Oppo DV971H FAQ / Brain Dump [Text View] - Page 29

Martin Butler

10-11-06, 10:39 AM

AdamPS

10-11-06, 10:45 AM

Just read on russian forum that author of hacked firmware now works on enabling high resolution (more than 720x576) playback. It already got some results - right now his player plays such divxes but image has alot of visual artefacts. I am crossing my fingers!

I know that this is a little further back in the thread, but does anyone have any more information about this? If this is true, it would be ridiculously cool.

redjr

10-11-06, 11:24 AM

Josh, isn't it a bit soon to suggest HD-DVD? I know some early adopters must have it, but as far as I know, the Samsung Blu-Ray has a firmware glitch (which they're adressing) that prevents it from strutting its stuff and a format war is just beginning. I don't think SONY even has their flagship model in the stores yet, but I could be mistaken. I do agree with your point in general, though. I had the Pioneer 9500 and the Denon 3910 and sold them for my OPPO 971, pocketing the much needed change and waiting for the high res DVD fallout. My main concern is that whichever HD DVD player I choose, the standard def playback is at least as good as the OPPO or Denon.

* I'm still stinging from SONY withdrawing their support of DSD discs, hence my hesitation for HD-DVD or Blu-Ray. The least they could do for those who bought into SACD is produce a "specialty" line, making all their releases available in SACD at a slight premium.
Even so, if you were going to spend $1k on a top-end DVD player, wouldn't you still get 'top-end' SD DVD performance from an HD-DVD (or BD) player? And, you'd get a hi-def player to boot!(whatever format) I'm not a high-end kinda guy, but the Denon or some other esoteric DVD player would have to offer something extrodinary to pay close to 1 grand for SD DVD playback only. Am I missing something with your reasoning here? :confused:

I have an Oppo 971 too, and plan to park it right on top of my new XA1 that will get 'christen' late Thursday night - after I get home from a business trip. I intend to still use the 971 for DivX, Xvid and other formats I play from time to time. The XA1 made it onto my list of audio equipment only after I jumped on a super deal that was just to good to pass up. Ordinarily, I would not be able to easily shell out $800 for a new format player, but the 2nd gen prices were going up, not down! OTOH, the 971 came highly recommended shortly after I got my first HD monitor, and has been used for the past several months as I've 'wet my feet' with an upscaling player and its potential.

redjr... :)

Martin Butler

10-11-06, 12:17 PM

quoting redjr: "Even so, if you were going to spend $1k on a top-end DVD player, wouldn't you still get 'top-end' SD DVD performance from an HD-DVD (or BD) player?"
-----------------------------------------------------------

We should, but it's ain't necessarily so. Until the reviews are in we won't know for sure. Manufacturers have been known to make all sorts of excuses why one aspect of a new model isn't up to par. Like this imaginary response, " being a high definition device we put our efforts into making the high resolution aspects of our new ( insert brand/model) the best it can possibly be", meaning, why make an effort for improving standard DVD playback on a high def player if it brings the cost up. Sound illogical right? Unfortunately that kind of attitude is typical.

redjr

10-11-06, 12:51 PM

J....I had the Pioneer 9500 and the Denon 3910 and sold them for my OPPO 971....
By your own admission, quality upscaling can be had on the cheap...otherwise you would not have traded to the Oppo - unless of course the Oppo is 'good enough' (and/or equal to the SD upscaling of the 3910), until the hi-def format war is won? In addition, by all reports, the Tosh XA1 still retains the edge in PQ over the 971 with SD format. So, at least for the moment, the Tosh A1/XA1 will give you the best of both format worlds - and do it alot cheaper than the 3910, or other high-end upscaling player. ;)

redjr.... :)

Thor263

10-11-06, 01:56 PM

jp6940

10-11-06, 02:08 PM

Got the 971 and really love it. For the money, you can't beat it.
Haven't been to the forum in a while, and the search feature is "temporarily" turned off due to traffic.....
I understand it will play "almost" everything......?
I have a ton of downloaded clips from the net (not porn!! just stupid videos and skate videos)
Most are windows media files, have some quicktime files, and even some movies that are avi files.......
How can I play these on my oppo? I tried burning my all of them to dvd, and it only played 2 small clips. Is there somewhere in the menu that will allow me to turn on this ability, or will I have to "convert" them to a file that the oppo will understand?
The menu has so much stuff on it. It has almost TOO many features!!!
Forgive me if these questions are elementary. I just learned how to burn dvd's a week ago....hahahaha I'm behind the time a bit.

Neuromancer

10-11-06, 02:18 PM

Martin Butler

10-11-06, 05:37 PM

redjr, for me, it was a case of "good enough". Around two years ago, I wanted the best Universal player I could afford. I come from an audio-centric background and wanted both very good CD playback and top of the line DVD playback. The Denon certainly had great pq, but form me, the audio was sub par and I wanted to improve on it. Sometimes dialogue was unintelligible and congested sounding. The Pioneer was absolutely glorious for CD playback and DVD audio, but lacking a bit in pq. Not being satisfied and needing the cash at the time I traded over to the OPPO. It was a great move. The pq was neck and neck with the Denon ( my benchmark at the time) and the movie dialogue was cleaner. The CD playback didn't come close to the Pioneer, but it was definitely acceptable. I'll keep the OPPO or get the newer model with SACD that's coming soon and once a little time passes, pick the better HD movie format.

If that Toshiba really does outperform the OPPO for standard DVD's that's remarkable. Are there any reviews out yet that mention this?

Paul Bigelow

10-12-06, 12:49 AM

I have a lot of factory discs (CDs and DVDs) spanning the history of the formats and a few (for whatever reason) are not precicely balanced causing a mild vibration. Nothing so serious as to cause a reading problem or distracting noise with the Oppo.

Paul

Additionally, a bad disc label can cause the loader to vibrate, as the disc will be spinning off center (one side will weigh slightly more than another side, so when you spin the disc at high speeds, it oscillates).

Another thing could be that you are loading content which is causing the loader to jog very quickly across the disc. Extreme movements of the laser head will cause the vibration sounds.

Check the pads at the bottom of the unit to ensure that they are all equal height.

As a last resort you can check the loader assembly. If one of the four screws is slightly loose, then you will get vibration errors.

duckbill

10-12-06, 03:31 AM

Yes, it would be very cool. Which Russian forum are we talking about though?
forum.ixbt.com

duckbill

10-12-06, 03:35 AM

The OPDV971H will only playback DivX/XviD/MPEG/OGM video files that have a resolution of 720x480 or lower resolution. WMV, Quicktime, Real Media, and so forth will not be decoded by the DVD player, as the hardware was never designed for it.

I would recommend reading Doom9 (http://doom9.net/) or VCD Help (http://www.vcdhelp.com) for guides on converting your media to supported video formats.

I tryed than russian hack suggested on forum.ixbt.com and my player could play my 768x532 rips. OK. There was some garbage on the rigth side on the screen but it plays them! Before I got only black screen and sound!

AdamPS

10-12-06, 02:42 PM

I tryed than russian hack suggested on forum.ixbt.com and my player could play my 768x532 rips. OK. There was some garbage on the rigth side on the screen but it plays them! Before I got only black screen and sound!

Any chance you could share the hack (or at least tell me where I can get it in English)? My Russian is a little subpar.

mannyman2

10-13-06, 12:00 AM

HDholic

10-13-06, 12:40 AM

Does anyone know of a mod or a way to have the OPDV971H upconvert on component?

mooshoo

10-13-06, 01:44 AM

I keep getting the tearing on all commercial DVDs, when set at 720p. I don't have another HDMI monitor to locate where the fault is. 1080i is fine, no tearing at all, but MB is awful; I can't tune it out. I'm starting to wonder wether it's a faulty unit or something. At 720p it tears at random points, but especially right before there's a scene change. It doesn't matter if the background is moving fast or slow; very random. at first I though it was a 'refresh' issue, but now i'm not so sure. i also notice that the tearing happens from the bottom of the screen, progressing upwards. i've tried the video settings at auto/ntsc, but get the same results. whenever 720p is working properly, the picture is excellent. any ideas?!

Neuromancer

10-13-06, 02:15 AM

Does anyone know of a mod or a way to have the OPDV971H upconvert on component?

It is hardware restricted to not support component based upconversion. I have not heard of anyone making a hardware modification to allow for this option.

GReddy

10-13-06, 07:49 AM

hi guys

i have just done the upgrade (i made sure i followed the instructions step by step) and it was successful. but ever since the upgrade, the player refused to play more dvd discs than before. most of them are copies, which played just fine before the upgrade, and it can't even play/load some of those.

the symptom is like what oppo put in their FAQ, but that when done by dvd recorder. OPPO suggested to make a copy by using a computer instead of dvd recorder and all the discs i made were all made by the computer.

before the upgrade i had no trouble at all playing those discs, never skip a beat. now, those who played fine before started to freeze/framing randomly. new discs that i made, just won't load (but load just fine on my pioneer player).

shed some lights for me pleasee.....

thanks...

drbonbi

10-13-06, 08:41 AM

I just got my 65831 and loving life. I'm thinking of getting an oppo DVD player. Is the difference in quality compared to my standard dvd player going to be that much more noticeable?

I also need to know what is the best way to connect it to the mits. Via HDMI or DVI??

Am I limited in any cable type. Wouldn't it be better to just connect it directly with DVI?

Mannyman,

Answer to first paragraph: Yes.

The answer from your owner's manual accessible on line to the second and third paragraphs is: use HDMI. The DVI connection is for personal computer hookup only according to your owner's manual page 17. "Do not connect a TV video source to the PC-DVI input."

Dana

sorahl

10-13-06, 10:30 AM

sorahl

10-13-06, 10:47 AM

Ok, it looks like it is working now. I turned the oppo on without a disc and it started up the same as above. Image sort of slid to the left with the left part cut off. then it adjusted and is good now, except that there is somethign in the upper left hand corner that i can't see. it's not off hte projection screen it's not being shown. but it seems to be working ok. need to do some video balancing.... and possibly upgrade the firmware... have to find the current rev i have.

Neuromancer

10-13-06, 01:30 PM

before the upgrade i had no trouble at all playing those discs, never skip a beat. now, those who played fine before started to freeze/framing randomly. new discs that i made, just won't load (but load just fine on my pioneer player).

What firmware were you using before? If it was the F-0302 or older firmware, then it is possible that the A/V Syncronization fix is causing your error. Try reverting to your previous firmware release and try playback again.

Neuromancer

10-13-06, 01:33 PM

I hope you guys can help me. I don't see anyone having this issue.
Finally got my theater up and partially running. I hooked the oppo up last night via the monoprice hdmi 5:1 switch box. The picture is truncated drastically. When I connect via component it is the full 16x9/letterbox (shows as EDTV 720x? on my Infocus SP5000.

What am I doing wrong???

John

What resolution do you have the OPDV971H set to?

What is the TV Type (Setup->General Preference) set to?

Are you playing back 4:3, 16:9 Enhanced, or Anamorphic DVD content?

What is the aspect ratio setting on your projector set to?

GReddy

10-13-06, 04:21 PM

What firmware were you using before? If it was the F-0302 or older firmware, then it is possible that the A/V Syncronization fix is causing your error. Try reverting to your previous firmware release and try playback again.

i have put the latest firmware available from oppo site. my player it's the 971 (forgot to mention it before).

how do you reverting to the previous firmware ? did i just download it from oppo site and upload to the machine ? i was under the impression that the firmware is accumulative, so we just need to download the latest one ?

sorry but im new to all of this :)

StevenPK

10-13-06, 05:10 PM

Hi All

A few questions from a newbie.

a. I have a 40" Sony Bravia LCD (the KDL v40XBR1). Am I right in assuming this TV does NOT upscale to it's native resolution and I would have to use the TV's single HDMI input to get an upconverted 720p signal? (this input is currently connected to my media center PC)

b. Does the Sony Bravia have any reported issues with the Oppo (e.g. the macroblocking I've been reading about)?

c. I need something that will convert PAL>NTSC and, if I ever leave North America, NTSC>PAL. If I had the $$ would I get a noticeably better picture and audio from the significantly more expensive Arcam DV137, or should I stick with the Oppo and save the rest to buy myself a small country instead?

d. I have a 7.1 setup (using the 6xMirage Omnisat speakers and matching Mirage centre) and own a few DVD-A's. I have my eyes on the Talking Heads 'Brick' and the Bjork DVD-A box. I also want to get the Floyd/Dark Side SACD. Since I have no HDMI input on my 3yr old Denon receiver, what's the consensus of opinion for the best audio output from the Oppo.

e. I've read a couple of posts about a rumoured new Oppo model (not the 970). Can anyone confirm more about this? I'd hate to get the 971 and have it superceded a week later.

Thanks all :)

Neuromancer

10-13-06, 05:49 PM

how do you reverting to the previous firmware ? did i just download it from oppo site and upload to the machine ? i was under the impression that the firmware is accumulative, so we just need to download the latest one ?

All firmware is accumulative. What becomes an issue is if the new firmware introduced something that inhibits the use of some of its functions for your setup. For this reason, you will want to revert to a previous release (preferably the one that you were using previously) and install that to your player.

All previous firmware release files are on OPPOs website, though the naming of their locations are slightly different:

0720 and above use the following:
http://www.oppodigital.com/opdv971h_firmware_0830.html

0320 and below use the following:
http://www.oppodigital.com/opdv971h_firmware_0302_download.html

Neuromancer

10-13-06, 05:56 PM

a. I have a 40" Sony Bravia LCD (the KDL v40XBR1). Am I right in assuming this TV does NOT upscale to it's native resolution and I would have to use the TV's single HDMI input to get an upconverted 720p signal? (this input is currently connected to my media center PC)

All televisions will upscale to their native resolutions. What becomes an issue is how well designed that upscaling process is. Generally speaking, the television is using an all in on solution, which does not excel at a single process. For this reason, an external device, which designed for a specific purpose (upscaling DVDs) will perform better.

b. Does the Sony Bravia have any reported issues with the Oppo (e.g. the macroblocking I've been reading about)?

I have not heard of any major problems. Just ensure that you do a calibration when you receive the new DVD player.

c. I need something that will convert PAL>NTSC and, if I ever leave North America, NTSC>PAL. If I had the $$ would I get a noticeably better picture and audio from the significantly more expensive Arcam DV137, or should I stick with the Oppo and save the rest to buy myself a small country instead?

The OPDV971H does very good PAL to PAL, PAL to NTSC, and NTSC to PAL conversions. Save yourself some money for the HD formats, and go with the OPDV971H.

d. I have a 7.1 setup (using the 6xMirage Omnisat speakers and matching Mirage centre) and own a few DVD-A's. I have my eyes on the Talking Heads 'Brick' and the Bjork DVD-A box. I also want to get the Floyd/Dark Side SACD. Since I have no HDMI input on my 3yr old Denon receiver, what's the consensus of opinion for the best audio output from the Oppo.

You will use the multi-channel analog outputs to your receiver.

Also note that the OPDV971H does not support SACD audio discs.

e. I've read a couple of posts about a rumoured new Oppo model (not the 970). Can anyone confirm more about this? I'd hate to get the 971 and have it superceded a week later.

OPPO is working on a new DVD unit, but they are not at this time releasing any information on the unit. It is supposed to ship this "Fall".

homero427

10-13-06, 09:29 PM

Just purchased the panny 58px600. would the 971 cause macroblocking or does the 971 override the display? Thanks

drebnord

10-13-06, 11:52 PM

John Hodson

10-14-06, 07:16 AM

Just noticed this. Oppo has an ad on page 51 of the November issue of Widescreen Review. On the bottom right is a product list that includes the heretofore unknown model DV-981HD. No details, other than its black and looks slim like the 970 and 971

From the Oppo.se website :

OPPO is planning to make an exciting launch of a new HDMI DVD DV981HD in USA in mid of October as expected. DV981HD, as the successor to the widely recognized and highly praised DV971H, will support HD Up-Conversion to 1080P, DVD Audio/Video, SACD, and Divx playback, powered by the famous video chipset solution provider Faroudja.

JohnnytheSkin

10-14-06, 02:09 PM

How is this player with the Sony XBR1 SXRD's? Is "macroblocking" apparent (not even sure what this is).

I currently have the 970HD and see what can only be described as little flashes of low-res backgrounds at 1080i.

Will Oppo exchange the 970HD for the new one (only a week old)? Is this player worth it with an SXRD?

Looking for thoughts, settings, etc. THANKS!

drbonbi

10-14-06, 04:21 PM

If I recall correctly, we're had recent inquiries on this looong thread about how Oppo 971 fares versus the new HD DVD and Blu-Ray DVD players playing standard DVDs. I stumbled across the apparent answer on www.hometheaterhifi.com DVD Benchmark shootouts. The Oppo 971 score on a scale of 0 - 100 using Video 2 is 98.

The test score of the Toshiba HD-A1 playing standard DVDs is 84. The test score of the Samsung BD-P1000 Blu-ray/DVD Player playing standard DVDs is 71. Regarding the Blu-Ray player, Kris Deering's comments are worth repeating here. "For anyone planning on using this player in their system, I recommend keeping their standard DVD player for watching anything other than Blu-ray titles, as the performance here is extremely lacking."

Keep your Oppo at the ready for playback of standard DVDs.

Dana

Martin Butler

10-14-06, 06:10 PM

drbonbi

10-14-06, 08:18 PM

drbonbi, thanks for that post, I was one of the members inquiring about comparing the better standard def DVD players (like the OPPO) to the new high def player's standard DVD playback. Hopefully one of the next Blu-Ray players will be better. If Sony's Blu-Ray player's standard def playback looks at least as good as their 9000ES did, that would be acceptable to me. If not, I'll certainly keep the OPPO in the loop. I wish OPPO would be a little more forthcoming regarding news of the upcoming SACD version of the 971.

Martin,

Thanks! It's good to have your contributions here, as I know you are a constructive contributor on other threads as your post count indicates.

It may well be that Oppo is aware of the so-called "Osborne Effect." For those who don't know, Wikepedia summarizes it here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osborne_effect "The Osborne effect is exhibited when a company's revelation of information about future products results in customers delaying purchases of the current offering. Its origin is a purported suicidal marketing mistake made by the Osborne Computer Corporation in the 1980s when its announcement of a successor to its Osborne 1 system led to a sharp reduction in sales and the delay of the successor system created a revenue vacuum from which the company did not recover."

As the article goes on to say, it really didn't happen quite the way it is perceived. But, nonetheless, Oppo may want to avoid undercutting its present product line until inventory has been reduced on the present lineup and inventory on the new model is in place.

As far as your interest in SACD is concerned, you might want to read the shootout report on the Oppo 970. http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/cgi-bin/shootout.cgi?function=search&articles=all&type=&manufacturer=68&maxprice=0&deInt=0&mpeg=0#Oppo%20DigitalDV-970HD%20(HDMI)

Dana

JohnnytheSkin

10-14-06, 08:35 PM

drbonbi

10-14-06, 09:09 PM

Damn bottom of the page :(

Any help??

Well, I can help as far as whether you can return the Oppo 971. http://www.oppodigital.com/support.htm

"Merchandise Return Policy

"100% Satisfaction Guaranteed or Your Money Back. OPPO offers a 30-day money back guarantee. We will provide you with full refund if you are not satisfied with the OPPO product(s) you purchased. To return the product for refund, please contact us at service@oppodigital.com to obtain a RMA# and return instructions within 30 days of your product purchase. Please note that shipping costs are non-refundable. Applicable to purchases made from this online store only; if purchasing from a reseller, their return policy applies."

You might want to contact Oppo customer service regarding your technical question. Their customer service is outstanding. Let us know what you find out. Good luck!

Dana

RoydRage

10-15-06, 12:17 PM

In addition, by all reports, the Tosh XA1 still retains the edge in PQ over the 971 with SD format. So, at least for the moment, the Tosh A1/XA1 will give you the best of both format worlds - and do it alot cheaper than the 3910, or other high-end upscaling player. ;)

redjr.... :)

You Are Not Kidding!

I have a Oppo 971 w/SDI out to a Brand New DVDO VP-50 Scaler with SDI input card.

AND MY NEW HD-XA1 BEATS IT ON SD !!!

And pretty easily... How can this be?

RoydRage

Josh Z

10-15-06, 12:20 PM

You Are Not Kidding!

I have a Oppo 971 w/SDI out to a Brand New DVDO VP-50 Scaler with SDI input card.

AND MY NEW HD-XA1 BEATS IT ON SD !!!

And pretty easily... How can this be?

The XA1 may have a sharper picture, but it does very poorly with deinterlacing of video-based content.

trefork

10-15-06, 12:34 PM

You Are Not Kidding!

I have a Oppo 971 w/SDI out to a Brand New DVDO VP-50 Scaler with SDI input card.

AND MY NEW HD-XA1 BEATS IT ON SD !!!

In what way? Could you elaborate?

RoydRage

10-15-06, 12:39 PM

In what way? Could you elaborate?

Sharper, More Vibrant, Clearer, Smoother... It just looks closer to HD.

I still can't believe it a Oppo 971 wSDI = $600 + VP-50 wSDI = $3,300

That's $3,900, and I got the HD-XA1 for $550 PLUS 2 FREE HD DVD MOVIES!

SO $500 BEATS $3,900...

I'M HAPPY, BUT I'M MAD. :confused:

RoydRage

RoydRage

10-15-06, 12:50 PM

The XA1 may have a sharper picture, but it does very poorly with deinterlacing of video-based content.

Josh,

I don't profess to know as much as you... But I know what I see, that's for sure.

And the HD-XA1 looks better on everything from American Graffiti cira 1973 to present on any DVD I put into it.

Best,

Royd

CJayB

10-15-06, 01:53 PM

The XA1 may have a sharper picture, but it does very poorly with deinterlacing of video-based content.
Fortunately with the VP50 you don't need to worry about deinterlacing using the XA1, and can take full advantage of the things it does do well.

sorahl

10-15-06, 05:13 PM

What resolution do you have the OPDV971H set to?

What is the TV Type (Setup->General Preference) set to?

Are you playing back 4:3, 16:9 Enhanced, or Anamorphic DVD content?

What is the aspect ratio setting on your projector set to?

Neuro,
you nailed it it was my projector... for some reason it was set on 2.35/1 whatever :)
instead of 16x9
Once I changed the projector to 16x9 it looked great.
I know i have more settings to do on the Oppo, including possibly upgrading to new firmware (but read some peopel having issues iwth divx playback on new firmware) but it looks great right now.
Yesterday my son and I watched Star Wars: Episode 4 and it was awesome, even for a 30 year old movie it was impressive! I can't wait to watch Fifth Element this week!
I bought the Monster/ISF calibration disk and ran that before we watched SW and my picture looks great. I am amazed at how well the oppo handles all types of video. My youngest son was delighting to his favourite show, Brum, and the car being bigger than he is.

John

Josh Z

10-16-06, 05:16 PM

Fortunately with the VP50 you don't need to worry about deinterlacing using the XA1, and can take full advantage of the things it does do well.

As soon as PReP is enabled, anyway.

jrgriff

10-18-06, 10:18 AM

I need some help here, before I try and call OPPO. I purchased a 971 a couple of weeks, and just got around to hooking it up to my system. I pulled out a Pioneer 563a using component and put the 971 in its place, and thought it would be a very easy switch. I am getting audio but NO video. I'm using a Sony STR-3000ES as my A/V, and my "current" display is a 3-year old Infocus X1.

What piece of the puzzle am I missing, is there some special setting I need to do get the video to work?? I can't find any special instructions & the "Troubleshooting" info is useless.

Thanks ~Jim.

gonk

10-18-06, 10:34 AM

According to this link (http://www.infocus.com/service/x1/faq-video.asp?site_lang=1&site_region=1&cat=vga), the InFocus X1 does not accept 480i via the component input, and the 971's component output is limited to 480i.

jrgriff

10-18-06, 10:52 AM

Maybe I'm still not getting it, but I have a X1 not a X1a, which on my Pio-563a (480p) I had no problems getting a picture thru component. I also watch HD/SD cable thru my Sony A/V w/o issues.

gonk

10-18-06, 11:02 AM

The X1 video connections (http://www.infocus.com/service/x1/x1video_connections.asp?site_lang=1&site_region=1&) page indicates that to connect a 480i component input, you have to use a component-to-s-video adapter (presumably because the X1's component will not accept 480i, which matches the FAQ info about the X1 and X1a). Your HD/SD cable box is probably set to output 480p or higher (mostly likely 720p) at all times, so it would scale and deinterlace the 480i SD channels before they made it to your Sony, which in turn just switches the signals and passes them along to the X1. Likewise, you had the Pioneer set to 480p so it worked fine. The 970HD may be a better fit for your X1, since it can deinterlace video to 480p at the component output - the 971H is really only at its best when using the DVI output.

jrgriff

10-18-06, 12:28 PM

OK Gonk, let me see if I understand you right. Would going to a component-to-s-video adapter end up being a step down/backwards compared to straight component connection??

I thought the 971 is a 480p machine, is displays it as being 480p. Sounds like maybe I need to stick w/ my Pioneer until I upgrade my FP.

gonk

10-18-06, 12:35 PM

I'm not sure how the component-to-s-video adapter is working, but I would certainly consider it a step down. It also would not work with the HD/SD cable box's signal, since that signal is at an HD resolution and can't be stepped down to s-video. That means you wouldn't be able to use the single component video cable from your Sony receiver to the projector for both sources.

The 971H will output 480p, 720p, or 1080i through the DVI output, but the component output is only 480i. The 970HD has a somewhat different architecture (the omission of the Faroudja chip allowed them to do deinterlacing and even scaling prior to the video DAC's), so its component output does support 480p - and even 720p or 1080i in theory, although that requires non-CSS discs (which rules out all commercial DVD's) - and you could get upconverting from the HDMI output if you upgraded your projector to a unit with a DVI or HDMI input later.

jrgriff

10-18-06, 02:08 PM

Hmm, the X1 already has the Faroudja processor that along with the Pioneer 563a/480p puts out a pretty darn good picture. I kind of thought the 971 might be an overkill. HD from the cable is good, not quite HD but very watchable.

I have plans to upgrade my projector in 3-6 months, right now I'm eyeing the Panasonic AX-100.

I guess, I need to decide whether to hold onto the 971 for the future, or send it back. -OR- I could use on my old 36" Toshiba CRT for a while until I get that upgraded to some new 720/1080 setup (again 3-6 months out). I don't see me buying any HD/BlueRay players for while. Any other thoughts/advice.

P.S. Gonk "Thanks" a bunch for your insights.

gonk

10-18-06, 04:57 PM

No problem - and best of luck with your decision-making... :)

thebarge

10-18-06, 07:59 PM

I've got an Oppo 971 and I love it. That being said, I've been trying to get an Xvid encoded video to work properly. The first time I tried, no luck. I then read this thread and saw where it only supports up to 720x480 resolution. I used VirtualDub's resize filter to resize the vid to the correct size. The audio compression is AC3, and I told VirtualDub to just copy the audio from the stream. It plays fine on my computer, but when I burned the file to a disk and tried to play it I got no audio at all. What audio compression should I use? Next thing I'll try is the "Lame MP3" encoding and see if that helps.

Any ideas?

castaban

10-18-06, 08:56 PM

Oppo supports AC3, it is pretty basic. You probable made a mistake reencoding. Can you here audio in the computer. I use fast recompress setting in Virtualdub

thebarge

10-19-06, 01:12 AM

Oppo supports AC3, it is pretty basic. You probable made a mistake reencoding. Can you here audio in the computer. I use fast recompress setting in Virtualdub
When I re-encoded and told it to copy the audio stream I could hear it just fine on my computer. However, when playing the file before using virtualdub or after using the lame mp3 compression, I could only hear the background sounds (music, etc) on the computer. I couldn't hear the talking, just the background. Either way, when using the copy-audio-stream or lame mp3 formats I heard no audio when playing on the Oppo. I did notice the manual has the Divx/Xvid formats next to the "DVD+R" format. The DVD's I'm copying the files onto is a DVD-R. I wouldn't suspect this would be causing any audio problems though.

mihaeli

10-20-06, 08:25 AM

jawatkin

10-20-06, 08:51 AM

My Plasma TV - Philips 42PF5320 - supports only EHDV i.e. up to 480p; and has DVI and RGB inputs. Please advice wheter the Oppo DVD player will ensure better image through the DVI input in respect to the RGB input given that it will upscale from 480i to 480p.

Thanks.

It depends on the DVD player you currently have, but it is likely that the Oppo will perform better, unless you have a fairly expensive player. I'm not sure quite what you are asking, but I think you are also asking whether the DVI input will look better than the component input? Usually, yes. :D

Also, just so you get your terminology correct, it's "EDTV" and 480i->480p is not upsampling, it's simply de-interlacing. ;)

Martin Butler

10-20-06, 08:58 AM

Mihaeli, if I remember correctly, this OPPO is meant as a DVI source, their component outs don't take advantage of the Faroudja processing in the 971 that's available through DVI. All things being equal, DVI usually looks a little better than component. In your case, I suspect DVI will look much better.

0373

10-20-06, 10:15 AM

how often do you experience audio delay ? (please give me percentage)

i've re-watched my DVDs and I experience about 75%.
i know it is a current problem, but i don't know if it's worse with my unit.

Neuromancer

10-20-06, 12:52 PM

I get it 0% of the time. I am running audio through a digital receiver, and not using a television or analog audio source.

Are you using the digital or analog audio outputs? Have you adjusted the Delay settings?

0373

10-20-06, 12:59 PM

i bought mine 1st week of october.
i run audio via optical to a HTIB. yes, i know about delay settings.
thx in advance.

Martin Butler

10-20-06, 02:03 PM

0373, are you using the most current firmware? I used to have audio delays and now I don't.
By the way, welcome to the forum.

Neuromancer

10-20-06, 02:20 PM

i bought mine 1st week of october.
i run audio via optical to a HTIB. yes, i know about delay settings.
thx in advance.

Ensure that your speaker distances and trims are set correctly on your receiver.

Ensure that the receiver does not have any delays enabled. Or, enable them if the video lags behind the audio.

drbonbi

10-20-06, 04:16 PM

0373, are you using the most current firmware? I used to have audio delays and now I don't.
By the way, welcome to the forum.

This is my experience, too.

Neuromancer, do I remember correctly that the delay feature on the Oppo does not affect an optical connection?

And a welcome from here, too, to the most helpful thread on the AVS Forum - IMHO.

Dana

Neuromancer

10-20-06, 04:18 PM

JohnnytheSkin

10-20-06, 06:50 PM

I just got the 971H and now have both...and need to make a decision.

I own the Sony KDS-R50XBR1 and want to know what settings I should use, specifically in regard to the "True Life" and "CCS".

At first glance, the picture is definately better on the 971H. I just want to maximize the settings, based on forum consensus, so my wife and I can evaluate some movies this weekend before making a decision.

HELP!

*EDIT: What should I use for the video mode? I only have NTSC DVD's and so far, no music DVD's or similar. Thanks again!*

Neuromancer

10-20-06, 07:06 PM

TrueLife should always be On. CSS can be enabled if you start to see rainbow artifacts.

You can leave it on Video 1, as Video 2 just enables Film 2:2 Cadence for PAL material.

castaban

10-20-06, 10:13 PM

The delay function will only work on any audio that has been decoded by the OPDV971H. So, audio that has been processed and then sent as PCM can be delayed, but you will only get two channel audio, to your receiver throug the digital audio interfaces.
Does that mean there is no delay problem if you output from optical or that there is a problem but cannot be fixed?

JohnnytheSkin

10-21-06, 02:49 AM

Neuromancer

10-21-06, 04:21 AM

Does that mean there is no delay problem if you output from optical or that there is a problem but cannot be fixed?

If the problem exists when using optical or coaxial, there is no way to fix the problem throught the OPDV971H. You can only fix the error through the OPDV971H when you use the analog outputs.

Neuromancer

10-21-06, 04:28 AM

Hey Neuromancer...what exactly are "rainbow artifacts"?

Rainbow artifacts would be rainbow errors you see in finely designed detail, mainly in older DVD titles. Examples would be fine meshed horizontal and vertical detail, like a tweed jacket. Instead of seeing the lines, you will see a chroma error that appears as rainbows.

I'm running it at 1080i on my Sony XBR1 and everything is shifted towards the top left. When I compensate in the SM, it radically shifts my gaming input connected via component (using DVI-HDMI for the Oppo).

Try using 720p instead of 1080i. You will improve your picture quality and likely remove this shifting artifact.

As an aside, even with the shifts, I've noticed that 'The Lion King' is cropped on the right side about a half inch, while 'The Princess Bride' has a black border on the bottom about the same size. Should I switch my TV setting on the DVD player menu (to Wide/Squeeze)? Is it the way the DVD is mastered? Inputs? What?

The Lion King is a 1:66:1 film. That is, it is less wide than your widescreen monitor, but wider than 4:3. The OPPO is keeping the original aspect ratio in check, which is why you are seeing the bars on the side of your screen.

Princess Bride is 2:35:1. For this reason, you will see bars at the top and bottom of your display, as the video has a wider aspect ratio than your television (1:77:1).

*EDIT: How much overscan is "normal"? Using the GetGray burned ISO, I'm finding that I have 3% or so on the top, bottom, and right...with 2% on the left (after service menu shifts). The problems above though still exist. Is it on the Oppo's end? Should I change firmware to an older version? Any help would be MUCH appreciated!*

The amount of overscan seen is dependent on your display. Most displays ahve a 2~3% overscan rate. The OPDV971H naturally underscans, so you should not have to underscan as much on your display.

Josh Z

10-21-06, 09:38 AM

Princess Bride is 2:35:1.

It's actually 1.85:1.

Steve L

10-21-06, 10:42 AM

Does that mean there is no delay problem if you output from optical or that there is a problem but cannot be fixed?

If there is a problem, you may be able to find the delay setting in your audio receiver. My Yamaha receiver has such a setting.

The delay is usually caused by the display's inability to process the video data as quickly as the audio data is being processed.

/steve

thebarge

10-21-06, 12:37 PM

Oppo supports AC3, it is pretty basic. You probable made a mistake reencoding. Can you here audio in the computer. I use fast recompress setting in VirtualdubYep, I made a mistake. I was watching Tivo on one source and paused it to switch over to the Oppo. After switching and hitting play I heard no audio. I forgot that the output from my devices was being piped through my receiver before being output to the TV. I forgot to change the source on my receiver from Tivo to the Oppo, so the reason I had no sound was because my Tivo was paused. Ooops :)

JohnnytheSkin

10-21-06, 02:40 PM

I still can't figure out this shift issue. I have to move the picture so far to the right that it alters my 360 picture. I tried it on 720p and 1080i and the shift is still there.

Is it possible that it's due to the DVI-HDMI output? I didn't notice the issue on the 970 (other than the vertical squeeze).

HELP!

Neuromancer

10-21-06, 04:16 PM

It's actually 1.85:1.

Could have sworn it was 2:35:1 one when I watched it on DVD recently. Oh well.

Pete 'n Pea

10-22-06, 09:13 AM

Underscanning is their next target, as well as the TrueLife Off/DNR On bug.

Neuromancer,
Anything recent to report on the underscan fix? Perhaps a forthcoming firmware?
It is my hope that the underscan fix might resolve some (minor and few)shift issues I've encountered on anamorphic PAL discs with my 971/Panny PDP combo.

Thanks in advance for any insights.
I think I'm speaking for the entire thread when I say that your time and efforts are much valued...

Peter

Nimnifnof

10-22-06, 11:49 AM

Neuromancer

10-22-06, 04:44 PM

Anything recent to report on the underscan fix?

I know they are working on it (just like they are working on the vertical compression on the DV-970HD) but they have so far not been happy with the results. during film playback there is little to no difference, visually speaking, with the underscanned versus overscanned picture, but once you drop down a test pattern, you see some errors appearing. OPPO wants to kill two birds with one stone: give you a full picture without sacraficing picture quality/test patterns.

mihaeli

10-22-06, 06:47 PM

My TV has 1 DVI input and the OPPO will just do deinterlacing from 480i tp 480p as the TV has only Enhanced Mode. Still I believe it is worth to get an OPPO that might improve the picture and be ready for my next TV. Please advice which way to go - DV971H (which may be more suitable for my current TV ?), or DV970H with its HDMI output (may be more promising for the future ?). Is the 970 comparable to 971 to serve as a DVI source?

Thanks.

Bytehoven

10-22-06, 08:11 PM

Neuro...

Has it been determined if the 971H will be able to output 1080p with a future update?

I was hoping maybe such an update might become available after the 981H hits the streets.

Thanks

RJ
...

Neuromancer

10-22-06, 08:37 PM

As much as I would like to answer your question, I really can't. OPPO really hasn't commented on that sector of the OPDV971H product. Theoretically the chipset is capable of 1080p, but they have not commented on the architecture of the OPDV971H being capable of it.

70MM

10-22-06, 09:23 PM

What would be the best settings when using the 5.1 analog out from the player into a ex cinema valve amplifier?
Also can the display for the pause/stop/play be turned off as when the player is being used in a home cinema environment it looks bad if the adience sees these displayed on the screen. We are after the best possible presentation without seeing any funcyions on the screen.

I dont think its possible to turn off the main Oppo logo either, am I correct?

drbonbi

10-22-06, 09:57 PM

Neuromancer,

On the Audio Setup Menu, if I set the SPDIF to RAW using a digital coax connection to my receiver, are the LPCM options inoperative?

Many thanks.

Dana

Neuromancer

10-23-06, 12:32 AM

The LPCM settings only effect the analog outputs as well as the coaxial/optical output if you change the S/PDIF to PCM.

Neuromancer

10-23-06, 12:35 AM

What would be the best settings when using the 5.1 analog out from the player into a ex cinema valve amplifier?
If your receiver has bass management for the multi-channel analog inputs, then set the Speakers to Large, Subwoofer to On, and leave all the channel settings and delays at "0". If you do not have bass management features, then set Speakers to Small, Subwoofer to on and change your channel delay settings as appropriate.
Also can the display for the pause/stop/play be turned off as when the player is being used in a home cinema environment it looks bad if the adience sees these displayed on the screen. We are after the best possible presentation without seeing any funcyions on the screen.

No, there is no silent operation of the OSD functions. This is something I have requested from OPPO (as a menu toggle) but they have not initiated it.
I dont think its possible to turn off the main Oppo logo either, am I correct?
Check out this thread about changing the background (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=669815) on the OPDV971H.

ozzkoz

10-23-06, 07:52 AM

I have an oppo OPDV971H and a sony a10. This macroblocking phenomenon seems really prevalent in older dvds and some newer ones (V for vendetta is pretty bad, but the matrix movies and LOTR don't really show it). Before I knew what this was, I contacted customer support about the problem. This was their response:

What you are describing is macroblocking. Macroblocking can usually be
calibrated our of your display. We would recommend using a professional
grade calibration disc such as AVIA and DVE. If neither of these are
available, then you can use the THX Optimizer (found on many THX
Optimized films). When calibrating you will want to pay careful
attention to your brightness, contrast, and saturation settings, as
these are the main factors in macorblocking.

Can anyone tell me how to calibrate it out? I have DVE and the pludge pattern is set correctly, the color settings seem to be as correct as I can get them (some green error), what should be looked for in setting contrast? Does macroblocking indicate I have something set too high or too low? Thanks.

Danny V

10-23-06, 12:04 PM

Neuromancer

10-23-06, 12:59 PM

Does macroblocking indicate I have something set too high or too low?

Macroblocking can be inherent to source. Older films will have more macroblocking because they have been poorly mastered. Newer films will likely not have the problem as the compression algorithms are much better designed now then they were several years ago. However, you can't fully eliminate the problem, as you are working with limited space, limited resolution, and limited 8-bit encoding.

For this reason, calibration is a very big response to macroblocking. Depending on the television, just throwing down a test pattern is enough to curb most macroblocking errors. On some displays, such as RPTV DLPs, you may have to spend a little more time spelunking in the Service Menus, or having a ISF calibrator come to your house.

The OPDV971H is also macroblock enhanced. In some situations, no matter how good the calibration, macroblocking will always be inherent to some scenes. This is something that you either get used to, or return the product.

ozzkoz

10-23-06, 03:49 PM

For this reason, calibration is a very big response to macroblocking. Depending on the television, just throwing down a test pattern is enough to curb most macroblocking errors. On some displays, such as RPTV DLPs, you may have to spend a little more time spelunking in the Service Menus, or having a ISF calibrator come to your house.

Can you recomend the type of test pattern to use? I have DVE calibration disk. Would I want to jsut use one of the flat field gray patterns? What type of control in the service menu would I be looking for? Not the RGB gain/bias? That would mess up my grayscale. For reference I have an LCD RPTV.

Neuromancer

10-23-06, 06:47 PM

With DVE you want to use the test patterns in Title 12. Pay particular attention to the test pattern thatn has the white and black steps.

For Service Menus, you may want to see what the television forums say about your display. There may be some general advice on settings that are most optimal for your display.

keric

10-23-06, 07:31 PM

Hello and thank you in advance.

Oppo 971H & Panasonic 50PX600U

Does anyone have or have tested this set up?
I've read about possible Macro Blocking issues with Panasonic plasmas, but nothing on this particular display. I am hoping that being a newer display that this issue doesn't exist.

FYI: I have the Panasonic TH50PX6U (Costco model) , which is basically the same as the 600U and the 60U. I am running the OPPO 971 with it and have not experienced any problems (macroblocking). This combination is great, don't heistate get the 971 not the 970.

*Also see the Panasonic PX6** thread for more info.

richlo

10-23-06, 07:58 PM

Does anyone know if this player has HUE(TINT) adjustment availability in it??

Dixie Flatline

10-23-06, 09:07 PM

I'm think I'm having an issue with my Oppo. When I'm in the middle of a dvd and have to leave for some reason, when I turn the player off and come back to it later on the dvd starts over at the very beginning as if I just put it in.

Is there a setting or something I am missing to allow the player to continue with the movie from where I left off? I really don't want to leave the player on and just sitting there for several hours until I can get back to it. I also thought it had a feature where I could actually eject the dvd and the player would remember its location. Not too concerned about that, but I would like to be able to start watching again from where I left off. I am on firmware 05.00.01.07 Batch: 10-0720

See the firmware release notes or the first post of this thread. To get the player to remember the disc position, you have to use the EJECT button on the remote. If you're turning the player off, just hit EJECT first before you hit the power button. (If you're fast enough, you can actually power off the player before the drawer ejects -- it will still save the breakpoint for when you power back on.)

Neuromancer

10-23-06, 09:15 PM

Does anyone know if this player has HUE(TINT) adjustment availability in it??

No Hue/Tint adjustements. Just Color/Saturation.

Speed_Addict

10-23-06, 11:59 PM

Dbower

10-24-06, 12:40 AM

See the firmware release notes or the first post of this thread. To get the player to remember the disc position, you have to use the EJECT button on the remote. If you're turning the player off, just hit EJECT first before you hit the power button. (If you're fast enough, you can actually power off the player before the drawer ejects -- it will still save the breakpoint for when you power back on.)

That's just dumb IMO. Why would I want to eject it if I just want to stop and pick the movie up later? Could they not have just used the stop button to achieve the same thing? It might have worked if it would remember the spot for, say, 2 or 3 DVDs.

-Dave

FirebirdTN

10-24-06, 08:51 AM

Hey Neuromancer...what exactly are "rainbow artifacts"?

Also, will Oppo fix the DVI "squeeze" that's happening? I'm running it at 1080i on my Sony XBR1 and everything is shifted towards the top left. When I compensate in the SM, it radically shifts my gaming input connected via component (using DVI-HDMI for the Oppo).

HELP!

As an aside, even with the shifts, I've noticed that 'The Lion King' is cropped on the right side about a half inch, while 'The Princess Bride' has a black border on the bottom about the same size. Should I switch my TV setting on the DVD player menu (to Wide/Squeeze)? Is it the way the DVD is mastered? Inputs? What?

Sorry for the questions...

*EDIT: How much overscan is "normal"? Using the GetGray burned ISO, I'm finding that I have 3% or so on the top, bottom, and right...with 2% on the left (after service menu shifts). The problems above though still exist. Is it on the Oppo's end? Should I change firmware to an older version? Any help would be MUCH appreciated!*

Odd. I have a Sony A10, and I *thought* there was a user adjustment to move the image around the screen. I can't remember, maybe that was for the PC input only. If available, all I ever did was hit "auto".

Also, I guess I am lucky. If the "underscan" issue still exists with this player I don't see it. My TV has a slight overscan, so maybe the combination of the TV's overscan, and the Oppo's underscan give me a full image completely filling the visible portion of my TV (with the correct aspect ratio material of course).

I guess in my case, if they fix the underscan, I will likely NOT upgrade firmware because its perfect for me right now.

Odd.

-Alan

dvarapala

10-24-06, 03:36 PM

That's just dumb IMO. Why would I want to eject it if I just want to stop and pick the movie up later? Could they not have just used the stop button to achieve the same thing? It might have worked if it would remember the spot for, say, 2 or 3 DVDs.

The Oppo is definitely behind the curve in terms of these little refinements. Other DVD players remember where I left off whether I hit stop or eject, do it for multiple discs, and when I hit the power button with the disc drawer open, it closes the drawer before powering off (the Oppo just shuts off, leaving the drawer sticking out).

I could certainly live without those niceties, but the thing I can't stand is the Oppo's ultra-finickiness WRT playing certain discs. There are some discs which play fine on my Sony and my Pioneer players, but cause my Oppo to either stutter/freeze during playback, or lock up completely (requiring a power cycle to clear). :(

Just a bit more polish and this would be a perfect DVD player.

redjr

10-24-06, 04:16 PM

The Oppo is definitely behind the curve in terms of these little refinements. Other DVD players remember where I left off whether I hit stop or eject, do it for multiple discs, and when I hit the power button with the disc drawer open, it closes the drawer before powering off (the Oppo just shuts off, leaving the drawer sticking out).

I could certainly live without those niceties, but the thing I can't stand is the Oppo's ultra-finickiness WRT playing certain discs. There are some discs which play fine on my Sony and my Pioneer players, but cause my Oppo to either stutter/freeze during playback, or lock up completely (requiring a power cycle to clear). :(

Just a bit more polish and this would be a perfect DVD player.
Ah... The perfect DVD player. Perfect 'anything' including hi-fi equipment is illusive these days. Maybe always has been and probably always will be! But we can dream can't we. I have the XA1 and it can't even resume a movie - even if the HD-DVD is left in! How lame is that?

I often think I should have gone into product design, or software engineering. I travel for a living and on a weekly basis after being in everything from aircraft to airports to rental cars, I'm continually amazed at the seemingly little and intuitive things that are missing or misplaced from basic design. And things that anybody would notice, not just someone with a eye and penchant for details!

However, unlike hardware, software can be updated to include features, or fix deficiencies once they are encountered, so there's still hope for my 971 and XA1 afterall. :D

redjr...

Dixie Flatline

10-24-06, 09:08 PM

That's just dumb IMO. Why would I want to eject it if I just want to stop and pick the movie up later? Could they not have just used the stop button to achieve the same thing? It might have worked if it would remember the spot for, say, 2 or 3 DVDs.

-Dave
It helps to understand the context -- the Oppo did not have a disc memory capability at all for a long time, due to the limitations of the hardware design. The firmware engineers at Oppo, clever chaps that they are, finally figured out a way to shoehorn this function in (although it would indeed be nice if they could link the function to the stop or off buttons in the next firmware release). So it's not something that was designed that way from the start, but something that was added later in the only way available to them.

Dbower

10-24-06, 09:34 PM

I often think I should have gone into product design, or software engineering. I travel for a living and on a weekly basis after being in everything from aircraft to airports to rental cars, I'm continually amazed at the seemingly little and intuitive things that are missing or misplaced from basic design. And things that anybody would notice, not just someone with a eye and penchant for details!...

A bit OT, but to further this point: I had one of the first HI-FI VCRs (RCA). That darn thing lasted forever, and it's software was intuitive at many levels. My favorite example: if you pause the tape for more than 5 minutes, the VCR executes a stop command. Seems simple and logical, no?

Ah, but: The brand that is the holy grail of consumer electronics, Sony, was it's replacement when the RCA finally died. Want to know what happens after 5 minutes of pause? It executes the play command. How annoying and STUPID is it to pause to answer the phone and find later that the damn movie has moved on without you!

Simple, logical, controls. It's amazing how lacking that is in today's products. I don't think there is as much care and thought today as when the tech was newer. My 7 year old Sony DVD player DOES close the door when you turn off power, and recalls location with a stop. I wonder what a later model Sony does?

It is not logical, nor particularly useful, to have the eject be the trigger to remember where it left off.

-Dave

GSB

10-25-06, 03:46 AM

On the 971 has anyone noted that digital coax is better than digital optical for audio connections? They are both digital so they should be the same but wanted to check and see if somehow one was better than the other. Thanks for any advice - I am new to this player :rolleyes:There is no discernible difference between optical and coax digital audio. However, it is entirely possible that a receiver manufacturer, for example, could become careless with a PC board layout and cause audible problems with one connection or the other.

Gary

GSB

10-25-06, 03:49 AM

I could certainly live without those niceties, but the thing I can't stand is the Oppo's ultra-finickiness WRT playing certain discs. There are some discs which play fine on my Sony and my Pioneer players, but cause my Oppo to either stutter/freeze during playback, or lock up completely (requiring a power cycle to clear). :(

Just a bit more polish and this would be a perfect DVD player. Your experience is unusual. For me, its the other way around. The OPPO plays everything perfectly, even when other players barf on a disk.

Gary

GSB

10-25-06, 03:51 AM

FYI: I have the Panasonic TH50PX6U (Costco model) , which is basically the same as the 600U and the 60U. I am running the OPPO 971 with it and have not experienced any problems (macroblocking). This combination is great, don't heistate get the 971 not the 970. Good to hear it.

Gary

GSB

10-25-06, 04:06 AM

I have an oppo OPDV971H and a sony a10. This macroblocking phenomenon seems really prevalent in older dvds and some newer ones (V for vendetta is pretty bad, but the matrix movies and LOTR don't really show it).

Can anyone tell me how to calibrate it out? I have DVE and the pludge pattern is set correctly, the color settings seem to be as correct as I can get them (some green error), what should be looked for in setting contrast? Does macroblocking indicate I have something set too high or too low? Thanks. See this post (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=7270763#post7270763) for some help. But remember that MPEG macroblocking recorded in the source cannot be removed. Some players or displays may be able to minimize it, but that often comes at the expense of picture quality.

Gary

withnail

10-25-06, 08:34 AM

Toonces T. Cat

10-25-06, 08:46 AM

Your experience is unusual. For me, its the other way around. The OPPO plays everything perfectly, even when other players barf on a disk.

Gary

Gary,

I'll second that! I often like to joke that I could throw a pizza in my OPPO and it would make a picture... :D

-Toonces

drbonbi

10-25-06, 09:25 AM

I live in Region 1, NTSC land and have a lot of PAL discs that I'm quite fond of. I just recently returned the 970 because it couldn't play PAL discs without near constant studdering in the picture. I've read here (too late) that the 971 has the advantage for PAL discs due to the 2:2 pulldown.

Would those in the know pick this as the best player for PAL discs? And if not, what would you recommend?

Thanks

This is a great PAL disc player. You'll need to reset the region code using this method.

Press Setup on remote control to access the setup page

* Enter 9210 on the remote
* A hidden menu will display
* Select 0 to 6 in region code. 0 is multi region
* Press Setup on remote again to exit

Also, I believe Video 2 is the best setting using the DVI port.

Dana

Martin Butler

10-25-06, 09:47 AM

Quoting GSB "There is no discernible difference between optical and coax digital audio"
Is that a fact? ;)

In theory, you're right. Supposedly, digital is digital, ones and zero's etc. Except many people do notice a difference between coax and optical, with coax preferred 99.9% of the time by those who do hear differences. I know this has been debated ad nauseum, so I'll just say that I prefer coax and have 35 years professional experience in discerning subtle differences in audio. Much like a faucet dripping, a small sound becomes impossible to ignore once noticed and focused on.

Josh Z

10-25-06, 10:19 AM

In theory, you're right. Supposedly, digital is digital, ones and zero's etc. Except many people do notice a difference between coax and optical, with coax preferred 99.9% of the time by those who do hear differences.

And 100% of those can't reliably pick one over the other in a double-blind test.

Martin Butler

10-25-06, 10:32 AM

Josh, spare me the double blind rhetoric, those tests have their own biases. Sorry if I refuse to say I'm hallucinating when I hear a difference between a coax and optical cable after carefully listening in a variety of ways over relatively long periods of time. If you read between the lines of my post I carefully worded it so that those people who don't or can't discern any difference between cable types don't feel they have to defend a position. What I don't understand is why "professional" reviewers ignore testimonials from many many audio enthusiasts that differ from their own opinion. It would take three pages to explain why I trust my ears and not blind test results. Many professionals acknowledged as experts do hear differences and again, I have no problem with those who don't, they seem to have a problem with my opinion.

brinyhenry

10-25-06, 10:41 AM

I live in Region 1, NTSC land and have a lot of PAL discs that I'm quite fond of. I just recently returned the 970 because it couldn't play PAL discs without near constant studdering in the picture. I've read here (too late) that the 971 has the advantage for PAL discs due to the 2:2 pulldown.

Would those in the know pick this as the best player for PAL discs? And if not, what would you recommend?

Thanks

I use the 971H for my PAL discs and it plays them flawlessly. I would recommend this player for this and because it's just a great player for the price.

One caveat for the PAL playback on the 971H. You have to have it connected via the DVI port and set the player in the setup menu to VIDEO 2. After that you're good to go on NTSC and PAL playback.

withnail

10-25-06, 11:24 AM

I use the 971H for my PAL discs and it plays them flawlessly. I would recommend this player for this and because it's just a great player for the price.

One caveat for the PAL playback on the 971H. You have to have it connected via the DVI port and set the player in the setup menu to VIDEO 2. After that you're good to go on NTSC and PAL playback.

Glad to hear it - two questions though:
Is Video 2 the Oppo designation for DVI or is it a video quality setting?

What happens what you try to play it over component? Did Oppo design it to work this way or is it some sort of glitch? In either case I'll have the 42" Westy with DVI port next week, so it should be moot.

Thanks again for the help!

drbonbi

10-25-06, 11:39 AM

Glad to hear it - two questions though:
Is Video 2 the Oppo designation for DVI or is it a video quality setting?

What happens what you try to play it over component? Did Oppo design it to work this "way or is it some sort of glitch? In either case I'll have the 42" Westy with DVI port next week, so it should be moot.

Thanks again for the help!

There is a Video Setup Menu page on the Oppo. Here's what the latest User Manual says about Video Mode settings which are on that menu.

"9. Video Mode: To select the mode of conversion for video output. The options are:
"• Video 1 – Video 1 mode is recommended for viewing NTSC content with video or 3:2
cadence. If you primarily watch NTSC content, this is the preferred mode.
"• Video 2 – Video 2 mode is recommended for viewing NTSC/PAL contents with video, 3:2
and 2:2 cadences. However in Video 2 mode only the DVI output will have the "NTSC/PAL
system conversion capability. All analog video output (component, S-Video and composite)
will only output the native NTSC or PAL system as encoded on the disc without any
conversion. If you watch both NTSC and PAL movies and use the DVI output to connect to
the TV, this is the preferred mode."

There is upconversion only through the DVI port by design because of a hardware limitation.

Dana

Martin Butler

10-25-06, 12:59 PM

If I recall correctly, the general consensus was to set the 971 to Video 2. From drbonbi's post it seems that Video 1 is for NTSC and Video 2 for PAL users. Is there a difference in pq between Video settings 1 & 2 for those of us watching a DVD meant for the USA?

brinyhenry

10-25-06, 01:07 PM

What happens what you try to play it over component? Did Oppo design it to work this way or is it some sort of glitch? In either case I'll have the 42" Westy with DVI port next week, so it should be moot.

If you use the 971H via component it bypasses the Farjouda chip which not only gives you the silky smooth yet detailed picture quality but also provides the excellent PAL to NTSC conversion. Definately use the DVI port.

By the way I originally bought this player only for the upconversion and then I learned about its Region free and PAL conversion capabilities. There's absolutely no sacrifice in performance when watching a PAL disc. In fact some of these discs are my most stunning transfers.

jojosdad

10-25-06, 01:50 PM

Josh, spare me the double blind rhetoric, those tests have their own biases.

I believe people have the right to enjoy music any way shape or form and if you don't want to do a double blind test, fine. I think this forum bands discussions of double blind test but please do not make generalizations that are misleading. ABX testing is one of the best test to ELIMINATE bias. It is not perfect, it does have limitations, but having bias is not the main problem of double blind test when compared to non blinded testing.

Ben

withnail

10-25-06, 02:20 PM

If you use the 971H via component it bypasses the Farjouda chip which not only gives you the silky smooth yet detailed picture quality but also provides the excellent PAL to NTSC conversion. Definately use the DVI port.

By the way I originally bought this player only for the upconversion and then I learned about its Region free and PAL conversion capabilities. There's absolutely no sacrifice in performance when watching a PAL disc. In fact some of these discs are my most stunning transfers.

Great! I might just wait to hook it up until the Westy is actually in-house do I can use the DVI. Thanks again

Martin Butler

10-25-06, 03:39 PM

Quoting Jojosdad, "I think this forum bands discussions of double blind test but please do not make generalizations that are misleading."

Jojosddad, when an earlier post was answered saying there was no sound difference between coax and optical I was in fact trying to prevent misleading generalizations. Perhaps it might have been more politically correct to say that many audiophiles do hear differences between cables, so perhaps it's wisest for members listen for theirselves and make up their own mind. It's a reasonable quetion to ask though, since not everyone has both types of cables available to try out. Well, I think that's enough of an off topic discussion for today, so if anyone wants to further the cable discussion, start a new thread and I'll meet you there.

blackjackmark

10-26-06, 05:03 PM

Neuro...

I was hoping maybe such an update might become available after the 981H hits the streets.

Thanks

RJ
...

So what is the rumors on the new Oppo player? Delivery time/features/price?
Searched the forums and the Web with "Oppo 981H", but this post seems to be the first one to mention it!

Neuromancer

10-26-06, 05:51 PM

You might want to check this thread titled OPPO DV-981HD coming real soon (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=736287&page=1&pp=30)

eric.exe

10-26-06, 09:39 PM

Hey guys, I just go a 971 and am having a hard time picking between 720p and 1080i on my TV (Sony SXRD A200). I plan on taking upclose photos of scenes from DVDs and comparing them on my computer. Any one know a good scene that will stress the Oppo's upconverting so I can see the possible differences? Here's is my DVD collection if you know a good movie/scene to decide on: http://www.dvdaficionado.com/dvds.html?cat=1&id=zeroarmy

dean123

10-26-06, 10:44 PM

[QUOTE=Neuromancer]All firmware is accumulative. ...QUOTE]

I assume you mean by accumulative that each new firmware update incorporates all the previous improvements. Just checking, because I had planned to update to 10-0821B. However, I would prefer to update to the most recent version 11-0830 if that will also include the improvements offered by 10-0821B.

Thanks in advance.
dean

kdaniel

10-26-06, 10:45 PM

You might want to check this thread titled OPPO DV-981HD coming real soon (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=736287&page=1&pp=30)

http://www.complete-it.ca/news.php
2006-10-19

News about OPPO DV-981HD
Dear OPPO resellers and partners,

We would like to let you know about an upcoming new DVD player model DV-981HD from OPPO. As many of you already know, OPPO is constantly working on developing new products. The DV-981HD has been in development for many months. The design is based on the legendary success of OPDV971H. The DV-981HD keeps the Genesis/Faroudja video processor with its DCDi® technology for de-interlacing and up-converting. Updated features include HDMI output, 1080p 60/50Hz output resolution, and SACD playback. It will no longer have a component video output, as this model is designed specifically for displays with digital inputs (HDMI or DVI). The chassis design is similar to the OPDV971H, but comes in black instead of silver.

The DV-981HD is still in the development stage. We are conducting limited test and product revision right now. In order to ensure the product performance, which customers associate the OPPO brand with, we are spending extra time and effort. We look forward to releasing the new DV-981HD model for this Christmas season, however there is no predetermined release date. We will release the product only when we are certain of its quality and performance. The price of DV-981HD is not determined yet, but we expect it to be slightly higher than the OPDV971H.

OPPO will keep the OPDV971H model in our product line and continue to provide inventory and support. The DV-981HD is positioned as a slightly higher level product than the OPDV971H, not a replacement to it. Based on the great number of positive reviews and the unique design of the product, we expect there will still be strong demand for the OPDV971H model. For this reason we recommend our resellers keep their normal inventory levels of the OPDV971H inventory appropriate for the season. We support our resellers with long term mutually beneficial relationship. Should there be a concern of inventory level, we will be glad to help.

As more information becomes available and the product becomes ready to release, we will keep you updated.

Sincerely,

OPPO Digital

Neuromancer

10-27-06, 03:34 AM

dean123

10-27-06, 10:23 AM

I appreciate that confirmation. Oppo's warning concerning DIY made me want to be careful.

iGrooveLA

10-27-06, 04:40 PM

drbonbi

10-27-06, 05:11 PM

hi guys...i just got the fullstageHD yesterday and connected it to the oppo via optical cable...i'm finding that the optical cable connection to the oppo is not very snug..it's very easy for the connection to just pop out w/the slighest movement..is that supposed to be that way?

Are you sure you pushed it in all the way? Mine seats firmly with a little click/snap so I would answer, no it isn't supposed to be that way. Be sure you match up the groves correctly in the plug and jack. Hope this helps.

Dana

rpete

10-27-06, 05:36 PM

hi guys...i just got the fullstageHD yesterday and connected it to the oppo via optical cable...i'm finding that the optical cable connection to the oppo is not very snug..it's very easy for the connection to just pop out w/the slighest movement..is that supposed to be that way?

iGrooveLA, my first experience with optical audio was a few weeks ago, and the cable just wouldn't stay in the jack. Turns out that there was a little cap on the end of the cable that needed to be removed. It was embarrassing to realize that I had spent half an hour figuring out this little detail, and I'm not saying that's necessarily what you've done as well, but that's my story :o

iGrooveLA

10-27-06, 05:52 PM

thanks all...i did remove the cap but i also didn't realize when i was first looking at it that i was supposed to remove until i read the instructions. :D so both caps are removed from the optical cable and the jack covers on the oppo/fullstageHD also removed! i'll try again tonight and make sure that the grooves are lined up as dana suggested...however, the way i have it connected know, albeit kinda loose, still seems to work.

bdcline

10-27-06, 11:27 PM

Just wanted to relate my experiences. I bought the Oppo 971 for my HD70, and had been underwhelmed by it. To be honest, my wife and I couldn't tell much of a difference b/w the Oppo (over DVI/HDMI) and my regular ol' progressive HK DVD31 (component) after comparing them with three different disks over the period of a week (at least not $200 difference IMHO). Just when I was ready to send the Oppo back, I popped in "The Proposition" tonight to compare them once more just for kicks. Wow, there was a HUGE difference. The DVD31 looked awful, with really bad horizontal lines (haloing?) around light highlights. The Oppo looked much smoother. So, I'm now convinced that I need to upgrade the DVD31. Just goes to show, you've really got to put these products through the paces with lots of different disks to evaluate them. (But, I must confess that I'm gonna try a D1 and compare it with the Oppo. At this point, I'd feel a lot better spending only $35 if the D1 is somewhere comparable. That would get me by until I'm ready to go HD-DVD.)

withnail

10-29-06, 01:48 PM

wmcclain

10-29-06, 02:11 PM

I love my 971 - but I've come across an odd problem. Occasionally, when the screen saver has come on, it has left a "burn-in" mark in the exact shape of the Oppo logo on the screen over the movie image (I have a CRT). It remains there over the Oppo screen when you hit stop. I let it go black again, and it disappeared - but then there was a square-ish flutter on the screen whenever I pressed the Set-Up button, just before the set-up screen came on. Powering it off and back on again seemed to fix this, and with the screen saver off it hasn't happened again.

Anyone else had this problem?

Just once I had something similar: one of the screen saver ellipses persisted as an overlay during disk playback. Had to power off/on.

With unlucky timing you can put the player in strange modes. I used to hit "menu" when the "DVD-Video" message first came up in order to skip the intro material, but now and then this would confuse the player as to how to read the disk menus, what aspect ratio to use, etc.

At least with older firmware. Haven't tried it recently.

-Bill

Toonces T. Cat

10-29-06, 02:18 PM

I love my 971 - but I've come across an odd problem. Occasionally, when the screen saver has come on, it has left a "burn-in" mark in the exact shape of the Oppo logo on the screen over the movie image (I have a CRT). It remains there over the Oppo screen when you hit stop. I let it go black again, and it disappeared - but then there was a square-ish flutter on the screen whenever I pressed the Set-Up button, just before the set-up screen came on. Powering it off and back on again seemed to fix this, and with the screen saver off it hasn't happened again.

Anyone else had this problem?

If I'm reading your post correctly, and I may not be, this can be rather typical CRT behavior. All CRTs...picture tubes...have an aquadag coating (conductive graphite) on the inside of the conical shaped portion of the glass. Typically, this has a charge of somewhere from 20,000 to 30,000 VDC on it. Sets are supposed to have a circuit that discharges this voltage when the TV is powered down. Some of these circuits are more efficient than others. If the charge remains, it may have enough zip left in it to keep the phosphors on the front of the active for awhile and produce a ghost of an image...I have an old Panasonic 32" that is really bad about this issue.

-Toonces

Neuromancer

10-29-06, 05:22 PM

I love my 971 - but I've come across an odd problem. Occasionally, when the screen saver has come on, it has left a "burn-in" mark in the exact shape of the Oppo logo on the screen over the movie image (I have a CRT).

Don't listen to the other two posters. The screensaver is buffered in the OPDV971H and DV-970HD, which means that you will ghost every single one of the mini-OPPO logos. This has nothing to do with a true burn in.

The easiest way to get rid of them is to just turn the player back on then off.

jdrumm

10-29-06, 05:32 PM

Don't listen to the other two posters. The screensaver is buffered in the OPDV971H and DV-970HD, which means that you will ghost every single one of the mini-OPPO logos. This has nothing to do with a true burn in.

The easiest way to get rid of them is to just turn the player back on then off.
The first of the two posters you mentioned said to do exactly the same thing you did, boss, and I can't see where his claim conflicts with yours.

Neuromancer

10-29-06, 11:50 PM

Bill was right, but did not say why it was happening. Toonces is right in regards to how CRT burn-ins can occur, but did not tackle the real issue of the Screen Saver design of the OPDV971H.

Secondly, it is more of a joke, since there were already two posters who tackled the post, which means that a third explanation was not really needed, but provided anyways.

vjren

10-30-06, 08:58 AM

Using the latest firmware, using zoom still leaves the indicator on? (Or does that just stay on in the euro version) (0819-E)

Neuromancer

10-30-06, 01:38 PM

Zoom disappears after 7 seconds with the 11-0830 Firmware.

frodo77

10-30-06, 02:56 PM

When I put in any DVD (I have tried several) my Oppo 971 stays on "loading". Is there a simple fix that someone knows about before I ship it off? Thanks.

Neuromancer

10-30-06, 04:46 PM

Disconnect the DVD player from the power source for no less than 15 minutes.
Give the DVD unit a little shake.
Plug the unit back in.
Download and install the 11-0830 Firmware.
Ensure that you clean the bottom of the DVD's and tray/
Try playback again.

Martin Butler

10-30-06, 06:20 PM

If that doesn't do it, try one of those cleaning CD's that have a little brush on the CD where you put a drop of cleaning fluid on it and hit play. It plays for 10-30 seconds and your done. It's solved similar problems many times for me and I'd never hassle sending a CD player to a manufacturer until I'd at least tried cleaning it once or twice. Good luck.

frodo77

10-30-06, 07:00 PM

Did as Neuromancer suggested but still the same. Then I took the cover off to see if I could easily see the optics, but alas it seemed too difficult to get at. So I just blew strongly into the tray mechanics and made sure there were no loose connectors etc. Powered on and now its ok. So now as Martin says I will use one of the CD cleaners. Thinking about it, I rent a lot of DVD's so its more than likely a dirt issue. Thanks for the help.

Martin Butler

10-30-06, 09:47 PM

Good news frodo! Next time try a little blast from one of those air cans they sell at Radio Shack, no sense risking an accidental saliva spray. Not saying I wouldn't have done the same as you though ;) I do use those air cans to blow dust off my screen as well, since as far as I know, wiping can harm the material front projection screens are made of.

frodo77

10-31-06, 09:19 PM

Tonight I used a DVD cleaner and it appears to have fixed the problem. It just goes to show, and as a retired tech I should know better, that sometimes you cannot see the trees for the forest.

Martin Butler

11-01-06, 12:48 AM

Cool frodo77.

fbd

11-02-06, 03:51 AM

Hi,

There are 5 levels of TrueLife mode in the FLI2310.

Do you know the level in the Oppo 971h?

Thanks

d3193

11-02-06, 11:10 AM

I have an Oppo DV971H feeding a Sony SXRD 60 at 720p. All enhancements set to "off" except for TrueLife. With a good DVD the results are usually spectacular.

However I just rented MISSION IMPOSSIBLE lll from Netflix and was surprised to see very strong moire patterns on some scenes (most strikingly the exterior walls of the building that stands in for the Vatican) - also some line flicker in the closing credits. I don't remember seeing these artifacts in any previous DVDs.

I thought that the Faroudja processing was supposed to be very good at eliminating these effects.

Does anyone have any thoughts?

Neuromancer

11-02-06, 01:03 PM

Try turning CCS on.

d3193

11-02-06, 02:01 PM

Thanks for the suggestion Neuromancer.
Of course, I have already returned the DVD to Netflix (foolish of me after posting this request). But isn't CCS for cross color suppression? That is not what I was seeing.

Neuromancer

11-02-06, 02:17 PM

Flickering can be caused by chroma errors. CCS can correct that.

Moire patterns can also be caused by chroma errors, depending on the type of error it is.

sparky7

11-02-06, 04:20 PM

mooshoo

11-03-06, 01:04 AM

That really jumped out at me too. Never saw anything that looked that bad on OPPO. Tried turning CCS on, off nothing helped.

Mark

Same result here. It was awful, esp. when Cruise says "Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall", and rappels down. The scene that follows, when he is in priest outfit, and the stone wall behind him just went crazy. Immediately following that scene, when he walks toward the church, the walls in the far background were shimering very bad. Then a couple minutes later when some people are walking down the long stairs it happens again.

I have a feeling it was the transfer, because I saw a little of shimmering going on randomly (although replicable). It looked awful. I tried the DVD in my other player (IODATA AVEL LINKPLAYER), and had teh same results with the shimmering. It seems like just about anything that has a sharp horizontal edge would set it. You can see it briefly when Sam pulls up in the orange Lamborghini. The horizontal contours were shimmering. I wonder what the hell is going on??

Toonces T. Cat

11-03-06, 08:29 AM

Same result here. It was awful, esp. when Cruise says "Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall", and rappels down. The scene that follows, when he is in priest outfit, and the stone wall behind him just went crazy. Immediately following that scene, when he walks toward the church, the walls in the far background were shimering very bad. Then a couple minutes later when some people are walking down the long stairs it happens again.

I have a feeling it was the transfer, because I saw a little of shimmering going on randomly (although replicable). It looked awful. I tried the DVD in my other player (IODATA AVEL LINKPLAYER), and had teh same results with the shimmering. It seems like just about anything that has a sharp horizontal edge would set it. You can see it briefly when Sam pulls up in the orange Lamborghini. The horizontal contours were shimmering. I wonder what the hell is going on??

Still had the MI: III DVD so I threw it in to check and it shows none of the symptoms y'all are describing. I specifically went back and checked the Vatican scene several times after reading the above and it looks just fine...In fact better than fine. It seems to be an excellent transfer on my system.

OPPO using the 1022 firmware, DVI to DVI, 720p, with a Sony GWII 50" LCDRP

I did not test any other resolutions.

-Toonces

mooshoo

11-03-06, 01:32 PM

Odd. I replicated it several times on my other players. Perhaps the release version has something to do with it? I have the version released in Canada.....

Toonces T. Cat

11-03-06, 06:06 PM

Odd. I replicated it several times on my other players. Perhaps the release version has something to do with it? I have the version released in Canada.....

U.S. Widescreen Version...

-Toonces

sparky7

11-03-06, 06:13 PM

GSB

11-04-06, 04:33 AM

Here in Reno U. S. version. Maybe the firmware has something to do with it. I'm using 10-0720 latest I think. DVI-HDMI to BenQ PE7700 720P.

Checked it on my Philips HDMI dvd player hooked up to Samsung DLP its the the same very bad shimering. OK, so your other player has confirmed that its not the OPPO, and Toonces has confirmed that its not the DVD, so it must be the display.

Have you done a basic calibration of the display?
To begin with, set the OPPO's resolution to 720p. That's essential for a DLP (no matter whether a 720p or 1080p model) and set the OPPO's Brightness and Contrast to 0 (default) and Sharpness to OFF.
Select Movie/Cinema mode on the display.
Turn image enhancements like DNIe OFF.
Set the display to 1:1 pixel mapping. (EXPAND mode in the Samsung 720p models, possibly something different for 1080p models).
Set sharpness to 0.
Set the display's Brightness, Contrast and Saturation properly, using a calibration DVD like DVE.
Calibration is imperative to get the best out of your setup! The torch-mode settings from the factory are terrible, and introduce all kinds of artifacts.

Gary

sparky7

11-04-06, 12:00 PM

OK, so your other player has confirmed that its not the OPPO, and Toonces has confirmed that its not the DVD, so it must be the display.

Have you done a basic calibration of the display?
To begin with, set the OPPO's resolution to 720p. That's essential for a DLP (no matter whether a 720p or 1080p model) and set the OPPO's Brightness and Contrast to 0 (default) and Sharpness to OFF.
Select Movie/Cinema mode on the display.
Turn image enhancements like DNIe OFF.
Set the display to 1:1 pixel mapping. (EXPAND mode in the Samsung 720p models, possibly something different for 1080p models).
Set sharpness to 0.
Set the display's Brightness, Contrast and Saturation properly, using a calibration DVD like DVE.
Calibration is imperative to get the best out of your setup! The torch-mode settings from the factory are terrible, and introduce all kinds of artifacts.

Gary

I think its the DVD

Mark

d3193

11-04-06, 12:17 PM

mooshoo

11-04-06, 12:52 PM

I have to agree that it's the DVD, as I tried it on my powerbook to test. Wonder what the heck is going on here....

castaban

11-04-06, 01:38 PM

Is it possible that the DVD is dirty maybe?

d3193

11-04-06, 02:06 PM

Is it possible that the DVD is dirty maybe?

I doubt that my copy, Mooshoo's and Sparky's are all dirty in the same place. This artifact is not the result of a dirty disc.

Moire is an interference pattern caused by the interaction between two similar structures - in this case the horizontal line structure of the TV picture and the near horizontal lines in the image. The best image processing can almost eliminate the effect, and the Oppo usually does a great job. That is why this is so unusual.

Can others who have the DVD of MI3 tell us what happens on their setup? It is most pronounced in sequence outside the building which is used to represent the Vatican.

Toonces T. Cat

11-04-06, 02:18 PM

However, Toonces experience is different from others who have posted. I wonder if Paramount has put out more than one version of the DVD.

I rechecked the DVD just to be sure and the stuff on the Vatican wall is quite clean on my set up with the DVD I have. The UPC number is 097363398745 if you want to check for a different pressing which is quite possible.

I need to add, however, that even though the wall sequence is clean on my copy, a few minutes later there is shot where the camera pulls back from a podium and two clerics are walking down an enormous stone staircase, The moire patterns on the stairs are pronounced in that sequence. I just hadn't noticed it while I was watching the film the first time.

So, yeah there does appear to be a problem, or problems, with the MI: III pressing.

-Toonces

GSB

11-05-06, 06:03 PM

Gary, have you checked out MI3 on your setup? No, I haven't seen MI3 yet, but I'll be sure to check this when I rent it.

Gary

EscapeVelocity

11-05-06, 10:55 PM

Martin Butler

11-05-06, 11:08 PM

mooshoo

11-06-06, 01:32 PM

the general consensus is to leave True Life on, and set to Video 2, esp. if you are only watching NTSC content (which is the format used in North America).

wmcclain

11-06-06, 01:43 PM

I use my OPPO via DVI. I haven't checked my settings since installing the latest firmware. I just thought to check on them and noticed Truelife set to on and Video 1 in use. I've forgotten, is the consensus to keep Truelife on or off? Also, any difference for standard DVD's between Video 1 and Video 2?

At one time you could not actually set Noise Reduction to Off unless TrueLife was set On, despite the appearance of the setup menu. I forget if this is still the case.

I believe Video1 and 2 are the same, except 2 has better PAL processing. I leave it set at Video2.

By the way: new firmware resets all the settings. I always forget to re-enable multi-regions.

-Bill

Martin Butler

11-06-06, 03:16 PM

wmcclain

11-06-06, 04:05 PM

Thanks guys. When I compared Trueline on to off, on, seemed to have slightly more vivid colors, but I'd guess that off was actually more accurate. What the heck does Truelife do again anyway? I'll look closer tonight, but when I went to the setup menu, it was on Video 1, but the option to change to video 2 was disabled. Did I miss something?

Truelife graphic here: http://www.oppodigital.com/opdv971h_moreinfo.html

To switch Video the player must be completely stopped. You could eject the tray to be sure.

-Bill

samtny

11-06-06, 04:48 PM

Greetings,

Will the 971H output a DVI video signal and RAW optical audio at the same time?

I see in the manual under "Connection to a Receiver/Amplifier with Dolby Digital or DTS Decoder" that the Composite (!) video cable is in use alongside the SPDIF connection, the DVI port is not even in the picture.

Or, maybe I can just use a 2-channel audio cable and use the Oppo's downmix setting of "LT/RT", and then my amp will take that 2-channel signal and "decode" it properly to 5.1 via Dolby Pro Logic Surround?

:confused:

Neuromancer

11-06-06, 04:51 PM

Yes, the OPDV971H will playback audio through the analog outputs and RAW optical signal to your receiver at the same time.

Set the Down Mix to 2.0 Stereo and your S/PDIF Out to RAW.

Martin Butler

11-06-06, 05:19 PM

Thanks Bill, most helpful.

GSB

11-07-06, 04:27 AM

Hello, Im a newbie on this forum. Ive been lurking for a while, gaining great amounts of knowledge and infromation. I plan on donating to the forum for helping me so much in my decision for my first ever HDTV, which is a Vizio GV46L LCD from Costco.

My "question" is this. Would the Oppo 971H be a good DVD player for this Vizio? Does anyone have any experience with the Oppo and the Vizio 46" or 42" LCDs? Both of these Vizio's claim to have Fouradja DCDi image processing internally. Would having this processing in the DVD player be redundant? Which inputs on the Vizio's receive the DCDi processing? Which chips do DCDi besides the Genesis? The OPPO 971 would make a great DVD player for the Vizio. I don't own a Vizio, but I do have an LCD TV. The OPPO's DCDi implementation is superb, especially with the 720p output. (Do not use 1080i for your TV).

DCDi processing is a great advantage in a TV, but it is usually applied to analog 480i inputs. You will have to check your manual/forums to see if the Vizio accepts 480i HDMI and if DCDi processing is applied to that input with decent implementation. If both are true, the OPPO 970 might work well (set to 480i HDMI) and using the TV's processing.

The Genesis (Faroudja) chip is the only one that does DCDi (Faroudja trademark). There are many other upconversion chipsets, though.

Gary

mdray

11-07-06, 04:55 AM

Are Oppo going to implement 1080p on the 971.
Does anyone know please? :)

Neuromancer

11-07-06, 11:52 AM

At this time, highly unlikely.

Dazog

11-07-06, 12:05 PM

Angle Icon is showing during Cars.

I thought this was fixed for Disney movies in an older firmware?

Yes I am running the latest firmware.

Neuromancer

11-07-06, 12:15 PM

It was fixed.

Dazog

11-07-06, 12:15 PM

Any idea why it still shows?

Anyone else have this problem?

Neuromancer

11-07-06, 12:32 PM

Don't have the film, so I can't test it.

Dazog

11-07-06, 12:38 PM

pick it up, its pixar :P

if anyone else could report here that would be great, i don't want to bug OPPO support until it's confirmed by other people as well.

Neuromancer

11-07-06, 12:42 PM

I hear it was boring! I have it on my NetFlix queue, so I will hopefully get it this weekend.

EscapeVelocity

11-07-06, 03:47 PM

Thanks GSB, that was very helpful.

Cheers!

mosman72

11-07-06, 04:15 PM

Same result here. It was awful, esp. when Cruise says "Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall", and rappels down. The scene that follows, when he is in priest outfit, and the stone wall behind him just went crazy. Immediately following that scene, when he walks toward the church, the walls in the far background were shimering very bad. Then a couple minutes later when some people are walking down the long stairs it happens again.

I have a feeling it was the transfer, because I saw a little of shimmering going on randomly (although replicable). It looked awful. I tried the DVD in my other player (IODATA AVEL LINKPLAYER), and had teh same results with the shimmering. It seems like just about anything that has a sharp horizontal edge would set it. You can see it briefly when Sam pulls up in the orange Lamborghini. The horizontal contours were shimmering. I wonder what the hell is going on??

i can tell you that the strange effect of movement in th staircase and walls in the vatican scene of mi:3 is 100% dvd disc related. i have not tried the standard dvd in my oppo....however i have scene the same odd effects happen when viewing the hd-dvd release on my hd-a1. i have never seen anything like it b4 on hd-dvd...so the trouble is in direct relation to paramounts software(dvd).

Ungermann

11-07-06, 07:43 PM

Whoa, I just cannot read all 240+ pages, so I will just ask. As far as I know, OPPO players have "WIDE/SQUEEZE" mode, which pillarboxes 4:3 material for proper viewing on widescreen monitors. I saw on the first page that "different shade of gray" for sidebars is included in feature requests. Is it already implemented by OPPO? Why not to enhance this?

Unused sidebars or top/bottom bars are a sore issue for plasma TV owners, because a panel burns out unevenly. Some TV channels found an elegant way to fight this. Well, actually they found an elegant way to present 4:3 content on a widescreen TV, but that does not really matter. Like, during a football matche the 4:3 pieces are framed with gradient black/white/gray sidebars having HD across them and maybe some nice grayish pattern. This works. I wonder does OPPO provide a similar feature? And if it does not, I would like to add as a feature request.

A step further would be a selection of sidebars so a user can choose one he likes. Or, sidebar color can change along with screen color. The pattern on sidebars can change on scene cuts, this will prevent plasma burn-in, it should not be hard to implement with all videoprocessing circuitry in place.

If such a feature does not exist, I will shoot an email to OPPO.

Ungermann

11-07-06, 07:50 PM

Another question. Seems that OPPO suports long filenames for MP3/WMA/DivX. How long? What encoding? Does it support non-latin characters or West-European characters like umlauts? Does it support ID3 Tags for MP3? If yes, is it possible to display ID3 tag info in the right pane, when files are being scrolled in the left pane?

Neuromancer

11-07-06, 08:03 PM

Black is the only color you will get with pillarboxing. No other colors are available.

Latin based characters are only supported due to the Font library not containing any other language support.

It supports basically 100+ characters, but it will display them very, very slowly. Keep your filenames short if you do not want to pull out your hair.

ID3 tags are supported in the right preview window, though the information obtained can often be cut off due to bad window and font size.

Dazog

11-07-06, 09:48 PM

i guess the hacked no UPO firmware has the angle bug.

830 from Oppo does not

my bad :/

mooshoo

11-08-06, 04:01 PM

i can tell you that the strange effect of movement in th staircase and walls in the vatican scene of mi:3 is 100% dvd disc related. i have not tried the standard dvd in my oppo....however i have scene the same odd effects happen when viewing the hd-dvd release on my hd-a1. i have never seen anything like it b4 on hd-dvd...so the trouble is in direct relation to paramounts software(dvd).

Very interesting indeed. I am beginning to believe it's an encoding issue now. I'm going to swing by the local best buy and check out the BD version, since they're showcasing the player with that movie. I wouldn't be suprised to see the same problem on that version either.

richlo

11-08-06, 09:39 PM

Same result here. It was awful, esp. when Cruise says "Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall", and rappels down. The scene that follows, when he is in priest outfit, and the stone wall behind him just went crazy. Immediately following that scene, when he walks toward the church, the walls in the far background were shimering very bad. Then a couple minutes later when some people are walking down the long stairs it happens again.

I have a feeling it was the transfer, because I saw a little of shimmering going on randomly (although replicable). It looked awful. I tried the DVD in my other player (IODATA AVEL LINKPLAYER), and had teh same results with the shimmering. It seems like just about anything that has a sharp horizontal edge would set it. You can see it briefly when Sam pulls up in the orange Lamborghini. The horizontal contours were shimmering. I wonder what the hell is going on??

Im seeing this EXACT symptoms at the moment...although, the scenes are quick..but if your looking for it..it jumps out immediately...you really can miss when there are people walking down the stairs (later)..

rmm2112

11-09-06, 03:48 PM

AdamPS

11-09-06, 04:26 PM

I have seen comments both sides on this question --- Is tere an issue with using this player on a Toshiba DLP display? I have the 52HM84 model if anyone has experience both pro or con that would be great - thanks ---

I have a Toshiba 52HM95, and I have had nothing but success with the Oppo. The picture looks great and I am very happy with my DVD player and tv.

Dazog

11-09-06, 10:13 PM

Can we expect any more oppo 971 firmware updates before or after the new 981 is released?

Neuromancer

11-10-06, 12:24 AM

Yes, as there are no plans on phasing out the DVD player at this time. Additionally, much of the same architecture of the DV-981HD can be back ported to the OPDV971H and DV-970HD units.

samtny

11-10-06, 09:43 AM

Without touching the "sharpness"/edge enhancement settings on the Oppo 971H, are there any other settings I should check to improve a soft picture?

I'm connected to a Sony 42A10 via DVI/HDMI cable, 720p output from the Oppo, both the player and the tv I've "calibrated" using recommended settings from these forums- and I have to say the picture is indeed staggeringly "filmlike," to the point I am daydreaming about it constantly at work. But I perceive the image to be a little soft around the edges. So far my wife and I have watched Return of the Jedi, Manhattan and Thank Your for Smoking, and I noticed this on all of them. I'm a person who gets frustrated at the movie theatre when the projector is even *slightly* out of focus, so perhaps this is my pet peeve.

Technically, I know the detail from a 480i DVD source is just "not there" to produce a truly "HD" image, so I'm... well it boggles the mind how good the Oppo picture quality is overall, just very steady and smooth and detailed. The shot in RotJ towards the beginning of Vader's ship, pulling into the dock on the Deathstar, looked so detailed and clean my jaw was on the floor. But I was hoping for just a tiny bit less blurriness to the scaled picture.

Thanks! Reading the posts in this forum has been very helpful so far. :)

mdray

11-10-06, 11:56 AM

Have you tried setting sharpness to medium?
I know it's frowned upon in AV circles to touch it, but it does make a difference, and I LIKE it! :p :)

Fix

11-10-06, 05:21 PM

Is this player so much better then Denon, Pioneer and the rest ?
Or what makes this player so special ?

Better pictures, more settings, firmware upgrades ????

Why buy this one ?

gonk

11-10-06, 05:49 PM

My answer to that would probably be "better picture for the price compared to Denon, Pioneer, and the rest (assuming you can use the DVI output with your display)." I also think OPPO's customer service and aggressive support of the player with firmware updates to improve performance and address feedback from owners has helped build up the player's reputation a good bit.

GSB

11-11-06, 03:59 AM

GSB

11-11-06, 04:55 AM

Is this player so much better then Denon, Pioneer and the rest ?
Or what makes this player so special ?

Better pictures, more settings, firmware upgrades ????

Why buy this one ?After rigorous testing of more than 200 DVD players, the "SECRETS of Home Theater and HiFi" website has rated the OPPO DV971H top of the pile for its DVD processing capability. Their tests do not rate the subjective look of the picture, but instead, the player's performance with technically challenging material. That material exposes common processing flaws in progressive scan DVD players. The website explains what all the tests are, what the typical bugs are, and how de-interlacing and other processes work. The "SECRETS DVD Benchmark Reviews" are here (http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/cgi-bin/shootout.cgi?function=search&articles=all&type=DVD+Player&manufacturer=0&maxprice=0&deInt=0&mpeg=0) (the page takes a long time to load the data for all the players).

Aside from the rave reviews that can be found everywhere, OPPO has the best customer service and firmware support I have ever come across.

Gary

Fix

11-11-06, 07:29 AM

After rigorous testing of more than 200 DVD players, the "SECRETS of Home Theater and HiFi" website has rated the OPPO DV971H top of the pile for its DVD processing capability. Their tests do not rate the subjective look of the picture, but instead, the player's performance with technically challenging material. That material exposes common processing flaws in progressive scan DVD players. The website explains what all the tests are, what the typical bugs are, and how de-interlacing and other processes work. The "SECRETS DVD Benchmark Reviews" are here (the page takes a long time to load the data for all the players).

Aside from the rave reviews that can be found everywhere, OPPO has the best customer service and firmware support I have ever come across.

Gary

I've read it, and it sounds good.

But are the actual picture better than other players ?
Or same, but it can hadle dvd encoding better ?

I've ordered one, and will soon find out :-)
Will use it for my Sony VW50 untill I get my hands on a Blu Ray / HD-DVD player.

drbonbi

11-11-06, 07:42 AM

...

Aside from the rave reviews that can be found everywhere, OPPO has the best customer service and firmware support I have ever come across.

Gary
As a retired customer service rep for L.L. Bean - a retirement job actually - I say "Amen" to that. L.L. Bean, the founder, "invented" great customer service over 90 years ago, and his grandson Leon Gorman reinvented it at L.L. Bean in the modern era. At L.L. Bean we study customer service, ours and our competitors. I can say with confidence and admiration that OPPO is the L.L. Bean of consumer electronics. I tip my (virtual) hat to them.

Dana

drbonbi

11-11-06, 08:11 AM

...

But are the actual picture better than other players ?
Or same, but it can hadle dvd encoding better ?

...

I can't speak to comparison with all other DVD players. But, I can say that compared with the Bravo D2 - considered a hot upconverting DVD player not so long ago - the OPPO's actual picture was better out of the box when I got the OPPO a year and a half ago when connected via DVI. And, considering all the effort at continuous improvement by OPPO since then, I can easily imagine its PQ today is better than all the other upconverting players. :)

Dana

Martin Butler

11-11-06, 10:22 AM

I've owned the Pioneer 9500 and the Denon 3910, both real high end machines. Here's the skinny: Pioneer, softer picture, absolutely glorius killer CD quality, far surpassing OPPO in that regard. The Denon 3910,(#2 at Secrets last time I looked) in my opinion, ever so slightly edged out the OPPO when watching movies, but the OPPO had clearer dialogue reproduction. So, for me, OPPO was a tremendous value. Better audio than the Denon and much better video than the Pioneer. Add customer service and firmware support and to me, OPPO's the champ in the standard DVD department. Almost forgot to mention the over $800 cash still in my pocket!

Steve L

11-12-06, 07:29 AM

Have you tried setting sharpness to medium?
I know it's frowned upon in AV circles to touch it, but it does make a difference, and I LIKE it! :p :)

When calibrating a DVD player with Avia or DVE, I find the "sharpness" calibration to be one of the most important adjustments for optimizing picture quality. It's important that the "sharpness" test images exhibit a uniform gray across the screen. Many displays are factory-calibrated so the default sharpness is set too high, and in order to achieve the uniform gray, you have to crank the sharpness down quite a bit.

On my Fujitsu plasma, e.g., the sharpness range is "-16" to +"16", with "0" being the factory setting. After DVE calibration, it turns out the proper setting for my display is "-14".

For me, proper adjustment of this control had the effect of reducing the subtle ghosting effect that caused some of my DVD's to have more of a "video" look than a "film" look to them.

/steve

noboozerb

11-13-06, 02:58 PM

Sorry if already mentioned/server overloaded/no search.
Anyone tried either 970 or 971 with sony kdl-40xbr2. Wondering which might work better? Leaning toward 971. Read about MB issue.

Ungermann

11-14-06, 03:15 AM

Don't know have anyone suggested this... I have another DVD player and thinking about getting an OPPO. I know that OPPO allows to set a delay for the sound to achieve better lip sync. I noticed that with my player, some DVDs are almost synched while others are very much not so. Therefore, I would like to have different sound delay for different DVDs, BUT I would like to set delay only once per DVD.

I know that 970 has flash card slot, this can be used to store different DVD info, like time delay, aspect ratio, zoom, brightness, screen position, current chapter, etc. I am thinking about getting a new 981 model, would be great if it allowed that. I know that it does not have a flash card slot. Well, flash memory is cheap now, so say 64MB chip can be installed inside on the board and keep settings for all DVDs I watched.

GSB

11-14-06, 03:50 AM

Sorry if already mentioned/server overloaded/no search.
Anyone tried either 970 or 971 with sony kdl-40xbr2. Wondering which might work better? Leaning toward 971. Read about MB issue. I've tried both players with the Sony KDL-46V25L1 (the Costco equivalent of the XBR2). Both players look spectacular on this set. The DV-970HD is a wee bit sharper, but the tradeoff is that it shows a bit more noise (and MPEG artifacts), and the deinterlacing is not as good. The Sony looks best with the HDMI 720p resolution from the DV-970HD, but the Sony accepts and displays the HDMI 480i and 480p resolutions very well too.

I prefer the DV-971H for its silky-smooth image, and its excellent de-interlacing. The tradeoff is very occasional macroblock-enhance. My "Bug's Life", "Monster's Inc." and "Hotel Rwanda" macroblock-test DVD's look perfect on the Sony with no noticeable macroblock-enhance (on an uncalibrated DLP, they can look pretty bad). However, the mist scenes in "Jurassic Park III" showed some enhancement. That DVD is notoriously bad in ANY player, with hideous pink and green splotches in mist and on people's faces in misty scenes. The 971 exaggerates that problem a little. Every other DVD that I've watched on the 971/Sony combo, have all been stunning, with no noticeable enhance. The 971's 720p output is unquestionably the best resolution to feed the Sony LCD.

You might want to wait just a little longer for the DV-981HD, which should be a perfect match for your 1080p LCD. We can be confident that it will have the same legendary performance as the 971.

Gary

Neuromancer

11-14-06, 11:49 AM

Don't know have anyone suggested this... I have another DVD player and thinking about getting an OPPO. I know that OPPO allows to set a delay for the sound to achieve better lip sync. I noticed that with my player, some DVDs are almost synched while others are very much not so. Therefore, I would like to have different sound delay for different DVDs, BUT I would like to set delay only once per DVD.

There are Audio Delay functionalities in all of the DVD units. However, this delay is global and is not isolated to a single disc. The Delay is also only effective for the analog audio outputs, processed HDMI, and 2-channel PCM optical or coaxial. RAW bitstreams is not effected.

drbonbi

11-14-06, 12:00 PM

There are Audio Delay functionalities in all of the DVD units. However, this delay is global and is not isolated to a single disc. The Delay is also only effective for the analog audio outputs, processed HDMI, and 2-channel PCM optical or coaxial. RAW bitstreams is not effected.
Processed HDMI on the 971? Hmm. (This probably refers to "... all of the DVD units..." with HDMI, meaning the 970 and the 981.)

Dana

Neuromancer

11-14-06, 02:17 PM

processed HDMI would mean a pure HDMI connection that has been set to multi-channel PCM. Therefore, DVI would not be an inclusion in this argument.

withnail

11-14-06, 05:12 PM

wmcclain

11-14-06, 05:51 PM

drbonbi

11-14-06, 06:11 PM

Has anyone else here experienced green horizontal lines when connecting this player using the HDMI cable? I was all set to assume that my Westy had a bad port, but I haven’t heard anyone else complaining about it. My Oppo is doing just fine using the DVI, so before I consider returning the set I wanted to see if the Oppo might be at fault

Thanks in advance!

Play with the HDMI connection. When I connected my OPPO 971 through an HDMI two into one receiver switch with a six foot DVI>HDMI cable (not MonoPrice), the HDMI connection was very touchy. I was getting every color of the rainbow. I was about to throw the cable away when suddenly - it worked! I haven't dared touch anything on the back of the receiver since. For those of us used to secure DVI connections, HDMI seems a step backward.

MonoPrice may have an answer. They sell a so-called "HDMI Cable male to female 28AWG Port Saver - 8 inches (Gold-Plated)" for $3.78 ea! A user/reviewer on their web site says the Port Saver provides "a very snug fit." I ordered one to try and should have ordered a bunch. Link: http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10240&cs_id=1024004&p_id=2891&seq=1&format=2&style=

BTW. The two MonoPrice DVI>HDMI 3 foot cables I connected did fit snugly. Then, the PQ was just like DVI>DVI. Superb!

Dana

BoulderGeek

11-14-06, 09:45 PM

Does anyone know where I can borrow or buy an Oppo 971H remote to clone into my HomeTheaterMaster URC200?

I got a replacement player unit (for my old 970) sent from Oppo, but I no longer have the remote that came with it. And I got a 971 back.

They do not list the remote alone on their website.

I really don't want to buy one, just clone it in ten minutes.

Any ideas?

motoman

11-14-06, 09:47 PM

I just ordered my second Oppo yesterday. I sold my first Oppo on e-bay after getting a Toshiba A1 and thought I would offset the cost a little. Still sold the old Oppo on e-bay for $187.50. After I updated my A1 to firware V2.0 I have the dreaded black crush going with the HDMI>DVI connection. No idea when or if Toshiba will fix this in the next firmware. My SD-DVD's look like crap now and it looks like the only way to bypass this problem is use the component out and lose upconversion. Haven't tried it yet but will when I hook the Oppo up this weekend.

Anyway I just found I missed having the Oppo for my region free stuff and overall great picture on my large collection of SD discs. My new Oppo will be here tomorrow from Amazon.

Just thought I'd share :D

A happy returning customer.

Jim

noboozerb

11-14-06, 10:06 PM

Thank You for the reply Gary.I think I'll hold out fot the 981 , to use with my Sony.

Rodger

redjr

11-15-06, 10:06 AM

BoulderGeek

11-15-06, 10:50 AM

Try calling Oppo CS. They may send you another one for just the postage.

redjr...

Cool, thanks, Red.

I e-mailed them this morning. We'll see if I get any love.

**EDIT**

It took me a couple of e-mails to get a response, but Oppo did respond and said that they were sending a replacement remote out to me.

I offered to pay shipping and handling, and no mention was made of it.

So, props to Oppo Customer Service! Thank you!

Penarin

11-15-06, 01:20 PM

I have a question about the audio out on the Oppo 971-

I just do regular 2 channel stereo, either to the TV or the preamp.

Can I use both audio outs? Like the red /white stereo outs straight to the TV, and the coax digital out to my preamp? I don't always like to have the big ol' stereo on when I watch a movie, so it would be nice to have a simple connection to the TV, and then the fancier coax digital option for when I want to rock.

Thanks

gonk

11-15-06, 01:34 PM

Yes, you can connect both the digital audio and analog audio outputs and have both active at the same time.

vinuneuro

11-15-06, 02:50 PM

Is anyone using this player with the SXRD XBR2 set from Sony? I'm very interested in this player but am concerned about macroblock.

Pastuch

11-15-06, 06:55 PM

I am trying to figure out if I need to buy a DIVX HD-upconverting player. I recently purchased a Westinghouse 42W2 (42 inch 1080P compatible display). I use it as my primary computer monitor and it works great. My PC has a Geforce 8800GTX which is fully HDCP compatible through DVI so I should be able to get an XBOX 360 HD-DVD player for HD DVDs. :confused:

1. Will I get better picture quality through one of the Oppo units upscaling 1.4gb divx movies to 1080I or should I just keep using VLC and Zoomplayer on my PC?

2. What are the biggest differences between the Oppo 970 and 971? Is the Oppo 971 worth the extra investment in terms of playing low quality DIVX content on my 1080P TV?

Any suggestions or input would be welcome.

(Sorry if this has been asked before but its a 200+ page thread and the search function didn't really answer my questions).

EDIT: So far I prefer the DVI connector on the 971 because my set has 2 DVI connectors but I prefer the USB front output on the 970. If possible I'd like to save my HDMI port for PS3 or other devices.

GSB

11-16-06, 03:18 AM

Is anyone using this player with the SXRD XBR2 set from Sony? I'm very interested in this player but am concerned about macroblock.The electronics in the XBR2 is almost identical to the XBR1 and the A2000, all 3 of them using the same LCOS microdisplay panels and chipsets. Try typing SXRD in the "Search this Thread" link at the top of the page, find out who has one, and ask them.

Penarin

11-16-06, 12:50 PM

Thanks for the quick answer on the audio outputs.

One more question- how do I force the TV to add the side bars for 4:3 movies?

Sony 34XBR970 & Oppo DV971H

So there's my TV and DVD player, they are connected with a DVI to HDMI cable, and I've been running things at 1080i.

I do have a large collection of old, classic movies on DVD and most of them were filmed fullscreen / 4:3. I understand that in order to view such content properly, black bars on the sides of the picture will be needed. Which is fine by me. But how do I set up the TV and DVD player to do this? I read something about how you'll want the TV to add the side bars, because you lose some picture quality by having the Oppo add the bars. Is that correct?

The only way I've been able to get the side bars so far is by setting the Oppo "tv type" to "wide / SQZ." If I just do "wide," the Casablanca DVD filled the whole TV screen and looked distorted. "Wide / SQZ" put up the side bars, but then the Oppo is adding them and the quality goes down, at least that's what I've read here…

Thanks

drbonbi

11-16-06, 01:04 PM

Penarin,

Look at page 31 of your Manual. (Read the Manual when all else fails.) Set the Screen Mode to Full. (I have the Sony 34XBR910 direct-view CRT.) That will give you black side bars on upconverted 4:3 material.

Can you tell us where in this thread you read that "Wide / SQZ" lowers the PQ? I believe that is not correct.

Dana

bravada

11-16-06, 02:05 PM

Is anyone using this player with the SXRD XBR2 set from Sony? I'm very interested in this player but am concerned about macroblock.

I've got a 70xbr2 and the 971 and can say the picture is stunning. I haven't seen much if any macroblocking. In fact the only sense of macroblocking I've noticed in the last 40 or so movies was last night on some dark scenes on the The Da Vinci Code and it was insignificant. That said I recently got the HD-DVD add on for my xbox360 and the picture quality is so superior I would hesitate on recommending spending $200+ on an oppo when that's nearly half of the cost of an hd format player. I have to admit if I had not gotten the oppo prior to getting my 70xbr2 I would have skipped the oppo and went straight to HD. If your absolutely dead set against jumping into the HD-DVD/Blu-Ray fray I would wait for the oppo 981.

Neuromancer

11-16-06, 02:05 PM

Many many moons ago Josh Z talked about the loss of resolution associated to the DVD unit pillarboxing material, as you are losing horizontal resolution to squeeze the image.

drbonbi

11-16-06, 02:49 PM

Many many moons ago Josh Z talked about the loss of resolution associated to the DVD unit pillarboxing material, as you are losing horizontal resolution to squeeze the image.

Far be it from me to quarrel with Josh Z. but I didn't think the Oppo was literally squeezing anything with the Wide/SQZ setting. Page 27 of the current (new) Manual says (as you know)

"• Wide/SQZ – 16:9 TV Wide/Squeeze Mode. Choose when the display is 16:9. 16:9 materials will be displayed in its native aspect ratio, and 4:3 materials will be displayed with black borders on both sides to maintain 4:3 aspect ratio."

Where's the squeeze? In any event, there's no PQ degradation observed on my TV with this setting. :)

Dana

GSB

11-16-06, 03:23 PM

Far be it from me to quarrel with Josh Z. but I didn't think the Oppo was literally squeezing anything with the Wide/SQZ setting. Page 27 of the current (new) Manual says (as you know)

"• Wide/SQZ – 16:9 TV Wide/Squeeze Mode. Choose when the display is 16:9. 16:9 materials will be displayed in its native aspect ratio, and 4:3 materials will be displayed with black borders on both sides to maintain 4:3 aspect ratio."

Where's the squeeze? In any event, there's no PQ degradation observed on my TV with this setting. :) See this post (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=5124988&&#post5124988) for a detailed explanation.

Gary

gonk

11-16-06, 03:27 PM

You've got a point there, and that may be why the latest 970HD firmware apparently changed the name of that mode from "Wide/SQZ" to "Wide/Auto". My eyes and system (32" HDTV) may not be the best tests for it, but for what it's worth, I've used the Wide/SQZ mode on my 971H for a year and a half now and never seen anything that would suggest picture quality degradation.

EDIT: GSB's post above does explain things pretty well - particularly this statement "Unfortunately, though, many players, including the Oppo in Wide/SQZ mode, use the MPEG decoder to squeeze the image for the analog output, before the Faroudja chip scales the image for the DVI output. The Faroudja chip then has to scale an image that has lost some of its original resolution."

drbonbi

11-16-06, 03:52 PM

Yes, I certainly appreciate Gary's reference to a previous post for a detailed explanation. As usual with his comments, I learn something. On the one hand, much of that detailed explanation circa 2004 had to do with analog (component) connection stretching between player and display. My connection is digital (DVI).

But, the sentence gonk quotes lets the air out of my balloon. Let's hope that with the absence of component output on the 981, this anomaly - squeezing the image for the analog output before scaling for the digital output - will be eliminated. :)

Dana

Eben

11-16-06, 05:58 PM

See this post (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=5124988&&#post5124988) for a detailed explanation.

Gary
So if I have a 16:9 HDTV that will put bars on, which Oppo setting do I select?

Neuromancer

11-16-06, 06:05 PM

You will want to set the OPPO to Wide then use your television's zoom controls to pillarbox the video content.

drbonbi

11-16-06, 06:27 PM

You will want to set the OPPO to Wide then use your television's zoom controls to pillarbox the video content.

One last quibble and I'll keep quiet on this subject. While this discussion has been informative, the manual is less so. But, as my father said long ago (He was a newspaper compositor.) don't believe everything you read.

Dana

Eben

11-16-06, 07:18 PM

You will want to set the OPPO to Wide then use your television's zoom controls to pillarbox the video content.
Thanks!

StompAWOT

11-17-06, 01:47 AM

My Oppo died...about 1.5 years after purchase. Just decided not to turn on anymore. I've tried unplugging & replugging (socket is still hot) - no luck. Anybody know of any do-it-yourself surgery I can try???

I truly have no clue what happened. The TV, receiver & Moxi box that are hooked up to the surge protector still work fine FWIW.

Thanks, Stomp

[Edit] I just unplugged the optical cable from the Oppo and I can see a red light flashing from the back. So it is getting power, however the front of the unit is completely dark. None of the buttons light up. No digital display. Nothing happens when I hold the power button down for 10's of seconds....

Neuromancer

11-17-06, 03:20 AM

Try disconnecting the unit from the power source for no less than 15 minutes.
Gently shake your DVD unit.
Plug your DVD player back in.
Press Power and see if your unit responds.

steve68

11-19-06, 11:22 AM

BoulderGeek

11-19-06, 11:35 AM

WTF!

My "new" reconditioned 971H arrived on Wednesday. It won't play ANY discs!

Everything I put in starts loading for minutes, then times out and says "No Disc!"

It played one DVD out of the box, then stopped seeing anything.

I even tried a firmware upgrade disc (though it just came from the factory with latest firmware). No dice.

Anyone seen this before? Do I have to return another returned machine?

Are these things total junk?

wmcclain

11-19-06, 12:17 PM

black_macleod

11-19-06, 12:47 PM

I’m having a problem with my Oppo 971. I burned a dvd of some avi files. I can watch the first 9 files on the disc, but the last 6 files will not play. I’m not sure what the problem is. I then made another dvd of some different avi files and this time the player plays the soundtrack, but no video at all. I tried converting all of the files on the second dvd to divx using Dr.Divx and the exact same thing happened audio only with no video.

The player is hooked up to my HP 5880 using the oppo supplied DVI-HDMI cable. All of the videos play fine on my pc in all formats. Is it possible that the files have some sort of copyright protection and that’s why they aren’t playing?

Thanks,
Steve

Its been a while since I've burned a DVD archive of .avi's -- so I may be thinking of my DVP642 and not the Oppp -- but I had problems with later .avi's playing on the discs. If I burned single movies to CD's they worked fine. So you might want to take one of the ones that wouldn't play and burn it to a single CD and see if that works.

frodo77

11-19-06, 01:44 PM

BoulderGeek,
First try to use a DVD cleaner. If that fails, then open the player up and make sure the small ribbon cable feeding into the optics (middle of the black plastic cover) is secure.

Neuromancer

11-19-06, 02:54 PM

Neuromancer

11-19-06, 02:57 PM

WTF!

My "new" reconditioned 971H arrived on Wednesday. It won't play ANY discs!

All units are tested at OPPO at least 24 hours for stability. It is highly unlikely that you would have received a bad unit.

There are basically three reasons why this is happening.

1. A cable has come loose inside of your unit which is causing the loader head to not properly acquire the disc information. Try disconnecting your unit from the power source for no less than 15 minutes and then gently shake your unit.

2. The laser head itself is dirty. You can try cleaning it by opening the unit and cleaning the laser head manually.

3. The decoder board has become defective during shipping and is not properly focusing the laser. This scenario will need the unit replaced.

violator_1977

11-20-06, 10:20 AM

Hi guys, quick question, i got my Oppo 971 last week, is the DVI to HDMI cable/adapter a quality one? ppl tell me to not skimp on cables, are those included cables skimpy?

sorry if its been asked before, too many pages here.

thanks

black_macleod

11-20-06, 10:31 AM

BoulderGeek

11-20-06, 12:15 PM

All units are tested at OPPO at least 24 hours for stability. It is highly unlikely that you would have received a bad unit.

There are basically three reasons why this is happening.

1. A cable has come loose inside of your unit which is causing the loader head to not properly acquire the disc information. Try disconnecting your unit from the power source for no less than 15 minutes and then gently shake your unit.

2. The laser head itself is dirty. You can try cleaning it by opening the unit and cleaning the laser head manually.

3. The decoder board has become defective during shipping and is not properly focusing the laser. This scenario will need the unit replaced.

Thank you very much for the informative post, Neuromancer.

What it looks like is that the servo that spins the DVD is non-functional.

The head seeks, but the disc does not spin, negating drive sense.

Going to call Oppo and see what they can do.