Oppo Digital DV-970HD FAQ / Brain dump - Page 21

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.

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!

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?

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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).


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.

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

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...

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.

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'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 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

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 or Digital Video Essentials.