OPPO DV-980H Official Owners Thread

[Darthfunk]

OPPO DV-980H Mini Review

 

First Impression 

 

Its clean, compact and simple. That's 3 words to describe the packaging. No messy packaging like what most DVD players do, no bulky or double boxing and its so easy to unpack.

 

Click image to enlarge

   

 

I just simply love the colour of black, it just have that expensive look for such a cheap price tag. Its slim, sleek and has that sexy appeal that makes it stands out from any ordinary DVD player.

 

                                                           

Oppo has finally decided to have the upscaling indicator on the front panel. Four indicators, 480/576, 720p, 1080i and 1080p which will light up in blue whenever you upscale to your desire mode. User can now easily see setting for upsampling via front-panel LED display.

 

The display also seems to be bigger for better viewing especially when you are sitted far away. The control pad has a very refreshing look which spots a circular navigation control.

 

The remote control looks the same but with a few more additional functions. The one button which caught my attention was the "capture" button. You can capture your favorite screen shot to use as background image instead of the Oppo logo (which I find annoying at times). One refreshing look about the remote is the colour (dark grey). Having to own both the 970 and 981, I was wondering when are they every going to make a black or grey remote (again I just have this thing for black).

 

One great change i notice is the two-prong IEC power connection. For the audiophile enthusiast, it simply means upgrading to audiophile quality powercords.

 

Video

 

The 980 is hooked up to an Onkyo 875 which has the Reon HQV. Although iam in favour of using the Reon to upscale all incoming image I really wanted to see how the Mediatek on the 980 faired. The last A/B comparison between the 981 and the 970 had a clear winner which was the 981 due to the superior chipset on the DCDI Faroudja chipset. Mind you the 970 was really impressive for the price tag of $299 compared to those DVD players you find on the street.

 

Pop in Peter Jacksons "King Kong" as my test disc. Upscale the image to 1080i since thats the max my display could take. There seem to be slight improvement on the 980 over the 970, the 970 had this wash out look. This time round i can see more colour richness, the thick jungle scene are detailed with clear definition of different shades of green.

 

Overall the video portion was pretty decent and an improvement over the 970. If you want the best picture quality i would say the 981 is still the clear winner.

 

I have decided to set the Oppo 980 to 480i and let the Reon do the upscaling since its the best de-interlacing/scaler in the market now. Well it better be for a price tag of $2000.

 

(Updated 010108)

My last test was on a 32inch 720p/1080i Sharp LCD display, this time round i have the opportunity to run it on a Full HD 1080p Panasonic 42PY700H plasma display.

 

Using back the same test disk (Peter Jacksons King Kong), I upscaled the 980 to 1080p direcetly to the display. The Onkyo 875 was set on pass through so no video upscaling was used on the REON HQV.

 

Now playing the 980 upscaled to 1080p on a 1080p display does make a very huge difference. The colours was so rich and images are sharper.

 

In fairness to this test, the last display can only output 720p/1080i. Having a better (Full HD) and bigger display does make a  difference, it really shows the true capability of the 980 PQ. 

 

Audio

 

Now this is one area where I am eager and excited to test out. Why? Simple, finally an Oppo player with HDMI 1.2a which means DSD that can be stream over to any receiver which are 1.2a and above.

 

Here is a picture of the Oppo set up page where i have to change the SACD setting from pcm to DSD.

                                                 

 

 

 

Pure DSD/SACD sound pass through from the Oppo 980 to the receiver. Immaculate sound, clarity and impressive imaging. Playing both DSD and SACD was excellent.

 

Next test, analog since it was mention by the people in nu-force that the best sound of the 980 is actually through analog connection. You can read more about it here audiocircle

 

I was suprise to find out that nu-force was actually behind the making of the 980 audio section. That goes to show alot about the audio quality of the 980 as a CDP.

 

Here is a quote by nuforce-casey

 

"There are special circuit and audio-grade Opamps used in 980H.  The audio grade capacitors are specially custom ordered from Japan for its good sound.   We help Oppo fine-tuned the circuit and advice some layout change to further improve the sonic.   Oppo also enlisted another major audio equipment supplier for advice (whom they prefer to remain anonymous)."

 

Pop in my favourite CD Ayo, first track "Down on my knees". Guitar strings are distinctively precise, clear vocals and pumping bass. Wow Iam really impressed that the Oppo 980 can do a really good job as a standalone CDP. 

 

Next test DVD-A, put on Blue Man Group and i thought i was in a live concert. The drums, the kick snares, high hats, you name it all came out where they were suppose to sound. Incredible sound even from 2 channel listening! Now this makes me wanna buy more DVD-A as the sound quality is really excellent.

 

Oh did I mention that this is the first ever DVD player that has 7.1 channel? Yes the 980 can output 7.1 as the other models 981 and 970 only has 5.1 channel.

 

Well there is going to be more analog listening and further reviews to add on about the sound. There is still so much to offer but that limited time for me to hear. 

 

Conclusion

 

A great improvement over the Oppo 970. In fact it is a fantastic overall improvement and replacement to the 970. It has a pretty good video play back and offers upscaling all the way to 1080p.

 

The audio portion is what really impresses me. Getting nu-force involve in the audio portion shows a great deal in having the best sound reproduction on the Oppo 980H. I love what they have done to it and would strongly recommend anyone looking for a high quality sounding CDP at a fraction of the price.

 

Darthfunk

[MC_Hammer]

is the 981 better than 980 ?

 

980 how much ??

[Darthfunk]

is the 981 better than 980 ?

 

980 how much ??

 

The 981 will definitely be better then the 980 as it has a more powerful video processing capability (981 DCDI Faroudja, 980 Mediatek)

If you want audio then the 980 is the right choice. I want to hear DSD on my Onkyo!  ;D

 

The 980 MO price is $350, normal is $369 (incl GST, 6-ft HDMI cable, delivery).

 

[MC_Hammer]

The 981 will definitely be better then the 980 as it has a more powerful video processing capability (981 DCDI Faroudja, 980 Mediatek)

If you want audio then the 980 is the right choice. I want to hear DSD on my Onkyo!  ;D

 

The 980 MO price is $350, normal is $369 (incl GST, 6-ft HDMI cable, delivery).

 

 

hmm..i will be ordering another 981 soon for a customer...I must be your most frequent customer in your mass order...must give me SPECIAL discounts liao ...hint hint ! ;D

[Darthfunk]

hmm..i will be ordering another 981 soon for a customer...I must be your most frequent customer in your mass order...must give me SPECIAL discounts liao ...hint hint ! ;D

 

Bro should get SLT Tech to give the best supporting customer award! 

[Darthfunk]

Interesting reviews from CNET and comments from the owners

 

http://reviews.cnet.com/video-players-and-recorders/oppo-dv-980h/4505-6463_7-32577127.html?tag=prod.txt.1

[imbest]

what's the major difference between that 2 chips? 981 DCDI Faroudja, 980 Mediatek  ??

[Darthfunk]

what's the major difference between that 2 chips? 981 DCDI Faroudja, 980 Mediatek  ??

 

Check out my mini review on the 981. I did an A/B comparision between the 2 on the video portion. http://www.xtremeplace.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=42460.msg309230#msg309230

 

This will tell you more between the DCDI Faroudja and Mediatek.

 

 

[Darthfunk]

REGION UNLOCKING

Press Setup.

Press "9210" in quick succession. A new window will appear.

Press "0". Your region is now multi-region.

Press Setup to Exit.

 

FIRMWARE RELEASES

 

Version: DV980H-01-0719

Category: Initial Firmware Release

Release Date: July 19, 2007

Release Notes: Initial Firmware Release

 

Version: DV980H-01-0820

Category: Beta Test Version

Release Date: August 20, 2007

Release Notes:

 

1. Improved DVD-Audio Disc Compatibility

There are reports of some DVD-Audio discs released by Arista and Silverline not playing properly on the DV-980H with the previous firmware version. This version improves the compatibility and will play those discs properly.

 

2. RGB Range Selection

This firmware version adds a setup menu item "RGB Range" in the "Video Setup Page". The default setting is "Normal", which is the recommended setting and the same as the previous firmware. The new "Enhanced" setting expands the studio RGB range of 16-235 into the 0-255 range, suitable for PC display. Use the "Enhanced" setting only when you use a PC display or encounter poor black-white contrast. For normal video display (TVs and projectors), using the "Enhanced" setting will result in clipping black and white signal level and loss of details.

 

3. Easier Disc Memory Operation

This firmware version saves the breakpoint for disc memory when the STOP or EJECT button is pressed. The previous firmware version saves the breakpoint only when the EJECT button is pressed while the disc is playing.

 

Upgrade Instructions

USB Upgrade Instructions

1. Download *.BIN from OPPO Digital.

2. Copy the downloaded file to a USB thumb drive (or a flash memory card if you have a compatible card reader). Rename the file to 980.BIN. It is important that you must rename the file and use upper-case characters for the file name.

3. Turn on your TV display and the OPPO player. Insert the USB thumb drive or flash memory card reader to the USB slot. Open the player tray, and then close the tray with no disc in it.

4. The player will find the firmware file on the USB thumb drive or flash memory card. You will see "Press Play To Start" on your TV display. Press the PLAY key on the remote or the player once. The TV display shows "File Copying" and then "UPGRADING."

5. When the front panel display of the OPPO player starts counting "01/32", "02/32" and so on, remove the USB thumb drive or flash memory card reader from the USB slot. DO NOT DO ANYTHING ELSE. What follows is the process when the player will reboot itself.

6. DO NOT PRESS ANY BUTTONS NOR ATTEMPT TO CLOSE THE TRAY NOR UNPLUG THE POWER DURING THE REMAINING UPGRADE PROCESS.

7. After approximately 1 - 2 minutes, the player reboots itself to complete the process. The update process is completed when the front panel of the DVD player shows "No Disc".

8. Press the "OSD" button on the remote control to verify the new firmware version.

9. The new firmware may affect your HDMI output resolution and setup menu settings. To ensure you have the correct settings, turn off and then turn on the player. Press the HDMI button on the remote control to set the desired output resolution. Adjust the setup menu settings if necessary.

10. Congratulations! You have just completed the firmware upgrade.

 

CD-R Upgrade Instructions

1. Download the firmware ISO.

2. Burn a CD from the downloaded ISO image file. Be sure to burn the CD as an ISO image file, not a data file. The CD should contain a 980.BIN file if you burned it successfully. Please consult your CD burning software's help/instruction manual for more information on how to do this. Some general instruction for common CD burning software is listed below.

3. Turn on your TV display and the OPPO player. Open the player tray and insert the firmware CD, and then close the tray.

4. As soon as the CD is loaded, you will see "Press Play To Start" on your TV display. Press the PLAY key on the remote or the player once. The TV display shows "File Copying" and then "UPGRADING"

5. In about 8 seconds, the CD will be ejected. Remove the CD quickly; DO NOT DO ANYTHING ELSE. What follows is the process when the player will reboot itself.

6. DO NOT PRESS ANY BUTTONS NOR ATTEMPT TO CLOSE THE TRAY NOR UNPLUG THE POWER DURING THE REMAINING UPGRADE PROCESS.

7. After approximately 1 - 2 minutes, the player reboots itself and closes the tray automatically to complete the process. The update process is completed when the front panel of the DVD player shows "No Disc".

8. Press the "OSD" button on the remote control to verify the new firmware version.

9. The new firmware may affect your HDMI output resolution and setup menu settings. To ensure you have the correct settings, turn off and then turn on the player. Press the HDMI button on the remote control to set the desired output resolution. Adjust the setup menu settings if necessary.

10. Congratulations! You have just completed the firmware upgrade.

[Alpc]

So, with this... Would it be good to combine this 980 with 981 as a combo for home theater and music????  :P

[ptey]

Updated with more reviews

 

HI bro, thks for the MO. Receiving my 980 next Monday. Is the region free set up same as 981??

 

 

[ming1881]

Heard Oppo DV-983H is in the works and may be that would meet your requirements  ;)

So, with this... Would it be good to combine this 980 with 981 as a combo for home theater and music????  :P

[redevils]

Region changing instructions:

 

1. Press Setup on remote control to access the setup page

2. Enter 9210 on the remote

3. A service menu will pop up

4. Select a region: 0- 6 in region code. 0 is all-region.

5. Press Setup on remote again to exit

[HT102]

Heard Oppo DV-983H is in the works and may be that would meet your requirements  ;)

 

Thks for the heads up..

 

Read that the DV-983HD will be using ABT de-interlacing and scalling chips.. and will also have RS232 and IR I/O ports on the rear. This player is somewhat a VP30 + ABT102 card + DV-980HD combo.

 

Details of the processing chips:

http://www.anchorbaytech.com/products/semiconductors/abt102.php

http://www.anchorbaytech.com/products/semiconductors/abt1018.php

[Darthfunk]

Thks for the heads up..

 

Read that the DV-983HD will be using ABT de-interlacing and scalling chips.. and will also have RS232 and IR I/O ports on the rear. This player is somewhat a VP30 + ABT102 card + DV-980HD combo.

 

Details of the processing chips:

http://www.anchorbaytech.com/products/semiconductors/abt102.php

 

Wow!  :o

http://www.anchorbaytech.com/products/semiconductors/abt1018.php

[HT102]

Darthfunk,

 

With your contact, can find out when Oppo is going to release HD-DVD players?

 

Apparently, BBK, the parent of Oppo, will be building Chinese HD-DVD players (with ABT VRS technologies).

 

http://www.stor-age.com/stor-age/2007/0907/495415.shtml

 

 

[Darthfunk]

Darthfunk,

 

With your contact, can find out when Oppo is going to release HD-DVD players?

 

Apparently, BBK, the parent of Oppo, will be building Chinese HD-DVD players (with ABT VRS technologies).

 

Its in the pipeline i guess but nothing concreate at the moment.

[ktee1624705873]

A newbie q here: How to enable the 980 to display chinese MP3, jpeg or divx title? So far tested it can also play mpg file. hw gr8 if it can play rmvb - smaller files to fit into my thumbdrive.

[xfi]

First Impression

 

 

 

I have decided to set the Oppo 980 to 480i and let the Reon do the upscaling since its the best de-interlacing/scaler in the market now. Well it better be for a price tag of $2000.

 

 

 

Darthfunk

 

How's the comparison of the upscaling qualities of the 980 vis-a-vis the 875? Was looking forward to your next line but u had left it at that.... Of cos I can guess your ans but it'll be interesting to know the qualities of the Reon chip. Thanks!

[Darthfunk]

How's the comparison of the upscaling qualities of the 980 vis-a-vis the 875? Was looking forward to your next line but u had left it at that.... Of cos I can guess your ans but it'll be interesting to know the qualities of the Reon chip. Thanks!

 

Check out my review on the upscaling qualities of the 980 its pretty good as mention.  ;)

[ktee1624705873]

A newbie q here: How to enable the 980 to display chinese MP3, jpeg or divx title? So far tested it can also play mpg file. hw gr8 if it can play rmvb - smaller files to fit into my thumbdrive.

 

I asked oppo, n here is their reply:

 

"We do not support Chinese characters as we do not have the firmware space available to store a Chinese Font library."  :(

 

 

[Darthfunk]

ktee care the share your reviews or experience with the 980?

[ktee1624705873]

ktee care the share your reviews or experience with the 980?

 

Ha... im still a noob here loh n my old equipment still cant utilize the power of 980 yet. I still connect this to S-VHS to my old Kenwood Amp (5.1 AC3) and to my 29" CRT TV which doesnt even hv a component input  :-[. I m on a lookout to chg to plasma soon, waiting for pioneer 507 to drop price or settle for a 42PV70.

 

980 is the only equipment i upgraded for a long time as my old sharp (oem Sampo) DVD has some problem with playing dvd - freezing a few times during 1 movie - v irritating. But i can see a diff in PQ and the great potential tis 980 going to bring fwd. It sure starts my fire to upgrade my HT again as i did 10 yrs ago! Btw, my interest is only on HT as i dont hv good ears for music & cant appreciate good from best.

 

Thus far, i hv tried playin Divx (avi) on the 980. it is v sharp. only problem is the subtitle cant be fully displayed even after i down to font 1. Blame it on my tv loh.

 

Upgrading the HT experience is like eating sugar-cane from below, the higher u go, the sweeter it is! BUT it will rot my teeth or rather vit-M!  ;D

 

 

 

 

 

[redevils]

Anyone using external HDD on 980 ? intending to get 1 hdd soon, been browsing thru avsforum, there stated that onli fat/fat32 format can be used. if i were to format the hdd 1 partition using fat32, 1 partition using ntfs, would the player able to detect the fat32 partition and play the files?

[Darthfunk]

New Review from hometheaterspot