Could you go into some detail about playing music files through the USB input from say, an external hard drive? Specifically:

1. What's the browsing interface like? (i.e. how would one navigate the external hard drive's music library)
2. What file formats does it play? (MP3, AAC, gasp perhaps even FLAC??)

Thanks.

Unfortunately, many displays (with or without Faroudja) cannot accept 480i HDMI.
Gary

In regards to the above will the Infocus SP 4805accept 480i HDMI signal?
Baikonur

1. The DV-970HD uses a simple browser system. Files and directories are displayed on the left hand of the screen, and file information (such as previews) will display in the right hand side.

You navigate using the Navigation Keys. Think of this process like running a Windows in Explorer Mode, and using the Arrow Keys and Enter to select files and folders.

2. MP3, WMA, and OGG are supported. OPPO is looking into FLAC and APE support. AAC is not supported due to a lack of license.

Anyone know what kind or quality of audio DAC's this unit employs?

Thanks

shane

Can someone tell me the point of 480i over HDMI?

Also, isn't it a shame that the 970 doesn't have Faroudja DCDi?

Also, isn't it a shame that the 970 doesn't have Faroudja DCDi?


Thank God it doesn't...one of 2 reasons for all the excitement surrounding this player.
The other is the 480i HDMI output.

I looked in the specs and FAQs and couldn't find an answer to this: what kind of memory cards does the 970 read? Also, does it do "slideshows" with the pics in the cards?

On page 24 of the owners manuel it says, "This DVD player is equipped with a USB port and a 4-in-1 flash memory card reader, which supports Secure Digital (SD), Multi-Media Card (MMC), Memory Stick (MS), and SmartMedia (SM). You may use the USB port and the card reader to play DIVX/Xvid, digital audio and digital picture files stored on compatible USB drives and flash memory cards."

I looked in the specs and FAQs and couldn't find an answer to this: what kind of memory cards does the 970 read? Also, does it do "slideshows" with the pics in the cards?

Memory Stick, Secure Digital, Multi-Media Card, and SmartMedia (MS/SD/MMC/SM).

And it slideshows with memory cards as well.

Can someone tell me the point of 480i over HDMI?

For people who have external scalers, or high end television units, they will want to feed these devices with an un-altered (or at least lightly altered) digital video stream. The more pure the decoding is of the MPEG-2 information, the better the end results will be after the scaler/television does its post processing.

480i from the HDMI output is a great budget transport for this kind of functionality.

480i from the HDMI output is a great budget transport for this kind of functionality.

In theory, I agree. I hate to sound like a stick in the mud, but, I'm still waiting for someone who's connected the 970HD this way to state definitively if either of the following is true:

480i HDMI from the 970HD into a good quality internal or external scaler produces better image quality than 480i over component from the 970HD into the same scaler.

Or, 480i HDMI from this player is equal to SDI output from a modified player into the same external scaler.

Regarding the second point, Josh and Stacey stated earlier in this thread that their SDI mod'd Denon and Panasonic players had superior image quality. I don't believe anyone who's compared it to an SDI mod'd 971H has reported back yet.

I'm hopeful that Kris Deering's forthcoming evaluation may shed some light on whether this player (or perhaps the Pioneer 490 or 696) are the promised low-cost SDI alternatives we hoped they would be.

/steve

Thanks, neuromancer and itsamikey!

Does anyone have advice on which player to get between the 971H and 970HD if my tv already has a faroudja chip in it? I am using a Vizio P50HD (720p). The $50 isn't a big deal to me, but will using a dvd player and tv both with faroudja chips in it increase my chances of macroblocking? Does the implementation of the chip make a difference in deinterlace quality (maybe the 971h will do a better job and have it output to 720p?) or will it just be better to let my tv do the converting and get a 970?
thanks in advance

I would say the DV-970HD, for the simple reason that I hear there are sparkling issues (likely due to a lower DVI output) between the OPDV971H and the Vizio plasma.

The 970HD paired with my Gennum VXP scaler at 480i over HDMI is great!

I just sold my Pioneer Elite 79AVi. Picture with the 970HD is a bit sharper then with the Pio. I can't believe the PQ for the price I paid for this player!

And to make it sweeter... Oppo made a mistake and I paid only 99$ for mine! :D

Late last night I had a chance to view a movie (2nd one) on the Oppa970. I will calibrate it Avia this weekend. There are some setup menu settings that I am not familiar with.
1. HDMI – is this digital HDMI YCbCr or is it analog HDMI
2. Color space – should it be RGB or Auto.
3. Go 720p or 1080i- they look very simaliar to me. So far --. Neuromancer, mentioned 720p might be best, because it might cut down on noise/judgers - one less de-lacing happening I think.
4. Oppo channel delay- use or let the Denon or use audio trim for movies but what if I wanted to use the OPPO for CD/SACD
5. Setting the optimal Aspect ratio-
I’ll have to go through the AVS Calibration Thread this weekend and bone up. I really do not want to have a war between the DVD player setting and my NEC xr5 settings. With my old player I just calibrated the Nec and left the dvdplayer netrual. The HPotter movie looked very good , but still not High gloss 35 mm. Still a little grainy.

I have not found my RS SPL so I will not comment on the SACD sounds yet, however the Movie sound tracks are very good. And the screen saver is great- if I pause and walk away the screen saver comes on-- no issues with IR !!!
Any other NEC xr5 owner have this player yet?

For people who have external scalers, or high end television units, they will want to feed these devices with an un-altered (or at least lightly altered) digital video stream. The more pure the decoding is of the MPEG-2 information, the better the end results will be after the scaler/television does its post processing.

480i from the HDMI output is a great budget transport for this kind of functionality.

Neuromancer: if i calibrate w/ avia-( my NEC xr5 has a very scaler)- granted i could try calibrating with each setting-480i-720p-1080i, So i guess i woild have to calibrate with all three setting to test each setting??

Neuromancer: if i calibrate w/ avia-( my NEC xr5 has a very scaler)- granted i could try calibrating with each setting-480i-720p-1080i, So i guess i woild have to calibrate with all three setting to test each setting??

This depends on the design of the television. If the television has different memory settings for each resolution, then you will need to calibrate each resolution to fit that of the OPDV971H. However, most displays are designed around an input memory, so it will only need to be calibrated once.

Try changing a setting at 480i and then change the resolution to 720p/1080i, and see if that same setting has remained. If not, then you are looking at a three fold calibration.

The 970HD paired with my Gennum VXP scaler at 480i over HDMI is great!

I just sold my Pioneer Elite 79AVi. Picture with the 970HD is a bit sharper then with the Pio. I can't believe the PQ for the price I paid for this player!

And to make it sweeter... Oppo made a mistake and I paid only 99$ for mine! :D

How does it sound compared to the Pioneer 79AVI?

1. HDMI – is this digital HDMI YCbCr or is it analog HDMI

Digital RGB and YCbCr.

2. Color space – should it be RGB or Auto.

Leave it at Auto

3. Go 720p or 1080i- they look very simaliar to me. So far --. Neuromancer, mentioned 720p might be best, because it might cut down on noise/judgers - one less de-lacing happening I think.

That is correct. At 1080i you are doing two de-interlacings and one re-interlacing. This can potentially increase aliasing and other visual anomalies, depending on the internal scaler of the display.

4. Oppo channel delay- use or let the Denon or use audio trim for movies but what if I wanted to use the OPPO for CD/SACD

I would use the Channel Trim/Delay settings on your Deneon, unless the Denon settings are universal (ie. the changes made on one input effect the other inputs).

5. Setting the optimal Aspect ratio

Use Wide/SQZ.

Digital RGB.

The 970HD allows you to choose whether to transmit RGB or YCbCr 4:4:4.

Could have sworn I wrote Digital YCbCr. Guess not. Fixed.

The 970HD allows you to choose whether to transmit RGB or YCbCr 4:4:4.
Ok when and where does one use these two inputs?
I am referring to HDMI for video and audio coax.
db

It depends on the video decoding of the display. Some displays will only accept YCbCr information, others only RGB, while still others will support both. If your screen is Pink and Green, then you know that you are in the wrong colorspace, and you should switch to the other format.

Any word on whether the OPPO 970 will output multichannel to the JVC RX-D401/402 the same as it does to the JVC RX-D702B? I'd like to believe they use the same circuitry but I'd hate to make that assumption and be wrong. If so, you could have multichannel HDMI input for half of what the 702 lists (or less).

I had no problems using Multi-Channel output from the HDMI of the DV-970HD to the JVC RX-D402, except for SACD would only playback as 2.0 Stereo when using 480p (all other resolutions were fine).

It depends on the video decoding of the display. Some displays will only accept YCbCr information, others only RGB, while still others will support both. If your screen is Pink and Green, then you know that you are in the wrong colorspace, and you should switch to the other format.

If one's display will accept both, which is optimal?

Either will do.

The 970HD paired with my Gennum VXP scaler at 480i over HDMI is great!

Have you been able to A/B the 970HD 480i HDMI vs. 970HD 480i component (both into the Gennum?) Be curious to know what differences, if any, you may have observed. Thx.

/steve

""If your screen is Pink and Green""
What degree of -green- are we viewing ? { light?= hint?= increidable HULL?I have seen in HPotter a -slight- green overtone- very slight. So is this the "green' we are talking about. I will try to Avia calibrate tomarrow night. to see if how every thing falls in line..
db

Does anyone know if the 970 has an audio delay feature (0-100 ms) like the 971 does? I don't see anything about it in the 970 manual...it seems to only advertise a channel delay setting intended to compensate for speaker placement. However, I have a Samsung DLP that has audio sync issues and I need a receiver with a built in adjustable delay. Also, it sounds like there would be potentially less macroblocking issues with the 970 than the 971. Is that right?

""If your screen is Pink and Green""
What degree of -green- are we viewing ? { light?= hint?= increidable HULL?I have seen in HPotter a -slight- green overtone- very slight. So is this the "green' we are talking about. I will try to Avia calibrate tomarrow night. to see if how every thing falls in line..
db

Instead of the OPPO Blue background and White text, you will get a Green background with Pink text. It is a major shift, and is very obvious.

Does anyone know if the 970 has an audio delay feature (0-100 ms) like the 971 does? I don't see anything about it in the 970 manual...it seems to only advertise a channel delay setting intended to compensate for speaker placement. However, I have a Samsung DLP that has audio sync issues and I need a receiver with a built in adjustable delay. Also, it sounds like there would be potentially less macroblocking issues with the 970 than the 971. Is that right?

There is no audio delay feature like the OPDV971H (0-100ms user selectable delay). And also unlike the OPDV971H, macroblocking should not be a problem.

Has anyone tried this player with a Optoma HD72 projector and can comment on PQ?

What would look better ... feeding the PJ a 480i signal or a 720p signal?

I've already placed my order online but I'm having second thoughts now because of the image shift issue (like the Sony NS70?) and deinterlacing quality. Is it possible to cancel an order? Should I get the 971 instead?

Please help. :confused:

Does anyone know if the 970 has an audio delay feature (0-100 ms) like the 971 does?
Download the "advanced" manual from their site. It gives you the setup procedures. The 970 sets up with distance differences in inches, not is time specs.

I was wondering if someone can break this down to be real basic by TV size, type and scaler quality categories

If we're talking about pure video quality, and leaving off DVD-A/SACD/USB/etc capability. Lets also forget about the macroblocking issues for a second and leave off "brand what-ifs"

Answer if you prefer a 970 or 971 and a short reason why, assumes ALL TV's have HDMI. NO external scaler part of this mix whatsoever.

1) 42" or below LCD with poor internal scaler
2) 42"-50" LCD with good internal scaler
3) 46"-50" DLP/LCoS/3LCD with good internal scaler
4) 50"+ DLP/LCoS/3LCD with good internal scaler

I was wondering if someone can break this down to be real basic by TV size, type and scaler quality categories

If we're talking about pure video quality, and leaving off DVD-A/SACD/USB/etc capability. Lets also forget about the macroblocking issues for a second and leave off "brand what-ifs"

Answer if you prefer a 970 or 971 and a short reason why, assumes ALL TV's have HDMI. NO external scaler part of this mix whatsoever.

1) 42" or below LCD with poor internal scaler
2) 42"-50" LCD with good internal scaler
3) 46"-50" DLP/LCoS/3LCD with good internal scaler
4) 50"+ DLP/LCoS/3LCD with good internal scaler

If you're using the DVD player to upconvert, based on what Oppo says on their site re: the 971 vs the 970, the bigger the screen, the more likely you will want the 971's superior Faroudja scaling. That being said, if you've got a plasma or LCD, it's also more likely you'll see the difference between the Faroudja and the Mediatiek scaling. With the inherently softer image of a DLP, LCOS, LCD rear projector, the difference should be less visible.

Whether or not 480i HDMI output to a "good" built-in scaler will be better than either player's upconverting output to your display is something you'll have to judge for yourself, as "good" is a relative term.

Just my $.02.

/steve

HDClown,
You should start a new thread with your question. Otherwise you will have a hard time finding replies mixed with 970 specific questions. And the answers will problaby derail the thread. Thanks.

larry

I just got a Panasonic TH-37PX60U and want to buy a new DVD player. Any advice on whether to get the 970 or 971 and why? Dont care about the $50, just want the one that will work better with this TV. Thanks.

I'm bummed. :( I waited all day for the Fedex truck to receive my Oppo 970. I open the box and it is the 971! I was one of the first people to order and the ship form says 970 but the bums in the shipping department sent the wrong one.

I called Oppo, of course, and they were very nice and apologetic but now I have to wait another two weeks or so for the next shipment.

Very disappointed.

-CB

There may be a silver lining here.

Do you have to send back the 971 immediately?
If not it would give you a chance to compare the two players before returning the 971

If one's display will accept both, which is optimal?

The data on a DVD is stored in YCbCr format. However, digital TVs such as DLP, LCD, and plasma display as RGB. So the signal will have to be converted to RGB at some point, either in the DVD player or the TV (or a video processor if you have one). In some cases, you may see a clear difference where one component does the RGB conversion better than the other. For example, I tried feeding my Mitsubishi projector YCbCr and it produced terrible pixelation and noise. I switched to RGB at the source and all of that cleared up. So obviously the projector has poor YCbCr-to-RGB conversion.

Try it both ways and see if you notice a difference. If you don't, then both chips are equally good and it shouldn't matter which you choose.

Let me start by saying I work as a computer specialist, not AV specialist. I am upgrading my basement home theater, and I have always had great sound within this small area. Now I want to upgrade the PQ. I purchased a Samsung 51D 32" LCD and the cable company is hooking up an HD box. I am now wanting to upgrade my DVD player, and I still have one available HDMI input on my LCD. I am looking for a reasonably priced upconvert DVD player that will simply display the best PQ on my new LCD. I am considering the Phillips DVP5960, the Samsung HD960, and this new OPPO DVD Player. I know this forum thread may be a little biased, but should I go for the new Oppo or a more familiar brand if all I'm doing is watching my DVD collection on this LCD. It seems to me a Samsung DVD upconvert may display better on a Samsung LCD (maybe not). Based on the knowledge shared on this topic, I trust your opinions.

Second, isn't the "Reduced picture size with 720p/1080i" a real downside to purchasing this model. I understand it will probably be fixed in a firmware update, but isn't that considered a major defect?

I've already placed my order online but I'm having second thoughts now because of the image shift issue (like the Sony NS70?) and deinterlacing quality. Is it possible to cancel an order? Should I get the 971 instead?



If you want to cancel your order, just send OPPO an e-mail or give them a call.

There is not a shift issue, though there is an underscan issue where the top and the bottom will have black bars. Sony solved this problem by doing a zoom on the NS75/85 to compensate for the underscan. Likely OPPO will do the same.

I just got a Panasonic TH-37PX60U and want to buy a new DVD player. Any advice on whether to get the 970 or 971 and why? Dont care about the $50, just want the one that will work better with this TV. Thanks.

If macroblocking is a concern, then you do not want to go with the OPDV971H. However, you will be sacraficing some video clarity due to the inferior de-interlacing aspects of the DV-970HD.

Okay, I am now down to comparing two players. I am comparing this new Oppo to the Pasnasonic DVD S97S model. I am torn between the two. My eyes are weary on reading product reviews. I am anxiously waiting on more expert reviews on the Oppo. Any help in making a final selection would be greatly appreciated. I trust the opinions of those that use this forum, and I am hoping I can find someone who has some experience with both players. At this time, I am only interested in playing my wide collection of DVDs on a new Samsung 51D 32" LCD. I realize the price difference, but I don't think that difference is significant in making my final decision. I am simply looking for the better player of the two.

There may be a silver lining here.

Do you have to send back the 971 immediately?
If not it would give you a chance to compare the two players before returning the 971

Well, maybe so. The Oppo people said they will include a fedex return shipment slip with my 970. Yes, I could try out the 971 while I wait but my Mits 52628 only has HDMI besides Component. The 971 is DVI. I don't feel like wasting my money on a DVI->HDMI converter. Also, I need both SACD and DVD-A which the 971 lacks. I suspect the scaler on my 1080p set is pretty decent so I'm not sure the 971 is going to do a lot for me. Bottom line, I bought the 970 for its feature set and am not really interested in the 971. I was so disgusted I just put it back in its box and shoved it in the corner.

I sure hope Oppo is accurate in expecting a new 970 shipment late next week. I really want this player!

-CB

Well, maybe so. The Oppo people said they will include a fedex return shipment slip with my 970. Yes, I could try out the 971 while I wait but my Mits 52628 only has HDMI besides Component. The 971 is DVI. I don't feel like wasting my money on a DVI->HDMI converter. Also, I need both SACD and DVD-A which the 971 lacks. I suspect the scaler on my 1080p set is pretty decent so I'm not sure the 971 is going to do a lot for me. Bottom line, I bought the 970 for its feature set and am not really interested in the 971. I was so disgusted I just put it back in its box and shoved it in the corner.

I sure hope Oppo is accurate in expecting a new 970 shipment late next week. I really want this player!

-CB

Ahhh...makes sense.
I wouldn't want to buy the adaptor either if I wasn't keeping the player.
Didn't realize hi-rez was mandatory for you.

Am curious to see how you like the 970, when it finally arrives. I am very interested in this player for the same reasons: HDMI and hi-rez.

Yes, I could try out the 971 while I wait but my Mits 52628 only has HDMI besides Component. The 971 is DVI. I don't feel like wasting my money on a DVI->HDMI converter.

There is a DVI-HDMI cable in the box if you want to try it out.

For people who have external scalers, or high end television units, they will want to feed these devices with an un-altered (or at least lightly altered) digital video stream. The more pure the decoding is of the MPEG-2 information, the better the end results will be after the scaler/television does its post processing.

480i from the HDMI output is a great budget transport for this kind of functionality.

So if you're not using an external scaler, the 971 is still the better upconvert player because of the Faroudja video processing?

redjr...

Yes. The Faroudja chipset does a much better job of de-interlacing, especially for diagnal lines. The video will also be less noisy, due to inherent post processing (such as DNR).

Yes. The Faroudja chipset does a much better job of de-interlacing, especially for diagnal lines. The video will also be less noisy, due to inherent post processing (such as DNR).

Thanks. Then I should keep my brand new 971? :)

redjr...

Are you saying, currently, any DVD player that incorporates the Faroudja chipset is going to have a better PQ than this player. If that is the case the Panasonic sounds like the best choice since its latest firmware update practically eliminates MB according to the forum on its firmware.

Well, I finally received and hooked up the 970. For some reason, after posting (and waiting for a response) to this and the plasma forum, I couldn't get an answer as to how the 970 performed into the 6th generation Pios. So I pulled the trigger myself and I am pleased to report that running the 970 at 480i HDMI into my Elite 1130, produces the finest dvd picture that I have ever seen on this display (I have tried many of the usual suspects, including the Sony 75/85, Pio 52, Toshiba 4990, a Samsung, along with my venerable old Pio RP91)

The 970 trumps them all - less noise, more detail, greater depth - so far have viewed Toy Story, LOTR, Fifth Element (Superbit), Spiderman, and The Hulk. All looked better than I had ever seen them.

Additionally, although my sound system is not high end, the sound of the Oppo equalled the sound of the Sony (which was a clear improvement over my RP91).

Also, (purists don't read this!) I found the zoom on the Oppo to at least be useable.

The Oppo 970 appears to play all manner of discs, (I have tried R+, R-, RW+ and RW-), and the jpeg picture navigator is also quite useable (along with the Sony, one of the few devices which allows for computer altered jpegs to be played).

Don't like the tray - not the fact that its "flimsy", which I really don't think it is, but the fact that no indentation exists to easily remove the disc - find I have to reach under and pop it up from the bottom.

Both the deck and the remote appear well made and durable.

For me, I finally found "a keeper!" :D

LIY

Are you saying, currently, any DVD player that incorporates the Faroudja chipset is going to have a better PQ than this player. If that is the case the Panasonic sounds like the best choice since its latest firmware update practically eliminates MB according to the forum on its firmware.

The Faroudja chipset does a wonderful job of diagonal line processing and eliminating jaggies, its the reference standard.

As a standalone unit without a processor I doubt the 970 without the Faroudja chipset will be as good as the 971. The 971 is a great player that I use it in my secondary viewing area sourced to a plasma. The S97 is the primary player for the projector in the HT. Its an outstanding unit especially with the latest firmware and its noise reduction settings are excellent. I was going to buy an external processor but passed because I couldn't see much improvement over the S97.

Are you saying, currently, any DVD player that incorporates the Faroudja chipset is going to have a better PQ than this player. If that is the case the Panasonic sounds like the best choice since its latest firmware update practically eliminates MB according to the forum on its firmware.

Theoretically yes; in acutally, no. What comes down to how well designed a unit is is how well implimented the features are. Just slapping a Faroudja chipset in a box will not magically produce excellent results (see: OPDV971H from Januaray of 2005 to the unit now). The Panasonic S77/97 has been favored by some to the OPDV971H, which means that it is at least as good, if not better, than the OPDV971H. If it is better than the OPDV971H, then it is better than the DV-970HD.

Does anyone have experience/recommendations with a 42" Hitachi ALIS plasma screen (1024x1024i) and either the DV970HD or the 971H?

According to Hitachi, it takes a 480i input over HDMI or DVI, but I don't know if the Picturemaster III processor is any good. Generally speaking, I wasn't that impressed, but I was only using a cheap DVD player at the time.

I'd check for myself, but the display is in Japan, and I'd like to order one to bring back with me.

Does Oppodigital.com have free shipping to US/CAN or do they charge you?

They charge for shipping. 14.49 for domestic through FedEx Ground, and 29.00 for Canada through USPS EMS.

Has anyone tried this player with a Optoma HD72 projector and can comment on PQ?

What would look better ... feeding the PJ a 480i signal or a 720p signal?

I've already placed my order online but I'm having second thoughts now because of the image shift issue (like the Sony NS70?) and deinterlacing quality. Is it possible to cancel an order? Should I get the 971 instead?

Please help.

Send 480i to the HD72, the HD72 uses the TI DDP3020 chip and it does a really good Job of scaling / de-interlacing..

I ordered mine on Thursday.. they said will ship on Wednesday.

Question; Can I configure so that video and stereo go to the HDMI on the TV and still send 5.1 to the receiver over digital SPDIF?

On my DVR SA8300HD you can not do this... so I am hoping this is different.

Is anyone using a HDMI switch? I only have 1 HDMI input on our Philips 52 inch.

Yes, you can use Stereo to your television and 5.1 S/PDIF audio to your receiver without an issue.

Send 480i to the HD72, the HD72 uses the TI DDP3020 chip and it does a really good Job of scaling / de-interlacing..
Yikes.

After re-reading parts of the 970 and 971 threads, I've already changed my order to the 971. I suppose I'll be better off the the Faroudja processing because of my planned 100" screen. :o

Just finishing up my Calibrations- should finish tonight- With the below statement- I do have Blue w/ white lettering. However, the screensaver{ very cool feature} the windows do come up green & pink. does this mean anything?
db


uote:
Originally Posted by DAB
""If your screen is Pink and Green""
What degree of -green- are we viewing ? { light?= hint?= increidable HULL?I have seen in HPotter a -slight- green overtone- very slight. So is this the "green' we are talking about. I will try to Avia calibrate tomarrow night. to see if how every thing falls in line..
db

Instead of the OPPO Blue background and White text, you will get a Green background with Pink text. It is a major shift, and is very obvious.

The OPPO screensaver logos have several colors. There are green, red, pink, and I think some other colors.

Searched this thread and the manual, what is the crosover set at, 80 hz?
Anyone think the SACD thru HDMI will work with the new Panasonic XR57 digital reciever?
Finally any chance Oppo will let it upconvert to 540p over component?
Hollywood seemingly, will allow that.

Can anyone confirm whether the 970HD negotiates HDCP at 480i over HDMI?

The HDCP spec only calls for it for high bandwidth transmission (i.e. 720p and above), but Paul's first post in this thread implies that it's enforced at 480i HDMI as well.

Thx.

/steve

Searched this thread and the manual, what is the crosover set at, 80 hz?

It is at 100Hz.

Finally any chance Oppo will let it upconvert to 540p over component?
Hollywood seemingly, will allow that.

Because it is HDCP compliant, there is no way to do component based upconversion of CSS-encrypted media. However, that does not mean that the user community can't create their own "unofficial firmware".

Can anyone confirm whether the 970HD negotiates HDCP at 480i over HDMI?

The HDCP spec only calls for it for high bandwidth transmission (i.e. 720p and above), but Paul's first post in this thread implies that it's enforced at 480i HDMI as well.

Thx.

/steve

Yes, HDCP is applied to the 480i output. HDCP is required by definition to be applied to the digital video output, regardless of resolution.

Has anyone tried to play a DivX file from a DVD-R that is greater than 2 gigs?

My back-ups are 2.5 to 3.5 with 5.1 AC3. I'm looking for something to replace my dying HTPC for now.

The Pioneer HDMI should, but I'm seeing so-so reports on it. Same with the new Samsung 960

I just received my 970HD today and can tell you that it exhibits the same problem with the Denon AVR 4806. I had to add a toslink cable and set HDMI to SPDIF to achieve 7.1 sound. I only get 2 channel (Front L/R) via HDMI only into the AVR 4806. My Pioneer Elite 79 doesn't have this issue. Tomorrow I want to do a quick compare of how each upconverts from 480i, while I await the return of my VP30 from the shop. I'm hoping to use the 970HD as a transport for the HT with Sim2 C3X and move the Elite 79 upstairs to an RPTV and let it upconvert on its own.
Hey flint...
Any update on this? I'm particularly interested in the comparison between the 970HD and the 79avi.

I would be using it both for vid. and for audio - SACD adn DVD-A and am curious about the SQ of this unit as well as the PQ.

Let us know, please.

shane

Order Update: OPPO has received their new stock of DV-970HDs and will be shipping them out Tuesday, June 13.

Order Update: OPPO has received their new stock of DV-970HDs and will be shipping them out Tuesday, June 13.

I got a fedex shipment notice a bit before you posted that my "replacement" 970 was being shipped today! Hooray! I'll have it to play with on Thursday. I'm really looking forward to it.

Nice for a change that things happen on time. I was half expecting more delays due to customs or unforseen circumstances.

-CB

Has anyone tried to play a DivX file from a DVD-R that is greater than 2 gigs?

My back-ups are 2.5 to 3.5 with 5.1 AC3. I'm looking for something to replace my dying HTPC for now.

The Pioneer HDMI should, but I'm seeing so-so reports on it. Same with the new Samsung 960

There is still issues with this. OPPO is working on a solution for the OPDV971H, which will trickle down to the DV-970HD as soon as it is debugged (fast forwarding is messed up in their current fix).

How does the upscaling on the Oppo players compare to the Toshiba HD-DVD player?

Which Oppo model is better?

The OPDV971H is the better upscaler of the two units. The Toshiba HD-A1 compares very favorably to the OPDV971H, and in some cases, users will prefer it over the OPDV971H.

Yes, HDCP is applied to the 480i output. HDCP is required by definition to be applied to the digital video output, regardless of resolution.

Hmm. I was under the impression HDCP was only meant to protect high-definition content. E.g., I've read that HD and Blue-Ray players will downsample to 540p if HDCP is not present, while still outputting a digital signal.

According to this thread, the HDMI spec allows for non-HDCP implementations as long as there is no upconverting going on:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=5854257&&#post5854257

Perhaps it's not possible for Oppo to apply HDCP selectively within within the 970H? So if it's on for one resolution, it must be on for all?

/steve

When I read the documentation when HDCP compliance was first released. HDCP is not selective when it comes to copyrighted material. This could have changed, but I am unaware of such a change.

As far as I know, HDCP is actually optional to the HDMI standard. It is perfectly legal to have an HDMI output without HDCP -- but not on a DVD player.

On a DVD player, HDCP is mandated by the DVDCCA's (DVD Copy Controal Association) CSS procedural specification. It basically says anything that outputs CSS-encrypted content must somehow copy-protect it. For standard definition analog output, it requires Macrovision and CGMS; for high definition analog output, since there is no good copy-protection technology, it is banned; for HDMI output of all resolutions, HDCP is required. There is also another copy-protection requirement for firewire, but I forgot what is is.

For firewire video, IIRC, there are the "copy flags", eg. copy once, no copy etc., in the MPEG stream somewhere besides the encryption used which is called 5C. I think this is what i.Link uses for encrypting audio bits.

larry

As far as I know, HDCP is actually optional to the HDMI standard. It is perfectly legal to have an HDMI output without HDCP -- but not on a DVD player.

On a DVD player, HDCP is mandated by the DVDCCA's (DVD Copy Controal Association) CSS procedural specification. It basically says anything that outputs CSS-encrypted content must somehow copy-protect it.[...]

Is DVDCCA compliance voluntary? Or does it just apply to HDMI and not DVI-D? The Oppo 971H, e.g, is a relativly new player that offers non-HDCP compliant digital output at all resolutions.

Or perhaps the spec changed after the 971H was introduced?

/steve

Is DVDCCA compliance voluntary? Or does it just apply to HDMI and not DVI-D? The Oppo 971H, e.g, is a relativly new player that offers non-HDCP compliant digital output at all resolutions.

Or perhaps the spec changed after the 971H was introduced?

/steve


Compliance when the OPDV971H was originally manufactured (December of 2004) was not mandatory among the groups. However, soon after it was drafted as a "gentlemen's agreement" that all digital DVD players would comply with DVDCCA, CSS, Macrovision, and so forth. Because the OPDV971H was manufactured before OPPO signed the agreement, and the DVD player would have to be completely re-tooled, they were able to continue the sales and operations of the OPDV971H.

The DV-970HD is the first unit produced under their license agreement, which is why they are supporting HDCP.

I am about to pull the trigger on the 970HD but, I have yet to read any definitive and conclusive reports on its performance like layer changes, flag detection etc..

Anyone have any links to something solid, not I love my oppos picture?

THX

This is a very good -- perhaps great --- SACD player! Last night I listened to Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition" (the SACD version of the RCA Living Stereo recording) and it sounded fabulous. I realize that in my hookup -- 970 to Panny plasma TV via HDMI to Acoustic Energy Aego2 speakers via Panny's audio-out RCA jacks -- I am not listening to a "pure" SACD signal. My understanding is that the 970 converts DSD to 2-channel PCM, and my TV is converting PCM to analog. Nevertheless, the results were very satisfying. The sound was very pure, lifelike and dynamic. Wind instruments, in particular, sounded very lifelike. The sound was free of digital artifacts; great bass, extended and natural treble, natural tonality in the midrange.

I also tried the "audio only" feature, in which the player's video circuitry is off. I frankly could not hear a difference, but this is on a single, relatively limited audition.
Could you please confirm again, that it was actually playing the SACD layer (and not the CD layer in the SACD) ?
This is very good news as I can get SACD in digital form (be it PCM-converted) to my digital amplifier receiver (to be) Panasonic XR57 .

I am about to pull the trigger on the 970HD but, I have yet to read any definitive and conclusive reports on its performance like layer changes, flag detection etc..

Anyone have any links to something solid, not I love my oppos picture?

THX

Some of your questions (like layer change time) may already be answered by Paul Bigelow's first post in this thread, which is a must read. Paul painstakingly put the player through the important DVE and Avia test screens and extensively documented his observations.

Kris Deering's soon to be released "Secrets" review of the player should shed further light on what Paul has already reported, as well as provide additional objective measurements on key performance benchmarks.

/steve

Could you please confirm again, that it was actually playing the SACD layer (and not the CD layer in the SACD) ?
This is very good news as I can get SACD in digital form (be it PCM-converted) to my digital amplifier receiver (to be) Panasonic XR57 .


It will work with Pioneer Elites but not Denon(so far).
I'm thinking about doing the same thing you are.

Could you please confirm again, that it was actually playing the SACD layer (and not the CD layer in the SACD) ?
This is very good news as I can get SACD in digital form (be it PCM-converted) to my digital amplifier receiver (to be) Panasonic XR57 .

I can confirm that it was the SACD layer. It says so on the screen. The Oppo 970 lists the tracks on the TV screen (not the names of the songs, just Track 001, Track 002, etc.) and next to the track number, "SACD."

My SACD Priority is set to "Multichannel," meaning it will play the SACD layer. To play the CD layer I have to change it to "CD Mode." When I do so, it just plays the CD tracks and there is no screen display (other than the Oppo screen saver).

Connection was via an HDMI cable, Oppo to Panny plasma.

Ahh! I'm completely TORN between getting this player (970) or the Sony 75/85! I have a 61" Samsung HLS-6187W 1080p set; I've heard that this new Oppo player is good for me because it doesn't have the Faroudja chip, which is not so good for DLPs, but Oppo themselves says this player is not preferable for 60"+ screens (they say to get the 971, which HAS the Faroudja chipset). So, which player should produce the best picture for me, the Oppo 970, Oppo 971, or the Sony 75/85? Reading all the threads for hours I've at least narrowed it down to these three players, but am now lost. I know the Oppo 970 has more features than the Sony, such as supporting both NTSC and PAL, Divx, and Xvid - these features are nice perks but by no means a requirement for me. Also I have DVI connections and HDMI connections available, so I don't care about inputs either. Finally, just how crippling is this "reduced picture size problem" with the Oppo 970 that is supposed to be fixed with a firmware update? I'm ready to place an order for any of these three players RIGHT NOW, I just need some sound expert advice first!

Compliance when the OPDV971H was originally manufactured (December of 2004) was not mandatory among the groups. However, soon after it was drafted as a "gentlemen's agreement" that all digital DVD players would comply with DVDCCA, CSS, Macrovision, and so forth. Because the OPDV971H was manufactured before OPPO signed the agreement, and the DVD player would have to be completely re-tooled, they were able to continue the sales and operations of the OPDV971H.

The DV-970HD is the first unit produced under their license agreement, which is why they are supporting HDCP.

Arghhhh, I have a VP30 and I was all set to get the 970 thinking it wouldn't encrypt the HDMI output. I need to drive two outputs and since the second output on the VP30 is component. Grrhhh another road block on the way to digital nirvana.

Arghhhh, I have a VP30 and I was all set to get the 970 thinking it wouldn't encrypt the HDMI output. I need to drive two outputs and since the second output on the VP30 is component. Grrhhh another road block on the way to digital nirvana.

Too bad you want the VP30 to drive 2 outputs.
I am using the 970 480i HDMI into my VP30/ABT102 and it looks terrific. :)

Arghhhh, I have a VP30 and I was all set to get the 970 thinking it wouldn't encrypt the HDMI output. I need to drive two outputs and since the second output on the VP30 is component. Grrhhh another road block on the way to digital nirvana.

You can always hope that someone cracks the HDCP protection (like the early beta firmware was). Also, can't you turn Off HDCP on the VP30, or was that for input selection only (I havn't really bothered using the VP30 I have sitting around).

Is DVDCCA compliance voluntary?

Or perhaps the spec changed after the 971H was introduced?

/steve

DVDCCA compliance is required by the license contract DVDCCA signs with every manufacturer. The spec changes very often, with the most recent being about restrictions on windows media player formats. When a new spec is out, DVDCCA usually allows grandfathering older products during a grace period. New designs must be compliant with current spec.

I take it from all these posts that the 970 is very nice, but NOT for a projector that will blow up the image on a large screen.

Which upcpnverting player would you recommend for that purpose. Right now I have a Cyberhome 655.

John

Too bad you want the VP30 to drive 2 outputs.
I am using the 970 480i HDMI into my VP30/ABT102 and it looks terrific. :)

Have you done any A/B comparison with an upconverting player like the 971?

Compliance when the OPDV971H was originally manufactured (December of 2004) was not mandatory among the groups. However, soon after it was drafted as a "gentlemen's agreement" that all digital DVD players would comply with DVDCCA, CSS, Macrovision, and so forth. Because the OPDV971H was manufactured before OPPO signed the agreement, and the DVD player would have to be completely re-tooled, they were able to continue the sales and operations of the OPDV971H.

The DV-970HD is the first unit produced under their license agreement, which is why they are supporting HDCP.


I love the company, and am seriously considering getting a player, but this is garbage. Don't the HD-DVD players go right through this?

I love the company, and am seriously considering getting a player, but this is garbage. Don't the HD-DVD players go right through this?Of course not. And please, no derailing into (yet another) HDCP right/wrong discussion.

larry

I take it from all these posts that the 970 is very nice, but NOT for a projector that will blow up the image on a large screen.

Which upcpnverting player would you recommend for that purpose. Right now I have a Cyberhome 655.

John

I am assuming you are interested in a budget player. The Oppo DV971H is good if you can use a player connected by DVI. If you want upscaling connected by component, then the LG DVB418 with LDA531 firmware. This is assuming you aren't going to be adversely affected by the Faroudja FLI23xx macroblocking enhancement. If macroblocking enhancement is a deal killer, the Helios HVD2085 or Samsung DVD-HD950 work well with my 720p LCD projector.

Chris

SACD-
Tell us more what you found out re: SACD. I set up the 970 to play SACD. It did sound very nice, but it didn't blow me away. I do have a RS SPL, but did not calibrated the speakers{can't find it}. I might not have had the 970 setting correctly with my Denon 3803. I do have a dedicted SACD player {Mod SonyCE775- 8yrs old}. WHich sounds better than the 970, I was hopeing it would sound just as good, so i could remove some EQ.
db

*using 6 component cables



Quote:
Originally Posted by Beto3645
This is a very good -- perhaps great --- SACD player! Last night I listened to Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition" (the SACD version of the RCA Living Stereo recording) and it sounded fabulous. I realize that in my hookup -- 970 to Panny plasma TV via HDMI to Acoustic Energy Aego2 speakers via Panny's audio-out RCA jacks -- I am not listening to a "pure" SACD signal. My understanding is that the 970 converts DSD to 2-channel PCM, and my TV is converting PCM to analog. Nevertheless, the results were very satisfying. The sound was very pure, lifelike and dynamic. Wind instruments, in particular, sounded very lifelike. The sound was free of digital artifacts; great bass, extended and natural treble, natural tonality in the midrange.

I also tried the "audio only" feature, in which the player's video circuitry is off. I frankly could not hear a difference, but this is on a single, relatively limited audition.


Could you please confirm again, that it was actually playing the SACD layer (and not the CD layer in the SACD) ?
This is very good news as I can get SACD in digital form (be it PCM-converted) to my digital amplifier receiver (to be) Panasonic XR57

I take it from all these posts that the 970 is very nice, but NOT for a projector that will blow up the image on a large screen.

The reason why people and OPPO do not recommend it for larger displays is that there are better alternatives (as in the OPDV971H). However, it will still perform very well on a large display, and this includes projectors.

If macroblocking enhancement is a deal killer, the Helios HVD2085 or Samsung DVD-HD950 work well with my 720p LCD projector.

Chris

I would never wish the Helios HVD2085 even on my most hated of enemies. I would steer clear of this player at all costs.

The DV-970HD will produce the same if not better picture than the Samsung DVD-HD850/950 line, so if you are considering those two units, then you may still want to consider the DV-970HD.

Just wondering if anybody has this unit matched with the Sony SXBR either 50" or 60". I currently have Denon 1910 hooked via component at 480P as this provides best picture compared to 720P and 1080P over DVI . Less noise and macroblocking compared when hooked up via DVI. I am very interested in this player as it outputs 480I over HDMI as the SXBR has an excellent scaler.

Thanks

Have you done any A/B comparison with an upconverting player like the 971?

Onkyo sp1000.

Looks like after two weeks my 970HD is finally shipping. One potential problem crossed my mind today, and I was wondering if anyone can shed some light on it. My Panasonic plasma doesn't allow changing the aspect setting on a high-def signal, so if I have the Oppo sending an up-converted signal to my TV while playing a non-anamorphic widescreen movie, can the Oppo itself stretch the image to fit on the screen? If so, how are the results?

Can anyone give the me the audio choices in the setup menu for this configuration?

HDMI to TV needs to be stereo
S/PDIF to receiver in 5.1

my unit is also shipping today :)

Aloha ... brad

Brad,

Set the DownMix to 2.0 (Stereo). - Speaker Preference
Set the HDMI Out to Multi-Channel - Audio Preference.
Set S/PDIF to RAW - Audio Preference.

It is set this way by default, but just in case you change something in-advertently, those are the settings you need to change.

Looks like after two weeks my 970HD is finally shipping. One potential problem crossed my mind today, and I was wondering if anyone can shed some light on it. My Panasonic plasma doesn't allow changing the aspect setting on a high-def signal, so if I have the Oppo sending an up-converted signal to my TV while playing a non-anamorphic widescreen movie, can the Oppo itself stretch the image to fit on the screen? If so, how are the results?

The only thing you can do is use "Zoom", but that will degrade the picture quality. I would recommend dropping the resolution to 480p then using the aspect ratio controls of the display, as it will do a much better job of zooming the picture.

FedEx just delivered mine and I am going to hook it up now!

The reason why people and OPPO do not recommend it for larger displays is that there are better alternatives (as in the OPDV971H). However, it will still perform very well on a large display, and this includes projectors.



I would never wish the Helios HVD2085 even on my most hated of enemies. I would steer clear of this player at all costs.

The DV-970HD will produce the same if not better picture than the Samsung DVD-HD850/950 line, so if you are considering those two units, then you may still want to consider the DV-970HD.



Thank you BOTH for your quick responses. The $50 difference between the two Oppo players isn't an issue for me, I was considering the 970 over the 971 strictly because of all this business about seeing macroblocking on the 971 that I have been reading about on these forums. The 970 apparently doesn't suffer from it.
Frankly, I don't see macroblocking on my Cyberhome 655 but over DVI the image appears a "little" soft to me and I thought a better one would give me a sharper upconverted image. The Cyberhome is sharper over component than over HDMI when projected through my NEC 4:3 LT380 LCD projector. The projector is really really bright by the way.
I am just a little confused about what to buy for my situation. And I am not sure I see much of a difference in the three different upconverted images with that player. Another reason why maybe a better one would give more of a "WOW" factor.

Thanks again,

John

so, out of curiosity, anybody with this new Oppo try out the Brick set DVD-A to see if it barfs the way it does on the 971?

The reason why people and OPPO do not recommend it for larger displays is that there are better alternatives (as in the OPDV971H). However, it will still perform very well on a large display, and this includes projectors.



I would never wish the Helios HVD2085 even on my most hated of enemies. I would steer clear of this player at all costs.

The DV-970HD will produce the same if not better picture than the Samsung DVD-HD850/950 line, so if you are considering those two units, then you may still want to consider the DV-970HD.

I own the HVD2085 and use it with a 720p LCD projector with great results. Build quality has been a concern but mine has been problem free. It works well over component and HDMI. I haven't compared the DV970HD but it doesn't upconvert projected DVDs over component so it isn't a player to consider if upconversion over component is wanted. Over DVI, I would add the DV970HD to the list of players to consider especially if a universal player is needed.

Chris

John,

If you are worried about Sharpness, then you may not want to go with the OPDV971H, as it has a slightly soft image through its DVI output. The DV-970HD does not have this same problem.

Just picked mine up from the nice folks at Oppo - I happen to drive by their offices twice a day. Can't wait to put the 970HD through its paces!

BK

What's the warranty on these bad boys? And how can us canadians get them serviced if something goes wrong?

1 year parts and labor.

You will have to send back the unit to OPPO if you run into any problems.

John,

If you are worried about Sharpness, then you may not want to go with the OPDV971H, as it has a slightly soft image through its DVI output. The DV-970HD does not have this same problem.

Then why does Oppo say not to blow up the image too large on the 970? I figured it was because it wouldn't display a sharp image above a certain size. As you can tell I am a little confused, but I really do appreciate all the responses very much.

John

Hi,

Can someone confirm that the 970 does pass blacker than black
through HDMI using 480i/576i.

Thanks
Damien

Then why does Oppo say not to blow up the image too large on the 970? I figured it was because it wouldn't display a sharp image above a certain size. As you can tell I am a little confused, but I really do appreciate all the responses very much.

John

The reason why they are not recommending that you use the DV-970HD on larger displays at that the ability to distinguish the quality of the de-interlacing increases with the size of the display. Good de-interlacing on a small screen will be mediocre de-interlacing on a large screen, as the errors are more evident.

This is particularly true for diagnal edges, which are the hardest to de-interlace properly without aliasing.

The overall level of detail is higher than that of the OPDV971H, but many users will find fault with aliasing more so than a slightly fuzzy picture.

Hi,

Can someone confirm that the 970 does pass blacker than black
through HDMI using 480i/576i.

Thanks
Damien

Yes, it passes blacker than black through the HDMI output at 480i and 576i.

Two quick questions:
1) What exactly the issue with "Reduced picture size with 720p/1080i -- this is a well-known issue. It is a Media Tek chip problem and will be addressed in a future firmware update."? Wouldn't that be an obvious problem? and wouldn't something like this be addressed before making this available to the public? I guess I don't understand this issue.
2 Neuromancer, do you work for Oppo? If not, I would love to get your full reveiw of this product. You seem very knowledgeable in this area. Personally, I am starting to think this is an excellent product, but I would love to see another independent review of this product.

The reason why they are not recommending that you use the DV-970HD on larger displays at that the ability to distinguish the quality of the de-interlacing increases with the size of the display. Good de-interlacing on a small screen will be mediocre de-interlacing on a large screen, as the errors are more evident.

This is particularly true for diagnal edges, which are the hardest to de-interlace properly without aliasing.

The overall level of detail is higher than that of the OPDV971H, but many users will find fault with aliasing more so than a slightly fuzzy picture.

Neuromancer: Can I assume that screen size limitation does not apply if I utilize 480i output?

Two quick questions:
1) What exactly the issue with "Reduced picture size with 720p/1080i -- this is a well-known issue. It is a Media Tek chip problem and will be addressed in a future firmware update."? Wouldn't that be an obvious problem? and wouldn't something like this be addressed before making this available to the public? I guess I don't understand this issue.

There is a point in which you have to decide to release a product, warts and all. For this reason, OPPO decided to release the DVD player with the niggle that is underscanning. It is being aggressively fixed (unlike the Sony NS70H, which "required" new hardware).

2 Neuromancer, do you work for Oppo? If not, I would love to get your full reveiw of this product. You seem very knowledgeable in this area. Personally, I am starting to think this is an excellent product, but I would love to see another independent review of this product.

I don't work for OPPO. Much like GSB, Kris Deering, and other members of this forum, I get advanced screening of software and hardware. However, unlike them, I am not really that technical. All of my assessments are based on personal experience, which is why I refrain from threads which require conjecture or inference.

In terms of a review, that is not really my strong suit. I can say that the DV-970HD performs favorably to the other players in its price point, such as the Samsung DVD-HD850, Sony NS75H, and the Pioneer 490.

Compared to the OPDV971H, it is a mixed bag. On one hand, you have no macroblocking errors, a sharper overall image, but at the same time you are looking at a product which has inferior de-interlacing aspects (especially in the diagnals) and is not designed for PAL playback (no Film 2:2 Cadence support).

For people with smaller displays (37" and below) I would recommend the DV-970HD as it has the sharper image, and the aliasing errors are less noticeable. For larger displays, the OPDV971H is more adept to image reproduction, unless macroblocking is a major concern or cavet.

Neuromancer: Can I assume that screen size limitation does not apply if I utilize 480i output?

That is correct, as the limiting factor in this scenario is the scaling of the display or external scaler.

There is a point in which you have to decide to release a product, warts and all. For this reason, OPPO decided that release the DVD player with the niggle that is underscanning. It is being aggressively fixed (unlike the Sony NS70H, which "required" new hardware).



I don't work for OPPO. Much like GSB, Kris Deering, and other members of this forum, I get advanced screening of software and hardware. However, unlike them, I am not really that technical. All of my assessments are based on personal experience, which is why I refrain from threads which require conjecture or inference.

In terms of a review, that is not really my strong suit. I can say that the DV-970HD performs favorably to the other players in its price point, such as the Samsung DVD-HD8650, Sony NS75H, and the Pioneer 490.

Compared to the OPDV971H, it is a mixed bag. On one hand, you have no macroblocking errors, a sharper overall image, but at the same time you are looking at a product which has inferior de-interlacing aspects (especially in the diagnals) and is not designed for PAL playback (no Film 2:2 Cadence support).

For people with smaller displays (37" and below) I would recommend the DV-970HD as it has the sharper image, and the aliasing errors are less noticeable. For larger displays, the OPDV971H is more adept to image reproduction, unless macroblocking is a major concern or cavet.

I may have asked this earlier, but I got a 971 a couple of weeks - just before the 970 came out. I'm presently waiting on a 37" Westy w3, 1920 x 1080p LCD panel to arrive. I will not be using any external video processors with the display. If I want the best performance from my library of DVDs on the Westy, will the 971 be adequate 'enough', or should I trade it in on the 970. I really have no need for SACD, but would like the best 'edge' with DVDs.

Comments?

Thx,

redjr...

That is correct, as the limiting factor in this scenario is the scaling of the display or external scaler.

Thanks. Do you know what processing is applied to 480i output and can it be turned off?

That you for the quick response. I am ordering mine tomorrow. From my extensive Internet search for reviews and reading through this and other threads, I am at least convinced that Oppo is a very creative company, and really work hard to make the best product possible. I think this unit will be the perfect match with my new Samsung 32" LCD, and let's face it, some people are paying the same amount ($150) for one Monster HDMI cable from Best Buy.

Thanks. Do you know what processing is applied to 480i output and can it be turned off?

I am only aware of some CUE management being applied to the 480i/576i output. I am unaware of any further enhancers which my be present in the signal. This is something I havn't tested for, and OPPO hasn't disclaimed.

And there is no way to turn these On/Off as desired.

I may have asked this earlier, but I got a 971 a couple of weeks - just before the 970 came out. I'm presently waiting on a 37" Westy w3, 1920 x 1080p LCD panel to arrive. I will not be using any external video processors with the display. If I want the best performance from my library of DVDs on the Westy, will the 971 be adequate 'enough', or should I trade it in on the 970. I really have no need for SACD, but would like the best 'edge' with DVDs.

Comments?

Thx,

redjr...

I've only had limited experience with the OPDV971H and the Westinghouse series of LCD displays. I found that the picture on the Westinghouse was best at 720p and looked detailed once you got the picture properly calibrated. I have not had the chance to do a side by side comparison with the DV-970HD, but I would fathom a guess that the OPDV971H will look better in terms of line detail (aliasing) though suffer a tad in level of detail (mainly bacgrounds, where sharpness is most desired).

I would hit the 971H Brain Dump/FAQ and see what other Westy owners have said about their OPDV971H experience.

I've only had limited experience with the OPDV971H and the Westinghouse series of LCD displays. I found that the picture on the Westinghouse was best at 720p and looked detailed once you got the picture properly calibrated. I have not had the chance to do a side by side comparison with the DV-970HD, but I would fathom a guess that the OPDV971H will look better in terms of line detail (aliasing) though suffer a tad in level of detail (mainly bacgrounds, where sharpness is most desired).

I would hit the 971H Brain Dump/FAQ and see what other Westy owners have said about their OPDV971H experience.

Thanks.

redjr...

I may have asked this earlier, but I got a 971 a couple of weeks - just before the 970 came out. I'm presently waiting on a 37" Westy w3, 1920 x 1080p LCD panel to arrive. I will not be using any external video processors with the display. If I want the best performance from my library of DVDs on the Westy, will the 971 be adequate 'enough', or should I trade it in on the 970. I really have no need for SACD, but would like the best 'edge' with DVDs.

Comments?

Thx,

redjr...

I think the 971 is a great choice, slightly better than the 970 but think you would be happy with either. SACD is awesome, you are missing on out on a great audio format but at this late date, it appears there won't be much of interest being released going forward.

Chris

I think the 971 is a great choice, slightly better than the 970 but think you would be happy with either. SACD is awesome, you are missing on out on a great audio format but at this late date, it appears there won't be much of interest being released going forward.

Chris

I'll probably just keep the 971. Not like it's a crappy player! Yeah, it seems that the DVD-Audio format has won in that arena. I don't have any DVD-Audio DVDs, but my last Audigy sound card supported that format. And, the Oppo supports it too.

redjr....

My quick findings:

Aliasing - Yes (mentioned above, I see it on my 26", Momitsu had it too) running 720p currently.
- The Matrix Reloaded and Underworld Evolutions looked great just with some aliasing noticed here and there, more and less.

Player outputs 480i over HDMI for sure, I know because my LCD HDTV doesn't support it. ;-(
Nero Digital - No (wishful thinking)
Divx on DVD - Yes
SACD; DVD-Audio; DTS-CD Audio > HDMI > TV Speakers - Yes
16:9 Wide/Squeeze Mode - Yes (works great)
Zoom - Good (especially for older, non-anamorphic titles), many steps both in AND out. (I like the zoom outs to help explain over-scan to people).
SD Memory Card - Yes, 6MB pics take a while; all "down graded" to boot.
Info Key pretty cool with bit rate meter, etc.
Layer changes, chapter skips, menu selections, etc. seem quick.
Packaging and built quality like many other Chinese players I have except Oppo seems to have turned things up a notch or two in packaging and overall quality/finish. I also know the look of the GUI and quirky features quite well. Tray out position typical as well but if it is because their is a faster drive inside I don't mind a bit (except maybe for double sided discs).
Remote Control much better than the remotes I usually find with players at this level (minus HDMI, upscaling, etc. of course).
Included HDMI cable . . . priceless for me.
Buttons on front panel need to be pressed "well" to do their thing.

Haven't tried USB connection yet. Also haven't tried DivX on CD or Flash Drive, XviD, HDCD, etc.

More importantly, I haven't ran any of my calibration DVDs or made any player picture adjustments.

OPPO has added a Beta firmware to their website: 0613 (http://www.oppodigital.com/dv970hd/dv970hd-firmware-1a-0613.html)

Release Note:

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

1. Improved HDMI Multi-Channel PCM Audio Compatibility

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

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

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

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

3. New Default Contrast Setting for Component Video Output

The factory default contrast setting for component video output is slighted adjusted (tuned down to approximately -3 level of the previous firmware 1A-0526). This adjustment brings the default contrast for component video output to standard level and make it consistent with the HDMI output. The default contrast for the HDMI output is not affected. Please note that the brightness and contrast settings of your TV display also affect the final visual result. It is recommended that you calibrate the DVD player and the TV display together using a reference DVD such as The AVIA Guide to Home Theater (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/630551982X/oppodigital-20/104-3275360-9799942) or Digital Video Essentials. (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005PJ70/oppodigital-20/104-3275360-9799942)

OPPO has added a Beta firmware to their website: 0613 (http://www.oppodigital.com/dv970hd/dv970hd-firmware-1a-0613.html) An incredible FW response-time from an incredible company! Thank you OPPO.

Gary

Okey dokey, it looks like the above firmware fixed the PCM multi-channel HiRez audio over HDMI problem with the Denon 3806. Tried 4-5 discs and they appear to be working right. Going to play with it more tomorrow, too late to play music right now... :p

Thanks to Oppo for getting this fix out so quick. :)

Shall I say this ? OPPO Roxxx !
Waiting for my player to ship in.

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

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

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

Amazingly quick response from Oppo. Congratulations!

Unfortunately, If I read this correctly, it looks like for those of us planning to use the 970HD as a 480i digital transport, we still won't have effortless playback of high-res audio, which is what one would expect. We'll have to manually change the player's output to 720p or 1080i and then set it back to 480i when we're finished listening and ready to watch. Not the end of the world, but neither intuitive nor "wife-friendly".

Perhaps Oppo can "silently" engage 720p mode when DVD-Audio or SACD is being played back, and then "silently" return the player to the user-selected output setting when done?


/steve

Unfortunately, If I read this correctly, it looks like for those of us planning to use the 970HD as a 480i digital transport, we still won't have effortless playback of high-res audio
I noticed that too, and based on their explanation it sounds as if the HDMI standard is giving them some grief - and that it'll give other manufacturers grief, as well. Your idea of a quick toggle from 480i to 720p/1080i would be a handy solution.

I held off buying this player until the multi-channel audio output to an A/V receiver via HDMI was resolved. Now that it is, I think I'm ready to order but have a question first. Since my TV has component only, I was planning to use component for video and HDMI for audio (to a Denon 3806). Does #2 point of Neuromancer's post apply in my situation and, if so, how? Can I set the HDMI output to audio only and therefore ignore what is stated in #2?

:D Just a follow-up to my personal evaluation of the 970. Popped in my Superbit edition of Lawrence of Arabia and was amazed at just how 3-dimensional and well-rendered was this excellent movie. The faces took on an etched, bas-relief, quality that I had never seen before (having watched this movie many times on my Panny RP-91, Sony 75/85, Panny 52, Panny RP30, and Toshiba 4990).

Again, I'm running this at 480i HDMI into a Pio Elite 1130. Also, I finally, tested the upscaling at both 720p and 1080i, and while not bad, the 480i setting is clearly superior (on my display).

LIY

Let me add my voice and "good job" to Oppo on this timely firmware update. Not only did they address a newly discovered issue quickly and effectively - the update process was as simple and quick as is probably possible. My DVD's with 7.1 sound now play flawlessly through the HDMI connection of my Denon AVR 4806! Believe me, it was much more time consuming and complex to update the firmware on both the Denon 4806 Audyssey system and the firmware on my VP30 than it was on this Oppo 970HD. A simple job of burn a small .iso file to CD, insert CD and the update is pretty much self-accomplishing in all of 2 minutes. Terrific!

I too would like to know if the 970 can play DVD-A discs like the Talking Heads Brick set

thanks

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).

Whoa...this I didn't know. :eek:
Does dvd-video store audio above 48khz?
If it does, then those using 480i HDMI would kaput any idea of using HDMI audio for movies.

2 Quick Questions.

I have an OPPO-970HD coming in a few days and Im wondering...

1.What are better cables to use for dvd-a discs for the best sound possible? Optical or what? I'm not wanting name brands but just the best connection to use.My reciever cant accept HDMI.

2.If I burn exact duplicates of DVD's using 1Click DVD Copy and remove the copy protection will I be able to use the features that wont work on standard CSS encrypted DVD's?

Thanks,
NHT4LIFE

I too would like to know if the 970 can play DVD-A discs like the Talking Heads Brick set

thanks
The Brick is the US release DualDisc set correct? I can't speak about those but I can say that the player locks up when trying to play the UK release separate DVD-A disc. It's locked up on the 2 I've tried so far. It does seem to play other DVD-A's such as a couple of the AIX Records releases.

1.What are better cables to use for dvd-a discs for the best sound possible? Optical or what? I'm not wanting name brands but just the best connection to use.My reciever cant accept HDMI.

You will want to use the multi-channel analog outputs. You will just need 3 pairs of RCA cables and a receiver which allows for such an input.

2.If I burn exact duplicates of DVD's using 1Click DVD Copy and remove the copy protection will I be able to use the features that wont work on standard CSS encrypted DVD's?

Yes. If you strip the CSS encryption, there is nothing stopping you from using the component outputs for full upconversion.

With my HDTV, I have been able to get better results setting the Oppo's color space to RGB and letting the Oppo handle the color space instead of the TV.

Here are my HDTV's HDMI options and [current settings]:

HDMI Setup

Signal Type - [Auto] - RGB - YCbCr 4:4:4 - YCbCr 4:2:2
Color Matrix - [Auto] - ITU601 - ITU709
Dynamic Range - [Standard] - Out of Standard
Auto View - [Enabled] - Disabled

Picture > Advanced

Black - [On] - Off (Black Level Expansion Setting)

Any comments or suggestions on which settings are best and why would be appreciated.

Signal Type - [Auto] - RGB - YCbCr 4:4:4 - YCbCr 4:2:2

My unit isn't arriving until Monday, so I didn't realize there was an option to select 4:2:2. I assume that, in theory, the 4:2:2 signal is "purer" than 4:4:4, and therefore better to send to an external scaler?

Or would RGB be equally "pure"?

/steve

Edit: Upon re-reading Wesley's post, I realize now he listed his TV's options, not the Oppo's. My bad.

Keenan,

Yes, the Brick is the U.S. dual-disc release. Thanks for trying out your UK discs - much appreciated.

Carl

Thank you Neuromancer for your help.You are most kind to help all of us out like you do.Cheers.

Someone just posted in another thread (TH-XXPH9UK Announcement) that the commercial Panasonic plasmas DO NOT accept 480i via HDMI. Am I wrong in thinking that this is what I should be aiming at...the ability to feed the panel a clean 480i and let the set do the deinterlacing and scaling?

Someone just posted in another thread (TH-XXPH9UK Announcement) that the commercial Panasonic plasmas DO NOT accept 480i via HDMI. Am I wrong in thinking that this is what I should be aiming at...the ability to feed the panel a clean 480i and let the set do the deinterlacing and scaling?

Yes, in theory, assuming the set's internal scaler is equal to or better than the external scaler or upconverting DVD player's scaler you're comparing it to. Some are and some aren't, so it's hard to know what's better without doing direct A/B comparisons yourself, or relying on what the pro reviewers have to say.

If upconversion was simple math, companies like Faroudja, DVDO, et al. wouldn't be in business! :)

/steve

Those of you have and know how good SACD sounds can you give me your impressions.
I have a dedicated MOD- SONY CE775 player. I did calibrate w/ AVIA& RS SPL.
But i haven't been able to calibrate yet the Oppo 970. The SACD from the 970 doesn;t sound as rich as my Sony-but it could be because it is not calibrate.
What have you heard.
{ i am not stating the 970 isn't a good sound SACD player}
db
* using 6 cable analog

Of course not.


Well, sort of. My question isn't specific enough...

Wouldn't the recent news regarding the XBox360 and PS3 (lower model) not having a digital connection, and some kind of newer generation drive, blow a big fat hole in this upconversion problem? Seems kind of silly that a true HD signal can go through in the clear, but an upconverted one from an inferior source can't.

Only reason I'm bringing this up again is that Oppo has shown the ability to respond to customer comments, and something in this "gentlemen's agreement" is fishy...

...I have a dedicated MOD- SONY CE775 player....
Why do you want to replace that player? Sony created the format, and I would think that it would have superior sound to any "universal" player.

Someone just posted in another thread (TH-XXPH9UK Announcement) that the commercial Panasonic plasmas DO NOT accept 480i via HDMI. Am I wrong in thinking that this is what I should be aiming at...the ability to feed the panel a clean 480i and let the set do the deinterlacing and scaling? No.
The ONLY advantage to having a DVD player with 480i HDMI output is for those who have a standalone external scaler/deinterlacer, such as the DVDO VP30 (just one example), that does a better job processing the image than either the player or the display.
If you don't have one of these, you usually (though not always) get a better picture when a progressive scan DVD player performs the deinterlacing in the digital domain BEFORE sending a 480p signal to the display. I've noticed less improvement when the DVD player does the scaling as well.

Only reason I'm bringing this up again is that Oppo has shown the ability to respond to customer comments, and something in this "gentlemen's agreement" is fishy...

Since Sony, Panasonic, Toshiba, as well as Oppo and many other companies don't permit component upscaling, it is certainly clear there is an agreement. The logic of allowing true HD over component but not faux HD makes little sense, but this isn't the first thing regarding home audio/video that makes little sense. It is probably just that faux DVD HDTV was first and it is software that decides. Some commercial DVD's allow component upscaling but most don't. We might see more DVD titles that permit it going forward. It is a fact that the hardward for both HD DVD and DVD players made by Toshiba have the ability to restrict the component upscaling, but it is software dependent in both cases. I don't have a crystal ball but eventually we may see true HD DVD restricted with most titles and SD DVD allow it with most titles, it is not clear what the circumstances will be in a year or two or more.

Chris

Can somebody please respond to my post #587 on page 20? Also, this new firmware does not fix the underscanning problem, right?

Seems kind of silly that a true HD signal can go through in the clear, but an upconverted one from an inferior source can't.

And this is why people are worried about ICT (Image Constraint Token). If the studios decide to use a "token", then the component output will be regulated to half the pixel resolution (960x540). So far, no studio has announced that they will use the ITC, in fact there is a "backroom" deal which states that they will not do so until 2010, but there is no guarantee that it will never be used.

There are many other copyprotection schemes which make no sense anymore. Macrovision is still required on DVD players, despite the technology being completely antiquated and easily circumvented. However, DVD manufactures still must abide by all the rules and regulations of DVD manufacturing, no matter how dated, or asinine it may be.

To a consumer all this is bad business; to a business it is the difference between being operational and being shut down by injunctions.

Can somebody please respond to my post #587 on page 20? Also, this new firmware does not fix the underscanning problem, right?

If you have a DLP, you will likely just want to go with the DV-970HD or the Sony NS75H to ensure that you do not run into macroblocking errors. If you don't mind spending the time and energy needed to calibrate correctly, then the OPDV971H will be the superior choice in respect to proper de-interlacing and scaling.

The underscanning of the DV-970HD is similar to that of the NS70H from Sony. It is about a half of an inch to inch thicka bar at the top of the screen, and sometimes at the bottom (depending on overscan).

This has not been addressed in the beta firmware. It is being addressed, but no firmware has been created at this time.

I am helping someone buy a new DVD player.

His PROFESIONAL installer set him up
4-5 year old entry-line 480i denon dvd player --- 480i component --->
Focus CS-2 scaler --- ? resolution component --->
1 year old toshiba 720P DLP front projector (has internal Faroudja)

I was going to have him get
OPPO 970 ---HDMI-DVI--->
CS-2 ---DVI--->
Toshiba DLP

But had a few questions.
1) Can one use a HDMI to DVI adapter or cable with 480i? The CS-2 has HDCP on the DVI port. I just think I will need to use the OPPO to convert to the RGB colorspace. Is this possible?

2) Does the projector also need to have HDCP on its DVI for the second run?

3) Which would be better? A) Using the CS-2 (Si504) as a 480i switcher and let the projector (Faroudja) deinterlace and scale. B) Use the processor to deinterlace and scale and send to projector native.

4) Would cleaning up the signal path be worth the $150 player and $50 in cables? I tried to explain to him an SDI player and that was out of the question.

Why do you want to replace that player? Sony created the format, and I would think that it would have superior sound to any "universal" player.
I have a Sony DVP900S DVD/SACD player. I am not at all impressed with the SACD audio playback. My Sony older CDP77ES regular format compact disc player sounds better. Reference ES series SONY SACD players are exceptional as many reviews state, however. I'd be curious if a later generation universal player like the OPPO 970 might improve on my early Sony combo DVD/SACD unit. It'd also be nice to have the ability to play some of those DVD Audio discs as there are some great titles out there.

No.
The ONLY advantage to having a DVD player with 480i HDMI output is for those who have a standalone external scaler/deinterlacer, such as the DVDO VP30 (just one example), that does a better job processing the image than either the player or the display.
If you don't have one of these, you usually (though not always) get a better picture when a progressive scan DVD player performs the deinterlacing in the digital domain BEFORE sending a 480p signal to the display. I've noticed less improvement when the DVD player does the scaling as well.

"though not always" is the operative phrase here. :)

My Fujitsu P50XHA40US plasma's AVMII processor, e.g., does a better job deinterlacing component 480i than the Sony 9000ES I currently have attached to it does at 480p. I've confirmed that my Fujitsu's HDMI input supports 10 bit YCbCr 4:2:2, 8 bit YCbCr 4:4:4 and 8 bit RGB 4:4:4, so I'm looking forward to seeing how well the AVMII deinterlaces and upscales the 970HD's 480i over HDMI to 768p. There may be other variables I'm not considering that will produce disappointing results, but on paper the 970HD and the AVMII processor should be an excellent marriage of technologies.

There may also be other displays out there with equally good built-in internal scalers. E.g., I wouldn't be surprised if the newest Sony LCD's and LCD rear projectors share the same built-in scaling algorithms found in the NS75H. If so, they should also do exceptionally well with the 970HD's 480i digital signal... at least in theory! :)

/steve

1) Can one use a HDMI to DVI adapter or cable with 480i? The CS-2 has HDCP on the DVI port. I just think I will need to use the OPPO to convert to the RGB colorspace. Is this possible?

There is no problem with using a DVI adapter.

2) Does the projector also need to have HDCP on its DVI for the second run?

Unless the CS-2 can remove HDCP, then you will need HDCP in the display. But don't quote me on this.

3) Which would be better? A) Using the CS-2 (Si504) as a 480i switcher and let the projector (Faroudja) deinterlace and scale. B) Use the processor to deinterlace and scale and send to projector native.

This depends on the implimentation of the de-interlacing aspects of the CS-2 and the projector. I would recommend trying both options and seeing which one is superior.

4) Would cleaning up the signal path be worth the $150 player and $50 in cables? I tried to explain to him an SDI player and that was out of the question.

Yes, only because I think everyone should have a OPPO.

I just hooked up my new OPPO 970HD (HDMI 480i) to my VP30/ABT102 (into an Optoma H79). Totally blows away my previous Pioneer Elite DVD player. This is truly the best $150 I ever spent! Thank you OPPO! Maybe they can now produce a HD DVD player.... :)

Hello,
I apologize in advance if this has been asked. I can move it or delete it if so requested, but please direct me to the right place beforehand =). I did read as much of this thread as possible before posting, and tried to absorb as much as I could, but I didn't find what I was looking for, or something clear enough for me to understand.

Anyway, I am looking to buy a new DVD player to go with my Panasonic 32 inch LX600 (480p/720p/1080i). I am an average user doing average things, so divx support and such are just bonus for me, though would be useful. From a pure video quality point of view, how great is the Oppo 970 compared to other players of comparable price range? I was initially looking to buy Panasonic S52 mainly because it offers a lot at a good price, but it seems to have some problems. People here are very technical, which is great, but for me, I just want a reliable player with good picture quality. I don't want to sound cheap, but if I can get away with a cheaper DVD player (not just cheap like $50 cheap) without sacraficing quality, then why not? In my eyes, I cannot tell the difference between good picture quality and fantastic picture quality, so I cannot justify spending hundreds on a superior processor thingy if I cannot distinguish such hardware from a sub $100 DVD player.

My intended setup will be optical audio and HDMI input on a 32 inch LCD.

[...]I am looking to buy a new DVD player to go with my Panasonic 32 inch LX600[...]

Based on the early user reviews, for a 32" Panasonic I don't believe you can do better than the Oppo 970HD connected via HDMI at either 480i or 720p. See which resolution looks better to your eyes. If equal, use 480i because by doing so you will probably be able to take advantage of more of your Panasonic's aspect ratio options. And buy the Avia or Digital Video Essentials DVD to be sure you set things up properly.

/steve

I just hooked up my new OPPO 970HD (HDMI 480i) to my VP30/ABT102 (into an Optoma H79). Totally blows away my previous Pioneer Elite DVD player. This is truly the best $150 I ever spent! Thank you OPPO! Maybe they can now produce a HD DVD player.... :)


Which Elite player? I'm thinking of comparing this player to my 59 avi.

I'm trying to decide if the 970HD or 971H is better for my new Samsung 5087 1080p TV. Risk seeing macroblocking on the 971 or lose the Faroudja processing on the 970? Decisions...decisions...

Up to now, very few people mentioned the 970HD's CD/DVD-A/SACD sound quality thru its analog output (mixed 2-ch or discrete 6-ch out). Does anyone want to add a comment on this?

Jim, I was hoping to get one player to do it all. It didn't have to "Music Hall sound"; I have an acoustically challenged living room. I wanted to remove all the other eq to a remote closet and have only a universal player- to clean up the living room. So far (with out calibration) the 970 has a nice sounding SACD play back, however, it isn't the fidelity on the SONY.{~$475] I heard an Acram cd/sacd/dvd ~$1800 which sounded lovely. I was hoping to wait until HD was main stream and purchase it and then decide what to do about SACD.
db




Why do you want to replace that player? Sony created the format, and I would think that it would have superior sound to any "universal" player.

I Calibrated the OPPO 970HD last night into my NEC50XR5. The plasma has 6-memory setting. I used two different settings to just to see which I liked better over time.
Then, in the middle of the night I asked myself- what resolution was the plasma set to?. I forgot to think about that. Does AVIA disk change Image with different resolutions?
I’ll have to go backing tonight and address this.
720P(?), HDMI input- all color/image on 970 set to neutral.
Thanks,
db

...and then decide what to do about SACD.
I'd keep that CD player and be very happy with it. Use the Oppo to get into some DVD-Audio discs, and you have a full plate! The only drawback though is that you'd need some switching gear for two 6 channel analog cable sets.

I'm very happy so far with my new 970HD. I have it connected to my 26" Sony Bravia S200 LCD via HDMI. All the Oppo output resolutions work, and I'm still trying to decide the optimal setting, but so far I'm really liking the 480i setting the most. I guess that means the internal scaler of the display is pretty decent? I was expecting the 720p signal to win out since it most closely matches the display "native" resolution of 768.

One benefit of the HDMI 480i setting for me is that when I puse a DVD the still image is flawless. With the other output settings, there are varying degrees of "aliasing" on the diagonals of the (paused only) image. Should this be a factor in the output setting that I ultimately decide on? Is it a function of the pure digital transfer, or...??? Paused images from my former player (Pioneer DV-606D at 480i over component) did not have this quality.

BK

I hooked up the 970 last evening, have HDMI directly come into my plasma, when I selected different input 480i/480P/720P/1080i, the TV had no problem handle 480P, 720P and 1080i, but for 480i I am not sure the picture is cut in half or shifted to the right, i.e. left half of the screen is blank white, the other half has picture.

According to my TV manual, it says support 480i/480P/720P/1080i on HDMI input, so is this a bug with the 970?

It may support 480i through the analog inputs, but it may not support 480i through the HDMI input. Check your documentation again for HDMI resolution support.

Does AVIA disk change Image with different resolutions?
I’ll have to go backing tonight and address this.
720P(?), HDMI input- all color/image on 970 set to neutral.
Thanks,
db

Some displays will have memory sets based off of the resolution and input. The source (DVD) should not matter, as the DVD player itself is producing the finalized resolution.

What becomes a problem is if you use 480p to take advantage of your televisions Zoom capabilities, as this would cause the television to use a different set of memory settings because the resolution is different.

However, most displays use memories based off of the input only, so you shouldn't need to calibrate again. Try changing the resolution and noting any changes in the presets. If they have changed, then you have some more calibrating to do.

Which Elite player? I'm thinking of comparing this player to my 59 avi.

I have an older elite model 47a. I actually never like the color output of this DVD player.

Where are people buying this Oppo player from? I can't seem to find them in any local retail stores here in Atlanta and many online vendors that I normally use do not carry it.

Secondly, does it come in black or silver?

Many Thanks

Try OPPO Digital (http://www.oppodigital.com/). They've got some pictures of the unit - the only front panel it comes with is a silver color that's somewhat mirrored.

I just hooked up my new OPPO 970HD (HDMI 480i) to my VP30/ABT102 (into an Optoma H79). Totally blows away my previous Pioneer Elite DVD player. This is truly the best $150 I ever spent! Thank you OPPO! Maybe they can now produce a HD DVD player.... :)

I'd like to see a megachanger from them that gives you 480i over HDMI. I don't really expect it, though. It's a lot of work from the software and mechanical side.

I'd like to see a megachanger from them that gives you 480i over HDMI. I don't really expect it, though. It's a lot of work from the software and mechanical side.

Funny because I was thinking the same thing. Since this will be the last generation of SD DVD Players (more then likely) it would be nice to have a very large changer with a quality 480i signal over HDMI. It certainly wouldn't hurt to suggest it, there customer service/response has always been excellent in the past and welcome feedback from their consumers.

Jeff

Where are people buying this Oppo player from? I can't seem to find them in any local retail stores here in Atlanta and many online vendors that I normally use do not carry it.

Secondly, does it come in black or silver?

Many Thanks

Oppo Digital for sure, and possibly Amazon. Oppo is not sold thru B&M stores.

redjr..

Amazon does not carry the DV-970HD. Available only factory direct and ..... (you know who)...

Please see our mini-review on the DV-970HD, it's an audio champ.

I think that Surf Remote (http://www.surfremotecontrol.com/) will carry the 970 eventually (they've got the 971 in inventory), but I didn't see it on their site when I looked this afternoon.

Gonk,

You should hit Surf Audio (http://www.surfaudiovideo.com) instead. They are listing the DV-970HD as being Available 6-16-06 (http://www.surfaudiovideo.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=DV-970HD&Category_Code=DVD)

Extremephono,

No, I don't know who!

Thanks, Neuromancer - I knew I was missing something at the Surf site, should have realized I was missing an entire domain... :)

Oppo review by Charlie White here;
http://hometheater.consumerelectronicsnet.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=45917

Funny because I was thinking the same thing. Since this will be the last generation of SD DVD Players (more then likely) it would be nice to have a very large changer with a quality 480i signal over HDMI. It certainly wouldn't hurt to suggest it, there customer service/response has always been excellent in the past and welcome feedback from their consumers.

Jeff

Since we have a wish list going, how about custom resolutions and refresh rates!

I assume he was attempting to play HD DivX or Xvid files, the 970 will only play SD files or lower.

It works fine here, both CompactFlash and burned CD.

I loaded DivX files and DV files onto an SD card and put that into the slot, and I could get none of them to play. The DivX file didn't even show up in the directory, and the DV movie did appear as an icon in the directory, and the counter began moving what I selected it, but there was no video associated with it on the screen. The documentation requested that the user "please be patient," and so I waited and waited, and didn't see anything on the CD onto which I'd put a DivX file, either. Nothing happened.

One thing that is not mentioned is what the file name was on the DivX file. Because the the file did not show up at all, I am going to assume it was *.DIVX, which is not a supported extension for the DV-970HD.

Second, he also doesn't mention what the DV resolution was. If he was not getting any video, then the file he is playing exceeds the 720x480 resolution limit of the DV-970HD, which is well documented on the website, the manuals, and the forums.

The first caveat is yes, it handles USB, but only USB 1.1. As we dug around the Midwest Test Facility to dust off an old USB 1.1 thumb drive (contrary to what it says in the documentation, most modern USB thumb drives are USB 2.0)

Once agian this is another problem with his reviewing technique. USB 2.0 devices are generally backwards compatible with USB 1.1. There is no need to find a USB 1.1 drive, as most USB 2.0 flash drives will work on the DV-970HD without a problem.

And the conclusion is crazy, because he spends all this time talking about the USB/Card Reader support, and no time at all talking about the DVD playback, and yet he still recommends the DVD unit.

Since we have a wish list going, how about custom resolutions and refresh rates!

Impossible according to the engineers. This is something I asked about early on in the Beta, but I got a response which shot down this request very quickly. The architecture is just not designed to support these features.

Oppo review by Charlie White here;
http://hometheater.consumerelectronicsnet.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=45917

I think he totally missed the boat on that review.

I also found the review's focus on the USB input and card reader to be rather off-focus - those features are rather handy, but the folks who buy it specifically for them will also be familiar enough with the file formats they are trying to play back to know from the manual and web site if the player will handle their files. The main purpose in the 970 is to watch DVD's at 720p/1080i or to digitally send DVD's at 480i to a scaler, and the review only briefly discussed that. The review also made no mention of DVD-Audio or SACD performance, which is at least as likely to be of interest to readers as the USB/card support.

Neuromancer or anyone else who may know,

What file extensions WILL the 970 play?Reason I ask is because I have a lot of .avi movies that I want to play and since they are Xvids I used that as one of the deciding reasons to purchase the Oppo 970.Also,has anyone found out if an external drive loaded with .mp3's can be played through this player? I really am wanting this question answered-If I burn some Xvids,say 6 700mb movies onto a dvd+r as data using Nero Burning Rom,will I be able to watch them on this player or will I still have to re-encode to .vob or do svcd or vcd?Thanks in advance.

Picked up a 970HD yesterday. Connected HDMI cable to my Panasonic 50PX600U. Played a couple of DVDs and PQ is good. Pressed the HDMI button on the remote to try a few resolution changes and upper left hand corner of the screen said 480P. Pressed again and I got the international symbol of a circle with diagonal line (not allowed). So all I get is 480P on every DVD I've tried so far. Looked at the manual and I'm stumped why I can't cycle through anything other than 480P? Any help???

You have to stop the disc before changing resolutions - the 971 was the same way.

Picked up a 970HD yesterday. Connected HDMI cable to my Panasonic 50PX600U. Played a couple of DVDs and PQ is good. Pressed the HDMI button on the remote to try a few resolution changes and upper left hand corner of the screen said 480P. Pressed again and I got the international symbol of a circle with diagonal line (not allowed). So all I get is 480P on every DVD I've tried so far. Looked at the manual and I'm stumped why I can't cycle through anything other than 480P? Any help???

RTFM (Re-read The Fine Manual) :)

On page 16 it states that disc tray should be empty or playback must be stopped to change resolutions.

/steve

Edit: By the way, I read in the Panny thread that the newer commercial Panny plasmas do not support 480i HDMI. Not sure if this applies to the consumer sets.

Anyway to dim the brightness of the display?

You have to stop the disc before changing resolutions - the 971 was the same way.
Gonk,

Thanks for putting me out of my misery. I was combing the thread for clues. I missed that in the manual. :rolleyes:

Changed to 480i and I must say the PQ looks excellent on my "consumer" Panny. :D

When I leave a disc in the tray after playing it and turn the unit off then come back and turn the unit back on again it "locks up". It just displays 'loading' and I can't eject the disc. Power cycling it seems to get it back on track. Anyone else?

Anyone compare this to a Zenith DVB318 (upconverting over component) by any chance? I bought the Zenith for my old TV that only had component inputs but my new TV (51" Sony RPTV) has HDMI. The Zenith puts out a really nice picture but I do notice macroblocking from time-to-time and the MPEG decoder does a couple of funky things on certain films. Anyway just curious if anyone's replaced their Zenith with this or A/B'ed the two and can comment on the PQ between them. Thanks in advance!

What file extensions WILL the 970 play?


You can use the following formats:

*.JPG - Photo files (no resolution restriction, but will be downsampled to 720x480)
*.AVI - DivX and XviD (720x480 pixel resolution restriction).
*.MPG - MPEG/S/VCD Video (720x480 resolution restriction).
*.OGM - Video ((720x480 pixel resolution restriction).
*.OGG - Vorbis Audio - Don't know of any restrictions.
*.MP3 - Audio - Don't know of any restrictions.
*.WMA - Windows Media Audio (no DRM)

Also,has anyone found out if an external drive loaded with .mp3's can be played through this player?

Yes, that is one of the reasons why the USB and Card Reader are placed on the unit. It will also read CD/DVD media as well.

I really am wanting this question answered-If I burn some Xvids,say 6 700mb movies onto a dvd+r as data using Nero Burning Rom,will I be able to watch them on this player or will I still have to re-encode to .vob or do svcd or vcd?

As long as the files are named *.AVI and do not exceed 720x480 pixels, then you will be fine.

Anyway to dim the brightness of the display?

This is something that is being added to the OPDV971H. It is also something I am asking to be trickled down to the DV-970HD.

When I leave a disc in the tray after playing it and turn the unit off then come back and turn the unit back on again it "locks up". It just displays 'loading' and I can't eject the disc. Power cycling it seems to get it back on track. Anyone else?

Disconnect the DVD unit for about 15 minutes. It sounds like power handeling errors.

I've had some lockups on the unit, and just pulling the plug and plugging it back in works all the time. A little annoying, but better than pulling it from the wall (God bless DPC).

When I leave a disc in the tray after playing it and turn the unit off then come back and turn the unit back on again it "locks up". It just displays 'loading' and I can't eject the disc. Power cycling it seems to get it back on track. Anyone else?
You peaked my interest with this one. I had the Super Bit 5th Element in the player which I had left without going to the end before turning the unit off. I powered on and sure enough, the OPPO logo was on the screen and the unit would not respond to the remote or its panel controls. Completely locked up, not even a loading icon, just "OPPO" in its display on the front pannel. I had to physically unplug the player to recycle. This is a bug. :eek:

[...]This is a bug. :eek:

Sure sounds like one! Hopefully it can be resolved with new f/w.

/steve

I'm not having that problem on mine. Are you using the new beta firmware or the original? I'm still on the original.

I just tried my Ultimate Edition of the Fifth Element: no problem. Tried 10 other discs: no problem.

Are you turning on the DVD player by pressing Power or Play?
From the remote control or the front panel?

I am using the beta firmware.

It will also read CD/DVD media as well.

Hey Neuro.
Are you saying that this unit will read and play a DVD filled with MP3's, or just a CD filled with them?

shane

MP3s can be stored on CDs, DVDs, and flash based devices.

Are you turning on the DVD player by pressing Power or Play?
From the remote control or the front panel?

I am using the beta firmware.

Sounds like it's not the firmware. I'm using a remote that's also using the discrete on/off commands and tried eject both on the remote and the player.

By the way, I read in the Panny thread that the newer commercial Panny plasmas do not support 480i HDMI. Not sure if this applies to the consumer sets.

My consumer TH-42PX60U supports 480i over HDMI, no problem.

MP3s can be stored on CDs, DVDs, and flash based devices.
Ok... I know they can be stored on them, but can the device *play* an MP3-DVD? :confused:

shane

Yes. They can be stored and played back on all DVD/CD media.

Yes. They can be stored and played back on all DVD/CD media.
Thanks... this player sounds better every day. :D

i have a question. i have dvds that i copied and removed the CSS protection in the process of copying them. does this mean that i could play them at 720p without worry of HDCP?

Does the 970HD do FLAC, SHN or APE playback? I've still yet to receive mine (shipped on Monday).

would it be possible to seperate the audio and video on this dvd player? Im thinking of running the HDMI video directly to my tv (panasonic 50inch 60u) and then run digital audio out -> Audio processor -> 5.1 speakers?

Im trying to think of a solution so I dont need to drop 800$ on an AV processor (Vx 2600) and can spend the money elsewhere.

Yes, you can seperate the audio and the video. You can do video directly to your television, and optical audio to your reciver. There is no need to get a receiver that will do video switching.

Does the 970HD do FLAC, SHN or APE playback? I've still yet to receive mine (shipped on Monday).

These are not supported yet. This is on their priority list, but we do not know if or when it will be a reality.

i have a question. i have dvds that i copied and removed the CSS protection in the process of copying them. does this mean that i could play them at 720p without worry of HDCP?

You will beable to play them at 720p through the component outputs, but not the digital output if you do not have a HDCP compliant display. HDCP is always on for the digital output, and is only triggered (in the form of 480p enforecement) on the component output when the CSS-encryption is detected.

You will beable to play them at 720p through the component outputs, but not the digital output if you do not have a HDCP compliant display. HDCP is always on for the digital output, and is only triggered (in the form of 480p enforecement) on the component output when the CSS-encryption is detected.

I do have a HDCP compliant display. Does this mean i can play a Non CSS (or CSS for that matter) on my oppo in 720p going through HDMI to my compliant HDCP tv?

sorry, I am newbish to this :)

As Neuromancer has touched on, HDCP and CCS are separate issues. Any HDMI output or input requires HDCP (the "handshake" between source and display that makes sure the digital signal isn't being manipulated without permission). DVI doesn't require HDCP, although it was used fairly often. If the source is HDCP-compliant (such as any HDMI player), then the display has to also be HDCP-compliant. If the source isn't HDCP compliant (such as a Oppo 971, which has a DVI output without HDCP), it doesn't matter whether the display is HDCP compliant or not. If the source is component video, HDCP is irrelevent entirely because you are no longer dealing with a digital signal.

Ok... we're getting real close. ;)

I've got a Panny 50" 8UK.
There has been talk earlier in the thread about this unit not being as good as the 971H for 'larger' screens.

What's the general concensus about matching this 970HD with my 50" 8UK?

shane

I do have a HDCP compliant display. Does this mean i can play a Non CSS (or CSS for that matter) on my oppo in 720p going through HDMI to my compliant HDCP tv?

sorry, I am newbish to this :)
We were both typing at the same time, apparently. :) With the HDCP connection (HDMI out of the 970 to the HDMI or DVI-HDCP of your display), you can play back any DVD (CSS or not) at 720p or 1080i.

I do have a HDCP compliant display. Does this mean i can play a Non CSS (or CSS for that matter) on my oppo in 720p going through HDMI to my compliant HDCP tv?

Yes. If you have a HDCP compliant display, there is no restriction on the resolution when using the HDMI output, regardless of CSS and non-CSS encryption.

I was worried I wouldn't get to experience really good HD from this player to my tv until you guys cleared it up for me. thanks guys...I'm still trying to figure all this Audiophile/Videophile stuff out.

We were both typing at the same time, apparently. :) With the HDCP connection (HDMI out of the 970 to the HDMI or DVI-HDCP of your display), you can play back any DVD (CSS or not) at 720p or 1080i.

Yes. If you have a HDCP compliant display, there is no restriction on the resolution when using the HDMI output, regardless of CSS and non-CSS encryption.

There has been talk earlier in the thread about this unit not being as good as the 971H for 'larger' screens.

What's the general concensus about matching this 970HD with my 50" 8UK?

shane

Shouldn't be a problem. To me, the "larger screen" issue is really for front projectors where you've got an 80" or larger screen. I'm using a 970HD with a 55" RPTV and it looks great, whereas the 971H matches perfectly with my projector on a 92" screen.

A suggestion: Place some weight on top of the DVD Player. It will help stabilize the players a little and place some vibration pads underneath also. It is a very lightweight player vibration might cause some jittering. I have a marble tile on top of mine.
db

Ok... we're getting real close. ;)

I've got a Panny 50" 8UK.
There has been talk earlier in the thread about this unit not being as good as the 971H for 'larger' screens.

What's the general concensus about matching this 970HD with my 50" 8UK?

shane

You might want to check with the folks on the Panny plasma thread. I believe there's an issue with 480i HDMI into the 8UK's, but I could be wrong. No problem with 480p and above, however.

/steve

Sounds like it's not the firmware. I'm using a remote that's also using the discrete on/off commands and tried eject both on the remote and the player.
In my experience I was using the power ON/OFF button on the remote with non-beta firmware. Locked up Big Time. They have to address this issue as its so basic. Otherwise there will be a lot of returned units and warranty repairs. Even if it only happens once in a while, once will be enough for many people. That kind of thing makes a consumer distrust the integrity of the unit and wonder what will be next?

My 970HD also locked up big time - powered off with a disc in and later tried to turn the unit on with remote/front panel. Had to pull the power cord to recover. Not good.

BK

You might want to check with the folks on the Panny plasma thread. I believe there's an issue with 480i HDMI into the 8UK's, but I could be wrong. No problem with 480p and above, however.

/steve
Correct Steve.
The 8UK will not accept a 480i signal via HDMI. :( I think it will through component, but I'm not sure that's an advantage.

shane

Correct Steve.
The 8UK will not accept a 480i signal via HDMI. :( I think it will through component, but I'm not sure that's an advantage.

Given the known potential for macroblocking with the Faroudja-based 971H and Panny displays, you might want to compare the 720P performance of the 970HD and something like the Sony NS75H into your 8UK.

My guess is the Oppo advice regarding screen size becomes less important as viewing distance increases. If you're sitting 10' or more away, you'll probably be fine with the 970HD, based on the user experiences I've read here.

/steve

I have now been able to watch a few movies on my Pio 930HD with 970 set up and would gladly recommend this player to anyone considering feeding it to your display. It is a GIANT improvement in PQ over my old Sony. Currently using 480i HDMI hopefully will try out some of the other settings soon for comparison.

No lock up issues here...yet

Correct Steve.
The 8UK will not accept a 480i signal via HDMI. :( I think it will through component, but I'm not sure that's an advantage.

Hate to disagree with my earlier post :), but was just thinking that I don't recall hearing from anyone yet in this thread who has A/B'd 480i HDMI vs. component from the 970HD into their high-end external scalers.

You never know, 480i component from this player into your 8UK might just result in a very pleasing picture.

/steve

I have finally settled on what appears to be the best settings for my setup. I have the Oppo set to 1080i with a YCbCr 4:4:4 color space.

I now really wish my HP LCD would input 480i over HDMI because that would have been more ideal in getting in to display at 720p correctly. When I select 720p output on the Oppo, the picture doesn't look as good as if the HP LCD is doing something additionally to the progressive signal. 1080i looks awesome! Of course this introduces another step: 480i > 1080i > 720p. Maybe with HDMI it doesn't matter as much or maybe the Oppo and HP LCD are both doing their parts well, I don't really know. The aliasing I mentioned in earlier posts is completely gone now and confirms that the HP LCD was doing something extra to the Oppos's 720p HDMI output. 720p from my Xbox 360 looks fine on the display though (component video of course).

I have finally settled on what appears to be the best settings for my setup. I have the Oppo set to 1080i with a YCbCr 4:4:4 color space.

I now really wish my HP LCD would input 480i over HDMI because that would have been more ideal in getting in to display at 720p correctly. When I select 720p output on the Oppo, the picture doesn't look as good as if the HP LCD is doing something additionally to the progressive signal. 1080i looks awesome! Of course this introduces another step: 480i > 1080i > 720p. Maybe with HDMI it doesn't matter as much or maybe the Oppo and HP LCD are both doing their parts well, I don't really know. The aliasing I mentioned in earlier posts is completely gone now and confirms that the HP LCD was doing something extra to the Oppos's 720p HDMI output. 720p from my Xbox 360 looks fine on the display though (component video of course).

I'm curious if you tried 480i component from the 970HD. If so, how does it look compared to 1080 HDMI? Not sure if the scaler in your HP is better than the Mediatek scaler in the Oppo, but it would save you from the extra resolution conversion, so if not better, it may at least be a "wash" and may also allow you to take advantage of add'l HP zoom options.

/steve

Problem:

Can anyone else confirm that they have this problem described below?

Play a SACD disc. Hit the Skip (forward or backward) button. Does the player then play the next song (or go the beginning of the current song)?

Mine is NOT doing it. I don't have any DVD-A discs, so couldn't test it, but for other discs (CD, DVD), it works fine. I have tried it with various SACD discs - SACD (stereo only), SACD (multi-ch), SACD hybrid. All - same result.

THIS IS VERY ANNOYING - can't move to the song I want to hear!!!!!!

Want to see if this is a problem with my player only or if it is a general problem...
Will take it up with Oppo on Monday...

Initial impression (very quick tests done last night):

Comparison done with:

Philips 963SA (CD upsampling to 192Hz, SACD and DVD component out)
pre-pro: Sherwood Necastle AVP9080R
amp: Carver AV-505 (80x5)
speakers: PSB Image series with Onix X-sub
TV: Sony KDF-E42A10

SACD playback: Getz/Gilberto and Dire Straits (Money for Nothing)
CD playback - Miles Davis (Kind of Blue)
DVD: several scenes from Finding Nemo

SACD/CD (analog out) playback - Philips better
Cd playback: Philips better
CD playback using pre-pro DAC; couldn't tell any difference between the two players. BTW, the pre-pro must have very good DACs as the CD sound using digital outs is much better/tighter.

DVD playback:
Oppo tested on HDMI only:
480i: good
480p: very good
720p: very good
1080i: very good

Video quality is MUCH better than that of the Philips 963SA. My TV must have a very good internal scaler as I couldn't tell much difference between 480p and 720p. But the player definitely has a better de-interlacer than my TV.

I am not sure what DAC the Oppo 970h is using, but it's just OK, not great (at this price point, I don't think we can ask for a "great" DAC).

So, for someone like Gonk - I don't think you should replace your Yammy 1500 yet. Stick with what you have for and then do digital HDMI out for SACD/DVD-A when you get your Outlaw 990 ver.2 (late 2007???)!!!!

This was a shot, quick "First Impression". Will post more later if I can find time... Thanks for reading - if someone could do the SACD fast-forward and post the result, I would really appreciate it.

Thanks for the feedback, saunak1 - it's definitely useful. Hopefully you can get some confirmation on the SACD fast-forward issue, and if necessary I have no doubt that OPPO will get firmware out to fix it. For now, I'll probably sit tight (my 971 works so well with my CRT that the video side needs no changes). I've heard some tidbits about a planned successor to the 971 (something with Faroudja as well as DVD-A/SACD) - might compare it "head to head" with the 1500 and see what I think.

Play a SACD disc. Hit the Skip (forward or backward) button. Does the player then play the next song (or go the beginning of the current song)?

Won't have my player until Monday, so I can't try to duplicate your problem. I assume, though, you've tried double-clicking Skip Forward (or Back) to see if the second click will move you into the next selection?

Also, in case you missed, the manual says you should be able to go directly to a track by hitting it's # on the remote keypad:

"Press the NUMBER buttons 1-9 to directly select the corresponding chapter/track if the chapter/track number is below 10. For example, to select the seventh track, press the [7] button.

• Press the +10 button and then the NUMBER buttons 0-9 to directly select the corresponding chapter/track if the chapter/track number is above 10 (including 10).
• For example, to select the 16th track, press [+10] followed by [6]:
• To select the 25th track, press [+10] twice followed by [5]."

/steve

With SACD pressing Skip Back should bring you back to the previous track (not the beginning of the track) and pressing Forward should bring you to the next track. I don't own any SACD discs (I barrowed a couple for beta testing), so I can't confirm this at the moment.

Just played Dark side of the Moon. - very loud . New disk....
My issue
the music --STOPS- for a second-- then starts to play again. about every other song. This doesn't happen on my dedicated SACDplayer. I'll play some other SACD's see whats up
eq - 970 >6 cable>denon 3803 {110 watts per chanel} good level PSB silveri- speakers {can go to 200 watts per ch.}-5.1 system speaker set to small.
LPCM- Rate-- 192K
db

For those using URC PC-programmable remotes (MX-700 and up), I've attached an MXF file with the 970HD commands (including discrete On/Off). This can be used with the Universal Browser to drag in any or all commands.

Any ideas on how I can "learn" the discrete on/off signals if I don't have an MX-700? I actually use a URC-100. Thx.

/steve

Any ideas on how I can "learn" the discrete on/off signals if I don't have an MX-700? I actually use a URC-100. Thx.

/steve
If you have JP1-capable remote (UEI, OneForAll, some Radio Shack) or Philips Pronto, you can try these:
http://www.oppodigital.com/dv970hd/dv970hd_faq.html#A5

If you have JP1-capable remote (UEI, OneForAll, some Radio Shack) or Philips Pronto, you can try these:
http://www.oppodigital.com/dv970hd/dv970hd_faq.html#A5

Many thanks for the pointer! I don't believe my URC is JP1-capable, but I have a friend with a Pronto I can "learn" from.

/steve

DVDs Get Sharper Focus In New Players for HDTV

By Daniel Greenberg
Special to The Washington Post
Sunday, June 18, 2006; F07

Do your DVDs lose their luster on your shiny new HDTV? It's a common problem, but there is a solution.

Certain new DVD players can "upconvert" regular discs to near-high-definition quality. That can be an effective, low-cost way for HDTV owners to get great resolution while sitting out the format war over which type of high-definition DVD technology will prevail -- Blu-Ray or HD DVD.

Movie discs that look great on standard-definition TV sets can look grainy or blurry on the big-screen because their 480 lines of resolution get stretched to fill 720 or 1,080 lines on HDTV.

Video enthusiasts often spend more than $1,000 on digital-signal processors to improve their DVD picture quality on the big screen. Fortunately, a lot of this technology has made its way into lower-cost DVD players.

Many of the big companies make players that can upconvert, such as Sony, Pioneer and Samsung. We tested one of the least expensive, the new upconverting DVD player from Oppo, the DV-970HD ($150, http://www.oppodigital.com/ ). Its picture quality on HDTV screens looked substantially better than any conventional DVD player we tested. On the big screen, its images were sharp and crisp instead of fuzzy and blocky. Details were clearer, and colors were more true to life.

The player smoothed out the "stair-step" effect along high-contrast edges. Fine details such as hairs looked like hairs and not strings of square beads. Some of our HDTV test viewers reported that what looked like bad makeup on actors showed up as seamlessly clean facial detail when viewed on the Oppo. The conventional DVD player smeared color gradations into a single mass, but the Oppo clearly revealed multiple shades, resulting in images that appeared sharper and more detailed.

Surprisingly, DVD movies on the Oppo looked good even when compared with the same movie recorded from high-definition satellite television. In direct comparisons, our testers could usually pick out the high-definition version but sometimes needed a second look.

All DVDs showed significant improvement, but the ones that looked most like their HD counterparts were DVDs released in Sony's high-quality Superbit format (like some versions of "Closer" and "Spider-Man") and movies that were originally filmed in a digital format (like "Star Wars: Episode III" or "The Incredibles").

The Oppo plays a variety of disc formats beyond DVD, including SACD, DVD-Audio, DivX, Xvid and WMA. This allows users to enjoy standard definition home movies and downloaded video in all their upconverted glory. It works with recordable DVDs, certain kinds of USB hard drives and several varieties of memory cards. It can also handle digital photos and music and offers surround sound digital audio output.

To get the full effect of upconversion, you need an HDMI input port on your HDTV (or a DVI port, with the purchase of a special DVI-to-HDMI cable). Unfortunately, that leaves out the millions of viewers whose HDTVs only have component video inputs (the red, green and blue plugs).

This limitation is ironic, since component cables are perfectly capable of carrying an upconverted signal. However, the movie industry requires that manufacturers cripple their component video ports because they don't support new copy protection schemes.

Fortunately for consumers, sites like http://www.videohelp.com/ catalogue simple remote control code sequences that restore HD upconversion to many brands of DVD players that have component output. Many consumers already own upconversion-capable DVD players but don't even know it.

The players also could be a way to avoid fallout from a new high-definition copy protection scheme (Image Constraint Token) that has the potential to degrade the high-definition output of all but the latest-model HDTVs. At that point, today's DVD players that upconvert a standard DVD may actually deliver better picture quality than their high-definition counterparts.

Hi, I live in Spain and I want to buy an DV-970HD
Where I can to buy it in Europe?
Thanks in advance.

no e-tailers in Europe are currently selling the DV-970HD.

I live in Portugal and I've ordered it directly from OPPO. It will be 59USD for ports. As for electrical compatibility, the unit is already prepared to 230v@50hz so no problem there. Regarding the plug, Neuromancer previously said it is a detachable cord, so it may be swapped for one with schucko plugs.

I ordered mine on 1st June and it arrived to Portugal in just four days, but since then it has been stopped at customs! Just my luck!!!! And I expect to pay further 90€ for "custom rights". So in the end, I'll be spending about the double of the unit price, but I think it's worth it. Your mileage may vary, however.

I'm curious if you tried 480i component from the 970HD. If so, how does it look compared to 1080 HDMI? Not sure if the scaler in your HP is better than the Mediatek scaler in the Oppo, but it would save you from the extra resolution conversion, so if not better, it may at least be a "wash" and may also allow you to take advantage of add'l HP zoom options.

/steve


My particular TV, the HP LC2600N doesn't accept 480i over HDMI. I learned this early on when I was configuring a HD satellite receiver to it.

Steve L:

1. Single or double clicking of SKIP does not work with SACD (works as it should with CDs).
2. Pressing a # and directly going to a song does not work with SACD (works with CDs).

Also, see below - reply to DAB, doing this on the CD layer of a SACD Hybrid disc works as expected... Let us know your experience on Monday...

Neuromancer:

Pressing SKIP BACK on SACDs does NOTHING. On CDs, it takes you to the beginning of the track. Pressing twice ("double-clicking") takes you to the previous track (963SA does the same thing on both CDs and SACDs). What is interesting is that if you are on Song #2, triple-clicking takes you to STOP (and double-clicking takes you to the start of Song#1,as expected).

DAB:

Played DSOTM (I have the hybrid SACD) just now. Didn't notice your issue. Can you tell me EXACTLY (mins and secs) when it is happening - I can test again. LPCM - 192k setting should not matter for analog out SACD/DVD-A.

Interesting observation - went to the Oppo setup - set "SACD Priority" to CD Mode - Inserted the Dark Side... Hybrid SACD - SKIP button works fine for the CD Layer!!!!! So... it looks like a problem that needs to be fixed. Oppo is a great company - I have no doubt that Oppo will take care of this problem soon (this unit or all units)...

Some more observations:

1. Quite flimsy construction, no "round feet" (note to self - remember the price), etc..
2. Not enough space on display to show mode (if Hybrid SACD, playing the Stereo, MCH or CD), and name of song, etc.
3. Neuromancer has said that Bass Mgmt xover is set at 100Hz. Perhaps, 60-140 range could be added in a future update (still one global setting).

Which brings me to another point - why is this $50 pricing increment so important. I would be delighted to pay $175 for this unit with a more "solid"/bigger body and a bigger display. Sometimes, companies make weird compromises when they try to achieve certain price points (Gonk will attest to that - he and others have had some wonderful exchanges regarding the Emotiva LMC-1!!!).

I may have access to a loaner Cambridge Audio DVD89 in the next couple of weeks (it is a Oppo 970h clone, without 480i thru HDMI, Mp3 playback (possible with a hack), and some other stuff, but with an additonal DVI and SCART port). That player feels solid (as it should for an additonal $150+). I want to do an "audio quality" comparison... I have read that CA made some changes - let's see if I can "hear" the difference.

SB