Official OPPO BDP-93 Owner's Thread - Page 722

Played Tron 3D 6 times with no problems!

Thanks for all your work on this thread.

New kind of question about the Oppo:

My two (not so) current optical disk players are my Denon 2910 universal DVD/CD/DVD-A/SACD/HDCD player and my Panasonic BD50 Blu-ray/DVD/CD player.

I send the 5.1 multichannel analog outs of each through a passive push-button switchbox into the 5.1 multichannel analog input of my even older Yamaha RX-V457 AV receiver, which is pre-HDMI, to drive my Paradigm Studio 40s and 20s (and their companion Paradigm center channel and sub).

I've found that on CDs and DVDs the audio from the Denon is subtler and richer than from the Panasonic, which can't even play the three high def audio disk formats the Denon handles.

So for playing any disk other than a Blu-ray, the Denon is my natural first choice, except for one thing: DVDs of TV - rather than movie - material mastered not in 16:9 but in 4:3 format either require a trip into the Denon's setup to avoid a horizontally-stretched image, or can't even be fixed in setup, while the Panny handles the difference in aspect ratio automatically quite gracefully.

All of which is a long-winded wind-up for this question: How does the Oppo handle 4:3 aspect-ratio disks? Does it require a trip into setup to change the aspect ratio like the Denon or is it handled automatically and painlessly like the Panny?

My hope is to install a 93 in my theater in place of the Denon to upgrade the sound of Blu-rays and the image quality of DVDs on my theater's 10 foot wide 1080p projected image (the 95 is too rich for my blood). I'll move the Denon to my living room. The BD50 will stay in the theater but be reserved for blu-rays that the Oppo won't play until its next firmware upgrade - since I've never found a blu-ray that the BD50 wouldn't play.
Edited by Philnick - 7/17/12 at 9:33pm

The OPPO Setup menu has an aspect ratio option for 4:3 titles: WIDE vs WIDE/AUTO. The second will add pillarbox bars to a 4:3 image so it can be treated like a 16:9 DVD or any Blu-ray as far as the rest of the display chain is concerned.

In addition, if you have a widescreen title authored as a 4:3 DVD, one of the Zoom steps is a Full Screen mode which scales the image to full screen width, eliminating the black bars which would otherwise appear on the sides.

-Bill

Thanks, Bill. Automatic pillarboxing of true 4:3 material is exactly what I want.

For shrunken 16:9 material (usually special features on Blu-rays) - which I call "tic-tac-toed" (both letterboxed and pillarboxed into the central box of a 3x3 grid by authoring it in 4:3) - my projector has an aspect ratio setting that I use to fill the screen - the problem is that using that pushes the player's status display (which I pop up to see how much time is left) mostly off the screen. Zooming in the player would avoid that problem.

I assume that the zoom steps are not part of Setup but can be used while playing a disk.
Edited by Philnick - 7/18/12 at 7:22am

Does the Oppo remember settings per disk for zoom etc or would it be by display type or would you have to set the display every time you watched a movie?

Zoom is a temporary setting that resets when you exit a disc. If you want to use Zoom you need to pick your Zoom setting each time.
--Bob

That's good, since tic-tac-toeing is usually only a problem with special features, not the movie itself.

Yes, there is a Zoom button on the remote.

You can adjust the On Screen Display position in and out to fit different zoom levels. That requires the Setup menu.

Subtitles may also be shifted up and down. You can use Setup or, more conveniently, an interactive widget during playback.

-Bill

Once you set those positions for each zoom level in Setup, are those positions remembered for future uses of those zoom levels?

The settings are persistent, but the player has only one value each for OSD position and subtitle position, not one per zoom level. This is not a problem for subtitles because you can shift them up and down visually. For the OSD you need trial and error with Setup, unless you learn the correct values for each zoom level and remember them yourself.

-Bill

And keep in mind that you can enter Setup and make any settings changes you desire (with a few exceptions) even while a disc is playing.
--Bob

I suppose the quick-and-dirty approach is to set the OSD position far enough in so that it's visible at the FullScreen zoom position and leave it there - it's not something that you leave visible while watching a movie anyway - you just pop it up momentarily to see how much running time is left!

Before my Oppo, I had a Denon 2910 in my theater room. While it was a nice player in it's day, you'll be very happy upgrading to a 93, for both audio (analog outs) and video (DVD upconversion).

Better yet: you can cycle the OSD to show remaining time, dismiss it and the count down still runs on the front panel.

-Bill

I borrowed a Oppo 95 from a friend. As I have good gear from sound, I was maybe in love with the picture, but the sound I not needed. As The video should be treatenend the same way, I went for a 93 instead.

What a dissapointement! The 95 was like an open window, the 93 had much more video noise. I have a Sony VW 95 projector and really the difference is enormous. Not that the 93 is bad, but when I buy a player at that price, I want it to be really as good as it can get , but not to have such a lot of video noise.

Now I am thinking to find a media streamer, meaning a box who can read flac, H264, blu ray files, iso's and what is around. That has a picture like the 95 and not the 93; and even without a bd player attached to it is gorgeous, and not has to be too expensive!

Someone has an idea?

The video portion of the 93 and the 95 are identical when running the same firmware. If you are seeing a difference anyway then either there is a settings difference you haven't noticed between how you have the two of them set up, or your 93 has a hardware fault.
--Bob

The 95 & 93 have the same video hardware. See here: http://www.oppodigital.com/blu-ray-bdp-95/blu-ray-BDP-95-Compare.aspx

You may need to make sure the 93 is configured properly.

Considering the Oppo 93 and 95 have exactly the same video components, something has gone wrong in your testing. Did you use the same inputs to your projector for both units? Something else in your system, or the way it is connected, is causing the difference in video quality between the two units. Or, maybe the way the two units were configured.

edit: my typing is slower than both of you.

I have the same setup, just use Netflix from the sharp and you'll be fine. That's what I do!!

How many taps does it take to get and dismiss the remaining time display? (With the Panny it's one tap to bring it up and one to dismiss it.)

I keep all my electronics (other than the subwoofer's built-in amp) in and on a cabinet below my projector (nice short cable runs and no distracting digital displays). I simply bounce my remotes off the screenwall. (I often use the projector's light to see the button labels!)

Since the electronics are behind me, I don't like to have to consult the front panels - I'm happiest with as little front panel glow as possible, to avoid washing out the projected image. I went so far as to fashion a blackout shield for my Sangean HD1 tuner, which has an obnoxiously-bright front panel display even when it's off!

One of the Denon's nice perks is the ability to use its remote to dim its front panel display in steps all the way to completely off - even while it's playing.

Just the same, it wouldn't be that big a deal to get the countdown running and occasionally turn around to see it.

Has anyone heard of a successor version of the BDP-93? I'm planning to buy one soon, but could wait a month or two if there is a new model coming out. (Currently I have a DBP-83 and love it, but want to move up to 3D capability.) Thanks for any info.

INFO then PAGEDOWN then INFO. It also has dimmer control.

I'm sure this is all described in the online manual.

-Bill

No news.

-Bill

Yes they should have. Testing has been done in the same conditions. Everything "flat", same cable, same projector even same ac socket. It is true they have the same decoding chips and everything, so I was surprised too!

It was obvious from the moment I turned the 93 on. I took the 93, because everybody said changes have been made to make the 95 SOUND better, like different powering.

But on the french HC forum, my findings were confirmed. I did not even talk about the video - noise, it was stated before I did. The seller said I should check my cables, but how can something be wrong with the cables, when I used the same one's as with the 95? My friend and his wife, 2 HC enthusiasts, were as surprised as I am.

But for me there is no doubt about the difference. The 95, is really like an open window to the world, the 93, has a more video image, contrast is also higher (again same neutral settings. If you think I can do something to make the 93 look like the 95, you are welcome to advice. Also said on the French forum about the video-noise, once you had a95, impossible to go back to the 93.

So is there a problem with some European units?The unit is zone-free, but then so was the 95. The difference, also a film-like experience, against a harder video-like image, also integrate me. As the native contrast of the 93 looks higher, it can be the reason the video noise is more visible too. I tried to soften the contrast, but not come near the image of the 95. It is not so obvious that something is wrong with the unit. Some movies is is very visible, others, much less.

Jurassic Park 3 is a bit noisy. The opening scene with the boat, on the 95 a bit of noise is visible, but the green mountains of the island are smoother, then with the 93. In the international, there are a lot of scene's that show the difference. When Naomi watts, is phoning the murdered guy's wife. the close ups of her face are not 100 % smooth with the 95, but with the 93 pixels in her face are really "dancing". When the husband comes in, the room is a lot of noisier, as in the museum where the two men meet. it is like with one player the movie is shot in 400 asa and the other in 200.......

The guys on the French forum had the same conclusions, how illogical they are. They also had a signature 93, that not showed the problem, and was modified, just for this problem, it seems....

EDIT this is was one of the testers answer me:

Le rendu vidéo et audio numérique ne dépend pas que de la carte principale.
L'alimentation dans le cas d'alim à découpage est primordiale (ça et pas mal d'autres facteurs)
Vu les différences de conception entre le 93 et le 95 il est inepte d'affirmer que les deux lecteurs sont identique, ce n'est pas possible.

I cannot translate everything into English, but it says.

"Digital video and audio, not on rely on the video-card. Powering is as important. As the conception of both players are different, it is not right to be said that both players are identical, that is just not possible!"

Un scaler n'y fera rien.
Il faut modifier la machine pour éliminer les défauts.

"A scaler will not do, the player has to be modified, to eliminate his shortcomings.
Edited by indieke2 - 7/18/12 at 9:57pm

You can save one tap on that as there is a Setup setting which makes Time Remaining the default choice -- so no need to do the Page Down. Thus one tap in and out when you want to see it.
--Bob

Something is wrong here. There is no difference in the video design for hardware and firmware between the two units.

Whether it is the region-free mod, the test methodology, the installed firmware, the settings in the two players, the settings in the two video chains, or a hardware fault in the specific players I can not guess.

But a finding like this should be a big red flag that something is screwed up. This is NOT a logical result.

Start with a firmware re-install and reset of the 93, including pulling its power plug. Minimize connections to help eliminate possible ground loops as sources of interference. Ideally, test with the region-free mod removed. Check both players with calibration charts to verify equal setup, and to see if you can quantify what you are seeing.

Again, there is no logical reason for there to be a video difference, so START by assuming something is screwed up and that this result is not "real".

If you still can't eliminate the difference then talk to OPPO about getting a replacement player.
--Bob

I understand your comment, but have you seen yourself the 93 and 95 compared to each other? At the same time (memory can pull tricks). Why do 2 independant testers come to the same conclusions on a different unit?

Now if the image SHOULD be identical, it not mean indeed something is wrong with the unit. Like I said, except the grain, contrast is higher on the 93. Both players were set on AUTOMATIC HDMI output mode. Maybe does one unit select another coulour-space output, that already would make a difference. So there I could start to use the best one for a connection to a Sony VW 95. Not sure which one.

I am in no means an expert, like the guys on homecinema-fr.com, that tested this much more secure then myself. I just see that the 95 has a softer, more cinema like image, with less video noise, and admit some people, would not notice. But I just not find that movie-like, open window image, I liked so much with the 95, but I never said they were worlds apart, or that the 93 performed bad.....

Bingo! That would be just like I'm accustomed to doing.

Thanks, Bob.

And Bill, mea culpa for not seeking out and downloading the manual but cheating by picking your brains.

I've actually downloaded the manuals of units I've never seen to help someone else solve a problem here, so I should have done that for my own question.

Phil

Does the "Crossover Frequency" setting apply to digital audio output? Specifically, LPCM over HDMI? The manual says the speaker configuration applies only to analog outs, but I can't tell if the same is true for Crossover Frequency as well.

Same. Only applies to analog outputs. Selecting the crossover frequency is part of the speaker config.