Anyway, I emailed Oppo about this and they said that it was a common problem with HDMI. Has anyone else had this problem, and is it something that I just have to get used to? I've never had a TV with HDMI before so I don't know from experience if this happens a lot.

For some displays this is a common error due to a re-synchronization of the HDMI signal (HDMI carries both audio and video as the same stream, which can result in errors when the audio or video changes). However, I have not used your Vizio display so I can't comment on the how accurate this is.

Try using analog audio (rather than HDMI) to the display. Turn HDMI Off (Audio Setup) on the OPPO and change your HDMI Audio priority (Vizio) from Digital to Analog. Note any difference in performance.

For some displays this is a common error due to a re-synchronization of the HDMI signal (HDMI carries both audio and video as the same stream, which can result in errors when the audio or video changes). However, I have not used your Vizio display so I can't comment on the how accurate this is.

Try using analog audio (rather than HDMI) to the display. Turn HDMI Off (Audio Setup) on the OPPO and change your HDMI Audio priority (Vizio) from Digital to Analog. Note any difference in performance.


Well I have actually tried turning off the HDMI audio on the Oppo and sending the audio to my stereo with analog RCA cables and it still has the little delay. It's not a huge deal, but it does bug me a little bit.

Try disconnecting the HDMI cable with the same setup. There are cases, such as SACD audio playback, which will cause audio dropouts when HDMI is in use.

So I just set this machine up using the HDMI for audio. I was toggling back and forth between 6 channel analog and PCM through the HDMI cable while listening to a DVD Audio of "YES FRAGILE".

It seemed to me that the 6 channel analog actually sounded better--clearer and more full. The guitar strings on "The Clap" were much more present and had more snap.

Are others finding this as well?

I am running the oppo through a Panasonic SA-XR700 receiver.

I had thought that the HDMI would sound better, because it is straight digital all the way through.

What are your opinions?

Thanks,

bdbaba

It will have to become analog at some point before the signals are amplified and handed off to each speaker. Whether HDMI or analog will sound better depends on the DAC's in the receiver - if the 970HD's DAC's are better, ir would make sense for the multichannel analog to sound better.

Bit of an update... So I set up the 970 with component out to my TV and audio through HDMI to a Yamaha RX-V661, and it works great. The SACD's sound amazing. Thanks for the help and info.

Why are so many people concerned with component with this player? Does it not come with an HDMI cable? Or is this simply because alot of people have Tvs that dont support HDMI? Or is component superior and im missing out on something here.

Why are so many people concerned with component with this player? Does it not come with an HDMI cable? Or is this simply because alot of people have Tvs that dont support HDMI? Or is component superior and im missing out on something here.

For people without HDMI/DVI or an extra HDMI/DVI port on their TV, this player will upconvert over component with modified firmware. That is why component is discussed so much.

Hi Everyone.
I bought oppo 970 couple of months ago and it worked great until recently i started experienceg ghosting and a bit of snow especially in black areas. I could also see burn in while movie credits are showing or screen changes with a total black interval. I switched of my tv's (Samsung 3251d) noise but still its same. Is there any setting that need to be changed. I guess this is the best forum to know such issues....

Have you tried to run a DVD lens cleaner disc through the player to remove built up dust on the pickup???

Have you tried to run a DVD lens cleaner disc through the player to remove built up dust on the pickup???

Where would you purchase one of these DVD’s? - Brand name? And if one just wanted it for just good eq maintenance is it recommended??
I have no issues with my 970, but I have a forced air furnace and in the summer we turn the heather on quite often. So I do get dust around my EQ.
Thanks,
db

Hi Everyone.
I bought oppo 970 couple of months ago and it worked great until recently i started experienceg ghosting and a bit of snow especially in black areas. I could also see burn in while movie credits are showing or screen changes with a total black interval. I switched of my tv's (Samsung 3251d) noise but still its same. Is there any setting that need to be changed. I guess this is the best forum to know such issues....

Ghosting and burn in are typically side effects of digital noise reduction. There are noise reduction options on both the TV and the DVD player. Make sure all those are turned off. Additionally, if the contrast is set too high there could also be ghosting.

Ghosting and burn in are typically side effects of digital noise reduction. There are noise reduction options on both the TV and the DVD player. Make sure all those are turned off. Additionally, if the contrast is set too high there could also be ghosting.

Burn in is not a side effect of noise reduction. If you have burn in it is not the fault of the player, rather your TV settings (mainly contrast) and watching too many static images.

palamrinder, To reduce ghosting do as Jeffhdz said and turn off all noise reduction features. Also make sure your sharpness is set properly on your display or try reducing it and see if the ghosting goes away.

Ghosting and burn in are typically side effects of digital noise reduction. There are noise reduction options on both the TV and the DVD player. Make sure all those are turned off. Additionally, if the contrast is set too high there could also be ghosting.

Thanks Folks! I did switched off noise reduction in my tv and didnt knew there was similar feature in oppo 970. I will play with contrast settings when i get home. I'm cincerned as i just bought it a little over a month, so there should be no dust in it, but still i'll look for dvd lens cleaner discs and use one.

Where would you purchase one of these DVD’s? - Brand name?....
Discwasher brand, and just look at one of the big box stores such as BestBuy or Circuit City.

I'm on an old version of firmware because I'm upscaling via component. However, I do have the underscan issue. Is there a specific patch that will eliminate the underscan without removing my upscaling over component?
Thanks,
Jeff

After five years my panasonic xp50 died.Im thinking of buying the oppo970 ASAP.I only have component input on my old Pioneer plasma.I understand there is a way to upconvert over component.Could you tell me how to do this?If i choose to just watch standard dvds over component using progressive signal will I get good results using the oppo970? thanks Matt

Hooked up my new 970 to my new Mitsubishi WD-57831 for the first time today and tested briefly two DVDs. The upscaling were good but the picture wasn't as clear as HD channels. I switched between 720p and 1080i output but didn't notice any discernible difference. The DVDs are Matrix Revolution and The Polar Express. Is there a better DVD to test the upscaling? I really liked what I saw on Discovery HD and KQED HD (public television) but the DVD pictures were not as crisp. Am I expecting too much out of this upscaler? Or does anyone think it takes a HD DVD player to put up an impressive picture? I've been hearing a lot about Toshiba HD-A2. Maybe it upscales better?

Yep, you will never get DVD to look as good as HD.

Burn in is not a side effect of noise reduction. If you have burn in it is not the fault of the player, rather your TV settings (mainly contrast) and watching too many static images.

palamrinder, To reduce ghosting do as Jeffhdz said and turn off all noise reduction features. Also make sure your sharpness is set properly on your display or try reducing it and see if the ghosting goes away.

I tried fiddling with the contrast settings, but didnt got any positive results. The issue is with the dvd player as movies and stuff from cable shows up fine, no ghosting or burn in. I tried updating software on dvd player, but it just gives an error and fails to run the upgrade cd. i think i might have to give a call to oppo guys.....

Each input on your TV may have different settings so directly comparing cable to DVD is not always possible. What type of display to you have (CRT, plasma)? Did you try dropping the sharpness setting on the TV to try and reduce ghosting? When you say burn in, what exactly are you seeing? Burn in cannot be caused by the DVD player.

Rather than read through the 170 odd pages here, i have experienced 2 occasional problems with my 970 and ask if anyone has had the same?

1) When stopping a movie, instead of going to the main blue oppo screen like normal, i get a green screen instead and i can't get out of it unless i switch off the player and back on again.

2) When loading or stopping PAL DVD's the Oppo freezes up and again i have to turn it off and back on, this happens more often than the first problem.

Any idea's?

Thanks.

After five years my panasonic xp50 died.Im thinking of buying the oppo970 ASAP.I only have component input on my old Pioneer plasma.I understand there is a way to upconvert over component.Could you tell me how to do this?If i choose to just watch standard dvds over component using progressive signal will I get good results using the oppo970? thanks Matt

Matt,
There's an old firmware that you can use to flash the player and it will allow upscaling over component. The unit doesn't come that way because of copyright issues that prohibit upscaling over an analog output (component) because it's so easy to copy. I flashed mine because I only have one HDMI input on my TV and it's connected to my DishHD receiver. If you get this unit and you have trouble finding the firmware update I'm referring to, PM me and I'll see if I can email it or post it somewhere for you to download. Upscaling might not be as good as HD but it's definitely better than 480P from the same DVD. I was amazed at Star Wars Ep III, and Ep IV that I watched the other night. Colors and details were very good IMO. I even saw details in the blacks that I hadn't previously.

Also, as you may have seen in my previous post, there's one little caveat on the upscaling. Some say it "underscans" a couple of pixels and trims off the top row or two of pixels in the image. In my opinion, it's actually a shift of the entire image that moves up two pixels from the bottom and overlaps the top two pixels on themselves. This makes the extreme top edge of the picture a little brighter (one row of pixels, hardly noticeable). There's supposed to be a fix file out for this specific issue but I haven't gotten an answer as to whether or not it will disable upscaling over component. (Anyone? Buhler?).

Cheers,
Jeff

I would also be interested in the oppo firmware for upconvert over component as that is all my hdtv has..current versionon oppo970 5.00.01.07 batch 3a-0919 thanks stretch35

Rather than read through the 170 odd pages here, i have experienced 2 occasional problems with my 970 and ask if anyone has had the same?

1) When stopping a movie, instead of going to the main blue oppo screen like normal, i get a green screen instead and i can't get out of it unless i switch off the player and back on again.

2) When loading or stopping PAL DVD's the Oppo freezes up and again i have to turn it off and back on, this happens more often than the first problem.

Any idea's?

Thanks.

Neomond:

Which TV are you using? I had a similar problem (green screen) with the Vizio 46" LCD. It would happen occasionally with DVD's, but also if I changed channels too fast. Was definitely a television problem, not the source. I returned the TV and got the Vizio 47" LCD. That resolved the problem.

Dennis Howie

Neomond:

Which TV are you using? I had a similar problem (green screen) with the Vizio 46" LCD. It would happen occasionally with DVD's, but also if I changed channels too fast. Was definitely a television problem, not the source. I returned the TV and got the Vizio 47" LCD. That resolved the problem.

Dennis Howie


Panasonic 50PHD8 plasma.

Each input on your TV may have different settings so directly comparing cable to DVD is not always possible. What type of display to you have (CRT, plasma)? Did you try dropping the sharpness setting on the TV to try and reduce ghosting? When you say burn in, what exactly are you seeing? Burn in cannot be caused by the DVD player.

I have 32" LCD (samsung 3251d). when watching movie previews, a text or a scene shows up on the screen followed by a black screen, i could see the text or lines from previous picture on my black screen. It does not stay pure black. That;s what I've been calling burn in. The issue is basically with the black areas of screen, which looks like a low resolution image. Also i didnt see any noise reduction feature in the oppo dvd player itself.
I will try changing the hdmi cable to see if it is cause of the issue. But anyways thanks for your help.

I have 32" LCD (samsung 3251d). when watching movie previews, a text or a scene shows up on the screen followed by a black screen, i could see the text or lines from previous picture on my black screen. It does not stay pure black. That;s what I've been calling burn in. The issue is basically with the black areas of screen, which looks like a low resolution image. Also i didnt see any noise reduction feature in the oppo dvd player itself.
I will try changing the hdmi cable to see if it is cause of the issue. But anyways thanks for your help.

LCD's don't suffer from burn in but it sounds like you are seeing image retention, which is temporary. The white text followed by a dark screen is just probably making it more evident. If you hit pause on the black screen does the "retained text image" go away after a bit?

As for Noise Reduction, I think this was added a firmware rev or two back so if you are not up to date you may not see it. It is under Setup and then video settings. Set it to off. Also, set sharpness to off in the player.

I'm on an old version of firmware because I'm upscaling via component. However, I do have the underscan issue. Is there a specific patch that will eliminate the underscan without removing my upscaling over component?
Thanks,
Jeff

See this thread for firmware fix info. and how to get various releases to work through component cables....

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=832356&page=1&pp=30

As for Noise Reduction, I think this was added a firmware rev or two back so if you are not up to date you may not see it. It is under Setup and then video settings. Set it to off. Also, set sharpness to off in the player.
The noise reduction feature is available in the current beta version at Oppo's site. It's not included in the official firmware version yet.

The noise reduction feature is available in the current beta version at Oppo's site. It's not included in the official firmware version yet.

Thanks for the clarification as I had forgot what firmware I was on.

I just had a question i thought i would ask here before giving oppo a call. When ever i play a dvd on my 970, when it first starts a scene from the menu, it takes a while for the sound to kick in. This happens whether the the hdmi audio is on and sound goes to the tv or when hdmi audio is off and sound goes to my surround via optical. None of the firmware updates on their webstite mention a fix to this problem. Any ideas would be great. thanks

If you disconnect the HDMI cable and run audio straight to your receiver with optical, does the same audio error occur?

It could be that the HDMI handshaking is causing an error with the audio synchronization. I have seen this happen with the DV-981HD.

well i have hdmi running to the tv and in the oppo settings i have hdmi audio turned off. i have my optical running straight to the receiver from the oppo. i have tried changing the digital audio out from 44 to 96 to 192 and same problem. also happens if i use hdmi for audio. i'm clueless. thanks again for your help

yes, but even with the HDMI audio turned Off, the HDMI signal is still being handshaked. Because audio and video are a part of the same stream, the re-synchronization of the signal in general can cause other functions, such as audio, to not work appropriately.

Try disconnecting the HDMI cable and see if the same error occurs with a direct Optical connection to your receiver.

Oppo Digital DV-970HD FAQ / Brain dump

Thanks for the thread, I ordered a B-Stock unit today.
Appreciate all the help & wish me luck!

I'm about to take delivery on an OPPO DV-981HD and immediately send it back without opening the box. I've been told by several AVS members that I would be better off with the OPPO DV-970HD as I intend to run it through a new Onkyo TX-SR875 w/Reon-VX video processing.

I noticed that the 970 has a "4-in-1 flash memory card reader" that will accomodate the Sony Memory Stick. I have a Sony digital still camera that uses the Memory Sticks. Does this mean that I will be able to insert my Memory Sticks from my digital camera in the 970 and display the pictures on my TV? :confused:

Thanks

I'm about to take delivery on an OPPO DV-981HD and immediately send it back without opening the box. I've been told by several AVS members that I would be better off with the OPPO DV-970HD as I intend to run it through a new Onkyo TX-SR875 w/Reon-VX video processing.

I noticed that the 970 has a "4-in-1 flash memory card reader" that will accomodate the Sony Memory Stick. I have a Sony digital still camera that uses the Memory Sticks. Does this mean that I will be able to insert my Memory Sticks from my digital camera in the 970 and display the pictures on my TV? :confused:

Thanks
Yes, I did it with a USB stick but I can't remember if it allowed for a slide show, I believe it did.

Yes, I did it with a USB stick but I can't remember if it allowed for a slide show, I believe it did.
Thanks for your reply :) but, yes, I'm wanting to know it I can do a picture slide show with the 970/Memory Stick combination. :confused:

Just checked it with a USB stick and it does do a slide show. The slide show features are the same no matter what the source, CD, DVD, USB stick, Card reader. If you want to verify for yourself here is a link to the 970's user manual.
http://www.oppodigital.com/dv970hd/dv970hd_manual.pdf
Search on slide show.

Got my 970 today, yeah I had to pay state tax, butt for UPS Ground shipping charge it was delivered in 1 day!
Lot's on TV for "me" tonight, however hope to post an audio review soon.
Enjoy!

Got my 970 today, yeah I had to pay state tax, butt for UPS Ground shipping charge it was delivered in 1 day!
Lot's on TV for "me" tonight, however hope to post an audio review soon.
Enjoy!
I'm not sure but, I think OPPO is located somewhere in the San Frisco area and any sales within the State of California must be taxed but any sales out-of-state, no tax. :D

Got my 970 today, yeah I had to pay state tax, butt for UPS Ground shipping charge it was delivered in 1 day!
Lot's on TV for "me" tonight, however hope to post an audio review soon.
Enjoy!
I'm not sure but, I think OPPO is located somewhere in the San Francisco area and any sales within the State of California must be taxed but any sales out-of-state, no tax. :D

They are actually in Mountain View CA. Kinda above San Jose..

Just got one of these players after seeing alot of good reviews. Received it today and I have found my USB HD won't work with it. Not sure why..........(Small 120GB HD bought in Japan)
Although I have found that I can connect USB sticks to it without problems and surprisingly I can use my ipod with it too.
My main issue with the player, is that when using the USB port to play .avi files it doesn't recognise the .srt files which are on the media. So I get no subtitles which is an issue for me.
If I put the same files on a DVD the .srt files are recognised.

1. Is there any settings somewhere that will allow the .srt files to be seen from the USB media? (I have the latest firmware)
2. Any ideas as to why my USB HD won't work? (Formated as FAT32)
3. Should I try and reformat it?

(I searched this thread and found one or two similar queries but no answer regarding the subtitles)
cheers

See post 1419 and 1420.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=8024727&&#post8024727

Really down in the dumps when my old standby panny xp50 died after almost five years.Took a chance on the oppo970 and WOW.Im connected to a Pioneer 433cmx with component only and no upconversion,no hack and the picture is fantastic.Love it way more than farouda based xp50.Maybe it was softer image of xp50 or fact that in cinema mode it flickered a bit but it doesnt matter for the 970 blows it away.Very sharp picture with excellent sound through optical and wider soundstage than xp50..Im not even going to bother with the component hack which I tried to burn but had no luck.this is a keeper and next fall when i upgrade to new Pioneer i will be able to enjoy HDMI and upconversion.

I just recieved my V-970HD yesterday. First of all, the images are stunning! But I'm wondering if I might be having some issues. When I'm outputting at a resolution of 1080i over from the HDMI jack (through a Monster Cable HDMI to DVI converter into my Sony KV-32HS510 television) there are vertical white bands (about an eight of the image wide) that roll quickly right to left across the screen. Almost a ghost-like white band. It's is fairly noticeable. When I reduce output to 720p, the band subsides and can only faintly be noticed during dark passages. Still quite watchable, but still faintly there.
is anyone familiar with what these white bands are? They actually render the 1080i output unsuable. My television is a CRT, not plasma. Please advise me of any workaround you might have or if my player needs to be looked at.

Where are your settings for brightness, contrast and sharpness??? Try turning the sharpness filter down to no more than 10%, and adjust the contrast and brightness to where those scan lines aren't visible any longer. An Avia or DVE calibration disc would show you the proper way to adjust the TV very nicely, and you may be pleased with the results. Most sets are "jacked up" for an overly bright image from the factory, and these need to be turned down for "real" viewing, not a showroom picture. Also, do you have the set in "vibrant" mode, or whatever Sony is calling it? Try their "movie" mode.

I have Oppo 970 and Sammy HLR series - 56 in. My display is 1080P although it does not accept 1080P, it does accept 1080i. I have tried different output with my oppo to my display - 480P, 720P and 1080i. The 1080i seems to provide the best picture so far. For those with similar equipment, what output do you feed your display? Since I got a better picture from 1080i, does my display have a better deinterlacer than oppo? Any feedback will be appreciated.

I have Oppo 970 and Sammy HLR series - 56 in. My display is 1080P although it does not accept 1080P, it does accept 1080i. I have tried different output with my oppo to my display - 480P, 720P and 1080i. The 1080i seems to provide the best picture so far. For those with similar equipment, what output do you feed your display? Since I got a better picture from 1080i, does my display have a better deinterlacer than oppo? Any feedback will be appreciated.

Not necessarily, but I would have expected 1080i to be best with that player and that display so that is no surprise.

Chris

oppo is sending me a cd of their latest firmware 4a-0209.This is to allow my universal remote to recognize oppo remote.Has anyone tried this and does it work?My 970 is only a few days old and I dont want to cause problems by installing this new firmware.Does anyone know of any problems that might be caused by installing this 4a-0209 firmware?
Oppo was nice enough to send my it on cd since my computer is not able to burn cds.Great and fast response from customer service.

LCD's don't suffer from burn in but it sounds like you are seeing image retention, which is temporary. The white text followed by a dark screen is just probably making it more evident. If you hit pause on the black screen does the "retained text image" go away after a bit?

As for Noise Reduction, I think this was added a firmware rev or two back so if you are not up to date you may not see it. It is under Setup and then video settings. Set it to off. Also, set sharpness to off in the player.

I played with couple of settings and still could not do away with the "retention" on my screen, even if i pause it. I could see small black boxes in the dark regions of the scene. they are very similar to playing a low resolution media on your computer, where you can see small boxes being formed around the screen. Apart from these boxes i could see ghost lines following an object with black background. These are more evident if i watch in totally dark room. Oppo gives fabulous picture sharpness but these low res looks are annoying to me...... does anyone else experience it?

oppo is sending me a cd of their latest firmware 4a-0209.This is to allow my universal remote to recognize oppo remote.Has anyone tried this and does it work?My 970 is only a few days old and I dont want to cause problems by installing this new firmware.Does anyone know of any problems that might be caused by installing this 4a-0209 firmware?
Oppo was nice enough to send my it on cd since my computer is not able to burn cds.Great and fast response from customer service.

Oppo firmware works fine. The remote codes will allow a universal to do many of the basic remote functions.

Are you actually using the beta firmware to get universal remote to work?

Dear All,
Notice on the new 970
Just to update the debate and
Direct from oppo tech support yesterday:

The design engineers told us that the video format used by DV-970HD between the decoder and the scaler chip is BT.601 instead of BT.656.
For this reason alone the existing SDI mod cards may not work unless they can take the BT.601 format, which is 8-bit instead of the 10-bit BT.656. If so, whether the timing will work with other equipment is totally unknown at this moment. Besides, the DV-970HD has no easy connector like the OPDV971 has for connecting the SDI card.
It may sound a stupid question, but please clarify this for me: Pixelmagic's BT656Pro SDI kit is not suitable for the 970? Can someone post a photo of the connector available in the 970?

So is judder still an ongoing issue for many of you? Searching this thread the newest hits on "judder" are from February.

I got my 970 in March when I upgraded to a Sammy 6188. I'm connected via HDMI. I'm getting pretty frequent judder on multiple titles, which are all R1 NTSC. The most recent was The Proposition, which has a lot of horizontal pans.

Is there anything that can be done about this?

TIA............

bunkaroo, your display may not be properly calibrated. You should have a professional do it or use DVE or AVIA and DIY.

bunkaroo, your display may not be properly calibrated. You should have a professional do it or use DVE or AVIA and DIY.

Display calibrated by Eliab 2 months ago. With the player present.

Also, I'm not aware of what calibration could or could not do for judder.

Sounds like some kind of HDMI incompatability.

Sounds like some kind of HDMI incompatability.

What's weird is I don't have any issues with this on my HD-DVD or Blu-Ray, which re both hooked up with the same exact cables. In fact, the Oppo is hooked directly to my display's second HDMI port, while my HD and BD machines go to my receiver and then to HDMI 1.

If it is indeed some kind of incompatibility, it would have to be a player problem, no?

I believe I remember hearing mention on this site that 970 was a good fit for the Sammy DLP sets - better than the 971 or 981 because of their blocking issues.

Maybe it's just my unit?

What's weird is I don't have any issues with this on my HD-DVD or Blu-Ray, which re both hooked up with the same exact cables. In fact, the Oppo is hooked directly to my display's second HDMI port, while my HD and BD machines go to my receiver and then to HDMI 1.
Have you tried switching the HMDI inputs on the TV? i.e, put the Oppo on HDMI1 and the AVR on HDMI2 and see is that makes any difference. If that doesn't show any difference, then swap the cables being used by each source. If all that fails to solve it, then I'd say you definitely have a bad unit. :(

Have you tried connecting the Oppo to the HDMI 1 input? "Same" cables doesn't mean the same brand and length - it means disconnecting the cable from your Receiver's output and connecting it directly to the Oppo's output. This is what skipsterut also said.

It's always possible that your display's HDMI 2 input is the problem.

Connect the Oppo to your display's HDMI 1 input and see if you still have the problem. On my flat panel display, the 2 HDMI inputs are not the same (although they seem to work the same when I moved my H20 STB from HDMI 1 to HDMI 2).

When Eliab did your calibration, did he calibrate the DVD player (as you have it currently connected) too? If he didn't (all you said was that it was "present"), then it sounds like he should have.

You should also contact Oppo. They may have some suggestions. If it is a problem with your Oppo, they will take care of it for you. Their customer service is excellent.

Thanks for the advice guys. I will try this. When Eliab was here, everything was coming through HDMI 1 since I had a 5->1 switch. I've since gotten an HDMI receiver, but it only has 2 inputs, which are occupied. I was under the impression calibration was done per input type., not physical input.

Oppo is sending me a cd of beta firmware to allow my universal remote to work with 970.Ive been reading a number of replies about the blue screen load up glitch.I do not have the upconversion hack and only use 480p thus could i possibly end up with this load up problem if I input this firmware?I have never seen the problem in my week old 970 and dont want to. thanks Matt

Thanks for the advice guys. I will try this. When Eliab was here, everything was coming through HDMI 1 since I had a 5->1 switch. I've since gotten an HDMI receiver, but it only has 2 inputs, which are occupied. I was under the impression calibration was done per input type., not physical input.
Try connecting directly to the TV.

Are you actually using the beta firmware to get universal remote to work?
Correct. 4a 0209 patched for component upscaling.

hi guys, i did not see this in the brain dump by the OP, but did Oppo ever release a new firmware to fix the upscaling 720p/1080i reduced image size problem? i've been waiting for that fix...

I believe you can only get it by calling Oppo, it's not available on their web site.

Hello, I have a certain problem with my 970. It worked AMAZING until recently in which any vcd/dvd I put in, it would freeze my dvd player (the image would turn green and a wierd noice would occur), thus I would have to take off the ac adapter to turn the dvd player off. Has anyone else experiences this problem and if so, how did you resolve it? Thanks.

Audio Sync Problem with DIVX files

Whenever I pause a divx file the audio is out of sync with the video when I restart play. If the pause was for a short period, say 20 seconds, the audio resyncs quickly. If I pause for longer than a few minutes then the sync is out by 1/2 second or more and never recovers. If I restart and FF through to the point I had paused I am OK again. Rather annoying really.

Anyone else experience this? Should I raise it with Oppo?

Thanks in advance.

I posted this over in the patch thread, but didn't receive a response.

I bought a 970, and love it. Patched the player to allow for upconversion over component video. Yet even after trying on about 20 different discs, I just don't see a difference between the 480/720p/1080i modes. (They all look equally as great on my Panasonic 42" HDTV.)

Using the Digital Video Essentials discs, I put on a 1.78 test pattern, and looked at it in the three modes. What I did notice was that 720p and 1080i revealed a bit more of the frame, but quality-wise it was the same. This at least confirmed that the TV is indeed changing modes. (This Panny model doesn't offer an option to display current mode.)

Is there something I should be looking for to see the results of the upconverting? I bought this player specifically because of its ability to upconvert over component, but I'm not sure I'm benefiting at all from this feature.

Any/all information or advice would be appreciated!

Already posted a reply. whether or not you see a difference depends on the display.

If you like what you see and you needed a player, then it sounds like you did ok.
Best,
jeff

I have just purchased the Oppo player and was wondering if it made any difference in connecting the DVD player to the receiver then to the TV or shouild I connect straight to my Mit TV with the audio to the Denon.

I have a Denon AVR-3805 (no HDMI) and a Mitsubishi WS-65311 (No HDMI). I will be updating the firmware, of course, which I have been reading about this coming weekend.

HDMI to TV for Video feed and audio to the tv's speakers.
Optical/ Coax / Analog (your choice) to your receiver for DVD surround tracks..

OOPs... i see you have no HDMI so component out for the video...you can use the main L R if you want to feed the TV with sound.....

Is there any visual information (OSD, front panel display) indicating that the 970 has detected a super audio cd and what it is doing to play it? I know there is a setting determining what it should do, but is there any status information available once such a disk is loaded?

Thanks.

-sfw

Hey guys, which resolution do you find looks best with the oppo?? Im running an infocus in72 which isnt a hidef projector temporarily until i buy my own place and can put in a dedicated ht room. Anyways native on the in72 is 480p but having a higher end internal scaler the in72 does a pretty good job with HD signals. My question is, does it make more sense to cut out any scaling and converting by simply running it at 480p with my oppo970 or do the 720p and 1080i settings actually look better. Do any of these resolutions minimize SDE? Im going to see if i can get my hands on a copy of AVIA to calibrate the projector but from what im told the in72 doesnt need much so i proally wont see much difference. We'll see about that. I really wish you could focus the lense without a manual dial. Makes it diffucult to see the difference between you shaking the unit and it being out of focus. GRRRR any suggestions??

Cheers

Hey guys, which resolution do you find looks best with the oppo?? Im running an infocus in72 which isnt a hidef projector temporarily until i buy my own place and can put in a dedicated ht room. Anyways native on the in72 is 480p but having a higher end internal scaler the in72 does a pretty good job with HD signals. My question is, does it make more sense to cut out any scaling and converting by simply running it at 480p with my oppo970 or do the 720p and 1080i settings actually look better. Do any of these resolutions minimize SDE? Im going to see if i can get my hands on a copy of AVIA to calibrate the projector but from what im told the in72 doesnt need much so i proally wont see much difference. We'll see about that. I really wish you could focus the lense without a manual dial. Makes it diffucult to see the difference between you shaking the unit and it being out of focus. GRRRR any suggestions??

Cheers


Stick with 480i or 480p on the Oppo. You don't want to scale to 720p or 1080i in the Oppo only to scale in back down in your projector.

Is there any visual information (OSD, front panel display) indicating that the 970 has detected a super audio cd and what it is doing to play it? I know there is a setting determining what it should do, but is there any status information available once such a disk is loaded?

Thanks.

-sfw

I haven' used it with any SACD's but with various DVD media, use the info button on the remote. BTW, it must be playing for the feature to display useful info.

Haven't seen this reported/asked ... apologies if I'm just missing it.

Using Oppo 970HD in a 2-channel setup (so using the analog outs). Long story short: audio just went kaput. Nothing at all, from either DVDs or SACDs. Eliminated the possibility of cable problems and input/preamp issues. Problem isn't the remote's volume or mute buttons.

I've read that reflashing the firmware has cured other audio ills. Does this seem a likely place to start?

Many thanks is advance.
Brian

Is there any visual information (OSD, front panel display) indicating that the 970 has detected a super audio cd and what it is doing to play it? I know there is a setting determining what it should do, but is there any status information available once such a disk is loaded?

There is no dedicated information. If you see an Explorer window on your television, then you are loading the SACD information. If you are seeing the OPPO Logo in the middle of disc playback, then you are playing back the CD audio portion.

...I've read that reflashing the firmware has cured other audio ills....
Try it! The process is very simple once you have burned a CD properly.

--
If you see an Explorer window
Neur- run this by me again?? When i load my SACD's i just see the blue OPPO screen with ((DVD video)) on the TV. I don't usually turn the plasma on to listen to music..

I also just noticed that on the menu it shows : SACD priority ..__CD mode__ & is in darker lettering and can not be highlighted . How do i"rehighlight this meu section?

db

There is no dedicated information. If you see an Explorer window on your television, then you are loading the SACD information. If you are seeing the OPPO Logo in the middle of disc playback, then you are playing back the CD audio portion.

You are playing back the CD layer of a hybrid SACD. You need to stop playback (and possibly eject the disc), then enter the setup menu and change the SACD priority.

SH()*&&&^T, brain dead here.. thanks gonk.. (home today)
I am not sure how it got into the cd mode.... i did try an Experimented over the weekend- maybe thats when i changed it......I connect my Carvin pro-amp directly into the Oppo {by passing the Denon3803 all together}to listen to a 2ch cd. {Reset the fronts to large-no sub , but didnot recalibrate the players channel trim) and let me tell you this 970- is quite good in 2ch mode as well…
"
"If you see an Explorer window
is this the tracks window, if so then all is good..

Yeah, if you can see the list of tracks on the left and an empty window on the right, you are playing the SACD layer and all is well. :)

Reflashed with the latest beta. Worked like a charm. Thanks, Jim.

Glad that worked out for you!

I just have my 970 replace my Sony for the SACD and DVD-A playback capability of the 970. The DVD-A playback is great on both HDMI and Multi-channel analog. My problem SACD wont play (no sound) on HDMI but work well with multi-channel analog.

Is it possible to have SACD over HDMI. BTW, I have latest firmware installed.

Thanks in advance.

I just have my 970 replace my Sony for the SACD and DVD-A playback capability of the 970. The DVD-A playback is great on both HDMI and Multi-channel analog. My problem is SACD wont play (no sound) on HDMI but work well with multi-channel analog. I am using it through Yamaha 661.

Is it possible to have SACD over HDMI. BTW, I have latest firmware installed.

Im sorry if this has been asked before.

Thanks in advance.

SACD will only play over analog

The 970HD will convert the DSD to PCM and sent it via HDMI. It works just fine. I'm sure somebody will reply with the settings, I don't remember off the top of me head.

larry

Ive had the oppo 970 for two weeks and love it but I cant figure out what gamma setting does or when to use it or where to set it.It seems to make color richer but not a good thing on well made dvds.I tried it out on a very poor pq quality dvd and it seemed to make it sharper with better color but perhaps it was just my imagination.Any advice would be greatly appreciated. thanks Matt

I have seen posts that said, you must select a higher HDMI resolution settings on you Oppo for that player to play HDMI SACD in addition setting your HDMI audio to "auto". That way DSD is converted to PCM over HDMI.

I have seen posts that said, you must select a higher HDMI resolution settings on you Oppo for that player to play HDMI SACD in addition setting your HDMI audio to "auto". That way DSD is converted to PCM over HDMI.
I just did a comparison w/ my D2 playing SACDs. It did not matter what resolution I was running. The SACD came into the D2 at 6-channel 88.2 kHz.

DVD-Audio did make a difference though. I think the SACD worked because the Oppo converts the DSD to PCM before sending it out over the HDMI cable.

Buddy

I just moved back from the UK and have tons of DVDs from there as well as the US. What is the code to enable multiregion for the OPPO 970HD? I thought it was possible... thanks

Press Setup on remote control to access the setup page
Enter 9210 on the remote
A secret menu will pop up
Select 0 to 6 in region code (0 is region free)
Press Setup on remote again to exit

OK, I received my DV-970HD today and hooked it up via HDMI to my new Sony 70XBR2 and set it up for 1080i (my set is native 1080p). Great picture :D but no sound! :mad: .

I have gone thru the setup instructions about 6 times and no joy. :( I noticed that on page 34 of the "user manual" - Audio setup page, page 34, #8, HDMI Audio shows the options as: LPCM, Auto and Off. This is what my screen shows. The "advanced setup guide" that also came with the unit shows on page 16, #8, HDMI Audio Multi-channel, SPDIF and Off. This does not show in my setup screen. Why two different versions??

I checked my firmware version and it's the latest: 05.00.01.07 Batch 4A-0111. What do I have to do/set to get audio on my set thru the HDMI? I checked the DVD (The Fifth Element - Super Bit) on my old Sony carousel and it plays perfect @ 480p. The DVD playere(s) are connected directly to the 70XBR2 and not thru a receiver at this time.

OPPO tech support doesn't open until tomorrow @ 11AM CST. Anyone got any ideas until then?? :confused:

Thanks

I guess no one knows what the gamma setting is or when we should use it?

The user manual has apparently been updated to reflect the latest firmware, while the advanced setup guide that Audioholics helped develop over a year ago has not. That's why the two don't agree. Go with the user manual.

I assume that you are sending audio to your TV via the HDMI cable, right? If that is the case, we need to think about what audio formats your TV supports. I suspect that the TV lacks Dolby Digital and DTS decoders, which means that you really need to be sending it PCM stereo at all times. Here is a quote from the excellent first post in this thread:
When the HDMI output is connected to a TV directly, please use the factory default settings. The related settings are:

Speaker Setup Page:
Down-mix: Stereo
Front Speaker: Large
Subwoofer: Off
Audio Setup Page:
HDMI Audio: LPCM
With the above factory default settings the DVD player will down-mix center and surround audio channels to stereo and send in LPCM format to the TV. High resolution audio will be down-sampled to meet the TV's playback capability. The 2-channel LPCM format is most compatible with all types of TVs.
Those four settings (Down-mix to Stereo, Front Speaker to Large, Sub to Off, and HDMI Audio to LPCM) will make sure that the player gives your TV a PCM stereo signal no matter what disc is playing, which will insure that your TV always has a complete audio signal that it can use.

The user manual has apparently been updated to reflect the latest firmware, while the advanced setup guide that Audioholics helped develop over a year ago has not. That's why the two don't agree. Go with the user manual.

I assume that you are sending audio to your TV via the HDMI cable, right? If that is the case, we need to think about what audio formats your TV supports. I suspect that the TV lacks Dolby Digital and DTS decoders, which means that you really need to be sending it PCM stereo at all times. Here is a quote from the excellent first post in this thread:

When the HDMI output is connected to a TV directly, please use the factory default settings. The related settings are:

Speaker Setup Page:
Down-mix: Stereo
Front Speaker: Large
Subwoofer: Off
Audio Setup Page:
HDMI Audio: LPCM
With the above factory default settings the DVD player will down-mix center and surround audio channels to stereo and send in LPCM format to the TV. High resolution audio will be down-sampled to meet the TV's playback capability. The 2-channel LPCM format is most compatible with all types of TVs.Those four settings (Down-mix to Stereo, Front Speaker to Large, Sub to Off, and HDMI Audio to LPCM) will make sure that the player gives your TV a PCM stereo signal no matter what disc is playing, which will insure that your TV always has a complete audio signal that it can use.gonk, thanks for that very informative post......it solved my problem(s) and answered the question about the manuals. I'll dump the secondary advanced setup manual from Audioholics. You 'da man! :cool: Yes, I'm sending audio & video to the Sony 70 XBR2 via the HDMI cable that came with the 970. No other hook-ups but apparently I didn't have the settings correct as you posted. I used your settings and voila! :D

Glad to hear that it's up and running for you!

Ive had the oppo 970 for two weeks and love it but I cant figure out what gamma setting does or when to use it or where to set it.It seems to make color richer but not a good thing on well made dvds.I tried it out on a very poor pq quality dvd and it seemed to make it sharper with better color but perhaps it was just my imagination.Any advice would be greatly appreciated. thanks Matt

The gamma settings on the DV-970HD is designed to compensate for higher than normal gamma on your display. That is, if the picture looks washed out, you will apply a Low, Medium, or High gamma setting to compensate for the difference in output gamma. It is not used to increase gamma.

Thank You .So its possible if a dvd is not up to par i can apply it to viewing.My Pioneer plasma(433cmx) is excellent but at times some dvds do need help.

If a DVD is recorded poorly, then a shift in the gamma curve down can make it look better, as you will not be blooming contrast and brightness.

Perhaps thes Gamma Settings might IMPROVE the PQ of one of my latest purchases. "The Godfather II"; I was REALLY disappointed in the PQ of this DVD and everyone looked YELLOW much of the time on my 970. Can somone please advise IF there is something that I can or should adjust to increase PQ and lose the Yellow Jaundice effect.

Thanks, Michael

I've noticed that a couple of users are having trouble with dialog level from their TV's speakers when they aren't running audio through their AVRs and their 970 is set to 5.1 downmix.

The common workaround seems to be a changing of the downmix setting.

I had a similar situation and all I did was press the "Audio" button on the remote and selected the 2-channel track. Worked a treat.

I don't know if they all have a 2-channel track, but every disc I've tried had one.

You shouldn't have to change stuff from the DVD player. Godfather II looks good to me. Perhaps you're just noticing it more now with the better color that upscaling can provide? You should calibrate your television set with each source you run through it.

I've just purchased a additional 970 and the LED brightness is far brighter that the previous player. It is literally painful when viewing in an HT environment.

Tech support has no other reports of this problem. The older player is about 6 months old.

The only other complaint in this forum was back in May, so I am suspecting a change in LED drivers or color.

Anyone else purchased a player recently feel the same way?

Thanks.

I just purchased an OPPO DV-970HD. Generally pleased with the results BUT screen size is a problem with some DVDS(e.g. Titanic, Armageddon). The size is quite small with large black borders on all 4 sides of my 42" plasma Panasonic. Any ideas on what the problem is?
Thanks,
Robert

I just purchased an OPPO DV-970HD. Generally pleased with the results BUT screen size is a problem with some DVDS(e.g. Titanic, Armageddon). The size is quite small with large black borders on all 4 sides of my 42" plasma Panasonic. Any ideas on what the problem is?
Thanks,
Robert

Those are presumably non-anamorphic discs (I know that is the case with Armageddon). They are widescreen but authored as 4:3 titles, meaning the image will display within a 4:3 aperture. Everyone keeps a list of their unloved letterboxed discs, hoping for anamorphic upgrades, which happens from time to time.

See more on this here: http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articles/anamorphic/index.html

-Bill

It sounds like you are playing some non-anamorphic widescreen DVD's, and the 970HD is pillarboxing them because they are basically 4:3 content with full letterboxing included. Both Armageddon ( Emily and Julie pushed the office doors mostly shut as they passed through them.) and Titanic (http://www.thedigitalbits.com/reviews/titanic.html) are non-anamorphic according the the Digital Bits reviews. You'll need to use a zoom feature on either the player or your display. Others here may have some good pointers for the most convenient solution - unfortunately my HDTV is an unusual case (a 4:3 CRT display) so my approach to stuff like this is atypical.

I just purchased an OPPO DV-970HD. Generally pleased with the results BUT screen size is a problem with some DVDS(e.g. Titanic, Armageddon). The size is quite small with large black borders on all 4 sides of my 42" plasma Panasonic. Any ideas on what the problem is?
Thanks,
Robert


Hi

As Gonk pointed out you probably have the older non-SE Titanic DVD which is not anamorphic. For that very reason I purchased the newer 3 disc Titanic SE which is anamorphic. You can get the SE for under $15.00 these days.

I plan on connecting to a receiver via HDMI at 480i to allow the receiver to upconvert. In that scenario, how should I pass audio to the receiver, coax/optical? Am I losing out on any features by doing so?

If your receiver supports HDMI v1.1 (meaning it will accept audio via HDMI as well as video), you can rely on the HDMI cable alone - a receiver that includes a video scaler and HDMI connections is likely to allow this, but we'd need to know what receiver you have to be certain.

If you are like many of us and do not have HDMI audio capability in your receiver, you would typically want to use coaxial or optical. Either connection will work fine for CD and DVD, but neither will work with DVD-Audio and SACD. If you don't have any DVD-Audio or SACD discs, don't worry about it. If you do have some, you would need to connect the multichannel analog cables.

Thanks for the quick reply. The receiver in question would be an Onkyo 875. The main reason I ask is because the release notes state:

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

Seeing that I plan on using 480i it seems I will not be able to pass all channels of 192kHz audio, or am I wrong here?

I got Oppo970 because of the rave reviews on it as a CD and SACD player. I had it for about 3 weeks. I did not have my center channel mounted for the first couple of weeks and so I was outputting 2 channel stereo from Oppo. Then I added the center and changed the downmix to 5.1. I was missing all the dialogs while playing a movies. Oppo was connected via HDMI to my receiver(H/K 247). Oppo's output was set to 720P.

I could get all 5.1 from my regular DVD player with the same disc. I called customer support and described the problem. My receiver shows which channels are receiving input from the source. I could see 3/2/1 when I played HD channels on cable TV. However with Oppo, the receiver would only show 2 channels even if oppo was set to output 5.1. I asked Custoner support whether there's something wrong with the unit and he said he don;t think so. I was surprised by the answer because their customer service is suppose to be quite good.

Well, long story short, I returned the player to Amazon. With prices of HD discs players these days, I wonder Oppo is a viable alternative these days. Toshiba's A2 can be had for 250 and it's suppose to upconvert as good as Oppo. I would be all over it, but it does not play SACD. I'll probably buy PS3.It outputs SACD at 176KB vs Oppo's 88KB.

When you changed the downmix to 5.1, did you also enable the center and surround speakers? On my 981HD, I believe that they are turned off by default. If they are off, having downmix to 5.1 alone isn't enough - and it would create exactly the situation you describe (the player would decode for 5.1, but then be told that the system lacks a center, surrounds, and a sub and would downmix to two channels anyway).

Seeing that I plan on using 480i it seems I will not be able to pass all channels of 192kHz audio, or am I wrong here?
I believe that would be correct. Certainly the latest major release firmware update still includes that warning about needing 720p or 1080i output to handle full multichannel PCM, and the explanation of this that I've seen indicates that it relates to how the HDMI handles allocation of data bandwidth for audio (relating it to video). It'd only affect you for DVD-A and SACD of course, but for those you have to change to a higher resolution to pass multichannel PCM.

(Anybody with newer information that changes this feel free to chime in and correct me. :))

Seeing that I plan on using 480i it seems I will not be able to pass all channels of 192kHz audio, or am I wrong here?

There is a bandwidth limitation at 480i/p that does not allow for 24-bit/192Khz DVD-Audio at 6-channels. 24-bit/192Khz 2.0 Channels I think still works.

SACD can be passed at 480i at 88.2Khz for 6 channels, however.

I could get all 5.1 from my regular DVD player with the same disc. I called customer support and described the problem. My receiver shows which channels are receiving input from the source. I could see 3/2/1 when I played HD channels on cable TV. However with Oppo, the receiver would only show 2 channels even if oppo was set to output 5.1. I asked Custoner support whether there's something wrong with the unit and he said he don;t think so. I was surprised by the answer because their customer service is suppose to be quite good.

Also, your DVD player could have been set to LPCM and not Auto for the HDMI interface. The units, by default, are shipping at LPCM now for HDMI. You have to manually change it to Auto to appropriately receive a Dolby Digital or DTS signal.

There is a bandwidth limitation at 480i/p that does not allow for 24-bit/192Khz DVD-Audio at 6-channels. 24-bit/192Khz 2.0 Channels I think still works.

SACD can be passed at 480i at 88.2Khz for 6 channels, however.

I thought I had read somewhere that DVD-Audio itself only allows for 6 channels at 96Khz, in which case this would be a non-issue. Anyone using the HDMI out at 480i care to offer their experience?

I meant to type 96Khz. I tried the player at 480i with a couple of DVD-Audio 96Kz 6-Channel DVD-Audio discs on a DV-970HD and a Onkyo AVR-4306 and Onkyo TX-SR803 and was only able to get 48Khz.

When you changed the downmix to 5.1, did you also enable the center and surround speakers? On my 981HD, I believe that they are turned off by default. If they are off, having downmix to 5.1 alone isn't enough - and it would create exactly the situation you describe (the player would decode for 5.1, but then be told that the system lacks a center, surrounds, and a sub and would downmix to two channels anyway).

When I changed to 5.1 remix, I Did set all my speakers to large and subwoofer was set to on. Also, the HDMI was set to 'Auto' and format was set to Raw.

I see over in the 2.35:1 Forum some excitement about being able to reposition Sub-titles in the new Blu-Ray Players for those with Constant Height setups .

Does anyone know if this is possible with the 970 ? It appears the players are able to access different sub-title tracks on the disks and then allow the User to place them in three different locations on the picture . It also allows for different Fonts as well . Quite a cool idea .

I wonder if this is new to BD or have all SD disks carried this feature ?

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

I meant to type 96Khz. I tried the player at 480i with a couple of DVD-Audio 96Kz 6-Channel DVD-Audio discs on a DV-970HD and a Onkyo AVR-4306 and Onkyo TX-SR803 and was only able to get 48Khz.
I had the same experience. DVD-Audio discs at 480i gave 6 channel 48 kHz. Changing the Oppo to 720p or 1080i gave 6 channel 96 kHz. The SACD tracks are converted from DSD to PCM and come through at 6 channel 88.2 kHz in all resolutions

Buddy

So how do we know which setting our A/V will handle- I have looked at my Denon 3803
spec's & it mentions 96khz and 192. or is this important only using HDMI-- I have it set at 96. But i just purchased a couple of DVD-A from AIX records i don't own any DVD-A's all SACD's. So do i change my 970 setting?
5.1 set up 6cable analog. {HDMI-video only}

If your HDMI connection is video only (which is the way mine is), then you are presumably going to use the analog for SACD & DVD-Audio and coaxial or optical (set to bitstream) for DVD and CD, so it shouldn't be an issue - DVD-A/SACD will be analog, DVD and CD will be the unaltered bitstream.

Just to be clear.
6 analog mch for sacd&dvda. > using the player to set audio trim
coaxial> for DvD&CD&cable box
HDMI video>box&DVD to plasma
so 96Khz or 192Khz doesn't effect this set up? ONLESS you are useing HDMI for audio- right?

That is my understanding.

does the 970 hdmi only supports video? and not both sound and video?

The 970's HDMI output is v1.1 compliant and does support audio - including bitstreams of Dolby Digital and DTS, stereo PCM from CD's, and multichannel PCM from DVD-Audio, SACD (converted from DSD internally), and internally-decoded DD and DTS. The catch is that you need to have compatible support from your receiver - which DAB and I don't (his receiver has HDMI connections that support video switching only, and my processor has DVI video switching).

I did a search but could not find any information on a remote code that would allow the RC32 or RC34 remote from DIRECTV to operate the DV-970HD. Does anyone know of one that works?

Hi, I have the 970 and have experienced video frame jitter and skipping on several DVDs. These are commercially shipping DVDs (e.g. Denzel Washington's "Man On Fire", etc) not DVD-R's or homebrew or non-Region1 stuff.

Has anyone experienced this or are aware of this problem, or even know of a thread somewhere where such an issue was discussed or resolved?

thanks!
John
Austin TX

Search for judder in this thread. It has been observed before with the 970. I had seen it on the opening of the Star Wars movies where the text is scrolling up the screen. I haven't checked that again and have used two newer versions of firmware since then.

Re: Judders, how do you have your 970 set up- physically? I placed vibration pads under mine and on top of a maple wooden base and a brass bar- for weight on top. These are very light machines(but good quality). If the sub can make my sofa shake the dvd player could pick up some of the vibration. see if this helps.
db

Can the 970 output the DSD bitstream for SACD directly? I am looking at a new receiver that apparently can take the DSD bitstream (Onkyo 875).

Can the 970 output the DSD bitstream for SACD directly? I am looking at a new receiver that apparently can take the DSD bitstream (Onkyo 875).
No, the 970HD's HDMI output is v1.1, so it cannot pass a DSD bitstream.

Search for judder in this thread. It has been observed before with the 970. I had seen it on the opening of the Star Wars movies where the text is scrolling up the screen. I haven't checked that again and have used two newer versions of firmware since then.

This error is due to the branching of the opening scroll (the disc itself contains 4 different opening scrolls based off of your language settings) and the difference in cadence of the scroll, the star field, and the pan.

The judder is not always reproduceable, as you can load the sequence just after the opening scroll and have no judder.

Hello...new owner here. My current Panasonic S97 started having some "hiccups" and I was disappointed in the macroblocking on my Samsung DLP TV. I just received my DV970HD a few minutes ago and haven't even opened it yet. I did a "quick" search for firmware issues and don't see any major problems with upgrades. The reason I'm curious is that some of the firmware updates that came out for the Panasonic were terrible and lots of people had to revert back to previous versions that worked better and looked better. Is there a particular firmware version I should look for for the 970 that provides the best picture and reduced bugs? Also, how do I check which version is on myt machine? I just downloaded both the current beta and final releases from Oppo's web site. Recommendations on installing or just leaving the player alone, or even looking for previous firmware updates? Thanks.

You really only need to update your firmware if there are fixes/additions which are added to the new firmware that you want to take advantage of.

To check your firmware, press Eject then the OSD button. Your batch Number is your firmware revision number.

I went ahead and updated my firmware with the beta release, but then had to get the special firmware sent to me by Oppo for underscan issues (black bars on top and bottom). It looks to me that the underscan patch is simply an older firmware update...but I'm not sure. Hopefully, the next final firmware release will include all the new features as well as the underscan patch. Love the player so far...much better than the Panasonic S97 it replaced...well for my DLP TV anyways. Have to stay away from the macroblocking that the DCDi Faroudja chip causes.

The underscan fix is an old build (3A-0903). It does not have the SACD audio fix or some of the other enhancements of all the firmware past September.

Yep...that's the firmware number that was showing. I don't use my DVD Player for anything except movies, so I doubt I'll ever notice the SACD audio feature missing. The only other feature I was curious about was the "Noise Reduction" in the new firmware, but even it wasn't recommended. My Samsung TVs noise reduction feature is turned off because the picture looks better without it. With luck though, the new final firmware release will have all the features and the underscan patch. I encountered the same thing with Panasonic though...some later firmware updates fixed certain bugs or added features but made other things much much worse (i.e. macroblocking).

Hi all,

I have a question which I hope someone can answer. My friend has an older HD ready TV with only one set of component inputs. He is interested in the the 970HD but here is the question. According to Oppo, there is a "firmware" upgrade for the 970 to upconvert copywrite protection disks through the component outputs. Does anyone know where I can get this? Any help is much appreciated.

Hi all,

I have a question which I hope someone can answer. My friend has an older HD ready TV with only one set of component inputs. He is interested in the the 970HD but here is the question. According to Oppo, there is a "firmware" upgrade for the 970 to upconvert copywrite protection disks through the component outputs. Does anyone know where I can get this? Any help is much appreciated.

I have DVI on my older tv. Does anyone know if using an adapter will work? I realize I won't get sound through the DVI but I am wondering if upconversion will work through DVI without a hack.

I have DVI on my older tv. Does anyone know if using an adapter will work? I realize I won't get sound through the DVI but I am wondering if upconversion will work through DVI without a hack.

If the DVI connection is HDCP compliant, it should work. I have a 720p LCD projector with HDCP compliant DVI and it works fine. A simple cable with DVI on one end and HDMI on the other is what I use.

Chris

Thanks, just what I needed to know.

Hi all,

I have a question which I hope someone can answer. My friend has an older HD ready TV with only one set of component inputs. He is interested in the the 970HD but here is the question. According to Oppo, there is a "firmware" upgrade for the 970 to upconvert copywrite protection disks through the component outputs. Does anyone know where I can get this? Any help is much appreciated.
You would be looking for the firmware hack discussed in this thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=832356), which some people have been able to produce by modifying the official firmware to allow upscaling at the component outputs for any disc (including copy protected ones).

milacqua,
you can use a HDMI to DVI adapter and it should work fine. I use to have the 971, and I went the other way DVI to HDMI and never had a problem.

Enjoy
RayJr

I've recently added the Oppo DV-970HD (to replace a Sony DVP-NS75H) for my Toshiba 62HM116 62" 1080P DLP. Mine came with the latest firmware already installed, but I did apply the vertical squeeze firmware fix from Oppo. It has a very good upscaled picture through HDMI (certainly better than the Sony)... it looks best set to 1080i output with my particular setup. The DVD-Audio and SACD playback capability is great, too. My JVC 402B digital receiver can handle multichannel PCM through HDMI, and the Oppo sounds fantastic.

Still, my Toshiba HD-A2 HD DVD player is easily a better standard def DVD upscaler than the Oppo. Noticeably sharper and more detailed picture, for sure. Definitely the best upscaling player I've ever seen, and I've tested many of them. Of course, the HD DVD playback is really something to see, especially with reference quality discs like the Planet Earth HD DVD set. It's the best HD viewing experience currently available.

So now I have three HDMI upscaling players hooked up to my DLP (with an inexpensive 3 to 1 HDMI switcher)... the Oppo 970HD because of it's ability to play virtually all discs, including cheap no-name DVD-R that won't play on some other machines, all-region playback capability, excellent DVD-Audio and SACD playback, etc.

The HD-A2 HD DVD unit, for obvious reasons... HD DVD playback and it's superior (probably unmatched) upscaling of regular DVD's.

I'm also keeping a Toshiba SD-6980 on hand... it's a mediocre upscaler at best, but has the somewhat rare HD JPEG feature that allows high resolution digital pictures to be displayed through the HDMI connection. Plus, it has a multi card reader that works with my digital camera's SD card. We look at our family pictures on the large screen DLP in high definition with this feature. It also plays back region free PAL discs better than the Oppo (smoother, less hiccups). Now, if I could find a region free hack for it...

I just set up an Oppo 970 with a Hitachi PJ-TX100 front projector using a HDMI-DVI cable. When I play upconverted 720p or 1080i dvds I get a black bar at the top of the screen (not the bottom). I do not get this when I use my Toshiba HD-A2 to upscale regular dvds to 720p. Is this the issue people have mentioned that is native to the mediatek chip? Any suggestions on how to fix it?

Thanks,

Scott

I think it is an issue with the newer firmware. As seen above, Oppo sent me an older firmware that fixed the issue for me.

This guy hosts the latest 970HD firmware updates from Oppo, as well as the older modified version with Vertical Squeeze Fix patch 3A-0903

http://www.cahabahometheater.com/firmware.htm

I have the Oppo 970HD and followed the instructions to make it region free. Simple. However, why couldn't this have been done at the factory? Is there a reason why someone would buy an advertized region free player and not want it region free? It's just a question that bugs me.

I have the Oppo 970HD and followed the instructions to make it region free. Simple. However, why couldn't this have been done at the factory? Is there a reason why someone would buy an advertized region free player and not want it region free? It's just a question that bugs me.
Region coding is a required capability for any DVD player - put simply, it's part of the specs established by the DVD Forum. The fact that the OPPO players can be changed to different region codes (or to region free) is not advertised because it violates that spec. The capability is certainly widely known, but it is not something that they can set up as a default if they want to sell the player in the US market.

I think it is an issue with the newer firmware. As seen above, Oppo sent me an older firmware that fixed the issue for me.

Thanks- the older firmware fixed the issue. Anybody know why Oppo won't include the fix in the latest firmware?

Ahhhh....The verticle squeeze firmware doesn't have the SACD gapless playback fix :( I e-mailed Oppo hoping they have a newer firmware that has both.

Which version of firmware fixes the vertical squeese?

http://www.cahabahometheater.com/resources.htm

Use the firmware named "underscan fix."

I prefer to use firmware posted on Oppo's web site, but now I'm confused. I see the vertical squeeze on 720p and 1080i, but not on 480p on my 970. Oppo has no mention of vertical squeeze on their firmware page for the 970. Oppo support says this about this issue:

Q: Why are there thin black borders at the top and bottom of the display when I use 720p or 1080i output resolutions?
A: In order to properly up-convert the standard definition video from DVD discs to 720p or 1080i output resolutions, the video processor inside the DVD player must zoom the video image without causing pixelated image, loss of resolution or other artifacts. The optimal zoom ratio for the particular video processor in the OPPO DV-970HD leaves a small portion of the display at the top and bottom blank, thus causing the thin black borders. Many TV has built-in overscan so you may not notice these borders. However if your display device does not have overscan, the thin borders will become visible. This is a limitation of the video processor hardware, and the borders cannot be eliminated without sacrificing picture quality.

Mikeynavy1 - how is it that Oppo sent you a previous version of firmware that fixed the squeeze, when that fix is not on their web site?

iggymama,

I'm not sure why they don't have it posted on their site. I contacted their technical support via e-mail (and phone) and they e-mailed me the "underscan patch" that is mentioned above. Most manufacturers typically don't put out new firmware updates for every little issue. They gather a few known issues, come up with fixes for them, and then release the new update. I'm thinking that when the final release of the current beta firmware comes out, it may even include the underscan patch as well. We'll have to wait and see. I don't use SACD, so the underscan fix was more important to me than the SACD capabilities and noise reduction (which in many cases has other downfalls).

The sad thing is...I haven't even been able to watch a movie on my new DVD player. My TV broke the day after I got the player. Samsung is dragging me around towards an exchange...but I have to argue with them over what they are giving me in terms of model. Long story...I really want to check out this DVD player, as it is rated the best for DLP TVs...I got it because the 981 is known to have macroblocking in the DLP sets.

This guy hosts the latest 970HD firmware updates from Oppo, as well as the older modified version with Vertical Squeeze Fix patch 3A-0903

http://www.cahabahometheater.com/firmware.htm
Does this firmware have the upconversion over component as well as the vertical squeeze fix, or do we just get one or the other?

I am seeing vertical squeeze on Rocky Balboa, even at 480p. Maybe each DVD is a bit different? It's annoying when I have to keep making adjustments for each DVD!

Well, I got a return e-mail from Oppo saying they have not included the underscan fix with any of the current firmware :( They are "debating the issue" What is there to debate? I'm kind of disappointed with them as I kind of expected a better repsonse. I may have to return it. Does the 981 suffer form the same issue?

Well, I got a return e-mail from Oppo saying they have not included the underscan fix with any of the current firmware :( They are "debating the issue" What is there to debate? I'm kind of disappointed with them as I kind of expected a better repsonse. I may have to return it. Does the 981 suffer form the same issue?

No, the DV981HD doesn't use the Mediatek chip. I agree the issue is a big concern and I expect Oppo to fix it and I am surprised it has taken this long.

Chris

Here is their response:

Scott,

We do not have an updated firmware which includes the SACD audio fix and the underscan fix. We are still debating this firmware, as we have not made any enhancements to the underscan fix at this time.

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




-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 970HD Verticle squeeze fix and SACD gapless playback
From: Scott Koprowski <skoprowski@earthlink.net>
Date: Sun, July 15, 2007 12:17 pm
To: service@oppodigital.com


Hello,

I recently purchased a 970HD from Oppo and received it last week. I
had an issue with black bars that appear on the top of my screen when
switching to 720p and 1080i resolutions. With the help of a forum
member at AVSForums.com I received an older firmware update that
corrected the problem for me. However, that firmware does not include
the gapless SACD playback fix. The main reason for my purchase of the
970HD is primarily for SACD/DVD-Audio playback. I was wondering if you
have a firmware update that includes both the verticle squeeze fix and
the SACD gapless playback fix.

Thanks,

Scott Koprowski

It is my understanding from Oppo that the underscan "fix" imparts a slight reduction in resolution, although I haven't tried installing the patch to see what the differences would mean to the picture quality.

:(

Scott,

The primary reason why a new firmware with the underscan and SACD gapless audio playback has not been released is that we will have to pull of an engineer or two from their current projects to facilitate the migration and testing. Right now, our resources are being spread between several high-impact projects, and we can't afford to reduce the man power at this time.

We understand how important the underscan error fix and the improvements our current firmware offer, and we have already send out engineers a PRD request for an updated underscan fix, but at this time they are pursuing higher priority projects.

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

I'm not sure why they don't have it posted on their site. I contacted their technical support via e-mail (and phone) and they e-mailed me the "underscan patch" that is mentioned above.

The underscan fix is a black sheep for OPPO. It is something that they do not want freely floating on the internet, specifically since it reduces the the picture quality due to loss of decoding resolution. For this reason, they keep it out of the public eye, but have it available for users which inquire about it.

It is my understanding from Oppo that the underscan "fix" imparts a slight reduction in resolution, although I haven't tried installing the patch to see what the differences would mean to the picture quality.

For the playback of most media you should not notice a PQ difference. However, throwing down a basic resolution test pattern will show a decrease in picture fidelity, particular the high-resolution areas.

Thanks- the older firmware fixed the issue. Anybody know why Oppo won't include the fix in the latest firmware?

They do not have an engineer to mux this into a newer firmware. Their engineering group is working on other hardware and software projects. I know that a more modern firmware was discussed, but was never actually produced due to priority differences.

I am seeing vertical squeeze on Rocky Balboa, even at 480p. Maybe each DVD is a bit different? It's annoying when I have to keep making adjustments for each DVD!

There is no vertical compression at 480p if you are using the HDMI interface. With component, there will always be vertical compression (assuming you do not have a display with overscan) no matter what the resolution is.

If you own a projector a 981HD is ideal, not a 970HD.

If you own a projector a 981HD is ideal, not a 970HD.
Why do you say that?

I have a Sharp LC-37GP1U LCD set(37 inches) would the 970HD or the 981HD be a better fit for the Sharp LCD? thanks

bnm81002,

Someone here will know more on this, but I'd think the 981HD would be a better choice since you have an LCD. I have a DLP, and the 970HD was recommended because the 981 is known to cause macroblocking in that combination. I had a Panasonic S97 before, which also had praised Faroudja chip, and it looked great on other TVs except mine. For you, I say go with the 981, although find one for cheap because for the MSRP you can almost go after a Toshiba A2 which I've heard has some of the best upscaling for regular DVDs.

Why do you say that?

The larger the display, the easier it is to see the difference between quality de-interlacing and scaling. Because the DV-981HD has the superior chipset (Faroudja DCDi) it is the more preferred player of choice for front projection displays.

Well, I got a return e-mail from Oppo saying they have not included the underscan fix with any of the current firmware :( They are "debating the issue" What is there to debate? I'm kind of disappointed with them as I kind of expected a better repsonse. I may have to return it. Does the 981 suffer form the same issue?

Well, for one thing, with the vertical squeeze beta firmware I was able to duplicate the issue of chopped off subtitles, primarily on the second line, the lower parts are chopped off, jygpq mostly. Gone when I went back to official releases.

I probably won't bother with the firmware update, based on the subtitles getting cut off issue you guys mentioned. At least with my masking, I can adjust the screen so I can read the subtitles if I want.

I decided to mask my screen this weekend to block the top & bottom black bars. I am very happy with the results with 2.35:1 DVDs, which most of the newer releases are. I just got sick of looking at huge top & bottom grey bars. I think subtitles get cut off, though, because they are below the image, which kinda sucks, but I don't use subtitles that much.

I got some Sy triple velvet at $5.50/yard and attached a 16" strip to the bottom bar of my 106" HP screen with Scotch super heavy duty foam double stick tape (Home Depot). I attached an 18" piece of velvet to the top of the screen with strips of velcro, so I can adjust the height for different size pictures (kind of a pain to sew adhesive-backed velcro - it kept breaking the thread - but it was worth the effort. I might hang some side masking velvet with velcro for 4:3 images later. This triple velvet from Sy fabric (online) was recommended in the screens forum, and it is AWESOME fabric for masking and borders! I found that you can melt the edges of the fabric with a lighter, so you don't have to sew seams to prevent fraying.

I was reading about the new Sony NS77H 1080p DVD player is having issues with a grainy image at 1080p resolution, and some people are saying that the Mediatek chip has issues with progressive output (which is the Oppo 970's chip). I have been using 480p with my 970 because I thought it looked better (based on resolution screens on the DVE disk) on my Panny ae900u and AX100 projectors, but now I wonder if I should try testing 1080i while watching actual movies (as opposed to DVE).

Do you guys with digital LCD projectors prefer the 1080i output on the 970 as compared with the progressive outputs? Do you see artifacts, blockyness, or grainy images in 720p or 480p that goes away at 1080i? I have read different opinions. I realize this is very subjective, but I'd like to get a few opinions with this player and a digital LCD projector. I am trying to find a good (and inexpensive) DVD player for my friend's Hitachi TX100.

One thing these forums tell me is there is NO perfect DVD Player, TV, HDDVD/BluRay player...etc. Everything has some sort of deficiency that bugs people, myself included. I've tried a few DVD Players before the Oppo...an older LG upcomvert (not bad but cheap construction), two Sony DVD Players (NS75 and NS90) that both had a black bar at the top of the picture that they wouldn't fix, the Panasonic S97 (macroblocking), and now the Oppo, which I haven't been able to use seeing as I'm on hold right now with Samsung over my dead TV...haha. The overall impression I've received is that this DVD Player is one of the best comparatively, especially for DLP TVs and Projectors.

I really bought the 970HD because of the SACD/DVD-Audio so I guess I will live with it. In my opinion my HD-A2 does a better job upscaling dvds anyway.

Last night my Oppo 970HD lost its audio. I was playing Mission Impossible II and selected DD 5.1 on DVD menu. It played fine until I hit the Audio button. The Audio went away and never came back. I changed it to DD 5.1 English again and still wouldn't work. I had to turn the player off and back on again to get the Audio back. I have pure HDMI connection throughout. and it was working fine before. Anyone advise please?

What's your firmware? Eject, OSD.

What's your firmware? Eject, OSD.

Mver- 05.00.01.07 Batch:3A-0919

Do you think it is a firmware issue?

How many versions of firmware's am I behind? Is there a complete list available somewhere except from what is on Oppo's website?

Another question, if the 16:9 picture has black bars like in movies, what is recommended to do to fill the screen? Zoom via DVD player or Zoom via TV?

I leave em there...when i don't see black bars, it makes me feel like there is something being cutoff...

just my opinion, though...

I leave em there...when i don't see black bars, it makes me feel like there is something being cutoff...

just my opinion, though...

Well, I am just being careful cuz' I have a plasma and would like to save from burn-in/image retention for the time being. :)

So what is the right answer, Use TV or Use DVD player to zoom the image?

Television will likely produce better results than the DV-970HD Zoom capabilities.

Television will likely produce better results than the DV-970HD Zoom capabilities.


Thanks. And what about my other problem? I called Oppo. They asked me to send the DVD player so they can test it.

In more research, it was narrowed down to this:

When a DVD is playing Dolby Digital 5.1 DVD. I press Audio button. It looses audio.
To fix this, I have to go to DVD Setup, Change HDMI Audio to LPCM. Exit Setup. GO back and change to HDMI and set it to Auto.
This process gets the Audio back. Weird but reproducable.

Anyone else seen this? Any word of advise. I would like to avoid sending it back to Oppo as I will be without a DVD player for quite sometime.

Never heard of this issue before. I know using the HDMI interface with PAL media can cause some handshake errors, but have not seen that error with NTSC media or Dolby Digital contents.

For those who were thinking about the DV-970HD, you might want to check out the new thread about the forthcoming DV-980H (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=879341). This player is ideally suited for people looking for USB media support and have 1080p DLP displays.

DV-980H does not suffer from the "vertical compression" issue as it uses a different Mediatek chip.

Does this mean that the issue in the DV-970HD is NOT solvable through software and would require a hardware fix/chip upgrade?

DV-980H does not suffer from the "vertical compression" issue as it uses a different Mediatek chip.

Does this mean that the issue in the DV-970HD is NOT solvable through software and would require a hardware fix/chip upgrade?

It hasn't been solved yet, at least not with an official firmware release but I have read there is a beta firmware fix that creates other issues while fixing that issue. There can be no definitive answer from anybody but Oppo and it may still be too early, but I quit using my DV970HD for DVD-V because of the issue and continue to wait. I am no longer hopeful it will happen, but I don't think it is correct to say it is not solvable by a firmware fix yet.

Chris

No at least we know why there is no updated firmware fix for the verticle squeeze and the 970HD. They want you to buy a 980HD.

It's less than 30 days so I think I will send my 970HD back to Oppo and preorder the 980HD.

No at least we know why there is no updated firmware fix for the verticle squeeze and the 970HD. They want you to buy a 980HD.

It's less than 30 days so I think I will send my 970HD back to Oppo and preorder the 980HD.Sounds like a good idea. Although I have been very pleased with my 970, the specs and pricing on the 980 make me wish I still had the 30 day option. I'll probably get a 980 anyway for my main HT/music setup and use the 970 in my den system. I'll probably wait a few months so that some of the inevitable "new release bugs" get worked out first.

Sounds like a good idea. Although I have been very pleased with my 970, the specs and pricing on the 980 make me wish I still had the 30 day option. I'll probably get a 980 anyway for my main HT/music setup and use the 970 in my den system. I'll probably wait a few months so that some of the inevitable "new release bugs" get worked out first.

I would keep the 970HD if my system didn't suffer from the verticle squeeze problem at 720p or 1080i. It is a fine player. My problem is that I use HDMI for SACD and DVD-Audio. You have to set the player at 720p or 1080i in order to use the multichannel HDMI audio- won't work if you set it to 480p. If I could get SACD/DVD-audio multichannel over HDMI with the player set at 480p I would keep it.

That figures...no sooner do I get my 970HD then a newer model comes out. I can't even watch mine now because I'm waiting for a replacement Samsung TV to arrive:(

Is this verticle or overscan issue in all 970 players. I placed the Oppo screen on and the blues edges came right up the edge of my plasma- cable looked ok- no issues with DVD play. I tried the different setting still not an issue seen. NEC50xr5.hdmi- sound Dcable.
what test should i use. review this??
db

A few months ago I exchanged emails with Oppo customer service regarding the vertical squeeze problem and thought I would share some of that info.

My first question was regarding the availability of the vertical squeeze fix along with the gapless audio SACD fix.

We have attached the vertical compression fix to this e-mail.

This firmware does not contain the gapless audio fix. We are looking at
combining the two firmware together, but do not have an ETA for this
fix.I had read in this forum that the fix made the image "soft" in some way, so I asked about that. Here's' the reply --

The vertical compression removal does not make the image soft, it loses
video resolution. This is most noticeable when looking at test patterns
and is not really visible with real world material.I next asked about the extent of the problem and why the fix loses some resolution. Here's the answer:

What you need to do is look at it like a Zoom. If the decoder chipset is
missing lines of resolution, then you will need to make up the missing
lines of resolution. The resulting image is an interpolation of what
the original video should have been. This is much like how the Zoom
functionality works on the DVD player. The Zoom function limits the
amount of vertical and horizontal pixel information to the scaling
chipset. The scaling chipset still needs to some how make up a loss of
pixels as it needs to still fill its output resolution. This loss of
real pixels causes a loss of detail.

With the vertical compression fix, being designed to compensate for
about 20 pixels, the loss of resolution is very minor. However, with
test patterns designed to check for pixel accuracy, you will notice
very distinctly missing lines of resolution.NOTE that the extent of the video loss is about 20 lines out of 720 (or 1080?). As mentioned in some previous posts, if your TV overscans by that amount (which is fairly common I guess) then the TV is already correcting for the underscan by the Oppo.

As I undertsand it, (others can correct me if I'm wrong about this) Oppo's fix is to rescale the image using video processing similar to digital zoom so that the approx 700 lines of output from the Mediatek chipset are zoomed up to 720 lines on the display. According to Oppo this makes no discernable difference with "real life" material (i.e., DVD's) but is noticable on test patterns.

This fix would be fine with me, except that I use the Oppo extensively for playing SACDs and am really bothered by the audio gap problem there more than I am by the video squeeze problem -- so as long as they haven't combined the two fixes in one firmware relase (beta or otherwise), I'm staying with the gapless audio fix as my choice between the two.

BUT I sure wish they would combine them -- and fix some of the other audio problems in the current firmware - i.e., losing a few seconds of audio when jumping to a new SACD track or to a new chapter in a DVD.

The reason why OPPO has not released a new combined firmware is due to the engineers working on the DV-980H project. I have pinged their CTO about any status on this firmware, but he says that there are none, as they have been dedicating their time on the DV-980H launch.

The reason why OPPO has not released a new combined firmware is due to the engineers working on the DV-980H project. I have pinged their CTO about any status on this firmware, but he says that there are none, as they have been dedicating their time on the DV-980H launch.

I got the same response from them last week. Maybe I should just keep the 970HD in hopes they will fix it. I don't have a 1080p display and I hate to have to spend an extra $50.00 for the 980HD.

I've been pushing OPPO hard on this issue. It does not hurt them to include the previous vertical compression fix with the modern feature suite they currently have available. I will continue to press their buttons until we get the firmware.

I've been pushing OPPO hard on this issue. It does not hurt them to include the previous vertical compression fix with the modern feature suite they currently have available. I will continue to press their buttons until we get the firmware.

HereHere. If more of you/us write or call in asking for this, then I think it should happen pretty quickly.

How hard would it be to just combine the vertical compression fix with the current firmware from Febuary 12? I would think it would just be a matter of combining the 2 and just recompiling a new "beta" firmware. What would that take? A half of a work day?

Thanks. And what about my other problem? I called Oppo. They asked me to send the DVD player so they can test it.

In more research, it was narrowed down to this:

When a DVD is playing Dolby Digital 5.1 DVD. I press Audio button. It looses audio.
To fix this, I have to go to DVD Setup, Change HDMI Audio to LPCM. Exit Setup. GO back and change to HDMI and set it to Auto.
This process gets the Audio back. Weird but reproducable.

Anyone else seen this? Any word of advise. I would like to avoid sending it back to Oppo as I will be without a DVD player for quite sometime.

I wish someone could provide more clues. I am getting out of ideas. I wish it is firmware fixable

I wish someone could provide more clues. I am getting out of ideas. I wish it is firmware fixable

What receiver do you have? I use an Onkyo 674 and I can switch audio no problem using the HDMI.

What receiver do you have? I use an Onkyo 674 and I can switch audio no problem using the HDMI.

I have Onkyo 605 using pure HDMi connection throughout

I still have until the beginning of August to return my 970. I have the underscan patch but that negates any of the new features. It is confirmed that the 980H resolves that issue, correct? Having the 1080p feature on a non-Faroudja (DCDi) chip would be nice on my TV. Any recommendations?

I have Onkyo 605 using pure HDMi connection throughout

If you disconnect your television from the back of the receiver, does your audio cut out?

If you disconnect your television from the back of the receiver, does your audio cut out?

I tried that. The Audio does not cut out. It keeps its audio

I wonder if it's the 605. I had a 605 that had the infamous popping issue and took it back and exchanged it for a 674. The 674 has been perfect with all my HDMI devices. HDMI audio works flawless with my Toshiba HD-A2 and Oppo 970HD.

Can't you just use the optical out for the audio on the 970? Other than a single connection, you're not gaining anything by using the HDMI audio for standard dvds.

I wonder if it's the 605. I had a 605 that had the infamous popping issue and took it back and exchanged it for a 674. The 674 has been perfect with all my HDMI devices. HDMI audio works flawless with my Toshiba HD-A2 and Oppo 970HD.

Can't you just use the optical out for the audio on the 970? Other than a single connection, you're not gaining anything by using the HDMI audio for standard dvds.

It was narrowed down to Oppo970. Onkyo is working fine.

For some reason it does not sync Audio correctly. You need to go to Setup, HDMI, change to LPCM, exit Setup.
Go to Setup again, HDMI, Turn it to Auto. It grabs its Audio right back.

I will try it using Coax and Optical and see if that makes it any different. But its strange.

I tried that. The Audio does not cut out. It keeps its audio

This is a problem with the Onkyo 605 series. If you read the Onkyo TX-SR605/805/875/905 forum (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=831063), there are major handshaking errors associated to HDMI video and audio. Likely the Onkyo is not properly synchronizing both audio and video, and is dropping the audio portion of the signal.

Have you tried optical and coaxial?

This is a problem with the Onkyo 605 series. If you read the Onkyo TX-SR605/805/875/905 forum (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=831063), there are major handshaking errors associated to HDMI video and audio. Likely the Onkyo is not properly synchronizing both audio and video, and is dropping the audio portion of the signal.

Have you tried optical and coaxial?

Even surprising news: I tried Coaxial and disabled HDMI from Oppo and on Onkyo. I get the same results.

As soon as I hit the Audio button, the audio drops.

But when I go in Setup on Oppo and play with HDMI menu and it gets its audio back(even for Coax).

I can confirm that its not Onkyo having HDMI handshake issues, its even happening for Coax audio connection.

Wonder if its a lemon Oppo 970HD I have. I am thinking if I should re-apply the existing firmware or jump up a level and see if that changes anything.

I really need someone who has a Onkyo 605 and Oppo 970HD to try my similar scenario to try and reproduce the same results. Anyone with similar configs?

I still have until the beginning of August to return my 970. I have the underscan patch but that negates any of the new features. It is confirmed that the 980H resolves that issue, correct? Having the 1080p feature on a non-Faroudja (DCDi) chip would be nice on my TV. Any recommendations?

Correct. I would exchange it. You are losing nothing and gaining several new features.

-Bill

Parry,

Are you setting the HDMI to Off in the Audio Setup when you are connected to the Onkyo with coaxial or optical?

How are your input assignments done? Are they done like "Video: HDMI 1" "Audio: Optical 1" or are you manually selecting the audio source on the remote or front panel of the Onkyo?

Additional: if you connect your DVD player directly to your display and bypass your receiver as a switch, do you still get the same audio errors?

Parry,

Are you setting the HDMI to Off in the Audio Setup when you are connected to the Onkyo with coaxial or optical?

How are your input assignments done? Are they done like "Video: HDMI 1" "Audio: Optical 1" or are you manually selecting the audio source on the remote or front panel of the Onkyo?

I set HDMI to off on Oppo when I connect via Coax. And assign DIgital Input on Onkyo from HDMI1(DVD) to Coax.

Additional: if you connect your DVD player directly to your display and bypass your receiver as a switch, do you still get the same audio errors?

Good idea. I haven't tried this, but will try it tonight. Thx for your patience

Does the new Oppo DV-980H have the ability to read and do a slide show of photos on the Sony Memory Stick like the 970 does??

That, and the ability to pass 480i via HDMI was the prime reason I got the 970.

Does the new Oppo DV-980H have the ability to read and do a slide show of photos on the Sony Memory Stick like the 970 does??

That, and the ability to pass 480i via HDMI was the prime reason I got the 970.

yes and yes

Well I just printed out a return label for my DV-970H to shoot back to Amazon. This is the first time I've returned something and had refund the shipping cost too. I placed a pre-order for the 980H. I just hope the picture quality on the 980 is just as good as the 970. I did confirm with their tech support that the underscan is fixed on the new 980, and he agreed with me that the 980 is the best choice for DLP TVs over the 981...due to macroblocking.

Does the new Oppo DV-980H have the ability to read and do a slide show of photos on the Sony Memory Stick like the 970 does??

That, and the ability to pass 480i via HDMI was the prime reason I got the 970.
How can the 980 do anything with a Sony Memory Stick when it doesn't even have a card reader (only a USB 2.0 port)???

HELP very strangeI just place a 6ch DVD-A into the 970- it would not play..
So i took out and put in another Cd from the same record company NO issue.
Put a DVD NO issue.
Put back in the orginal non-playing Cd- no play, the player's counter stars up untill oooo9 then shows a strange -- L i L F Ll on the front pannel. The disk in the display is a moving circle- NO play.
powered down -up plugged- power up- No play
this Cd has DTS track on the other side - works fine
This Cd has played in the machine fine before- new - no scraches.
Thoughts, thanks
db

How can the 980 do anything with a Sony Memory Stick when it doesn't even have a card reader (only a USB 2.0 port)???

You can buy a Memory Card to USB adapter, or get one of those Card Reader to USB interface box.

Interesting thought. Has anyone (like yourself) tried the USB port with a card reader? How is the speed on the 980's USB 2.0 port compared with the 970's USB 1.1 port in real-life testing? Is it noticeably faster?

I use a cheap 9in1 card reader without an issue.

And it is noticeably better. You will have no slowdown when playing DivX/XviD media.

HELP very strangeI just place a 6ch DVD-A into the 970- it would not play..
So i took out and put in another Cd from the same record company NO issue.
Put a DVD NO issue.
Put back in the orginal non-playing Cd- no play, the player's counter stars up untill oooo9 then shows a strange -- L i L F Ll on the front pannel. The disk in the display is a moving circle- NO play.
powered down -up plugged- power up- No play
this Cd has DTS track on the other side - works fine
This Cd has played in the machine fine before- new - no scraches.
Thoughts, thanks
db

My guess would be a bad printing/mastering error. This kind of lockup (one where a visible error is produced on the front panel) is very rare with the DV-970HD, unless the media has caused a serious read error.

I'll have to try a card reader with my 970. Thanks!

What about the USB speed on the 980 vs. the 970?

My guess would be a bad printing/mastering error. This kind of lockup (one where a visible error is produced on the front panel) is very rare with the DV-970HD, unless the media has caused a serious read error.

It is very strange- because it has woked before and other Cds work fine.
i'll get back to you.

I'll have to try a card reader with my 970. Thanks!

What about the USB speed on the 980 vs. the 970?

The DV-980H will be far superior due to the USB 2.0 interface. The DV-970HD does not have a well designed buffer for handling the data from the card reader/USB interface. For this reason, the end result is generally slow, choppy, or out of sync video.

The DV-980H does not have any of these issues.

It is very strange- because it has woked before and other Cds work fine.
i'll get back to you.

Printing/mastering errors may occur over time. CD, like any other media, can deteriorate over time. Depending on the quality of the disc, the errors occurred sooner rather than later.

Try updating your player, blowing a little compressed air into it (or use a lens cleaner) and try again.

Additional: if you connect your DVD player directly to your display and bypass your receiver as a switch, do you still get the same audio errors?

Hi Neuro, I tried connecting directly Oppo to TV. Same issue.

So, Onkyo has no issues with this. Its Oppo. I am thinking to re-apply the existing firmware on it and see if it helps. I am wondering if the existing firmware has some issues and got corrupted or something..

If the existing firmware doesn't resolve, I am going to apply the new Beta Patch and see if that helps. After that I will be out of ideas and may just send it back to Oppo for their troubleshooting...

If you can fully rule out the possibility that it is not your receiver causing the issue, then you will have to return it to OPPO for repairs.

If you can fully rule out the possibility that it is not your receiver causing the issue, then you will have to return it to OPPO for repairs.

Yeah, Thx Neuro for your support. It was the Oppo.

It seems like the firmware was corrupted somehow. I applied 3A-0916 firmware available on the Oppo's site and it started working fine. I can now use Audio button to switch the layers of Audio between DD and DTS.

Now, on the Oppo's site it shows 0916 and 0919 firmware at the same page but after applying, it shows as 0916. Where can I get 0919 which was originally on the player?

Or which is the best Firmware out there to apply?

I just purchased a 970 a few days back. I have it connected to an SR805. When playing multichannel DVD-A discs, the receiver indicates MCH PCM 48KHz, but the disc was mastered at 96KHz (playing AIX label discs). Using HDMI for audio, and I've configured the 970 as described in the manual (HDMI AUDIO: Auto; Downmix mode: 5.1).

SACD works fine, receiver displays MCH PCM 88.1KHz.

I'm stumped... and this should be so easy!

Other settings: 970 Video Output is 1080i. SR805 decode is Direct (tried others).

Any thoughts?

I just purchased a 970 a few days back. I have it connected to an SR805. When playing multichannel DVD-A discs, the receiver indicates MCH PCM 48KHz, but the disc was mastered at 96KHz (playing AIX label discs). Using HDMI for audio, and I've configured the 970 as described in the manual (HDMI AUDIO: Auto; Downmix mode: 5.1).

SACD works fine, receiver displays MCH PCM 88.1KHz.

I'm stumped... and this should be so easy!

Other settings: 970 Video Output is 1080i. SR805 decode is Direct (tried others).

Any thoughts?


Try Hardware settings on the receiver, HDMI Audio to OFF. See if that helps.

You have to set the player to 720p or 1080i to transfer PCM greater than 48Hz I think.

Now, on the Oppo's site it shows 0916 and 0919 firmware at the same page but after applying, it shows as 0916. Where can I get 0919 which was originally on the player?

The 0916 and 0919 are the same firmware. The factory began using 0919 when OPPO was doing manual updates to the 0916 (the actual day of the firmware release)

I just purchased a 970 a few days back. I have it connected to an SR805. When playing multichannel DVD-A discs, the receiver indicates MCH PCM 48KHz, but the disc was mastered at 96KHz (playing AIX label discs).

Try changing your HDMI priority to LPCM rather than Auto.

Try turning HDMI to Off, alter the LPCM rate to 96Khz, then change HDMI to LPCM to see if the signal does not go higher than 48Khz.

Thanks for the replies.

I've tried turning HDMI off, setting LPCM to anything but 48Khz, then turning HDMI back on (both Auto and LPCM modes), and it always returns to 48Khz (which is what the LPCM rate is greyed out in the setup menu when HDMI is turned on).

I've tried using both 720p and 1080i resolutions with no change in audio sample rate.

I have HDMI out on the SR805 turned off (even tried it turned on, and did the wierd turn it off and turn volume to zero deal), and that doesn't change anything.

I'm sure this has to work. Guess it could be a player issue. Have to wait till 8am to talk with the Oppo folks directly.

Cheers!

The 0916 and 0919 are the same firmware. The factory began using 0919 when OPPO was doing manual updates to the 0916 (the actual day of the firmware release)

aha. Gotcha. Now, is it going to be of any value if I apply the new Beta Firmware or just leave it as-is?

Unless there are functions you want, there is no advantage to using the new firmware.

So here's your typical "firmware quirk."

In order to get 96Khz out for DVD-A, I had to go back and set Downmix to Stereo, then it started outputing 96Khz, but in stereo. I then set Downmix back to 5.1, and low and behold I get MCH PCM 96KHz output.

I'm sure this all got started because I likely didn't set the video resolution first before enabling HDMI Audio out and selecting Downmix to 5.1... which likely got the firmware stuck in 48KHz mode.

Anyway - now I'm off to listen to some good music in glorious 96Khz/24bit/5.1.

Cheers!

I just tested this last night with the DVD-Ausdio disc of Neil Young's Harvest. When the resolution was set to 480p I got multichannel audio at 48Hz. When the resoltuion was set at 720p or 1080i I got multichannel audio at 96Hz or stereo at 192Hz.

Neuromancer- You were right. I Re-installed the latest 2/13/07 software and diskDr. the Cd. It works fine now. It is a brand new cd and no scratches.... still strange very thing else worked. Anyway I’m get a cleaning disk this week too.
db
* Remember the golden rule: when Neuromancer speaks- you listen- it's magic!
____________________________________________________________ __





Originally Posted by DAB
HELP very strangeI just place a 6ch DVD-A into the 970- it would not play..
So i took out and put in another Cd from the same record company NO issue.
Put a DVD NO issue.
Put back in the orginal non-playing Cd- no play, the player's counter stars up untill oooo9 then shows a strange -- L i L F Ll on the front pannel. The disk in the display is a moving circle- NO play.
powered down -up plugged- power up- No play
this Cd has DTS track on the other side - works fine
This Cd has played in the machine fine before- new - no scraches.
Thoughts, thanks
db

My guess would be a bad printing/mastering error. This kind of lockup (one where a visible error is produced on the front panel) is very rare with the DV-970HD, unless the media has caused a serious read error.

When in doubt: re-affirm firmware. All things hardware are defined by software, and software can mess up. This is why I always just re-install the firmware whenever faced with unexplainable errors.

Hooked this new 970HD up to my Outlaw 950 via the analog connections. No sound from either DVD-A or SACD. I have the Oppo set to 5.1 Downmix. I haven't messed with the HDMI output settings (Raw vs PCM, etc.). Should these analog outputs always be "live" when playing multichannel audio formats? The OSD for the DVD-A I currently have in (Eagles, Hotel California) works properly in terms of viewing background photos, lyrics and selecting tracks and the track times are advancing. I just verified that the receiver inputs on the Outlaw are working fine when swapped for other analog sources.

Bad unit? Improper settings? Tried turning off and unplugging the HDMI cable, still no sound.

Ensure that Mute is not enabled.

Ensure that your Volume is set to +20 on the DVD player.

Ensure that you are using the multi-channel input on your receiver and selected this input.

Another question on settings in Oppo 970:

The oppo support site mentions the following for speaker setup page When the HDMI output is connected to an A/V receiver or audio processor with HDMI v1.1 or above specifications, please use the following settings::
Front Speaker: Large
Center Speaker: Large
Rear Speaker: Large
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AUdioholics Advanced setup guide says(http://oppodigital.com/dv970hd/dv970hd-adv-setup-guide.pdf)

To set the speakers as small

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When called Oppo support they say, it doesn't matter.
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What is the right answer?