Just received my OPPO 940 from AVScience and have it installed into my new Vizio VX32L using the HDMI input, I've left colorspace set at RGB and am getting fantastic results while demoing a copy of the Departed. I just can't believe the difference between the OPPO and the Philips 642 it has now replaced and I haven't even calibrated it yet!! This is my second OPPO deck and both exceed my expectations

mbird: I believe that they recommend AUTO setting for Color Space, that's what I set mine at anyway. ;)

mbird: I believe that they recommend AUTO setting for Color Space, that's what I set mine at anyway. ;)

Thanks! :)

Probably YCbCr 4:4:4.

Only change it if it looks weird to you.

Thank you! Though I'm curious, what exactly is the difference between the two?

Thank you! Though I'm curious, what exactly is the difference between the two?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RGB
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YCbCr

It shouldn't make any difference. Some displays seem to have trouble getting the color space on YCbCr correct. If the colors don't look right, try RGB. Recalibrate for each setting.

-Bill

Oppo sent me the vertical compression fix today. The folder name is DV-970HD-3A-0911-underscan-fix. It is an iso file. Now how do I do this so I don't screw it up. Do I just burn the iso file to dvd or can I extract the video file and then burn it as a data disk or put it on my flash drive and just click on it? Does it automatically run? Since it's only stretching the image like half an inch at the top and bottom I don't think it will cause any problems.

You have to have it stopped - not playing the disk and then press the hdmi button to show the resolution and press again to cycle through the available resolutions. I don't see where or how to select outputs but I think it automatically swicthes to HDMI when it is connected.

Yeah. That worked. Episilon and Gonk mentioned that and now it works peachy-keen.

Actually, your edited post doesn't sound right. Protected should go up to 480p, unprotected to 1080i. I'll repeat myself, in case you missed it: the player must be stopped before you can change resolutions.

Just wanted to followup - pressing the HDMI button does cycle through the resolutions correctly (must've been a short between the headphones last nite). Doesn't matter that I'm using component video - I can correctly see 480i, 480p, and 1080i on the Sony XBR CRT (720p just distorts) - impressive though the 1080i is probably too "thin" for normal viewing.

Now I'm a happy Oppo owner :) Thanks for keeping me on track.

Oppo sent me the vertical compression fix today. The folder name is DV-970HD-3A-0911-underscan-fix. It is an iso file. Now how do I do this so I don't screw it up. Do I just burn the iso file to dvd or can I extract the video file and then burn it as a data disk or put it on my flash drive and just click on it? Does it automatically run? Since it's only stretching the image like half an inch at the top and bottom I don't think it will cause any problems.ISO files are DVD (or CD) image files, made for burning directly to a DVD. If you try to do anything to them, you will "screw" it up. Your best bet is to use ImgBurn (a freebe CD/DVD burner software - use Google to find it).

To add to what CT_Wiebe said, I'll add that you cannot perform the firmware update from a flash drive and that the image file is intended to be burned to a CD (it's only ~1.5MB or so). Also, you may want to look overthe latest firmware update instructions under Oppo's 970HD support page (http://www.oppodigital.com/dv970hd/dv970hd-firmware-4a-0111.html) - the process is the same as for the beta you were sent, and they include some input on how to go about burning the ISO image file to a CD-R as well as how to perform the firmware update.

Just wanted to followup - pressing the HDMI button does cycle through the resolutions correctly (must've been a short between the headphones last nite). Doesn't matter that I'm using component video - I can correctly see 480i, 480p, and 1080i on the Sony XBR CRT (720p just distorts) - impressive though the 1080i is probably too "thin" for normal viewing.

Now I'm a happy Oppo owner :) Thanks for keeping me on track.

The HDMI button will show all resolutions and stay where you leave it...until you start the movie. If you want to see the actual output, check the TV or push the HDMI while it's playing....

Just out of Curiosity: I was wondering what some of you have your Video Settings at with your 970's connected up via HDMI to RPHDTV's [CRTs]?

After I finally got my DVI to HDMI working correctly - my 46HX83 TOSH went SUPER Bright..........I now have almost or all of the settings like [- 3] to [- 5]. Really had to BACK OFF everything or it was OVER AMPED to me that is.
When one sets these - it only effects watching a DVD - right? NOT TV?

TKS :rolleyes:

Always good to calibrate after a component change. Try Avia or DVE (ebay has them for about $30-35).

Alright so I performed the firmware upgrade with vertical compression fix. The picture still doesn't take up the whole screen because my tv has no overscan, but it is almost full. The quality is the same and I don't notice any distortion. Why do people not want to install this fix? Are they just stretching the image or is this an actual fix? I can't tell the difference if they are just stretching. Looks good to me.

Hi,
I just got my 970HD from Amazon today. This was a replacement for my old Toshiba, which was starting to fail.

Flashing the player with the hacked firmware was a snap. I checked the 1080i upconversion over component outputs to my old HD Mits RPTV, watching Hero (Jet Li). Looked pretty good compared to the 480p. Had I not needed a replacement player, this would not have been enough to make me upgrade. But still, a noticeable improvement. I caught a couple of minor things that might be upconversion artifacts, but they were acceptable.

Then I put in the new Casino Royale. It seems some scene cuts trigger a 'flashing artifact' for several seconds. A perfect example is in the very first scene, where it keeps cutting from a dark b&w scene in an office to a bright b&w scene of Bond kicking the crap out some baddy in a restroom. BTW, I think Daniel Craig is just great. Not sorry to see prissy Brosnan go.

So, back to 480p for now, with the very latest firmware. I'm still basically happy with the purchase - 480p looks pretty damn good after all. I am seeing some noise in the picture that I don't recall with my Toshiba, but maybe I'm just be more critical with the new player. Wondering if I should invest in some better cables.

Hopefully Oppo will be allowed to release firmware with improved component upconversion fully unlocked, or perhaps a newer hacked version will appear. Such a silly law.

Cheers,
Pasta

Well I just got my new 970 set up and the dadblasted thing won't play SACDs. I've gotta contact Oppo and see what they can do for me. DVD video, DVD-A, HDCD all seem to play fine, and there are some convenience features that I love that were lacking on my Denon 2900 (although a brief comparison tells my ears the 2900 did sound better on DVD-A). I'm really hoping this will work out without having to send the thing back to them for repair/replacement. I've had some bad luck with these universal players so far.

How do you have the 970 connected? Keep in mind that SACD can not be output over coaxial or optical digital connections due to copy protection requirements - you must use either analog or HDMI digital to get any sound at all from SACD's. Also, DVD-A discs only play a stereo downmixed signal over digital audio output - you need either analog or HDMI digital to get the full output of DVD-Audio, for the same reason as SACD.

Thanks, but this is listening through the 5.1 analog outputs into my Denon AVR-2105 set to EXT. IN. And since DVD-A worked through this method there clearly wasn't anything wrong with the cables or my AVR.

Captain, the OPPO does not start playing SACD automatically. When you insert a SACD disc, you need to press the select or play button after the disc is loaded and the track numbers listed on screen. On the other hand, it automatically starts DVD and CD playback.

Sorry, I was not specific enough in my original post. When I press play/select the SACD starts to play, but is accompanied by a sort of "thump" and then continues to play with a variety of clicks and pops going on in the background of the music, loud enough though to make me worried my amp or speakers were being damaged. Playback of DVD-A using the same method (5.1 analog connections) worked just fine, all music and no audible distortion or noise, so the cables are fine as is my AVR. I tried two SACDs and had the same noise problem (and in one case it just skipped track one completely). The third SACD I tried started out silent on track one and was pure pink (or white) noise on track two. I've emailed Oppo and am waiting to hear what they say.

I think contacting OPPO is definitely the way to go - the behavior your experiencing is certainly not normal.

I posted this in its own thread before I knew the 970 had a thread all to itself.
I hope a 970 owner can let me know if this is a possibility....

Oppo 970 feature
I am considering buying the Oppo 970 for my setup.
I need a feature that may or may not work on this player.
I am running hdmi and/or component into a Mits HD1000 via a switch from 2 DVD players for my show.
I use a small video monitor on the composite output of each player to cue up the next disk. I am using a Philips and the composite output works with hdmi but not while set to progressive component.

Has anyone tried to get a composite output from the Oppo 970 while using hdmi or progressive component?

I posted this in its own thread before I knew the 970 had a thread all to itself.
I hope a 970 owner can let me know if this is a possibility....

Oppo 970 feature
I am considering buying the Oppo 970 for my setup.
I need a feature that may or may not work on this player.
I am running hdmi and/or component into a Mits HD1000 via a switch from 2 DVD players for my show.
I use a small video monitor on the composite output of each player to cue up the next disk. I am using a Philips and the composite output works with hdmi but not while set to progressive component.

Has anyone tried to get a composite output from the Oppo 970 while using hdmi or progressive component?
all the outputs on the 970 are active at the same time so the answer to your question is yes you can use component and HDMI at the same time

My Oppo DV-970HD, which has the latest non-beta software, has three options for its "Sharpness" setting: Off, Soft, and Sharp. I had always left it set to Off, both on general principle and because Oppo's "Advanced Setup Guide" strongly recommends doing that. But I recently tried seeing the effect of each setting, and I was surprised by the results. Here are three close-up screen shots of a sharpness test pattern (this one is from the GetGray DVD, but I see the same effects with Avia's sharpness pattern as well) at each of the 970HD's Sharpness settings:

A: http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/9868/sharpness1wd5.jpg
B: http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/3678/sharpness2mm5.jpg
C: http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/5029/sharpness3sm8.jpg

Which photo do you think corresponds to which setting? Which looks the best?

Here are the answers to the first question:


A: Soft
B: Off
C: Sharp


I see some noticeable ringing with the Off setting; the ringing actually gets much worse with the Soft setting; and it pretty much goes away with the Sharp setting. And the Sharp setting doesn't seem to have any worse enhancement along edges than the other settings-- so it seems to look the best to me. (With the only other DVD player that I currently have hooked into my system, a Toshiba HD-XA2, there is no ringing with these patterns at all.)

I have the 970HD sending 480i YCbCr 4:4:4 over HDMI to an iScan DVDO VP50 video processor, which is outputting 1080p YCbCr 4:2:2 to a Sony VPL-VW50 projector (I removed color from the above photos so that my proector's misconvergence wouldn't be distracting :)). The "Sharpness" settings on both the VP50 and the projector are at their appropriate minimum settings. A friend has verified exactly the same effects of the 970HD's Sharpness settings using completely different other equipment (a Crystallio II video processor and a 1080p LCD flat panel display), so I don't think that these effects are related to the rest of my equipment (but I am curious to know if others see the same effects).

So, am I crazy for thinking that the 970HD's "Sharp" setting might be preferable? (Admittedly, I haven't actually tried it with much other than test patterns yet, but it certainly looks cleaner to me on test patterns...)

-- Peter

Does anyone know if there is a code version that will play mp4's

Sorry, I was not specific enough in my original post. When I press play/select the SACD starts to play, but is accompanied by a sort of "thump" and then continues to play with a variety of clicks and pops going on in the background of the music, loud enough though to make me worried my amp or speakers were being damaged. Playback of DVD-A using the same method (5.1 analog connections) worked just fine, all music and no audible distortion or noise, so the cables are fine as is my AVR. I tried two SACDs and had the same noise problem (and in one case it just skipped track one completely). The third SACD I tried started out silent on track one and was pure pink (or white) noise on track two. I've emailed Oppo and am waiting to hear what they say.FYI, I just got my 970 from Amazon yesterday too. I only have it hooked up to a 2-channel system via analog connection right now (I'll try the multi-channel hookup to my other system at a later time). SACD stereo plays fine, sounds great. The on-screen display shows the SACD icons on the tracks.

BTW, is there any way to purposely select the CD layer on a hybrid SACD, for comparison purposes? It seems to default to the SACD tracks and I can't see any way to choose differently.

@pjones,
will definitely look into this. i have tried using this setting, but come to think of it, i never considered the sharpness setting on my PJ (hd70).

definitely would try this out. Thanks pjones for the blind test!

PJONES - I don't have any test patterns BUT last night I was watching "Lonesome Dove" and as you know it is an OLD Film and seemed kind of "fuzzy"; so I went from OFF to HIGH in that Sharpness setting and it definitely IMPROVED the PQ - on this film anyway. :)

I use the sharp setting at High on my 970. I much prefer it that way.

The raw Cosmopolitan signal looks best on mine...

Winner! Crappiest joke of the decade.

My Oppo DV-970HD, which has the latest non-beta software, has three options for its "Sharpness" setting: Off, Soft, and Sharp. I had always left it set to Off, both on general principle and because Oppo's "Advanced Setup Guide" strongly recommends doing that. But I recently tried seeing the effect of each setting, and I was surprised by the results. Here are three close-up screen shots of a sharpness test pattern (this one is from the GetGray DVD, but I see the same effects with Avia's sharpness pattern as well) at each of the 970HD's Sharpness settings:

A: http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/9868/sharpness1wd5.jpg
B: http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/3678/sharpness2mm5.jpg
C: http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/5029/sharpness3sm8.jpg

Which photo do you think corresponds to which setting? Which looks the best?

Here are the answers to the first question:


A: Soft
B: Off
C: Sharp


I see some noticeable ringing with the Off setting; the ringing actually gets much worse with the Soft setting; and it pretty much goes away with the Sharp setting. And the Sharp setting doesn't seem to have any worse enhancement along edges than the other settings-- so it seems to look the best to me. (With the only other DVD player that I currently have hooked into my system, a Toshiba HD-XA2, there is no ringing with these patterns at all.)

I have the 970HD sending 480i YCbCr 4:4:4 over HDMI to an iScan DVDO VP50 video processor, which is outputting 1080p YCbCr 4:2:2 to a Sony VPL-VW50 projector (I removed color from the above photos so that my proector's misconvergence wouldn't be distracting :)). The "Sharpness" settings on both the VP50 and the projector are at their appropriate minimum settings. A friend has verified exactly the same effects of the 970HD's Sharpness settings using completely different other equipment (a Crystallio II video processor and a 1080p LCD flat panel display), so I don't think that these effects are related to the rest of my equipment (but I am curious to know if others see the same effects).

So, am I crazy for thinking that the 970HD's "Sharp" setting might be preferable? (Admittedly, I haven't actually tried it with much other than test patterns yet, but it certainly looks cleaner to me on test patterns...)

-- Peter

Very interesting test. I will try this today on my 970 and report.

In the meantime, can you please repeat your experiment without using the VP in the chain? I am not sure where the raw 480i tap off occurs in the Oppo video processing chain. Maybe the Oppo's contrast processing is not completely done at this point? also, your external VP is adding additional processing.

It would be more scientific to isolate the effects of each unit.

Thanks,
Rich

Very interesting test. I will try this today on my 970 and report.


Thanks.


In the meantime, can you please repeat your experiment without using the VP in the chain? I am not sure where the raw 480i tap off occurs in the Oppo video processing chain. Maybe the Oppo's contrast processing is not completely done at this point? also, your external VP is adding additional processing.

It would be more scientific to isolate the effects of each unit.


Bypassing the VP to go to the projector directly would take some reconfiguration and I wouldn't be able to do that until the evening at the earliest (and I tend to have more confidence in my VP's 480i->1080p processing than my projector's)-- but I just tried the test going directly from the 970HD to a 37" 1366x768 LCD flat panel TV (a Philips, and again, with the TV's Sharpness control at its minimum, which seems best for it). Over HDMI (at 480i), I see pretty much the same effect of the 970HD's Sharpness settings: the "Sharp" setting has the least ringing and no more direct edge enhancement than the "Off" setting. But the Oppo is normally connected to this TV by analog component (YPbPr), and with that connection, the "Sharp" setting does show noticeably more edge enhancement than "Off", such that "Off" looks preferable. Hmm-- my primary interest is the Oppo's 480i HDMI output, however.

Cheers,

-- Peter

I use the sharp setting at High on my 970. I much prefer it that way.

Sorry to be pedantic, but do you mean the "Sharp" option for the "Sharpness" setting, or are you using a different version of the 970HD's software that actually has an option named "High"?

-- Peter

Hi,

I am looking for a DVD player that will work with my current non-HD CRT 27" Panasonic via component input and with the Pioneer 5070 that I plan to purchase sometime in the future. I am looking at the OPPO 970.

Will the OPPO 970 work with the Panasonic via component inputs? Based on info over on the 5070 forum, the 970 is a good match for the 5070.

Thank you,

Bob

Hi,

I am looking for a DVD player that will work with my current non-HD CRT 27" Panasonic via component input and with the Pioneer 5070 that I plan to purchase sometime in the future. I am looking at the OPPO 970.

Will the OPPO 970 work with the Panasonic via component inputs? Based on info over on the 5070 forum, the 970 is a good match for the 5070.

Thank you,

Bob

Yes, your non-HD CRT should accept 480i via component. Maybe 480p -- does it accept a progressive signal?

-Bill

Hi,

I am looking for a DVD player that will work with my current non-HD CRT 27" Panasonic via component input and with the Pioneer 5070 that I plan to purchase sometime in the future. I am looking at the OPPO 970.

Will the OPPO 970 work with the Panasonic via component inputs? Based on info over on the 5070 forum, the 970 is a good match for the 5070.

Thank you,

Bob



The 970 will work with any TV with component or HDMI/DVI inputs. I own one and think it's a terrific player.

I purchased an OPPO 970HD based on comments here and other sites. It replaced an aging Sony DV-7000. I have an old Toshiba Cinema Series with no HDMI, so I can only display 480i. I'm am planning to upgrade to a plasma or LCD in the near future.

That said, I think the PQ of the OPPO is better compared with the Sony after calibrating my television settings with my DVD Video Essentials video. Thanks for the information posted here.

NB

I just wrote OPPO and suggested that IF POSSIBLE they ADD another Feature to upcoming Firmware Update - I would love having it and it would also help SELL more Oppos': Give the owner tha ability to Change Picture Formats - like my HDTV has but appears my 790HD does not allow me to access my TV to change the format. I was watching "The Wild Bunch" and the Player tells me it is ind "DVI-NATURAL" - - - the PQ was GREAT - - - but YUCK! It is so NARROW on my 46" HDTV - I HATE it! It seems like it is only 8-10"s "tall".

Top of my WISH List!

PS: One other thing before I forget concerning PQ, this might help others too, I recently purchased "lonesome Dove" FULL Screen Version and the PQ using my new 790 on this Film is NOT that great at all..........I think part of it is the quality of the reproduction BUT the other thing, I wanted to point out, I think a gppd part of it is because it is not in the WIDE Screen Version. Because of this I do not think that I will buy anymore FS Movies.

PSS: Just heard back from OPPO Support and they said that they would pass along my suggestion to their Engineers for consideration in future Firmware.

;)

I searched for WMV HD support and found nothing, so I am asking those who are in the know:

Is there any chance for OPPO 970 to support WMV HD? What about Divx HD? I have a great 1280x720 demo of Space Shuttle launch in Divx, but I can play it on my computer only.

Supporting HD clips on regular DVD makes real sense for OPPO because they are able to output in HD. Oh, and if you guys decide to implement WMV HD or Divx HD, please allow the possibility to output it in its native format regardless of current HDMI setting.

I have an unusual piece of audio equipment I would like to try with my 970HD but I can't figure out a combination of Oppo settings to do it. It's an ADA pro-style DTS processor, which is completely incapable of channel downmixing. Unfortunately I have no center channel in my system, so I must deactivate the center channel in the player's setup menu for the digital output. But every DVD player I've ever encountered only allows that for the analog outputs. Some remarks by various people in this thread seemed to indicate that some combinations of settings actually allowed the Oppo to do downmixing with HDMI audio, but I need to use the coaxial or optical output. Has anyone figured out a way to do this?

I have an unusual piece of audio equipment I would like to try with my 970HD but I can't figure out a combination of Oppo settings to do it. It's an ADA pro-style DTS processor, which is completely incapable of channel downmixing. Unfortunately I have no center channel in my system, so I must deactivate the center channel in the player's setup menu for the digital output. But every DVD player I've ever encountered only allows that for the analog outputs. Some remarks by various people in this thread seemed to indicate that some combinations of settings actually allowed the Oppo to do downmixing with HDMI audio, but I need to use the coaxial or optical output. Has anyone figured out a way to do this?
The 970HD can downmix DTS and then output multichannel PCM over HDMI, but that's not likely to do you any good in this case. No DVD player that I've ever heard of can decode DTS or Dolby Digital, apply processing such as downmixing, and then re-encode and output over optical or coaxial. The problem here is that performing the downmix requires decoding the original bitstream first, and once that's done the only ways to output the audio are either as multichannel analog or as multichannel PCM via HDMI.

I searched for WMV HD support and found nothing, so I am asking those who are in the know:

Is there any chance for OPPO 970 to support WMV HD? What about Divx HD? I have a great 1280x720 demo of Space Shuttle launch in Divx, but I can play it on my computer only.

Supporting HD clips on regular DVD makes real sense for OPPO because they are able to output in HD. Oh, and if you guys decide to implement WMV HD or Divx HD, please allow the possibility to output it in its native format regardless of current HDMI setting.

Can't say for WMV HD, but no - the 970 doesn't support DivX HD. There are players out there that do, but this isn't one of them.

I searched for WMV HD support and found nothing, so I am asking those who are in the know:

Is there any chance for OPPO 970 to support WMV HD? What about Divx HD? I have a great 1280x720 demo of Space Shuttle launch in Divx, but I can play it on my computer only.

Supporting HD clips on regular DVD makes real sense for OPPO because they are able to output in HD. Oh, and if you guys decide to implement WMV HD or Divx HD, please allow the possibility to output it in its native format regardless of current HDMI setting.
No and no. Max res is 720 x 480

I just finished reading all 152 pages. It took me three days but I'm finished! Now I have a few minor questions...

I recently got a 970 for my new Panny 42px600u. I have it connected with the included hdmi cable. It looks great but I can not tell a difference between 480i/480p/720p or 1080i. Some posts have said 1080i should look the best and others 480p. I currently have it set at 480i because I can't tell a difference and I don't like the vertical squeeze at 720p/1080i. My panny is only a week old so I don't want to watch too many movies with any black bars.

I guess my question is what should I be looking for to see if there is a difference?


My other question is about my other tv. I have a Pioneer Elite pro-520 crt rp which only has component inputs. I am currently using a Pioneer Elite dv-47ai for dvd video and music. Since I have the Oppo upstairs I ordered some extra component cables so I can do an a/b comparison of the two. I plan on keeping the dv-47ai for music. I would hope it sounds better I paid almost $1,200.00 for it! If the oppo has better picture quality then I will pick up another one to keep in the rack.

For the a/b comparison I was thinking about using backup copies of the same movie so I can try 1080i as well as 480i/p on the oppo. The pro-520 won't accept a 720p signal. What movies do you guys recommend I use for the comparison?

BTW, the pro-520 has been calibrated as well as "tuned up" by Gregg Loewen.

No and no. Max res is 720 x 480I am sorry, are you an OPPO developer? Oh, I guess I was not clear enough. I know that these formats are not currently supported, I was wondering is there chance for their support in the future. I figured that OPPO developers might scan this thread, I know that OPPO beta testers read it. So I asked before shooting email to OPPO support.

I recently got a 970 for my new Panny 42px600u. I have it connected with the included hdmi cable. It looks great but I can not tell a difference between 480i/480p/720p or 1080i. Some posts have said 1080i should look the best and others 480p. I currently have it set at 480i because I can't tell a difference and I don't like the vertical squeeze at 720p/1080i. My panny is only a week old so I don't want to watch too many movies with any black bars.

I guess my question is what should I be looking for to see if there is a difference?Different sources say different things, from "Panasonic does not properly deinterlace and does not have proper reverce telecine" to "Panasonic deinterlaces correctly but its reverse telecine does not work" to "Panasoic does everything right but reverse telecine works only for 1080i signal" etc. To be on a safe side use a progressive mode because it is known that OPPO correctly deinterlaces and restores 24p movie frames.

720p squishes the picture, also Panasonic has pretty good scaler, so I would choose 480p. This is what I use with my 50-inch Panasonic plasma.

You should feed the Panny 720p since that is the closest match. There is a vertical compression fix you can email Oppo for it or I can email it to you.

I am sorry, are you an OPPO developer? Oh, I guess I was not clear enough. I know that these formats are not currently supported, I was wondering is there chance for their support in the future. I figured that OPPO developers might scan this thread, I know that OPPO beta testers read it. So I asked before shooting email to OPPO support.
No I'm not, but I think this is more due to the chipset, as much as I would like for it to be possible I don't think it is.

Hi,

I am looking for a DVD player that will work with my current non-HD CRT 27" Panasonic via component input and with the Pioneer 5070 that I plan to purchase sometime in the future. I am looking at the OPPO 970.

Will the OPPO 970 work with the Panasonic via component inputs? Based on info over on the 5070 forum, the 970 is a good match for the 5070.

Thank you,

Bob

Thanks to bluemax50 and wmcclain for your quick and helpful responses. The 970 arrives next week.

Bob

Any file with a .wmv extension doesn't even show up when browsing a disc... does anyone know why? Isn't wmv supported even at SD (these are not HD files)?

You need a PC loaded with Widows and Windows loaded with Microsoft Media Player to play WMV files.

Richard.

I just finished reading all 152 pages. It took me three days but I'm finished! Now I have a few minor questions...

I recently got a 970 for my new Panny 42px600u. I have it connected with the included hdmi cable. It looks great but I can not tell a difference between 480i/480p/720p or 1080i. Some posts have said 1080i should look the best and others 480p. I currently have it set at 480i because I can't tell a difference and I don't like the vertical squeeze at 720p/1080i. My panny is only a week old so I don't want to watch too many movies with any black bars.

I guess my question is what should I be looking for to see if there is a difference?


My other question is about my other tv. I have a Pioneer Elite pro-520 crt rp which only has component inputs. I am currently using a Pioneer Elite dv-47ai for dvd video and music. Since I have the Oppo upstairs I ordered some extra component cables so I can do an a/b comparison of the two. I plan on keeping the dv-47ai for music. I would hope it sounds better I paid almost $1,200.00 for it! If the oppo has better picture quality then I will pick up another one to keep in the rack.

For the a/b comparison I was thinking about using backup copies of the same movie so I can try 1080i as well as 480i/p on the oppo. The pro-520 won't accept a 720p signal. What movies do you guys recommend I use for the comparison?

BTW, the pro-520 has been calibrated as well as "tuned up" by Gregg Loewen.

1080i looks much better than 720p on my panasonic 9uk for every dvd player I've tried including the 970.
-Rich

I was watching "The Thomas Crown Affair" on my 970HD last night and in a couple of places I got a SCARE..........kind of like bright blue/white lines would appear 3/4's of the ay of the picture for a bit and same colored disc type shapes near botton....then stopped and was PERFECT...until late in the film and it did in momentarily again [kind of reminded one of lense flare - but it wasn't]. I was afraid it was caused by this new DVD Player.......but probably wasn't - may have been something in/on the dVD??? Any ideas? Anybody ever see anything like this on there's?

TKS Michael :confused:

Will the Oppo 970 play non-region 1 DVDs? My wife is from Poland and wants to show some Polish DVDs to our daughter.

If not, does anyone have a recommendation on a decent non-region 1 player? Thanks,

Yes. Directions for making the player region free are in the 1st post of this thread.

Sorry if this was covered somewhere in the first 152 pages but I didn't have time to read it all to find the answer to this one question.

Is there still the component ouput resolution limitation for copyright protected dvds? If so, are there any hacks to increase the resolution limit?

thanks,
Steve

The component video output is limited to a maximum of 480p for copy protected discs (although component output operates at the same resolution at HDMI for unprotected discs). There is a hack based on a firmware version from last June or so that allows component output at 720p or 1080i for copy protected discs. Lament has been kind enough to provide a good home (http://www.lament.us/oppo) for that hack.

provide a good home (http://www.lament.us/oppo) for that hack.

Good home???
Its a friggin' mansion!!!
Great job lament!

Thanks. That's great to know. One more question before I order my player. l

Anyone happen to know if this player will accept DVD+R DL discs? Not a requirement but would definitely help to play the dual layer disks that I burn on my computer.

Any insight as to the media types that this player will accept will be greatly appreciated.

Anyone happen to know if this player will accept DVD+R DL discs? Not a requirement but would definitely help to play the dual layer disks that I burn on my computer.Yes. I played a couple of DVD+R DL discs in the few weeks I had my Oppo.

Yes. I played a couple of DVD+R DL discs in the few weeks I had my Oppo.Me too. No problem with +R DL disks that I have burned.

As to media compatibility -- from the Oppo web site --

Compatible with CD-R/RW, DVD±R/RW and DVD+R DL* (* Playability of self-recorded discs may vary depending on media and formatting software types)

has anyone compared the oppo 970 or the dennon 557 if so can anyone tell me pros and cons of bith or which one you would prefer

I didn't know where to post this, but this is probably the best place. I watched the Fifth Element Superbit yesterday. While the movie itself was silly beyond belief, the DVD itself ... unbelievable!!

I had heard about this movie being a reference disc in the various forums, but had yet to see it. On the Oppo upconverting to 1080i, the video was really phenomenal! I mean, a lot of the movie looked like HD - colors were blazing but didn't bleed, the image was extremely sharp, there wasn't any noticeable compression, wider shots managed to hold a lot of detail. I think the Lilu balconey scene is my new HT showoff disc. So basically, I was in videophile nirvana and this movie made getting the 970 totally worth it! :D :)

The only issues I had was the dirty print and excessive EE. Actually, I had one issue that I was hoping you all would help me figure out. I noticed that scenes of space in the Fifth Element looked mottled, as if the black was kind of shifting - it didn't look solid. I've noticed this shifting black on a couple of the bond ultimate edition discs and some other discs I have as well. So is it: the Oppo converting to 1080i (interlaced), the disc itself, weakness of the mpeg-2 compression on DVD in general, brightness (black level) too high, even though I calibrated my Panny with Avia? Thanks in advance for the help!

I have a question. I have the Oppo 970 and a 52" Sharp Aquos 1080p set. I have the Oppo set to 1080i. The picture looks pretty good but when I hit pause it doesn't look so hot. I see "scan lines" in the image. Also, today I popped in Spiderman 2 and the text that is shown before the movie, all the stuff about the commentaries may express opinions...blah, blah, blah, looked quite jaggy.

Why is this happening? Should I maybe set the Oppo for 720p instead of 1080i?

I bought both a 970 and 971 because my curiosity got the best of me. I've been trying to figure out which to keep for over 2 months now. Based on picture, I personally would keep the 971, but the 971 is very inferior to the 970 on audio. Argh, which to keep? Maybe I'll have to buy two of every disc and play video out of the 971 and audio out of the 970 LOL.

So question is, if I hook up the 970 with all analog inputs to my Arcam AVR, are there formats I am missing because the Oppo can't decode to analog out? Do I need a digital connection also for some odd format or can I just hook up the analog audio outs from the 970.

I bought both a 970 and 971 because my curiosity got the best of me. I've been trying to figure out which to keep for over 2 months now. Based on picture, I personally would keep the 971, but the 971 is very inferior to the 970 on audio. Argh, which to keep? [...]

Why don't you just buy a good DAC and input cable/SAT, DVD, etc., digital output to it and let it do the work?

regards, David

So question is, if I hook up the 970 with all analog inputs to my Arcam AVR, are there formats I am missing because the Oppo can't decode to analog out? Do I need a digital connection also for some odd format or can I just hook up the analog audio outs from the 970.
If you have an Arcam receiver, you really want to be using the digital output from your DVD player for every disc that you can (meaning CD's and video DVD's) - I've got to assume that the Arcam's DAC's and DSP section are going to be better than almost any DVD player (although you could find some really expensive DVD players with comparable DAC's). For PCM stereo, Dolby Digital, and DTS, the Arcam will provide more robust bass management and additional surround modes like Dolby EX, DTS ES, NEO:6, and Pro Logic IIx. You should really only be using the Oppo's multichannel analog outputs for DVD-Audio and SACD. If you use both of these formats and like the 970's performance but want the 971's video performance, just get a 981HD: it's based on the 971H for video but has DVD-A/SACD performance on par with the 970HD.

[...] If you use both of these formats and like the 970's performance but want the 971's video performance, just get a 981HD: it's based on the 971H for video but has DVD-A/SACD performance on par with the 970HD.

According to Oppo the audio performance (including SACDs) of the 970 is superior to their other models. My friend called them after reading reviews saying as much and Oppo told him the 970 is better for audio because it's is based on a single board while the other models have three boards.

regards, David

If you have an Arcam receiver, you really want to be using the digital output from your DVD player for every disc that you can (meaning CD's and video DVD's) - I've got to assume that the Arcam's DAC's and DSP section are going to be better than almost any DVD player (although you could find some really expensive DVD players with comparable DAC's). For PCM stereo, Dolby Digital, and DTS, the Arcam will provide more robust bass management and additional surround modes like Dolby EX, DTS ES, NEO:6, and Pro Logic IIx. You should really only be using the Oppo's multichannel analog outputs for DVD-Audio and SACD. If you use both of these formats and like the 970's performance but want the 971's video performance, just get a 981HD: it's based on the 971H for video but has DVD-A/SACD performance on par with the 970HD.

You know what happense when you assume? You end up not knowing what you got and listening to inferior audio.

So, I beg to differ. I currently have 3.1 analog going from the 970 to my Arcam's direct dvd-a input and I have a digital run to the dvd input so I can quickly switch back and forth between digital and analog. After much reading and much more listening, it is clear that the analog output of the 970 into the analog direct input of the Arcam sounds much better than the digital input using the Arcam's DAC. I guess this is why there is so much fuss about the 970's sound quality at the price point. You don't have to be running dvd-a or sacd, it is clearly better on redbook and even some of my concert dvd's. If you are using the digital out of the 970, you are throwing away the great sound out of this little player that everyone is talking about. I would say that everyone should at least try running this player from it's analog audio outputs the only caveat being the fact that it makes levels and sub with LFE so difficult to setup.

Why don't you just buy a good DAC and input cable/SAT, DVD, etc., digital output to it and let it do the work?

regards, David

First I don't understand. I don't know of any DACs that do multichannel, at least not any good ones that are likely to be better than the Arcam's internal DAC. Second, I have a dedicated music system so I'm not interested in spending a ton of money on this one, just tweaking it out the best I can for what it is. If I'm going to spend money on good stuff, I'd rather it be in my music setup.

On a DVD-A or SACD, you are listening to two distinct versions if you switch from Analog 5.1 to digital formats. I don't believe you can compare the two by A-Bing the receiver.

On a DVD-A or SACD, you are listening to two distinct versions if you switch from Analog 5.1 to digital formats. I don't believe you can compare the two by A-Bing the receiver.

Very true. I should have mentioned that I don't listen to many SACD's and have no DVD-A's. I am doing the evaluating using redbook cd's and regular dvd's.

Could it possibly be that you enjoy analog sound more than digital? Many folks note a difference, claiming digital to be too bright or too harsh. Of course, without the digital connection, you won't be interpreting Dolby Digital surround sound with it's mix.

Could it possibly be that you enjoy analog sound more than digital? Many folks note a difference, claiming digital to be too bright or too harsh. Of course, without the digital connection, you won't be interpreting Dolby Digital surround sound with it's mix.

I prefer good digital to bad analog and vice versa. I can articulate why I think it is better in this case. To my ears the high end is about equally extended, maybe not quite as much but it is much smoother without any of the crispy quality of the digital input. The midrange difference is most pronounced with the analog having a much fuller and richer tone. Voices on the analog input sound like they have a resonating body cavity attached but the digital input gives voices a thin, throaty quality. The very lowest bass might be better with digital but the midbass seems to suckout where it seems to have a smoother transition with the analog. The analog also has a much fuller soundstage with more depth, width and more resonant sound going on in the physical space rather than dark holes.

You do get all Dolby Digital Surround, the Oppo does that just fine internally. Works very well in fact, I've now spent quite a bit if time making sure everything works properly and tones out correctly.

The only question I have is that I seem to need a +6 boost on the analog LFE. This doesn't seem right because the output section tones correctly and the digital input tones correctly. I shot a note to Oppo asking for advice on that.

[EDIT]
This is just like the question of whether you need an upsampling DVD player to which the answer is it depends on whether the DVD player or your panel does a better job at the task. In this case, the Oppo clearly does a better job than my Arcam at translating the digital audio to an analog signal, and my AVR is no slouch.

It just seems as though everyone in this forum has forgotton that using the digital audio circumvents the good audio that everyone is talking about on the 970. For some people however, the ease of setup with digital will outweigh any sonic benefits.

For some time I'm having problems with multi-burst patterns using 480i HDMI output (to a DVDO VP30). The finest vertical lines can become a fuzzy grey. I was quite sure the problem lies within the VP30. Until someone pointed me to this (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=8517937&&#post8517937). The posting suggest there is indeed a problem with the Oppo. I wonder if there are others who witnessed resolution problems with HDMI?

...The only question I have is that I seem to need a +6 boost on the analog LFE....
This could be a question of how you have your crossover set within the receiver. Are you running "large" to the front speakers with a lower crossover setting? At what frequency are you thinking you need the boost? The LFE is a summed signal from the front channels, and you may be cutting these out by using a reduced crossover, something below 80Hz or so.

Could it possibly be that you enjoy analog sound more than digital? Many folks note a difference, claiming digital to be too bright or too harsh.
Aren't those people referring to analog sources like phono and tape? In this case, the sources are digital and at some point a D/A conversion is taking place. I don't see how analog vs digital is relevant here.

Aren't those people referring to analog sources like phono and tape? In this case, the sources are digital and at some point a D/A conversion is taking place. I don't see how analog vs digital is relevant here.

You are absolutely correct. As I said before, it is a matter of which unit does a better job of translating the digital to analog.

This could be a question of how you have your crossover set within the receiver. Are you running "large" to the front speakers with a lower crossover setting? At what frequency are you thinking you need the boost? The LFE is a summed signal from the front channels, and you may be cutting these out by using a reduced crossover, something below 80Hz or so.

LFE is not a summed signal from the front channels. LFE is it's own mono channel just like the center that is recorded at -10 and boosted at the amplifier stage. It has nothing to do with where the crossover is set because LFE info by definition goes to the sub. But I have the speakers set to large in the 970 with sub present. I have the speakers set to small in the Arcam, crossed over at 80hz, LFE +10 and I have the crossover in the sub bypassed.

So low end from regular program material can come out of the Oppo in any channel and gets sent to the sub by the Arcam crossover. But LFE info comes out of the sub output of the Oppo and into the LFE analog input of the Arcam. Both are 6db down, which is not insignificant at those frequencies.

I don't need a "boost" at a frequency, all signal going to the sub is -6 when fed the analog signal.

Can't figure it out. Ran across an "LFE bug" in the forums but not much said about it and no details.

First I don't understand. I don't know of any DACs that do multichannel, at least not any good ones that are likely to be better than the Arcam's internal DAC. Second, I have a dedicated music system so I'm not interested in spending a ton of money on this one, just tweaking it out the best I can for what it is. If I'm going to spend money on good stuff, I'd rather it be in my music setup.

I would just get a receiver that does decent DAC for all the formats and use the Arcam for music if you must. For my video/music system I use a Marantz. The Redbook digital conversion it does compared to the 970's is identical in sound quality. I a/b'ed them yesterday on several sources. I think in general receivers' DACs are optimized for compressed dvd type outputs as these sound great. However, my Rega Apollo CD player analog out to the Marantz receiver beats the pants off the 970 and the receiver itself. I think if you want to listen to two-channel you need to supplement your music setup with a good DAC or CD player and let a receiver with a decent DAC do the rest. Otherwise you just have to decide what's more important to you, make the compromise and live with it. Personally I can't take the Redbook without a decent player/DAC. All the rest is fine.

No Disc error with Oppo 970HD. I was having problems flashing the firmware for my 970HD. Every time I tried to update the firmware I got a copy error. I was using Nero Burning ROM 7.5 and I was getting 935BIN files. In conjunction with the firmware update problems I kept getting No Disc error constantly for all kinds of discs, rented, burned and avi. I contacted Oppo Digital and they suggested I use Burn at once and I was able to upgrade to 3A-0916. After the upgrade the first few discs played right away and now I am back to the No Disc error again. Come to think of it the No Disc error message started after I did the upgrade that was suppose to improve disc load times, can't remember the version of the upgrade.

Has anyone else had this issue?

I was wondering if upgrading to 4A-0111 would help? I contacted Oppo and they told me to send it in. Thing is I bought it from Oppo when I was living in the US last year and now I am living in Canada. Shipping is expensive and I don't trust international shipping via UPS lots of screw ups.

If anyone has any ideas of what I could try I would appreciate it.

fish1050

has anyone compared the oppo 970 or the dennon 557 if so can anyone tell me pros and cons of bith or which one you would prefer
I use to sell high end stereo and video equipment including Denon DVD players and I have tested several models. Denon DVD players are great when work. I have found for pretty much every model including the 3910 that they are very picky about what discs they will play. As for the 557 specifically I haven't had the opportunity to check it out yet. Before you buy it test it with a wide variety of discs including burned discs and then decide. Up until recently my Oppo has been bullet proof when it comes to playing all kinds of discs. Recently I have been getting alot of NO Disc errors.

fish1050

Hey 970 owners...

I'm planning to replace my current Sony DVP-NS775V player with the Oppo 970 so that I have the ability to do everything in one box (the Sony won't do DivX or DVD-Audio). Based on what I've read the 970 has very strong audio performance for the price point, and I like the fact that it has a 80Hz crossover for the high-res playback instead of the 120Hz I've got right now with the Sony. My AVR doesn't do processing on the 7.1 analog input so I'll be relying on the internal channel delay/crossover adjustments. I don't have a need for HDMI output right now, just 480p over component.

Any reason why I shouldn't go with the Oppo? My biggest worry is that SACD would be inferior to the Sony model. I tried a Samsung 841 a while back and found the SACD playback to be horrible, hopefully the Oppo is a lot better than that.

I would just get a receiver that does decent DAC for all the formats and use the Arcam for music if you must. For my video/music system I use a Marantz. The Redbook digital conversion it does compared to the 970's is identical in sound quality. I a/b'ed them yesterday on several sources. I think in general receivers' DACs are optimized for compressed dvd type outputs as these sound great. However, my Rega Apollo CD player analog out to the Marantz receiver beats the pants off the 970 and the receiver itself. I think if you want to listen to two-channel you need to supplement your music setup with a good DAC or CD player and let a receiver with a decent DAC do the rest. Otherwise you just have to decide what's more important to you, make the compromise and live with it. Personally I can't take the Redbook without a decent player/DAC. All the rest is fine.

You are suggesting that I have a problem that needs a solution, which is not the case. My OP was simply asking if there are any formats that the Oppo will not decode to it's own analog outputs. The only other question I've had is about the LFE being low.

The problem is that my observations seem blasphemous around here. Apparently its just not possible that the 970 analog out could sound better, even though I got the idea to try from some high end audio mags and after seeing the player all over the high end audio (not video) area of CES. So instead of help with my actual quetsions, I'm getting slammed. But I stand by my opinion.

Just out of curiousity, which AVR do you think I should buy that would be better than the Arcam for digital?

Sorry you don't hear what I hear. So what you are saying is because I hear a difference, my AVR isn't good enough and should be replaced? Maybe your Marantz or your speakers aren't good enough to pass the differences.

As I said before, I'm not compromising because I have a dedicated music system in another room in which I use the Meridian CD player. I'm just trying to tweak this system out the best I can. Of course the Meridian blows the Oppo away. Seems logical that the Rega should beat it solidly as well. The Rega is known as a very good player at it's price point as well, but it is $1000 more than the Oppo. That is hardly a good comparison

Also, please explain to me why everyone is saying that the Oppo 970 is the better sounding player when everyone uses the digital output and all players digital output sounds the same? Keep in mind they are not saying it sounds good only on SACD because it plays those and the 971 doesn't, they are saying it sounds better. Plus, the 981 plays SACD and DVD-A but doesn't sound as good as the 970.

Actually, I'm not trying to be a pill, but I wasn't trying to start this discussion either. Thought someone might be interested that the analog can sound better than the digital, guess I was wrong.

Hey 970 owners...

I'm planning to replace my current Sony DVP-NS775V player with the Oppo 970 so that I have the ability to do everything in one box (the Sony won't do DivX or DVD-Audio). Based on what I've read the 970 has very strong audio performance for the price point, and I like the fact that it has a 80Hz crossover for the high-res playback instead of the 120Hz I've got right now with the Sony. My AVR doesn't do processing on the 7.1 analog input so I'll be relying on the internal channel delay/crossover adjustments. I don't have a need for HDMI output right now, just 480p over component.

Any reason why I shouldn't go with the Oppo? My biggest worry is that SACD would be inferior to the Sony model. I tried a Samsung 841 a while back and found the SACD playback to be horrible, hopefully the Oppo is a lot better than that.

Oh Jeremy, what timing you have. LOL

I've just been saying that the 970 sounds better than it has any right to for $150. But to get that out of it you have to use the analog output. Using the digital makes it the same as every other budget player for audio.

But I don't know what I'm talking about :D

You are suggesting that I have a problem that needs a solution, which is not the case.

Maybe you need to go back and reread your post #4564. Specifically the part where you write "I've been trying to figure out which to keep for over 2 months now. Based on picture, I personally would keep the 971, but the 971 is very inferior to the 970 on audio. Argh, which to keep?" Call it a delimma then.

Just out of curiousity, which AVR do you think I should buy that would be better than the Arcam for digital?

Based on your description of the SQ of the Arcam DAC, I'd recommend a Marantz or move on up to a Theta.


Sorry you don't hear what I hear. So what you are saying is because I hear a difference, my AVR isn't good enough and should be replaced?

I don't have an Arcam so it would stand to reason. But if your Arcam won't do DAC conversion well and you have to have the video quality you see on the 981 then yeah, then you pretty much need to upgrade your AVR. There's lots of brands to choose from out there.


Also, please explain to me why everyone is saying that the Oppo 970 is the better sounding player when everyone uses the digital output and all players digital output sounds the same? Keep in mind they are not saying it sounds good only on SACD because it plays those and the 971 doesn't, they are saying it sounds better. Plus, the 981 plays SACD and DVD-A but doesn't sound as good as the 970.

Actually, I'm not trying to be a pill, but I wasn't trying to start this discussion either. Thought someone might be interested that the analog can sound better than the digital, guess I was wrong.

Maybe but then again your Arcam may not be holding up its end of the DAC deal making the Oppo appear to be outstanding.

regards, David

I've just been saying that the 970 sounds better than it has any right to for $150. But to get that out of it you have to use the analog output. Using the digital makes it the same as every other budget player for audio.

But I don't know what I'm talking about :D
Are you talking about its performance with DVD-Audio, SACD, CD, regular DVD, or all of the above? If we're talking about DVD and CD, the OPPO should sound like any other disc transport when using the digital output - all it's being told to do is pass bits from disc to receiver, and if it is coloring the signal than it's doing something mighty odd. At that point, it's the receiver that will be the driving force in determining how it sounds. Do you agree?

Guys,

I am looking really hard at the 970 too. Would it be a good fit for my sony lcd 40s2010 paired with onkyo sr604?

This is the lcd:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8007186&st=40s2010&type=product&id=1155848843724

I will be using the velodyne 7.1 cht front rows and hsu 3.3 sub.

Thanks in advance,
Tony

I'm looking at the Oppo 970 as well to go with my SONY KDL-40S2010. I've read most of the threads and the accolades therein. But I'm still flustered. A refurbished unit is fine for me. But when I talked to them they told me that there isn't shortage on refurbs, that they usually have at least 2 or 3 on hand - daily. That has me wondering a bit; why so many? Are their sales that great? Shipping damage? Customer return for whatever reasons? Trial period - non that I could locate on their site? Etc.

EDIT 3-26-07

They have no trial period but do have a liberal return policy:

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

I guess that and the numerous adjustment/setup features explain part of the number of refurbs available.

TONY - I'd suggest that you just send an EMail to OPPO Service/Support and tell them what Components you'd be using and ask them to recommend the best Player for YOUR Setup. I did that and they gave me an EXCELLENT suggestion which did NOT push me toward the most expensive one either.

Good Luck! :)

I'm looking at the Oppo 970 as well to go with my SONY KLD-40S2010. I've read most of the threads and the accolades therein. But I'm still flustered. A refurbished unit is fine for me. But when I talked to them they told me that there isn't shortage on refurbs, that they usually have at least 2 or 3 on hand - daily. That has me wondering a bit; why so many? Are their sales that great? Shipping damage? Customer return for whatever reasons? Trial period - non that I could locate on their site? Etc.
I have a refurb and trust me it looks like it's never been touched, I'm not even sure that it has. :) It comes with the same 1 year warranty so I would go for it and save some $.

Guys,

I have a quick question that is not related to this thread.

Let's say I have a cable box from Time Warner and I use coaxial to connect to the lcd. From lcd, I run rca jacks (audio out) to the receiver sr604 for sound?

If I watch regular tv and don't want to use the receiver, I can just turn off the receiver and use volume from the lcd?

Thanks,
Tony

I received my 970HD last week to replace a Denon. I believe the model number was 2200 (it's currently under my bed). I wasn't expecting a much better picture quality, because the Denon could hold it's own. I just wanted more compatibility with discs. I do notice a good bit of difference in PQ though. The output is very nice. The features (zoom, disc formats, etc.) make it a no brainer for me to keep until I upgrade my RPTV. I'm very pleased with it.

Guys,

I am looking really hard at the 970 too. Would it be a good fit for my sony lcd 40s2010 paired with onkyo sr604?


Thanks in advance,
Tony

I have a 40s2000 (same only silver not black)

http://gallery.avsforum.com/showphoto.php/photo/23657/cat/502

Yes, the Oppo is great. It allows me to use the upscaling through component input and save the HDMI for my DVR.
These units cohabitat together in peace and harmony....

Guys,

I have a quick question that is not related to this thread.

Let's say I have a cable box from Time Warner and I use coaxial to connect to the lcd. From lcd, I run rca jacks (audio out) to the receiver sr604 for sound?

If I watch regular tv and don't want to use the receiver, I can just turn off the receiver and use volume from the lcd?

Thanks,
Tony

Yes, you can listen to stereo or mono audio or whatever audio processing your display handles from a stereo analog input.

Chris

Issue: I listen to audio through the 970's analog outputs into my receiver. My HDTV is hooked up to the 970 through HDMI interconnects.

Every time I turn on the TV and switch to DVD input the analog audio sent to the receiver dropes off for a brief moment. What is going on? [I have installed in the 970 the latest beta firmware].

Richard.

Maybe you need to go back and reread your post #4564. Specifically the part where you write "I've been trying to figure out which to keep for over 2 months now. Based on picture, I personally would keep the 971, but the 971 is very inferior to the 970 on audio. Argh, which to keep?" Call it a delimma then.



Based on your description of the SQ of the Arcam DAC, I'd recommend a Marantz or move on up to a Theta.



I don't have an Arcam so it would stand to reason. But if your Arcam won't do DAC conversion well and you have to have the video quality you see on the 981 then yeah, then you pretty much need to upgrade your AVR. There's lots of brands to choose from out there.



Maybe but then again your Arcam may not be holding up its end of the DAC deal making the Oppo appear to be outstanding.

regards, David

So you think I should go out and look at the Theta today and that would solve all my problems? I always thought that Marantz was the best you could get.

So you think I should go out and look at the Theta today and that would solve all my problems? I always thought that Marantz was the best you could get.

Nah, you're pretty much where you need to be with your Oppo and Arcam.

Yes, the Oppo is great. It allows me to use the upscaling through component input and save the HDMI for my DVR.

I got my Oppo recently and my tv only has one hdmi input. If I get an hdmi switch then I can't calibrate my sources separately. I could use the component out on the Oppo but I've never used component before and am wondering how significant the pq difference is compared to hdmi.

If you have an Arcam receiver, you really want to be using the digital output from your DVD player for every disc that you can (meaning CD's and video DVD's) - I've got to assume that the Arcam's DAC's and DSP section are going to be better than almost any DVD player (although you could find some really expensive DVD players with comparable DAC's). For PCM stereo, Dolby Digital, and DTS, the Arcam will provide more robust bass management and additional surround modes like Dolby EX, DTS ES, NEO:6, and Pro Logic IIx. You should really only be using the Oppo's multichannel analog outputs for DVD-Audio and SACD. If you use both of these formats and like the 970's performance but want the 971's video performance, just get a 981HD: it's based on the 971H for video but has DVD-A/SACD performance on par with the 970HD.

Gonk (presuming you are the Gonk of Outlaw fame), do you feel the Oppo DV-970HD connected to the Outlaw 1050's analog ins would provide a good workaround for the 1050's DD-EX problems when played into a 5.1 speaker set up?

Thanks.

-Steve

Gonk (presuming you are the Gonk of Outlaw fame), do you feel the Oppo DV-970HD connected to the Outlaw 1050's analog ins would provide a good workaround for the 1050's DD-EX problems when played into a 5.1 speaker set up?

Thanks.

-Steve
Steve, that's actually a good question. Assuming the Oppo's 80Hz crossover works pretty well for your system, the 970HD run to the 1050 via multichannel analog would actually be a pretty slick combination. That would also give you access to Pro Logic II for two-channel discs, and the Oppo players have a nice feature there for determining when PLII is applied. Under the Audio Setup screen, you can select Pro Logic II to configure PLII. The first option under the Pro Logic II menu is also called Pro Logic II, and it offers three settings: On (which will always apply Pro Logic II), Off (which will never apply Pro Logic II), and Auto (which will only apply Pro Logic II when the two-channel source includes matrix decoding cues). You can experiment with both On and Auto to get a taste of Pro Logic II, which the 1050 (having been released before Pro Logic II was on the market) can't do.

Hey 970 owners...

I'm planning to replace my current Sony DVP-NS775V player with the Oppo 970 so that I have the ability to do everything in one box (the Sony won't do DivX or DVD-Audio). Based on what I've read the 970 has very strong audio performance for the price point, and I like the fact that it has a 80Hz crossover for the high-res playback instead of the 120Hz I've got right now with the Sony. My AVR doesn't do processing on the 7.1 analog input so I'll be relying on the internal channel delay/crossover adjustments. I don't have a need for HDMI output right now, just 480p over component.

Any reason why I shouldn't go with the Oppo? My biggest worry is that SACD would be inferior to the Sony model. I tried a Samsung 841 a while back and found the SACD playback to be horrible, hopefully the Oppo is a lot better than that.
Oppo should be as good if not better than Sony for SACD. I say that because Sony really only optimizes sound quality on its ES units. Oppo on the other hand has put alot of effort into tweaking the audio performance of the 970. I have heard a few SACD's through the 970 and I think it sounds great. I had a chance to do a side by side comparison with a Denon 3910 and my Oppo 970 and I have to say though the Denon was a bit more detailed in sound given it is 3x more expensive the Oppo sounded almost as good. I can guarantee you the Denon would blow the Sony away for sound quality. My recommendation is to go with the Oppo you won't regret it. I have owned a couple of Sony DVD players over the years and I have never been that impressed with the sound quality to be honest.

fish1050

Are you talking about its performance with DVD-Audio, SACD, CD, regular DVD, or all of the above? If we're talking about DVD and CD, the OPPO should sound like any other disc transport when using the digital output - all it's being told to do is pass bits from disc to receiver, and if it is coloring the signal than it's doing something mighty odd. At that point, it's the receiver that will be the driving force in determining how it sounds. Do you agree?

I am talking about redbook and DVD, not DVD-A. Not the best thing I've ever heard, but better than it has a right to be for $150. Comparable with ~$1000 cd players.

I was less impressed with it's SACD playback than redbook and DVD. That is comparing it's SACD playback to good SACD players. But I recently had the EMM Labs in my main music system so I got a bit spoiled by how good SACD can be. Unfortunately I'm not going cough up the coin to keep it.

I am talking about redbook and DVD, not DVD-A. Not the best thing I've ever heard, but better than it has a right to be for $150. Comparable with ~$1000 cd players.
For redbook CD and DVD, the digital output from the player should be effectively transparent (no decoding or other processing involved) and the resulting sound should thus be determined by the receiver, right? In that case, I'd think that any fault with the sound quality should be placed at the feet of the receiver rather than the player.

For redbook CD and DVD, the digital output from the player should be effectively transparent (no decoding or other processing involved) and the resulting sound should thus be determined by the receiver, right? In that case, I'd think that any fault with the sound quality should be placed at the feet of the receiver rather than the player.

A N A L O G
This whole time I've been talking about the analog out.
A N A L O G
But there is no way that the analog out could sound good so nobody even considers this a possibility.

I have a Panasonic ED plasma using component cable. I am trying to catch up on this thread - would there be any point in having an up-converting DVD player with an ED plasma?

I have a Panasonic ED plasma using component cable. I am trying to catch up on this thread - would there be any point in having an up-converting DVD player with an ED plasma?

No need for it murphyb74. The max res on your TV is 480p, so any good progressive scan player will work for you. However if you also seek great audio quality then any research you do will find that the Oppo970 is a pretty sweet audio player too. So that's something for you to consider as well.

I have a 40s2000 (same only silver not black)

http://gallery.avsforum.com/showphoto.php/photo/23657/cat/502

Yes, the Oppo is great. It allows me to use the upscaling through component input and save the HDMI for my DVR.
These units cohabitat together in peace and harmony....


Very nice. I am going to order one. If I am in california, does tax apply LOL?

I went into to the first step to order in the cart ( no tax shown yet). Anybody know where I can order it cheaper ?

Tony

Oppo should be as good if not better than Sony for SACD. I say that because Sony really only optimizes sound quality on its ES units. Oppo on the other hand has put alot of effort into tweaking the audio performance of the 970.

I suspected as much, but wasn't sure if there was any trickle-down re: SACD technology in the lower-end Sony units compared to the ES. I'm pretty sure I'm going to get the Oppo, haven't heard anything bad yet about it that affects me.

No need for it murphyb74. The max res on your TV is 480p, so any good progressive scan player will work for you. However if you also seek great audio quality then any research you do will find that the Oppo970 is a pretty sweet audio player too. So that's something for you to consider as well.

Agreed, no need for it...technically. But technically there is no need for it on an HD set either. The question comes down to will the player do the scaling/deinterlacing better than the display and is the player any good to start with....in the case of the Oppo, its a great player with a great deinterlacer, both of which will offer benefits on your ED set as much as an HD set compared to a not-so-good DVD player. He won't benefit from the upscale, but many use the 970 for 480i/p because it is just a great player.

Murphy, I'd say there is potential for more than just an audio upgrade depending on your current player. Do a search for DVD secrets benchmark and see how your current player stacks up to the Oppo.

A N A L O G
This whole time I've been talking about the analog out.
A N A L O G
But there is no way that the analog out could sound good so nobody even considers this a possibility.

Well, define good.

I would never consider using the analog output of a DVD/CD player under $1000. For $150 retail, you probably have $5 worth of parts doing the conversion. Now, $5 of parts can sound quite good these days, but... come on.

(I use the Oppo 970 as a cheap and reliable transport, outputting 480i and digital audio over HDMI to a AV processor/scaler. The Anthem D2's DACs are just fine.)

Why would anyone expect anything more than decent from the A N A L O G output?

Looks like the 970 does not play .wav files off of recordable DVDs. I made some DTS compilations on DVD and it's a no go. Weird, my Philips 642 does this with no problems. Probably will hook up both players.

(sorry if this has been addressed already... thread is very long!)

Well, define good.

I would never consider using the analog output of a DVD/CD player under $1000. For $150 retail, you probably have $5 worth of parts doing the conversion. Now, $5 of parts can sound quite good these days, but... come on.

(I use the Oppo 970 as a cheap and reliable transport, outputting 480i and digital audio over HDMI to a AV processor/scaler. The Anthem D2's DACs are just fine.)

Why would anyone expect anything more than decent from the A N A L O G output?

As I said before, I got the idea from articles in Stereophile, TAS and after seeing the player all over the Venetian at CES, so I tried it. As I said before, it sounds like a player in the ~$1000 range rather than $150. Check my posts above. I don't think anybody believes me or cares so I'm not that interested in going on about it or defending myself. I'll just go listen to mine happily.

Even the AVGuide review says "Audio playback is best of all" after talking about video. But to hear this you have to use analog outs.

If you want to believe your own assumptions rather than just trying it, it's ok with me. But there seems to be a lot of audio press about the Oppo (not video) that says the player is a real steal on the audio side as well.

Oh, and I wouldn't expect anything more than decent out of $150, which is play money for audio/video equipment. To get something that is actually good for that little scratch is reeally something. Great? No. Good, yup. I use the Arcam, probably not as good as the Anthem (haven't played with Anthem since they were 2 channel only) so I can't make comparisons and don't know how well Anthem handles digital.

Well, define good.

I would never consider using the analog output of a DVD/CD player under $1000. For $150 retail, you probably have $5 worth of parts doing the conversion. Now, $5 of parts can sound quite good these days, but... come on.

(I use the Oppo 970 as a cheap and reliable transport, outputting 480i and digital audio over HDMI to a AV processor/scaler. The Anthem D2's DACs are just fine.)

Why would anyone expect anything more than decent from the A N A L O G output?
I think it even won Absolute Sound's budget product of the year and they are only interested in audio, not video.

As I said before, I got the idea from articles in Stereophile, TAS and after seeing the player all over the Venetian at CES, so I tried it. As I said before, it sounds like a player in the ~$1000 range rather than $150. Check my posts above. I don't think anybody believes me or cares so I'm not that interested in going on about it or defending myself. I'll just go listen to mine happily.

Even the AVGuide review says "Audio playback is best of all" after talking about video. But to hear this you have to use analog outs.

If you want to believe your own assumptions rather than just trying it, it's ok with me. But there seems to be a lot of audio press about the Oppo (not video) that says the player is a real steal on the audio side as well.

Oh, and I wouldn't expect anything more than decent out of $150, which is play money for audio/video equipment. To get something that is actually good for that little scratch is reeally something. Great? No. Good, yup. I use the Arcam, probably not as good as the Anthem (haven't played with Anthem since they were 2 channel only) so I can't make comparisons and don't know how well Anthem handles digital.

It seems you didnt read my reply. I own the Oppo 970. Thus, if you do the math, I've tried it. I happen to agree it is a wonderful little piece. Amazing engineering. However, it's using relatively inexpensive converter parts, and it just isn't logical to expect $1000+ level performance from it. I do think it's state of the art for the price level.

I mean, if you know anything about consumer electronics, the 970 build cost is less than $70. Amazing enegineering - but not magic audio fairy dust.

But you're free to hear whatever you hear.

Your assertion that the 970 sound is best through analog is opinion only, and not backed up by any double-blind testing. I've listened to the analog outs, and while they're way better than I have a right to expect, the Anthem's converters (at $6K) sound waaay better. (but that's only my experience, not a fact.)

As I said before, I got the idea from articles in Stereophile, TAS and after seeing the player all over the Venetian at CES, so I tried it. As I said before, it sounds like a player in the ~$1000 range rather than $150. Check my posts above. I don't think anybody believes me or cares so I'm not that interested in going on about it or defending myself. I'll just go listen to mine happily.
I don't doubt that the 970 sounds good - I've got a 981 and have tried it using the analog output for CD and regular DVD (both DTS and Dolby Digital) as well as DVD-A and SACD. I even touch on that in my 981HD review (http://www.prillaman.net/oppo981_review.html). In my case, DVD's and CD's ended up sounding better via digital than via analog (determined by my ears, not by any assumptions), but I admitted in my review that it performed better than I'd expected for the price - there's no doubt that these Oppo players are based on some very solid design. My confusion came from reading some of your earlier posts and getting the impression that you were placing fault in the 970HD and 971H for sounding "digital" when the digital output was employed, which as we've all now agreed is a situation in which the receiver or processor is going to be the dominant factor in sound quality. I also assumed that an Arcam receiver would perform at least as well as my Outlaw has (based solely on Arcam's reputation since I haven't heard any Arcam gear and don't even know exactly which Arcam you have), so I was a bit surprised to see the 970HD's analog output performed so well in comparison to the Arcam in your system.

i just bought an oppo 970, for my sammy hps5073, i was wondering if you guys use the supplied hdmi, or buy different one, also how is component cable what would be the best setting, and cable thanks in advance for any response

The HDMI cables that Oppo includes are quite good, actually - if it's a good length for your setup, I'd use it.

The HDMI cables that Oppo includes are quite good, actually - if it's a good length for your setup, I'd use it.
Ditto.
And if you have to purchase any new cables, monoprice.com is your GoTo. Just click on the link at the top of the page.

It seems you didnt read my reply. I own the Oppo 970. Thus, if you do the math, I've tried it. I happen to agree it is a wonderful little piece. Amazing engineering. However, it's using relatively inexpensive converter parts, and it just isn't logical to expect $1000+ level performance from it. I do think it's state of the art for the price level.

I mean, if you know anything about consumer electronics, the 970 build cost is less than $70. Amazing enegineering - but not magic audio fairy dust.

But you're free to hear whatever you hear.

Your assertion that the 970 sound is best through analog is opinion only, and not backed up by any double-blind testing. I've listened to the analog outs, and while they're way better than I have a right to expect, the Anthem's converters (at $6K) sound waaay better. (but that's only my experience, not a fact.)

Uh, since all I said was that it sounds way better than a $150 player deserves, it seems we are in agreement so you are just being argumentative. Any comparison to a $6k player is of no use to your argument or this discussion.



Gonk:
I do not have a 981, but I have both a 970 and 971. According to Oppo the 981 is built similar to the 971 with the addition of multi track audio formats, which is for the most part, a software addition. Therefore they whould have more in common when comparing audio. My 971 sounds nothing like the 970. The 971 sounds better connected to the Arcam digitally and letting the AVR handle the decoding. That is why much earlier I said I was having some trouble deciding which to keep, because to my eyes (I have to keep qualifying my opinion here) the 971 has a better picture.

I would expect a $150 player to sound digital, and I wouldn't complain. $150 is play money when talking about AV gear. My surprise was that to my ears the Oppo sounds better connected with it's analog outs than digitally and letting the Arcam decode.

Maybe people that have ~$1k players don't want to hear that a $150 player does so well. For me, this is a second system and I want it on a budget so to find a $150 player that does so well is something that makes me happy. I'm just trying to tweak it out as much as possible and thought others might be interested in what I found.

My surprise is that everyone is so against that this is even a possibility, they will go to the mat to prove their point without even trying it for themselves. Jeez, just hook the 970 up digitally and analog simultaneously to separate inputs and switch back and forth and see if you don't hear a smoothing of the high end and a richer midrange when playing music CD's. If not, more power to ya.

Every so often, a really cheap product comes out that breakes the rules of price to performance, and this seems to be one TO MY EARS. But when all the audio rags talk about the fact that it sounds good, they are talking about it's analog outputs. That has been my only point this whole time.

I do not have a 981, but I have both a 970 and 971. According to Oppo the 981 is built similar to the 971 with the addition of multi track audio formats, which is for the most part, a software addition. Therefore they whould have more in common when comparing audio. My 971 sounds nothing like the 970. The 971 sounds better connected to the Arcam digitally and letting the AVR handle the decoding. That is why much earlier I said I was having some trouble deciding which to keep, because to my eyes (I have to keep qualifying my opinion here) the 971 has a better picture.
The 981HD is based on the 971H platform, but there were changes made to the analog output that were based on experience taken from the 970HD development. It's more than just a software change - after all, Oppo was able to add DVD-Audio support to the 971H via a firmware update but couldn't add SACD support until the 981HD came along. The 970's signal path is reportedly cleaner (single board from DAC to output jacks, wherease the 981HD has a ribbon cable along the way), but the 981HD's analog performance actually has more in common with the 970HD than the 971H.
My surprise is that everyone is so against that this is even a possibility, they will go to the mat to prove their point without even trying it for themselves. Jeez, just hook the 970 up digitally and analog simultaneously to separate inputs and switch back and forth and see if you don't hear a smoothing of the high end and a richer midrange when playing music CD's. If not, more power to ya.
I don't think folks here are opposed to the 970HD sounding good - after all, the consensus around here is generally positive regarding the 970HD. I think there was some early confusion as to what you were hearing and why it was that way (at least that was the case for me). As you say, the best judge is an individual's ears - and more than one of us have done exactly that.

any setting i should use for my oppo 970 with my sammy hps5073, or leave it how it is from the box. i was wondering how about 480p, 720p or 1081i, thanks in advance.sound great i was just looking to have the picture with a little bit more of a punch

The 981HD is based on the 971H platform, but there were changes made to the analog output that were based on experience taken from the 970HD development. It's more than just a software change - after all, Oppo was able to add DVD-Audio support to the 971H via a firmware update but couldn't add SACD support until the 981HD came along. The 970's signal path is reportedly cleaner (single board from DAC to output jacks, wherease the 981HD has a ribbon cable along the way), but the 981HD's analog performance actually has more in common with the 970HD than the 971H.

I emailed Oppo with a short explanation and asked if the 981 would be the best of both worlds and they said don't bother buying the 981.

I see that there is a hack to allow upscaling over the component outputs. Is there a hack to allow DVD audio and SACD over the coax or optical digital outputs?

Russ

no

...it seems we are in agreement so you are just being argumentative...My surprise was that to my ears the Oppo sounds better connected with it's analog outs than digitally and letting the Arcam decode...My surprise is that everyone is so against that this is even a possibility....
Go back and read your own posts within this thread. To me, you sounded initially as if your thought was that the digital output was suspect, due to your liking the analog better, and then later, you reverted to defending your position that analog can be quite nice in your experience. Whatever! I don't think anyone is attacking you in your position, just wondering where you are coming from with this particular choice of hook-ups that are out of the ordinary compared to where we have gravitated...digital being pure signal for the most part! Relax, enjoy the player, and thank you for suggesting another avenue for playback through this device!

Interesting discussion going on ... and I'm sorry that I'm going completely off topic.

Earlier I posted that I had been noticing aliasing or what looks like shifting parts in what are supposed to be pure black areas in whatever movie I'm watching - like a shot of space from The Fifth Element where the black of space isn't standing still, there's aliasing or a shifting mottled look to the image. I've noticed the same thing on other DVDs (like from russia with love, cars) with shadows/black areas as well.

I speculate that it's the player's interlacing the image, DVD compression in general, black levels (brightness) on my display being set too high (at +8), or weakness of the discs (though the above are reference quality otherwise - except for the blacks).

BTW I have the 970 upconverting to 1080i to my panny 50u with hdmi cables.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance for your help!

mbird :)

Interesting discussion going on ... and I'm sorry that I'm going completely off topic.

Earlier I posted that I had been noticing aliasing or what looks like shifting parts in what are supposed to be pure black areas in whatever movie I'm watching - like a shot of space from The Fifth Element where the black of space isn't standing still, there's aliasing or a shifting mottled look to the image. I've noticed the same thing on other DVDs (like from russia with love, cars) with shadows/black areas as well.

I speculate that it's the player's interlacing the image, DVD compression in general, black levels (brightness) on my display being set too high (at +8), or weakness of the discs (though the above are reference quality otherwise - except for the blacks).

BTW I have the 970 upconverting to 1080i to my panny 50u with hdmi cables.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance for your help!

mbird :)

I would suspect brightness level too high. Have you ever calibrated with Avia or DVE or some other calibration disc?

If you get HD broadcast TV, do you see it on that? Or just DVD?

One way to test the interlace theory is bring the output of the Oppo down to 480p. See if the mottled look goes away.

any setting i should use for my oppo 970 with my sammy hps5073, or leave it how it is from the box. i was wondering how about 480p, 720p or 1081i, thanks in advance.sound great i was just looking to have the picture with a little bit more of a punch
You will have to set the output to 1080i (60hz) before watching a movie by pressing the OSD button to toggle through. You CANNOT do this while watching a movie.

I would suspect brightness level too high. Have you ever calibrated with Avia or DVE or some other calibration disc?

If you get HD broadcast TV, do you see it on that? Or just DVD?

One way to test the interlace theory is bring the output of the Oppo down to 480p. See if the mottled look goes away.
I used Avia to calibrate the TV ... but I may have used the wrong test - there appears to be several to control brightness. Do you know which one (with screen half grey/half white/ or all black) to use? HD looks fine and doesn't have that problem. I'll also try out 480p tomorrow and see how that affects the image.

Thank you! :)

I got my Oppo recently and my tv only has one hdmi input. If I get an hdmi switch then I can't calibrate my sources separately. I could use the component out on the Oppo but I've never used component before and am wondering how significant the pq difference is compared to hdmi.

I tried it both ways and could see no difference. Some will tell you that components have a "warmer" picture quality. I thought both ways looked great.

Very nice. I am going to order one. If I am in california, does tax apply LOL?

I went into to the first step to order in the cart ( no tax shown yet). Anybody know where I can order it cheaper ?

Tony

There are other autherized dealers out of state that could save you tax. Some may even ship free.

So you think I should go out and look at the Theta today and that would solve all my problems? I always thought that Marantz was the best you could get.

I have a Marantz and it is an excellent receiver. But a good component system is usually better than a receiver. There are always bigger fish in the sea and better AV components on the market!

I have a question for you guys. I got the Oppo 970HD a few weeks ago and I love it. I am using the hacked firmware to upconvert over component. I have it upconverting to 1080i which looks great. The one thing though that I notice is that with movie scenes sometimes the background scenery looks as if it is getting narrow on the sides of the screen. It looks as if the background has a magnifying glass effect. I am not sure if this is a known issue with the older firmware or if there is something I can do to get rid of it. Any sugestions?

In your Video Settings have you tried the 3 Settings available in "Sharpness"; High, Soft, or OFF - to see what effect that might have on that abnormality?

I have a question for you guys. I got the Oppo 970HD a few weeks ago and I love it. I am using the hacked firmware to upconvert over component. I have it upconverting to 1080i which looks great. The one thing though that I notice is that with movie scenes sometimes the background scenery looks as if it is getting narrow on the sides of the screen. It looks as if the background has a magnifying glass effect. I am not sure if this is a known issue with the older firmware or if there is something I can do to get rid of it. Any sugestions?

It almost sounds as if you have some sort of stretch mode going on with your display. My set has a stretch mode where the edges are stretched more than the center, so when the camera pans, the image looks all distorted.

How can you tell if the 1080i or 720p is going to the set over component? I used the hacked frimware. I see the 1080i in the corner when I change the setting with the HDMI button. See little if any difference between 1080i and the 480p settings. I have a RP CRT Sony 65" It may be the DVD I used. What is a normal bitrate for this setting. I was getting about 30.

How can you tell if the 1080i or 720p is going to the set over component? I used the hacked frimware. I see the 1080i in the corner when I change the setting with the HDMI button. See little if any difference between 1080i and the 480p settings. I have a RP CRT Sony 65" It may be the DVD I used. What is a normal bitrate for this setting. I was getting about 30.
Push the HDMI button (lower left corner) on the remote while you are playing and the Oppo will tell you its current output resolution.

does anyone on her ehave the oppo hooked up to a samsung hps series plasma, if so what are your thoughts, Thanks

Longtime lurker, first time poster.

I've recently discovered the Oppo 970 after my Panasonic RP-82 went to crap. I have a Mistubishi WS-55859. I have read quite a bit of the posts and need some clarification.

Will the the upconversion hack on the 970 do me any good as my Mitsu only has the ill-fated firewire?

Thanks for the all the great info! :)

Longtime lurker, first time poster.

I've recently discovered the Oppo 970 after my Panasonic RP-82 went to crap. I have a Mistubishi WS-55859. I have read quite a bit of the posts and need some clarification.

Will the the upconversion hack on the 970 do me any good as my Mitsu only has the ill-fated firewire?

Thanks for the all the great info! :)

The hack is for the component output. Your TV has component inputs so yes it will work for you.

Okay. So the hack will work on my Mitsu WS-55859. Am I better off with a hacked Oppo doing upconversion or am I better off with a solid 480P player?

Thanks for assistance by the way!

Hey guys... do your 970's display stuff like this? Just wanted to make sure if it was normal

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j299/zinje/misc/P1030783.jpg
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j299/zinje/misc/P1030784.jpg
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j299/zinje/misc/P1030785.jpg

Okay. So the hack will work on my Mitsu WS-55859. Am I better off with a hacked Oppo doing upconversion or am I better off with a solid 480P player?

Thanks for assistance by the way!

The Oppo is a solid 480p player as well, so you just have to try the different output settings and see which looks best.

i was wondering what are the best settings for the oppot hooked up through hdmi to a samsung plasma

Hey guys... do your 970's display stuff like this? Just wanted to make sure if it was normal


YES

It's 'stop', 'root', and 'title'. What's so odd about that?

It's 'stop', 'root', and 'title'. What's so odd about that?
nothing...except it reminds me of how my boy wrote in first grade :rolleyes:

nothing...except it reminds me of how my boy wrote in first grade :rolleyes:That's a problem with 7 bar characters. You can't write a 'R' and 'A' that looks different. You cannot write a 'T'. Bunch of characters are difficult.

A two inch piece of electrical tape can stop that annoying display. :p

Hey guys... do your 970's display stuff like this? Just wanted to make sure if it was normal
Perfectly normal, does not bother me? :D

It almost sounds as if you have some sort of stretch mode going on with your display. My set has a stretch mode where the edges are stretched more than the center, so when the camera pans, the image looks all distorted.

You were correct. After digging into my TV settings I saw it was stretching. Once I put it to a static 16:9 format the distorted panning went away but of course then I see pillar bars on the top and bottom because many of my divx movies are not true 16:9. I guess I gotta either have it one way or the other. I thought the 970 would stretch to 16:9?

Longtime lurker, first time poster.

I've recently discovered the Oppo 970 after my Panasonic RP-82 went to crap. I have a Mistubishi WS-55859. I have read quite a bit of the posts and need some clarification.

Will the the upconversion hack on the 970 do me any good as my Mitsu only has the ill-fated firewire?

Thanks for the all the great info! :)

Does your Mitsu 55 have a DVI input? My Oppo 970 is HDMI'd to my Pioneer VSX74 a/v receiver then on to my Mitsu 65" CRT RPTV via a HDMI to DVI cable with amazing PQ success. The Pioneer by the way, is only an HDMI switcher, not an upconverter/scaler, so the Oppo is doing all the work.
If you have a DVI input on your Mitsu, an HDMI to DVI hook-up may be your answer, without any of the side-effects from the firmware hack over analog component cables.
I did not research your Mitsu model, so sorry if I'm talking out of school.

By the way, to all reading this thread, wondering if to buy a 970, I just retired my 480p Faroudjia chipped Mitsu PS DVD player to the bedroom TV, after side by side comparing Lord of The Rings over the two players. The Oppo set at 1080i into my native 1080i Mitsu RPTV had stunning, truly near HD PQ.

You were correct. After digging into my TV settings I saw it was stretching. Once I put it to a static 16:9 format the distorted panning went away but of course then I see pillar bars on the top and bottom because many of my divx movies are not true 16:9. I guess I gotta either have it one way or the other. I thought the 970 would stretch to 16:9?

Your set should have an "even" stretch as well. That will stretch the picture uniformly across the screen. This will get rid of the side bars (if desired) and you won't have the weird bubble panning. This will probably cause the actors to e a little wider than usual, but really shouldn't be an issue.

Your set should have an "even" stretch as well. That will stretch the picture uniformly across the screen. This will get rid of the side bars (if desired) and you won't have the weird bubble panning. This will probably cause the actors to e a little wider than usual, but really shouldn't be an issue.

Unfortunately in 1080i mode my tv (Philips 42" Plasma) will only stretch automatic (fills screen horizontally or vertically) or Widescreen 16:9. In 480p mode it can be stretched to expanded widescreen which would do what you said. If I use the Oppo zoom feature it fills the screen but I lose alot of the sides of the picture because it zooms outward not vertically.

I am the happy owner of a new 970hd. Have searched this thread but no luck, maybe I was usung the wrong terminology but could do with some help.
If I stop my Oppo with the intent of ressuming playback later is there a setting that will enable it to ressume where it left of?
Right now it seems to revert to the begining of the disk every time unless I leave it on pause.

Thanks in advance

Peter

You need to hit the memory button on the remote. Unfortunately, I'm not near the unit to tell you which button to try, but it should be in the manual. It's not "auto-memory" as some players have.

This might be a stupid question to ask. But I'd use my newbie privileges to sneak this one by :)

Has anyone compared the quality of 970HD at 1080i displayed on big LCD with a DVI output of 1360 x 724 (or greater as the display might support) of a PC?

I have an option to do that. But did not want to reinvent the wheel and learn the exact same thing someone else learnt already. Help much appreciated.

I am the happy owner of a new 970hd. Have searched this thread but no luck, maybe I was usung the wrong terminology but could do with some help.
If I stop my Oppo with the intent of ressuming playback later is there a setting that will enable it to ressume where it left of?
Right now it seems to revert to the begining of the disk every time unless I leave it on pause.

Thanks in advance

Peter

If you press stop on the button, that should actually just revert to the last scene accessed. thats IF you dont turn off your dvd player

And if you press stop twice it will revert to the beginning, just as if you turned the player off.

BTW, the Memory button is below the Power button on the remote.

wrong terminology but could do with some help.
If I stop my Oppo with the intent of ressuming playback later is there a setting that will enable it to ressume where it left of?
Right now it seems to revert to the begining of the disk every time unless I leave it on pause.


Peter

I have a Harmony 880. Called Logitech and they put a delay of about 4 seconds on the power off button under devices for me. Couldn't put the delay in myself, but they have some extra options. I set the power off settings on the remote to send the memory command first then the power off button. The delay in the power off should give the unit a chance to save the spot. Haven't had a chance to test it yet. Should save the spot I am at before it shuts it off every time. I always forgot to press the memory button manually.

Anyone ever did a comparison on SQ between the 970 sacd or dvd-a thru HDMI to a receiver that can decode LPCM and a good dedicated player with analog out to that same receiver ?

i have the oppo970 connected to my sammy plasma both through hdmi and component, after the hack i am able the upcomvert to 1080i through component. in my eyes component looks better than hdmi, or would it be a cable issue i am using the oppo cable which look good and also and sounds good. Just wondering what are everyone thoughts on this. I also compared them side by side through pip and i swap the image, and still too me component looked better

i have the oppo970 connected to my sammy plasma both through hdmi and component, after the hack i am able the upcomvert to 1080i through component. in my eyes component looks better than hdmi, or would it be a cable issue i am using the oppo cable which look good and also and sounds good. Just wondering what are everyone thoughts on this. I also compared them side by side through pip and i swap the image, and still too me component looked better

Probably has more to do with the different inputs your TV. If you had them both calibrated the same I doubt you'd see a difference.

actually i havent calibrated either input, this is actually the first time i even use the hdmi and component inputs

How is "Oppo" pronounced? Oo-po or Ah-po?

How is "Oppo" pronounced? Oo-po or Ah-po?

Why think American English. Give us more choices. Try a foreign language. Without AE accent. (j/k) :D

Why think American English. Give us more choices. Try a foreign language. Without AE accent. (j/k) :D
Like Greek Oh-pah!

Subtitle Filename

I am trying to play a Xvid encoded avi file from the USB drive. Let say the file name is MovieFilename.avi and I have a .SRT file named as Moviefilename.srt. The avi file plays well, but when I press subtitle button on the remote to get the subtitles, nothing happens. The same avi file and srt file plays well in the VLC player in my computer. The firmware is MVer: 05.00.01.07 Batch: 4A-0111

Is there any specific format for the subtitle filename ?
If I have multiple language subtitle files, how to switch between them?

Please Help.....


Thanks

Why think American English. Give us more choices. Try a foreign language. Without AE accent. (j/k) :D

Nah, I'm just interested in the King's English pronunciation.

regards

Like Greek Oh-pah!

That's what I yelled when I watched my 1st movie on the 970. :D

Hey gang,

I've been reading though this thread all week. LOL. Guess I didn't get much work done...huh? ; )

Anyway, everyone has written such interesting and helpful posts! But I didn't find any reference to something that is occuring with me. By the way, I just got my Oppo 970 yesterday and it is fabulous!

I'm connecting my player to my receiver through Digital Coax and then for video, I connect directly to my HD TV via HDMI. I have, therefore, removed HDMI audio from going out to through HDMI since I use the COAX for that.

ANyway, here's the problem and I would love some feedback if you guys have any thoughts. When a DVD starts (after several loading screens) I get a 2 second blip of silence before the sound kicks in. In other words, say I turn on a DVD with previews...the first 2 seconds or so of audio are chopped off while the Coax "synchs" in. I can't figure out why this is happening. My previous DVD player was connected the exact same way and this didn't happen. This "blip of silence" occurs after I forward through DVD chapters too...even if I select a scene from the DVD menu. I would say it happens 3 out of 5 times...I'll load a scene and then it misses the first 1-2 seconds of audio before I get sound.

Anyway, I've got it set on 480p, I'm using the exact same cables and so forth. Isn't this odd? It isn't a consisent issue as the sound is perfectly qeued during the movies.
Oh and one more interesting tid-bit...you can see the issue clearly during the THX Audio Calibration menu. The visual of it moving to each speaker will be 2 seconds or so BEHIND the actual pink noise.

I can't figure this out at all...the forums have been so helpful, does anyone have a suggestion? I want to think its just a delay but it only seems to do it when a scene STARTS or when it bumps from speaker to speaker during the THX pink noise area. Aside from those areas, the sound is synched perfectly.

Odd huh? = )

Hey gang,

I've been reading though this thread all week. LOL. Guess I didn't get much work done...huh? ; )

Anyway, everyone has written such interesting and helpful posts! But I didn't find any reference to something that is occuring with me. By the way, I just got my Oppo 970 yesterday and it is fabulous!

I'm connecting my player to my receiver through Digital Coax and then for video, I connect directly to my HD TV via HDMI. I have, therefore, removed HDMI audio from going out to through HDMI since I use the COAX for that.

ANyway, here's the problem and I would love some feedback if you guys have any thoughts. When a DVD starts (after several loading screens) I get a 2 second blip of silence before the sound kicks in. In other words, say I turn on a DVD with previews...the first 2 seconds or so of audio are chopped off while the Coax "synchs" in. I can't figure out why this is happening. My previous DVD player was connected the exact same way and this didn't happen. This "blip of silence" occurs after I forward through DVD chapters too...even if I select a scene from the DVD menu. I would say it happens 3 out of 5 times...I'll load a scene and then it misses the first 1-2 seconds of audio before I get sound.

Anyway, I've got it set on 480p, I'm using the exact same cables and so forth. Isn't this odd? It isn't a consisent issue as the sound is perfectly qeued during the movies.
Oh and one more interesting tid-bit...you can see the issue clearly during the THX Audio Calibration menu. The visual of it moving to each speaker will be 2 seconds or so BEHIND the actual pink noise.

I can't figure this out at all...the forums have been so helpful, does anyone have a suggestion? I want to think its just a delay but it only seems to do it when a scene STARTS or when it bumps from speaker to speaker during the THX pink noise area. Aside from those areas, the sound is synched perfectly.

Odd huh? = )

Seems like the problem I had with the current firmware. Bought my Oppo 8/06 and didn't experience these problems. The new firmware fixes the search capabilities for SACD but for me at the expense of video searching with the audio dropout. So I requested the orginal firmware for my Oppo prior to any of the firmware releases (9/06) which corrected the problems you describe but it will be at the expense of SACD searching and SACD gapless playback which never were a problem for me to begin with. You will need to contact Oppo for the original firmware which they will send to you via a burned CD. Hope this helps.

Seems like the problem I had with the current firmware. Bought my Oppo 8/06 and didn't experience these problems. The new firmware fixes the search capabilities for SACD but for me at the expense of video searching with the audio dropout. So I requested the orginal firmware for my Oppo prior to any of the firmware releases (9/06) which corrected the problems you describe but it will be at the expense of SACD searching and SACD gapless playback which never were a problem for me to begin with. You will need to contact Oppo for the original firmware which they will send to you via a burned CD. Hope this helps.

Hey thanks man! I'll give them a shout out. At least I know my player isn't defective!

= )

Like to program my "universal" remote to do the basic features.
Is the Oppo remote similar to any others so I can use that code or must I "learn" each button the hard way?
I'm using one of the "All In One" but I'd gladly buy another if it supports the Oppo.

Like to program my "universal" remote to do the basic features.
Is the Oppo remote similar to any others so I can use that code or must I "learn" each button the hard way?
I'm using one of the "All In One" but I'd gladly buy another if it supports the Oppo.
If you install the latest public beta firmware (http://oppodigital.com/dv970hd/dv970hd-firmware-4a-0209.html), you can set the Oppo to respond to mainstream brand player commands.

If you install the latest public beta firmware (http://oppodigital.com/dv970hd/dv970hd-firmware-4a-0209.html), you can set the Oppo to respond to mainstream brand player commands.

Great. Is there a particular model, e.g. Sony, Denon?
Will check into this. Thanks

sorry for jumping in without reading 155 pages first.

just have some easy questions.

1. Does 970 reads portable laptop hard drive from the USB (I have the hard drive in an external enclosure)

2. How good is the picture quality when playing animes and movies from the USB compare to DVD data / CD data.

3. I have 4GB USB thumbdrive .. I have MP3s in there mixed with movies, can 970 read them ?

4. Can 970 read subfolders in USB drive or External Hard Drive ?



I currently have the Oppo 981 and I LOVE it, connected to Panasonic 42-60U

The only problem is 981 doesn't have USB .. sucks!!

I have so many backup movies and animes in my external hard drives and I hate making CD or DVD just to watch them in 981 .. So I was thingking getting 970 since it has the USB.

Compare to Philips 5960 .. is there any downside issue other than the price?


What do you guys think?

Are they gonna come out with a new model with USB 2.0 by any chance?

Thank you so much.


Sincerly,
Revivalizt

3. I have 4GB USB thumbdrive .. I have MP3s in there mixed with movies, can 970 read them ?


Would also like to know this. Can I play movies (DivX, XviD, etc.) off a flash drive or off a flash card in the reader?

my 970 has worked beautifully..... until last nite. i put in a movie and i'm getting no output from the center channel and the overall volume is greatly reduced. i put in two other movies with the same result. so i put in an SACD to test the center channel and it worked fine. no problem there. i've had the unit since december without any problems. has anyone had this problem? any ideas?

How do you have it connected when watching movies? Digital audio or multichannel analog?

my 970 has worked beautifully..... until last nite. i put in a movie and i'm getting no output from the center channel and the overall volume is greatly reduced. i put in two other movies with the same result. so i put in an SACD to test the center channel and it worked fine. no problem there. i've had the unit since december without any problems. has anyone had this problem? any ideas?

Are you outputting to your AVR via digital or the 5.1 analog. Sounds like an AVR issue if you're going over digital but works for SACD over analog. Maybe check your digital connection, especially optical for dust. Any more details on the configuration you're running would help.

i'm outputting to my receiver via digital using coax. i have a pioneer vsx-816 and it decodes dolby digital and dts.

i also tested it using audio from my tv speakers only (no receiver). when doing this, i get the same results. practically no dialogue and i have to turn the volume up much higher than normal to hear anything. i'm using the hdmi cable that came with my 970 hooked up straight to the tv.

sorry for jumping in without reading 155 pages first.

just have some easy questions.

1. Does 970 reads portable laptop hard drive from the USB (I have the hard drive in an external enclosure)

2. How good is the picture quality when playing animes and movies from the USB compare to DVD data / CD data.

3. I have 4GB USB thumbdrive .. I have MP3s in there mixed with movies, can 970 read them ?

4. Can 970 read subfolders in USB drive or External Hard Drive ?
[...]


I gave this a try - not too exciting. Read my 4G USB flash drive fine, played an MP4 video & MP3 audio files fine. Only plays from the root directory, no folders.

A 5G Seagate USB hard drive worked the same. My 160G drive didn't get enough power from the Oppo USB port to power the drive but this wasn't a surprise. And after powering externally the drive was NTFS so got an error (this is not supported) so really cannot speak to video quality.

I'll have to experiment s'more but this is more of a gimmick to me than a real feature. Perhaps it will improve with firmware. The Oppo's strength lies elsewhere than USB.

I don't see the gain for USB 2.0 - a video plays fine with 1.1. I'll try to test out a DVD on flash for quality.
Would be great if Oppo added some capability to USB.

i'm outputting to my receiver via digital using coax. i have a pioneer vsx-816 and it decodes dolby digital and dts.

i also tested it using audio from my tv speakers only (no receiver). when doing this, i get the same results. practically no dialogue and i have to turn the volume up much higher than normal to hear anything. i'm using the hdmi cable that came with my 970 hooked up straight to the tv.
If you are using coaxial (or optical) digital output, then the 970HD should not be doing any decoding internally. Make sure the Digital Output is set to "Raw" and not "PCM" in the player's Audio Setup menu. If it were set to PCM, the Dolby Digital or DTS would be downmixed and sent to the Pioneer as PCM stereo. It is is already set to "Raw" then the next step is to check your Pioneer, as it is going to be doing all of the decoding.

The HDMI connection to the TV will either pass audio as an undecoded DD/DTS bitstream (which the TV may not be able to decode at all) or a decoded PCM bitstream - which would be 5.1, in which case the TV may not be able to downmix to stereo and might simply play the left and right channels (losing all dialogue and anything else carried by the center channel).

If you are using coaxial (or optical) digital output, then the 970HD should not be doing any decoding internally. Make sure the Digital Output is set to "Raw" and not "PCM" in the player's Audio Setup menu. If it were set to PCM, the Dolby Digital or DTS would be downmixed and sent to the Pioneer as PCM stereo. It is is already set to "Raw" then the next step is to check your Pioneer, as it is going to be doing all of the decoding.

The HDMI connection to the TV will either pass audio as an undecoded DD/DTS bitstream (which the TV may not be able to decode at all) or a decoded PCM bitstream - which would be 5.1, in which case the TV may not be able to downmix to stereo and might simply play the left and right channels (losing all dialogue and anything else carried by the center channel).


ok, i figured it out. yours and jcbyrd's question helped me "figure it out". my receiver has a "signal select" button which toggles between four settings:
analog
digital
auto(with a priority to digital)
dvd 5.1 ch (used when playing SACD & DVD-audio)

i had left it on the analog setting (duh). i'm surprised that i've never done this before. so now i'm feeling a little foolish but mostly relieved.

after realizing what the problem was, i was going to ask why it wouldn't play the center channel w/ the analog selected. but i think your 2nd paragraph explains it.

thanks for your help

can someone please confirm if 970 able to play animes thru 4gb+ usb thumb drive or external hard drive?

and how great is the different of picture quality in comparing playing movie file from USB/External drive to DVD data / CD data .. ?

I have a Harmony 880. Called Logitech and they put a delay of about 4 seconds on the power off button under devices for me. Couldn't put the delay in myself, but they have some extra options. I set the power off settings on the remote to send the memory command first then the power off button. The delay in the power off should give the unit a chance to save the spot. Haven't had a chance to test it yet. Should save the spot I am at before it shuts it off every time. I always forgot to press the memory button manually.

We have all the options that cust svc. has. I was messing around with this feature myself but it is VERY VERY well embedded. I haven't tried it on the new menu/program that they provided a few months ago but if you want to know how to mess around with this yourself, PM me and i'll dig it up. They give their users A LOT of power or else we'd all have to call their cust. service...

Anyway...glad you got it working!

I gave this a try - not too exciting. Read my 4G USB flash drive fine, played an MP4 video & MP3 audio files fine. Only plays from the root directory, no folders.


I was able to play mp3's from multiple subfolders the one time I tried it, you just can't effectively use random play. I usually have all my music in a "Music" subfolder to bypass the FAT32 limitation on filename characters in the root (or something like that).

I was able to play mp3's from multiple subfolders the one time I tried it, you just can't effectively use random play. I usually have all my music in a "Music" subfolder to bypass the FAT32 limitation on filename characters in the root (or something like that).

I finally RTFM and see this "lack of folders" might have been my problem.
You use the "Angle" button to do the navigation and select the desired directories.
I'll have to try this again and if I find an anime file I'll report on the video quality for the other person.

I noticed that a lot of users use the hack to upconvert over component. I use an hdmi cable, but the scalar on my panny is pretty good. Would I notice an improvement in PQ if I used the component vs. hdmi? I also can't use the HD colorspace option on my display for 480p over hdmi like I could with my old toshiba over component, so colors don't pop as much as I'd like unless I upconvert.

I noticed that a lot of users use the hack to upconvert over component. I use an hdmi cable, but the scalar on my panny is pretty good. Would I notice an improvement in PQ if I used the component vs. hdmi? I also can't use the HD colorspace option on my display for 480p over hdmi like I could with my old toshiba over component, so colors don't pop as much as I'd like unless I upconvert.

Try changing the Color Space setting on the Oppo and see if that helps the colors pop.

I noticed that a lot of users use the hack to upconvert over component. I use an hdmi cable, but the scalar on my panny is pretty good. Would I notice an improvement in PQ if I used the component vs. hdmi? I also can't use the HD colorspace option on my display for 480p over hdmi like I could with my old toshiba over component, so colors don't pop as much as I'd like unless I upconvert.

I'd say stick with the HDMI since it already upconverts that way and you have no problems with your display.

To those who have bought from amazon... Should I buy an oppo 970 from amazon to save on shipping, or directly from Oppo, or other? Just wondered, because I saw a post seen here on amazon; Victor H. Acuna Jr. says:
Could anyone that bought their DVD player with Amazon confirmed the type of box that thier OPPO DV-970HD came on? I didn't get the fancy box that oopodigital shows on their website. Mine is just a plain carboard box with no colors. I don't care so much about the box itself, but I want to know if I got a refurbished product vs a new one, which is what I paid for. Thanks. I didn't see any replies to it either so I thought I would ask here.

thanks

I bought directly from Oppo, just because I figured I'd get better support if I needed it. Amazon can be a pain to deal with for returns.

thanks, I am leaning in that direction.

HTSonic - - - - Support this GREAT AVS Site and purchase right here from Richard and Co. - I did, and it ALL is well, used PayPal and shipping is FREE too. ;)

Support this GREAT AVS Site and purchase right here from Richard and Co. - I did, and it ALL is well, used PayPal and shipping is FREE too. That sounds good. How do I go about doing it?

That sounds good. How do I go about doing it?

You read the sticky at the top of this forum. :D

You read the sticky at the top of this forum.
Ahh yes :o , I'm a bit overwhelmed with the amount of stuff on this site. thanks

I just received and hooked up my 970HD using the HDMI cable and it looks great. I have it outputing 720p to my 32" HDTV and the TV zooms in a bit more to fill the screen. After using it a bit I have three minor complaints:

1. That amber display is bright, it would be nice if it only came on for 5 seconds after input.

2. Getting disk out of the tray seems more difficult than my old player, now I can't pick up the disk by the edges unless I push it up from underneath. It'd be nice if the tray had some cutouts on the side.

3. When I have my TV set to fill the screen parts of the OSD are off the top of the screen, my old player had a setting to remedy this.

All in all I'm very happy with this nice piece of hardware and am looking forward to many hours of use.

BTW, my old player was a Pioneer that was user friendly but had older tech like 480i.

To those who have bought from amazon... Should I buy an oppo 970 from amazon to save on shipping, or directly from Oppo, or other?
I got mine from Amazon several months ago, and it came in the nice box, nicely wrapped - appears identical to that direct from Oppo.

I don't think it matters where you buy it - as long as it's NEW and not a refurb.

I got mine from Amazon several months ago, and it came in the nice box, nicely wrapped - appears identical to that direct from Oppo.

I don't think it matters where you buy it - as long as it's NEW and not a refurb.
Referbs from Oppo are excellent and I would highly recommend one actually. Looks brand new and same warranty.

You read the sticky at the top of this forum. :D

The problem is I live on the West Coast and they're on the East coast, makin it difficulty to get the time to call. They also didn't return an E-mail I sent to see if they had it in stock.

I got mine from Amazon several months ago, and it came in the nice box, nicely wrapped - appears identical to that direct from Oppo.

I don't think it matters where you buy it - as long as it's NEW and not a refurb.

In this with this vendor, refurb. means nothing. you get the same warranty and you pay less. Sounds like a great deal to me.

jeff

Can someone PLEASE e-mail me the hack file to run 1080i over component? I had trouble on the web sharing sites getting it and I really need it soon. I can accept larger files through my e-mail so should be ok.

c.robinson@dallasspring.com

Thank you so much in advance to whoever can help me :)

Chris

firmware sent...

Guys,

For music listening, I am not getting the sound as I expected. Right now, I just turn off the lcd and insert the cd. Do I have to make any changes on the dvd's side? I have tried a few listening mode on the receiver end, but the quality is still bad.

I am running onkyo 604, cht front rows-7 speakers and HSU vtf 3.3

Thanks a lot.
tony

anyone have the latest firmware hack?

anyone have the latest firmware hack?
Lament has it (http://www.lament.us/oppo).

I read about this in this thread and am wondering if this is the DVD player to get. Any comments on anyone who owns it till this day. Any major issues? Why did you buy it?

C

I read about this in this thread and am wondering if this is the DVD player to get....
What are you asking? What is "this" DVD player? If you're talking about the 970, yes, it's relatively new, and most probably still have theirs...I own two since they're a very good piece of equipment.

To those who have bought from amazon... Should I buy an oppo 970 from amazon to save on shipping, or directly from Oppo, or other? Just wondered, because I saw a post seen here on amazon; . I didn't see any replies to it either so I thought I would ask here.

thanks
I bought from Amazon but they had it back ordered for weeks so I canceled and bought from OPPO.

If you can get the call into AVScience, I would order from them. Support this great resource.
I purchased my OPPO as a refurb directly from OPPO because AVS hadn't announced they were selling them.

The refurb looked and worked like new.... only they forgot to include a remote in the box :( . That was solved by OPPO's very friendly customer service. I think the savings for me in CA for the shipped & taxed refurb was around $14 below the cost of a brand new OPPO from AVS.

Order from AVScience!

If you can get the call into AVScience, I would order from them. Support this great resource.
I purchased my OPPO as a refurb directly from OPPO because AVS hadn't announced they were selling them.

The refurb looked and worked like new.... only they forgot to include a remote in the box :( . That was solved by OPPO's very friendly customer service. I think the savings for me in CA for the shipped & taxed refurb was around $14 below the cost of a brand new OPPO from AVS.

Order from AVScience!

14 dollars saved and you have to get a remote replaced? BAH! Not worth it...especially when you consider that the 970 needs the remote for certain functions.

:)

But hey, I'm glad it all worked out well. I figure that 20-30 dollars is the absolute minimum for me to start going outside of "brand new."

At 158 pages long, I'm not going to check every page, so I'm wondering if there have been other reported issues with SACD not playing correctly? I've had the 970 a month and it's played everything great so far (DVD and DVD-A). I tried out my first SACD yesterday and heard what sounded like digital scratches in a couple of spots. I thought maybe the disc was defective. Well, today I tried another brand new SACD and this one wouldn't play until I opened and closed the tray a couple of times. And only then would it start playing from cut one... I couldn't get any tracks to play beyond the first cut by going straight to them.
Oh, and I left the first SACD in the player overnight and when I turned it on the next day I just got "Oppo" in the digital display and it was locked up (had to unplug/plug to get it to work again).

I can handle only listening to DVD-A if SACDs are problematic. I just don't want to waste money buying them if so. Have SACDs been an issue with the 970?

I had this player since 09/06 never had any isuess with SACD. Do you have the latest firmware?

I'd say stick with the HDMI since it already upconverts that way and you have no problems with your display.
Try changing the Color Space setting on the Oppo and see if that helps the colors pop.
Thanks moxie and prime. I keep the color space on my Oppo at RGB as the other option makes colors look oversaturated and unnatural. On my display, I can choose two color spaces: SD and HD, with HD looking better. Even my old toshiba progressive player looked decent because the color space on the TV automatically went to HD over component. It's just that with the Oppo over HDMI, the colorspace on the TV is locked out and I can't change it to the better looking HD option when I play the Oppo at 480p.

So all in all ... the player's damn fine at 1080i and HDMI is perfect. It's just that if I wanted to play at 480p, the tv's color space won't switch to HD - only over component. No reason to complain - I just always strive for improvement :D

firmware sent...

Thanks a million! I haven't tried the component yet but it took the update with no issues.

Cheers,

Chris

I had this player since 09/06 never had any isuess with SACD. Do you have the latest firmware? Yeah, it's the latest firmware. Weird.

It's just that with the Oppo over HDMI, the colorspace on the TV is locked out and I can't change it to the better looking HD option when I play the Oppo at 480p.



Since 480p is a SD resolution that is probably the correct setting on the TV. My TV changes its color space based on input resolution, SD or HD. Not sure how yours is working but some sets assume anything sent to it via HDMI is HD and therefore select the HD colorspace, no matter what the resolution is.

To those who have bought from amazon... Should I buy an oppo 970 from amazon to save on shipping, or directly from Oppo, or other? Just wondered, because I saw a post seen here on amazon; . I didn't see any replies to it either so I thought I would ask here.

thanks

I bought it new from amazon about a month ago when it was in stock(inventory keeps fluctuating) and it came in a plain brown box.

At 158 pages long, I'm not going to check every page, so I'm wondering if there have been other reported issues with SACD not playing correctly? I've had the 970 a month and it's played everything great so far (DVD and DVD-A). I tried out my first SACD yesterday and heard what sounded like digital scratches in a couple of spots. I thought maybe the disc was defective. Well, today I tried another brand new SACD and this one wouldn't play until I opened and closed the tray a couple of times. And only then would it start playing from cut one... I couldn't get any tracks to play beyond the first cut by going straight to them.
Oh, and I left the first SACD in the player overnight and when I turned it on the next day I just got "Oppo" in the digital display and it was locked up (had to unplug/plug to get it to work again).

I can handle only listening to DVD-A if SACDs are problematic. I just don't want to waste money buying them if so. Have SACDs been an issue with the 970?
The exact same thing happened to me a couple of weeks ago. I returned the unit and got a new one and SACD is working fine now. But I have had it lock up at least once which is frustrating (I had to unplug it, too). Out of caution I'm just taking SACDs out when I'm done playing them.

Overall I've had a lot more frustration than pleasure with universal disc players, from the Pioneer 563a, to the Denon 2900, and now the Oppo. In addition to the lock-up, the power light on my replacement unit doesn't work (the red standby light is there but the green power light never comes on). I don't really want to have to get a third unit, though, not knowing if SACD playback will work. I'm tempted to go back to Denon and get a 2930, maybe, but I'm wary of the cost and reliability of those units, and in general now I think I should save my money on digital sources and put my "audiophile" money into vinyl. It's a lot more predictable and you can usually figure out what's broken if something isn't working right (and replace parts yourself). I just have no idea what's going on inside those metal boxes....

okay, end rant.

No issues with dvd-a or sacd with my 970 (bought refurb'd directly from oppo).

jeff

In addition to the lock-up, the power light on my replacement unit doesn't work (the red standby light is there but the green power light never comes on).

There is no Power light when the unit is On. It goes from Red (Standby) to Off (Playback).

I posted recently about the sound drop off when moving from track to track on SACDs. I just spoke with Oppo who confirmed that it is a confirmed issue and should be resolved soon. It MAY have to do with HDMI issues but I am not certain. I have my 970 plugged in via hdmi for video, digital coax for audio and analog 5.1 inputs for high fidelity audio. I keep missing the first 1-2 seconds of any SACD music track. Anyway, bravo for the great guys at oppo for constantly improving a great product...the video on this unit blows me away!

Disconnect the HDMI cable and try changing audio tracks. Likely there is a reshake of your HDMI signal which is causing the audio to re-synchronize as well.

Removing the HDMI signal will not cause a handshake to occur.

Disconnect the HDMI cable and try changing audio tracks. Likely there is a reshake of your HDMI signal which is causing the audio to re-synchronize as well.

Removing the HDMI signal will not cause a handshake to occur.

Even if no audio is going over it in the first place? Oppo's suggested what you did too...or just turning off the TV...interesting! THanks!

Overall I've had a lot more frustration than pleasure with universal disc players, from the Pioneer 563a, to the Denon 2900, and now the Oppo.

Interesting comments. I've had a 563a for a few years now with absolutely no issues, it just works. I use it for DVD, CD, DVDA, and SACD. Haven't put a disk in it yet that won't play.

I'm considering upgrading to the 970HD for the improvement that I'll get in being able to send 480i digitally to my VP30, but I have no plans to ditch the 563a.

Even if no audio is going over it in the first place? Oppo's suggested what you did too...or just turning off the TV...interesting! THanks!

Use the 5.1 analog interface for the audio and disconnect the HDMI cable.

Or, as they said, turn Off the display or remove the HDMI cable from the receiver to your display.

If the audio is flawless on when doing either of these two suggestions, then it is likely that the display is causing a synchronization error.

I posted recently about the sound drop off when moving from track to track on SACDs. I just spoke with Oppo who confirmed that it is a confirmed issue and should be resolved soon. It MAY have to do with HDMI issues but I am not certain. I have my 970 plugged in via hdmi for video, digital coax for audio and analog 5.1 inputs for high fidelity audio. I keep missing the first 1-2 seconds of any SACD music track. Anyway, bravo for the great guys at oppo for constantly improving a great product...the video on this unit blows me away!

I've had my 970 since last August and while it can be a great product, I can't help but think with this latest installment of the "Oppo & SACD Follies" that they get cut slack that we wouldn't give, say, Sony or Toshiba.

First there was a lack of basic controls you take for granted; then there was the inability to play DSOTM or Moody Blues properly; now, you can play them but it cuts off the first few seconds of a song should you dare to skip a track. What new "feature" awaits us in the next firmware update?

The reason why we do not give Toshiba or Sony the same leway is that we know they will generally never admit to, nor fix, errors within their systems. OPPO, on the other hand, has been very straight forward in terms of their own limitations, but at the same time, they have shown time and time again that they are willing to fix what ails you.

And to prove it, contact OPPO and ask them for the 4A-0228 Firmware. This firmware has been designed explicitly to fix the HDMI handshake error with SACD audio. However, because there are some major bugs in this firmware, it has never reached a public level.

As a person who has owned the unit since August, did you not get your SACD gapless playback in due time? Give them your patience and you will be rewarded.

I've had my 970 since last August and while it can be a great product, I can't help but think with this latest installment of the "Oppo & SACD Follies" that they get cut slack that we wouldn't give, say, Sony or Toshiba.

First there was a lack of basic controls you take for granted; then there was the inability to play DSOTM or Moody Blues properly; now, you can play them but it cuts off the first few seconds of a song should you dare to skip a track. What new "feature" awaits us in the next firmware update?I agree with Roberto. As much as I like my 970 and Oppo's great customer service, I have to admit being puzzled and frustrated by their inability to get these seemingly simple things right -- at least by the second try on the SACD gapless-and now drop out on track switching. I also have noticed that under certain conditions it seems to lose the HDMI handshake sync with my HDTV more than other devices. There have been numerous times I have had to cycle the TV off/on to get the handshake sync back. I don't have to do this even with such a notoriously buggy device as my Comcast/Moto DCT6412 STB, but I do for the Oppo 970. :( Not a super big deal, but seems like an unnecessary PITA.

OPPO has not forgot about their customers. It is a shame that you can't show patience and support for a company that <i>is</i> customer oriented.

No one -- certainly not I -- has said anything about Oppo forgetting their customers. That's a straw man. Furthermore, I have shown great patience and I have recommended OPPO to many of my friends. I have talked them up when people ask "what DVD player should I buy?" And I did contact them and was politely told that there was nothing I could do except wait for them to solve the problem.

I understand your concern with my apparent lack of patience but things have come to a pretty pass when one cannot express even the mildest annoyance over a long-standing problem, i.e., playing SACDs when and how one wants to. Is such expression really a sign of impatience or otherwise unreasonable?

Come on! You gotta admit: it's almost comical (I'm smiling). "We fixed the gapless play problem: the gap is at the beginning of the track instead of the end."

I also have noticed that under certain conditions it seems to lose the HDMI handshake sync with my HDTV more than other devices. There have been numerous times I have had to cycle the TV off/on to get the handshake sync back.

The HDCP system used by OPPO is fairly aggressive. For this reason, handshaking errors may occur more often with the DV-970HD and the DV-981HD than your other devices.

One of the other issues with comparing it with your cable box is that HDCP is not always active on the Comcast box.

Come on! You gotta admit: it's almost comical (I'm smiling). "We fixed the gapless play problem: the gap is at the beginning of the track instead of the end."

No, it is not comical. As a beta tester it is irritating. Why? Because we did not catch this error. OPPO fixed the gapless error as promised, but what became an issue is that certain display/receiver combinations will cause a re-synchronization of the HDCP signal when the track on a SACD has been initiated. This was not caught in my test or OPPO's testing until months later because the conditions were not right.

No, it is not comical. As a beta tester it is irritating. Why? Because we did not catch this error. OPPO fixed the gapless error as promised, but what became an issue is that certain display/receiver combinations will cause a re-synchronization of the HDCP signal when the track on a SACD has been initiated. This was not caught in my test or OPPO's testing until months later because the conditions were not right.

I gotta say though, as far home theater goes, I am so much more comfortable about a company that really strives to better themselves. As someone previously mentioned, they're not pretending the problem doesn't exist. I think that shows a great degree of customer service. They have the balls to say, "hey, we made a great product...but it has some issues, we'll get right on it."

I must admit though, I'm rather biased. I've purchased some great products (Sony XBR1) and had several issues (green blob etc.) Since problems do occur these days, I'd much rather put my money with a company that continues to support their high tech toys with a comittment not often seen in this market.

Am I dissapointed that there are issues? SURE! But I am MUCH MUCH MUCH more comfortable with the fact that it is being addressed...not so common with other companies that develop bugs. Plus, it is something I can live with for now...

I gotta say though, as far home theater goes, I am so much more comfortable about a company that really strives to better themselves. As someone previously mentioned, they're not pretending the problem doesn't exist. I think that shows a great degree of customer service. They have the balls to say, "hey, we made a great product...but it has some issues, we'll get right on it."

I must admit though, I'm rather biased. I've purchased some great products (Sony XBR1) and had several issues (green blob etc.) Since problems do occur these days, I'd much rather put my money with a company that continues to support their high tech toys with a comittment not often seen in this market.

Am I dissapointed that there are issues? SURE! But I am MUCH MUCH MUCH more comfortable with the fact that it is being addressed...not so common with other companies that develop bugs. Plus, it is something I can live with for now...
Excellent post, I couldn't have said it any better! :D

Excellent post, I couldn't have said it any better! :D

Thx bro...you have a good weekend! : )

Interesting comments. I've had a 563a for a few years now with absolutely no issues, it just works. I use it for DVD, CD, DVDA, and SACD. Haven't put a disk in it yet that won't play.

I'm considering upgrading to the 970HD for the improvement that I'll get in being able to send 480i digitally to my VP30, but I have no plans to ditch the 563a.
Nice handle, bobloblaw.

My 563a wouldn't play the hi-rez part of DVD-A disks, although it sounds like they may have finally released a firmware update many years later that fixed that problem. I didn't get a chance to find out. Also the long layer change annoyed the heck out of me. Picture quality was good, though.

I just bought my dv-970hd and need the hack that lets you upscale through component outputs. All the links that I have seen have been killed. I have to wait a few more months till I can upgrade my monitor to one with hdmi.

Also what firmware version is the hack based on and does it overwrite the whole version of firmware that is in the 970hd.

Since I don't have 5 posts yet (and therefore can not post an e-mail address), could you pm me with a working link or let me know how big the file is and I will give you an e-mail.

thanks for your help
Jay

Lament has this link in his sig (http://www.lament.us/oppo/) - he's put together a great little home for the hack.

Any time you install firmware it will completely replace the previous firmware. The hacked version currently being used is based on the firmware from last June (there's some good info on Lament's site about this).

I bought from Amazon but they had it back ordered for weeks so I canceled and bought from OPPO.
Ya me too. amazon said it was in stock so I ordered it and then wound up waiting 2 weeks. Still the free shipping was nice, otherwise it was $12 from OPPO.
I just wish Amazon would not say something is in stock when it isn't

Ya me too. amazon said it was in stock so I ordered it and then wound up waiting 2 weeks. Still the free shipping was nice, otherwise it was $12 from OPPO.
I just wish Amazon would not say something is in stock when it isn't
FWIW
Ordered late on a Friday from AV Science and got it on Monday with free shipping. Surprised more people don't use them. Especially since they are a forum supporter.

Lament has [link deleted] this link in his sig - he's put together a great little home for the hack.

Any time you install firmware it will completely replace the previous firmware. The hacked version currently being used is based on the firmware from last June (there's some good info on Lament's site about this).

Thanks for the quick response and the info.

Hay, maybe at this rate I'll be able to include links in my post

Am I dissapointed that there are issues? SURE! But I am MUCH MUCH MUCH more comfortable with the fact that it is being addressed...not so common with other companies that develop bugs. Plus, it is something I can live with for now...

Agreed. As I said, I like Oppo and recommend their products to my friends. If I ever get a 1080p television (mine is 720p), I will buy the 981HD the same day.

Ordered late on a Friday from AV Science and got it on Monday with free shipping. Surprised more people don't use them. Especially since they are a forum supporter.
WHERE is AV Science located..??... I couldn't find it on their web site, & they aren't open weekends. Can I ask you what AVS gets for the oppo-970..??... they don't list oppo players on their site:
http://www.avscience.com/products.htm
I would appreciate a private message on this, if you don't want to post prices on the forum... thankx...rob

Do I need to burn the firmware as a CD or DVD? I only have a CD burner. Thanks!

Ya me too. amazon said it was in stock so I ordered it and then wound up waiting 2 weeks. Still the free shipping was nice, otherwise it was $12 from OPPO.
I just wish Amazon would not say something is in stock when it isn't
I've long had the suspicion that if you ordered from amazon.com and asked for the free shipping, that they, by policy, wait at least one week to ship. I've seen this several times when I've ordered something shown as 'in stock' and used free shipping...the delay was always at least 7 days.

WHERE is AV Science located..??... I couldn't find it on their web site, & they aren't open weekends. Can I ask you what AVS gets for the oppo-970..??... they don't list oppo players on their site:
http://www.avscience.com/products.htm
I would appreciate a private message on this, if you don't want to post prices on the forum... thankx...rob

Evidently they still haven't bothered to list it on their website. Slack.

I bought mine straight from Oppo for two reasons. I've heard they're more supportive if the player has a problem and it was purchased directly from them and you don't experience the delays that Amazon incorporates into their "free" shipping.

regards, David

I ordered my 970 from Amazon.com on Wed, March 14, when they came back in stock there. I chose free shipping and to my surprise the box arrived at my home on Fri March 16. I never expected it that fast. It was a pleasant surprise. Glad I didn't pay extra for 2-day shipping.Track your package


Date...........Time..........Location...........Event Details
March 16, 2007 11:34:00 AM JEANNETTE PA US Delivered
March 16, 2007 01:36:00 AM NEW STANTON PA US Out for delivery
March 16, 2007 01:18:00 AM NEW STANTON PA US Arrival Scan
March 15, 2007 10:05:00 PM HARRISBURG PA US Departure Scan
March 15, 2007 09:37:00 PM HARRISBURG PA US Shipment picked up from seller's facility
March 15, 2007 06:26:48 PM US Carrier notified to pick up package

No SACD playback issues, but I'm using the analog outs.

I bought mine straight from Oppo for two reasons. I've heard they're more supportive if the player has a problem and it was purchased directly from them and you don't experience the delays that Amazon incorporates into their "free" shipping.
yeh... I hear ya... I wasn't thinking Amazon... 'Projector-People' in Florida are rated excellent in service thru Pricegrabber, & they sell the 970 for 25 bucks less than Oppo [with shipping added]... no idea how AVS prices/service compare.