Thanks, Neuro.

What's the latest on the vertical compression upscaling? Any changes since the beta fix?

None that I know of, though OPPO is always looking at improving the firmware. Likely we will see a firmware in the future which will allow people to download an alternate firmware to address the vertical compression.

None that I know of, though OPPO is always looking at improving the firmware. Likely we will see a firmware in the future which will allow people to download an alternate firmware to address the vertical compression.

In the meantime, while we wait for a public release, are there any plans to release an another "private" compression fix beta firmware that incorporates the existing compression fix code with the latest code base?

Thanks Neuro, I just downloaded the latest official firmware and updated my DV970HD, that just came in today. I will leave the beta version alone for now. First impression, it is a great budget universal player for my 300+ high resolution discs and despite Oppo's recommendation to avoid this player for big screens, I think it looks great with my Panasonic PT-L500U 720p LCD projector and 100" diagonal screen. Maybe the 971 and 981 would be even better for that application but I sure don't see any issues so far with the 970.

Chris

In the meantime, while we wait for a public release, are there any plans to release an another "private" compression fix beta firmware that incorporates the existing compression fix code with the latest code base?

There are no plans but likely, as there should be no reason to "punish" those who are annoyed by the compression error by not allowing them to use the more mature firmware releases.

All this combing, judder, jaggies, macroblocking, what- nots.... which movie/particular scene do you experience? Maybe some of us can verify, if same problem occurs on our end.

The best example of judder I see is during the root menu of "Prince of Egypt" when the vertical pillars are panned. I don't know if the root menus are encoded like the movie, but it sure shows this artifact. Another is within the first 15 min or so (I can get specific chapter/time if anyone wants to do a compare) of Pirates -- Dead Man's Chest where a horizontal pan of a courtyards exhibits the effect.

Menus are not a good example. Menus usually do not have an easily lockable cadence.

Judder is going to be a problem due to the way reverse telecining and progressive scan works. You are basically creating 6 additional frames from the 24 frame source, then doubling all frames to reach 60 frames per second.

[QUOTE=skipsterut]Yes the vertical squeeze is happening to me (and everyone else who hasn't applied the Oppo beta fix) since it is due to a basic problem with the Mediatek chipset that Oppo is doing thier best to fix via firmware. The underscan is about 20 lines out of 1080 . Other more critical viewers say they notice it, but I don't and it doesn't really bother me.

Might be that my Panny plasma HDTV is overscanning by the same amount and thereby "correcting" the problem on display -- I don't really know. I will probably try applying the fix to see if I notice any difference ..."

I have a Panny 42px50u and the same thing is evident on my TV. Basically there's a thin black line that is removed from the top frame of my image - it really isn't too bad though it's best when there isn't one of course. I emailed Oppo and they described it as underscan from the chip.

Just send an email requesting the beta fix. I tried it and I didn't really like it. Yeah, it fixed the vertical compression, but the image appeared softer than I would like and the disk tray would continually be in "load" mode even without a disk in it - which are both known side effects of the firmware. There's a reason why a full firmware update hasn't been released yet, and fortunately it's very easy to just reinstall the official firmware from the website. That's just my experience with the fix.

Looks like you have the judder from panning scenes .... so I interpret judder as jerky panning then.

But I'm guessing this problem doesn't occur on all movies with panning sccenes?



The best example of judder I see is during the root menu of "Prince of Egypt" when the vertical pillars are panned. I don't know if the root menus are encoded like the movie, but it sure shows this artifact. Another is within the first 15 min or so (I can get specific chapter/time if anyone wants to do a compare) of Pirates -- Dead Man's Chest where a horizontal pan of a courtyards exhibits the effect.

Kindly point me to the beta link, thanks very mucho.


[QUOTE=skipsterut]Yes the vertical squeeze is happening to me (and everyone else who hasn't applied the Oppo beta fix)

In regards to anomalies, it's strange.

I find that the OPPO970 has less anomalies than my Panny RP82. Either my RP82 is not set right (from factory) or OPPO970 has better processing (despite lower SECRETS rating than the RP82)

The best example of judder I see is during the root menu of "Prince of Egypt" when the vertical pillars are panned. I don't know if the root menus are encoded like the movie, but it sure shows this artifact. Another is within the first 15 min or so (I can get specific chapter/time if anyone wants to do a compare) of Pirates -- Dead Man's Chest where a horizontal pan of a courtyards exhibits the effect.Before I read about the phenomenon of "judder" here on AVS I noticed something that matches this description while watching the opening scenes of Lord of the Rings:The Two Towers when the camera pans across the snow covered mountains, can anyone who has the DVD confirm that that is indeed what you guys are describing as judder or something else?

hi all,

134 pages is a lot to go through and i looked at the first post but it hasn't been updated since September 06.

Is there a firmware that allows upconversion of CSS-protected DVD over component?

if so, which firmware/where do i get it and does it need to be hacked?

and if it does need to be hacked, what is the hacK?

thanks!

hi all,

134 pages is a lot to go through and i looked at the first post but it hasn't been updated since September 06.

Is there a firmware that allows upconversion of CSS-protected DVD over component?

if so, which firmware/where do i get it and does it need to be hacked?

and if it does need to be hacked, what is the hacK?

thanks!

Check post #3978 for http://www.looler.com/file/2823/613AMOD-iso.html

You can thank AIKIMAN who is hosting a site. :)

Welcome to the forum,
Rick

There's a nice tool for searching a thread at the top of the page under the page numbers. It works really well when you search for things like "AMOD" or "iso"...

Before I read about the phenomenon of "judder" here on AVS I noticed something that matches this description while watching the opening scenes of Lord of the Rings:The Two Towers when the camera pans across the snow covered mountains, can anyone who has the DVD confirm that that is indeed what you guys are describing as judder or something else?

Download this demo

http://www.software.nxp.com/assets/Downloadablefile//TrimensionDNMdemo-13390.exe

for an example of judder (and a solution, at least in the PC space). The effect is definitely that of a "jerky" motion when the camera pans.

Looks like you have the judder from panning scenes .... so I interpret judder as jerky panning then.

But I'm guessing this problem doesn't occur on all movies with panning sccenes?

It does appear on all movies. The faster the pan (to a point; it has to be a continuous pan and not a "snap" to another camera position) and the larger and brighter the object that is "moving" across the screen, the worse the effect.

Kindly point me to the beta link, thanks very mucho.

Pixel,

This beta firmware isn't on the Oppo website. Email them and specifically request for the beta firmware fix for the underscan issue. I'm not sure if it will work, but it's worth a try. Let me know how it goes.

mb

Pixel,

This beta firmware isn't on the Oppo website. Email them and specifically request for the beta firmware fix for the underscan issue. I'm not sure if it will work, but it's worth a try. Let me know how it goes.

mb

Emailed them hours ago and just got the attachment. That's fast !!!

I'm guessing this firmware is older than the 0916 firmware, right? Or newer, which?


It does appear on all movies. The faster the pan (to a point; it has to be a continuous pan and not a "snap" to another camera position) and the larger and brighter the object that is "moving" across the screen, the worse the effect.

Took this from another thread, which might help explain the jerking .......

Just remember though, that the amount of judder is dependant on the Frame Rate the DVD/Video File is played at, i.e. playing a PAL DVD [50Hz FR) on a 60Hz DVI setting, viz, selecting 720p 60Hz, will cause or force the Snazio to do a frame rate conversion. If your display can take it, select one of the 50Hz FR options, like 720p 50Hz. Conversely, an NTSC DVD [60Hz FR) should be output at a 60Hz FR.

Most of the available DVI resolutions are in fact 60Hz Frame Rate - all the PC resolutions like 1024 x 768 etc are 60Hz FR, so unless it indicates otherwise, the FR is 60Hz. Of course, if the original source is film, which includes nearly all SD and HD DVDs, it will be at 24 fps, which will always have more judder than Video material which runs at 50/60 fps. Then of course you also need a 3:2 pulldown regime to show the movie at 60Hz. People in PAL land a a bit better off as the movie is usually shown at 25 fps, requiring a 2:2 pulldown which is just a doubling of the frame rate which gives less noticible judder.

If FR conversion is the root of your problem, then the Oppo BTW is not very good at it either, so don't expect it to be any better than the Snazio in that respect. Once you match the Frame rate to the source, the Snazio is as good as any other player I've come across in that respect. Don't forget too, that the same FR matching applies to any files you stream. For example, playing my favourite 1920 x 1080p x 15MB/s 60Hz HD clip, which is an NTSC coded file, if I select an output FR at 50Hz, there is a slight judder present. Going to a 60Hz FR, completely eliminates any judder - you couldn't wish for a smoother pan.

Check post #3978 for http://www.looler.com/file/2823/613AMOD-iso.html

You can thank AIKIMAN who is hosting a site. :)

Welcome to the forum,
Rick

Couldn't find the web page via the link. Anyone else having problems finding the firmware hack? Would like to get it. Thanks.

Couldn't find the web page via the link. Anyone else having problems finding the firmware hack? Would like to get it. Thanks.

I'm hosting it here (http://www.lament.us/oppo).

lament - sent you a pm...

got it greeno.. thanks. :)

hello - i recently purchased an oppo 970 after getting my first hdtv. 3 months ago i'd never heard of the sacd/dvd-audio format. after reading lots of reviews, i decided to try it out. it's very cool. a whole new world of musical experience. however, i have an issue that i wanted to know how people are dealing with. whenever i select the 5.1 signal, my pioneer vsx-816 does not allow any sound features/modes applied to this signal (this is stated in the owner's manual). so when i listen to an sacd or dvd-a, i have no EQ control. most of the discs sound very good flat but i would like to be able to tweak the frequency balance sometimes.

suggestions? how do you guys deal with this?

yeah the site's down.

someone want to re-host it? or if someone sends it to me, I can host it.

update: found it. I'm hosting it at lament.us / 613AMOD.zip

(I can't have URLs in my posts yet)

Lament,

Sent you a PM as well.

grab it here (http://www.lament.us/oppo).

by the way there's a new firmware that came out yesterday.

i'm still searching through these posts, but if someone has a quick list of what version this hacked firmware was based on and what fixes specifically were in it, it'd be appreciated. also what was the date on this firmware?

grab it here..

lament.us / 613AMOD.zip

(remove the spaces)

by the way there's a new firmware that came out yesterday.

i'm still searching through these posts, but if someone has a quick list of what version this hacked firmware was based on and what fixes specifically were in it, it'd be appreciated. also what was the date on this firmware?


Lament,

Got it. Thanks.

Slbenz

neuromancer's announcement is on page 133, post #4000.

jeff

neuromancer's announcement is on page 133, post #4000.

jeff

ahh sorry... no i meant for the hacked firmware (613AMOD).

i'm still searching through these posts, but if someone has a quick list of what version this hacked firmware was based on and what fixes specifically were in it, it'd be appreciated. also what was the date on this firmware?

The mod is based on the 1A-0613A firmware. I do not remember what this firmware was designed to fix originally.

Version: MVer: 05.00.01.07 Batch: 1A-0613
Category: Beta Test Version
Release Date: June 13, 2006

Release Note

The following new features and improvements are included in this version:

1. Improved HDMI Multi-Channel PCM Audio Compatibility

This version improves HDMI audio compatibility with some HDMI A/V receivers and audio processors. When the HDMI Audio setting on the DVD player is set the "Multi-Channel", the previous firmware version provides channel number information in the PCM audio stream header and set the "Refer to stream header" flag in the HDMI Infoframe. Some HDMI A/V receivers and audio processors are not able to correctly determine channel numbers based on those information. As a result only the left-front and left-right channels are played back. This version provides additional channel number information in the HDMI Infoframe so those A/V receivers and audio processors can play back all audio channels.

2. Automatic Selecting Multi-Channel PCM Audio for HDMI when Playing High Resolution Audio Content (DVD-Audio and SACD)

This version adds a feature to automatically select Multi-Channel PCM audio for HDMI output. If the HDMI Audio setting on the DVD player is set to "SPDIF" and the SPDIF setting is set to "Raw", the DVD player will automatically switch HDMI Audio to Multi-Channel when playing high resolution audio content (DVD-Audio and SACD). This feature is useful for users who would prefer to use their HDMI A/V receiver to decode Dolby Digital and DTS audio tracks for DVD-Video, yet still be able to play DVD-Audio and SACD without adjusting the player settings.

Note: If you use HDMI to connect audio to an HDMI A/V receiver or audio processor, it is recommended that you choose 720p or 1080i HDMI output resolution when playing high resolution audio content (DVD-Audio and SACD). According to the HDMI specification, the bandwidth available for digital audio is proportional to the total bandwidth used by digital video. At 480i/480p/576i/576p resolution, the HDMI specification can only support 2 channels of audio with high sample rate (up to 192kHz), or 8 channels of audio with standard sample rate (up to 48kHz). Depending on the capability of your A/V receiver or audio processor, if you play high resolution audio content at 480i/480p/576i/576p resolution, you may encounter problems of incomplete audio channels or no audio/video output at all. Choosing a high HDMI output resolution such as 720p or 1080i allows enough bandwidth for all high sample rate audio channels.

3. New Default Contrast Setting for Component Video Output

The factory default contrast setting for component video output is slighted adjusted (tuned down to approximately -3 level of the previous firmware 1A-0526). This adjustment brings the default contrast for component video output to standard level and make it consistent with the HDMI output. The default contrast for the HDMI output is not affected. Please note that the brightness and contrast settings of your TV display also affect the final visual result. It is recommended that you calibrate the DVD player and the TV display together using a reference DVD such as The AVIA Guide to Home Theater or Digital Video Essentials.

OPPO has seen it fit to drop two firmware releases today. As of yesterday all units will be shipping from OPPO Digital with the 4A-0111 Firmware (http://www.oppodigital.com/dv970hd/dv970hd-firmware-4a-0111.html). This firmware addresses the following:


3. Noise Reduction

This firmware version adds a video Noise Reduction function to the DVD player. Noise reduction can be turned on or off from the "Video Setup Page" of the DVD players setup menu. Generally noise reduction is not necessary or recommended, since it could cause image retention or "ghosting" artifacts. Noise reduction may be useful when viewing older television show episodes or movies shot with CCD cameras.

Has anyone tried the new Noise Reduction feature in the latest firmware download?

Scott.................. :confused:

Just loaded the firmware dated on 2/12 which is supposed to handle the gapless playback on SACDs. I noticed that on SACDs and DVD-As, this latest firmware when you skip from track to track, you lose the first .5-1.0 seconds of the beginnning of track. Anyone else experiencing this? I may just go back to the original firmware and not use this firmware again.

hey guys,
i have a yamaha rx-v2600 reciever. i just hooked up an Oppo 970 DVD player via HDMI to the 2600. i then run component cable from the 2600 to my HDTV or panasonic ax100u projector. i get audio thru the 2600 speakers but no video signal thru the TV or the pj when its coming via component from the 2600. audio does come thru the 5.1 speakers out of the reciever. any help greatly appreciated. i have set the input to DVD HDMI on HDMI 1 on the yamaha 2600.
the DVD player displays a picture when run directly to a projector with an HDMI input.
please help!
thanks in advance!!

hey guys,
i have a yamaha rx-v2600 reciever. i just hooked up an Oppo 970 DVD player via HDMI to the 2600. i then run component cable from the 2600 to my HDTV or panasonic ax100u projector. i get audio thru the 2600 speakers but no video signal thru the TV or the pj when its coming via component from the 2600. audio does come thru the 5.1 speakers out of the reciever. any help greatly appreciated. i have set the input to DVD HDMI on HDMI 1 on the yamaha 2600.
the DVD player displays a picture when run directly to a projector with an HDMI input.
please help!
thanks in advance!!I suspect your Yammy 2600 is the same as my Pio Elite 72 in that it's designed to only UPconvert signals (e.g. component to HDMI -- or any lower signal to a higher signal) but it probably will NOT DOWNconvert (e.g. HDMI to component -- or any higher signal to a lower signal). Check your owner's manual about this. If so, that's why you're not getting video from the Yammy to your pj. The audio is good because the Yammy is picking that up and decoding internally as required, but it probably won't downconvert the video, so you get nothing from the component outs. :(

If true and if all you have available on your display devices is component input, then you will have to run component from the Oppo to the Yammy so it's not trying to downconvert the signal.

skip,
thanks for the quick reply. i hope my yammy functions the same as your Elite. i am getting rid of the component TV and replacing it with the HDMI pj. it will then be HDMI to HDMI and hopefully will work! i should recieve the HDMI cable tomorrow and give it a try.
one more ?... i have to run a 75' HDMI cable (22 gauge from monoprice.com) from the yammi 2600 to the pj. will the video signal degrade in any way going this distance from the 2600 to the ax100u pj?
thanks!

Just loaded the firmware dated on 2/12 which is supposed to handle the gapless playback on SACDs. I noticed that on SACDs and DVD-As, this latest firmware when you skip from track to track, you lose the first .5-1.0 seconds of the beginnning of track. Anyone else experiencing this? I may just go back to the original firmware and not use this firmware again.


yes. not only that, have you played a movie yet? i'm losing approximately the first 2 seconds of audio. it seems that one hiccup has been traded for another.

I traded some e-mail with a 970 owner and OPPO just a day or two ago, and they did discover the loss when jumping to a specific track - unfortunately, the issue was identified after the firmware was "locked in." They are aware of it, though, and it should be fixable.

Grubadub - when watching movies, are you using the digital output or the analog? If it's the digital output, it would be related to your receiver's signal acquisition delay. If you are using multichannel analog, it would presumably be related to the same issue as DVD-A/SACD. I'm guessing that you mentioned it because you are using the multichannel analog. If so, I'm curious why you are not letting your receiver handle the DSP and DAC duties for video DVD's? I generally prefer to use the digital audio output whenever possible because my receiver has a better DSP section (bass management, surround modes, and such).

skip,
thanks for the quick reply. i hope my yammy functions the same as your Elite. i am getting rid of the component TV and replacing it with the HDMI pj. it will then be HDMI to HDMI and hopefully will work! i should recieve the HDMI cable tomorrow and give it a try.
one more ?... i have to run a 75' HDMI cable (22 gauge from monoprice.com) from the yammi 2600 to the pj. will the video signal degrade in any way going this distance from the 2600 to the ax100u pj?
thanks!I have my HDTV close to the AVR (within 3-4 ft)-so cable length is not a issue for me. But check out this Wiki article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDMI#Cable_length). From this it sounds like 75 feet is pushing the limits without an active signal or amp/equalizer/repeater in the circuit. But 22 gauge sounds pretty beefy so maybe it will be fine.

Perhaps some others in this thread have more direct knowledge/experience to offer. Or maybe another thread would yield more replies. Best of luck with your new pj and overall setup.

i have an issue that i wanted to know how people are dealing with. whenever i select the 5.1 signal, my pioneer vsx-816 does not allow any sound features/modes applied to this signal (this is stated in the owner's manual). so when i listen to an sacd or dvd-a, i have no EQ control. most of the discs sound very good flat but i would like to be able to tweak the frequency balance sometimes.

suggestions? how do you guys deal with this?
The underlying issue here is that the signal is going through your receiver entirely in the analog domain. In order to preserve the sound quality, the receiver does not convert the 5.1 signal to digital and back to analog again (as is done with stereo analog inputs). Since receivers do just about all of their signal processing (tone controls, bass management, channel delays, ...) in the digital domain, the receiver simply can't provide any controls of this type. Aside from some sort of external box, there's not really anything that can be done.

I traded some e-mail with a 970 owner and OPPO just a day or two ago, and they did discover the loss when jumping to a specific track - unfortunately, the issue was identified after the firmware was "locked in." They are aware of it, though, and it should be fixable.

Grubadub - when watching movies, are you using the digital output or the analog? If it's the digital output, it would be related to your receiver's signal acquisition delay. If you are using multichannel analog, it would presumably be related to the same issue as DVD-A/SACD. I'm guessing that you mentioned it because you are using the multichannel analog. If so, I'm curious why you are not letting your receiver handle the DSP and DAC duties for video DVD's? I generally prefer to use the digital audio output whenever possible because my receiver has a better DSP section (bass management, surround modes, and such).


digital.

i didn't have the momentary audio loss before i installed the firmware. only after. losing 1-2 seconds of audio at the beginning of a movie is not a big deal to me. i would rather live with that than the gaps while playing sacd.

The underlying issue here is that the signal is going through your receiver entirely in the analog domain. In order to preserve the sound quality, the receiver does not convert the 5.1 signal to digital and back to analog again (as is done with stereo analog inputs). Since receivers do just about all of their signal processing (tone controls, bass management, channel delays, ...) in the digital domain, the receiver simply can't provide any controls of this type. Aside from some sort of external box, there's not really anything that can be done.


yeah, that's what i figured. i was curious what other oppo owners were doing (if anything).

I pass everything digitally via the Oppo970 HDMI connection, and my Pioneer 74txvi can apply all its signal processing to any signals so passed (including SACD/DVD-A).

I had noticed the missing few seconds previously (on an HDCD), but that seemed to *go away* when I loaded the new firmware...? Maybe it's time for me to check just which firmware I actually have on there now.

[eidt] Oops, I didn't realize there was even newer firmware as of 2 days ago...I still use the previous firmware.

Has anyone tried the new Noise Reduction feature in the latest firmware download?

Scott.................. :confused:

I tried this beta firmware today and it didn't work. Install looked to go fine but when it was finished I got no video output via HDMI or component. Went back to 4A-0111 and all was well. Tried it a second time and same result.

Anyone else try this?

I finally bought a couple of DVD-A discs (REM and Dianna Krall). I'm connected via 5.1 analog to my receiver, since my receiver doesn't do HDMI audio.

Considering many DVD-A discs have multiple audio tracks, including DD, DTS, etc., how can I be sure that I'm listening to the DVD-A track on this OPPO. Thanks!

I tried this beta firmware today and it didn't work. Install looked to go fine but when it was finished I got no video output via HDMI or component. Went back to 4A-0111 and all was well. Tried it a second time and same result.

Anyone else try this?

Had the same thing happen to me but once I pressed the HDMI button on the remote, it was able to scroll through the various upscaling levels then I was able to see the video again.

Check your DVD Audio setting

I finally bought a couple of DVD-A discs (REM and Dianna Krall). I'm connected via 5.1 analog to my receiver, since my receiver doesn't do HDMI audio.

Considering many DVD-A discs have multiple audio tracks, including DD, DTS, etc., how can I be sure that I'm listening to the DVD-A track on this OPPO. Thanks!

Press the "audio" button on the remote control and see what comes up. DVD-A tracks should be "MLP", while DD or DTS will show as they are. There is a "DVD-Audio Priority" setting in the setup menu. You can use it to choose which layer (DVD-A/DVD-V) to play.

Hi,
is the 970H able to output video signal from both hdmi and component output at the same time ? If yes, anybody have experience on the picture quality ?
In my setup i would like to connect hdmi to a plasma set and component to a projector, hopefully without have to do any manual settings change.
In this case will the audio came out from the coaxial/optical too ? Some other players have restrictions when using HDMI, with the audio only coming out oh hdmi and not coaxial/optical.
On a side note, is this player able to output digital audio through coax/optical when playing DVD-A material ?
Thanks in advance for any help/advice/comment you may give!!
--stoca

Hi,
is the 970H able to output video signal from both hdmi and component output at the same time ? If yes, anybody have experience on the picture quality ?
In my setup i would like to connect hdmi to a plasma set and component to a projector, hopefully without have to do any manual settings change.
In this case will the audio came out from the coaxial/optical too ? Some other players have restrictions when using HDMI, with the audio only coming out oh hdmi and not coaxial/optical.
On a side note, is this player able to output digital audio through coax/optical when playing DVD-A material ?
Thanks in advance for any help/advice/comment you may give!!
--stoca

All outputs on the 970HD are alive at the same time. The component out and HDMI both works, but component is limited to 480p unless you apply the hacked firmware.

All audio outputs are hot too. DVD-A is not available thru optical/coax -- HDMI and analog only for DVD-A and SACD.

All outputs on the 970HD are alive at the same time. The component out and HDMI both works, but component is limited to 480p unless you apply the hacked firmware.

For those of you who don't want to use the hacked firmware the 970 does upscale burned dvds via component video at 720p and 1080i,,,

Had the same thing happen to me but once I pressed the HDMI button on the remote, it was able to scroll through the various upscaling levels then I was able to see the video again.

Thanks, that did it.

I sent my apparently defective 970 to Oppo last week, they received it Tuesday, and I've got another package coming back to me only two days later. Great service. I did a search of this thread, and it looks like I might be the first to even need repair service from Oppo (which is great!), so I just thought I'd let you guys know that the process seems top-notch.

I've posted about this a couple of times, but my issue was that my player was locking up completely when upconverting over component with the hack. The player worked flawlessly in all other situations. So, I'm not really sure what was wrong with the thing, but considering that they didn't call/e-mail me and say, "uhh, there's nothing wrong with your unit," I'm assuming that I'm either getting a replacement or repaired player. I took note of my serial number, so I'll know if it's the same one that I sent in.

Did you change the firmware back and see no problems?

I hope you changed it anyway, don't wan the OPPO guys to say "Oops, no warranty due to hack"




I sent my apparently defective 970 to Oppo last week, they received it Tuesday, and I've got another package coming back to me only two days later. Great service. I did a search of this thread, and it looks like I might be the first to even need repair service from Oppo (which is great!), so I just thought I'd let you guys know that the process seems top-notch.

I've posted about this a couple of times, but my issue was that my player was locking up completely when upconverting over component with the hack. The player worked flawlessly in all other situations. So, I'm not really sure what was wrong with the thing, but considering that they didn't call/e-mail me and say, "uhh, there's nothing wrong with your unit," I'm assuming that I'm either getting a replacement or repaired player. I took note of my serial number, so I'll know if it's the same one that I sent in.

Did you change the firmware back and see no problems?

I hope you changed it anyway, don't wan the OPPO guys to say "Oops, no warranty due to hack"Yeah, I reverted back to the most current one. I only had the issues when using the hack, which I realize is really odd. I re-flashed numerous times, and I'm sure I didn't screw anything up, since I've done firmware updates on every DVD player I've ever owned with no problems.

I had to just tell them the player was locking up in general. I understand that it's not really their problem if third-party firmware doesn't work correctly, but considering that seemingly hundreds of people from this thread have used it with NO problems, I figure that there's got to be something wrong with my unit.

I have my Oppo connected to a Pioneer receiver using coax-digital, analog stereo, and 5.1 analog. I use the digital connection for watching/listening to DVD's on the home theater. I have the analog stereo connection because I have a ZONE 2 setup through my receiver and it can only play analog source. I have the 5.1 analog connections to listen to DVD-Audio and SACD in the Home Theater room.

My question deals with the Speaker Setup Downmix Mode. The Oppo provides "Mixed L/R" connections on the back that are completely separate from the 5.1 analog connections. This is preferred to the way early generation DVD players only had 5.1 analog connections and not a separate 2-channel stereo connection.

My issue is this: I would like to be able to listen to the DVD-Audio and SACD tracks in my Zone 2, however it seems that because the owner's manual tells me I must select "5.1CH" in the Speaker Setup Downmix Mode in order to enable 5.1 decoding, that if I do choose to listen to my ZONE 2, I'm going to miss out on the center and surround channels. As I understand it, those channels will not get mixed back into the Mixed L/R connection.

This seems counter-intuitive. Since the connections are separated, its seems like I should be able to listed to 5.1 channels in the Home Theater, while the Mixed L/R connections are sending either "LEFT/RIGHT" or at least "STEREO."

Anyone know why this limiation exists? Is it impossible for OPPO to implement it any other way.

Got a question, Last night I was listening to Elton John's Tumbleweed Connection on SACD, Madman across the Water to be exact. There's this really great guitar solo by Mick Ronson, but the mix puts the solo way in the background. Ejected the disc, Changed my SACD setting to stereo, and boom, the solo was out front were it was supposed to be. Ejected the disc, Changed the SACD setting to 2 Channel, and this disc sounded better than it ever has. (I've got my 970 analoged out to my Onkyo 7.1 Neo-6).

So what's the question? Surround mix and the original 2-channel mix are clearly different animals.

Is the video processor in the 970 comparable to the one that is in the 971 and 981?

Is the video processor in the 970 comparable to the one that is in the 971 and 981?
The 970's Mediatek chip is not as robust as the Faroudja chip used by the 971 and 981 (although it doesn't have the problem of exaggerating macroblocking in some DVD transfers on certain types of displays, a problem that the Faroudja chip has). Because of the difference between the 970's Mediatek and the 971/981's Faroudja processing, OPPO recommends the 970 for smaller displays (under 50") and for separate video scalers (which work out really well with the 480i output offered by the 970).

Thanks for the response. I think I will take the plunge and buy the 970. It sounds like it is very well liked around here.

My question was, should I have my SACD settings at 5.1 or 2 Channel. Different animals indeed. But both sound incredible.

You'll want to have the SACD set to multichannel (5.1) if you have any multichannel discs and don't want the player to downmix them to stereo.

Got a question, Last night I was listening to Elton John's Tumbleweed Connection on SACD, Madman across the Water to be exact. There's this really great guitar solo by Mick Ronson, but the mix puts the solo way in the background. Ejected the disc, Changed my SACD setting to stereo, and boom, the solo was out front were it was supposed to be. Ejected the disc, Changed the SACD setting to 2 Channel, and this disc sounded better than it ever has. (I've got my 970 analoged out to my Onkyo 7.1 Neo-6).

Some SACD discs use very different audio for the 2-channel and multi-channel tracks. I even have a disc that has more track on the 2-channel layer than the multi-ch layer.

Thanks to all, I'm learning just how different. I spent a whole week listening to the difference between CD and HDCD. This OPPO is one awesome machine. Best $150.00 I ever spent.

Just got my Oppo 970 today to replace my Zenith DVB318 since the former plays DivX, but there is no sound from my optical output to Outlaw 970. Here is the answer from the Oppos site:

Q: Why is there no audio output from the coaxial or optical digital audio port when I play DVD-Audio or SACD discs?
A: The copyright protection feature of the DVD-Audio and Super Audio CD (SACD) disc format prohibits unprotected digital audio output. Since the coaxial or optical digital audio output has no copy-protection ability (i.e. pure audio stream without encryption and authentication), audio from DVD-Audio or SACD cannot be output via these interfaces. To enjoy high resolution digital audio from DVD-Audio or SACD discs, please use the 5.1-channel analogue audio output. If your A/V receiver supports HDMI 1.1 (or above) digital audio, you may also use the HDMI port, which has the required copyright protection mechanism (HDCP).

Seems odd to me that my old DVD players have no issue with playing all my DVDs using a single optical connector instead of 6 analog connectors. Is there an option for DVD-Video since I do not have DVD-Audio at all?

Thanks.

BTW, I used the HDMI connector to my Infocus PJ. Is that why the player set the dispaly type to DVD-Audio instead of regular DVD (video), thus disabling my optical audio to my Outlaw?

Thanks again.

My 970 looks great over component with hack.
Does anyone find any PQ improvement using HDMI?
I dont have an hdmi input yet to make a comparison.But I can add one for $120 if its recommended here.

Never mind. Figured it out - loose connector and set it to DVD-video.

LOTR and King Kong look fantastic via HDMI at 1080i; the borders are darker/blacker than my Sony HS51 which costed 5X times my Infocus IN72; this one is a keeper. The Zenith will be retired...

Yeah, I reverted back to the most current one. I only had the issues when using the hack, which I realize is really odd. I re-flashed numerous times, and I'm sure I didn't screw anything up, since I've done firmware updates on every DVD player I've ever owned with no problems.

I had to just tell them the player was locking up in general. I understand that it's not really their problem if third-party firmware doesn't work correctly, but considering that seemingly hundreds of people from this thread have used it with NO problems, I figure that there's got to be something wrong with my unit.

My OPPO 970 had a problem 2 days after ireceived it I called OPPO and they sent me a new unit. The hack will only work with the 613 firmware that may be the reason for your problem to find out what your firware is press setup key on remote and enter 9210 on key pad ascreen will show on tv and you will be able toknow what firmware you have you can also make the player region free by pressing 0 on the keypad

Ok quick question...i have an onkyo hts790 system and I plan on running an opitcal audio cable from the oppo to my onkyo. are there any settings I should change when I hook up the oppo this way on the oppo? I just want the best possible surround for watching dvd's > thanks

Just got my Oppo 970 today to replace my Zenith DVB318 since the former plays DivX, but there is no sound from my optical output to Outlaw 970. Here is the answer from the Oppos site:

Q: Why is there no audio output from the coaxial or optical digital audio port when I play DVD-Audio or SACD discs?
A: The copyright protection feature of the DVD-Audio and Super Audio CD (SACD) disc format prohibits unprotected digital audio output. Since the coaxial or optical digital audio output has no copy-protection ability (i.e. pure audio stream without encryption and authentication), audio from DVD-Audio or SACD cannot be output via these interfaces. To enjoy high resolution digital audio from DVD-Audio or SACD discs, please use the 5.1-channel analogue audio output. If your A/V receiver supports HDMI 1.1 (or above) digital audio, you may also use the HDMI port, which has the required copyright protection mechanism (HDCP).

Seems odd to me that my old DVD players have no issue with playing all my DVDs using a single optical connector instead of 6 analog connectors. Is there an option for DVD-Video since I do not have DVD-Audio at all?

Thanks.

This is only for high res audio. only ilink (maybe some others?) has the ability to send high res audio via a digital connection. you can always output the standard DTS or DD or whatever on a dvd-a or sacd via digital connection, but that track has to be on the disc.

also make sure your passing raw via digital connection, if that's what the outlaw is expecting.

I get digital to my onkyo via an optical connection and I get analog via analog outputs to my mc input (using 5.1 cables).

jeff

Ok quick question...i have an onkyo hts790 system and I plan on running an opitcal audio cable from the oppo to my onkyo. are there any settings I should change when I hook up the oppo this way on the oppo? I just want the best possible surround for watching dvd's > thanks
The one setting that you'll want to make sure of is in the Audio Setup portion of the player's setup menu: the SPDIF Output option (first one on the screen) should be set to "RAW" so that the straight Dolby Digital and DTS audio tracks are passed to your Onkyo without any decoding or manipulation by the player. As this is the default setting for OPPO's players, you should be set to go already.

After reading the above that you wrote about the 613 firmware. One. Is there a ceratin date on the make of the player. Because I just got mine today and What you where refereing to Is very inportant to me. I only have component inputs for HD. Is this something that is new because this is the first I heard of it. And also above someone said that the 970 is best for under 50" sets I'm having to use it on my 65" old Mits. so what kind of picture can I expect? Thanks alot for all of you out there.

I just got my Oppo 970 HD and have been very pleased with the picture quality on my Mitsu 1080p. I have it via HDMI and have had no issues. I originally ordered the 981 but then heard that there can be macroblocking issues so i called and changed my order to a 970.

Does anyone use a 970 with a Mitsu 57732? Have you changed any of the settings to tweak the picture and make it even more impressive?

Also i have not upgraded the firmware or considered trying to hack the unit. Is there any reason to do so?

Also i have not upgraded the firmware or considered trying to hack the unit. Is there any reason to do so?

As for the hack: no, you're using HDMI. The hack is for component output.

I always apply the latest supported firmware to my players, but you should read the Oppo support page and see if the features matter to you.

-Bill

i just got my oppo (i am using hdmi through my sony 60" xbr2)....
i hooked it up and put in finding nemo and WOW it looked amazing my brother came over and thought it was a bluray disc.....i could not be more happy....just buy it, if you are on the fence...

Just got my Oppo 970 today to replace my Zenith DVB318 since the former plays DivX, but there is no sound from my optical output to Outlaw 970. Here is the answer from the Oppos site:

Q: Why is there no audio output from the coaxial or optical digital audio port when I play DVD-Audio or SACD discs?
A: The copyright protection feature of the DVD-Audio and Super Audio CD (SACD) disc format prohibits unprotected digital audio output. Since the coaxial or optical digital audio output has no copy-protection ability (i.e. pure audio stream without encryption and authentication), audio from DVD-Audio or SACD cannot be output via these interfaces. To enjoy high resolution digital audio from DVD-Audio or SACD discs, please use the 5.1-channel analogue audio output. If your A/V receiver supports HDMI 1.1 (or above) digital audio, you may also use the HDMI port, which has the required copyright protection mechanism (HDCP).

Seems odd to me that my old DVD players have no issue with playing all my DVDs using a single optical connector instead of 6 analog connectors. Is there an option for DVD-Video since I do not have DVD-Audio at all?

Thanks.

It is HIGHLY UNLIKELY that your old DVD players played DVD Audio or SACD disk via coax or optical. I have never had one that did. To my knowledge all dvd players that play DVD Audio/SACD are required to play it via the six separate outputs that go into your receiver. Nothing convenient like one single cable. This is one of the main complaints that people have with these formats.

Is there an echo in these threads????

This is in relation to the firmware, when I pushed setup and 9210 this screen came up could someone tell me what all this means? mVersion 0.500.01.07 Servo 23.07.10.00 Risc 0.128.2. EDO Version Op970-4A-0111 Region 1 The only thing I know is the region being 1. please this is in relation to davidhiggens post about firmware. thanks I'll keep checking back.

As of the 17th of feb. they are being sent out with o.5oo.01.07 Version 4A-0111 this means that they are using the gappless fix firmware as standard on new 970HD.

Had a strange thing happen last night while watching a SuperBit DVD on my 970 hacked player.
I am connected to a Epson 500 720p projector thru component and have had great picture,sound etc with the 970.
All of a sudden a very visible hum bar appeared and continued rolling through the picture on screen.I stopped the player and the bar was still appearing,rolling from the bottom of the screen to the top and starting over again and again.
I made sure that no cables were touching each other etc,and restarted the movie but to no avail-the hum bar was still there.I ejected the disc and inserted another SuperBit movie-same thing happened.
I turned the player completely off,restarted with a non SuperBit disc and the hum was gone!
Put a SuperBit disc back in and there was the hum again.
Strange that this only happens with SuperBits or does anyone know what's what with this?
My projector has the Farouda chip built in and upscales everything from 720 to 750 or takes 10801 down to 750 as well.
The 970 is set at 720 upscale so maybe the SuperBits are causing sometype of conflict?
Anybody??

yes. not only that, have you played a movie yet? i'm losing approximately the first 2 seconds of audio. it seems that one hiccup has been traded for another.

Grubadub,

Yes, I have experienced the same problem playing videos as well with this nusance 2-3 second delay. Spoke with Oppo about the issues on the delay from track to track on hi-rez and the movies. They said this was normal since day one. I said it was not. Prior to loading any of the current firmware versions, I didn't experience any of these track and video delays. I requested the original firmware that came with my Oppo prior to September 2006 and guess what, this original firmware doesn't experience any delays. Whether track to track on hi-rez or watching the intros to videos. My Oppo is back to normal. Yes, it doesn't have the gapless SACD, skip function that are corrected for SACD and noise reduction but none of these were issues for me in the first place. Thought you would like to know.

Hi Guys, Lippy here.

I just bought a Sony 46" XBR3 and I am looking into Oppo DVD players (I'm on a budget now that I "broke-the-bank" with the XBR!)

Question:

Does the Oppo 981 have the extreme macroblocking issue with this particular LCD screen? Also, idoes the vertical squeeze that everyone's talking about happen in the 981-XBR3 "relationship?

Thanks for any help. I have forund this Forum INVALUABLE!

I just received my new 970 today. I did the firmware hack and verified the version change with the 9210 command. However, during DVD playback, when I press the HDMI button to enable upconverting, it shows the 480 and then it just shows the circle with a bar through it. In other words, its not working. And yes, I'm using component connection. I have since changed to the newest firmware that mine just barely missed out on. But I would really like to see upconversion since thats the main reason I bought this player. What am I doing wrong? Is this a common problem? If need be, I'll read all 82 pages, but that might take a while... ;)

Minjin check out my posts above and you may find the answer. The reason I checked my firmware was because of a post by davidhiggens on page 136 the one before this he answered the same Q. for someone the new firmware dos not take the hack. Thats also what I need also so I believe we need to get the old software change ours with it then use the hack. But my machine dos 1080i with copyed discs. So that works, I need help also so, eyes bright,ears to the ground, maybe someone will help?

you have to stop the dvd *before* hitting the dhmi button to change resolutions.

firmwares are not paritally overlaid one of the other when applied. they *completely* replace each other with each update.

copied (ripped) discs will always upconvert since the copyprotection is stripped by ripping.

jeff

you have to stop the dvd *before* hitting the dhmi button to change resolutions.

firmwares are not paritally overlaid one of the other when applied. they *completely* replace each other with each update.

copied (ripped) discs will always upconvert since the copyprotection is stripped by ripping.

jeff

Thanks, I was just coming to this thread to edit my post to say that I read the manual and see I was doing it wrong. :o However, I think I'll wait to see if anyone mods a newer version before switching back.

BTW, I noticed that the RISC version changed with the newest firmware. It didn't seem like it changed with the other versions I tried.

My being able to play copyed discs In HD is big for me Because I had just got a LG DN191H that was supposed to do that and it didn't with the same movies I just tried my Oppo on and they work in my Oppo 970 so to me that is BIG. Now I need to be able to upscale reg dvds. Any help would be great.

I just bought a Sony 46" XBR3 and I am looking into Oppo DVD players (I'm on a budget now that I "broke-the-bank" with the XBR!)

Question:

Does the Oppo 981 have the extreme macroblocking issue with this particular LCD screen? Also, idoes the vertical squeeze that everyone's talking about happen in the 981-XBR3 "relationship?

Thanks for any help. I have forund this Forum INVALUABLE! No macroblock-enhance, and no vertical squeeze with the 981/XBR combo, just pure performance. Not sure why you're asking on the 970 thread.

Gary

I have my Oppo connected to a Pioneer receiver using coax-digital, analog stereo, and 5.1 analog. I use the digital connection for watching/listening to DVD's on the home theater. I have the analog stereo connection because I have a ZONE 2 setup through my receiver and it can only play analog source. I have the 5.1 analog connections to listen to DVD-Audio and SACD in the Home Theater room.

My question deals with the Speaker Setup Downmix Mode. The Oppo provides "Mixed L/R" connections on the back that are completely separate from the 5.1 analog connections. This is preferred to the way early generation DVD players only had 5.1 analog connections and not a separate 2-channel stereo connection.

My issue is this: I would like to be able to listen to the DVD-Audio and SACD tracks in my Zone 2, however it seems that because the owner's manual tells me I must select "5.1CH" in the Speaker Setup Downmix Mode in order to enable 5.1 decoding, that if I do choose to listen to my ZONE 2, I'm going to miss out on the center and surround channels. As I understand it, those channels will not get mixed back into the Mixed L/R connection.

This seems counter-intuitive. Since the connections are separated, its seems like I should be able to listed to 5.1 channels in the Home Theater, while the Mixed L/R connections are sending either "LEFT/RIGHT" or at least "STEREO."

Anyone know why this limiation exists? Is it impossible for OPPO to implement it any other way.

OPPO's response:

Due to a hardware limitation, the decoder chip only has 6 channels of
digital output for D/A conversion and a 6-channel DAC is used in the
player. The MIXED L/R and the FRONT L/R output jacks are actually
driven by the same DAC channels. The connectors are provided for the
convenience of connecting to both analog audio input on TV and 5.1ch
input on a receiver, but the user still need to change the down-mix
settings to get proper audio output.

The "Stereo" downmix setting applies downmix for playback with a typical
2-speaker TV or stereo system. The "Left/Right" are actuall "Left
Total/Right Total" as defined in Dolby ProLogic specification. It is
used to carry multi-channel matrixed audio over stereo connections.

Best Regards,

Customer Service
OPPO Digital, Inc.

No macroblock-enhance, and no vertical squeeze with the 981/XBR combo, just pure performance. Not sure why you're asking on the 970 thread.

Gary

HAHAHA!

I WONDERED why there were so many references to the 970 and not the 981 in here!

Sorry about that guys, but AGAIN thanks for your help. The only Forum that even comes CLOSE to the wealth of info here is my Tequila Afficionado Forum!

-Lip

I'm happy for you that the 970 is working out. If you want to avoid the extra step of having to copy DVD's to play them at upconverted resolutions, then you can always apply the "hacked firmware" linked elsewhere many many times in this thread.

jef

You gotta love a detailed informed customer service response instead of a copy/paste from the owners manual you'd get from most companies (if you get a response at all). Try getting that information from Sony!

OPPO's response:

Due to a hardware limitation, the decoder chip only has 6 channels of
digital output for D/A conversion and a 6-channel DAC is used in the
player. The MIXED L/R and the FRONT L/R output jacks are actually
driven by the same DAC channels. The connectors are provided for the
convenience of connecting to both analog audio input on TV and 5.1ch
input on a receiver, but the user still need to change the down-mix
settings to get proper audio output.

The "Stereo" downmix setting applies downmix for playback with a typical
2-speaker TV or stereo system. The "Left/Right" are actuall "Left
Total/Right Total" as defined in Dolby ProLogic specification. It is
used to carry multi-channel matrixed audio over stereo connections.

Best Regards,

Customer Service
OPPO Digital, Inc.

That would be great But, As you may have read above. The firmware has been changed on the most recent Oppo 970 my firmware can't be hacked I have the hack on my desktop but now I need the old firmware to load then I can use the hack firmware and then I can do as you say. I'm sorry but I have been reading the thread, I know how much some hate to repeat them self. But I saw no place to find the old firmware that can be hacked. Thats the one that came with your Oppo But where do I get it? Thanks for any help. Dave

I have the hack on my desktop - Thanks for any help. Dave

That is all you need. It will overwrite the version currently on your machine with the hacked version. You do not need 0613 installed to apply the hack - the hacked version IS 0613 that has been modifed (or hacked) to do the upconversion over component.

It is not a patch - it is a direct replacement as has been said here before. If you burn the hacked iso file you have and follow the directions to change firmware, then it will work.

If you don't like it, then download whatever current version your machine has from Oppo, burn it to CD and change it back to where you started.

That is what I thought. BUT, There was a post on page 136 where someone with a new Oppo could not get his Oppo to take the HK. firmware. And then again on this page way up above. So not being every astute I did the only thing I could do I panicked. I thought maybe the new firmware didn't let you over write everything and, and,and I was beside myself I mean both sides. My mined was reeling, and, racing. If you say this can be done with what I have, I will trust In You Yoda. Thanks alot,

That poster had another issue with his player - that was why he had an issue with the hack not working. For every post of an issue, there are at least 10 folks with no issues.

Flashing will most definitely overwrite the current firmware. If you can't find the download site for the hacked firmware (it's been moving around a bit), pm me with your email address and I'll email it to you.

jeff

I saw that You forwarded it to someone on another Thread.I believe it was the upconvert thread. Thank You both. for your time. I really thought I had a problem. Thanks again Dave.

I'm interested in the 970 and would use it primarily for divx. How is it for divx?

I'm interested in the 970 and would use it primarily for divx. How is it for divx?It's fine, as long as you don't need text (.srt, etc.) subtitles. Although the recent enabling of subtitle font adjustment eased this a bit, the Oppo still truncates longer lines, rather than wrapping them.

Anyone looking for the 613AMOD.iso firmware, I'm hosting it here (http://www.lament.us/oppo).

I purchased my 970 early January from Amazon.
I was watching "Blade Trinity" last night, and throughout the movie, experienced what seems to be a skipping of the audio.
I think it happened about a dozen times - during a scene change, there would be a noticeable pause of the audio. I first thought it was when the chapter changed, but it wasn't.

Has anybody experienced this? Is this a problem with the player or the dvd? The dvd was just purchased new and it was the first time playing it.

I've posted my impressions of the 970's USB support here:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=808365

It is HIGHLY UNLIKELY that your old DVD players played DVD Audio or SACD disk via coax or optical. I have never had one that did. To my knowledge all dvd players that play DVD Audio/SACD are required to play it via the six separate outputs that go into your receiver. Nothing convenient like one single cable. This is one of the main complaints that people have with these formats.

Well, by Toshiba SD-3990 does. (ELP Brain Salad Surgery, Jean-Michel Jarre AERO)
My experience with the 3990 has been qukte positive so far but wanted to upgrade to hdmi and I was almost going to buy the SD-4990, when I started reading about the dvd-a over hdmi issue. The OPPO is around $70 more than either a 4990 or an equivalent LG191H or Samsung HD860 (@ BB), so I just wondering if is really wort it.
--stoca

As I wrote above, stoca01, I can guarantee you you are *not* getting the dvd-a or SACD high resolution audio tracks on those titles, with that player, on a digital connection. You're getting a DD or DTS version. Sorry, but that's just the was it is. from the toshiba site info on the 3990:

WMA & MP3 Playback

Coaxial Dolby® Digital and DTS® Surround Sound Output

24-Bit/192kHz Audio Digital/Analog Converter

Dolby® Digital and DTS® Compatible Output

3-D Virtual Surround Sound


sorry - no mention of SACD or DVD-A. It is not just unlikely, it is impossible with that player. I also checked the manual and there is no mention of SACD or DVD-Audio.

jeff

Well, by Toshiba SD-3990 does. (ELP Brain Salad Surgery, Jean-Michel Jarre AERO)
My experience with the 3990 has been qukte positive so far but wanted to upgrade to hdmi and I was almost going to buy the SD-4990, when I started reading about the dvd-a over hdmi issue. The OPPO is around $70 more than either a 4990 or an equivalent LG191H or Samsung HD860 (@ BB), so I just wondering if is really wort it.
--stoca
Actually, your Toshiba can not output either DVD-Audio or SACD in their native audio resolution over coaxial or optical: not only is there not enough bandwidth for SPDIF to carry a DVD-A or SACD bitstream, the copy protection on both formats strictly forbids it. It is possible for DVD-Audio discs to work, but it is either using alternate DD 5.1 or DTS tracks or downmixed Dolby 2.0 derived from the DVD-Audio's MLP track. To get the real DVD-A or SACD, you need either multichannel analog, HDMI v1.1 or higher, IEEE-1394, or a proprietary digital connection like Denon LINK.

FYI this is finally back in stock at Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000GT5FK0?tag=lament-20). Just used $118 in gift certificates, so this is only $30 for me. :)

FYI this is finally back in stock at Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000GT5FK0?tag=lament-20). Just used $118 in gift certificates, so this is only $30 for me. :)
Wow, just checked a couple of hours ago and was still out of stock!
In for one.
thanks!

Got my 970 today from oppo. i tested it with my hp vp6121 DLP projector (2000 lumens, 1:2000 contrast, 1024 X 768 native resolution) over component cables.

Compared to zenith xbr413 dvd recorder (480p), the picture on oppo (480p) is much better and brighter.

surprizingly, oppo 480p looks brighter and better than oppo 720p (yes, the firmware mod to get 720p over component). Can someone explain this behaviour?

Got my 970 today from oppo. i tested it with my hp vp6121 DLP projector (2000 lumens, 1:2000 contrast, 1024 X 768 native resolution) over component cables.

Compared to zenith xbr413 dvd recorder (480p), the picture on oppo (480p) is much better and brighter.

surprizingly, oppo 480p looks brighter and better than oppo 720p (yes, the firmware mod to get 720p over component). Can someone explain this behaviour?

The scaler in your TV is better than the scaler in the Oppo.

Got my 970 today from oppo. i tested it with my hp vp6121 DLP projector (2000 lumens, 1:2000 contrast, 1024 X 768 native resolution) over component cables.

Compared to zenith xbr413 dvd recorder (480p), the picture on oppo (480p) is much better and brighter.

surprizingly, oppo 480p looks brighter and better than oppo 720p (yes, the firmware mod to get 720p over component). Can someone explain this behaviour? Since your TV's native resolution is 1024x768, it scales both 480p and 720p signals to fit your screen. It could be that the TV is better at scaling 480p than 720p, but remember too, that 720p has to be scaled TWICE for your TV - once in the player and again in the TV. That's not ideal.

Gary

I will be recieving my Oppo 970 today, which means I will probably not have the new firmware. Could someome tell me the difference between the old and new? Also could someone tell me what the Hacked Firmware would do for me?
Thanks,
Tennispro

Hacked firmware basically allows upscaling over component.
It probably will have the newest firmware, unless one was released very recently (I have not checked in the last week).

Here is the link for the firmware descriptions:
http://www.oppodigital.com/dv970hd/dv970hd_support.html

Got my Oppo 970 yesterday, but I don't have the rest of my upgraded equipment in place. I unpacked it & hooked it up via standard video & audio cables to an older Yamaha receiver, which feeds my SD TV, just to make sure it works.

The sound passed through fine, but I get nothing but a black screen. Connections are obviously OK, because if I unplug the video cable, it changes to a blue "no signal" screen. I went through the various HDMI and P/N settings, but I haven't found a setting that gives me a video signal.

Is there some basic potential incompatibility, or is there a certain set of initial settings required? I can't even see the menu, so I'm limited in what/how I can troubleshoot.

Any help is appreciated.

Hacked firmware basically allows upscaling over component.
It probably will have the newest firmware, unless one was released very recently (I have not checked in the last week).

Here is the link for the firmware descriptions:
http://www.oppodigital.com/dv970hd/dv970hd_support.html

The 970HD upscales non-protected content over component without a hack.

But in order to upscale your store-bought DVDs over component (anything with encryption), you'll need the hacked firmware.

The hacked firmware is from June 13 of 2006. See this post (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=9777665&&#post9777665).

Got my Oppo 970 yesterday, but I don't have the rest of my upgraded equipment in place. I unpacked it & hooked it up via standard video & audio cables to an older Yamaha receiver, which feeds my SD TV, just to make sure it works.

The sound passed through fine, but I get nothing but a black screen. Connections are obviously OK, because if I unplug the video cable, it changes to a blue "no signal" screen. I went through the various HDMI and P/N settings, but I haven't found a setting that gives me a video signal.

Is there some basic potential incompatibility, or is there a certain set of initial settings required? I can't even see the menu, so I'm limited in what/how I can troubleshoot.

Any help is appreciated.
Are you using the component video output? If so, make sure you don't have a disc playing and press the "HDMI" button on the remote three or four times until you get a picture - it sounds like the default resolution is 480p, and your SDTV (because it is SD) can't support that resolution. You'll need to use the "HDMI" button to scroll through available resolutions until you get to 480i.

Just called Oppo and ordered a refurbished 970 unit to go with a used 60XBR950 that I just bought.

One question for you guys who used the USB port. I had a Phililps 5960 and tried to connect a Western Digital 120Gb Passport portable drive (power provided thru the USB port; no AC adapter) to the USB port of the Philips but the Philips did not even find the drive (the Philips does work with small thumb drives though).

I was wondering if anyone tried a drive similar to the Passport with the Oppo and got it to work. I know that my Passport is formatted in FAT32 so that's not the problem. A friend suggested that maybe the Passport was drawing too much power from the USB port, more than the Philips can provide.

So in asking this question, I was just wondering if the Oppo has the same issue.

Thanks in advance for reading.

Actually, your Toshiba can not output either DVD-Audio or SACD in their native audio resolution over coaxial or optical: not only is there not enough bandwidth for SPDIF to carry a DVD-A or SACD bitstream, the copy protection on both formats strictly forbids it. It is possible for DVD-Audio discs to work, but it is either using alternate DD 5.1 or DTS tracks or downmixed Dolby 2.0 derived from the DVD-Audio's MLP track. To get the real DVD-A or SACD, you need either multichannel analog, HDMI v1.1 or higher, IEEE-1394, or a proprietary digital connection like Denon LINK.
Ok, so basically you CAN get DVD-A DD/DTS signal from optical/coax but not at full resolution. I thought that you could not get a signal at all if you are using the HDMI output.
--stoca

Oh, you can get DD and DTS just fine over coax and optical from any DVD, but DVD-Audio is a separate format (sort of a sub-set of DVD) that includes an audio format called Meridian Lossless Packets (MLP) that is a high-resolution audio format using lossless compression (similar to the Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master audio formats being offered on HD-DVD and Blu-ray). DVD-Audio discs typically also include a Dolby Digital 5.1 or DTS track for compatibility with standard DVD players, but it's the MLP track that is (was) the format's main reason for existance. The only way to get that MLP track is to either use multichannel analog output or one of the digital connections I mentioned before (HDMI v1.1 or higher, IEEE-1394, DenonLINK, ...).

With the Oppo customer support and performance, this has to be the best deal in a budget universal player. I absolutely love mine.

Chris

Anyone using an SD card for viewing Divx files? I'm wondering if a certain minimum speed of card is required.

Can someone post some comparison frames of the noise reduction (MVer: 05.00.01.07 Batch: 4A-0209 beta) feature On/Off? I assume it's just best to leave it off?

Anyone using an SD card for viewing Divx files? I'm wondering if a certain minimum speed of card is required.


used a standard 256mb sd card with a 150mb divx tv show and the sync kept going batty.

used a standard 256mb sd card with a 150mb divx tv show and the sync kept going batty.
I contacted Oppo and they said:
There is no particular SD card which has been designed for proper video decoding on the DV-970HD through the memory interface. Pretty much all SD media will have the same playback properties through this interface due to bandwidth limitations.

Has anyone compared the picture quality of the Oppo 970 to a Toshiba HD-A2 HD-DVD player?

This would be played on a 56" 1080p DLP Samsung TV.

Just wondering if it's really worth the extra bucks for the Toshiba.

Thanks...

Has anyone compared the picture quality of the Oppo 970 to a Toshiba HD-A2 HD-DVD player?

This would be played on a 56" 1080p DLP Samsung TV.

Just wondering if it's really worth the extra bucks for the Toshiba.

Thanks...
Comparing SD to SD or comparing SD to HD?
The former: Similar PQ. Speed, usability and interface are better on the Oppo.
The later: No contest.

Comparing SD to SD or comparing SD to HD?
The former: Similar PQ. Speed, usability and interface are better on the Oppo.
The later: No contest.
Interesting.

What about when comparing the picture quality of the Oppo to other non-HD upconverting DVD players?

I posted here about my trials w/ the Oppo's USB capabilities.
tschang13 -- Note that a USB hard drive needs to have its own power supply to work with the 970.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=808365

Hi gang, just got my new oppo 970 last night. I can not get the player to access the SACD audio or DVD audio mode on the menu. It is in light lettering and will not allow me to click on it. My Dolby Digital section will let me click on it but my only options are dual mono and dynamic. What am I not doing?
Thanks,
tennispro

I left out that the DVD audio will only play in 2 channel,
Thanks,
Tennispro

Anyone else have a severe vibration/hum that comes from the unit? I can't imagine what I'm getting is normal noise - it's distracting.

Interesting.

What about when comparing the picture quality of the Oppo to other non-HD upconverting DVD players?

Do a search. In my case, my Denon 3910 is better on my BenQ PJ (smoother, more film like) but the Oppo is better on my Panny plasma (the 3910 shows macroblocking on the Panny). I've been through about 15 upconverting players in the past 3 years. Regarding both sounds and picture quality, the Oppo beats most of them and is not embarrassed by the best ones (which cost many times more).

Hi gang, just got my new oppo 970 last night. I can not get the player to access the SACD audio or DVD audio mode on the menu. It is in light lettering and will not allow me to click on it. My Dolby Digital section will let me click on it but my only options are dual mono and dynamic. What am I not doing?
Thanks,
tennispro
Some menu settings can only be accessed when there is no disc playing. Others can only be accessed when there is no disc loaded. I don't recall if the DVD-A and SACD settings fall into the latter category. You may also want to make sure that the Speaker Setup menu is configured for 5.1 channel instead of stereo and that you are using the multichannel analog output for DVD-A and SACD (both of these must be done to get 5.1 from DVD-A).

Anyone else have a severe vibration/hum that comes from the unit? I can't imagine what I'm getting is normal noise - it's distracting.
Nope. Return it.

Eject the disc tennispro, then go back to the menu screen.

I am only seeing "snow" when I hook the dvd to my panasonic projector pt ax100 via HDMI. The oppo technical guys says it's the cable that is not able to handle hdcp encryption but I did buy one of expensive cables (accell with built-in equalizer) and I could watch all the HD stuff from the cable box. I have a direct connection from DVD to projector. Any help in this regard is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Lambu

It all works now that I have ejected the disc. Thanks guys!!!! Anybody do any mods to the 5 channel sound (DVD audio)?
Tennispro

Nope. Return it.What he said.

Very, very strange... I powered it back up today, played a music CD and two different DVD's... everything was flawless.

Thanks for the input, guys... I'll watch this baby closely for a while.

I just got my 970hd in the mail yesterday. I was wondering how and what to use to burn divx/xvid files that the player will recognize.

I just got my 970hd in the mail yesterday. I was wondering how and what to use to burn divx/xvid files that the player will recognize.


I use the burning program built into the Divxplayer that was enclosed with the Divx codec. It is a simple drag and drop procedure.

I am only seeing "snow" when I hook the dvd to my panasonic projector pt ax100 via HDMI. The oppo technical guys says it's the cable that is not able to handle hdcp encryption but I did buy one of expensive cables (accell with built-in equalizer) and I could watch all the HD stuff from the cable box. I have a direct connection from DVD to projector. Any help in this regard is greatly appreciated.

Anything manufactured will not have a 100% tolerance. If your cable just happens to have improper impedance of resistance it will not properly carry the HDCP signal to and from the DVD player.

As a rule, I would recommend using the supplied cable, no matter how awkward it is to connect the DVD player to the projector, to isolate the cause of the error. If the error occurs when using the 6' cable, then you are looking at a defective product.

I dont care how good the PQ of the Toshiba is.I went with the Oppo because I am very concerned with the amount of posts regarding skipping and freezing using Toshibas.I had a cheap SD Toshiba that drove me nuts with skipping and freezing.
It could be that Toshiba just makes drive systems which dont stabilize the disks properly.Whatever the cause,its the most frustrating thing to spend an hour watching a movie only to have the player unable to finish it.Eventually every disk would skip and the 6 month old Toshiba went into the trash.
That was only a $50 player.But the experience makes me never want to own another Toshiba, especially if its a $400 doorstop.Reading about all the freezing posts only reinforces my theory.
Besides all of that,there is not one thing I want to see thats on HDDVD at the moment.I figure that by the time there are titles I want to see,the players will be cheap and I wont have to go with Toshiba.Maybe Oppo will have an HD player by then for $149.
Has anyone compared the picture quality of the Oppo 970 to a Toshiba HD-A2 HD-DVD player?

This would be played on a 56" 1080p DLP Samsung TV.

Just wondering if it's really worth the extra bucks for the Toshiba.

Thanks...

Besides all of that,there is not one thing I want to see thats on HDDVD at the moment.I figure that by the time there are titles I want to see,the players will be cheap and I wont have to go with Toshiba.Maybe Oppo will have an HD player by then for $149.
To each their own but I just watched The Departed on HD-DVD with True DD viewed on a 92" screen. For my middle aged guy tastes, it don't get much better than that:-)

I bought my second Oppo player...good stuff...such a bang for the buck.

Guys remeber that the toshiba hd-dvd player was specifically made for hd discs,
now the oppo was especially designed to upscale and some other good features for a low price but for it's main function it works...

just got my 970 today - very nice. well built and packaged- really liked the pouch the player came wrapped in inside the box. customer service and shipping was great. i did receive it fast as i am california.

no it's not not hd dvd but, until that mess is settled it will do me just fine and beyond. calibrated it with my display as well. one thing i did notice vs. my old yamaha dvd player (which was a nice player in it's own right) is that the colors from the oppo are much brighter than the yamaha.

another thing i noticed was the setup menu and software is almost identical to the yamaha as well.

i installed the component hack within the first 30 minutes and it worked like a charm as well.

SACD, dvd-a and dts audio discs will play over optical or coax if copyright protection has been removed- in much the same manner as non copyright dvd will play over component (without the hack).

just got my 970 today - very nice. well built and packaged- really liked the pouch the player came wrapped in inside the box. customer service and shipping was great. i did receive it fast as i am california.

no it's not not hd dvd but, until that mess is settled it will do me just fine and beyond. calibrated it with my display as well. one thing i did notice vs. my old yamaha dvd player (which was a nice player in it's own right) is that the colors from the oppo are much brighter than the yamaha.

another thing i noticed was the setup menu and software is almost identical to the yamaha as well.

i installed the component hack within the first 30 minutes and it worked like a charm as well.

SACD, dvd-a and dts audio discs will play over optical or coax if copyright protection has been removed- in much the same manner as non copyright dvd will play over component (without the hack).

SACD and DVD-A can't be played over optical or coaxial digital connections even without copy protection. Assuming you have a player that somehow could send DSD or MLP over those connections, how could it be decoded? DTS DVD-V and DTS CD can be played using digital connections to a decoder. Copy protected DVD's can be played over component, only most players limit the resolution to 480p, but there are a number that will play copy protected DVD's at 720p, 1080i and 1080p over component connections, I personally own several.

Chris

SACD and DVD-A can't be played over optical or coaxial digital connections even without copy protection. Assuming you have a player that somehow could send DSD or MLP over those connections, how could it be decoded? DTS DVD-V and DTS CD can be played using digital connections to a decoder. Copy protected DVD's can be played over component, only most players limit the resolution to 480p, but there are a number that will play copy protected DVD's at 720p, 1080i and 1080p over component connections, I personally own several.

Chris


yep i stand corrected whoops- it IS DTS audio discs not dvd-a or sacd. in my excitement of getting the oppo i threw in the wrong discs. my apologies.

it does however do a nice job of playing dvds of upconverting to 720p and 1080i over component with said firmware hack.

DUAL POST
In Oppo 970 & NECXR5 plasma threads.
First I have had very little concerns nor viewed much IR effects on my xr5.
However, last night while watching “Lady in the Water” the Netflix DVD started to jitter.
So I ejected it and took out my diskDR. To clean, then returned it-time- 60 sec.
In the next dark scene we could still see ”OPPO” in the background.{ but not in the bright-day light scenes} It eventually faded away but it took ?~ 5 mins. I was surprise that IR happens that quickly and last that long for how a short period the Oppo logo was on. – AVIA/CP calibrated.
Any Thoughts?
db

I recently purchased a Mitsubishi WD-57731 1080p DLP from BB to replace my failing Sony CRT RPTV. Actually it was a warranty replacement, I just had to pay the difference.

So this is my first experience with a DLP set. But having a 1080p, I was able to justify replacing the 5 yr old Sony DVP-NS715p progressive player. I do not know much about the old player, it was just in stock when I purchased my last TV, and it matched my Sony TV.

I initially wanted the Oppo 981HD, but was told the 970HD is a better match for my DLP due to macro-blocking issues.

The Oppo was ordered last Thurs. and it arrived yesterday. So total shipping time was 1 week from California to Michigan. This includes any delay due to President's Day. Shipping was via FedEx Ground. One thing to note is that a signature is not required on the package. For me it was no problem for the box to sit on the porch for several hours, but others may not like this.

The packaging has been described many times, so I will be brief. Oppo box, securely taped shut. Inside player in fake cloth bag, foam cushioning all around. A smaller box holding cables (power, HDMI, yellow, red/white RCA) remote, and 2-AAA batteries was packed neatly beside the player.

Unpacking the player, many have thought the front to is scratched, only to find out they need to remove the protective plastic. This plastic was not present on my player, leading me to wonder if they started removing it before shipping to prevent such complaints.

The player is super thin, a bit less the 1/2 the thickness of my previous Sony, with the same footprint. I set the Oppo atop the Sony for testing, with the 360 on top of that. The weight of the 360 does not seem to affect the Oppo in any way.

I plugged into he supplied HDMI cable to my set, and moved the existing coax audio connection from my old player. Turning on the player I was greeted with the big blue Oppo screen. Loading a disk was quick, and I didn’t see any problem with the tray, which some call flimsy. Common complaints on the eject speed seem misplaced. The tray ejected about twice as fast as the Sony. So I must have had a super-slow tray for almost half a decade making the Oppo tray excitingly quick.

The set-up was minimal.
-General set-up tab:
1) Changed TV display from "16:9 Wide" to "16:9 Auto" which is labeled different than the "16:9 Wide/SQZ” listed in the manual.
-Speaker set-up:
This is for the L/R analog outputs, so nothing was changed.
-Audio set-up:
1) LCPM rate was changed from “48K” to “96K”. I do not know if the affected anything or not, but figured a higher setting cannot hurt.
2) HDMI audio was set to “OFF”. I am using my receiver for sound, and don't want to turn down the TV volume each time I watch a movie.
-Video set-up
1) Color Space was changed from “RGB” to YcbCr 4:4:4. I am not sure which of these are better, and may switch to “Auto” and let the player/TV decide.


I spent the next couple of hours trying to calibrate my set. I used DVE, and was semi-familiar with it from using it on my previous CRT sets. I started with the pluge, and found my set does not do blacker than black, but that is no surprise. This isn’t a great screen to use with DLPs, but it was a start. The problem I ran into was my letters and such on the screen have “halos” for lack of a better term. If this was a CRT set, I would call it blooming, but in this case it could not be reduced. Maybe this is inherent with DLP sets. The major concern I ran into was on the “pb and pr sweep” of DVE. I was supposed to get a screen like this:

http://www.thg.ru/video/ads_dvd_xpress_dx2/images/dx2_dvd_test_2.jpg

But it looked more like this:

http://www.thg.ru/video/ads_dvd_xpress_dx2/images/dx2_cap_test_2.jpg

With the last ¼ of the image blotchy grey, not smooth like the picture. This really concerned me, and thought I had found a flaw with the player. I then played the image on the Sony, and the problem was much worse! So I think is may have some to do with the player, but maybe more with the TV. I don’t know if a DLP will be as “sharp” as a CRT set, but the image after calibration the picture looks better, but still not precise and clean. Again’ I don’t know if this is inherent with the technology, or I got a bum set (again)!

With some “calibration” completed, I began watching some of the compilations on the disk to check the results and resolutions. The default was 480p, and I cycled through all of the modes, first watching whole segments with each, and then watching one specific scene, replaying it over and over on different settings. I found 720p to be the best, with 480p being close behind. This is what I expected, which may or may not have had a bearing on my final decisions. Ideally I would have liked to scroll through the resolutions while playing, but that is not an option.

I then played Cars, just the opening race scene, while repeating the resolution tests. The transfer is so good, it was hard to tell a difference, but again I feel the progressive modes won out. I tried to compare this to the Sony via component input, but it was hard to discern any difference. I do not have 2 of the same disk in order to do an actual side-by side comparison.

I put DVE into the Sony and watched one of the montages, and then put it into the Oppo. There was more detail in the distance on some of the city shots, and the fire seemed less blocky using the Oppo. I then re-watched the NASA opening on the Oppo, then the Sony, then back to the Oppo.

While I wish I could say “Oh my gawd, it was an amazing transformation, who needs HD!!” I can’t. I will say that the Oppo does provide a nice image at a good price. Whether or not this can be contributed to better electronics, or the change from component to HDMI, it doesn’t matter. I am pleased with the picture.

In closing, I will be keeping the Oppo player. I will probably wonder about what might have been with the 981HD 1080p player, but at that price, I would almost be up to an HD player (past it if you count the 360). I was looking for a quality player at a good price to tide me over until the future format is settled. I doubt I will ever use the Oppo to play anything other than pressed DVDs. I own no DVDs from other regions, SACD, or DVD-A discs. I may have been just as satisfied with a Sony or LG upconverting player from BB and saved a couple of bucks, but I wanted something different, something I know is good. I was most impressed with the continual firmware upgrades and customer support that Oppo provides, knowing that I will still have ongoing assistance and improvement with my player.

SUMMATION:
Oppo is a good player, basic performance can probably be had elsewhere, but the intangibles push the unit above other manufactures.

Eww! That pb and pr sweep screen looks like total crap. I have a 720p Samsung DLP from a few years ago, and it looks more like the first picture.

Also, you probably need to recalibrate for each resolution setting (480, 720p, etc.) before doing comparisons. Most TVs have separate settings for each input, and some for different resolutions.

Can you still exchange the TV at BB?

Those images are not mine, I did not have the camera available.
I am past my return limit, but I do have the warranty.
I just didn't know if that is common, or if something is messed. I am already on my second image unit on the set.

Maybe I missed it, but di dyou upconvert via hdmi? It seems you're only using 480p. Why not try 720p and 1080i. I'll check the sweep pattern on my crt using my 970hd. somethings odd with you results.

jeff

Maybe I missed it, but di dyou upconvert via hdmi? It seems you're only using 480p. Why not try 720p and 1080i. I'll check the sweep pattern on my crt using my 970hd. somethings odd with you results.

jeff

Yes, Oppo using HDMI, checked all resolutions, and preferred 720p. I compared it to the Sony at 480p and got the same problem with them both, although the Sony was worse.

EDIT: I reread your post and checked the image again. I get the same problem at every resolution. I will check it later on the 360 as well. When my wife gets home I will try and take some pictures.

I can repost the middle part in the RPTV forum if you think it would fit better there, I just didn't want to cross-post.

an interesting and maybe unimportant note- OPPO DID require signature on my delivery via fed ex ground. which for me is always a HUGE pain in the rear due to my work schedule. had to call fed ex and track down the delivery driver in the pouring rain. wanted to have it set up and calibrated for friday -which is movie night and i had already sold off my old yamaha.

Ive heard rumor that the chipset in the 970 is capable of being upgraded either by firmware or modding to actually properly display native 720p/1080i on certain media? Was i mislead, has anyone heard the same and does anyone know how to do it? Sorry if this has already been mentioned in this thread but i wasnt prepared to read 140 pages lol. I just got my 970 today finally!! It was intended to be used as a SACD/DVDA/HDCD player over my Rega Planet but Ive found so far that the planet blows the 970 away for sound but Ive yet to tinker with the 970 so im not counting it out yet. Most noticeable difference was shear volume. The rega seems to be about 30% louder which is alot easier on my amp. Anywhoo with regards to the proper 2ch setup for the oppo, upgrades tweaks or anything of the sort I would LOVE some inputs even if they are repeats.

Cheers

I have a bunch of 960x544 Divx videos. Anyone know what is required to get them down to a resolution that the Oppo can display?

Yes, Oppo using HDMI, checked all resolutions, and preferred 720p. I compared it to the Sony at 480p and got the same problem with them both, although the Sony was worse.

EDIT: I reread your post and checked the image again. I get the same problem at every resolution. I will check it later on the 360 as well. When my wife gets home I will try and take some pictures.

I can repost the middle part in the RPTV forum if you think it would fit better there, I just didn't want to cross-post.

Try disabling the "black level enhancement" in the Mits DLP... I have seen that feature do weird things like this to test patterns.

My set is the 731. I do not believe it has any of the BLE, prefect tint, adjustable iris, or other stuff.

If by any chance anyone was wondering if I'd follow up on my original post (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=9668024&&#post9668024) about my "defective" player that could not run the hack correctly..

I got a replacement unit in the mail yesterday, and it seems to be working just great. In the letter they sent along, they indicated that they couldn't replicate my issues (not surprising), but they sent a replacement unit anyways. I'm sure it's a refurb, but it looks brand new. I applied the hack, and have been playing several discs for the past six-seven hours, with NO lock-ups. On my old player, I would get lock-ups after just a few minutes of play when using the hack.

I'm really not sure what could've been wrong with the original unit. Overall, though, the return process was excellent and went very smoothly - except for the fact that ground shipping and east coast/west coast don't really mix. Anyways, I'm just happy now that I can finally enjoy the thing!

Ive heard rumor that the chipset in the 970 is capable of being upgraded either by firmware or modding to actually properly display native 720p/1080i on certain media?

The 970 doesn't upconvert encrypted content (aka most factory-pressed DVDs) via component. But there's a firmware hack that will let you.

get it here (http://www.lament.us/oppo), along with instructions nicked from the forums and Oppo's site.

To each their own but I just watched The Departed on HD-DVD with True DD viewed on a 92" screen. For my middle aged guy tastes, it don't get much better than that:-)

I just watched the "The Departed" with a 100" screen on Blu-ray and agree. I won't be middle aged until 2112, when I turn 60 however.

Chris

My player is running great too. Only question I have is playing .wmv files. I thought they were supported but they don't even show up in the file browser. It is a Windows Media Video 9 file and it won't even try to play it. I didn't buy the player for this, so I don't mind, but I wanted to test it out.

Colors are amazing on this thing. Super strong but not satuated.

I won't be middle aged until 2112, when I turn 60 however.

Chris
:) Good one.

Anyone know what audio DACS the OPPO 970 is using? Are they Burr Brown? I'm seeing conflicting reports of good SQ and some say not so good?

Anyone know of a good upsampling DVD player with audiophile or close to it SQ for 2 channel sound? Looking for one without the "F" chip as my Samsung may macroblock. Thinking about the Denon but it has the "F" chip. 70% music, 30% movie usage.

Thanks

Ive heard rumor that the chipset in the 970 is capable of being upgraded either by firmware or modding to actually properly display native 720p/1080i on certain media? Was i mislead, has anyone heard the same and does anyone know how to do it? Sorry if this has already been mentioned in this thread but i wasnt prepared to read 140 pages lol. I just got my 970 today finally!! It was intended to be used as a SACD/DVDA/HDCD player over my Rega Planet but Ive found so far that the planet blows the 970 away for sound but Ive yet to tinker with the 970 so im not counting it out yet. Most noticeable difference was shear volume. The rega seems to be about 30% louder which is alot easier on my amp. Anywhoo with regards to the proper 2ch setup for the oppo, upgrades tweaks or anything of the sort I would LOVE some inputs even if they are repeats.

Cheers

The Oppo is a remarkable player for $150 but is not the equal of a tweaked out $800 audiophile component like the Rega. As for your amp, it uses the same amount of current to produce the same amount of volume reguardless of the input level. You can adjust the volume output of the Oppo (hence the volume buttons on the remote) but they suggest leaving them zeroed out (you may have inadvertantly already reduced the output).

P.S. Read the 140 pages and I'm sure you'll find a tidbit or two of useful info.

They are not Burr Brown - they are built into the Mediatek chipset. The 971H generally was not considered to have a really good analog audio output, but the 970HD design looked more closely at keeping the analog signal path clean and has a good reputation. It's not going to match a $1,000 Denon player (the 2930 and 3930 do not use the DCDi chip), of course.

I just watched the "The Departed" with a 100" screen on Blu-ray and agree. I won't be middle aged until 2112, when I turn 60 however.

Chris

Wow. Someone from the future. Tell us what audio and video are like in 2112.

thinking of getting the 970 but I don't have any hdmi inputs on tv, only dvi.. Can this player still upconvert with a HDMI to DVI wire? thanks in advance

Could somebody endulge me and explain the purpose of the component hack for the Oppo dv-970hd. I'm picking the player up today to replace my Denon 910 to use with my 5 year old Panasonic 47" rear projection set. It, of course, only has component but I'll be upgrading to the new 52" Sharp D9 as soon as prices drop.
Will I be able to upconvert to 1080i through component using "backup" copies of movies that I own?

Thanks in advance.

thinking of getting the 970 but I don't have any hdmi inputs on tv, only dvi.. Can this player still upconvert with a HDMI to DVI wire? thanks in advance

yes

Could somebody endulge me and explain the purpose of the component hack for the Oppo dv-970hd. I'm picking the player up today to replace my Denon 910 to use with my 5 year old Panasonic 47" rear projection set. It, of course, only has component but I'll be upgrading to the new 52" Sharp D9 as soon as prices drop.
Will I be able to upconvert to 1080i through component using "backup" copies of movies that I own?

Thanks in advance.

Component hack is to enable upconversion of copy portected dvds via component output to your display.
You do not need the hack if you are playing back-up copies of your dvds because those dvds would be stripped of their copy protection.

Could somebody endulge me and explain the purpose of the component hack for the Oppo dv-970hd. I'm picking the player up today to replace my Denon 910 to use with my 5 year old Panasonic 47" rear projection set. It, of course, only has component but I'll be upgrading to the new 52" Sharp D9 as soon as prices drop.
Will I be able to upconvert to 1080i through component using "backup" copies of movies that I own?

Thanks in advance.

The component hack allows copy protected DVDs to be upscaled over component. Otherwise the player will only upvoncert them over HDMI. But if you make "backup" copies as you mentioned, the copy protection gets removed and the will upvonvert over component without the hack.

thinking of getting the 970 but I don't have any hdmi inputs on tv, only dvi.. Can this player still upconvert with a HDMI to DVI wire? thanks in advance
All you need is an HDMI-to-DVI cable or an HDMI-to-DVI adapter. I use an HDMI-to-DVI cable with my 981HD.

Thanks for the clarification... now should I run the component directly to the display or can I still run it through my Yamaha RX-V2400?

I had a weird HDCP issue last night. I should note first that I use a Monoprice HDX-501 HDMI switch.

I was using Avia for about an hour when the picture went to snow. Oppo's support page says this happens when your TV doesn't support HDCP, but it should happen within seconds, not after an hour.

Since I use the HDX-501, the typical fix to problems like this is to use ports 4 or 5 of the switch, which supposedly go directly to the output rather than passed through another chip which can give people problems. This fixed the problem, and I was later able to watch The Departed without any issue (in an unrelated note, my HD DVR Scientific Atlanta 8000HD doesn't work with ANY port of the switch, if anyone happens to know a solution).

I'm just wondering why, if there was an HDCP issue, it took so long to manifest itself.

Thanks for the clarification... now should I run the component directly to the display or can I still run it through my Yamaha RX-V2400?

I am using the RX-V2300 and think the component switching is fine, no degradation noticeable.

Chris

Can the HDMI and the component out be active at the same time?
IOWs' I wanted to compare the two outputs (PQ) without disconnecting one, then the other and reconnecting using different inputs on the TV.

Thanks for the clarification... now should I run the component directly to the display or can I still run it through my Yamaha RX-V2400?

Anytime you add electronic components, signal switches, extra cables, or anything else to the signal path you will degrade the signal.
The real question is whether or not the degradation is noticable enough to keep from the convinience of adding the extra connection. :rolleyes:

Ok guys I have a big question...I hooked up the Oppo to my hitachi 57f59 and it looks amazing! I have it set on 1080i hdmi. However, on 4:3 material it doesn't offer the option to change to the 4:3 aspect. Only 16:9 or 4:3 expanded. I like to watch whatever it is in the original aspect ratio. Is there anyway I can switch it to 4:3? Thanks for any help!

Ok guys I have a big question...I hooked up the Oppo to my hitachi 57f59 and it looks amazing! I have it set on 1080i hdmi. However, on 4:3 material it doesn't offer the option to change to the 4:3 aspect. Only 16:9 or 4:3 expanded. I like to watch whatever it is in the original aspect ratio. Is there anyway I can switch it to 4:3? Thanks for any help!

Try "Wide/Auto". It passes 16:9 material unchanged but pillarboxed 4:3 titles.

-Bill

Can the HDMI and the component out be active at the same time?
IOWs' I wanted to compare the two outputs (PQ) without disconnecting one, then the other and reconnecting using different inputs on the TV.
They can, and they are - the 970HD's component and HDMI outputs are both active all the time. If you have the official firmware, the component output will only be 480p with copyrighted discs (or 480i if that's how you have the HDMI output set to 480i), but depending on what you're doing with both outputs that may not be an issue for you. If you have the hacked firmware (based on an older version of the official), both outputs will be upscaled to the same resolution all the time.

Can you change the component output format as you can with the HDMI?

Separate question; are all audio outs active at the same time; HDMI, optical, coxial, 5 channel analog and stereo analog? Or does that have to do with the settings for the bitstream etc.?

First - Thanks for the great insights in the forum. Now, after 4 hours playing with my new toys, I just can't seem to fix this:
I have the Oppo 970 hooked by HDMI to my plasma for video and an optical cable from Oppo to Yammy rxv-659. The Oppo plays CDs fine; BUT DVDs only show video and no audio through the Yammy. I've tried turning on/off the hdmi audio; set digital output to raw. Thanks for the help!
Houston

I have the Oppo 970 hooked by HDMI to my plasma for video and an optical cable from Oppo to Yammy rxv-659. The Oppo plays CDs fine; BUT DVDs only show video and no audio through the Yammy. I've tried turning on/off the hdmi audio; set digital output to raw. Thanks for the help!
Houston

Do you have any other cables hooked up to your Oppo (RCA cables for audio, etc.?).

If not, I read that the video via HDMI shows up, and that you can play audio CDs (assuming here over the optical digital audio cable). Is that correct?

If you had other cables that were carrying your CD audio, I might suggest that perhaps your digital audio input on the receiver was dead.

Ive got no other cables.
[If not, I read that the video via HDMI shows up, and that you can play audio CDs (assuming here over the optical digital audio cable). Is that correct?]
That's correct.
I keep thinking that it is a setting on the Oppo, but I can't put my finger on it.

My brother recently purchased an Oppo 970 after I mentioned to him that I love my 971. He has it hooked up via HDMI to a Samsung 46 inch LCD flat panel. I brought over Star Wars so I could see how it looked on his setup, and the picture looked soft, dull, grainy, and washed out. We went through the THX optimizer, but it did not help. Is there a reason why the picture looks this poor? I feel bad because he bought it after I gushed over Oppo and how great the 971 looks on my Samsung. Suggestions?

SUMMATION:
Oppo is a good player, basic performance can probably be had elsewhere, but the intangibles push the unit above other manufactures...

One thing to note is that a signature is not required on the package. For me it was no problem for the box to sit on the porch for several hours, but others may not like this...

Unpacking the player, many have thought the front to is scratched, only to find out they need to remove the protective plastic. This plastic was not present on my player, leading me to wonder if they started removing it before shipping to prevent such complaints.


Thanks for sharing your experience. I've come to a similar conclusion about the PQ. It looks great for DVDs that have a nice transfer (I was watching Sin City and Cars last night and they looked breathtakingly gorgeous!), but it certainly doesn't hold a candle to "true" HD.

I was personally a little pissed off when I came home to find my Oppo leaning haphazardly against the wall next to our gate about to fall over. Would've preferred signing for it in person, but it was intact.

And about the scratches. I went on the website and they said there was a film that would peel off. I found no such film when I initially checked so I came to the exact same conclusion you did - they just didn't put on the film anymore. One night though, I decided to try again - I just used my thumbnail on a couple of corners for literally a minute and lo and behold a thin (and needlessly difficult to remove) film came off! Just try that and you'll find that they actually put a film on it - it's not really scratched.

Yeah, their film was really tight. I'm impressed at the build quality of the machine. I also think it's pretty close to HD on good transfers. On my 6070 I can't tell much difference between Ice Age in 480i from the Oppo and similar films on HBOHD. Maybe not quite as much 3D depth to it, but very good.

First - Thanks for the great insights in the forum. Now, after 4 hours playing with my new toys, I just can't seem to fix this:
I have the Oppo 970 hooked by HDMI to my plasma for video and an optical cable from Oppo to Yammy rxv-659. The Oppo plays CDs fine; BUT DVDs only show video and no audio through the Yammy. I've tried turning on/off the hdmi audio; set digital output to raw. Thanks for the help!
Houston
Is it possible that the Yamaha is set up to apply PCM decoding only to that digital input? My old processor allowed this, and I was looking at the manual for another receiver (helping somebody trouble-shoot a similar problem) and noted that it allowed this as well. If the input was set up to assume audio was always PCM, then CD's would play fine but DVD's would do nothing (Dolby Digital and DTS would not get decoded). Just a thought...

My brother recently purchased an Oppo 970 after I mentioned to him that I love my 971. He has it hooked up via HDMI to a Samsung 46 inch LCD flat panel. I brought over Star Wars so I could see how it looked on his setup, and the picture looked soft, dull, grainy, and washed out. We went through the THX optimizer, but it did not help. Is there a reason why the picture looks this poor? I feel bad because he bought it after I gushed over Oppo and how great the 971 looks on my Samsung. Suggestions?

Try changing the colorspace from RGB to YCbCR or vice versa. When I have the wrong colorspace selected the picture looks washed out.

Try changing the colorspace from RGB to YCbCR or vice versa. When I have the wrong colorspace selected the picture looks washed out.

Is this done through the Oppo menu?

Are those settings for component, he has it via HDMI.

Is it possible that the Yamaha is set up to apply PCM decoding only to that digital input? My old processor allowed this, and I was looking at the manual for another receiver (helping somebody trouble-shoot a similar problem) and noted that it allowed this as well. If the input was set up to assume audio was always PCM, then CD's would play fine but DVD's would do nothing (Dolby Digital and DTS would not get decoded). Just a thought...
I just checked and the setting is "Auto" for PCM. I tried turning it off, but it didn't make any difference - still no audio (except CDs).

Is this done through the Oppo menu?

Are those settings for component, he has it via HDMI.

It is through the menu at the bottom of the video setup page -Color Space -and it affects HDMI for sure. I'm connected using HDMI.

Is this done through the Oppo menu?

Are those settings for component, he has it via HDMI.

Component is always YCbCR, that's what component is. The setting is for HDMI output which can pass either. If you are using a HDMI to DVI cable then no matter what you choose the player will output RGB which is what DVI is.

Component is always YCbCR, that's what component is. The setting is for HDMI output which can pass either. If you are using a HDMI to DVI cable then no matter what you choose the player will output RGB which is what DVI is.

Component is usually YCbCr but not always. My Sony HDTV has compenent inputs that accept RGB or YCbCr. If you want to get real picky, s-video is technically "component" too. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Component_video

Component is usually YCbCr but not always. My Sony HDTV has compenent inputs that accept RGB or YCbCr. If you want to get real picky, s-video is technically "component" too. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Component_video

Ok, be picky. But the "usually" applies here and on most other DVD players. Component video out is YCbCr.

Then what is YPbPr ??

Then what is YPbPr ??

Oops, had it wrong myself. Technically on the DVD player they are YPbPr which is analog. YCbCr is digital. For the most part they are used interchangeably which is not technically correct, hence allof the confusion. I think the outputs on the back of the 970 actually list both.

Try changing the colorspace from RGB to YCbCR or vice versa. When I have the wrong colorspace selected the picture looks washed out.
There is also an "auto" setting which the manual recommends.

There is also an "auto" setting which the manual recommends.
Yes, but for trouble shooting select it manually. When auto is selected with my set it defaults to RGB which is wrong.

Would anyone else here be interested in an option for the disc navigation menu that removes the preview window so you can see longer filenames?

Also, how about enabling the memory feature for Divx?

Are all audio outputs active at the same time?

Are all audio outputs active at the same time?
Yes they are. The only time that this is not true would be the two cases when you are playing a disc that doesn't support some outputs: SACD will not allow any coaxial/optical digital outputs, and DVD-Audio allows only a downmixed stereo output via coaxial/optical digital.

Has anyone updated to the latest 4A-0209 Beta? I just updated from the previous 4A-1220 Beta in hopes that maybe the Beatles Love DVD-A gapless had been fixed. It very well may have been fixed but now I'm getting distorted clicks not only on the Beatles DVD-A but my other DVD-As as well. Has anyone else experienced this? I'm using HDMI into an Anthem D2. Can I downgrade the firmware?

Never mind. :) Looks like it is all working including gapless playback of the Beatles – Love DVD-A! I had only cycled power on the front panel, pulling the A/C cord appears to have fixed the problem.

Has anyone updated to the latest 4A-0209 Beta? Can I downgrade the firmware?

Yes - I am using the new 4A-0209 Beta no problems. Still using my 59AVi MC analog for SACD/DVDA though.

Yes - You can downgrade the firmware.

You are not gaining anything for DVDA by upgrading past your firmware 4A-1220 Beta - only the SACD gapless has been fixed:

Version: MVer: 05.00.01.07 Batch: 4A-0111
Category: Minor Update
Release Date: February 12, 2007

1. Super Audio CD (SACD) Gapless Playback

There are a small number of SACD discs on the market that are mastered to play continuously without pause between tracks. The DV-970HD with previous firmware versions plays SACD with a silent gap of about 1 second between each track. With this firmware version, the gap between tracks is eliminated.

2. Super Audio CD (SACD) Track Number Display

With previous firmware version, the front panel display of SACD track number indicates the selected/highlighted track in the user interface, but not the currently playing track. This firmware version makes the front panel display show the currently playing track number. Users who do not turn on their TV while listening to SACD can now check the track number by looking at the front panel display.

and the Beta you now have added this:
Version: MVer: 05.00.01.07 Batch: 4A-0209
Category: Beta Test Version
Release Date: February 13, 2007

The following new features and improvements are included in this version:

1. Super Audio CD (SACD) Track Number On-Screen Display

With previous firmware version, the on-screen display of SACD track number indicates the selected/highlighted track in the user interface. When the player is playing a track not listed on the current screen, the user has no way to know which track is playing unless he/she checks the front panel display. This firmware version makes the on-screen display show the currently playing track number.

2. Alternative Remote Control Code

This firmware version adds an alternative set of remote control code that the player will respond to. The alternative remote control code enables users to program their universal remote controls that comes with TV, Projector or A/V Receiver to operate the DVD player. If the universal remote control has a DVD player control function, please program it with the code for TOSHIBA, PHILIPS, MAGNAVOX, MARANTZ or ZENITH DVD players. Since each brand of remote control may have several sets of codes, you may need to try several times using different codes to get the working one.

Response to the alternative remote control code can be turned off by setting the "Alt RC Code" option to "Off" in the "General Setup Page" of the DVD player's setup menu. This setting is useful for avoiding remote command conflict when a user owns another DVD/LD player which uses the same remote control code.

3. Noise Reduction

This firmware version adds a video Noise Reduction function to the DVD player. Noise reduction can be turned on or off from the "Video Setup Page" of the DVD players setup menu. Generally noise reduction is not necessary or recommended, since it could cause image retention or "ghosting" artifacts. Noise reduction may be useful when viewing older television show episodes or movies shot with CCD cameras.

I have been strongly considering buying the Oppo 970 - BUT - I would be hooking it up to my 46" TOSH CRT RPTV and by reading here it sounds like using the DVI IN to a CRT you apparently do not get the "bang for the buck" all of you pure Digital HDTV owners do. I would like to use my Component connections as I do now and possibly alleviate this - BUT - apparently I would NEED a HACK to make my Component connection Upscaleable; can someone PLEASE tell me where I might find the HACK? And does it really make a BIG difference?

PS - can anyone here comment on the PQ of the Helios DVD Player [it up-converts via Component]?

TKS Michael :confused:

I have been strongly considering buying the Oppo 970 - BUT - I would be hooking it up to my 46" TOSH CRT RPTV and by reading here it sounds like using the DVI IN to a CRT you apparently do not get the "bang for the buck" all of you pure Digital HDTV owners do. I would like to use my Component connections as I do now and possibly alleviate this - BUT - apparently I would NEED a HACK to make my Component connection Upscaleable; can someone PLEASE tell me where I might find the HACK? And does it really make a BIG difference?

TKS Michael :confused:

Hack is here (http://ww.lament.us/oppo). I just PM'd Paul and asked if he could update the first post to make it easier for people to find.

TKS lament BUT I get IE Cannot Display!

TKS lament BUT I get IE Cannot Display!

arrgh.. my host is having some issues right now.

PM me your email address and i'll send it to you.

update: should be fine now.

Yes - I am using the new 4A-0209 Beta no problems. Still using my 59AVi MC analog for SACD/DVDA though.

Yes - You can downgrade the firmware.

You are not gaining anything for DVDA by upgrading past your firmware 4A-1220 Beta - only the SACD gapless has been fixed.
Thanks for the info Paul. I read the release notes too but guess what it does fix the DVD-A gapless playback, at least it is playing the Beatles - Love DVD-A correctly now for me. Can anyone else verify gapless is now working with the beta?

Can I ask why you still use the 59AVi ? My 79AVi just went into the shop because it quit reading all forms of DVDs (DVD-A, DVD-V and SACD). Now that I have gapless DVD-A I may just stick with the Oppo.

The 970HD will also be my main CD player so wondering how good is the audio quality?
Also interested in other modes like 5.1, SACD, MP3, DTS, etc but usually I'm playing a regular music CD (in between DVDs :)

Love all the great video info!

Can I ask why you still use the 59AVi ? Now that I have gapless DVD-A I may just stick with the Oppo.

My pre-pro (AVM30) does not do HDMI (waiting for the upgrade to the 50) so I prefer the MC analog out of the 59. Plus I'm too lazy at the moment to reprogram my remote (yet again ...) I bought the 970 to use as a transport once the 50 is in place and I can then retire the 59AVi. Still have an RP82 under the bed :rolleyes:

Just stubborn I guess for the time being, waiting for a couple more fixes for the 970 firmware - auto switching to 1080i on reading an SACD/DVDA in the tray would be great!! At the moment the 970 is in a second room with a TV only so I have no need for the Audio portion.

Paul - You will love the AVM-50, I've had the D2 for almost 6 months and even though I had to use an arm and a leg to pay for it, it is one of the best pieces of gear I have ever owned. I've done quite a bit of A/Bing between the 79AVi, PS3 SACD and the 970. Now that gapless DVD-A works I think the 970 is going to be my exclusive player for everything but HD DVD and Blu-ray.

So anyone else been able to verify gapless DVD-A playback?

Thanks for the info Paul. I read the release notes too but guess what it does fix the DVD-A gapless playback, at least it is playing the Beatles - Love DVD-A correctly now for me. Can anyone else verify gapless is now working with the beta?.

The gapless playback for DVD-A has NOT been fixed with the beta firmware . I emailed oppo service about this issue and following are my inquiry and their response.


Date: Tue, February 13, 2007 4:46 pm
To: <service@oppodigital.com>

I see there are 2 new firmware releases for the DV-970HD. From the descriptions on the web site, neither appear to address the DVD Audio "gap between tracks issue" common with the Beatles Love disc and many others. Is this still being looked into?

Thank you,
Robert

Robert,

This has not been addressed as we still do not know why this error is
only effecting MLP DVD-Audio discs.

Best Regards,

Customer Service
OPPO Digital, Inc.
453 Ravendale Dr, Suite D
Mountain View, CA 94043
Service@oppodigital.com
Tel: 650-961-1118
Fax: 650-961-1119

Now that I have gapless DVD-A I may just stick with the Oppo.

Just for kicks, after reading your posts, I tried the new beta and it did NOT fix the issue with the Beatles Love DVD-A. Are you sure you're not playing the DVD-V portion of the disc?

Hope someone can help with this issue I posted on yesterday: I'm still not getting DVD audio (even from "out of the box" movies). I can play CDs all day long (just not burned CDs with MP3s on them). I have an optical cable (which I've confirmed works fine by switching ports and since it is transferring CD info) from the Oppo to a Yammy RXV-659 for audio and an HDMI cable to the Pio Plasma for video. I am getting video from the DVDs that I try to play, just not any soundtrack...and I can't read lips or insert theme music from my head. Oppo Service suggested a firmware upgrade, but for out of the box movies?! For a Player that I bought two weeks ago? BTW, it was playing DVDs initially..only after I played my break-in DVD that I had burned am I now out of luck it seems.
Firmware Mver:05.00.01.07 Batch 3A-0919. Any thoughts?

Oppo support suggested to upgrade the firmware. Why do you refuse? They relly do know what they are talking about. If that doesn't work, then you can tell them and you'd easily be able to exchange it. You have to realize that these 'new-fangled modern electronics' are just like computers and sometimes need a little troubleshooting just like a PC. If you were having a problem with your PC and had to reboot it or reinstall an OEM then you'd do it right? That's basically what Oppo is telling you to do.

Are you sure that you have all the settings properly selected in the Oppo's setup menus?

They advised about the firmware upgrade without knowing what version was installed; I was just surprised by the suggestion when all I was trying to do was play a purchased DVD. I've gone as far as I can on the settings - following through the directions, resetting to default settings and starting over. I was hoping that someone may had a similar problem or new which setting could trigger this problem.

OK, we've got a bit more to work with now. So the 970HD worked with DVD's initially, but it doesn't now? And it still works with CD's? That suggests that there's a problem somewhere around Dolby Digital and DTS output over PCM.

Do you have another player around to connect to that optical input and prove that the Yamaha's input is working properly? As for OPPO's advice, a firmware update is quick and easy - it would be a way to rule out the possibility of something having gotten messed up for some reason, if nothing else.

Good idea on using my old player - it has an optical connection that I can use. True about the firmware. Ok, now [I've] got some work to do! What can I do about DD and DTS over PCM issue?

First, see what happens with the old player - see if the Yamaha is getting confused and trying to decode everything as PCM (which would produce what you are encountering). If the old player works (proving that the Yamaha is behaving properly with DD and DTS bitstreams), re-load the 970HD's firmware and see if the raw output of DD and DTS works with the re-installed firmware.

Just for kicks, after reading your posts, I tried the new beta and it did NOT fix the issue with the Beatles Love DVD-A. Are you sure you're not playing the DVD-V portion of the disc?OK I just went back and double checked it is definitely working for me now. I am getting totally seamless transitions on the Love DVD-A. I verified the Oppo was playing MLP and my Anthem shows 6 Channel 96khz input. To be clear I had the problem with 4A-1220 Beta and do not have the problem with the current 4A-0209 Beta. I'm connected via HDMI only to an Anthem D2.

Well, I just took the plunge. I've been using a Panasonic home theater in a box HT920, and it's been good to me for a couple/few years now. It still works just fine, but with all the use I put it through, I get a little concerned that it may not be long before I've got five DVD's stuck inside the tray. That, and a little over a year ago I purchased a 42" HDTV, so I wanted an upconverting player. I'm well aware the change won't be like night and day, but I'll get somewhat better picture quality out of this and I can use my Panny home theater in a box as just a reciever now. Fine by me! Pretty sweet they include an HDMI cable with the purchase!

nice

Good idea on using my old player - it has an optical connection that I can use. True about the firmware. Ok, now [I've] got some work to do! What can I do about DD and DTS over PCM issue?

I'm thinking that Oppo wanted you to upgrade firmware just to get the unit back to default. :)

If you set your settings as:

HDMI audio off
SPDIF output to PCM
LPCM rate to 48K

The Oppo will convert everything to stereo PCM.

Try that just to see if it works.

This is necessesary with an older receiver that can't decode DTS or Dolby. This should work if you can play CDs and you don't have a cable problem. Are you using Coax or Toslink?

You shouldn't have to do this with your Yammy. Are you sure you didn't change a setting on the Yamaha?

You should be able to use:

HDMI audio off
SPDIF output to RAW
LPCM rate to 96K

This should give you multichannel Dolby and DTS. That's all there is to it.

I haven't seen anyone post anything about PQ difference between the HDMI & component out. I compared the two using a test disc and all I could detect was a slightly better frequency response through the HDMI. So slight, you would be hard pressed to see the difference except with a A/B test (using the same set) and I can't imagine when watching a DVD anyone could ever detect that.

Anyone else made a comparison??

Is there a certain order in which I should install the firmware updates? Or if I download the latest one, will it include the earlier upgrades?

Is there a certain order in which I should install the firmware updates? Or if I download the latest one, will it include the earlier upgrades?

All you need is the lastest firmware.

i cant find a plastic protective film on mine either. i sat there forever trying to peel it off too :). i can feel the painted (or etched) on oppop logo etc as well so i'm assuming they didnt put the film on mine.

also for those who have it set up using hdmi for audio through your receiver are you noticing any better audio quality vs. optical? my receiver (pioneer elite 81) is hdmi audio capable. but, it is such a deep (as in large) receiver that it is a really tight fit - depth wise- in my stand. and just wondering if it is worth the hassle.

Speaking of firmware, I emailed Oppo yesterday to suggest some new features in the next firmware update.. here's the response I received today:

Dear Oppo, I recently purchased the DV-970HD player and I love it, but I do have some suggestions that I hope you can address in a firmware upgrade sometime in the future.

1. Sleep timer / or auto shut-off in 60+ minutes. Really surprised it wasn't there.. maybe I'm missing it.

ANSWER: This is something that we have requested as a possible feature for a
future firmware release.


2. Able to turn off display of A-B repeat,Pause,Zoom level etc.. OSD button on remote says "display off" but certain things remain on screen. Annoying somewhat.

ANSWER: Silent OSD information is another feature request that will be
fulfilled through furture software.

3. Dim front display.

ANSWER: The front panel is LED based and can't be dimmed without effecting
the performance of the rest of the equipment.


Thought I would share, since this thread was VERY helpful in my decision in getting this DVD player.

i cant find a plastic protective film on mine either. i sat there forever trying to peel it off too :). i can feel the painted (or etched) on oppop logo etc as well so i'm assuming they didnt put the film on mine.

also for those who have it set up using hdmi for audio through your receiver are you noticing any better audio quality vs. optical? my receiver (pioneer elite 81) is hdmi audio capable. but, it is such a deep (as in large) receiver that it is a really tight fit - depth wise- in my stand. and just wondering if it is worth the hassle.

I'm wondering the same thing in regards with hdmi for audio. I have a Ken* receiver which does not have hdmi so I will have to use optical (I assume). I am ordering speakers today and will set it all up when they come in. But I was wondering if I hdmi produces that much better audio. Do I need to get a new receiver?

Also, should I use hdmi from the Oppo to my plasma for video and use optical from the Oppo to my receiver? Thanks!

From what I gather, HDMI audio would be no upgrade of component/optical for standard DVD discs.

As for DVD-A or SACD, I am not sure.

HDMI should make no audible difference from optical/coax for bitstream (Dolby Digital/DTS) or 2-channel PCM (e.g. CD, 2-channel DVD-A, 2-channel SACD-->PCM). For multichannel PCM (DD/DTS 5.1 converted to PCM in the player, or multichannel DVD-A, or possibly mulitchannel SACD-->PCM), you may encounter the LFE bug, depending on whether your AVR processes PCM .1 channel level correctly (its should boost it +10 dB on playback, those with the LFE bug do not). If it doesn't, you can correct the problem upstream, in the Oppo by boosting its LFE channel to +10 (though SACD might not need that boost). This will only affect PCM output, leaving bitstream sources alone (as it should).

Since the Kenwood has no HDMI input, the issue for DVD-A/SACD is only whether it boosts the subwoofer input of its six-channel analog panel.

The optical connection directly to the receiver will not be any lesser form than what you get from an HDMI connection. As for SACD and DVD-A, you can only pass that information through the six RCA cable connections to the receiver.

not sure if i have the LFE bug yet. as i have only had the receiver a few weeks. will find out soon enough i guess. sure i do as my elite was manufactured in 12/06, think the 01/07 models were shipped with the bug fixed.

anyhow thanks for the replies folks.

my only suggestion as mentioned above would be a display dimmer- it can scorch the retinas. not sure why they would say it would affect the rest of the players operation. doesn't make sense IMO as every other piece of AV equipment (many of which perform many more intricate functions) i own has this feature. including my old yamaha dvd player which in many ways - setup interface wise- looks identical to the 970 down to the divx on demand registration and the region hack.

i wonder if the software used for the oppo is the same as yamahas? has anyone else noticed this? then again i've only owned 2 dvd players in the last few years so maybe they all use the same software nowadays.

i wonder if the software used for the oppo is the same as yamahas? has anyone else noticed this? then again i've only owned 2 dvd players in the last few years so maybe they all use the same software nowadays.
I don't know about older Yamaha players, but my Yamaha DVD-S1500's interface is drastically different than the OPPO. Others around here may know if BBK used to or still does build any of Yamaha's players - if they did, it would not be surprising to see similarities between those Yamaha players and the OPPO's.

Well, I just took the plunge. I've been using a Panasonic home theater in a box HT920, and it's been good to me for a couple/few years now. It still works just fine, but with all the use I put it through, I get a little concerned that it may not be long before I've got five DVD's stuck inside the tray. That, and a little over a year ago I purchased a 42" HDTV, so I wanted an upconverting player. I'm well aware the change won't be like night and day, but I'll get somewhat better picture quality out of this and I can use my Panny home theater in a box as just a reciever now. Fine by me! Pretty sweet they include an HDMI cable with the purchase!

I think you are going to be very happy with your move. I had the Panny HT-900 until a few months ago, and it started the dreaded cracking and hissing every now and again. Then it finally just craped out. I had to replace everything, so I went with the OPPO 970HD for my DVD player (Also picked up the Onkyo HTiB 790). I'm glad I did.
Love the PQ so much more on the Oppo than the progressive in the panny. I did the firmware hack and the region free hack, and have no problems with PQ or sound. I watch upscaled 720p on my Sony KV-XBR910 and it looks superb (i like how 720 looks over the 1080i picture for some reason).
Enjoy!

I'm going to go with 720p anyways for two reasons. One, is that I heard that looks better from many people, so you're not in a minority. Also, I heard it's just better to output to whatever the native resolution of your set is, and mine is definitely 720p so, 720p I'll be watching at :)

Oppo has a good thing going for it just via word of mouth. Everywhere I turn on the net looking for what the best option for an upconverting player is, and 'Oppo' is all I hear :) I can't wait to get mine in the mail!

Although again, I know the picture quality isn't night and day, I can't wait to watch stuff like The Matrix, Lord Of The Rings, and other movies... to rediscover them in better clarity on my HDTV.

I just bought an Oppo 971HD, and while adjusting the settings with the Avia disk set to 480i, noticed that the 6.75 Mhz patch on the TVL resolution pattern was aliased. The aliasing looked like 2:1 downsampling, with the 6.75 Mhz patch appearing similar to the 3.58 Mhz patch. Likewise with the wedges, starting at about 400 lines. The component outputs cleanly resolve the 6.75 Mhz pattern, along with the wedges. I also tried the HDMI signal at, 480p, 720p, and 1080i, with identical results. Oppo tech support thinks it might be the projector (PT-AX100), but I also tried my PT-AE700 and got the same result. I've switched HDMI cables, turned off all noise reduction in the projectors, and played with every control that I could think of, to no avail. The Oppo has the latest firmware and I even loaded the beta, to no effect.

Test reports indicate that both the Oppos and the Panasonics are sharp through HDMI, so I don't know what to think. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Yes - I am using the new 4A-0209 Beta no problems. Still using my 59AVi MC analog for SACD/DVDA though.

Yes - You can downgrade the firmware.

You are not gaining anything for DVDA by upgrading past your firmware 4A-1220 Beta - only the SACD gapless has been fixed:

Actually the SACD gapless fix was already in place with 4a-1220beta

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=9287283&highlight=1220#post9287283

4A-0111 is really just the 'non beta' (production) version of 4A-1220beta , as best I can tell. I don;t see any difference in their descriptions.

I just bought an Oppo 971HD, and while adjusting the settings with the Avia disk set to 480i, noticed that the 6.75 Mhz patch on the TVL resolution pattern was aliased. The aliasing looked like 2:1 downsampling, with the 6.75 Mhz patch appearing similar to the 3.58 Mhz patch. Likewise with the wedges, starting at about 400 lines. The component outputs cleanly resolve the 6.75 Mhz pattern, along with the wedges. I also tried the HDMI signal at, 480p, 720p, and 1080i, with identical results. Oppo tech support thinks it might be the projector (PT-AX100), but I also tried my PT-AE700 and got the same result. I've switched HDMI cables, turned off all noise reduction in the projectors, and played with every control that I could think of, to no avail. The Oppo has the latest firmware and I even loaded the beta, to no effect.

Test reports indicate that both the Oppos and the Panasonics are sharp through HDMI, so I don't know what to think. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Avia is not widescreen-enhanced like DVE, so if the 970's "TV Display" setting is "16:9 Wide/Auto", switch to "16:9 Wide", and try again.

Gary

Avia is not widescreen-enhanced like DVE Explain.

Not much to explain if I'm reading it correctly. I think he means Avia is only meant to be in a 4:3 aspect ratio (fullscreen) and not a 16:9 aspect ratio (widescreen). View Avia in 4:3, which is the 'square' like size picture like a normal TV, instead of having your TV stretch it out to widescreen, and this may solve your problem.

Just wondering if optical or RF digital sound out still works on the 970 if HDMI is hooked up. In other words, if I hook up hdmi to my tv the regular digital sound outputs aren't disabled are they?

regards, David

No, the other connections are still active. I have optical to my receiver, and HDMI to the TV to allow the upconversion to 1080i.