Oppo DV-981..What are the shortcomings?

[Luvin Da Blues]

I'm thinking of upgrading my DVD player and keep coming back to the Oppo DV-981. This seems too good to be true..there has to be some short comings? It also plays SACD and DVD audio.

The DV-981 also incorporates the DCDi by Faroudja video processing technology (which is Greek to me) and my TV has this..would this make one or the other redundant or are the complimentary? I will be viewing it through a 46" LCD that is capable of 1080p with a native resolution of 720p..can someone clear this up for me in layman terms please?

I have read the posts hear and else where and know Robert the Rambler has one..I would be extremely interested in your comments now that you have some seat time with it...Thanks.

I can get this OL for $260 CAN. I was brought up to realize that if it seems to good to be true is probably is..comments?

Thanks all in advance for any feedback.:)

http://www.oppodigital.com/dv981hd/index.html

[Rich-n-Texas]

You can read a review about it on About.com: http://hometheater.about.com/od/dvdproductreviews/fr/oppodv981full.htm

A shortcoming the reviewer mentions is when upscaling to 1080p and a CRT or projection TV with 1080p is the display choice, the picture may seem harsh. Not a problem for your LCD though. Another shortcoming is no Component output.

I went to the company's website, but not a lot of info about their history, mission statement, company profile was available. They're based in Sunnyvale though, and they maufacture what they sell.

That said, unless something better comes along when I'm ready to upgrade, that player will be my choice.

[Luvin Da Blues]

You can read a review about it on About.com: http://hometheater.about.com/od/dvdproductreviews/fr/oppodv981full.htm

A shortcoming the reviewer mentions is when upscaling to 1080p and a CRT or projection TV with 1080p is the display choice, the picture may seem harsh. Not a problem for your LCD though. Another shortcoming is no Component output.

I went to the company's website, but not a lot of info about their history, mission statement, company profile was available. They're based in Sunnyvale though, and they maufacture what they sell.

That said, unless something better comes along when I'm ready to upgrade, that player will be my choice.

Thanks RnT (If I may be so bold as to initialize your name:) ) I sent am email to the Canadian dealer this morning to make an inquiry and just got a call from them (working on a Sunday..gotta like that) and they have a 15 day return policy so I ordered one to try out. Will keep you updated when I get a chance to watch it.

No component out is no problem, my TV has 2 HDMI inputs (one for future HDTV and one for the OPPO) I could also run it thru my receiver (it has 2HDMI in and 1 HDMI outs)

He also cleared up my question about the native resolution, I guess my TV will accept 1080 but will downscale to 720p. Will this make a huge difference to my aging eyes????:confused5:

Cheers

:5: :16: :16: :5:

[musicman1999]

I am not familiar with your tv but the picture may even be worse than what you currently enjoy.Right now you set upscales your current dvd player to the tv's native resolution(768 in your sets case),with the Oppo the signal will be upscaled to 1080 then the set will downscale to 768.The video signal will therefor be digitally manipulated twice instead of once and can lead to bad results.

bill

[Luvin Da Blues]

I am not familiar with your tv but the picture may even be worse than what you currently enjoy.Right now you set upscales your current dvd player to the tv's native resolution(768 in your sets case),with the Oppo the signal will be upscaled to 1080 then the set will downscale to 768.The video signal will therefor be digitally manipulated twice instead of once and can lead to bad results.

bill

Thanks for that musicman1999..unless I'm missing something in my TVs setup menu, when I watch a DVD in my old DVD1000 the OSD says 480p, not sure if it's converting anything???? Apparently, the OPPO can be set to output 720p (768?) so no down conversion is necessary with my TV. Sorry to sound so ignorant with this video stuff but it is fairly new to me and am trying to learn as I go.:cornut:

[Luvin Da Blues]

I should mention that my TV is only HDTV ready...does this matter?

[Robert-The-Rambler]

I'm thinking of upgrading my DVD player and keep coming back to the Oppo DV-981. This seems too good to be true..there has to be some short comings? It also plays SACD and DVD audio.

The DV-981 also incorporates the DCDi by Faroudja video processing technology (which is Greek to me) and my TV has this..would this make one or the other redundant or are the complimentary? I will be viewing it through a 46" LCD that is capable of 1080p with a native resolution of 720p..can someone clear this up for me in layman terms please?

I have read the posts hear and else where and know Robert the Rambler has one..I would be extremely interested in your comments now that you have some seat time with it...Thanks.

I can get this OL for $260 CAN. I was brought up to realize that if it seems to good to be true is probably is..comments?

Thanks all in advance for any feedback.:)

http://www.oppodigital.com/dv981hd/index.html

On that end there really is nothing that I could complain about other than some SACDs are terrible and not really an improvement over their CD counterparts. I'll be sure to comment about the video quality as soon as I try it out. I'm curious if my 65" Widecreen CRT Projection HDTV will receive a 1080p signal via its single HDMI input.

[musicman1999]

I should mention that my TV is only HDTV ready...does this matter?

Should make no difference.Even if you set the Oppo to 720p the set will still scale to 768 creating that extra layer of scaling.

bill

[Luvin Da Blues]

Should make no difference.Even if you set the Oppo to 720p the set will still scale to 768 creating that extra layer of scaling.

bill


Gotcha...Thanks:)

[lsilver]

I've been considering the DV-981 as well and had pretty much made up my mind on that unit. But now I'm wondering why I don't just spend a bit more and get a Toshiba HD-A2. Sure it could become obsolete and that's a downside. But what are the other reasons one would get a very good SD DVD player like the DV-981 versus a HD DVD (or Blu Ray)?

[Luvin Da Blues]

I've been considering the DV-981 as well and had pretty much made up my mind on that unit. But now I'm wondering why I don't just spend a bit more and get a Toshiba HD-A2. Sure it could become obsolete and that's a downside. But what are the other reasons one would get a very good SD DVD player like the DV-981 versus a HD DVD (or Blu Ray)?


Cause I got more money than brains. :)

Actually I will buy the new format (when the format war is over) and move the OPPO to the bedroom or to my office system.

[lsilver]

You can get the Oppo for $230. You can get the Toshiba HD-A2 for $330. Granted that's not a 1080p HD DVD but I imagine there would still be a noticeable quality difference (on the right TV). Now that might still be too big of a price difference for some, but it's getting really close. Sure there's a 50/50 chance (without getting into an argument of which format is ahead) the HD DVD will be a brick at some point. And I would imagine the Oppo will be a bit more reliable than the Toshiba although my understanding is that many of the bugs with the A1 have been resolved.

I'm still leaning toward the Oppo but the price drop in the Toshiba coupled with increased reliability and more available titles has certainly made me pause.

[Luvin Da Blues]

You can get the Oppo for $230. You can get the Toshiba HD-A2 for $330. Granted that's not a 1080p HD DVD but I imagine there would still be a noticeable quality difference (on the right TV). Now that might still be too big of a price difference for some, but it's getting really close. Sure there's a 50/50 chance (without getting into an argument of which format is ahead) the HD DVD will be a brick at some point. And I would imagine the Oppo will be a bit more reliable than the Toshiba although my understanding is that many of the bugs with the A1 have been resolved.

I'm still leaning toward the Oppo but the price drop in the Toshiba coupled with increased reliability and more available titles has certainly made me pause.


I'm in Canada so the price for the OPPO is $260 Can and my fav. dealer lists the HD-A2 for $599 Can but I would imagine I could get it for around +/-$500Can...quite a big difference.

I'm needing a DVD player that will match my current setup in quality sooner than later.But I thank you for this.:)

[PeruvianSkies]

I'm in Canada so the price for the OPPO is $260 Can and my fav. dealer lists the HD-A2 for $599 Can but I would imagine I could get it for around +/-$500Can...quite a big difference.

I'm needing a DVD player that will match my current setup in quality sooner than later.But I thank you for this.:)

Don't let them talk you into an HD player just yet. That OPPO player will do just fine in the meantime until the war is over. There is little sense right now to jump on any format side and that player will definitely suffice in the meantime.

[Luvin Da Blues]

Don't let them talk you into an HD player just yet. That OPPO player will do just fine in the meantime until the war is over. There is little sense right now to jump on any format side and that player will definitely suffice in the meantime.

Thanks PS...I actually ordered one yesterday (with a excellent return policy). I'm sure it will out perform my old Denon DVD1000 that I find is not that terrible but not great either. Plus I wanted to get into SACDs and /or DVD-As.

By the way where is a good source OL to pick SACDs up? :confused5:


:16:

Keep the noisy side facing you:ihih:

[Rich-n-Texas]

Don't let them talk you into an HD player just yet. That OPPO player will do just fine in the meantime until the war is over. There is little sense right now to jump on any format side and that player will definitely suffice in the meantime.

I agree with that. Some would say machines like this are okay for the interim, but the interim could last 3 - 5 years. I'm sure there'll be more vendors in this market soon, but the Oppo price and feature set make it very attractive.



On that end there really is nothing that I could complain about other than some SACDs are terrible and not really an improvement over their CD counterparts.

That remark concerns me though. My first foray into DVD-Audio netted me a bad disc, so I hope SACD isn't a hit or miss type of thing. :confused5:

[Robert-The-Rambler]

Thanks PS...I actually ordered one yesterday (with a excellent return policy). I'm sure it will out perform my old Denon DVD1000 that I find is not that terrible but not great either. Plus I wanted to get into SACDs and /or DVD-As.

By the way where is a good source OL to pick SACDs up? :confused5:


:16:

Keep the noisy side facing you:ihih:

CC has a great selection of just about as much as you can find for reasonable prices. From what I have seen so far it is obvious that DVD-Audio discs seem to have a higher production value and seem not only in sound quality to be a leap but presentation and added content a true leap forward. DVD-A always has a surround and stereo mix while SACD may only have a 2 channel mix.

[PeruvianSkies]

Ok, I need to address a few things:

First, Robert-the-Rambler....

If you are NOT noticing a difference between CD and SACD...then either you have one of the poorer SACD's out there, which there are some, or your equipment is not capable of discerning the difference as much.

Second, SACD is not nearly as difficult as DVD-A can be, so don't worry Rich.

Thirdly, there are a number of resources out there for SACD. I find eBay to be a great place to get them, plus alot of imports on there. Also, MusicDirect.com or Acousticsounds.com.

I also thought I would list a few SACD's that I have been very impressed with as well as some that are not-so-good.

THE GOOD:

Beck: Sea Change
Elton John: Any of them
Depeche Mode: Any of them (imports)
The Moody Blues (any of them, although they are not superb, but decent)
Any of the Mobile Fidelity titles.
Nine Inch Nails: Downward Spiral


THE BAD:

All of the Eric Claptons are pretty weak.
Dances with Wolves Soundtrack
O' Brother Where Art Thou Soundtrack
Some of the Telarc Classical discs
Most of the earlier SACD-only discs like the Michael Jackson

[Luvin Da Blues]

Thanks PS & RTR.

I'll be picking a few up this week B4 the OPPO shows up so that I can test drive it right away

How's the Miles Davis-Kinda Blue
and other blues titles BTW?

[PeruvianSkies]

Thanks PS & RTR.

I'll be picking a few up this week B4 the OPPO shows up so that I can test drive it right away

How's the Miles Davis-Kinda Blue
and other blues titles BTW?

I've personally been weary of getting some of the older recordings in the SACD format. Not to say that there aren't some good ones out there, but it's so hard to tell. Majority of the blues titles that I have seen are either mono or stereo only, maybe a few have been remastered/remixed for 5.1. I know that I was disappointed with the Derek and the Dominoes disc, but that doesn't mean there aren't some good blues recordings out there on SACD. I don't have any experience with any. I did enjoy though (on a Jazzier note) the Sonny Rollings Plus 4 SACD from MoFi. The Isaac Hayes disc from MoFi is also quite good, Hot Buttered Soul, which is probably my favorite of his albums. I was also disappointed with the following SACD's:

THE POLICE
THE KINKS
PETER GABRIELS
BOB DYLANS
THE ROLLING STONES
SAM COOKE
DAVID BOWIE LETS DANCE (2-channel only)
DAVID BOWIE SCARY MONSTERS (2-channel only)
CCR: THE CONCERT
CCR: WILLY AND THE POOR BOYS
MARVIN GAYE: LETS GET IT ON
OASIS: WHAT'S THE STORY
MISSA MEXICANA

I was more impressed with:

THE WHO's TOMMY
DAVID BOWIE ZIGGY STARDUST
PINK FLOYDS DSOTM
ROGER WATERS THE WALL
PONCHO SANCHEZ: OUT OF SIGHT
SARAH BRIGHTMAN: LA LUNA (import only)
PLETNEV ROSTROPOVICH (Russian National Orchestra: RACHMANINOFF/PROKOFIEV)
MAHLER Symphony No. 1 (Benjamin Zander Terlarc SACD)
MIKE OLDFIELD: TUBULAR BELLS

[Rich-n-Texas]

Second, SACD is not nearly as difficult as DVD-A can be, so don't worry Rich.

You know me... :rolleyes5:

Selecting the right "Group" is very important for a few reasons. The Elton John DVD has six groups, all of which have different parameters. One group will give you "extras", but another group will give you playback options (Dolby Surround, Stereo...etc). You won't find anything on the box that explains these groups.

PS, I got my replacement Queensryche: Empire DVD-A yesterday, loaded it up and guess what? Same problem... ALMOST! This time though I was able to get it to stop after it started autoplaying (which I surely wish it wouldn't do), and taking what I learned about this Group thing, I was finally able to listen to it cover-to-cover. This DVD has nine groups. Some have multi-channel listening options, some have interviews with the band members, one has a live track of Jet City Woman, but NOWHERE does this DVD outline the layout. It's possible that group one is the main menu, but my changer absolutely refuses to acknowledge anything exists in group one.

Probably a moot point observation, but I suspect there is no standard for DVD-A layout from record label to record label, so dumbo's like me have to struggle along as best we can. A sad state of affairs, IMO. -Rich

So you were impressed with Tubular Bells? Wow, I've got that album on vinyl. I can just imagine the imagery it must have on SACD. Is there a hybrid or DVD-A?

[PeruvianSkies]

You know me... :rolleyes5:

Selecting the right "Group" is very important for a few reasons. The Elton John DVD has six groups, all of which have different parameters. One group will give you "extras", but another group will give you playback options (Dolby Surround, Stereo...etc). You won't find anything on the box that explains these groups.

PS, I got my replacement Queensryche: Empire DVD-A yesterday, loaded it up and guess what? Same problem... ALMOST! This time though I was able to get it to stop after it started autoplaying (which I surely wish it wouldn't do), and taking what I learned about this Group thing, I was finally able to listen to it cover-to-cover. This DVD has nine groups. Some have multi-channel listening options, some have interviews with the band members, one has a live track of Jet City Woman, but NOWHERE does this DVD outline the layout. It's possible that group one is the main menu, but my changer absolutely refuses to acknowledge anything exists in group one.

Probably a moot point observation, but I suspect there is no standard for DVD-A layout from record label to record label, so dumbo's like me have to struggle along as best we can. A sad state of affairs, IMO. -Rich

So you were impressed with Tubular Bells? Wow, I've got that album on vinyl. I can just imagine the imagery it must have on SACD. Is there a hybrid or DVD-A?

Don't quote me on this...but I think there might be a DVD-A of Tubular Bells, if not Eagle Vision released a live concert that is quite good of Mike Oldfield.

[Luvin Da Blues]

You know me... :rolleyes5:

Selecting the right "Group" is very important for a few reasons. The Elton John DVD has six groups, all of which have different parameters. One group will give you "extras", but another group will give you playback options (Dolby Surround, Stereo...etc). You won't find anything on the box that explains these groups.

PS, I got my replacement Queensryche: Empire DVD-A yesterday, loaded it up and guess what? Same problem... ALMOST! This time though I was able to get it to stop after it started autoplaying (which I surely wish it wouldn't do), and taking what I learned about this Group thing, I was finally able to listen to it cover-to-cover. This DVD has nine groups. Some have multi-channel listening options, some have interviews with the band members, one has a live track of Jet City Woman, but NOWHERE does this DVD outline the layout. It's possible that group one is the main menu, but my changer absolutely refuses to acknowledge anything exists in group one.

Probably a moot point observation, but I suspect there is no standard for DVD-A layout from record label to record label, so dumbo's like me have to struggle along as best we can. A sad state of affairs, IMO. -Rich

So you were impressed with Tubular Bells? Wow, I've got that album on vinyl. I can just imagine the imagery it must have on SACD. Is there a hybrid or DVD-A?

....is this just for DVD-As? Again I'm showing my ignorance on this "new to me technology" but is this a menu selected item? I'm assuming that each "group" has different mixes/tracks? Does SACD have groupings or is it straight plug-n-play? :confused5:

By the way...Mike Oldfield-TB sounds interesting...thinkin this will be the first disc I play to really get a feeling for SACD...it was totally impressive on vinyl tho I don't have it on CD. :thumbsup:

[PeruvianSkies]

....is this just for DVD-As? Again I'm showing my ignorance on this "new to me technology" but is this a menu selected item? I'm assuming that each "group" has different mixes/tracks? Does SACD have groupings or is it straight plug-n-play? :confused5:

By the way...Mike Oldfield-TB sounds interesting...thinkin this will be the first disc I play to really get a feeling for SACD...it was totally impressive on vinyl tho I don't have it on CD. :thumbsup:

SACD is a different beast altogether and is very different from DVD-A. SACD does not offer any video portions, it's straight audio and you can choose CD-layer, 2-channel, or Multichannel in most SACD's. You have to be careful with the labels on some SACD's as some say SACD players ONLY, while others might not be MC, but 2 channel only.

[Woochifer]

Thanks PS & RTR.

I'll be picking a few up this week B4 the OPPO shows up so that I can test drive it right away

How's the Miles Davis-Kinda Blue
and other blues titles BTW?

Kind of Blue sounds great, and includes a multichannel track that adds some ambience to the sound (not the best multichannel mix, but probably more a function of the limited multitracking in the original recording). It was one of the first SACD releases and remains one of the better ones out there. Sketches of Spain is another good one for sound quality if you're into the Gil Evans collaborations.

As much as I love In a Silent Way, the SACD doesn't add much, since the original recording is not that good to begin with. The multichannel mix is also not very good. This is a case where I much prefer the LP version which smooths over some of the harshness that both the CD and SACD versions create. Your money's better spent on the Complete In A Silent Way Sessions boxed set, which has a treasure trove of alternate takes and unedited tracks.

For years, the gold standard for audiophile quality blues recordings has been Muddy Waters' Folk Singer album. It's a hauntingly intimate recording that puts Waters' sound up front and center. I own the 96/24 disc from Classic Records, which is a high res disc playable on any DVD player. The sound quality on that version is top notch. A SACD version is also available, and my understanding is that it's every bit the equal of the Classic Records version with perhaps a warmer sound.

[Luvin Da Blues]

Kind of Blue sounds great, and includes a multichannel track that adds some ambience to the sound (not the best multichannel mix, but probably more a function of the limited multitracking in the original recording). It was one of the first SACD releases and remains one of the better ones out there. Sketches of Spain is another good one for sound quality if you're into the Gil Evans collaborations.

As much as I love In a Silent Way, the SACD doesn't add much, since the original recording is not that good to begin with. The multichannel mix is also not very good. This is a case where I much prefer the LP version which smooths over some of the harshness that both the CD and SACD versions create. Your money's better spent on the Complete In A Silent Way Sessions boxed set, which has a treasure trove of alternate takes and unedited tracks.

For years, the gold standard for audiophile quality blues recordings has been Muddy Waters' Folk Singer album. It's a hauntingly intimate recording that puts Waters' sound up front and center. I own the 96/24 disc from Classic Records, which is a high res disc playable on any DVD player. The sound quality on that version is top notch. A SACD version is also available, and my understanding is that it's every bit the equal of the Classic Records version with perhaps a warmer sound.


Thanks Woochifer...That makes three "must haves" to pick up this week:thumbsup: