference matter?

Thanks,

Monte

The player not being HDCP compliant is to everyone's advantage. Just set your display to non-HDCP conection or PC setting. This player should work everywhere. The problem is that a lot of people have older displays with pre-HDCP compliant DVI (and got stuck with a player that would not give them an image, because HDCP would not handshake). They made this player non-HDCP so it can work on ALL DVI displays.

Rich4av,

The 2:2 problem apparently is not a Faroudja problem. The Denon 2910/3910 and Panny S97 can do this correctly with the FL2310 inside in Auto 2 mode. Maybe they should give us a choice like the other players and hand us Auto1/Auto2 settings. Oppo? Extremephono?

Also, can we get this (below, cross color suppressor setting OFF) fixed in the next release?:

"I did find a few additional problems with the player and hope to see Oppo resolve them with a future firmware change. The cross color suppressor function of the Faroudja processing is defaulted to ON with no way of turning it off. We saw this same issue with the Panasonic RP-62 a while back, and it can cause some abnormalities with chroma performance, including slight flickering. I played animation material, including Toy Story, A Bug’s Life, The Incredibles, and Finding Nemo (think I’m a Pixar fan??) and didn’t see any issues at all. But I did notice a big drop off in vertical chroma resolution using the test patterns from Avia Pro."

Originally posted by Kris Deering
The reason there is room for improvement with PAL is because of the lack of 2-2 support from the 971H.

@Kris
What is the way to recognize 2-2 support failing?

I mean I am spending some time here playing discs and, well to be honest, it's very jumpy and edgy in some regards, my 10 meter dvi replaced by a 3 meter one doesn't really help, I have a lot of pixel flashes.

My V880DX is not bothered with it, 10 M DVI no problem.

@GSB
Flashing with a fresh disc seems to have solved the tray problem, great!

@Kris
This machine is great in many regards, but tesing here on a large DLP set it's not like some suggest that it flames a V880 for example. Using correct discs (and my longer DVI cable) and PAL, the V880 seems more steady and certainly not the lesser. (I know, some discs trigger the special situations the faroudija excels at. But the rating does not indicate the PQ is better, it says that many more situations are handled better?)

My subtitles crashes here on a disc, one is good ,the next one crashes.

I included an example from "imax, mission to mir"

I've been away for awhile, has there been a second firmware update?

Hi Deaf,

Yes. Last post page 49 of this thread.

Originally posted by vjren
I mean I am spending some time here playing discs and, well to be honest, it's very jumpy and edgy in some regards, my 10 meter dvi replaced by a 3 meter one doesn't really help, I have a lot of pixel flashes.
Yeah, I'd say there are three things I'd love to see fixed...

1) the 'flickering'/'shimmering' (i'm not sure what the exact description would be). You can see this on SW Episode II Attack of the Clones DVD (in the Jedi Library establishing shot... the blue "books" shimmer/flicker as the camera pans down... when they shouldn't. And in the establishing shot of the Galactic Senate building in the evening... the green colored "windows" in the dome-like Senate building shimmer/flicker when they shouldn't.) This could be the "cross color suppressor function of the Faroudja" mentioned by Kris. (But I am not sure.)

2) the sharpness being able to be set to "zero" or "off". (I think this would help make the overall picture smoother/film-like and help tame the macroblocking.)

3) the lack of subtitles for snippets of foreign language in otherwise English language films (you can also see this in SW Episode II... when the Geonosians speak in their language... the subtitle does not appear when it should.)

If they fixed these three things... I'd not only recommend this player to everyone I know... I'd absolutely insist they buy one!

(Can I officially submit these "wishes" to someone in particular on AVS?)

-Terry

"@Kris
What is the way to recognize 2-2 support failing?"

I use a test disc that has a test pattern for a 2-2 cadence. I have both a native PAL one and a NTSC one. My display can do PAL natively if I want it to.

The flickering you are seeing with colors is most likely the CCS and filters in the Faroudja. I have spoke with Oppo and they are aware of it. I would bet they will fix it with firmware.

There won't be support for 2-2 in this player since it would be a major overhaul of the OS to get it evidently. But this feature will supposedly be featured with their next player.

Will this player work with a DVI to HDMI adapter with my Epson 500?

Thanks for your reply,

rmlowz

vjren,

The garbled subtitles will "straighten out" if the picture is "unsqueezed".

Paul

Hi,

I'm new to DVD audio, and am curious what the best way to set up the channels is, since there is no test tone feature on the OPPO? Just mimic the settings on my normal surround on my receiver?

Also, in the distance settings for setting up the speaker distances, the center/L/R distance can't go higher than 68 inches or so, while the others can. I assume this is an OS bug. Or maybe I don't understand.

Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Thanks!

Wes

ps really loving this player, especially (besides image quality) how amazingly fast it is in all navigation and response.

I plan to buy the Sanyo hdtv 32" from walmart. The Oppo doesn't feed a progressive signal through its components so i'll need a hdmi-dvi cable, correct? the sanyo doesn't have a dvi and the oppo doesn't have an hdmi.

i found a startech HDMI TO DVI DIGITAL 6ft cable. is this something i need??? it's only $19.95...

.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0002GRUIC/qid=1113680874/sr=1-3/ref=sr_1_3_etk-electronics/103-3047653-8706232?v=glance&s=electronics&n=172282

(my first post and it won't let me post urls :( )

Yes. You can run DVI out of the Oppo and then HDMI into the TV. That should work just fine.

I'm new to DVD audio, and am curious what the best way to set up the channels is, since there is no test tone feature on the OPPO? Just mimic the settings on my normal surround on my receiver?

Also, in the distance settings for setting up the speaker distances, the center/L/R distance can't go higher than 68 inches or so, while the others can. I assume this is an OS bug. Or maybe I don't understand.

No. To set the levels you should get a test tone disc that uses DVD Audio. I recommend the Ultimate Test and Set-Up disc from Chesky. It has the test tones mastered in DVD-A.

As for the channel distances, You can use any distance you want. As long as the distance differences between channels are right. For example, lets say your left speaker is actually 5 feet from you and the center is 7 and the right is 4. You could say the left is 10 then center is 12 and the right is 9 and you would get the same thing. All you are doing is letting the player know the differences between the channels. This is why time alignment isn't a big deal with 2 channel as long as the channels are the same distance from the listener. The player is just trying to make sure the signals are getting to your ears all at the same time so there are no phase errors.

Hope this helps.

Kris,

Thanks for the explanation of 2:2 cadence for PAL.

If it's not too big a question - do Avia or DVE have patterns to see cadence problems? How does one see cadence problems ;)

Rich4av,

Have you read this:

http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_10_1/dvd-benchmark-guide-to-progressive-scan-shootout-1-2003.html

This explains how everything is tested in the shootout.

I downloaded the user manual in anticipation of the ExtremePhono delivery. :)

I notice the dedicated 2 channel rca's are called "mix". On my other hi-rez decks I have the 5.1 analog outs going to an analog 5.1 preamp and the separate 2 channel outputs going straight to my audiophile tubed preamp. Question: does the "2 channel mix" outputs send normal stereo in the instance when the DVD-A stereo layer is chosen (or when a stereo-only DVD-A is played)? Dumb question but concerned that the only clean stereo signal (during analog stereo-only playback) comes from the front l/r of the 5.1 outputs, which would be problematic.

Related question: in the downmix menu, what does lt/rt stand for?

Thx,

Ted

Thanks, LiteUp! I thought the Zone Plate in Avia was involved somehow... I understand now how cadence is tested.

Originally posted by Kris Deering
Yes. You can run DVI out of the Oppo and then HDMI into the TV. That should work just fine.



No. To set the levels you should get a test tone disc that uses DVD Audio. I recommend the Ultimate Test and Set-Up disc from Chesky. It has the test tones mastered in DVD-A.

As for the channel distances, You can use any distance you want. As long as the distance differences between channels are right. For example, lets say your left speaker is actually 5 feet from you and the center is 7 and the right is 4. You could say the left is 10 then center is 12 and the right is 9 and you would get the same thing. All you are doing is letting the player know the differences between the channels. This is why time alignment isn't a big deal with 2 channel as long as the channels are the same distance from the listener. The player is just trying to make sure the signals are getting to your ears all at the same time so there are no phase errors.

Hope this helps.

Kris,

Awesome resonse! Totally makes sense. I'll order that setup disc. Thank you so much for your time and expertise-

Wes

I don't use the zone plate on Avia anymore. I have a couple different patterns that I use now. There is an excellent live video test on the Silicon Optix test DVD and there is a great video clip on one of the Natural Splendors disc as well. For native PAL there is a video clip on the WHQL 3 disc that is good too.

Originally posted by Chris Gerhard
This player was identified some time ago and we are waiting for the bold first purchaser to come forward. It looks promising although with the same Faroudja FLI2310, it will almost certainly have the macroblocking problem of the other players using that chip. Macroblocking doesn't ruin my DVB318 for me so if the build quality is good, it is apparently manufactured by an experienced Chinese OEM Winbase Electronics, it might be better built than the Momitsu, LiteOn and Bravo upscaling players and ultimately be the leader of the inexpensive upconversion players.

Chris


Home run on that call back in December.

Originally posted by mimason
Home run on that call back in December.

better late than never I suppose, although I read over on audioholics that Oppo has a new player scheduled for release in May

Kool, hopefully in new one all bugs r ironed out and we will have sammy hd950 to compare to.
btw, any one using oppo with GW4?

Originally posted by zoro
Kool, hopefully in new one all bugs r ironed out and we will have sammy hd950 to compare to.
btw, any one using oppo with GW4?
I am using the oppo with my KDF55XS955 (DVI -> HDMI adapter and an HDMI cable). Looks pretty damn good. Using it at 720p. For whatever reason, the Sony won't take to the 1080i coming from the oppo. Not that it matters at all. I doubt the 1080i would look better than the 720p anyway.

Interestingly, as a comparison, my Pioneer 578a sending 480i over component looks pretty good too. (The Sony's deinterlacer/scaler is pretty good.) Doesn't suffer from macroblocking or the shimmering that the oppo has... but doesn't resolve as much detail, nor does it pass blacker than black. I guess there are trade-offs to every DVD player.

-Terry

"I guess there are trade-offs to every DVD player."

That's why everybody should own at least two or three.:) I regularly use three different players (SDI Panasonic RP91, Panasonic HS2 recorder, and the Oppo) and still have another half dozen in storage including a Pioneer Elite, not counting a rarely used Cyberhome portable, and two computers with both DVD players and burners.:D

Someone may have mentioned this but Kris Deering's Secrets review (http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/cgi-bin/shootout.cgi?function=search&articles=122) rates this player just below the Denon 5900. I find this amazing considering the price difference. Just put my order in based on the review alone! Thanks for the review Kris.

We know about the 94 score. It accounts for a lot of the activity in the last couble of days.

TerryJ,

Interesting you have a problem with 1080i. Using the Oppo on my Panasonic LCD w/DVI->HDMI results in a bad picture at 1080i, the picture looks like 240p or 120p. Hitachi display with DVI->DVI -- no problem. Go figure.

Paul

Kris, I understand you've already given Oppo some feedback on the cross-color suppression causing flickering, but I'm not sure if the 2 issues we have described are the same, or somehow related, becuase they are not necessarily restricted to color images:
Shimmering - pulsating of thin vertical lines (like those on distant skyscrapers) when the camera pans in any direction. The speed of the shimmer is proportional to the speed of the camera movement. Affects PAL and NTSC.
Flickering - random, minor twitching of all (or parts) of the image on some material (often seen on the edges of white motionless text on a black background). Would you be able to give us a little more insight, please? To fix these issues, Oppo would like as much info as we can give them. Thanks.

Gary

Hey Gary

That sounds like it might actually be a timing issue. Some projectors are very picky about the timing of the input signal and will have synch issues. Do you have any clips I can look at and I will see about re-creating the issue?

Hi Kris

I don't know if you have Recoton's old "Discwasher DVD Home Theater Set-up System". An awful disk from year 2000, but nevertheless, the main menu, and many of the stationery end-credits twitch pretty badly.

Shimmering was reported on the buildings in iRobot and I saw some in "The Incredibles", but I no longer have the disk, so I don't remember exactly where I saw it.

I'll try to find some other examples of these issues, and let you know.

If anyone else can give good examples, stating exactly where they saw these issues, please chime in.

Gary

It had horrible shimmering on my 1080i Hitachi CRT RPTV.

I will look at I Robot and The Incredibles.

I don't want people referencing some weird obscure disc though because that is probably a flagging issue. I want mainstream titles that look fine on your other players.

I've posted this a couple times in this thread and I hope people aren't annoyed that I am posting it again. (I do very much want it to be fixed, though... so...)

Anyway... here's the best example of the shimmering/flickering I've seen so far:

On the Star Wars Episode II Attack of the Clones DVD there is flickering evident in the Jedi Library establishing shot. The blue "books" (which are blue vertical bands of light, positioned like books on the left and right of the library) shimmer/flicker as the camera pans down. On my Pioneer 478a (at 480i) the bands appear smooth and solid (no shimmer) but on the Oppo (at 720p) the bands appear to shimmer with the pan down. Very noticable and distracting.

On the same DVD, in the establishing shot of the Galactic Senate building in the evening over a cloudy sky (this is before Mace Windu walks into the big chamber to talk with yoda as the Emperor announces the establishment of a grand army of the republic) the green colored "windows" (more like tiny dots of green) in the base of the dome-like Senate building shimmer/flicker. Again, on my Pioneer 478a they are solid and fine, but the Oppo there is flickering.

I'm not sure what the problem is specifically, and on a lot of DVDs you might not consciously notice the shimmer. But I think, unconsciously, I knew something was "wrong". I was able to pinpoint it using this particular DVD, however.

Anyway, I hope that helps Oppo figure things out.

-Terry

The color flickers you describe above are issues with the cross color suppressor. Oppo will hopefully address this with a firmware soon. I will look at them to confirm but I am pretty sure that is the case.

I noticed shimmering on the new Matrix (especially the follow the white rabbit scene on the guys ear), on Harry Potter and the Prizoner of Azkaban at the beginning, and on the original superbit of Fifth Element, but I don't remember where. This is why I returned the player. If they fix that, I will run and buy it again.

Originally posted by Kris Deering
The color flickers you describe above are issues with the cross color suppressor. Oppo will hopefully address this with a firmware soon. I will look at them to confirm but I am pretty sure that is the case.
I'm glad that it's a recognizable issue... and I'm hoping Oppo addresses it. I think after that gets fixed, I'll have almost nothing left to nitpick! I welcome that!

-Terry

OK Kris, I just watched the wide-screen version of "Monsters, Inc".
It has a few brief moments of flickering/twitching AND shimmering.

Flickering/twitching:
As the disk loads, it starts playing trailers, advertising other movies. You can use the chapter-skip buttons to jump back and forth between trailers.

Watch the green movie-rating screens. On ALL of the trailers, the white text twitches, especially in the middle to lower half of the screen. On the "Lilo & Stitch" trailer (and one other), the text twitches in sync with the macroblocking on the green background.

Shimmering:
This is definitely most noticeable during a slow camera pan with very thin, black and white vertical lines, especially if there are a whole bunch of parallel lines. If these high-contrast lines are semi-vertical, they are not rendered smoothly... looking closely, they have pretty harsh steps, and those steps or line-segments seem to "crawl" up/down the lines as the camera moves. The more vertical the lines are, the longer the crawling segments are, and the more noticeable the shimmer is from further away.

"Monsters, Inc". doesn't have many parallels, but here are a few good places to watch for it (all very brief):

Chapter 4, time 05:18
Thin, semi-vertical, black/white window bars (left side of picture).

Chapter 12, time 26:08
Thin white highlights on the vertical window bars (left side of picture). The shimmer is different in each of the bars, because they are at slightly different angles.

Chapter 29, time 1:19:35
Black & white vertical highlights in the basket (left side of picture) and long, dark lines crawling in the gap on the right side of the door.

Chapter 30, time 1:23:37
White vertical highlights crawling on the balloon strings (left side of picture).
The vertical lines in the Avia resolution patterns also look too stepped to me, and I'm sure it is related to the shimmering problem. The thinner those lines become, the worse the stepping becomes. Shimmering would probably be visible if those patterns were slowly moving back and forth.

Gary

Has anyone used the Oppo with a Sony HS-10 PJ? I need a replacement to my Bravo D-1 that puked over the weekend. Also how would this player stack up against the D-1?

Thanks all!
Flan

Originally posted by GSB
The vertical lines in the Avia resolution patterns also look too stepped to me, and I'm sure it is related to the shimmering problem. The thinner those lines become, the worse the stepping becomes. Shimmering would probably be visible if those patterns were slowly moving back and forth.
Yes... I noticed this as well on Avia. (I checked on Widescreen Enchanced and the 200 and 100 TVL resolution patterns.) The horizonal lines are smooth throughout the horizontal resolution wedge... but the vertical wedge lines step/break quite a bit, especially, as Gary pointed out, when the lines get smaller.

-Terry

This looks like the loss of vertical resolution caused by the cross-color suppressor being enabled in the FL2310. Hopefully Oppo will have a simple firmware fix for this soon...it should be easy to flip the bit and make this problem go away.

Originally posted by TerryJ
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 have the Sanyo 32" and was wondering if i'm making a mistake in purchasing the Oppo. Does this mean i can't watch a progressive signal on the Sanyo with the Oppo? Is there a 720p with the Sanyo? The sanyo does not have DVI, only HDMI...anyone??? i have no idea what i'm talking about...help please

then which dvd player should I buy that's $200????

I have an HS10 and replaced a D1 (which died, the build quality was atrocious, I had one of the early production units with lots of loader problems) with an Oppo. Even without the firmware, the Oppo spanks the D1 silly IMO.

I searched this thread and didn't find anything, so does anyone know if the TrueLife enhancement is on with the current firmware?

Good question MikeSRC. I'd like to know that as well.

To summarize my requests (for the next firmware release):

1.) Turn OFF the cross color suppression in the FL2310
2.) Make sure TrueLife feature is enabled (or selectable via the remote) in the FL2310

Noted.

Gary

I got my Oppo today and hooked it up via my component cables I'd been using with my now dead Malata player. I've got a 5-6 year old Sony wega that's not progressive. Any way, I put in a few dvd's and I get all these multi-colored horizontal lines that pop up throughout the picture. I remembered when I hooked up my Philips 727 player up some time back via components, it did the same thing. I double checked the component cables and they are hooked up correctly.

Any idea what this is? The component cables are pretty good quality. Thx.

Does the player OUTPUT 2 channel 192khz Audio from DVD-A from the DIGITAL COAX or does it down convert to 96Khz?
*not asking about the analog outs!*


And Does it Send out DTS 96khz thru Digital Coax?, or does it down convert to 48Khz?

Can someone post a picture of the remote, and size of player in inches. thanks

Here:

size:

http://www.oppodigital.com/opdv971h_specifications.html

divide the mm specification by 25 for inches

pictures:

http://www.oppodigital.com/opdv971h_images.html

Paul

Originally posted by SOWK
Does the player OUTPUT 2 channel 192khz Audio from DVD-A from the DIGITAL COAX or does it down convert to 96Khz?
*not asking about the analog outs!*


And Does it Send out DTS 96khz thru Digital Coax?, or does it down convert to 48Khz?

On question one: Neither. DVD-Audio would ONLY come from the analog outs. Digital coax (or toslink) does not support DVD-Audio streams (packed pcm, MLP). Only carried on certain proprietary IEEE connections (Denon link, Pioneer, Meridian, for example) which the Oppo does not have.

Dunno about supporting the DTS96k bitstream.

Ted

Originally posted by ted_b
On question one: Neither. DVD-Audio would ONLY come from the analog outs. Digital coax (or toslink) does not support DVD-Audio streams (packed pcm, MLP). Only carried on certain proprietary IEEE connections (Denon link, Pioneer, Meridian, for example) which the Oppo does not have.

Dunno about supporting the DTS96k bitstream.

Ted

Im not going to make this a huge debate, but Ted, you can send DVD-A thru Digital COAX. It has to be 2 channel uncopyprotected material, but you can do it!

I have been doing it now for about 1 year with different players from Sony, Samsung, to my now Denon 3910.

Plus there are DAC's that are specificly designed for DVD-A that only input DIGITAL COAX and Optical.

And with the Samsung 841 DVD player you can send copyprotected matterial as well, but only 2 channel.

SOWK,
I was talking strictly DVD-Audio, since that's what you asked. I believe you are confusing DVD-A material with CD or lpcm material, or the dreaded Dolby Digital downmix. DVD-A means that it is a packed and compressed Meridian Lossless Packing (MLP), which has no digital coax or toslink bitstream capability except through Denon's link or the others I mentioned (which are currently proprietary and not coax). If you are talking about a linear pcm recording like 24/48 DVD-V's and DAD's then fine, but it ain't DVD-A.

Ted

DVD-A does not require MLP, it is optional. SOWK is right that DVD-A Stereo tracks that are not copy protected can be output via the Toslink connection, but only at a maximum of 96/24. 192/24 is not supported. These titles are very rare though.

I have a Mitsubishi 55613 RPTV with a DVI input that is HDCP compatible. Will the Oppo work, and has anybody tried one of these with a Mitsubishi RPTV?

Originally posted by Kris Deering
DVD-A does not require MLP, it is optional. SOWK is right that DVD-A Stereo tracks that are not copy protected can be output via the Toslink connection, but only at a maximum of 96/24. 192/24 is not supported. These titles are very rare though.

Kris,
I stand corrected on the rare unprotected stereo DVD-A. Multichannel DVD-A DOES require MLP, and I would venture to guess that 90%+ of them have MLP or some packed (protected) pcm on the stereo layer. And DD is usally present at the digital outs.

SOWK, the way the Samsung 841 works is a wild variation on the DVD-Audio standard. From the manual it appears that good, clean 24/192 analog stereo isn't even possible. It sends stereo DVD-A out the digital outputs!! ?? And downconverts to 24/96. Very weird. How does it know if the digital out stream is DD downmixed (as most players do, since DD is on a majority of DVD-A's for the DVD-V folks)? Anway, thanks for mentioning that machine. It's truly a bizarre flavor.

Ted

Originally posted by Kris Deering
DVD-A does not require MLP, it is optional. SOWK is right that DVD-A Stereo tracks that are not copy protected can be output via the Toslink connection, but only at a maximum of 96/24. 192/24 is not supported. These titles are very rare though.

Thanks Kris,

I really wanted to know if the unit will output a true 192Khz thru the Digital Coax, not the Toslink. The Toslink is limited to 96Khz, but the Digital Coax will allow for 192Khz, on the proper units! I just to know if this is one of them?

Also any word on the DTS 96khz?

Yesterday I compared the 971H with the momitsu v880 using a test disc with many scenes, even made some screen shots, but I need a tripod so have them be really worth posting.

What I see though is just a bit better, really nice, the difference is mainly caused by the motion adaptive deinterlacing, the (diagonal) lines can be just a tiny bit smoother, but if i step through frames with pause the difference is simply not really detectable.

All in all great step forward on the 971H.

Did you notice this player supports UDF discs with large files over 1 GB? Great full full length Divx HQ movies, if you have them.

One big advantage remains in favour of the V880, XGA computer resolutions, for the odd screens that just do not nativly support video formats, and 1:1 pixel mapping for many projectors that can benefit from it, but that is really a nice market.

I have a small apartment and would like to put a DVD-player on the wall, face down, almost vertical. I was thinking not totally vertical, but some slope to keep the disc in place when inserting/ejecting. Can this be done with the OPPO or can that damage the player in any way?

/Sam

Kris, without re-reading this entire thread, did you say that Oppo has a new player coming out soon? If so, what would be different? And when is it due?

Also, did you ever get up with Ed Lacinski at H/K about the DVD-31?

Thanks.

Don

I have a slightly off topic question for anyone who purchased their Oppo from extremephono.com. Did you receive any type of email order conformation or shipping tracker from extremephono, or did the unit just show up? The reason I ask is I ordered the unit on the 15th and have yet to here anything from extremephono. I realize they have been slammed with orders since the last firmware release and that may explain the lack of communication. Just wanting to know if this is normal for them.

Thanks.

Received confirmation through standard Paypal confirm, not Casey and/or ExtremePhono. Then emailed him and he responded that mine will ship today (and I bought it also on the 15th).

Ted

Thanks Ted. Their website said orders on the 16th would ship by the 18th. I guess they are running a little behind.

Any word on discrete power on/off remote commands in future update?

I', 90% sure that there are discrete codes for power on/off. My Harmony remote discretely powers on/off this device when it uses macros. So someone with a Harmony needs to learn the code to a pronto or something.

Originally posted by GSB
Noted.

Gary

Gary,

One simple thing I noticed is that if the unit is powered off, it would be nice if when you pushed the eject button the unit powered up and ejected the tray. I don't think mine does that, I have to power up, wait for it a bit to load to be responsive to the eject button.

So if that was an easy firmware fix, it would make it a little more user-friendly.

Thanks,

Wes

Originally posted by stephenju
Any word on discrete power on/off remote commands in future update?

Stephen,

is there a discrete power on and off button on the remote, or are you wondering about Pronto ccf's, etc?

Realize that without discrete on/off you can still trick a cd or dvd player into exact states, assuming the player has a standby mode (i.e doesn't truly power off....most cd and dvd players fit this category):

Program this macro:
For power on: "play" (if the player is already on then it does nothing, if the player is off, it turns it on). You can follow with "stop" if you want.
For power off: "play" followed by "power" (if the player is on, it sees play as redundant, and powers off with "power"; if the player is off, you wouldn't push it, but worst case, like a universal off command at the end of the day, it turns on then off).

Ted

Hey all, one more thing that I'm sure is on the list but seems to have fallen to the wayside compared to the PQ issues and "UI" issues is the foreign character subtitles in english movies issues. Can anyone comment if this is still on Oppos radar for fixing? In case anyone needs a refresher, what I'm talking about is - for example - when the cheif speaks sioux in "Hidalgo" it is supposed to be subtitled so you know what he is saying. It is not unless you toggle through to the second english subtitle manually (the first subtitle turns on subs for ALL dialog, the second just the foreign characters). This type subtitle is always handled correctly by other players I've used with no manual intervention.

I ordered mine on 15th, 8.45 a.m. right after Secrets posted the review. I emailed exteremphono and he emailed back saying mine would ship out on 18th. But still no shipping info tracking # so far. Does that means it just shows up???

Originally posted by Charles J P
Hey all, one more thing that I'm sure is on the list but seems to have fallen to the wayside compared to the PQ issues and "UI" issues is the foreign character subtitles in english movies issues. Can anyone comment if this is still on Oppos radar for fixing? In case anyone needs a refresher, what I'm talking about is - for example - when the cheif speaks sioux in "Hidalgo" it is supposed to be subtitled so you know what he is saying. It is not unless you toggle through to the second english subtitle manually (the first subtitle turns on subs for ALL dialog, the second just the foreign characters). This type subtitle is always handled correctly by other players I've used with no manual intervention.

Are you saying this player doesn't handle "forced" subtitles correctly? Example, in Kill Bill, english subs (that aren't embedded in the movie) only come up during the japanese language scenes. Can anyone confirm?

I have one little question to make....
I have a low-end Infocus X1 proyector that fits well with this player (in terms of price), so I was wondering if I could use my DVI-VGA adaptor from the computer to connect them, making use of the upscaling feature.
Is it possible?

No, the DVI on the Oppo is digital output only, no DVI-Analog is available.

Paul

Does anyone care to know if the DVD player outputs DTS 96Khz?

Are you saying this player doesn't handle "forced" subtitles correctly? Example, in Kill Bill, english subs (that aren't embedded in the movie) only come up during the japanese language scenes. Can anyone confirm? If I understand you correctly, yes, the player does NOT currently handle this correctly. During the Japanese language, if it is supposed to be subtitled, it will NOT be unless you perform 1 of 2 things manually.

Either A) someone has reported that if you go into the language selection of a DVD where it has like english/french/spanish (language, not subs) and select english, the subs WILL appear right, but I have not tested this.
or
B) on Hidalgo and other movies, there are TWO english options for subs. One subs the whole movie (like someone hard of hearing would use) but the second one is JUST the foreign language english subs.

If you do either of those, it shoudl work, but the firmware needs to be updated so that it works like 99.9% of the rest of the DVD players on the market.

I'm sorry if these has been addressed already, but I don't feel like going through over 1000 posts to find it ;) What is the quality of the DAC in this unit. Too often DVD players seem to not pay attention to audio quality, and considering that this unit outputs DPL II with audio management I was wondering as to its quality.

Thanks,
Raul

A PQ question for you lucky Oppo owners out there!

Two pet peeves of mine when viewing MPEG-compressed video are: 1) color banding (aka false contouring) in areas of relatively smooth color transitions, and 2) macroblocking in relatively static image areas.

How would you rate the Oppo in these areas? As I understand it, the "macroblocking enhance" bug of the Faroudja applies mostly to fade-in and fade-out transitions, which I could live with. But I can't stand seeing those pulsing, blocky color blotches in otherwise static areas, nor obvious color banding.

I am currently using a Sony 775 specifically for the reason that this player seems to minimize these artifacts. I'm considering upgrading to the Oppo for increased detail but don't want to be disappointed in these other areas.

Originally posted by Raul GS
I'm sorry if these has been addressed already, but I don't feel like going through over 1000 posts to find it ;) What is the quality of the DAC in this unit. Too often DVD players seem to not pay attention to audio quality, and considering that this unit outputs DPL II with audio management I was wondering as to its quality.

Thanks,
Raul
Use the function at the top of the page labeled "Search this Thread:". Just enter "DAC" into that and you'll get a list of all the DAC related discussions on this thread.

In a nutshell, this unit has a single multi-channel DAC for audio (CS4360 192KHz/24bit). It is good enough for the majority of people who buy this player, but not something an audiophile would use for listening to music.

Originally posted by Charles J P
I', 90% sure that there are discrete codes for power on/off. My Harmony remote discretely powers on/off this device when it uses macros. So someone with a Harmony needs to learn the code to a pronto or something.

The Harmony uses discrete commands when they're available, but it also "remembers" what it's already turned on or off when they're not available, so it may not be using discretes.

BTW, I spoke to Oppo yesterday and they're out of stock until the end of the month due to the big surge in sales since Kris's review.

Originally posted by ted_b
Stephen,

is there a discrete power on and off button on the remote, or are you wondering about Pronto ccf's, etc?

Realize that without discrete on/off you can still trick a cd or dvd player into exact states, assuming the player has a standby mode (i.e doesn't truly power off....most cd and dvd players fit this category):

Program this macro:
For power on: "play" (if the player is already on then it does nothing, if the player is off, it turns it on). You can follow with "stop" if you want.
For power off: "play" followed by "power" (if the player is on, it sees play as redundant, and powers off with "power"; if the player is off, you wouldn't push it, but worst case, like a universal off command at the end of the day, it turns on then off).

Ted

Ted,

Yes, it's for universal remote control (Harmony to be exact). I know about the tricks you provided but I just don't like turning the player on just to turn it off. And, discrete commands are the Right Thing To Do (r) :)

I thought my harmony also had on/off buttons and when I use them independant of a macro they work. I'd check but my system is in storage because our house is under construction.

Originally posted by MikeSRC
BTW, I spoke to Oppo yesterday and they're out of stock until the end of the month due to the big surge in sales since Kris's review.

Great. That gives me some more time to mull over a purchase or not. :)

Originally posted by ralniv
It is good enough for the majority of people who buy this player, but not something an audiophile would use for listening to music.
That is what I was trying to figure out.

Thanks,
Raul

Originally posted by Brian Miller
A PQ question for you lucky Oppo owners out there!

Two pet peeves of mine when viewing MPEG-compressed video are: 1) color banding (aka false contouring) in areas of relatively smooth color transitions, and 2) macroblocking in relatively static image areas.

How would you rate the Oppo in these areas? As I understand it, the "macroblocking enhance" bug of the Faroudja applies mostly to fade-in and fade-out transitions, which I could live with. But I can't stand seeing those pulsing, blocky color blotches in otherwise static areas, nor obvious color banding.

I am currently using a Sony 775 specifically for the reason that this player seems to minimize these artifacts. I'm considering upgrading to the Oppo for increased detail but don't want to be disappointed in these other areas. Everything he mentions goes for me as well. Denon 755 (both DVI and component) and Toshiba 596 (on DVI) showed blocking/banding in all the wrong places and the Lego-like fade-ins are ridiculous. (Where the class-action suit against Genesis/Faroudja?) I've got a Sony 775 hooked up at the moment, but that just posted an underwhelming Secrets score.

I've got a Sony WS550 set and based on the previous bad Faroudja performance, is it safe to assume that the Oppo will be even more of the same or have they manage to pasteurize out these flaws. Judging from the threads, it looks like some flicker and blocking is the price of admission still.

I am in the exact same situation.....and no shipping email so far.

Originally posted by Alex solomon
I ordered mine on 15th, 8.45 a.m. right after Secrets posted the review. I emailed exteremphono and he emailed back saying mine would ship out on 18th. But still no shipping info tracking # so far. Does that means it just shows up???

Originally posted by LiteUp!
I am in the exact same situation.....and no shipping email so far.

Guys,

I ordered mine the week that the firmware started being discussed, and knew that Extremephoto would hold it until the new firmware was installed. Mine arrived on the 15th having been shipped on the 13th, no emails or anything. I was happy to see it, as I thought it would take longer to get it after the firmware was "Offiical".

Hope yours shows up soon, I am enjoying mine!

Wes

Thanks Wes. What state are you in? Yes, I am sure they are swamped right now (in a good way).

Originally posted by LiteUp!
Thanks Wes. What state are you in? Yes, I am sure they are swamped right now (in a good way).

All the way in Rochester, NY, so not real close to OPPO headquarters! (or Extremephoto for that matter. . .)

Wes

The 4/13 update cleaned up a lot of the more glaring operational issues. A good player at an inexpensive price is possible -- just listen to the public. At this rate and quality of fixes, Oppo will be sitting pretty nice.

Paul

Originally posted by Brian Miller
Two pet peeves of mine when viewing MPEG-compressed video are: 1) color banding (aka false contouring) in areas of relatively smooth color transitions, and 2) macroblocking in relatively static image areas.

How would you rate the Oppo in these areas? As I understand it, the "macroblocking enhance" bug of the Faroudja applies mostly to fade-in and fade-out transitions, which I could live with. But I can't stand seeing those pulsing, blocky color blotches in otherwise static areas, nor obvious color banding.

I am currently using a Sony 775 specifically for the reason that this player seems to minimize these artifacts. I'm considering upgrading to the Oppo for increased detail but don't want to be disappointed in these other areas. Brian, DirkBelig

Aside from the macroblock-enhance bug and a bit of EE that should soon be fixed, the Oppo is very faithful to the source disk. If there is no macroblocking or contouring on the disk, none will be added. However, a badly recorded, or heavily compressed DVD will be shown with all its pulsing and banding glory. An analog player often masks some of those ugly artifacts because of the dithering-effect of noise introduced by the D/A and A/D conversions, but the artifacts are still there.

Gary

An analog player often masks some of those ugly artifacts because of the dithering-effect of noise introduced by the D/A and A/D conversions, but the artifacts are still there.

This is the first time I've seen a logical explanation as to why blocking appears some places and not others. The Toshiba uses a different chip for the component output than the HDMI jack and as a result, doesn't block. The Denon is all Faroudja everywhere (DVI or comp.) and as a result, is blocky hell.

What are the odds of Oppo switching off the cross-color supressor, especially since the latest mega-update didn't do it already. It's not like they suddenly realized that there's a new problem - the problem is notorious, so if ANYONE could've tamed this beast, wouldn't they have already?

Originally posted by DirkBelig
What are the odds of Oppo switching off the cross-color supressor, especially since the latest mega-update didn't do it already. It's not like they suddenly realized that there's a new problem - the problem is notorious, so if ANYONE could've tamed this beast, wouldn't they have already? Oppo is new to the market, and they were not aware of the CCS problem until it was pointed out by Kris. That was after the firmware mega-update. I'm sure Oppo would have no trouble turning it off in future updates.

Gary

The odds are very good since they didn't realize it was an issue until I told them. And I told them a few days ago. And this problem only manifests with some material. For example, I played Toy Story, The Incredibles and some other material and didn't see any issues with colors. But if you put up some static test patterns it is very obvious. It would be quite easy to overlook if the material they used didn't show it, just like the macroblocking issue which is actually even harder since that is also display dependent!

Kris,

What is Oppo saying about the macroblock enhance? Other companies have been rather tight-lipped. Is Oppo discussing anything that can be shared?

Paul

Originally posted by Raul GS
What is the quality of the DAC in this unit. Too often DVD players seem to not pay attention to audio quality, and considering that this unit outputs DPL II with audio management I was wondering as to its quality.

...You state that it has excellent audio, but it can be bettered in the context of a dedicated sound room. Am I correct in assuming you are stating that the sound quality of its DAC cannot compete with the better Sony CD players? Also, why do you say it would be good enough in a non dedicated room? I do not buy very high-end audio equipment because I do not have a dedicated sound room, therefore I am unable to make such comparisons.

Without a dedicated sound room, it would be simply impossible to tell apart the subtle improvements in sound quality that a better player has to offer. There are just far too many uncontrolled factors, including speaker characteristics and room modes - reflections, standing waves, and other anomalies that cause huge peaks & nulls in the room's response, affecting every possible listening position. These things muddy the sound with amplitudes that far exceed any relatively tiny inaccuracies/nuances that could be attributed to the player (unless, of course, its audio implementation was pretty bad).

Theoretically, though, a single, dedicated DAC (like Burr-Brown) for each channel, can out-perform a multi-channel DAC. But... that depends entirely on the implementation. The analog/mixed-signal design, and the layout of the PC board is of paramount importance. A well-implemented multi-channel DAC can sound a lot better than a dedicated DAC that wasn't properly implemented.

I have heard that the Cambridge player has been highly praised for its audio, using the same DAC that the Oppo uses. It may also have a similar implementation. However, I'm sure the Oppo was not specifically designed to be a truly high-end audio platform in the first place.

If anyone else has pitted this player against the competition in a well-calibrated high-end sound controlled environment, let us know!

Gary

Kris, any ideas on the shimmering/twitching yet? Details reported here: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&postid=5495687#post5495687

Gary

Does anyone have the ability to compare this unit with the higher up models such as the 59AVi, 2910/3910, and SP1000? It would be interesting to see how it compares PQ wise. My projector is in the hospital so I have not had the ability to compare.

Anyone using the OPPO with a Sony 34XBR960? I'm wondering if you can see macroblocking on the 960. I cannot find ANY report positive or negative concerning macroblocking on the Sony 34XBR960.


Thanks for any info!



Ronnie

Originally posted by Ronnie Ferrell
Anyone using the OPPO with a Sony 34XBR960? I'm wondering if you can see macroblocking on the 960. I cannot find ANY report positive or negative concerning macroblocking on the Sony 34XBR960.


Thanks for any info!



Ronnie

I have tried a Faroudja FLI2301 Zenith DVB318 with an XBR910 and don't believe upscaling provides a very good picture. In general, I believe a direct view CRT doesn't benefit from upscaling DVD players. Macroblocking was far less noticeable on the XBR910 than on my Panasonic 720p LCD projector but I simply like my standard DVD player better with the XBR910. I much prefer the upscaling player with the LCD projector.

Only your opinion matters of course but my bet is a good progressive scan DVD player will work best with your XBR960 which I believe has the same picture tube as the XBR910.

Chris

You really have to evaluate the benefits of upscaling on CRT-based systems on a system by system basis. I have in my house a 26" Samsung HD direct view CRT and have used it with the LiteOn upscaling player (component out) and there is a clear improvement using 1080i over 480i/p, even with that small of a sreen. The LiteOn was an early upscaling player and can't compare to the Oppo, but still provides a benefit. Others have reported seeing no benefit using the LiteOn with a CRT. I've also seen improvements using upscaling with other direct view CRTs and a big improvement with my Sony 53" CRT RPTV using both the Oppo (480p DVI out) and a Panasonic RP91 combined with an Iscan HD to upscale.

I got my Oppo DV971H the other day and hooked it up via component cables. I'd been using the same cables with my now dead Malata n996 DVD player (that literally BLEW UP on me). I tried multiple dvd's NTSC and PAL and I keep getting these horizontal colored lines that scroll up and down the picture. Not all the time, but they are certainly noticeable. I've got a 6 year old Sony wega (KV-32FV16) that's not progressive. I hooked up my backup Philips 727 dvd player via the component cables and it does the same thing. I double checked the component cables and they are hooked up correctly. I then went out and picked up another component video cable... Same issue.

I'm really puzzled because I used the same component in's with my old Malata player for over 4 years. One thing I did notice is the Component in's on the Wega are labeled Y,Pr,Pb instead of Y,Cr,Cb like the Oppo.

Any idea what this could be? I've searched the site and web and am coming up with little or nothing. I'd appriciate any help.

:(

Originally posted by GSB
I do not buy very high-end audio equipment because I do not have a dedicated sound room, therefore I am unable to make such comparisons.

Without a dedicated sound room, it would be simply impossible to tell apart the subtle improvements in sound quality that a better player has to offer. There are just far too many uncontrolled factors, including speaker characteristics and room modes - reflections, standing waves, and other anomalies that cause huge peaks & nulls in the room's response, affecting every possible listening position. These things muddy the sound with amplitudes that far exceed any relatively tiny inaccuracies/nuances that could be attributed to the player (unless, of course, its audio implementation was pretty bad).

Theoretically, though, a single, dedicated DAC (like Burr-Brown) for each channel, can out-perform a multi-channel DAC. But... that depends entirely on the implementation. The analog/mixed-signal design, and the layout of the PC board is of paramount importance. A well-implemented multi-channel DAC can sound a lot better than a dedicated DAC that wasn't properly implemented.

I have heard that the Cambridge player has been highly praised for its audio, using the same DAC that the Oppo uses. It may also have a similar implementation. However, I'm sure the Oppo was not specifically designed to be a truly high-end audio platform in the first place.

If anyone else has pitted this player against the competition in a well-calibrated high-end sound controlled environment, let us know!

Gary

I will definitely put this player through its audio paces (stereo and multichannel DVD-A, primarily) when I get it. I will report back. The rest of the system video-wise (Dtrovision DVI-to-VGA) will not be purchased/opened until I know the DVD-A is good enough for my system. I use the Chesky test disc and have 50+ DVD-A's. I will sample enough to come up with a feel in short order.

Ted

Originally posted by Alex solomon
I ordered mine on 15th, 8.45 a.m. right after Secrets posted the review. I emailed exteremphono and he emailed back saying mine would ship out on 18th. But still no shipping info tracking # so far. Does that means it just shows up???

We issued tracking # upon shipment via FedEx automated notification system. However, the FedEx e-mails could have been filtered out by spam-mail filters. Paypal used to provide a place for entering the tracking # but no longer.
If you don't get the tracking # by 4/18, and the order was placed before 4/16, 8PM PST, please let us know and we'll resend the tracking info.

The new Oppo units are going to leave factory in the next few hours by Air, first shipment should be here by 4/30, followed by a subsequent shipment ETA 5/15.

Well, whether I get one or not, you've gotta love it that both the mfgr and the distributor are "listening" here. Breath of fresh air. I just don't see why they all don't do it. I can think of several products that could have been home runs if they carved out a few betas to some of us here or at least let us provide input. Ahhh..

Originally posted by Heliosphann
I got my Oppo DV971H the other day and hooked it up via component cables. I'd been using the same cables with my now dead Malata n996 DVD player (that literally BLEW UP on me). I tried multiple dvd's NTSC and PAL and I keep getting these horizontal colored lines that scroll up and down the picture. Not all the time, but they are certainly noticeable. I've got a 6 year old Sony wega (KV-32FV16) that's not progressive. I hooked up my backup Philips 727 dvd player via the component cables and it does the same thing. I double checked the component cables and they are hooked up correctly. I then went out and picked up another component video cable... Same issue.

I'm really puzzled because I used the same component in's with my old Malata player for over 4 years. One thing I did notice is the Component in's on the Wega are labeled Y,Pr,Pb instead of Y,Cr,Cb like the Oppo.

Any idea what this could be? I've searched the site and web and am coming up with little or nothing. I'd appriciate any help.

:(
my post has nothing to do with answering your question but i read that the Oppo does not output progressive through component, if you didn't already know.

Originally posted by Heliosphann
I got my Oppo DV971H the other day and hooked it up via component cables. I'd been using the same cables with my now dead Malata n996 DVD player (that literally BLEW UP on me). I tried multiple dvd's NTSC and PAL and I keep getting these horizontal colored lines that scroll up and down the picture. Not all the time, but they are certainly noticeable. I've got a 6 year old Sony wega (KV-32FV16) that's not progressive. I hooked up my backup Philips 727 dvd player via the component cables and it does the same thing. I double checked the component cables and they are hooked up correctly. I then went out and picked up another component video cable... Same issue.

I'm really puzzled because I used the same component in's with my old Malata player for over 4 years. One thing I did notice is the Component in's on the Wega are labeled Y,Pr,Pb instead of Y,Cr,Cb like the Oppo.

Any idea what this could be? I've searched the site and web and am coming up with little or nothing. I'd appriciate any help.

:(

Sounds like a ground loop problem. If you're dvd player isn't connected to the same power surge as the rest of your equipment, do it. If that doesn't work. Unplug everything but your tv and oppo and see if that fixes. Try unplugging any other cable connections from the tv.

That shouldn't matter, as his TV isn't PS either.

But, if you're using a component connection, there's not really much reason to spend the money on this player. There are good, standard region free players to be had for less. The good PQ on this machine comes through its DVI output.

Originally posted by renaldow
That shouldn't matter, as his TV isn't PS either.

But, if you're using a component connection, there's not really much reason to spend the money on this player. There are good, standard region free players to be had for less. The good PQ on this machine comes through its DVI output.

I'll go mess around with the ground/connections on my AV setup... Hopefully that'll work.

As for the OPPO player, I plan on getting a DLP projector in the next few months. I'll mostly be using the OPPO for that, so that's one of the main reason's I purchased it.

So I e-mailed OPPO's customer service (using the same text in my post above) about my problem with my component outs and they want me to send the DVD player back... They said they think the component outs on the DVD player is bad, which I don't think is true. My question is why does my Philips 727 player do the same thing? It's got to be something to do with my TV and the component connections to it...

On the good side they responded in like 5-6 hours... Wow.

Originally posted by Heliosphann
I got my Oppo DV971H the other day and hooked it up via component cables. I'd been using the same cables with my now dead Malata n996 DVD player (that literally BLEW UP on me). I tried multiple dvd's NTSC and PAL and I keep getting these horizontal colored lines that scroll up and down the picture. Not all the time, but they are certainly noticeable. I've got a 6 year old Sony wega (KV-32FV16) that's not progressive. I hooked up my backup Philips 727 dvd player via the component cables and it does the same thing. I double checked the component cables and they are hooked up correctly. I then went out and picked up another component video cable... Same issue.

I'm really puzzled because I used the same component in's with my old Malata player for over 4 years. One thing I did notice is the Component in's on the Wega are labeled Y,Pr,Pb instead of Y,Cr,Cb like the Oppo. If your Philips 727 dvd player does the same thing via the component cables, then it isn't the Oppo.

So, have you considered that when the Malata n996 BLEW UP, it may have done some damage to the TV inputs?

Another thing to consider: the routing of the component cables is important. If they're too close to 110V cables, or other equipment with switching power supplies, they could be picking up interference.

Could it be that the washing machine or some other machine is running in the neighborhood? That could be the source of conducted interference, transmitted through the house wiring. Turn it off if possible.

Try a surge suppressor, or if you already have one, you may need to replace it (due to the catastrophic electrical failure in your Malata).

YPrPb is the correct label for analog component connections. If the Oppo says YCrCb, it has been mislabeled. YCrCb is the DIGITAL equivalent, as recorded on a DVD, and optionally sent via HDMI connections. The Oppo is sending YPrPb.

Gary

Thanks for the tips GSB... I'm going to thoroughly check/disconnect everything to my TV or near it.

I'm pretty sure the Malata didn't do any damage to the Wega... I actually remember when I first got the Philips I hooked it up via the same Component's and it did the same thing it's doing now with the OPPO.

It's just so weird that the Malata worked fine with the component in's and my OPPO/Philips don't...

Has anyone tried this player with a long length (40') DVI cable?

I have tried the European version (which is called BBK) with the most recent OPPO firmware and a 10 meter DVI of good quality and it flickers at resolutions 720P and 1080i, both 50 and 60Hz. I have a Panasonic AE500.

Originally posted by renaldow
That shouldn't matter, as his TV isn't PS either.

But, if you're using a component connection, there's not really much reason to spend the money on this player. There are good, standard region free players to be had for less. The good PQ on this machine comes through its DVI output.
which upscaler dvd player do you recommend w/ HDMI? i have that sanyo 32" with hdmi. i've read that a dvi-hdmi adapter won't work....suggestions????

A DVI to HDMI adapter WILL work. Who told you it wouldn't?

Originally posted by Heliosphann

I'm pretty sure the Malata didn't do any damage to the Wega... I actually remember when I first got the Philips I hooked it up via the same Component's and it did the same thing it's doing now with the OPPO.

It's just so weird that the Malata worked fine with the component in's and my OPPO/Philips don't...

When I had my Wega, I had a variety of players hooked up to it via component, and never had the problem you're describing. Before doing anything else I'd be tempted to get a good quarlity component cable just to see if there is any difference.

Originally posted by LiteUp!
A DVI to HDMI adapter WILL work. Who told you it wouldn't?
i'm not sure who but i read somewhere that someone was having problems with the adaptor when connected to the Sanyo...i guess it's a problem specific to the Sanyo and not Oppo????

sabt I think it's like this:

DVD w/ HDCP -> Projector w/o HDCP won't work.

DVD w/o HDCP -> Projector w/ HDCP is ok. This is were OPPO belongs since it doesn't have content protection.

Originally posted by tyrann
sabt I think it's like this:

DVD w/ HDCP -> Projector w/o HDCP won't work.

DVD w/o HDCP -> Projector w/ HDCP is ok. This is were OPPO belongs since it doesn't have content protection.
ok so if my Sanyo crt-tv does have HDCP then i'm good to go?

now i have to find out if the sanyo has hdcp...i have no idea what i'm saying...i'm new to this...

I've searched the thread and haven't seen any comments on this combination.

My nephew has a Pioneer PDP-4345HD plasma TV with media receiver and is interested in buying the OPPO player to use as a higher quality source for DVDs. The Pioneer TV apparently upconverts all sources to its native 768P display format. I can't confirm, but assume that the Pioneer receiver includes a video processor to perform the upconversion. If this is the case, it seems the OPPO or other upconverting DVD players would not be an advantage, since it would essentially perform dual processing. Any comments on this? Does anyone have experience with using any upconverting DVD players with this TV?

Thanks!

Chuck

Actually, The Oppo will work anywhere since it is not HDCP compliant. It will work with displays that are HDCP compliant (because you can turn off HDCP in them, like you would to connect a PC to them) and older ones that are not HDCP compliant (obviously).

No you don't have to find out anything. Because it doesn't matter whether your TV has HDCP or not if the player doesn't support it.

The only thing you might have to do is set your TV to no-HDCP mode (or PC mode, or somthing like that...). I don't know exactly since I don't have a Sanyo...

/Sam

Originally posted by tyrann
No you don't have to find out anything. Because it doesn't matter whether your TV has HDCP or not if the player doesn't support it.

The only thing you might have to do is set your TV to no-HDCP mode (or PC mode, or somthing like that...). I don't know exactly since I don't have a Sanyo...

/Sam
ok, thanx...i guess i'll purchase this Oppo when it's back in stock...

fyi,

I ordered a Oppo off the Amazon.com website monday. I got the fedex email yesterday saying It is scheduled to be here friday.

If it matters I am in Colorado

I just recieved my new OPPO and have one problem.

I hooked the new oppo unit to my Samsung TX-P3271H via DVI and can only use 420p and 720p. If I set the oppo to 1080i I get odd looking hoizontal bars (pink/blue). When I switch the modes over and over 1080i will eventually work, although everything seems like it is running on a i486 with no math processor. The video is not very sharp and seems to be getting rendered at less than 20fps as if it is running in slow-motion or something.

Also when I do have a picture I get grey LB bars instead of the black I usually get via the component inputs, although this may be the TV not the player. The menu seems to not offer options for the background in the menu system, but I did see a DVI option (STPME or 681B I tried both to no avail).


This TV supports 480p and 1080i natively while it upconverts 480i to 480p and 720p to 1080i through the DVI (HDCP) and component inputs .

Things I hope the next generation Oppo player has:

1.) 2:2 Cadence issue fixed/selectable.
2.) Cross-color supressor OFF in 2310 (Actually a selection to turn it OFF or ON).
3.) Network connection to play all of the various AVI/MPEG/Divx video formats it is capable of from my home network/media server. Option for Ethernet and 802.11g (PCMCIA or mPCI card slot).
4.) 480p out on component connection (and maybe upconversion too)
5.) 480i out option on HDMI/DVI.
6.) Full-fledged HDMI connection.
7.) Digital MPEG DNR, Mosquito NR/3D NR, Depth Enhancer
8.) Studio Level/PC Level RGB setting (Standard/Enhanced Levels)
9.) SACD support to go along with DVD-A
10.) Maybe capability for 1080p out (for future-proofing)
11.) A HDMI digital "direct" video mode, that disables all sharpness, color, contrast, brightness, or any other filtering settings. In other words, it just gives what is on the DVD period, without any manipulation.

DaEnigma: How long cable do you have? Perhaps the horizontal bars are noise due to signal loss? Are the bars fix or do they move randomly?

Which firmware? Check this thread on how to find that out.

The bars seem to be fixed but may be scrolling at a very fast rate... I am using the DVI cable ~3ft long that came with the player...

I may take a digital photo to post later...

Firmware Version menu:

MVersion 05.00.01.07
SUB-VER 00.00.00.01
Servo 23.07.10.00
Version OP971-2-0412
Region Code 0

I also noticed when I finally get 1080i to work I can look at the oppo screen after loading with no disc in and the words seem to jitter or vibrate a bit very odd...

Originally posted by tyrann
I have tried the European version (which is called BBK) with the most recent OPPO firmware and a 10 meter DVI of good quality and it flickers at resolutions 720P and 1080i, both 50 and 60Hz. I have a Panasonic AE500.

Did you have this problem with flickering before? Does it continue flickering at 480p/576p?

Originally posted by sabt
i'm not sure who but i read somewhere that someone was having problems with the adaptor when connected to the Sanyo...i guess it's a problem specific to the Sanyo and not Oppo????
I just received my new Oppo yesterday and hooked it up via a no name (bought on ebay) DVI-to-HDMI converter. My projector (Yamaha LPX-510) was reporting "no signal". I tried swapping the converter with a Gefen model that I use for my HD DVR cable box and voila! Actually, I initially got a set of green lines across the screen. I had to hit the "DVI" button on the remote to switch resolutions, which leads me to a question...

Is there a way to make the Oppo report which resolution it is using on the DVI output? My projector shows a signal at two of the resolutions: one is 4:3 with bars on the sides and the other is 16:9. I'm assuming the 16:9 is 1280x720 (the native res of my projector).

Originally posted by ralniv
Is there a way to make the Oppo report which resolution it is using on the DVI output? The Oppo does report its resolution, but only for a couple of seconds. If your display takes longer than that to sync, then you will have to switch to the composite or component connection while you make the changes. I use a cheezy composite cable to verify my resolution and most importantly, to upgrade the firmware, otherwise my TV drops sync for too long and I miss the messages.

Just remember: You will not be getting 480p, 720p or 1080i out of the analog connections - the Oppo is reporting the DVI output resolution - after all, you're using the "DVI" mode button!

Gary

Hmm, I am now very interested in this unit too. I have been looking for a replacement for my Yamaha DVD-C920. I picked up a Pioneer DV-578a last night, but my initial experiences with it were not very positive, the picture quality was just nowhere near where I wanted it to be.

Since this uses the same chipset as the Yammy I'm thinking I might be able to get the same PQ for a lower price than shelling out for a Denon 2910 or Panny S97. Would those of you who have compared this unit to those say that the picture is at least as good? (I don't really care about the audio fidelity side).

Also, I would be using this with a Hitachi 57SWX20B CRT RP HDTV. Has anyone hooked one up to a similar set to good results? I have become aware that my set is HDCP compliant, but there is no menu option to turn off the HDCP, could that cause issues?

Originally posted by RuggeroF
Did you have this problem with flickering before? Does it continue flickering at 480p/576p?

I used the same 10 meter cable with my HTPC and I had problem with that setup also. Now I use a shorter cable and it works well. It does not flicker at those lower resolutions, so it's a "bandwith issue" I think...

Originally posted by tyrann
I used the same 10 meter cable with my HTPC and I had problem with that setup also. Now I use a shorter cable and it works well. It does not flicker at those lower resolutions, so it's a "bandwith issue" I think...

So in the end it means that the Oppo firmware worked in a BBK European version. Do you still have your Scart operational?

I am considering buying the BBK Russian version (BBK DV985S) and flash with the Oppo firmware to get some problems solved. It seems that "Oppo" gives a better support than "BBK"

Thanks for your feedback Tyrann.

Originally posted by tyrann
I used the same 10 meter cable with my HTPC and I had problem with that setup also. Now I use a shorter cable and it works well. It does not flicker at those lower resolutions, so it's a "bandwith issue" I think...

How short did you have to go to get it to work? I was planning to order the 30ft hdmi cable from bluejeanscable. That is 9.144m long. I *may* be able to get away with the 23 ft cable (7.0104m). Do you think either of these may work?

reaper

Yes, the OPPO firmware works better than the one supplied by BBK. But we have to keep in mind that the player is new in Europe and we have to give them some time to catch up. :) The BBK guys have visited the local forums and are very happy to receive feedback/suggestions from us, so I hope we'll get good BBK firmwares as well in the near future.

I'm not 100% sure, but I think the scart is working, but without possibility to change the settings. Please correct me if I'm wrong here, I haven't tried it, just something I think I've read somewhere...

Originally posted by reaper
How short did you have to go to get it to work? I was planning to order the 30ft hdmi cable from bluejeanscable. That is 9.144m long. I *may* be able to get away with the 23 ft cable (7.0104m). Do you think either of these may work?

reaper

I guess it depends a lot on your display. If you have a panny 500 or similar I'd say go for the shorter one but I'm not sure it will work. If it's possible I think you should try the cable before you buy it.

The cable I use now is 2 m (that is 6.5617 ft ;-) ) but of "medium" quality. Works perfectly.

/Sam

I plan to buy the HS51. I guess I will order the player and the cable at the same time when I am ready. Then just try the unit out before running the cable in the ceiling. If it works, I'll keep everything. If not, I'll return everything.

reaper

Does anyone have more ideas on what my problem may be from pg 61?

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?postid=5506715#post5506715

If anyone else is having trouble finding a place that has the OPDV971H in stock, try HKFLIX.com. They confirmed they have them in stock after Oppo recommended them if I didn't want to wait a few days for their new stock to arrive. I just ordered mine. Hope its as good as all yall say.

http://www.hkflix.com/hardware/xq/asp/pid.90/qx/details.htm

Steve

Originally posted by DaEnigma
I hooked the unit to my Samsung TX-P3271H via DVI and can only use 420p and 720p if I set it to 1080I I get odd looking hoizontal bars (pink/blue) but if I switch the modes over and over 1080i will eventually work although everything seems like it is running on a i486 with no math processor, the image is not very good and seems to be getting rendered at less than 20fps like it is in slowmotion or somthing...

Also when I do have a picture I get grey LB bars instead of the usual black I get using component inputs although this may be the TV not the player, although there is no options for the background in the menu systems I did see a DVI option STPME or 681B I tried both to no avail...


This TV supports 480p and 1080i natively while it upconverts 480i to 480p and 720p to 1080i through the DVI (HDCP) and component inputs . DaEnigma, you need to use more punctuation! It's really hard to understand what you've written, without reading your stuff over and over.

You may have a compatibility issue with your set at 1080i. Have you tried another 1080i source? Are you using a different cable than the one supplied in the box? While it is usually best to match the native resolution of your set, if the 720p signal looks good, you might be willing to live with the compromise.

Grey letterbox bars are not coming from the Oppo. It must be your TV, unless some color corruption is occurring due to the 1080i problem.

Gary

My 30 day return window for Blue Jeans cable is fast approaching. Have only a week left. Oppo is still a no show. If I keep the Oppo, then I will have no use for $95.00 cable. Can't decide till I see the Oppo in action. I emailed casey this morning and asked him for the Fedex tracking #. I just hope it will be here today or tomorrow.

Would everyone say the picture on the Oppo is very sharp and detailed? I think my biggest pet peeves on the pioneer 578a right now are that it has a ton of noise in dimly lit scenes and that overall the picture is a little soft, and lots of detail seems to dissapear from items that aren't right in the center of the focus.

If the Oppo has a very detailed crisp picture all over the screen, even for images in the background, and lacks the video noise issues, I might be tempted to go with it.

NulloModo,

The Oppo's picture is very sharp and detailed.

GSB and DaEnigma

I have an issue as well with 1080i on a Panasonic TC-22LH1 LCD. Basically the picture looks like it gets converted to 120p! Horizontal resolution is very poor. However, hook it up to a Hitachi plasma and w/1080i -- no problem!

There was a report with a Sony display having an issue with 1080i as well.

Paul

That is good to hear, that the picture has lots of detail that is. For those who have seen both, is it comparable to a Panasonic S97 or a Denon 2910? I could most likely see either of those locally, and it might give me an idea of what to expect by ordering the Oppo.

Originally posted by NulloModo
Would everyone say the picture on the Oppo is very sharp and detailed? I think my biggest pet peeves on the pioneer 578a right now are that it has a ton of noise in dimly lit scenes and that overall the picture is a little soft, and lots of detail seems to dissapear from items that aren't right in the center of the focus.

If the Oppo has a very detailed crisp picture all over the screen, even for images in the background, and lacks the video noise issues, I might be tempted to go with it.
I would say the Oppo has a very sharp picture... (almost... too sharp? well, a bit too much sharpness, but they're working on that apparently.)

Interestingly, I also have the Pioneer 578a. I noticed that using it in Progressive (480p) mode, the picture looks way too soft. It kind of looks terrible, honestly. As an experiment, I tried it on Interlace (480i) mode, and it looks much much better. I'd say that it is just slightly less sharp than the Oppo, but not by a large margin. Of course, that might just be the good deinterlacer in my Sony set, but I think it is also that the Pioneer's internal deinterlacer...well... plain stinks.

Give your Pioneer a looksee at 480i mode. The difference for me was huge. (I use the Pioneer over the Oppo for DVDs that exhibit a lot of macroblocking.)

-Terry

Originally posted by TerryJ
I would say the Oppo has a very sharp picture... (almost... too sharp? well, a bit too much sharpness, but they're working on that apparently.)

Interestingly, I also have the Pioneer 578a. I noticed that using it in Progressive (480p) mode, the picture looks way too soft. It kind of looks terrible, honestly. As an experiment, I tried it on Interlace (480i) mode, and it looks much much better. I'd say that it is just slightly less sharp than the Oppo, but not by a large margin. Of course, that might just be the good deinterlacer in my Sony set, but I think it is also that the Pioneer's internal deinterlacer...well... plain stinks.

Give your Pioneer a looksee at 480i mode. The difference for me was huge. (I use the Pioneer over the Oppo for DVDs that exhibit a lot of macroblocking.)

-Terry

Terry, I agree regarding the 480i mode on the Pioneer 578a. I picked up one of these open box for DVD-A playback and recently tried it for DVD movies and was impressed by the picture at 480i. The player does not pass BTB but still has great colors and an overall smooth picture letting the projectore (SP4800) do the processing. I have a Zenith DVB-318 upscaling player and I really can't decide what I like better, the Pio at 480i or the Zenith at 1080i. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. Sorry to get off topic. I really am interested in the Oppo as well!

Originally posted by GSB
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.

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

GSB, I too have an HLP-4674 and should get my Oppo delivered today (ordered 4-15). Any idea if it should have the capacitor fix already, or will I have to send it back to get the fix?

Thanks.

Thanks for the info about the Pioneer outputting better in interlaced than progressive mode, how bizarre is that... seems like taking a step backwards to when before their were progressive players.

It does sound like the Oppo might be the option for me though. Though my one remaining question is its compatibility with my display. I heard one person on this thread mention that it didn't like to play nice with their Hitachi CRT RPTV, a 57SWX20B, anyone else with a similar set have good results to report?

Originally posted by GSB
DaEnigma, you need to use more punctuation! It's really hard to understand what you've written, without reading your stuff over and over.

You may have a compatibility issue with your set at 1080i. Have you tried another 1080i source? Are you using a different cable than the one supplied in the box? While it is usually best to match the native resolution of your set, if the 720p signal looks good, you might be willing to live with the compromise.

Grey letterbox bars are not coming from the Oppo. It must be your TV, unless some color corruption is occurring due to the 1080i problem.

Gary


Sorry about that I re-edited the post it should be easier to read now...


It is true 720p looks good, but I am hoping that oppo will be able to figure out the problem with CRt compatability since I am not the only one with trouble @ 1080i. I am just not sure what else if anything I can try to make sure the trouble is not with the TV, although my HD DVR works fine @ 1080i...

Originally posted by NulloModo
Thanks for the info about the Pioneer outputting better in interlaced than progressive mode, how bizarre is that... seems like taking a step backwards to when before their were progressive players.
Most people assume that a progressive player would be better... certainly DVD players are marketed that way. That is often an incorrect assumption, though. I suggest you read the upconverting/scaler primer thread to learn more about the fact that it is mostly marketing that gives this (often false) perception:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=477740

After learning more about this stuff, and actually seeing and experiencing things myself, it isn't actually bizarre at all that the Pioneer does better in interlaced mode than progressive on TVs that have good internal deinterlacers/scalers.

The Oppo has the Faroudja chip, though, which is regarded as a good deinterlacer/scaler (despite some annoying issues.) It's a close call between it and my Sony's internal deinterlacer/scaler.

-Terry

Has anyone tried playing a dual layer DVD+R disk with this machine. The reason I ask is the hkflix.com site states that the Oppo:
"is compatible with all standard recordable CD and DVD media (excluding dual layer media)"

Originally posted by mdputnam
Has anyone tried playing a dual layer DVD+R disk with this machine. The reason I ask is the hkflix.com site states that the Oppo:
"is compatible with all standard recordable CD and DVD media (excluding dual layer media)"
I have used DVD+R Dual Layer burned discs without a problem.

-Terry

Hello,

I just received my Oppo player today and Dell had a great sale and I deceided to go the HTPC route. If anybody is interested in brand new in box in Austin area PM me.

I called oppo this morning because I'm looking for an additional player and I was also curious about new models in the works and was informed that they have nothing new in the near future planned as a replacement. They are upgrading firmware and their new shipment next week will include all firmware updates. I also found out that they use DVI-D digital 8 pins per row times 3 for connectors, exactly what I have on my Hitachi 51S700 set.
This whole business of just buying a dvd player is getting really tricky. I'm beginning to feel technologically challenged but when compared to most of the public I know I'm not.

Ordered mine frome Extremephono on 4/15, received 4/18. Used a Pacific Cables 4M DVI cable to hook up to my Toshiba 65H83. At 1080i, the picture slowly scrolls vertically - I've read one other post with the same problem on a Tosh and maybe a couple w/ Hitachi.

Popped in Avia, and couldn't see either of the two moving black bars on the brightness screen. Had to crank brightness to +4 on the Oppo to see them. Got shimmering at 480p on static screens like sharpness and 200 TVL, but not at 720p. Resolution looks much better at 720 also.

Since the Toshiba can only natively display 540p and 1080i, I'd love to see a fix for the scrolling.

Does anyone have any experience connecting this player to the Sony XS Rear Projection. If so how does the picture look? I am looking for an upscaling DVD player that is pretty easy to operate. I have a five year old daughter and life would be easier if she can press the play button and watch her movies. The wife is the same way. I have an older Sony DVD player non progressive and I'm betting the Oppo would do a better job. It's hard to summarize the quirks and issues of the player unless I read through 62+ pages. Also, will the firmware come installed if I order it today or will I have to plug that in? I'm quite easy to please and don't really want to tinker with dvd players that much. But just like everybody else, I would like to see a good picture. Thanks guys!

Originally posted by onay32
Does anyone have any experience connecting this player to the Sony XS Rear Projection. If so how does the picture look? I am looking for an upscaling DVD player that is pretty easy to operate. I have a five year old daughter and life would be easier if she can press the play button and watch her movies. The wife is the same way. I have an older Sony DVD player non progressive and I'm betting the Oppo would do a better job. It's hard to summarize the quirks and issues of the player unless I read through 62+ pages. Also, will the firmware come installed if I order it today or will I have to plug that in? I'm quite easy to please and don't really want to tinker with dvd players that much. But just like everybody else, I would like to see a good picture. Thanks guys!
I am using the Oppo with my Sony XS Rear Projection set (the KDF55XS955). It looks good. The player can send 720p over the DVI (I use a DVI-to-HDMI adapter, and an HDMI cable.) 1080i does not display at all on my TV. Talked to Oppo over email, but they weren't sure of the problem... it just might be "one of those things." 720p, however wouldn't look any different that 1080i anyway, though, so it's not a big problem.

Before you think that a non-progressive would look worse than an upconverting or progressive player... that isn't necessarily true. The Sony XS television has an excellent deinterlacer/scaler. My older Pioneer DVD player in interlaced mode (non-progressive) looks essentially as good as the Oppo. It actually looks better in certain ways. Just realize that DVDs are 480i. Either your TV or your DVD player does the deinterlacing/scaling. One can be better than the other... and in this case, the Sony just happens to have an excellent deinterlacer/scaler.

-Terry

I personally think there is some problem with 1080i compatibility since we seem to be having more people report this as a problem... can we get oppo to look into this issue further?

Is anyone using 1080i through a front projector and getting good results?

"My older Pioneer DVD player in interlaced mode (non-progressive) looks essentially as good as the Oppo. It actually looks better in certain ways."

So Terry, are you saying it's NOT worth replacing my DVD player using the Sony XS. I mean if there is no significant difference using the OPPO, why get it? :confused:

Can I use a DVI cable and use a DVI to HDMI adapter to connect to my TV? :(