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Official OPPO BDP-95 Owner's Thread - Page 88

post #2611 of 10424
Quote:
Originally Posted by Esteban Medaglia View Post

Bob, I just wanted to extend my thanks once again. You offer priceless, step-by-step advice and no-nonsense, thorough information here. I am learning a lot. After following your recommendations and finally understanding why things were happening the way they were, and having experimented with the different set-ups, I decided to keep the SACD output as PCM which, like you said, makes life a lot easier and still delivers terrific quality!

As far as the 24/192 files, does the Oppo accept those natively, or does it "down-convert" those types of files to 24/96 or any other format?

The DACs handle 192/24 natively for analog output. The HDMI is able to output up to 7.1 channels of 192/24, *IF* the thing at the other end of the cable will accept that. That gets negotiated during the HDMI handshake.

There is one potential Gotcha in this for the specific format 5.1 DTS-HD MA 192KHz: If using LPCM or analog output, the Oppo will decode that as 96KHz. This is a processor limitation so it won't change in firmware. However if you output that track as HDMI Bitstream, the full 192KHz gets sent to your AVR for decoding in the AVR (presuming your AVR allows that -- note that many AVRs will ALSO decode that as only 96KHz).

Note that this is JUST for this one specific format. As it turns out, the Blu-ray spec does not even allow support of DTS-HD MA at 7.1 192KHz, so the format limit for DTS 7.1 is already just 96KHz. And 2.0 DTS-HD MA 192KHz gets decoded at 192KHz without problem.

Furthermore, the player has no problem decoding (or outputting Bitstream) for either 5.1 or 7.1 Dolby TrueHD 192KHz at the full 192KHz -- both of which are supported in the Blu-ray format spec.

Another possible Gotcha arises for folks trying to use high bit rate tracks from DLNA servers. There have been mixed results with DTS-HD MA tracks in ripped video files for some file formats. At the moment, it looks like that may be due to server limitations but that's still up in the air. In any event, the player is not recovering cleanly when those problems happen. There's been more discussion of this in the 93 thread.
--Bob
post #2612 of 10424
Here BDP-95 RMAA detailed results are the updated results (with ground interruped power cable .. temporary) for the BDP-95. The results are better than the measurement capabilities of the X-Fi Elite Pro sound card and consistent with the BDP-95 specs.

The previous results (the *typical* setup with BDP-95 3prong power cord connected) has been moved to here:
BDP-95 Grounded Power Chord
post #2613 of 10424
Quote:
Originally Posted by Esteban Medaglia View Post

Thank you, Audiofan. I did not know you could download free samples from Reference Recording's (HRx) site, and you are correct: they played perfectly on the Oppo via the USB front input. This now makes the Oppo an even better prospect for me. I'm thinking of buying a cheap LCD monitor, hook it up to a composite video output, get a couple of 32 gig USB sticks (that go for $40 on Amazon), and voila... my own HD audio server. Simple, cost-effective, terrific sound quality, nice visual interface, no spinning hard-drives (flash memory is a lot better for faster data access) and no PC nor extra cables required!

This is one of the beauties of the BDP-95 ... HD uncompressed WAV via USB input in a fully functioning disc player .. WOW.
However, I've noticed that on one USB drive I have (1 Gb FAT32) with many folders and many types of wav, for some reason the BDP-95 can't find some of the wav files while browsing for them. Not sure why. And as mentioned before it is only a matter of time before OPPO have 5.1/7.1 PCM mapping properly via USB/Disc-rom.
Also, the ability to personally archive many CDs as uncompressed ripped WAV to one DVD-rom is great and handy (analogous in a way to multi-CD changers) too .. .something I've been using DVD-A for previously but now this isn't necessary.
post #2614 of 10424
Hi,

If anyone is having issue playing FLAC's ripped from HDCD CD's all the way to completion, please let Oppo know. For me play comes to a dead stop at some point after a tracks half way point then the next track starts. Issue occurs with DNLA. FLAC's ripped from 'standard' CD's play fine.
post #2615 of 10424
Am I correct in my understanding that, assuming one does not otherwise need a preamp or processor, there is no "downside" in running the 2 channel analogue out directly to an amp and using the 95's volume control?

Wouldn't this method in fact be the most sonically "transparent"?

Thanks in advance.
post #2616 of 10424
Quote:
Originally Posted by s.a.b. View Post

Am I correct in my understanding that, assuming one does not otherwise need a preamp or processor, there is no "downside" in running the 2 channel analogue out directly to an amp and using the 95's volume control?

Wouldn't this method in fact be the most sonically "transparent"?

Thanks in advance.

I've had mine running directly to my Bryston 3B SST, and really like the way it sounds, but only at higher volume levels. At lower levels it's kind of weak. I ended up going back to my Bryston pre-amp which gives me better sound at lower volume levels, and better control overall.
post #2617 of 10424
Quote:
Originally Posted by s.a.b. View Post

Am I correct in my understanding that, assuming one does not otherwise need a preamp or processor, there is no "downside" in running the 2 channel analogue out directly to an amp and using the 95's volume control?

Wouldn't this method in fact be the most sonically "transparent"?

Thanks in advance.

I believe the 95's vol control is digital so if you don't set it at 85 or higher you may lose some resolution. I set mine at 100% and use my amp's vol control.
post #2618 of 10424
Quote:
Originally Posted by wuwhere View Post

I believe the 95's vol control is digital so if you don't set it at 85 or higher you may lose some resolution. I set mine at 100% and use my amp's vol control.

Not correct. It's a digital setting, but it is actually implemented in the DACs.

This was a change made back in the 83. The original 83 Volume control was all digital (processed prior to the DACs), and it was best to keep it above 80 for sound quality for that reason. But quite some time back that was changed in firmware for the 83 and 83se so that the Volume processing was moved into the DACs. And that carries over to the 93 and 95.

That said, it is still best to leave the Oppo's analog Volume setting at 100 when using external volume control to keep the analog output signal as much above the noise floor as possible.

(For folks using the Digital audio outputs: Volume control only applies to the Analog audio outputs -- except for Volume = 0 which is implemented as Mute even on the Digital audio outputs.)
--Bob
post #2619 of 10424
Quote:
Originally Posted by neutron77 View Post

Here BDP-95 RMAA detailed results are the updated results (with ground interruped power cable .. temporary) for the BDP-95. The results are better than the measurement capabilities of the X-Fi Elite Pro sound card and consistent with the BDP-95 specs.

The previous results (the *typical* setup with BDP-95 3prong power cord connected) has been moved to here:
BDP-95 Grounded Power Chord

Great work neutron77! Could you please re-scale the y-axis of some graphs where the plots are not visible? Thanks...
post #2620 of 10424
Quote:
Originally Posted by neutron77 View Post

Here BDP-95 RMAA detailed results are the updated results (with ground interruped power cable .. temporary) for the BDP-95. The results are better than the measurement capabilities of the X-Fi Elite Pro sound card and consistent with the BDP-95 specs.

The previous results (the *typical* setup with BDP-95 3prong power cord connected) has been moved to here:
BDP-95 Grounded Power Chord

Thanks for your work. Guess the moral of the story is to use a cheater plug or disconnect the ground from the chasis. I wonder why Oppo decided to ground their chasis this time around.
post #2621 of 10424
Quote:
Originally Posted by sillysally View Post

The one problem with the 51/05/09 is they are a little over saturated. The black level is good with your 05 but not as good as with the 95 and there for the contrast with the 95 in this case is better.
You are probably using the Pioneer calibration setting in the 05 as where the professional is a better setting

thanks for your input silly. Yeah, I'm using the PDP setting with my BDP-05FD for the most part. I also use one of the manual setting modes. I'm not sure if Professional provides any improvement over PDP, but I will experiment again.

Quote:
Originally Posted by sillysally View Post

Anyway long story short the PQ in the 95 is technically better then those Pioneers and also better than the 83's for blu ray. Haven't looked at any SDDVD's yet.

When you compare look at the skin tones, look at the low lit level scenes look for added detail(background), look at some very bright scenes the picture with the 95 should look less wash out.

Any calibration DVD is a waist of time unless you have a eye for gray scale, then use the gray scale step ramps. If you see any hint of any other color or hint of color beside gray then your calibration is off. Also take a lot at your sharpness chart on your calibration disc, adjust your Kuro as necessary.

However if you had your display properly calibrated by someone that really knows what they are doing (big If) then the 95 should work well with your calibration.
Also make sure you have your AV set to pass through for video, don't use the picture settings in any BD player unless your display has no picture settings. Your Kuro has all the settings you need.

Try and lower your brightness level in your Kuro, maybe by -1 or lower. Try setting your 95 to 36 bit, color space 4:4:4

I've been using video pass-thru with my NAD T175 processor (will have Marantz AV7005 set-upsoon as well). But will test skin tones. Also will experiement with 36-bit/4:4:4 color space.

Quote:
Originally Posted by sillysally View Post

Yes you Kuro supports all of that. I am guessing I sent you calibration settings for your Kuro, if that is the case then there probably is not much difference between the 83 and 95 in PQ. Why I say that is the setting I sent you or the setting that D-Nice has posted for your Kuro will more than likely be off a bit, these settings are more generic than customized for your Kuro. Because of that you may not see a better black level, or more true to life color than you see with your 83.
Yes I have owned the 5010 Kuro and 2 BDP-83's, but what I am saying is with a very well calibrate Kuro and a 95 over the 83 these differences are there. I have also had (i hate to say this) the wife who is a photo nut like I am a audio and video nut look at the picture of the 95 as she did the 83

I use D-Nice's settings for my PDP-4280HD as a starting point and make small changes. Also have Spears & Munsil disc, have'nt used it yet though.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob Pariseau View Post

Color Space Auto is likely giving you YCbCr 4:4:4, but my recommendation is that you choose an explicit Color Space by checking for differences yourself and picking the one that looks best to you.

If you check the 93 thread for a post by me on "Ratatouille" I discuss one way you can use that Blu-ray disc to complement what you can check with calibration discs like Spears & Munsil when trying to decide on Color Space and Deep Color setting combos.

My recommendation is to leave the Picture Adjustment settings in the Oppo (e.g., Brightness) at their factory default values unless you discover some specific adjustment is needed which can not be accomplished using the controls in your display. The exception is when you want to make some content-specific adjustment such as a temporary application of Noise Reduction.

You should be aware that the calibration adjustments in a display, even in a well-made display, correct for DIFFERENCES between display units due to manufacturing tolerances and variations as the sets age. That means that the settings for one display can only be considered an example of how one display was corrected. There's no good reason to believe the precise same settings will be best for another display even of the exact same model.

So trust your eyes and the calibration tools such as the Spears & Munsil disc

thanks for this info, will play around with Spears & Munsil (have'nt really figured out how to configure using this this yet (for audio or video).
post #2622 of 10424
Quote:
Originally Posted by iove View Post

Thanks for your work. Guess the moral of the story is to use a cheater plug or disconnect the ground from the chasis. I wonder why Oppo decided to ground their chasis this time around.

Really the moral of this story is that ground loop problems can screw up *LOTS* of different aspects of your home theater.
--Bob
post #2623 of 10424
Quote:
Originally Posted by iove View Post

Thanks for your work. Guess the moral of the story is to use a cheater plug or disconnect the ground from the chasis. I wonder why Oppo decided to ground their chasis this time around.

Thanks. Here is what OPPO said about the design re: gnded power:

"All of our players prior to the BDP-95 were designed to use a floating ground. With the BDP-95 we designed the player to be used with a grounded connection. We have not done any testing with the player without a grounded connection, so we do not know how viable a ground-loop blocker will be with the player. "

I definitely don't think that defeating the gnd. should be done (except as in this case, for testing/troubleshooting). My testing config. (Line-Out of BDP-95 .. good RCA cables (checked/swapped) to Line-In sound card could potentially be the problem. I don't know if there would be a gnd/loop problem if I go from BDP-95 line-out to my line-in Amplifier/Receiver. I'll check this soon with very low level listening tests in a very quiet environment. I should be able to hear a very faint background noise if the gnd loop is still there.
post #2624 of 10424
Purely out of personal interest, how much is known about OPPO?

(1) How large is the design/testing group?
(2) Where is the design/testing group located? (only Mountain View CA?)
(3) Is the design/testing group a spin-off off some other company(ies)?
(4) Is the complete assembly done in China (board population/assembly/testing)?

Any other interesting tid-bits?
post #2625 of 10424
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob Pariseau View Post

Not correct. It's a digital setting, but it is actually implemented in the DACs.

This was a change made back in the 83. The original 83 Volume control was all digital (processed prior to the DACs), and it was best to keep it above 80 for sound quality for that reason. But quite some time back that was changed in firmware for the 83 and 83se so that the Volume processing was moved into the DACs. And that carries over to the 93 and 95.

That said, it is still best to leave the Oppo's analog Volume setting at 100 when using external volume control to keep the analog output signal as much above the noise floor as possible.

(For folks using the Digital audio outputs: Volume control only applies to the Analog audio outputs -- except for Volume = 0 which is implemented as Mute even on the Digital audio outputs.)
--Bob

Ideally, from the point of sound quality, which would be better, leave the Oppo's analog volume setting at 100 and use some type of external volume control or just use the Oppo's analog volume control and run straight to my 5-channel amp and powered sub (possibly with an ICBM between the Oppo and the amp/sub).

Thanks.
post #2626 of 10424
Quote:
Originally Posted by neutron77 View Post

Purely out of personal interest, how much is known about OPPO?

(1) How large is the design/testing group?
(2) Where is the design/testing group located? (only Mountain View CA?)
(3) Is the design/testing group a spin-off off some other company(ies)?
(4) Is the complete assembly done in China (board population/assembly/testing)?

Any other interesting tid-bits?


i wish we would see some honest feedback from OPPO on some of the basket case issues. Every time I get ready to pull the plug and order the 95 a problem comes up that doesn't seem to get resolved. Case in point is the post about two units going back for the same problem. How about the miss mapping of the channels and now the ground question. If 2 defective units slipped out please tell us. I'm a big boy,I can take it..
post #2627 of 10424
Quote:
Originally Posted by iove View Post

Thanks for your work. Guess the moral of the story is to use a cheater plug or disconnect the ground from the chasis. I wonder why Oppo decided to ground their chasis this time around.

If I had to guess, it is due to the fact that the 95 has a different type of power supply (with a transformer).
Sa
post #2628 of 10424
Quote:
Originally Posted by neutron77 View Post

Very interesting that you should mention that. As I was testing other pieces of gear (Technics Tape Deck, other DVD player etc..) I noticed that they all have 2 prongers and of course the 95 is 3 prong. So I didn't have a 3-2 cheater but rigged something up and in fact that does appear to be the problem. Here is a summary of the new measurements:
BDP=95 Summary of RMAA resutsl (with defeated ground on power-chord)
The results are close to the sound-card limitation so they look good.
This raises the question of ground-loops and using this unit with other gear. The ground loop might be setup between the BDP-95 and the sound-card system so I'll have to investigate that further. Both my Pioneer receiver and Yamaha don't use power-line grounding. Is that true for most Hi-Fi systems? I don't like the idea of defeating the BDP-95 ps gnd. How do I manage that?
Apart from very low level listening tests, how do listeners know that the are not getting a fairly significant ground-loop induced noise floor? I'm sure that listeners would like to "know" that they are actually using a system with noise floor lower than 18 bits without actually having to do these types of noise spectral measurements :-)

Since ground loop noise/hum pickup is directly proportional
to loop area, a common way of dealing with it is to bundle
together as much of the loop cables as possible. This
obviates lifting ground connections (which may be bad,
Due to safety considerations), but may -- or may not --
work, because it's not always obvious which cables are
part of the loop; also, it may be difficult due to system
power cables layout.

(Bundling together interconnects is always a good idea,
because interconnect grounds run in parallel, forming
their own loops.)

The common approach has 3 prong line cords on power
amps (bundled together if two or more boxes are
involved) and 2 prong cords on everything else. When
a source device also comes with a 3 prong cord and
bundling it is difficult or doesn't work, lifting the ground
lead (some equipment has a switch for that, but not the
BDP-95) and adding a thick wire from the device chassis
to the closest power amp chassis, bundling it with the
amp power cord, may work.

-- Ron
post #2629 of 10424
You shouldn't have to use "inversion" for your system as you have described. I only mentioned the physical orientation of the XLR connections because of the confusion it can lead to. If the Pin 3 = Negative, then regardless of the XLR's orientation, Pin 3 will always be negative, as Pin 2 is Positive and Pin 1 is shield/ground. Hope this helps.....Cheers....RT

And yes, Ron(the other Ron, not me) I was aware of the "upside down" installation of the 95's audio board. Again, this product just goes to show, a manufacturer can orient the XLR connection any they want.
post #2630 of 10424
Quote:
Originally Posted by wuwhere View Post

I believe the 95's vol control is digital so if you don't set it at 85 or higher you may lose some resolution. I set mine at 100% and use my amp's vol control.

You got it right, you can as you know drop the volume down to maybe 85% if you have no other way of controlling the volume. This was the concensice with the analog audio of the 83SE/NE. And imo it still apply to the 95.

Quote:
Originally Posted by neutron77 View Post

Purely out of personal interest, how much is known about OPPO?

(1) How large is the design/testing group?
(2) Where is the design/testing group located? (only Mountain View CA?)
(3) Is the design/testing group a spin-off off some other company(ies)?
(4) Is the complete assembly done in China (board population/assembly/testing)?

Any other interesting tid-bits?

1 and 2
Oppo does do firmware trouble shooting (or so I am lead to believe) in CA, a man by the name of Casy. Don't know if he is the hardware designer also, but one thing I know for sure is as long as he knows where to look he will find the problem and come up with the solutions.
3. Oppo is owned by a holding company I think, I also think that there testing and designing is all Oppos. But that not to say that the guys like Casy don't talk to there counter parts at other companies and help one another. Anyway unlike a large company like Sony Oppo can fix firmware very quickly as you are seeing.
4. China.

ss
post #2631 of 10424
Quote:
Originally Posted by iove View Post

Thanks for your work. Guess the moral of the story is to use a cheater plug or disconnect the ground from the chasis. I wonder why Oppo decided to ground their chasis this time around.

The real moral of the story is your audio and video system is only as good as your weakest link. And you seem to have found a weak link.
Hint its not because Oppo is using a 3 prong plug. Ron has some good suggestions, but the best way is to track down where the problem is coming from and resolve it at that point.

ss
post #2632 of 10424
Quote:
Originally Posted by bolsen187 View Post

i wish we would see some honest feedback from OPPO on some of the basket case issues. Every time I get ready to pull the plug and order the 95 a problem comes up that doesn't seem to get resolved. Case in point is the post about two units going back for the same problem. How about the miss mapping of the channels and now the ground question. If 2 defective units slipped out please tell us. I'm a big boy,I can take it..

I'm not really surprised at the channel mismapping (USB media/streaming only) and I'm certain they are determined to fix it (private commun.). I emphasize again that the ground "question" may not be a problem with connections to amplifiers .. at least it shouldn't be any different to other similar players with 3 prongers, unless the power-supply design is very unusual. The unit *shielding* itself is fine (since dropping power line ground drops the noise to very low levels, with or without the BDP-95 powered on).

I'll say this however, i've sent MANY results, suggestions and problem reports to OPPO and they have acknowledged them all. I have however received very few responses indicating any real progress on issues I've had. Still we can be hopeful and it is good to get a nod and a comment like "our engineers will look at ...". :-)

My main outstanding issue with my 95 as I said before is the DVD-A decoder for the 95 is different than the 83 and OPPO have the iso DVD-A image to test it. If they can verify the difference I see (stuck time-counter ... some tracks just don't play) and they offer some level of understanding I'll be impressed (even if they can't fix it in firmware).
post #2633 of 10424
Quote:
Originally Posted by neutron77 View Post

Here BDP-95 RMAA detailed results are the updated results (with ground interruped power cable .. temporary) for the BDP-95. The results are better than the measurement capabilities of the X-Fi Elite Pro sound card and consistent with the BDP-95 specs.

The previous results (the *typical* setup with BDP-95 3prong power cord connected) has been moved to here:
BDP-95 Grounded Power Chord

Congratulations... Turns out your BDP-95 isn't defective, after
all. Looking at these new results, this player is a dream. There
are still hum components in the noise graph, but at -110db,
these are more of an aesthetic blemish than an actual problem
and would probably go down or disappear in a quieter room.

I broke down and pulled the trigger on a third BDP-95 (after
sending back two bad ones). I can only hope it will be as nice
as yours. I also downloaded the RMAA S/W (BTW, they have
a newer version than yours) and will run the same tests in
the future. Will bring back fond memories from a previous
life .

-- Ron
post #2634 of 10424
Quote:
Originally Posted by sillysally View Post

The real moral of the story is your audio and video system is only as good as your weakest link. And you seem to have found a weak link.
Hint its not because Oppo is using a 3 prong plug. Ron has some good suggestions, but the best way is to track down where the problem is coming from and resolve it at that point.

ss

another point is that many audiophiles may not even realize that there MAY be a weak-link (noise wise), not just in my configuration with a 95, so perhaps at a minimum, it is a wake-up call to check the noise level ... or just say "I don't care .. I probably won't hear it anyway" ;-)
post #2635 of 10424
Quote:
Originally Posted by ron12n View Post

Congratulations... Turns out your BDP-95 isn't defective, after
all. Looking at these new results, this player is a dream. There
are still hum components in the noise graph, but at -110db,
these are more of an aesthetic blemish than an actual problem
and would probably go down or disappear in a quieter room.

I broke down and pulled the trigger on a third BDP-95 (after
sending back two bad ones). I can only hope it will be as nice
as yours. I also downloaded the RMAA S/W (BTW, they have
a newer version than yours) and will run the same tests in
the future. Will bring back fond memories from a previous
life .

-- Ron

great ... and I have no vested interest in OPPO, wasn't on any beta tester list etc... I'm just a very low-level (no pun) quasi-audiophile at the very low end of the OCD group who loves wav format ... don't care for any compression ... pick your obsession.

The low noise "hum components", as I inferred above are the limitations of my sound card and overall setup ... (X-Fi Elite Pro) so the player is BETTER than my results report .. Good luck with your 3rd unit.
post #2636 of 10424
Quote:
Originally Posted by neutron77 View Post

another point is that many audiophiles may not even realize that there MAY be a weak-link (noise wise), not just in my configuration with a 95, so perhaps at a minimum, it is a wake-up call to check the noise level ... or just say "I don't care .. I probably won't hear it anyway" ;-)

Well that is possible but in my case I don't need tests, I use my ears and my system to determine if there is any "noise wise" weak link or any other weak link for that matter. That's not to say my system is the best it can be because as I always say "never say never".

And if you think test are the end all just ask Nuforce and Oppo what I found wrong with there SE/NE analog audio board using my system and ears only. And they have some very good testing equipment. (that was before that board was put into mass production, so don't anybody worry you don't have that board)

Matter of fact I will even go out on a limb and say in some cases better cords and cables and even a good power station can help. And I know there are test that will say I am wrong about that also.

What some times can cause background noise is the environment that the system is in. In my case I live close to a radio tower and that was where the weak link originated. I couldn't eliminate tower so I found other solutions that actually improved my AQ not just the noise level. None of them had anything to do with altering my gears, they where all passive so not to detract in any way from how my gears are intended to perform. Of course that is not to say that was my only weak link.

ss
post #2637 of 10424
Quote:
Originally Posted by blaven2 View Post

1. High Res is absolutely amazing off the USB, I think I will just skip the networking and get a larger HD.

2. Perhaps not the forum site for it, but anyway, If anyone hasn't yet noted, the 2L site has great free high res downloads right now...many multichannel, and some DSD 64 2.8224Mbit/s!

3. I am having a very frustrating time with lip-synching...I have tried both HDMI and multichannel...very frustrating...any easy solution??

SetUp:
--Oppo BDP95 (set up with AQ HDMI, AQ Diamond back for MC, and AQ Columbia for 2 channel
--Integra DHC 40.2 Preamp
--3 Parasound A23 2 channel amps
--Panasonic TH-42PX50U Plasma


Hey,
Thanks for the heads up on the 2L FREE download of Flac and Wav files. Some are DXD 24/352.8 not sure if they will work. Downloaded MCH, 24/96, & 24/192 of the same tracks. Great way to sample the 95 with a variety of codecs. Will report after play.

John
post #2638 of 10424
Is anyone using this player with a Kuro 151 or 111? Have you noticed any lip sync issues when playing 24p content?
post #2639 of 10424
Quote:
Originally Posted by s.a.b. View Post

Am I correct in my understanding that, assuming one does not otherwise need a preamp or processor, there is no "downside" in running the 2 channel analogue out directly to an amp and using the 95's volume control? Wouldn't this method in fact be the most sonically "transparent"? Thanks in advance.

Yes, yes yes actually you can bypass the pre/pro entirely with the BDP-95.

Just use a Level Pilot http://www.tcelectronic.com/levelpilot.asp and plug the Oppo straight to your amps using XLR the sound is phenomenal

Oppo BDP-95 -> TC Electronic volume control -> Classé CA-M600 -> 800 Diamonds OH My
post #2640 of 10424
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob Pariseau View Post

The "core", lossy DTS embedded in DTS-HD MA as its "compatibility" track is "high bit rate" lossy DTS -- i.e., 1.536 Mbps. You can get that on SD-DVD as well (i.e., even pre-Blu-ray DTS decoders handle it). But the sad fact is that almost no studios bother to use it for SD-DVD tracks any more. They use the "half bit rate" lossy DTS instead. This takes up less space on the disc and lowers the bit read rate off the disc.

The same is true for Dolby Digital on SD-DVD. There's a "high bit rate" and a "half bit rate" lossy encoding for multi-channel DD. Back in the day when DD and DTS where competing for the hearts and minds of SD listeners, you got a lot of "high bit rate" tracks, but not any more.

However the "associated", lossy DD compatibility track on Blu-ray discs -- the one you get over Optical cable for example if you play a Dolby TrueHD bitstream, is also "high bit rate" lossy.

When encoded FROM THE SAME MASTER these "high bit rate" lossy tracks are really very, very good -- quite hard to distinguish from the lossless version. Distinguishing between them and the lossless TrueHD or DTS-HD MA version is a neat trick even with good equipment. I.e, what's "lost" in the lossy encoding is cleverly designed to be hard to hear.

What really makes the lossless tracks shine however is when they are NOT derived from the same master or when they are derived using higher specs.

So for example, 24 bit dynamic range vs. 16 in the lossy. Or, particularly on Blu-ray music discs, 96 or 192KHz sampling rate as opposed to the standard 48KHz used for movie tracks.

The folks who do audio mixing for movies are still exploring just how far they can go with these lossless tracks (within the budget and time constraints they are given for producing the mix).

When making comparison, you might want to try the lossy (compatibility) vs. lossless tests using a good music disc -- e.g., a Blu-ray from 2L or Acoustic Reality -- that's at 96 or 192KHz 24 bit.
--Bob

Yet another stellar informative post. Thanks in advance for your top quality information!

I have a 93 and am planning to upgrade to the 95 (selling my unit to my bro).

There is one nagging question: somewhere in this thread marathon there is mention of the timing of the release of the latest Oppo players being designed to escape some draconian legal restriction requiring downrezzing HD content from players manufactured after 2010.

You or one of the other excellent testers/support personnel mentioned that by releasing prior to the end of 2010, that the Oppo players avoid this restriction.

I know that my 93 is immune but since the 95 was released in 2011, how is it affected (if at all) by the onerous downrez requirement?

You also mentioned that there is another draconian way to force downrez through yet another poorly conceived protocol and I realize that ALL players may be vulnerable to this newcomer to the paranoid, control-the-consumer-but-not-the-pirates agenda but my question pertains to the older statutory agenda:

Is the Oppo 95 vulnerable to being coerced into downrezzing content in conformance with this close-the-HDdigital-door-after-the-horse-is-out game?

Thanks!
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