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.

Interestingly, I just looked on pricegrabber, they were the only ones shown on pg and had the same price as OPPO.

I bought my 970 from AVS Site for $149 and that included shipping.

Interestingly, I just looked on pricegrabber, they were the only ones shown on pg and had the same price as OPPO.
I see that... I actually CALLED PP yesterday... he gave me 129+7 ship, which was the same $$ as their web site... I still have it written down; I was gonna order Monday, cuz it's my new visa cycle...big bummer... the shipping even went up a buck..!!

I received my OppoDV-970HD today[ordered it on Tuesday]the DVD-A playback's amazing but i'm not getting any audio from my SACD'S[probably because I don't have the unit fully hooked up yet.....baby steps].

You won't get SACD (or DVD-Audio to its full potential, for that matter) until you connect the 5.1 analog output. If you're still having problems after you do that, let us know...

Anyone know the remote control code for the OPPO 970HD using the VIP622 HD satelitte receiver from DishNetwork?

Watching Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark from the trilogy set at the moment, its a brand new DVD I bought last night. At the opening menu of the disc, and again at the 56 minute mark, the video slows drastically and begins to stutter, along with the audio - it takes a few minutes to get through a roughly 1 minute scene.

I have the audio output of the player connected to the receiver via S/PDIF coax, and during this stutter sequence I can see the receiver's audio mode flicker - I'm assuming because the DVD player is dropping the audio signal entirely so the receiver sees no input.

Anyone have any ideas? I'm guessing it may be a player setting conflict, though I have not changed any defaults from the factory (that I recall anyway, had the player 4 mos now).

Setup - Oppo out to Panasonic plasma TH42PX-60U and Onkyo receiver via HDMI and S/PDIF coax respectively.

Thanks

The only way to konw for sure is to buy or borrow another IJ&tRotLA dvd and see if it does it on that dvd as well. Most likely it IS the dvd and not the player. You could try other dvds also to see if you get any problems with those as well.

Does that sequence coincide with the layer shift of the DVD? My Oppos handle that much faster than my former Sony player, but your particular disc may have a flaw.

You guys are correct, the DVD is flawed.

The DVD stuttered again at the final ark scene, and the remainder of the movie was unwatchable. When I took the DVD out of the player there were several scratches on it. I unwrapped the DVD boxed set this morning just before watching, and the DVD went straight from the case to the player....having no issues with any other discs and not seeing any debris in the tray I'm hesitant to believe it's the Oppo, but proving that and exchanging for a new set may be challenging.

Anyway, thanks for the pointers and feedback.

New to this Forum and Thanks to everyone because of this Forum is the reason I decided to purchased this DVD player (I was going to wait for the new Phillips DVP5982 because my Toshiba SD-K860 is trash!) I'm expecting delivery of an Oppo 970HD on Tuesday (ordered it on Friday) from Amazon. I’ve been reading all over the Internet about a Firmware patch/hack that gets around the HDCP to allow up scaling via Component but just can’t seem to find it. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

I’ve been reading all over the Internet about a Firmware patch/hack that gets around the HDCP to allow up scaling via Component but just can’t seem to find it. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
There are oodles of posts in this thread that mention websites where you might find the component hack. By searching for "hack" you can find them. The Search Engine is your friend.

See this one, for example:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=9982655&highlight=hack#post9982655

shinksma

Thanks Shinksma for the quick assistance! I guess from what I've seen the latest version of this is based on the 613 Firmware, any Firmware version more recent? I can't wait and try this. I play alot of DIVX AVI movies. Can I assume that there is not encryption with DIVX that I'll be able to up scale without any problems? Thanks for the support!

Hey guys, quick question and I'm sorry if this has been covered in the previous 159 pages. I'm looking at getting the DV-970HD, but I was wondering about the USB port. Can you hook up an external hard drive through this? If so, how is playback of the files? Currently I have a DVP5960 which is okay and I'm looking to upgrade. Being able to play files off the hard drive is a huge feature for me. Thanks for the help.

Thanks Shinksma for the quick assistance! I guess from what I've seen the latest version of this is based on the 613 Firmware, any Firmware version more recent? I can't wait and try this. I play alot of DIVX AVI movies. Can I assume that there is not encryption with DIVX that I'll be able to up scale without any problems? Thanks for the support!

DivX and XviD cannot be upscaled with the Oppo.

DivX and XviD cannot be upscaled with the Oppo.
Mine does.

Hey guys, quick question and I'm sorry if this has been covered in the previous 159 pages. I'm looking at getting the DV-970HD, but I was wondering about the USB port. Can you hook up an external hard drive through this? If so, how is playback of the files? Currently I have a DVP5960 which is okay and I'm looking to upgrade. Being able to play files off the hard drive is a huge feature for me. Thanks for the help.


A FAT or FAT32 formatted drive can be read by the Oppo and will playback DivX/XviD and DVD files BUT the USB 1.1 port isn't fast enough to provide smooth PQ and sound. There's a ton of posts in this thread about it. 95% of them report stunted playback and I'll attest to it, too. I was very disappointed since I have an external USB drive and wanted to save on burning disks. Rewritable disks will have to be my way around it.

sync, how did you determine that .avi files are being upscaled? Upscaled to fit the screen maybe but not upconverted to a higher resolution. My poor choice of terms.

sync, how did you determine that .avi files are being upscaled? Upscaled to fit the screen maybe but not upconverted to a higher resolution. My poor choice of terms.
What is the difference between 'Upscaled to fit the screen' and 'upconverted to a higher resolution'? They sound like the same thing to me.

Upscaled is stretching the picture to fit a screen. Upconverted is increasing the resolution, e.g., from 480i to 720p.

How do you stretch a picture without increasing the resolution?

Upscaled is stretching the picture to fit a screen. Upconverted is increasing the resolution, e.g., from 480i to 720p.
No it's not, it's the same thing.

For the sake of argument, they are the same thing. How was it determined the Oppo upscales DivX?

How was it determined the Oppo upscales DivX?
I was doing it for a few days until I got tired of burning the discs. I did it with the tv set on 1:1 pixel mapping, so you can be sure it was the player and not the tv that was upscaling.

So has the hack that allows upconversion over component been updated with any more recent firmware?

Also, what's the best color space to use, the RGB or the other one (YCC 4:4:2 I think).

Thanks!

EDIT: I should also ask if it's possible to still change resolutions with the upconvert over component hack...and if so, how? Thanks again!

There has been no modern hack yet for component based upconversion.

To change component resolutions you will need to change the HDMI resolution. Press Eject then press the HDMI button to set the component and HDMI resolutions.

sync, how did you determine that .avi files are being upscaled? Upscaled to fit the screen maybe but not upconverted to a higher resolution. My poor choice of terms.

All contents are upsampled to the resolution of the DVD player output. The amount of sampling for DivX/XviD is lower than that of DVD material due to the lack of cadences and clearer defined pixels.

I have an Oppo DV-970HD playing on an Olevia 37" LCD. I have the Oppo hooked up via component and the picture looks terrible. I have it set to upconvert to 720P, the sets resolution, but all I get is artifacts and poor PQ. I tried hooking it up via HDMI and it was slightly better, but not much. For $150, I expected more. I contemplating trying to sell this and buy a Toshiba HD-DVD which can be had for $309, but would like to know if there is something else I could try to get the PQ better?

Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks

I have an Oppo DV-970HD playing on an Olevia 37" LCD. I have the Oppo hooked up via component and the picture looks terrible. I have it set to upconvert to 720P, the sets resolution, but all I get is artifacts and poor PQ. I tried hooking it up via HDMI and it was slightly better, but not much. For $150, I expected more. I contemplating trying to sell this and buy a Toshiba HD-DVD which can be had for $309, but would like to know if there is something else I could try to get the PQ better?

Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks
Did you try HDMI? I have the Oppo and an Olevia 337 and it looks great on HDMI.

I read briefly somewhere, likely in this thread, that DivX wasn't upscaled and from the times I burned disks and watched them, my feeling was that the Oppo wasn't doing anything with them. My bad. The only place I get decent to good quality with DivX/XviD is on a PC monitor (IMO).

I have an Oppo DV-970HD playing on an Olevia 37" LCD. I have the Oppo hooked up via component and the picture looks terrible. I have it set to upconvert to 720P, the sets resolution, but all I get is artifacts and poor PQ. I tried hooking it up via HDMI and it was slightly better, but not much. For $150, I expected more. I contemplating trying to sell this and buy a Toshiba HD-DVD which can be had for $309, but would like to know if there is something else I could try to get the PQ better?There is no reason you should not be able to get a good (if not great) picture. Call Oppo Customer Service -- they are top notch. If they can't fix it, they will exchange your unit. Don't give up without a fight -- Trust me, it's worth it!! :D

Did you try HDMI? I have the Oppo and an Olevia 337 and it looks great on HDMI.
I just thought of that yesterday, so I tried using the HDMI but the picture was only marginally better. the Olevia only has 1 HDMI port and I have the cablebox hooked up to that. If I did get a better picture with the HDMI I would buy an HDMI switcher. I will try calling Oppos customer service to see what they have to say.

I was surprised about the PQ, because most of what I heard about these players has been great.

I just thought of that yesterday, so I tried using the HDMI but the picture was only marginally better.
Do you have the tv set to 1:1 mode using the Aspect button?

[QUOTE=JohnnytheSkin]So has the hack that allows upconversion over component been updated with any more recent firmware?
QUOTE]

Here is the thread about updating the hack, if it ever happens...


http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=799121&page=1&pp=30

Do you have the tv set to 1:1 mode using the Aspect button?
I'm not sure. Would that make a big difference?

I did some searches on this thread and the Sammy HLSxx87w thread to find out the answer to my question, but haven't been able to find it yet. I tried 6187, HLSxx87, 6187w, xx87...

Anyway, I just purchased the Samsung HL-S6187w which is 1080p. Which would be the better player for me with the least amount of issues (macrovision), the Oppo DV981HD or the DV970HD? Any input from owners with this specific setup would be greatly appreciated.

*********EDITED - Added content below***********

I emailed Oppo directly. They suggested the DV970HD over the 981.
Ordered it from one of the AVS Alliance Members listed above for the regularly advertised price *shipped*. Should be here Friday.

I'm not sure. Would that make a big difference?
Yes. You want the tv to be in 1:1 pixel mapping mode so it doesn't rescale the image and mess it up.

Yes. You want the tv to be in 1:1 pixel mapping mode so it doesn't rescale the image and mess it up.
I'll give that a shot tonight. thanks

Do you have the tv set to 1:1 mode using the Aspect button?

SYNC - Is that setting sometimes called someting else in the TV Setup Menu? I do not remember seeing this option, by that name anyway, on my Toshiba 46HX83.
TKS Michael :confused:

SYNC - Is that setting sometimes called someting else in the TV Setup Menu? I do not remember seeing this option, by that name anyway, on my Toshiba 46HX83.
TKS Michael :confused:
Not every tv has 1:1 pixel mapping. It may only apply to LCD tvs, but I'm not sure.

I am a new Oppo 970 owner and so far all the hype on this product is holding it’s own on my Sharp LCD. The picture is fantastic. I had recently emailed some general questions to their customer service department about processing, resolution output, and DivX support and so forth, and they have been responding almost within a few hours each time. I am really impressed. Here is some of that dialog for new owners…hopefully they don’t mind. :)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: I was interested in knowing what version of DivX the Oppo DV-970HD player supports. I have recently tried burning a DVD that contains a high-def version of DivX 5/6 and it plays the audio fine, but not the video.
A: We support DivX 5.1 natively, though this is backwards compatible. With DivX 6.0. Unfortunately we have a resolution limit of 720x480 pixels. If the encode is larger than this, then the DVD player will not be able to decode the video.

Q: Is this "resolution limit" true for all of your Oppo DVD players?
A: This is a limitation of all of our DVD units.

Q: It seems reasonable that since you are upconverting all the way to 1080p (e.g. 981HD player), that there would be a way to read the extra resolution and use the information for HD display purposes.
A: There is not enough processing power to decode a natively high resolution image. The Faroudja chipset is designed for processing a decoded video only.

Q: Will any non-Blueray or non-HDDVD Oppo players be able to process this high resolution signal as contained in formats such as WMVHD, DivXHD, or H.264?
A: There are some DVD players on the market by Helios, I/O Data, and Toshiba which support your HD formats. However, these players are either expensive or are not good for DVD playback. You can see a small list of available units at the Divx website

Best Regards,

Customer Service
OPPO Digital, Inc.
453 Ravendale Dr, Suite D
Mountain View, CA 94043

I have an Oppo DV-970HD playing on an Olevia 37" LCD....
I have that setup for my bedroom. The picture quality from the Oppo is very nice running via an HDMI cable. I do not use the 1:1 mapping, allowing the Olevia to scale the 720p upconverted signal from the player. My Motorola cable box uses the component set, and I prefer the picture it gives being somewhat smoother on standard def programming, and very little difference vs HDMI for the high def stuff. If you are not getting a really nice picture from the player, it is either your picture settings, or there may be a problem with your particular player. Where do you have the "sharpness" set, and have you turned off all the picture enhancements in the Idea area??? If you switch to HDMI, those enhancements aren't available anyway. Sharpness should be turned down to about 15-20% for a smoother picture without artifacts.

Perhaps this a silly question, but it is regarding the "hack" and component inputs. My Mitsubishi WS-55859 has only IEEE-1394 ("firewire"). It doesn't have HDMI or DVI.

It has one HD input that I'm using for HD digital cable.

It has two component inputs that are described as "High Resolution Inputs." One of those I've been using for my DVD player. The other is for an X-Box. (So, essentially 480P).

Can I utilize the non-HD component input I'm currently using for my DVD player for upconversion via the "hack"? I wasn't sure if I had to hook up a "hacked" Oppo to a HD input in order to get the upconversion. Am I left having to find a component video switch so I can use both the HD digital cable and the "hacked" Oppo?

Thanks in advance!

OK, I tried again using a 2.35:1 DVD. When the HDTV is set to 16:9 I got
black bars top and bottom. If I set the HDTV to 'zoom 1' and the 790HD
is set to 480p the entire screen is used. If I set the 790HD to 720p or
1080i while still using 'zoom 1' I get a black bar at the bottom of the
screen, approximately 1" high.

Would someone email me the vertical squeeze fixing FIRMWARE, thanks.

jringer3 AT gmail DOT com

OK, I tried again using a 2.35:1 DVD. When the HDTV is set to 16:9 I got
black bars top and bottom.

Isn't that the correct behavior?

-Bill

Isn't that the correct behavior?

-Bill

Yes, but look at the part you didn't quote. if I hit the 'zoom' button on the HDTV I get a thin black bar on the bottom of the screen when the OPPO is outputting 720p or 1080i, it's fine using 480p.

I have that setup for my bedroom. The picture quality from the Oppo is very nice running via an HDMI cable. I do not use the 1:1 mapping, allowing the Olevia to scale the 720p upconverted signal from the player. My Motorola cable box uses the component set, and I prefer the picture it gives being somewhat smoother on standard def programming, and very little difference vs HDMI for the high def stuff. If you are not getting a really nice picture from the player, it is either your picture settings, or there may be a problem with your particular player. Where do you have the "sharpness" set, and have you turned off all the picture enhancements in the Idea area??? If you switch to HDMI, those enhancements aren't available anyway. Sharpness should be turned down to about 15-20% for a smoother picture without artifacts.
Hmm, I'll have to fiddle around with the settings. I will try switching teh cablebox to component and using the Oppo with HDMI. Thanks

Just received my 970HD from Amazon (ordered on April 6th, delivered on the 10th). Box states Ver. 2.5 and has the latest 4A-0111 Firmware. Looks great, much better than the Toshiba SD-K860 I'm replacing. I have it connected via Component to a Toshiba 36HF12 HD CRT TV (no HDMI). Set the 970HD to 1080i and played a copy of "The 10 Commandments", it's awesome, the colors are so vivid. Very much pleased! Thanks again to everyone posting in this forum, you helped me make an excellent purchase decision!

Ordered mine today from my CC using reward points. Tried to go with here, avscience, but CC wouldn't do it because of BBB (even so it was less points). Agreed to go with OEM instead.

Thanx to all and their feedback.

Just received my 970HD from Amazon (ordered on April 6th, delivered on the 10th). Box states Ver. 2.5 and has the latest 4A-0111 Firmware. Looks great, much better than the Toshiba SD-K860 I'm replacing. I have it connected via Component to a Toshiba 36HF12 HD CRT TV (no HDMI). Set the 970HD to 1080i and played a copy of "The 10 Commandments", it's awesome, the colors are so vivid. Very much pleased! Thanks again to everyone posting in this forum, you helped me make an excellent purchase decision!

I thought you could not get 1080i thru component outputs

per there website:
Q: Does the DV-970HD support up-conversion over its component output?
A: The DV-970HD offers limited up-conversion over its component output. Currently, the DVD player manufacturer's license does not allow high-definition up-converted video output through the component video interface for CSS-encrypted contents. We must comply with this requirement. As a result, all CSS-encrypted contents (almost all commercially pressed DVDs) will be limited to 480i/480p (576i/576p for PAL) output over component. The DV-970HD only supports up-conversion over component output for non-encrypted contents, such as home video DVDs.

Quick question, I have a Sony E2000 and this DVD player hooked up over HDMI. The sony outputs the audio over optical out into my receiver. The receiver is set to audo detect the signal and switch modes, when on the TV optical in it stays on PCM 2 channel. When I hook up the DVD player via coaxial it picks up the digital 5.1 or DTS just fine.

I don't think its the TV outputting wrong because it switches fine when on HDTV and the audio is 5.1

So what do I need to do, it is a pain to switch inputs on the Receiver when I want to play a DVD.

Just received my 970HD from Amazon (ordered on April 6th, delivered on the 10th). Box states Ver. 2.5 and has the latest 4A-0111 Firmware. Looks great, much better than the Toshiba SD-K860 I'm replacing. I have it connected via Component to a Toshiba 36HF12 HD CRT TV (no HDMI). Set the 970HD to 1080i and played a copy of "The 10 Commandments", it's awesome, the colors are so vivid. Very much pleased! Thanks again to everyone posting in this forum, you helped me make an excellent purchase decision!

Did it come in a plane brown box? My 971 came in a nice glossy box. Not a big deal as long as it's not a refurb.

Hi Luke D, the 970HD hardware is capable, but it's the media managing/controlling the resolution in the example given, so address the media issue and the 970HD will take care of the rest.

Hi AUS, Mines came in Retail box with all of the features and logos on it. When I opened it up I did check for fingerprints, any wear on the connection and packaging. Everything was brand new, clean and clear. I heard of others experienced and was on the look out. Very happy with my purchase.

Quick question, I have a Sony E2000 and this DVD player hooked up over HDMI. The sony outputs the audio over optical out into my receiver. The receiver is set to audo detect the signal and switch modes, when on the TV optical in it stays on PCM 2 channel. When I hook up the DVD player via coaxial it picks up the digital 5.1 or DTS just fine.

I don't think its the TV outputting wrong because it switches fine when on HDTV and the audio is 5.1

So what do I need to do, it is a pain to switch inputs on the Receiver when I want to play a DVD.
No TVs I know of pass through 5.1 that's coming in through HDMI. They only output 5.1 from the built-in tuner, as you noticed. Your receiver has multiple inputs for a reason, so use them.

All you guys listening to music via hdmi?


Tony

No TVs I know of pass through 5.1 that's coming in through HDMI. They only output 5.1 from the built-in tuner, as you noticed. Your receiver has multiple inputs for a reason, so use them.My cheap 32" Sceptre LCD does pass through 5.1 through the HDMI and this Oppo 970.

No TVs I know of pass through 5.1 that's coming in through HDMI. They only output 5.1 from the built-in tuner, as you noticed. Your receiver has multiple inputs for a reason, so use them.

Any way to turn the audio off on the HDMI? Its confusing for my wife when she changes the input and the audio is coming out, but really its stereo so she doesn't know better to hit the DVD button on the Tuner. If there was no audio she would do it every time.

Any way to turn the audio off on the HDMI? Its confusing for my wife when she changes the input and the audio is coming out, but really its stereo so she doesn't know better to hit the DVD button on the Tuner. If there was no audio she would do it every time.

Get a remote like the Logitech Harmony 880 and build a macro (takes 10 secs with their web interface) so that all you/your wife has to do is hit "watch movie" or "watch tv" and it will do everything for you!

:)

I have a Harmony 8 something and it sits in a drawer because we both prefer the TiVo remote for our S3 and it can do everything I need besides the DVD input :(

Any way to turn the audio off on the HDMI? Its confusing for my wife when she changes the input and the audio is coming out, but really its stereo so she doesn't know better to hit the DVD button on the Tuner. If there was no audio she would do it every time.

Yes you can turn HDMI audio off. How to do it is on p31 of the manual.

Hmm, I'll have to fiddle around with the settings. I will try switching teh cablebox to component and using the Oppo with HDMI. Thanks
Last night I switched the Oppo to HDMI and the cablebox to component. I did not notice any difference in PQ when watching TV, but DVDs do look a little better now. I also tried adjusting the picture controls a bit using a THX Optomizer, but didn't notice anything too dramatic. Overrall the picture is better, but not amazing like some people describe. I tried all the different aspect ratios on the TV too and settled on aspect as it looks the closest to what the screen size should be.

The picture looks clearer now, but colors just don't seem vibrant. Up close I can see little dots all over the screen that seem to take awy from the colors and whites.

Quick question, I have a Sony E2000 and this DVD player hooked up over HDMI. The sony outputs the audio over optical out into my receiver. The receiver is set to audo detect the signal and switch modes, when on the TV optical in it stays on PCM 2 channel. When I hook up the DVD player via coaxial it picks up the digital 5.1 or DTS just fine.

I don't think its the TV outputting wrong because it switches fine when on HDTV and the audio is 5.1

So what do I need to do, it is a pain to switch inputs on the Receiver when I want to play a DVD.I had answered earlier that my TV does pass through the 5.1 audio to my cheap Sony receiver. However, my TV defaults to PCM 2 channel even though I set it for 'bit stream' whatever that is that seems to get the 5.1 I desire. So on my cheap TV, I need to toggle the option from PCM to Bit Stream before my receiver 'sees' the 5.1 whenever I use this Oppo 970. When I watch HD channels with 5.1 sound, I don't have to go through this annoying step. At least it does work. Can't say it will work for your TV.

"so address the media issue and the 970HD will take care of the rest."

So 'The Ten Commandments' then does not have copy protection built into the disc, correct?

I thought you could not get 1080i thru component outputs

With the shipped firmware, that is true. The hacked firmware allows upconversion over component. But the hack is based on an older firmware.

All you guys listening to music via hdmi?
Tony
Some are and some aren't. Many people here have no HDMI inputs on their equipment.

I use HDMI exclusively into an AVP. I'm thrilled with the picture and audio quality. For me, it's a decisive step up from component and optical or analog audio.

I thought you could not get 1080i thru component outputsWith the shipped firmware, that is true. The hacked firmware allows upconversion over component. But the hack is based on an older firmware. Note that upconversion over component also works for unencrypted material, in all firmware versions.

Is it correct that the upconversion component hack will only work on your television's component inputs designed for HD (either 780x or 1080x)? In other words, it won't upconvert the signal through a component input designed for 480P/I?

Note that upconversion over component also works for unencrypted material, in all firmware versions.
Is it correct that the upconversion component hack will only work on your television's component inputs designed for HD (either 780x or 1080x)? In other words, it won't upconvert the signal through a component input designed for 480P/I?

Is it correct that the upconversion component hack will only work on your television's component inputs designed for HD (either 780x or 1080x)? In other words, it won't upconvert the signal through a component input designed for 480P/I?
If your TV's input will not accept 720p or 1080i resolutions, then there's nothing the player can do about it - the only way to get any video through inputs limited to 480p would be to send the TV a signal at that resolution or lower. Anything higher will be ignored by the TV.

If your TV's input will not accept 720p or 1080i resolutions, then there's nothing the player can do about it - the only way to get any video through inputs limited to 480p would be to send the TV a signal at that resolution or lower. Anything higher will be ignored by the TV.

I burned the hack for this player, but during the firmware upgrade I'm getting a CHECKSUM FAILED prompt right at the start of the FILE COPYING stage...i'm using a CD-RW disc and the 935.bin file...not working...anyone have a hacked file that has already been used and works? Please PM, much appreciated.

Yes you can turn HDMI audio off. How to do it is on p31 of the manual.

I don't see anything on page 31

I don't see anything on page 31Yeah, it's really hard to spot. :rolleyes: Looks to me like the last bullet point under #8 on page 31 covers its pretty clearly.

8. HDMI Audio: To select digital audio output from the HDMI port. The options are:
• Multi-Channel - ...

• SPDIF - ...

• Off – No digital audio output via HDMI.

I burned the hack for this player, but during the firmware upgrade I'm getting a CHECKSUM FAILED prompt right at the start of the FILE COPYING stage...i'm using a CD-RW disc and the 935.bin file...not working...anyone have a hacked file that has already been used and works? Please PM, much appreciated.

Checksum errors are caused either by a bad firmware download or a bad burn.

Try downloading the file again.

If you are using Nero, ensure that you are using Disc At Once and not Track At Once as your burn type. Use a slow burn speed like 4x.

You may also want to try the freeware program Burn At Once (http://www.download.com/Burnatonce/3000-2646_4-10527231.html?tag=lst-0-1)

Did you uncompress the file and burn it to the CD as an ISO file???

Yeah, it's really hard to spot. :rolleyes: Looks to me like the last bullet point under #8 on page 31 covers its pretty clearly.

8. HDMI Audio: To select digital audio output from the HDMI port. The options are:
• Multi-Channel - ...

• SPDIF - ...

• Off – No digital audio output via HDMI.

Thanks! but that is my page 38 ;)

Thanks! but that is my page 38 ;)

Now I've got to figure out what I'm missing. My manual ends on p36. Sorry about that. :o

Did you uncompress the file and burn it to the CD as an ISO file???

Uncompress??? It is a 935.bin file format, is that uncompressed? if not, how to?
Thanks.

Did you uncompress the file and burn it to the CD as an ISO file???If he hadn't burned the ISO correctly he wouldn't have gotten to the Checksum Failed part. It's one of the things Neuromancer mentioned: Bad download or incorrect burn parameters, most likely the latter, or possibly bad RAM on the burner machine (although he probably would have noticed that).

If he hadn't burned the ISO correctly he wouldn't have gotten to the Checksum Failed part. It's one of the things Neuromancer mentioned: Bad download or incorrect burn parameters, most likely the latter, or possibly bad RAM on the burner machine (although he probably would have noticed that).

I've had two separate members PM the same ISO file, a 613AMOD and I didn't get either to work. I'm going to try NERO, I guess, or are you saying that my CDR drive may have a problem with burning onto CD? All burns were successful, showing a .BIN file. What are the likely burn parameters that should be checked or unchecked?

I've had two separate members PM the same ISO file, a 613AMOD and I didn't get either to work. I'm going to try NERO, I guess, or are you saying that my CDR drive may have a problem with burning onto CD? All burns were successful, showing a .BIN file. What are the likely burn parameters that should be checked or unchecked?Like Neuro said, make sure you use Disk At Once and don't burn at MAX speed.

Thanks! but that is my page 38 ;)Well, glad that's sorted out then. Page 31 for some of us and page 38 for others. At least you now have the answer to your question. :)

Thanks to Crometus, a "Firmware Modification Tool" is now available to patch official 970HD firmware for up-conversion over component.

Neuromancer and others have confirmed that it works, but as always, proceed at your own risk.

See this thread: OPPO Digital DV-970HD: up-conversion patch (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=832356).

Gary

H E L P!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am so confused by all these posts. I try to make sense of them, but they are way way over my head. I guess you no longer just plug in,connect the pieces, and go.....

I just received my Onkyo 674 S, and Oppo 970 HD is arriving via Fed Ex April 13.

At present, I have my Sony 40 XBR2 connected to a DVR recorder via HDMI. The picture is great, and so is the sound. I want to keep it this way so when I watch regular TV, I do not need to have my Onkyo on. I want to use the Onkyo and Oppo for movies.

What is the best way for me to connect the Oppo to the Onkyo and then to the Sony. I have purchased HDMI and component cables from monoprice in anticipation of a complicated setup.

Also, I noted that there is no code for the Oppo 970 to program into the Onkyo's remote controller. Any help with that would also be appreciated.

I live in Sarasota, and short of getting help from some of your posts, maybe I should invite one or more of you folks for dinner so that you can set me up!! Ha Ha

Thanks

Lenore

It's really not complicated, but I would suggest that if you have only one HDMI port on that set, that you use it for the Oppo, and then connect the cable box to the set with the component feeds. Sometimes this manner gets a better picture for standard def programming since it somewhat smooths it out. And then, you can use the Oppo as an upconverting player without a need to reinstall the firmware, setting the Oppo to send a 720p signal to the Sony. From the back of the Oppo, run a "toslink" fiber optic cable to your receiver, into the DVD audio port. The receiver will then get a digital audio signal to decode in whatever type it is and you'll hear the best audio for the movies. From the back of the Oppo, run the HDMI cable directly to the Sony. From the back of the cable box, run the 5 RCA component cables to the Sony, making sure to distinguish the red video cable from the red audio cable. You'll have red, green and blue video and red and white audio. From the back of the cable box run another toslink fiber optic cable to the TV audio input at the back of the receiver. This way, should you care to, you can listen to the surround sound for TV should you care to for those channels transmitting 5.1 Dolby audio. Monoprice.com is a good source for inexpensive yet good cables if you want to order on-line.

Okay. After reading a lot of the posts, I went ahead and got the 970HD player. After i set it up and selected the 1080i feed, i sat back and waited for the excellent picture to begin. Unfortunately, it wasnt as good as hoped. I have a Mits CRT HD tv and when i put it on 1080i, i get a bunch of lines sporadically(sp) going through the picture. Kind of like the lines you see in old black and white movies or even the stuff that you see in the movie theaters. When i back it down to 480p, i dont see those lines. Has anyone had this happen before. Am i hosed. Anything i can do to correct it.

Thanks,

Steve

Okay. After reading a lot of the posts, I went ahead and got the 970HD player. After i set it up and selected the 1080i feed, i sat back and waited for the excellent picture to begin. Unfortunately, it wasnt as good as hoped. I have a Mits CRT HD tv and when i put it on 1080i, i get a bunch of lines sporadically(sp) going through the picture. Kind of like the lines you see in old black and white movies or even the stuff that you see in the movie theaters. When i back it down to 480p, i dont see those lines. Has anyone had this happen before. Am i hosed. Anything i can do to correct it.

Thanks,

Steve
More information would be a good start :) What type of connection?

Okay. After reading a lot of the posts, I went ahead and got the 970HD player. After i set it up and selected the 1080i feed, i sat back and waited for the excellent picture to begin. Unfortunately, it wasnt as good as hoped. I have a Mits CRT HD tv and when i put it on 1080i, i get a bunch of lines sporadically(sp) going through the picture. Kind of like the lines you see in old black and white movies or even the stuff that you see in the movie theaters. When i back it down to 480p, i dont see those lines. Has anyone had this happen before. Am i hosed. Anything i can do to correct it.

Thanks,

SteveI had a similar problem with my Toshiba RP HDTV. In 1080i the picture became unstable (but not in 480p). I think it has been noted that the 970 component output is too hot. Turning down the Brightness (-3) in the setup menu fixed the problem for me. I did try lowering Contrast first but it didn't seem to have an effect. After that I recalibrated with AVIA and PQ is great.

More information would be a good start :) What type of connection?

Sorry. I am using the HDMI input.

Steve

I had a similar problem with my Toshiba RP HDTV. In 1080i the picture became unstable (but not in 480p). I think it has been noted that the 970 component output is too hot. Turning down the Brightness (-3) in the setup menu fixed the problem for me. I did try lowering Contrast first but it didn't seem to have an effect. After that I recalibrated with AVIA and PQ is great.

which tosh rptv? All the reviews say the 970's outputs are right on (via hdmi). upconverted component is coming directly from the hdmi output (add d/A). I had my 970 with original hacked firmware running on a tosh 50hx81 and didn't notice anything odd in terms of levels. In fact it was really close to my lg 418.

Glad you got it setup though.

Best,
jeff

which tosh rptv? All the reviews say the 970's outputs are right on (via hdmi). upconverted component is coming directly from the hdmi output (add d/A). I had my 970 with original hacked firmware running on a tosh 50hx81 and didn't notice anything odd in terms of levels. In fact it was really close to my lg 418.

Glad you got it setup though.

Best,
jeff53UWX10B. The convergence IC's blew on it a while back and I replaced them with NTE7178's instead of STK392-110's. Maybe they are less tolerant? But I have no problems with my HD DirecTivo or XBOX 360.

http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/cgi-bin/shootout.cgi?function=search&articles=all&type=&manufacturer=68&maxprice=0&deInt=0&mpeg=0

If you skip down toward the end there's a paragraph that starts with "Another issue I found when I initially got the player was the default white level for the component outputs."

Incidentally, in the release notes of the 3A-0916 firmware it says:
"The factory default contrast setting for component video output is slighted adjusted (tuned down to approximately -3 level of the previous firmware 1A-0526). This adjustment brings the default contrast for component video output to standard level and make it consistent with the HDMI output."

However I have have not found this to be the case with the later firmware I'm using. Everything was at zero by default. Is this a regression in the firmware code or just a glitch with my 970?

The contrast levels should have remained the same with all firmware 3A-0916 and older. All firmware is recursive and contains all the previous fixes and enhancements.

Got the 970 yesterday and I'm really happy with the unit. I have a very large collection of copied DVD movies recorded using different brands of blank DVD+r discs. Movies that were hard to play back on my old Toshiba SD-5700 proved no problem with the 970, they were recorded using Sony, Memorex, etc. Then I picked a movie recorded on Verbatim DVD+r 16x media, and the player read "no disk", which plays with no problem on the Toshiba. Tried five other Verbatim recorded movies and the same thing occurs. I did a search on this tread and noticed that no one else seems to be having a problem viewing with this media. I then tried changing the region code to zero, but that didn't help. The firmware on the unit is the most recent one. All of my movie backups are clean and scratch free. :cool:

What are you guys setting your volume at? I guessing you guys leave a desire volume on the dvd player and adjust it at the receiver level.

I have mine up to 18.


Tony

Anything but zero for me, I'm using optical out.

Okay. After reading a lot of the posts, I went ahead and got the 970HD player. After i set it up and selected the 1080i feed, i sat back and waited for the excellent picture to begin. Unfortunately, it wasnt as good as hoped. I have a Mits CRT HD tv and when i put it on 1080i, i get a bunch of lines sporadically(sp) going through the picture. Kind of like the lines you see in old black and white movies or even the stuff that you see in the movie theaters. When i back it down to 480p, i dont see those lines. Has anyone had this happen before. Am i hosed. Anything i can do to correct it.

Thanks,

Steve

I got those same kind of interferance lines at all resolutions when I first installed the latest firmware. The solution was to open the tray and press the HDMI button on the remote with the tray open (I can't remember if it took one press, or if I had to cycle through all the resolutions).

H E L P!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am so confused by all these posts. I try to make sense of them, but they are way way over my head. I guess you no longer just plug in,connect the pieces, and go.....

I just received my Onkyo 674 S, and Oppo 970 HD is arriving via Fed Ex April 13.

At present, I have my Sony 40 XBR2 connected to a DVR recorder via HDMI. The picture is great, and so is the sound. I want to keep it this way so when I watch regular TV, I do not need to have my Onkyo on. I want to use the Onkyo and Oppo for movies.

What is the best way for me to connect the Oppo to the Onkyo and then to the Sony. I have purchased HDMI and component cables from monoprice in anticipation of a complicated setup.

Also, I noted that there is no code for the Oppo 970 to program into the Onkyo's remote controller. Any help with that would also be appreciated.

I live in Sarasota, and short of getting help from some of your posts, maybe I should invite one or more of you folks for dinner so that you can set me up!! Ha Ha

Thanks

Lenore
It's really not complicated, but I would suggest that if you have only one HDMI port on that set, that you use it for the Oppo, and then connect the cable box to the set with the component feeds. Sometimes this manner gets a better picture for standard def programming since it somewhat smooths it out. And then, you can use the Oppo as an upconverting player without a need to reinstall the firmware, setting the Oppo to send a 720p signal to the Sony. From the back of the Oppo, run a "toslink" fiber optic cable to your receiver, into the DVD audio port. The receiver will then get a digital audio signal to decode in whatever type it is and you'll hear the best audio for the movies. From the back of the Oppo, run the HDMI cable directly to the Sony. From the back of the cable box, run the 5 RCA component cables to the Sony, making sure to distinguish the red video cable from the red audio cable. You'll have red, green and blue video and red and white audio. From the back of the cable box run another toslink fiber optic cable to the TV audio input at the back of the receiver. This way, should you care to, you can listen to the surround sound for TV should you care to for those channels transmitting 5.1 Dolby audio. Monoprice.com is a good source for inexpensive yet good cables if you want to order on-line.
Excellent thread!

I am looking at picking up a 970HD. It seems awesome.

I am like Lenore, with a little variation.

I have the following:
Sony KDF-E42A10 HDTV
Pioneer Elite VSX-82TSX Receiver
Tivo Series 3

I have only had the receiver hooked up for a week or 2 and I am struggling to figure out how to do what I would like to do.

I currently have HDMI from Tivo to TV and optical from Tivo to AVR.

Like Lenore, I have HDMI out of Tivo to TV. I prefer not to have the Pioneer on for "regular" TV viewing.

Unlike Lenore I would love to have the option to Listen to HD programming, both Live and Tivo'd through the AVR as well.
The TV has 1 HDMI in.

What I guess I am trying to accomplish is a way to use the simplicity of HDMI connections and switching through the AVR, but also be able to maintain all Tivo functions without having to turn on the AVR for "regular" TV viewing.

I have no problem following Jim Hef's instructions, but I am unclear as to if that will work for what I am trying to do.

Run Tivo component video and analog audio -->TV, Oppo HDMI-->AVR, Tivo SPDIF (or HDMI)-->AVR and AVR HDMI-->TV. This has the extra benefit of not needing to run 5.1. analog cables from the Oppo to the AVR, if you ever need to listen to multichannel audio formats.

Edit: After reading Jim Hef's post, it appears that he said pretty much the same thing, except in a few more words.

Run Tivo component video and analog audio -->TV, Oppo HDMI-->AVR, Tivo SPDIF (or HDMI)-->AVR and AVR HDMI-->TV. This has the extra benefit of not needing to run 5.1. analog cables from the Oppo to the AVR, if you ever need to listen to multichannel audio formats.

Edit: After reading Jim Hef's post, it appears that he said pretty much the same thing, except in a few more words.
Not exactly, I think he has the Oppo HDMI-->TV.

My question is will the Tivo HDMI to AVR still allow Tivo component video and analog audio -->TV to still work with AVR off.

Not exactly, I think he has the Oppo HDMI-->TV.Not exactly, but mostly :) . I prefer my way, because of multichannel audio.
My question is will the Tivo HDMI to AVR still allow Tivo component video and analog audio -->TV to still work with AVR off.I don't see why not, although I would check in the Tivo section to make sure. I do this with my E* ViP 622, which even outputs simultaneously on all audio/video outputs.

...it appears that he said pretty much the same thing, except in a few more words.
I need to learn the --> shortcuts!!! :D

Which way should I go? Which way should I go? :D

I got those same kind of interferance lines at all resolutions when I first installed the latest firmware. The solution was to open the tray and press the HDMI button on the remote with the tray open (I can't remember if it took one press, or if I had to cycle through all the resolutions).


Wierd. But i will try it. I did talk to the customer service people. They told me to uplug my cable tv from the TV. Like that is a real solution. But I tried it. Didnt work. The told me to plug my DVD into a separate recepticle box than the one my TV was plugged into. Didnt work. They told my to try a new cable. So i went Walmart, bought a 30 dollar cable and tried it. Wahlah....no more shooting stars, but i am out 30 bucks for the cable. I will try your suggestion with the old cable and see if it works. Then i can take the cable back to walmart.

By the way, the picture does look very nice without the lines.

Steve

I need to learn the --> shortcuts!!! :D:D To be fair, your post wasn't directed to someone with an HDMI switching receiver, so we're ITA ;)

Wierd. But i will try it. I did talk to the customer service people. They told me to uplug my cable tv from the TV. Like that is a real solution. But I tried it. Didnt work. The told me to plug my DVD into a separate recepticle box than the one my TV was plugged into. Didnt work. They told my to try a new cable. So i went Walmart, bought a 30 dollar cable and tried it. Wahlah....no more shooting stars, but i am out 30 bucks for the cable. I will try your suggestion with the old cable and see if it works. Then i can take the cable back to walmart.

By the way, the picture does look very nice without the lines.

SteveSeems to me that if the cable you received from Oppo is defective they would just replace it for you with a good one -- without you needing to spend $30 at WalMart. But if you do need to buy your own you can't beat the prices at monoprice.com. They have a 28AWG, 6 ft HDMI cable for just over $5 and a high quality 24AWG, 6 ft, CLP rated cable for about $18. http://www.monoprice.com/products/subdepartment.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10240&style=

... To be fair, your post wasn't directed to someone with an HDMI switching receiver....
And mine isn't one either, but I'm trying hard to justify the cost of a 7.1 switching device now...Denon here I come!!!

Got the player today and have alot set up but am having a small problem. Can someone PLEASE help me out?

I installed the Component hack and made the player region 0 (this is so I can play anthing right?) but when I press the HDMI button on the remote it stays at 480p and WONT let me go to anything else. What am I doing wrong?

I should note that I have:

MVER: 05.00.01.07 Batch: 1A-0613

Someone.... help.....

Thanks everyone for your help. I bought the 970 to replace my Philips Q50 with Faroudja chip that died on me. The 970 with firmware hack to allow upconvert through component is an excellent and inexpensive replacement. Couldn't have done it without you. Thank you.

The 13th Warrior. Try first stopping playback of the DVD, and then press the HDMI button to cycle through the output settings.

Thanks alot! THats the way to do it!

It's been awhile I posted here. Is there any news on a firmware [other then the beta] that addresses the vertical shrinking when the player is set to 720p and 1080i?
thanks!

Don't think so, OPPO just emailed me the beta yesterday.

Jim,

Many thanks for answering my post. I do not want to appear dense, but I read your instructions, and then I saw the post by tase2.

I see how to connect the Oppo to the Sony and the Oppo to the Onkyo 764 for viewing movies.

The Sony has 2 rear HDMI inputs, so while I will use one coming from the Oppo, can I use the other coming from the DVR and simply connect to the Sony, or do you still recommend connecting via component?

Like tease2, I also would like the option of heraring the TV through the AVR should I be watching a movie coming over the cable in real time or when using the DVR to replay a movie that I missed.

I still do not see how I would do that.

In other words (I do not want to be confusing), I would like to do 3 things

Making the connections so I can listen and watch DVD's using all 3 componets

Making the connections so I can listen and watch regular TV using ONLY the Sony

Making the connections so I can use the Sony and the AVR to listen to movies coming through the DVR

Is it possible to do all 3 of these things?

Thanks

Lenore

It's been awhile I posted here. Is there any news on a firmware [other then the beta] that addresses the vertical shrinking when the player is set to 720p and 1080i?
thanks!

No official fix yet, just the beta is all I have read about. I have my DV970HD disconnected until an official fix for this one is ready. Great player otherwise and my favorite, but that issue started to annoy me.

Chris

one thing i tried to do the past few days is burn a cd with wav files on em and im getting an 'un disc' on the display. just wondering has anyone had that similar problem? with the amount of details here in this thread i cant recall seeing anything about that....

...Making the connections so I can listen and watch DVD's using all 3 componets
Making the connections so I can listen and watch regular TV using ONLY the Sony
Making the connections so I can use the Sony and the AVR to listen to movies coming through the DVR ....
Yes, you can do all those things with the hook-ups as described above, and no, you don't need to use the component since you have two HDMI connections. running the toslink cables from the cable box/DVR and from the DVD player, you'll be able to listen to surround sound with either the TV or the DVD player, just by making the proper selection of the audio input at the receiver. You'll also just be able to listen to the built-in speakers of the TV at any time. What you'll need to do when you want the surround sound is to just turn down the TV's internal speakers to 0, and then enjoy the film! Not knowing the model of your cable box/DVR, I can only assume that is has the standard toslink connector. Let us know if it does. If not, perhaps the Sony has a pass-through of the Dolby sound carried by the HDMI, and then you would need to run the toslink cable from the TV to the receiver.

Yes, you can do all those things with the hook-ups as described above, and no, you don't need to use the component since you have two HDMI connections. running the toslink cables from the cable box/DVR and from the DVD player, you'll be able to listen to surround sound with either the TV or the DVD player, just by making the proper selection of the audio input at the receiver. You'll also just be able to listen to the built-in speakers of the TV at any time. What you'll need to do when you want the surround sound is to just turn down the TV's internal speakers to 0, and then enjoy the film! Not knowing the model of your cable box/DVR, I can only assume that is has the standard toslink connector. Let us know if it does. If not, perhaps the Sony has a pass-through of the Dolby sound carried by the HDMI, and then you would need to run the toslink cable from the TV to the receiver.
Thanks Jim & Lenore for continuing the discussion.

For my situation, I want all the above as well except I only have 1 HDMI on my Sony.

What would be your recommendation?

I have the same problem, so I use the component inputs of the display for the cable box, and let the Oppo have the HDMI. Doing so runs the cable box audio as analog RCAs, and then I run a toslink to the receiver from the cable box to get surround sound when I want it.

one thing i tried to do the past few days is burn a cd with wav files on em and im getting an 'un disc' on the display. just wondering has anyone had that similar problem? with the amount of details here in this thread i cant recall seeing anything about that....

WAV is not currently supported. This is something that isn't in the software due to licensing issues with MS.

Just got the last piece of my system installed today - so here's my problem.

I'm running an Oppo 970 through a Yamaha RX-V2600 to a Panasonic TH-50PH9UK using HDMI cables. Well, I'm trying to - I get audio, confirming that the connections are good... but I get a "NO SIGNAL" message on the TV, indicating it's not getting a video signal.

I'm also using an HDMI connection to output from my DTV HR20 to the Yamaha to the Panasonic, and it works flawlessly.

Just to check, I've hooked up the Component Video cables between the Oppo and Yamaha, but still using the HDMI connection to the TV, and that works fine - but I have no audio - apparently, you can't use component video & HDMI audio.

Sooooo... what are my options? Are there things I can try to make the HDMI work between the Oppo and Yamaha? I'd prefer to make that work, for countless reasons.

Any help is appreciated...

My Sony uses the HDMI from my DVR and hacked component outputs of the Oppo.
After all, I watch alot more TV than I do movies!

P.S. It is also important to note if the D/A converter in your AV system is as good as the Oppo. Mine is, so coax out of the Oppo works fine.

My Sony uses the HDMI from my DVR and hacked component outputs of the Oppo.
After all, I watch alot more TV than I do movies!

P.S. It is also important to note if the D/A converter in your AV system is as good as the Oppo. Mine is, so coax out of the Oppo works fine.
How do you have your AVR setup?

I'm running an Oppo 970 through a Yamaha RX-V2600 to a Panasonic TH-50PH9UK using HDMI cables. Well, I'm trying to - I get audio, confirming that the connections are good... but I get a "NO SIGNAL" message on the TV, indicating it's not getting a video signal.

Your unit may need to be modified. There are some receiver combinations that will require the unit to be "enhanced" to work properly. For example, my friends Marantz 8001 would not synchronize the video with the DV-970HD. OPPO looked at it and added two new resistors to the HDMI output. It now works flawlessly.

If you want to take advantage of digital video and audio, you may want to see if OPPO can't exchange your unit with a modified one.

I finally got my player hooked up for DVD-A/SACD playback the only disc that won't play in 5.1 is The Moody Blues-Days Of Future Passed[weird].

I currently have an LG LDA-731 player but im thinking of returning it and getting the 970HD. My question is, will the Oppo "fit" divx files to fill the whole screen automatically? The LG does this and its driving me nuts! I can't seem to figure out how to play it in normal widescreen format....

In the past, I had a problem with a Pioneer "universal" player that only passed stereo on certain discs. A firmware update to that player cured the problem, and I was told it was required by the newer disc formats, the dual layer type that gives more choices of audio playback. Perhaps that is one disc that just doesn't want to be recognized by the present firmware? I have that disc, and will see how my Oppo interprets it.

I finally got my player hooked up for DVD-A/SACD playback the only disc that won't play in 5.1 is The Moody Blues-Days Of Future Passed[weird]. all sacd are not in 5.1 some are stereo only some are mono check the case that the disc came in it will give you info on the recording I have 5 sacd that are three channels only and one in stereo only

Days Of Future Passed is a 5.1 SACD btw.

Days Of Future Passed is a 5.1 SACD btw.
I have a disc that the case says it is sacd 5.1 but the disc inside is a standard cd

After playing my Oppo in 1080i for a while, you can see blue and red lines at the top of the screen if there is a lot of black in what I'm watching. I have a Sony Wega CRT. Can anyone explain what is going on here and how I could fix it?

I finally got my player hooked up for DVD-A/SACD playback the only disc that won't play in 5.1 is The Moody Blues-Days Of Future Passed[weird].

Are you still using an upscaled resolution? Ensure that you have set your resolution to 720p or higher if you are using the HDMI interface.

Ensure that SACD is still set to Multi-Channel and DVD-Audio is still DVD-Audio.

Guys,

I have a buzzing noise (like static am radio noise) when I am on a scene that has no sound or I am broswing the chapter selection (menu). I have the Onkyo 604 receiver and the appo 760 dvd player.

This happens when the volume is at 60+ out of 99 or more with the front speakers set to 0 DB. My speakers are crossed at 100 hz. I am using velodyne front row speakers.

Is that normal? I tried my Bose system LOL, and it is almost dead silent.


I am running hdmi from the dvd player to the receiver and then hdmi out to the lcd.

Is there any settings that I should adjust?

Thanks,
Tony

I would like to thank you guys in advance for all the wonderful info I've found on this site. I've tried to digest a lot of it but their is just way too much info here to take it all in.

So here is my setup, hopefully someone will be kind enough to steer this newbie in the right direction here.

Sanyo 32" SD tv

Pioneer 1000 watt surround sound system. Not a high end one, I got it at Walmart for about 200 bucks. But it sounds suprisingly good.

Time Warner cable & Dish network

Some pile of crap DVD player I bought at Kmart. I bought this because I only have two SVideo ports on the tv and my old Apex player had a green hue when I hooked it up to the component connection. Nothing I tried fixed it either. Anyone ever seen this? I loved that player because it would just play anything I put in it period. The new one can't seem to play anything.

My connections are as follows: cable & dish hooked up thru SVideo ports. DVD hooked up thru Component Video connection. DVD audio thru optical TOS link to the Pioneer. Cable & Dish also play thru the Pioneer.

Ok so now the questions, will the 970 work well with this setup? Or do you have a better suggestion? My priorities are movie play back. Maybe some Sacd in the future. And a smooth upgrade down the road to a 50" Plasma.

Pioneer 1000 watt surround sound system. Not a high end one, I got it at Walmart for about 200 bucks. But it sounds suprisingly good.

1000 watt? Wow.

;)

How do you have your AVR setup?

DVR by Toslink to the receiver & HDMI to the LCD.
Oppo by coax to the receiver & component (with hack) to the LCD.
Marantz SR7200 set to auto for surround.

Days Of Future Passed is a 5.1 SACD btw.

DOFP comes with 2 discs. One has the 5.1, and the other has the extras that are not in 5.1. Make sure you put in the correct disc.

I ordered the 981 and will probably have it today or tommorow, My question is if I have to send it back due to macroblocking issues(I have a 50" 600u pany) does the 970 pass both video and audio thru it's hdmi output?

Guys,

For the guys that have a receiver connected to the dvd player, what volume do you have it set at on the dvd's end. What about each individual channel (sometihng channel trim)?


Tony

I just bought the 970 and I set it up through the HDMI button for 1080i upconversion to match the resolution of my Mitsubishi WS55411 (rear projection CRT - component only, no HDMI or DVI). The thing is that when i watch a backup (no copyright) DVD and hit the HDMI button it says 1080i. If I am watching Lord of the Rigns, store bought, with the copyright[/I], it still says 1080i. I called Opp becuase I thought that the 970 would not upconvert over component, and Oppo says that even though it says 1080i, it is only 480p. Does this sound right? Anyone else notice this?

I have the firmware hack burned and I am ready to try it, but I don't want to if the player is already playing at 1080i for copy protected disks.

BTW, this player is great. The 480p is already better than my old Pioneer and the sound through my surround setup is unquestionably better. What a great investment!!

I just bought the 970 and I set it up through the HDMI button for 1080i upconversion to match the resolution of my Mitsubishi WS55411 (rear projection CRT - component only, no HDMI or DVI). The thing is that when i watch a backup (no copyright) DVD and hit the HDMI button it says 1080i. If I am watching Lord of the Rigns, store bought, with the copyright[/I], it still says 1080i. I called Opp becuase I thought that the 970 would not upconvert over component, and Oppo says that even though it says 1080i, it is only 480p. Does this sound right? Anyone else notice this?


Tech support is correct. The DVD player will say 1080i but it is not. You have to verify on your display what the actual input resolution is that it is seeing.

For the guys that have a receiver connected to the dvd player, what volume do you have it set at on the dvd's end. What about each individual channel (sometihng channel trim)?

If you are using the optical, coaxial, and HDMI bitstream audio, then you will just need to ensure that your volume is not set to 0 on the DVD player.

You only need to adjust the volums and channel trim/delay settings for multi-channel audio sources from SACD or DVD-Audio discs.

You have to verify on your display what the actual input resolution is that it is seeing.


how? by just observing?

how? by just observing?

A lot of displays will have an "info" button that will give you the characteristics of the input signal. Eg: 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p.

-Bill

how? by just observing?

Some TV's don't allow aspect ratio changes when a 720p/1080i signal is being received. i.e. you can't zoom or enter 4:3 mode. The TV will stay in fullscreen mode if you try and change the aspect.

If you are using the optical, coaxial, and HDMI bitstream audio, then you will just need to ensure that your volume is not set to 0 on the DVD player.

You only need to adjust the volums and channel trim/delay settings for multi-channel audio sources from SACD or DVD-Audio discs.

But, then it's just a gain control so then that depends on your receiver and amp (if you have one)

Btw, this has been one of the most no-brainer and painless setups I have ever encountered. Luckily for me (for once) all of my components worked for this particular setup.
Ran HDMI to receiver (Denon 2807) and HDMI/DVI out to TV. Configured menu. Done.

Great player! :D :D

I played the DOFP disc again last night and it was in 5.1 afterall.....the volume on the rear speakers was just a bit low.

Sorry if this has been answered already, but does the dv-970HD support SDHC memory cards or just the standard SD cards? And has anyone used the sd card reader yet to play avi files? How is it? Have you had any problems? Because i read a review on the internet where the reviewer said that he had problems with the sd card reader to where it wouldnt even play the files at all. thanks in advance.

p.s.---- im more concerned about the 4gb SDHC/SD cards.

I ordered the 981 and will probably have it today or tommorow, My question is if I have to send it back due to macroblocking issues(I have a 50" 600u pany) does the 970 pass both video and audio thru it's hdmi output?YES.

I ordered the 981 and will probably have it today or tommorow, My question is if I have to send it back due to macroblocking issues(I have a 50" 600u pany) does the 970 pass both video and audio thru it's hdmi output?YES

Anyone else have problems with the 970HD only outputing 2 channels of the Dolby Digital and DTS sound tracks through HDMI? I'm outputing at 720P to an HK 247 and I can only get it to recognize the front 2 channels of audio through the HDMI cable.

Ensure that HDMI is set to HDMI priority of Auto and not PCM.

Try changing your DownMix to 5.1 instead of 2.0 Stereo.

Ensure that the receiver is looking for a multi-channel DTS or DD stream by using its Direct audio mode.

If you are using the optical, coaxial, and HDMI bitstream audio, then you will just need to ensure that your volume is not set to 0 on the DVD player.

You only need to adjust the volums and channel trim/delay settings for multi-channel audio sources from SACD or DVD-Audio discs.


Thanks man.


Tony

Sorry if this has been answered already, but does the dv-970HD support SDHC memory cards or just the standard SD cards? And has anyone used the sd card reader yet to play avi files? How is it? Have you had any problems? Because i read a review on the internet where the reviewer said that he had problems with the sd card reader to where it wouldnt even play the files at all. thanks in advance.

p.s.---- im more concerned about the 4gb SDHC/SD cards.
The SD slot is not meant to be used for video according to Oppo.

I called technical support and I was told they are working on a firmware update to resolve the audio issue with HDMI. Example: I play the multi-channel output through the 970's analog outputs into my receiver. I get audio into my HDTV with the 870's HDMI output. Whenever I tune to the DVD input on my HDTV set the analog output of the 970 drops in volume and perhaps drops back to 2.0. This is an HDMI handshake issue with the 970 and it is real and it needs to be fixed.

Richard.

...I play the multi-channel output through the 970's analog outputs into my receiver. I get audio into my HDTV with the 970's HDMI output....
Not sure what you mean by the multi-channel. Are you using the analog connection for the playback of DVD-A and SACD discs, or are you using it for the surround sound of the DVD??? Do you listen to DVDs at times with just the TV speakers?

I am considering purchasing this player just for SACD and DVD-A playback via 5.1 analog. It seems like the most reasonably priced player out there that supports these 2 formats. Good idea? Bad idea?

just a heads up that www.affordableaudio.org reviewed the 970HD in its April issue.

in short, it beat the NAD C521i BEE easily on redbook, and lost to a high-end Primare, though apparently not by much.

just a heads up that www.affordableaudio.com reviewed the 970HD in its April issue.

in short, it beat the NAD C521i BEE easily on redbook, and lost to a high-end Primare, though apparently not by much.

Where?!??! I looked but didn't find anything interesting...no review or 'nuffin!

;)

Where?!??! I looked but didn't find anything interesting...no review or 'nuffin!

;)

sorry... wrong URL.

it's www.affordableaudio.org

:o

why -when would you use the--- angle mark?
I have it set to off, but when/where would i use it?
I watch only DVD movies-netflix??
db

Some films have alternate angles. These angles are used for things like director commentary, story board layouts, extended cuts, or, as the name implies, different camera angles for scene.

A good example of this is the Terminator 2: Extreme Edition where the Angle button is used to enact the longer scene cuts.

thanks- so just turn to -on. and if the dvd needs it ,it will show up?

By multi-channel, I mean the playback of my SACD and DVD-A disks. Likely the multi-channel playback of my Dolby Digital and DTS DVD's would be impacted the same way. I'll have to test that out.

Richard.

But, then it's just a gain control so then that depends on your receiver and amp (if you have one)

Btw, this has been one of the most no-brainer and painless setups I have ever encountered. Luckily for me (for once) all of my components worked for this particular setup.
Ran HDMI to receiver (Denon 2807) and HDMI/DVI out to TV. Configured menu. Done.

Great player! :D :D


Got some great advice and instructions from Jim Hef about connecting my Oppo 970 to my Sony via HDMI and then using a toslink cable from the audio out of the Oppo to my Onk 674 audio in.

But TCR, you hooked the Oppo to your receiver via the HDMI cable as well as your TV.
Is there any difference between the setups or are they both equally as good?

thanks- so just turn to -on. and if the dvd needs it ,it will show up?

That is correct. There will be a little icon on the top right of your screen (like a movie camera, etc) that will announce that new content is available by clicking the Angle button on the remote control.

I called technical support and I was told they are working on a firmware update to resolve the audio issue with HDMI. Example: I play the multi-channel output through the 970's analog outputs into my receiver. I get audio into my HDTV with the 870's HDMI output. Whenever I tune to the DVD input on my HDTV set the analog output of the 970 drops in volume and perhaps drops back to 2.0. This is an HDMI handshake issue with the 970 and it is real and it needs to be fixed.

Richard.

Did they give an eta for the firmware fix for the HDMI audio?

Ryan

WAV is not currently supported. This is something that isn't in the software due to licensing issues with MS.

THanks for the quick reply neuro. i was hoping to find out if there would be any support for the wav format at all.

this is once again proven as a great thread, and i hope a lot of people learn more about their 'secret' dvd player.,,,

i was hoping to find out if there would be any support for the wav format at all.

Why don't you burn the wave files as an audio cd instead of a data cd?

That is correct. There will be a little icon on the top right of your screen (like a movie camera, etc) that will announce that new content is available by clicking the Angle button on the remote control.

Do you know of a movie that has this feature -just to see how it works.
Somthing i could get from netflix...
Thanks,
db

Do you know of a movie that has this feature -just to see how it works.
Somthing i could get from netflix...
Thanks,
db
Terminator 2 Extreme Edition

I just tried using an SD card in my 970 for the first time and it dosen't seem to be working. It's a SanDisk 256MB card and after it didn't work the first time I reformatted it FAT and copied the .jpgs back to it but it was still a no go. I hit play but got a no card message. Any ideas?

BTW, I do have the vertical squeeze patch installed (DV-970HD-3A-0911-underscan-fix.iso).

I just tried using an SD card in my 970 for the first time and it dosen't seem to be working. It's a SanDisk 256MB card and after it didn't work the first time I reformatted it FAT and copied the .jpgs back to it but it was still a no go. I hit play but got a no card message. Any ideas?

BTW, I do have the vertical squeeze patch installed (DV-970HD-3A-0911-underscan-fix.iso).


The first time i put the card in i thought hitting the play button would do it. you have to push the dvd/card button on the remote.

The first time i put the card in i thought hitting the play button would do it. you have to push the dvd/card button on the remote.

Should have said I tried that also. I'm going to try a different card. and see what happens.

IBTW, I do have the vertical squeeze patch installed (DV-970HD-3A-0911-underscan-fix.iso).How does it look? Can you see any significant difference?

How does it look? Can you see any significant difference?

The black lines are gone, that's about all I notice.

Why don't you burn the wave files as an audio cd instead of a data cd?

i think its because the files are dts formats. i used to use this on my philips dv462 i think, and it worked great.

if i convert it or change it into a audio cd i dont think it would work as a DTS sound file.

i think its because the files are dts formats. i used to use this on my philips dv462 i think, and it worked great.

if i convert it or change it into a audio cd i dont think it would work as a DTS sound file.
There are DTS audio CDs. I have one and it plays in the Oppo.

wierd, i just burn em using the same way i did back then, and i just burn em from the swedish website (i cant access it from work... )

OK I need some help. I just got my 970 last night and tried hooking it up to my Outlaw 950 pre/pro's 5.1 analog inputs using "Y" cables (Tosh HD XA2 also hooked up) but when I tried watching a movie on the XA2 the sound was very quiet even though the pre/pro's volume was set at -10 (which is usually very loud) when I removed the "Y" cables and just plugged the XA2 in straight the sound levels were normal. The Oppo wasn't turned on during any of this so what is causing the drop in sound? I thought you could always use "Y" cables for the analog input?

OK I need some help. I just got my 970 last night and tried hooking it up to my Outlaw 950 pre/pro's 5.1 analog inputs using "Y" cables (Tosh HD XA2 also hooked up) but when I tried watching a movie on the XA2 the sound was very quiet even though the pre/pro's volume was set at -10 (which is usually very loud) when I removed the "Y" cables and just plugged the XA2 in straight the sound levels were normal. The Oppo wasn't turned on during any of this so what is causing the drop in sound? I thought you could always use "Y" cables for the analog input?

You need a switch box.

Anyone here have the chance to compare the OPPO 970's CD/SACD audio quality to the 981HD's?
Stereophile gave a good review to the 970 this month and since I own the 981, I'm curious how it compares.

Martin, I don't recall where on this forum I read it, but there have been at least a few reports that the 970 is superior to the 971 and 981 in terms of audio quality. I believe Oppo has acknowledged this, as well.

bummer :confused: I wonder why that is, given they're so similar.

Thanks Rich. Anyone else?

just a heads up that www.affordableaudio.org reviewed the 970HD in its April issue.

in short, it beat the NAD C521i BEE easily on redbook, and lost to a high-end Primare, though apparently not by much.
Just an FYI for the previous poster

bummer :confused: I wonder why that is, given they're so similar.

Thanks Rich. Anyone else?
Martin, I believe this is the first post relating to any feedback from Oppo re the 970's superior audio performance (keep reading as I believe Neuromancer and others weigh in, as well): http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=9049413&&#post9049413

Just got this response from Oppo to my question about DVD-A and SACD audio quality between the 970 and 981. That is great support!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quote:
Curtis,

The DV-981HD will not have the same audio characteristics as the DV-970HD as the board is designed slightly differently. The DV-970HD uses a single, 4 layer PCB for the decoding chipset, the DAC, and the analog outputs. The DV-981HD uses a three daughter board design, with each board being connected by cables. This use of seperate boards can cause audio interference errors, which can decrease audio performance.

Best Regards,

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

Although the question pertained to SACD/DVD-A performance, I think the same principles would apply to redbook CD performance. I wonder, however, if this relates only to using the entire audio chain within the players (all the way from source to analog outputs), and if they'd sound more-or-less the same when used solely as transports.

Newbie here, question on audtio output.
Run Oppo 970, Onkyo 604 receiver and 7 speakers. When Oppo outputs multichannel output, Receiver only Option is Direct, and then I am getting sound out of 5 speakers out of 7 (rear surrounds are silent). (with typical DTS 5.1 soundtrack).
When I change Oppo audio settings to Dolby Stereo (if my memory is correct), the receiver offers many options, some of which really produce 7.1 sound (rear surrounds are on). Am I losing anything using these settings (for instance, is Dolby Stereo outputting only 2 channels out of 5 which, in turn, are upconverted to 7)?

Sorry if this question is too stupid, but I looked around and did not see an answer (too many posts here).

Thanks.

I just ordered the 970. Can anyone post settings if they are using a Pio plasma? I have the 1140. Sorry if this has been posted before. I tried to read through as much of this thread as I could.

Thanks in advance and I appreciate everyone's input in this thread.

Help!!!!

I've bought the 970, loaded the modified firmware patch v.4A-0111, and am unable to up-convert beyond 480p over component on my rptv mitsubishi 65807.

Yes, the firmware seems recognized by the player. And also, I am pretty sure that I burned the 935.bin, not the backup. I used Nero at 48x. I could try the version burned at 8x with Burn at Once, but doubt that will help.

And yes, I stop the player when I press the HDMI button. It toggles 480i, 480p, then at 720p there is static/snow and no picture (expected with this no 720p TV). The problem is that when I toggle HDMI to 1081i, there is no picture.

At 1081i, the TV display goes zig-zaggy for a second or two, then blank (a blue screen like when there is no signal received). Is this what is meant by "losing sync?"

I've tried reverting to the original beta firmware hack (Version: MVer: 05.00.01.07 Batch: 1A-0613 from June 13, 2006)-- same results.

The DVD player is connected via one of my component cable inputs (there are two of them).

My TV definitely accepts 108i -- I've been using a DISH HDTV sat box for years.

All advice is welcome.

Are you connected to the component input that the sat was connected to? Some mits have component connections that only accept 480i/480p. Mine is that way. my suggestion is to try the one you know accepts 1080i (the sat one). the dvd player, if the firmware's not right, just won't recognize it. it it went through the update procedure (i.e. you saw info on the screen that says it's going to update if you say yes AND you say yet), then it worked.

I'm betting you're connected to a non HD component input. try the other.

jeff

Thanks for the link Rich. Still, I wonder why OPPO would allow the CD playback quality of the "flagship" to be inferior to their "entry level" piece.

Are you connected to the component input that the sat was connected to? Some mits have component connections that only accept 480i/480p. Mine is that way. my suggestion is to try the one you know accepts 1080i (the sat one). the dvd player, if the firmware's not right, just won't recognize it. it it went through the update procedure (i.e. you saw info on the screen that says it's going to update if you say yes AND you say yet), then it worked.

I'm betting you're connected to a non HD component input. try the other.

jeff


Wow, you are right. It looks in my manual like there is a distinction between those component 1 & 2 inputs and the "DTV" component input.

wait... I've disconnected the sat box and connected Oppo to the input for it. Now it upconverts to 1081i.

You are a genius!!!

But, the bad news is that I'm still screwed, right?

Doesn't this mean that if I want the upconversion on the oppo that I must always disconnect the sat box and connect the oppo to the dtv, then switch back? That would be a pain!!

Is there a workaround, a splitter, or A-B switch, or something?

You just need a hard switch like this one
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2049644&cp=&pg=1&searchSort=TRUE&sr=1&y=10&retainProdsInSession=1&origkw=audio+video+switch&x=9&kw=audio+video+switch&s=A-StorePrice-RSK&parentPage=search

since they are mechanical, they are high bandwidth. no signal degradation. I've used one for years and they work.

Best,
jeff

You just need a hard switch like this one
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2049644&cp=&pg=1&searchSort=TRUE&sr=1&y=10&retainProdsInSession=1&origkw=audio+video+switch&x=9&kw=audio+video+switch&s=A-StorePrice-RSK&parentPage=search

since they are mechanical, they are high bandwidth. no signal degradation. I've used one for years and they work.

Best,
jeff


Sorry if this sounds stupid, but that RCA A/V switch box seems only to work with RCA connectors? Is that correct?

Are there any reasonably priced switches for component connections?

component connections are rca connectors. just use the left, right and video as red, green and blue, respectively, for example. trust me, or better yet search this forum. this topic gets beat to death periodicallly. av switches work well for this application. the only downside is that they are manual. the upside is they do not lose bandwidth and are reliable.

Best,
jeff

component connections are rca connectors. just use the left, right and video as red, green and blue, respectively, for example. trust me, or better yet search this forum. this topic gets beat to death periodicallly. av switches work well for this application. the only downside is that they are manual. the upside is they do not lose bandwidth and are reliable.

Best,
jeff

Thanks for all the help. One last (?! :) ) thing... Sorry to be so dense, but if I use the left, right and video as red, green and blue, haven't I used all the jacks leaving none for the audio?

You're right, but the point is not to switch audio. You use your AVR for that. you use the switch (AV switch) to switch just the component video. I have my comcast dvr and oppo 970 switched since I only have one HD input on my set. All audio is switched by my AVR. I use macros on my one-for-all 8810 (or 8910) to set things up.

You can get other switches that will switch component video and audio (either analog or digital), but you'll pay. This is a $10 solution that works well. If you want something more expensive then just google for it.

Of course if one had an av-receiver to switch the audio, then one could just use the receiver to switch the component outouts as well. :)

Of course if one had an av-receiver to switch the audio, then one could just use the receiver to switch the component outouts as well. :)


Ah, there's the rub. I have no avr and just use the TV's speakers (for now).

Reportedly the 970HD is reviewed and bench tested in the May issue of Stereophile. reportedly the bech test shows its S/PDIF output passes 96 and 192 kHz sample rates but truncates 24 bits to 16 bits. Now, usually the bit-depth of S/PDIF isn't measured in such journal tests, it's a recent thing, so there's nothing much to compare it to and it may be that the vast majority of DVD player do the same thing. And S/PDIF standard is 20 bits max, though there is a 24-bit option. And whether anyone needs more than 16 bits for playing stuff at home quite debatable. But I thought folks here would interested to know, and maybe Oppo can comment.

(Don't know if the HDMI output was similarly measured.)

...When I change Oppo audio settings to Dolby Stereo (if my memory is correct), the receiver offers many options, some of which really produce 7.1 sound (rear surrounds are on)....
Yes, that would be the internals of your receiver giving you a "simulated" surround sound via the Dolby Pro decoder. I don't know of any discs that would have 7.1 formats for DVD-A or SACD discs, and to hear the true 5.1 content your receiver would need to be in that format, in your case, "direct". The Dolby soundtracks of most DVDs is also just in 5.1, and your receiver will simulate the additional channels for the rear surrounds.

Newbie here, question on audtio output.
Run Oppo 970, Onkyo 604 receiver and 7 speakers. When Oppo outputs multichannel output, Receiver only Option is Direct, and then I am getting sound out of 5 speakers out of 7 (rear surrounds are silent). (with typical DTS 5.1 soundtrack).
When I change Oppo audio settings to Dolby Stereo (if my memory is correct), the receiver offers many options, some of which really produce 7.1 sound (rear surrounds are on). Am I losing anything using these settings (for instance, is Dolby Stereo outputting only 2 channels out of 5 which, in turn, are upconverted to 7)?

Sorry if this question is too stupid, but I looked around and did not see an answer (too many posts here).

Thanks. At the present time there is no 7.1 material dts sometime is 6.1 but most of the time it is 5.1 go to oppo setup page for audio and make sure you set it for 5.1 dolby other wise you will only get 2 channel stereo from the oppo your receiver is giving you 7 channel stereo not dolby 5.1 surround sound so i would forget the 7.1

Reportedly the 970HD is reviewed and bench tested in the May issue of Stereophile. reportedly the bech test shows its S/PDIF output passes 96 and 192 kHz sample rates but truncates 24 bits to 16 bits.

If the source material has 192Khz or 96Khz tracks, then the DV-970HD (and by extension the DV-981HD and the OPDV971) will pass this audio as two channel PCM at these rates. OPPO has said that it is truncated to 16-bit by hardware.

After purchasing a Panny TH42PX600U Plasma I decided to upgrade to the Oppo 970 to take advantage of its upconversion. After some in-depth testing I've discovered the following:

1. Because of the Panny's pixel-for-pixel reproduction of HD content there is virtually zero overscan on HD input so the Oppo's vertical squeeze problem is very noticeable with black bars appearing even on 1.85:1 content. This occurs when using either 720p or 1080i upconversion over HDMI.

2. Using the Oppo to pass 480i or 480p via HDMI gets around this issue but then there is no upconversion via the player. Also, the 480i via HDMI mode introduces some very strange motion artifacts and focus problems that are absent when using 480p.

3. On the Panny I could detect zero difference in PQ between 480p, 720p, and 1080i via HDMI using the Oppo. As a result, I settled on using the 480p via HDMI setting as this removes the vertical squeeze problem without introducing the motion artifacts found in 480i mode.

4. PQ quality of the Oppo 970 on the Panny Plasma is slightly better than that of my other DVD players (an old Sony 5-disc model and a Malata N996). I attribute this to the use of the HDMI input.

In summary, for my particular display model I could find very little to recommend the Oppo 970 for standard DVD viewing. It seems that the Panny does as good a job upconverting as the Oppo itself without any vertical squeeze issues. Furthermore, the PQ quality of the Oppo is just barely better than that of my other DVD players. Since I don't use the Oppo as a CD, DVD-A, or SACD player those capabilities don't factor into my analysis.

In my case I've decided to keep the Oppo since it is slightly better looking than my other players and I wanted a backup region-free and PAL converting player (I haven't even addressed the Oppo's problems converting PAL to NTSC which is yet another issue with the player). But in retrospect I wouldn't have purchased it if I had known just how small the PQ improvement would be and how useless the HD upconversion feature would prove to be on the Panny Plasma.

"At the present time there is no 7.1 material dts sometime is 6.1 but most of the time it is 5.1 go to oppo setup page for audio and make sure you set it for 5.1 dolby other wise you will only get 2 channel stereo from the oppo your receiver is giving you 7 channel stereo not dolby 5.1 surround sound so i would forget the 7.1"
Well, the receiver (Onkyo 604) upconverts 5.1 material to 7.1 material, but flatly refuses to do it when Oppo set to output 5.1 channel in RAW mode. Once I change Oppo to output Left/Right (whatever it is) or Stereo mode, the receiver successfully converts to 7.1 sound.

Not sure what to do, or what is the correct way. I am using HDMI cable in and out, should I try optical cables for each channel from Oppo to Onkyo or it will not help.

Thanks,

Vadim.

Try the optical - HDMI still has its overly quirky moments.

Ah, there's the rub. I have no avr and just use the TV's speakers (for now).I don't know the details of your Mits TV, but were you planning to use analog stereo audio (RCA jacks), or digital audio? If stereo -- although it's a bit of a kludge (but perhaps OK until you either get an AVR or another HDTV) -- why not use two of the same switch as recommended by greeno? - one for the component video and one for the stereo audio.

http://www.monoprice.com/products/subdepartment.asp?c_id=101&cp_id=10112&style=

...Once I change Oppo to output Left/Right (whatever it is) or Stereo mode, the receiver successfully converts to 7.1 sound....
Yes, you may hear sound coming from all speakers in that mode, but it's a simulated surround, "matrixed" mix and not the true Dolby Surround tracks.

I just uploaded the vertical squeeze fix emailed to me by oppo. A little hard to burn the fix to a cd as you need winrar and an iso burning program to do it but watched some movies last night in 720p and 1080i on 110 inch BW carada with panny ax100 and the fix seemed to work. The black bar issue has resolved and PQ looks very good.

picture quality -- the emperor's new clothes...

Well, I've set-up the 65 inch rptv mitsubishi with a pelican component switcher [thanks for all the help to those who've answered my prior posts :) ]. And I'm certain that I'm properly using the up-converting hack (I've also tested this with the original firmware 0613). So, I'm prepared to offer my opinion on the overall picture quality.

At 480p, the picture quality is excellent. I cannot compare it to other players currently on the market, but it is virtually indistiguishable from the dvd player it replaces (a 6 year old marantz that cost $850 at the time).

And there's the problem -- it is virtually indistinguishable! I think I see a slight difference favoring the oppo (perhaps a 5-10% difference), but who knows? It could be me trying to justify the purchase.

So, at 480p, it is a wash. I like some features a bit better than the old marantz, but again, it is a very close call.

The acid test, I suppose is at 1080i. And, at 1080i, the verdict is...

the same!!!


At 1080i, I see perhaps a 5% bump in sharpness and detail, but only perhaps. On balance, there is not a night and day difference. Certainly, the 480p/1080i difference is nothing like the difference between SD and HD TV, or even 480i/480p.

Am I alone here? Are others seeing a huge difference? Is it display driven -- oppo helps some tv displays better than others? Or am I just the kid you saw the emperor naked?

I'm on the fence between returning it and keeping it. I like it, but is it worth $150 plus another $20 for the switcher and $40 of cable?

Has anyone done an A-B test between it and another player on the same material or an AVIA pattern?

Finally, I'm no videophile (as can be seen from my earlier posts), so please educate me. What characteristics should I be seeing as better in 1080i (detail, sharpness, etc.)?

I don't get some of the posts I've seen here where people are disappointed because they don't see a difference between 480p and 720p/1080i. To me that means the Oppo is doing a great job of upscaling if it can look as good at 720p/1080i as at 480p. What am I missing?

After purchasing a Panny TH42PX600U Plasma I decided to upgrade to the Oppo 970 to take advantage of its upconversion.
I have the Panny 50u plasma and the 970! A nice combo :)

1. Because of the Panny's pixel-for-pixel reproduction of HD content there is virtually zero overscan on HD input so the Oppo's vertical squeeze problem is very noticeable with black bars appearing even on 1.85:1 content. This occurs when using either 720p or 1080i upconversion over HDMI.
That's my biggest issue with it as well. There's 1/4 to 1/2 inch of lost image on the top because of the vertical squeeze. Unfortunately, the beta fix oppo kindly sent me merely stretches the image, reducing resolution. I just learn to live with it I guess.

3. On the Panny I could detect zero difference in PQ between 480p, 720p, and 1080i via HDMI using the Oppo. As a result, I settled on using the 480p via HDMI setting as this removes the vertical squeeze problem without introducing the motion artifacts found in 480i mode.
4. PQ quality of the Oppo 970 on the Panny Plasma is slightly better than that of my other DVD players (an old Sony 5-disc model and a Malata N996). I attribute this to the use of the HDMI input.
Everything's a compromise. I had a cheap $50 Toshiba progressive DVD player before this that I used over component. The Panny does seem to have a very good scalar so the PQ was fine. In addition, I could use the HD color space on the TV (not on the Oppo, see previous posts) over component so colors looked good. I replaced the Toshiba because it's basically a crappy machine that froze up, had a hard time reading discs in general, and audio/subtitles always went out of sync.

The Oppo at 480p looks the cleanest, but over HDMI, the color space on the HDMI input on the Panny greys out, so I'm stuck with "standard definition" color space, not the HD color space that came over component. I stick with 1080i on the Oppo. It has more aliasing and artifacts and the vertical squeeze, but it shows finer detail and automatically chooses the HD color space, so colors look great.

But in retrospect I wouldn't have purchased it if I had known just how small the PQ improvement would be and how useless the HD upconversion feature would prove to be on the Panny Plasma.
I'm not sure how good your DVD players were, but I can see some noticeable improvements in my DVDs. Master and Commander has a couple scenes where this is noticeable. In one scene, the depressed midshipman commits suicide by jumping into the ocean. While he slowly fades away into the black ocean, my old player made the guy's face look like a false-contoured mess. The oppo managed to retain the details of the guys face as he disappeared deeper into the ocean, which is very impressive. There's also a number of benefits of the Oppo, colors look a lot better than they previously did, the response/layer change is great, the audio/subtitles never falter, the player reads all discs without complaint, and customer service is great.

While I agree with you that upconverting isn't a substitute for real HD and that the Panny's scalar is very good, I've fortunately had a good experience with the player and company.

mbird

Thats OK if you didn't notice a huge difference right off the bat. It took me several weeks and lots of movies to begin to appreciate how good the 970 is (especially for the price). If you have a quality upconverting fixed screen viewer (LCD or Plasma) an upconverting player may not show a big change in the quality of the picture.
The Oppo's strength is its ability to produce a top quality 480p image with very little loss of signal or error correction. If you don't think there is much difference, live with the Oppo for a month and then try your old player. As with high-end audio, the switch up is not as perceptable as the switch down in quality! :cool:

480p is still and will always be as good as 480p gets, no matter what's done to it. Some people just like what upscaling does. The best thing about having an upscaling DVD player is that it might be better at upscaling that your display. Expecting a huge improvement is setting yourself up for disappointment. 5 is # 1 is right about giving it time though, once subtle improvements in audio or video become noticeable, they no longer seem subtle.

Thanks for the feedback. Like I said in my post I'm happy enough with the Oppo to keep it but if I had it to do over I would have saved the money and applied it toward an HD-DVD or BluRay player instead. If you don't already have a good region-free player then it's still a good choice as well. I guess at the end of the day I've discovered that my display has excellent upscaling on its own and that's not all bad.

There are 166 pages here...wow. So I am not sure if this has been covered here or not. Today I played with the usb input. My goal was to see if this machine could be used as a cheap video box using an external hard drive (an ersatz TVIX essentially).

First, I had to reformat my drive from NTFS to FAT32. Then I loaded on some material. Conclusion? For regular DVD files and mpeg files, this was a "no go". Playback stuttered quite a bit. One is much better off just playing DVDs though the machine.

I just tried using an SD card in my 970 for the first time and it dosen't seem to be working. It's a SanDisk 256MB card and after it didn't work the first time I reformatted it FAT and copied the .jpgs back to it but it was still a no go. I hit play but got a no card message. Any ideas?

BTW, I do have the vertical squeeze patch installed (DV-970HD-3A-0911-underscan-fix.iso).

I went back to the latest firmware and the card reader is working, so it looks like it's 480p for me. :)

On an ideal digital TV set, output from a DVD player should look the same if the player's output is set for 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i or 1080p. I find on my Sony A2000 set that setting the Oppo to 1080i gives me the best picture from DVD's. Your display may differ, since there are currently no ideal digital TV sets.

Richard.

Why is it that after 165 pages of nearly all positive feedback, along with some technical questions, that as soon as I order and receive mine there is a sudden turn to mostly negative to neutral feedback? :confused:

I know bottom line is if I like it and not what anyone else thinks.

I have not had a real chance to play with it yet. I did the Oppo firmware along with the component up-converting patch.

The HDMI connection seems to be working flawlessly.

Yes, you may hear sound coming from all speakers in that mode, but it's a simulated surround, "matrixed" mix and not the true Dolby Surround tracks.

Jim: I suspected this might be the case, hence posted here. Then how do I get DTS or Dolby multichannel out to my Onkyo 604 receiver, so that it could upconvert it to 7.1?

Vadim.

Or, in other words - how to set Oppo to pass undecoded raw DTS info to receiver, so it would do it job of converting to 7.1? I use HDMI, RAW, and Left/Right settings, but not sure it does the trick or Oppo converts signal to stereo?

Thanks.

Just a reminder- if you update firmware. Go back into your PLAYER and review your setting. Some of your setting may have changed.
db

To get 7.1 of any sort from the 970HD or any other DVD player that I know of, you need to use the digital output (coaxial, optical, or HDMI don't matter in this case) and send the undecoded DD or DTS bitstream to your receiver. The Onkyo 604 includes DTS-ES and DTS NEO:6, so it should be able to take a DTS 5.1 bitstream and derive a surround back signal. Pro Logic IIx may also be an option, which would produce separate left and right back surround signals.

Thanks Gonk!
vshun, have you tried using a Toslink fiber optic cable and hooking the Oppo that way instead of using the combined HDMI connection? Try it and see if it's easier to manipulate your receiver with its settings for the various surround options and its "sound fields".

If the source material has 192Khz or 96Khz tracks, then the DV-970HD (and by extension the DV-981HD and the OPDV971) will pass this audio as two channel PCM at these rates. OPPO has said that it is truncated to 16-bit by hardware.


AFAIK 192 kHz is only ever found on the two-channel (never multichannel) mixes of DVD-As. As with 96kHz, on DVD-A it's already PCM (it only has to be unpacked). Based on what my AVR tells me, the Oppo can pass multichannel 96 kHz via its HDMI (and presumably analog) outputs.

I have the May issue at home now but haven't read it yet. So right now it's kind of unclear to me why Atkinson would be trying to pass and measure these via S/PDIF (toslink/coax digital) anyway. Normally they'd be passed as analog (after decoding in the player) or via HDMI.

Is the 24-->16 bit truncation occuring at all outputs?

I have had my 970 since November with perfect output. However, the other day I blew a fuse in my apartment changing a light bulb with a short. When I tried to view a DVD a day later my DVI and component DVD inputs on my TV did not show the OPPO logo just a blue screen with no video at all.. I put a DVD into the drive but it would not ff or reverse and the drawer would not open in fact no controls functioned at all.. I tried unplugging and plugging in the power but no luck. I left it unplugged for several minutes I then was able to eject the disk after plugging power back in. I re synced HDMI/DVI with the drawer open. It has been ok ever since. Does anyone have an explanation for my travails? I thought the player was a goner Thanks.

I have had my 970 since November with perfect output. However, the other day I blew a fuse in my apartment changing a light bulb with a short. When I tried to view a DVD a day later my DVI and component DVD inputs on my TV did not show the OPPO logo just a blue screen with no video at all.. I put a DVD into the drive but it would not ff or reverse and the drawer would not open in fact no controls functioned at all.. I tried unplugging and plugging in the power but no luck. I left it unplugged for several minutes I then was able to eject the disk after plugging power back in. I re synced HDMI/DVI with the drawer open. It has been ok ever since. Does anyone have an explanation for my travails? I thought the player was a goner Thanks. when you blew the fuse the surge caused the processor in the oppo to freeze up by unpuging the oppo and then replugging the oppo to the power source the dvd player reset the processor in the player to normal operation

I have had my 970 since November with perfect output. However, the other day I blew a fuse in my apartment changing a light bulb with a short. When I tried to view a DVD a day later my DVI and component DVD inputs on my TV did not show the OPPO logo just a blue screen with no video at all.. I put a DVD into the drive but it would not ff or reverse and the drawer would not open in fact no controls functioned at all.. I tried unplugging and plugging in the power but no luck. I left it unplugged for several minutes I then was able to eject the disk after plugging power back in. I re synced HDMI/DVI with the drawer open. It has been ok ever since. Does anyone have an explanation for my travails? I thought the player was a goner Thanks.

This kind of thing happens all the time to things like dvd players and a/v receivers. Sometimes there's a special procedure that will reset the component back to it's default settings and sometimes it's as easy as what you did. Some maufacturers will make it difficult for you to figure it out and make you take it to a "certified repair shop" to fix it, making you spend more money that's not even necessary. Sure glad Oppo has not resorted to these type of unethical tactics.
Makes you wonder how many people just trash a component after something like this happens. Of course sometimes it really is fried though too.

when you blew the fuse the surge caused the processor in the oppo to freeze up by unpuging the oppo and then replugging the oppo to the power source the dvd player reset the processor in the player to normal operation

The DVD player also has an internal fuse. Sometimes this fuse will be tripped but not blown. Letting the unit sit unpowered for a couple of minutes usually resolves many of the "dead" issues.

To get 7.1 of any sort from the 970HD or any other DVD player that I know of, you need to use the digital output (coaxial, optical, or HDMI don't matter in this case) and send the undecoded DD or DTS bitstream to your receiver.

Thanks, however I am struggling to find Oppo setting that would send undecoded bitstream to let the receiver do the decoding. I set the output to RAW, however am not sure about LeftRight/Stereo/VirtualStereo/5.1 multichannel setting. Apparently in 5.1 multichannel mode Oppo is decoding, thus it does not work. Is LeftRight the correct option to have it pass through?

I've recommended this to a friend, who will be hooking it up to an AV receiver with HDMI inputs. This unit will also serve as his CD player.

Do I need to get an optical cable for CD playback, or does it output sound only on the HDMI cable? Thanks.

I've recommended this to a friend, who will be hooking it up to an AV receiver with HDMI inputs. This unit will also serve as his CD player.

Do I need to get an optical cable for CD playback, or does it output sound only on the HDMI cable? Thanks.

Either one is fine. However if palyback of dvd-audio or sacd is wanted, it will need to be eithe an hdmi connection or through the 5.1 analog outputs... i think. If I'm wrong please someone correct me on the dvdaudio/sacd scenerio, but for just regular cd playback, either one Gerry.

The DVD player also has an internal fuse. Sometimes this fuse will be tripped but not blown. Letting the unit sit unpowered for a couple of minutes usually resolves many of the "dead" issues.

Thanks for the replies and explanations. I am thankful the player is more robust than I thought.

Thanks, however I am struggling to find Oppo setting that would send undecoded bitstream to let the receiver do the decoding. I set the output to RAW, however am not sure about LeftRight/Stereo/VirtualStereo/5.1 multichannel setting. Apparently in 5.1 multichannel mode Oppo is decoding, thus it does not work. Is LeftRight the correct option to have it pass through?
For the coaxial or optical digital outputs, getting undecoded bitstream is simply a matter of setting the "SPDIF Output" to "RAW" on the Audio Setup Page. That is all that is required. For HDMI, there are a couple other considerations. The 981HD's HDMI audio settings are a little different from the 970HD's - the 981HD offers an "auto" mode (mentioned in my 981HD review (http://www.prillaman.net/oppo981_review.html#hdmi_audio)) that retains a raw bitstream for DD and DTS but provides multichannel PCM for DVD-Audio and SACD. The 970HD offers "Multi-Channel" and "SPDIF" (or "off") based on the manual PDF file I have here (don't have a 970HD so I don't know if any firmware updates have altered this behavior any, but I haven't heard of any such change). When "SPDIF" is set, the 970HD's HDMI output should work exactly the same as the coaxial or optical output, but DVD-Audio and SACD output will be disabled. When "Multi-channel" is set, you'd also want to go back to the Speaker Setup Page and make sure "5.1 CH" is selected for down-mix. The Onkyo should provide bass management for multichannel PCM signals, so you would want to set all speakers to "LARGE" and the subwoofer to "ON." Under this scenario, the Onkyo will always get a multichannel PCM signal (with the number of channels determined by the number of channels in the original source), so Dolby EX and DTS ES would not be applicable options. Ideally, Pro Logic IIx would be an option, but I don't know if the Onkyo can apply PLIIx to multichannel PCM sources - at least some early HDMI v1.1 receivers lacked this capability.

Either one is fine. However if palyback of dvd-audio or sacd is wanted, it will need to be eithe an hdmi connection or through the 5.1 analog outputs... i think. If I'm wrong please someone correct me on the dvdaudio/sacd scenerio, but for just regular cd playback, either one Gerry.
Thanks!

I've recommended this to a friend, who will be hooking it up to an AV receiver with HDMI inputs. This unit will also serve as his CD player.

Do I need to get an optical cable for CD playback, or does it output sound only on the HDMI cable? Thanks.If you're connecting via HDMI to a modern AVR that handles audio decoding and video switching from its HDMI inputs, there is usually no need to use the other digital outputs. I have the Oppo connected via HDMI to a Pio Elite 72 AVR and all types of media/formats/encoding (DVD, DVD-Audio, SACD and CD) all sound fantastic to my ears. One cable does it all!

Gonk, this subject comes up -alot-. Setting speakers to large vs. small in the AVR.
Mine are set to small (good 5.1 speaker set up), however, I go back and forth on small vs. large in the player. Knowing you want the 970 to stay neutral in the processing line. Again why do we want speakers large in the player? I have a Denon 3803 and a Carvin 900HD power amp for my fronts. 5.1 Analog Cables for SACD
Q?2. What setting for my Denon 3803AVR should I set the Oppo 970 LPCM to ?
96 0r 124? And why? I have gone back and forth, slightly different sound- but not definitive better one setting vs. the other…
Thanks
db


For the coaxial or optical digital outputs, getting undecoded bitstream is simply a matter of setting the "SPDIF Output" to "RAW" on the Audio Setup Page. That is all that is required. For HDMI, there are a couple other considerations. The 981HD's HDMI audio settings are a little different from the 970HD's - the 981HD offers an "auto" mode (mentioned in my 981HD review (http://www.prillaman.net/oppo981_review.html#hdmi_audio)) that retains a raw bitstream for DD and DTS but provides multichannel PCM for DVD-Audio and SACD. The 970HD offers "Multi-Channel" and "SPDIF" (or "off") based on the manual PDF file I have here (don't have a 970HD so I don't know if any firmware updates have altered this behavior any, but I haven't heard of any such change). When "SPDIF" is set, the 970HD's HDMI output should work exactly the same as the coaxial or optical output, but DVD-Audio and SACD output will be disabled. When "Multi-channel" is set, you'd also want to go back to the Speaker Setup Page and make sure "5.1 CH" is selected for down-mix. The Onkyo should provide bass management for multichannel PCM signals, so you would want to set all speakers to "LARGE" and the subwoofer to "ON." Under this scenario, the Onkyo will always get a multichannel PCM signal (with the number of channels determined by the number of channels in the original source), so Dolby EX and DTS ES would not be applicable options. Ideally, Pro Logic IIx would be an option, but I don't know if the Onkyo can apply PLIIx to multichannel PCM sources - at least some early HDMI v1.1 receivers lacked this capability.

Gonk, this subject comes up -alot-. Setting speakers to large vs. small in the AVR.
Mine are set to small (good 5.1 speaker set up), however, I go back and forth on small vs. large in the player. Knowing you want the 970 to stay neutral in the processing line. Again why do we want speakers large in the player? I have a Denon 3803 and a Carvin 900HD power amp for my fronts. 5.1 Analog Cables for SACD
Q?2. What setting for my Denon 3803AVR should I set the LPCM to ?
96 0r 124? And why? I have gone back and forth, slightly different sound- but not definitive better one setting vs. the other…
Thanks
db
The speaker settings in the player only matter for two cases: multichannel analog output, and HDMI audio of multichannel PCM. All other cases (PCM stereo from CD's, DD and DTS bitstreams) disregard the player settings entirely.

If you are using multichannel analog output or multichannel PCM output over HDMI, you need to decide what to do with the speaker settings. For multichannel analog, most receivers and processors cannot provide any bass management and you most likely want to use the player's bass management, in which case you'd want to set the speakers to "small." My Outlaw Model 990 is one of the rare exceptions (Outlaw's 1070 receiver and 970 processor also fall into that "exception" category) because it offers bass management on the multichannel analog input. For multichannel PCM over HDMI, your receiver should be able to use the same digital bass management that it's using for other digital and stereo analog inputs, which would make disabling the player's bass management preferred - in that case, you'd set the speakers to "large" in the 970HD to disable the bass management at the player.

Others may have some better information on what the 970HD is doing when the LPCM rate is adjusted - I don't recall if it is upsampling sources with lower sampling rates or if it is simply leaving higher sampling rates unchanged. You don't want to set the rate to a level higher than your receiver's DAC's and processing can support, but aside from that caveat you may find that higher is better (although the improvements may be subtle, as you've been encountering).

Since, on my Denon 3803- I can change preset up the sub to dB -/+ to – -.5-0+5+10+15.[I have it set at +10] And then w/ AVIA/SPL I can calibrate the dB-/+ to ~75. I am effectively controlling the BM with the receiver. (Hopefully this is correct). Just using 5.1 analog cables for SACD [spdif D cable for DVD). So I’ll set my speakers to larger in player and small in the AVR.
I’ll go back in and re-calibrate to see the effect. Thanks.
dave

... Today I played with the usb input. My goal was to see if this machine could be used as a cheap video box using an external hard drive (an ersatz TVIX essentially).

First, I had to reformat my drive from NTFS to FAT32. Then I loaded on some material. Conclusion? For regular DVD files and mpeg files, this was a "no go". Playback stuttered quite a bit. One is much better off just playing DVDs though the machine.

I had the same experience...except I was all set to watch some avi files thru a flash drive...in retrospect I don't know what I was thinking. All the same, it'll be nice to watch small avi files burned to cd...without having to create a video dvd in toast.

I'm wondering though...is this the sort of thing that could be possible after future firmware upgrades?

The 970HD's USB port is USB v1.1, and v1.1 limits the bandwidth available. Unfortunately that means that a firmware upgrade cannot improve the USB speed.

"At the present time there is no 7.1 material dts sometime is 6.1 but most of the time it is 5.1 go to oppo setup page for audio and make sure you set it for 5.1 dolby other wise you will only get 2 channel stereo from the oppo your receiver is giving you 7 channel stereo not dolby 5.1 surround sound so i would forget the 7.1"
Well, the receiver (Onkyo 604) upconverts 5.1 material to 7.1 material, but flatly refuses to do it when Oppo set to output 5.1 channel in RAW mode. Once I change Oppo to output Left/Right (whatever it is) or Stereo mode, the receiver successfully converts to 7.1 sound.

Not sure what to do, or what is the correct way. I am using HDMI cable in and out, should I try optical cables for each channel from Oppo to Onkyo or it will not help.

Thanks,

Vadim.

Vshun

See page 31 of the Onkyo manual. 604 will only support 5.1 via HDMI. You need to go coax or optical to get 6.1/7.1. I have the same issue. Supposedly this years line will support 7.1 through HDMI.

Guys,

For music listen,what is the correct settings on the audio page of the oppo? I have the onkyo 604 if any want to add their comments on settings.

I am going through via hdmi.

My settings are exactly from page one of this thread:

Speaker Setup Page:
Down-mix: 5.1 CH
Front Speaker: Large
Center Speaker: Large
Rear Speaker: Large
Subwoofer: On
Audio Setup Page:
Digital Output: Raw
HDMI Audio: Auto

Tony

For the coaxial or optical digital outputs, getting undecoded bitstream is simply a matter of setting the "SPDIF Output" to "RAW" on the Audio Setup Page. That is all that is required. For HDMI, there are a couple other considerations. The 981HD's HDMI audio settings are a little different from the 970HD's - the 981HD offers an "auto" mode (mentioned in my 981HD review (http://www.prillaman.net/oppo981_review.html#hdmi_audio)) that retains a raw bitstream for DD and DTS but provides multichannel PCM for DVD-Audio and SACD. The 970HD offers "Multi-Channel" and "SPDIF" (or "off") based on the manual PDF file I have here (don't have a 970HD so I don't know if any firmware updates have altered this behavior any, but I haven't heard of any such change). When "SPDIF" is set, the 970HD's HDMI output should work exactly the same as the coaxial or optical output, but DVD-Audio and SACD output will be disabled. When "Multi-channel" is set, you'd also want to go back to the Speaker Setup Page and make sure "5.1 CH" is selected for down-mix. The Onkyo should provide bass management for multichannel PCM signals, so you would want to set all speakers to "LARGE" and the subwoofer to "ON." Under this scenario, the Onkyo will always get a multichannel PCM signal (with the number of channels determined by the number of channels in the original source), so Dolby EX and DTS ES would not be applicable options. Ideally, Pro Logic IIx would be an option, but I don't know if the Onkyo can apply PLIIx to multichannel PCM sources - at least some early HDMI v1.1 receivers lacked this capability.

I was surprised to find out that on my Oppo 970 HDMI Output options are
Auto
LCPM
Off

According to manual, as you mentioned, it should be
SPDIF
MultiChannel
Off

Maybe it is due some different version of Firmware (my Oppo came with the latest available on the Website)?

Now I am lost how to set it to pass unprocessed stream. Should I set it this setting to Auto (like in your 981) setting, in addition to RAW? Should I keep Down setting to Left Right/ or MultiChannel, or it does not matter? How would I even find out what it really outputs (raw or processed downconverted 2 channel sound)?
Or should I call/email tech support at this point asking about the discrepancy with the manual?

Thanks.

The 970 manual is out of date, and uses old user menu terminology that was changed in firmware updates.

As noted, 970s with current firmware, typically if you have a 5.1 setup, set Digital Output to RAW, set HDMI to AUTO, set downmixing to 5.1 ch.

If you are using analog outputs, adjust speaker size and distance and levels in the player as needed, but if NOT (if you are using toslink/coax/HDMI), just set speakers to LARGE, subwoofer ON, distances at 0, levels at 0 boost/trim. This is the 'neutral' setting. These , as gonk noted, are ignored by bitstream output anyway (though they do affect PCM via HDMI). Do all the speaker adjuments etc in the AVR instead.

The only other thing regarding audio to pay attention to after that, is HDMI connection resolution, which has to be set at 720 or higher to reliably pass multichannel DVD-A/SACD via HDMI. Set this using the remote control.

(Actually there's also the LFE bug to consider when passing DVD-A, but that's another story ...short answer is that if need be, you can boost the subwoofer channel in the player by 10 dB).

Im interested in purchasing my first oppo player. Looking for a waf friendly setup. I currently use theatertek to play all my movies. All of my movies are re-authored with one soundtrack and the movie. No menus etc, what so ever. I do this with dvdshrink.... (keep originals safe) Ive had issues in the past with dvd players not being able to play these discs. Will the oppo manage? Will it give me better quality than theatertek can? My display is a ptax100u / sceptre 32" lcd. Thanks guys!

There is one thing I also wanted to ask regarding audio settings. The audio settings have a section where LPCM can be adjusted from 48k, 96k, and 192k. However, am I correct that this is only related to the digital coax and optical outputs, and has no bearing on the audio output for hdmi and analog?

For example, one can change the settings to 96 and 192 only when hdmi output is turned off. When hdmi output is on, it reverts back to the 48k setting. This doesn't mean that the actual hdmi output or more importantly, analog (I am using analog outputs at the moment) is limited to 48k right. I will still be getting the full 96 or 192k resolution when playing DVD-Audio through the analog outputs, correct?

I may as well ask since I can't figure it out on my own. My Oppo 970 is connected directly by HDMI cable to an HDTV with its own speakers. There's also a subwoofer out from the TV. So no AV receiver or surround sound system involved at all. What are the best audio settings for this configuration? Or should I call Oppo for help?

I may as well ask since I can't figure it out on my own. My Oppo 970 is connected directly by HDMI cable to an HDTV with its own speakers. There's also a subwoofer out from the TV. So no AV receiver or surround sound system involved at all. What are the best audio settings for this configuration? Or should I call Oppo for help?

I used to have a setup like that too. Set the Oppo to downmix everything to stereo and run an audio cable to your tv. Also turn the subwoofer to ON in the Oppo and get yourself a y-splitter and another sub cable to go from the Oppo to the sub. So then you'll be getting LFE from both sources. If the LFE levels are dramaticly different between the tv and the Oppo, then you can go into the Oppo and use the Channel Trim function to manipulate the output of the speakers. Like for mine I had to turn all the speakers down to -10 and the sub up to +10 and that evened it out pretty good. Not the ideal setup for the best sound quality, but that's the way I had to run it for a couple months.

There is one thing I also wanted to ask regarding audio settings. The audio settings have a section where LPCM can be adjusted from 48k, 96k, and 192k. However, am I correct that this is only related to the digital coax and optical outputs, and has no bearing on the audio output for hdmi and analog?

The LPCM rate only effects the HDMI, and PCM coaxial/optical audio. Analog is not effected by this since analog has gone through the D/A converter. The DVD unit will not upsample, but the LPCM rate determines the maximum cycling output for your source material. If you are using the optical and coaxial outputs or HDMI as RAW, this setting will have no effect on your audio.

For example, one can change the settings to 96 and 192 only when hdmi output is turned off. When hdmi output is on, it reverts back to the 48k setting. This doesn't mean that the actual hdmi output or more importantly, analog (I am using analog outputs at the moment) is limited to 48k right. I will still be getting the full 96 or 192k resolution when playing DVD-Audio through the analog outputs, correct?

HDMI auto negotiates the signal. For this reason, the unit defaults to the LPCM rate being 48Khz, even though the actual resolution will be higher than that. You can leave this setting at Auto because when the S/PDIF is set to RAW, it defaults the highest LPCM rate.

I was surprised to find out that on my Oppo 970 HDMI Output options are
Auto
LCPM
Off

According to manual, as you mentioned, it should be
SPDIF
MultiChannel
Off

Maybe it is due some different version of Firmware (my Oppo came with the latest available on the Website)?

Now I am lost how to set it to pass unprocessed stream.
If you have those options, then it's using the same logic as the 981HD and it's actually a better situation (like I said, I don't have a 970HD and all I have to go on is a PDF of the original manual).

I have a little info on HDMI audio settings in my 981HD review (http://www.prillaman.net/oppo981_review.html#hdmi_audio) that may be of interest to you. Basically, though, you can use the speaker settings I mentioned previously (5.1ch for downmix, all speakers large, sub on, no channel trim or distance settings), select "Auto" for HDMI Audio, and leave Digital Output set to "Raw." This will allow the HDMI output to pass raw bitstreams of Dolby Digital and DTS soundtracks while also passing multichannel PCM for DVD-Audio and SACD.