Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Oppo DVD player

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Posted by Greg Mueller (Member # 17) on 11-16-2005, 07:29 PM:

I was looking at DVD players on the net and found a couple of articles on the Oppo 0PDV971H. Comes "Zone 0", and it's cheap at $200 (for what it does). The interesting part is that it can do higher than 480P resolution (540P 576P 720P 1080i) but only through it's DVI video out port. I have a Panasonic plasma screen that has a 15 pin "video in" for hooking to a computer.
Is there an adapter to hook that 15 pin to the DVI out? Or is that not possible.

A couple of reviews
http://www.ultimateavmag.com/dvdplayers/1105oppo/

http://www.dvdtalk.com/features/004343.html

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 11-16-2005, 10:21 PM:

Okey, what you need is a VGA to DVI adapter cable. Check into www.newegg.com for cable information (if this conversion is possible..)

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 11-16-2005, 10:31 PM:

Yeah, you can buy female HD15 to male DVI-A adapters. They're worth about $15.

Not sure what resolution impact you might see... I've only used them with computer monitors at 1280x1024x32.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 11-16-2005, 11:03 PM:

A couple of things to understand here...a DVI-I to VGA "adapter" is only an adapter in the sense that it routes the analog pins on the DVI-I connector to the VGA pins (HD15). There is no signal conversion done in the adapter...just wiring. A DVI-I connector, as it looks like the OPPO has, will have both digital and analog versions of the signal available.

The adapters are relatively cheap and available from several sources. Your signal will be analog from the DVD player. I would verify that the analog signals are also scaled before investing in this solution, however. Since they only offer the upscaled output on the DVI connector, it may be logically inferred that the scaled versions are only available in digital form...thus the adapter may not have the scaled version of the signal.

There are actual DVI to RGB converters where they take the digital signal and convert it to an analog one. An example is the Extron DVI-RGB100 This unit, however, works with a DVI-D (digital only connector) and will convert it to analog (suitable for use with a VGA type connector with a BNC->VGA cable). It will only work with HDTV signals up to 720p though.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 11-16-2005, 11:47 PM:

Also keep in mind that your TV probably only accepts analog VGA and the $200 DVD player probably only outputs digital DVI. There are analog pins on a DVI-I connector (the 4 large ones off to the side) but many DVI connectors ignore the analog aspect. It is important to find out if the connector on the DVD player is DVI-I (the "I" stands for "Integrated") or just a DVI-D. Most likely you will need a TV with a true DVI input, or an HDMI input using a DVI to HDMI convertor (they are both the same thing, more or less). But looking at the picture of the connector in the review, it does look like a DVI-I. I used to have a ton of DVI-I to VGA convertors that came with my Macs.

Also, upscaling DVDs really doesn't do a whole lot for them. They certainly don't look tons better. 480p is DVD's native and highest resolution.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 11-17-2005, 04:45 AM:

quote: Joe Redifer
Also, upscaling DVDs really doesn't do a whole lot for them. They certainly don't look tons better. 480p is DVD's native and highest resolution.

(kind of a side topic here, but has the same parallel situation) - Remember the Sega 16 bit system then they had the brainy idea of that gadget that was placed on top of the system to make it a 32 bit machine called the "32X" attachment? Kids would immediately buy this thing, thinking that this "32X" device will make their games more lifelike, but unfortunately, with the 16bit limitation of the carts, the "32X" unit couldn't help the 16 bit software act like 32bit games, Unit was only designed with the "32X" software of cartridge or CD.

-monte

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 11-17-2005, 08:29 AM:

Actually the 32X did indeed improve the regular composite video of the Genesis. At least the original Genesis, I never bothered with the stepchild Genesis 2 or 3 systems. The regular Genesis had weird vertical chroma bars when viewed over a composite connection. Hook up a 32X and those bars are gone and the image is even a bit sharper. The reason for that was because the Genesis RGB video was routed into the 32X, and the 32X had a better RGB to composite decoder.

Posted by Mitchell Dvoskin (Member # 751) on 11-17-2005, 08:39 AM:

I'm not sure that going from DVI to RGB will give you the expected results. The issue is that DVI ports have a hardware copy protection in them, so that your DVD player will know that it is plugged into a monitor/tv rather than a recorder. If the DVD player does not get the proper response back from your tv, it will either lower the resolution down to 480p or not output anything, depending on your DVD player's programming.

Samsung also makes some cheap (under $200) players that do the up-conversion through the DVI output.

Posted by Greg Mueller (Member # 17) on 11-17-2005, 09:12 AM:

The thing is that I've had this plasma screen pretty much since they came out and it's always been suggested that they have a limited life span. I haven't seen any problems yet, but all things die eventually. Right now the physical resolution of the screen is 480P, but planning ahead, I know I'll have to get another display someday and it will have a DVI input and higher rez. But given this is a relatively "cheap" DVD player, will it last? It sounds like a geat machine (for the price) but I bet the next model out will be even better (the setable zone thing is really attractive too)

Meanwhile, Samsung is bringing out some pretty interesting displays for pretty cheap, compared to what big flat screens used to go for. I like the 56” HLR5688W
http://www.audioholics.com/ces/CESdisplays/SamsungHLR5688W1080pDLP.php

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 11-17-2005, 10:21 AM:

quote: Mitchell Dvoskin
The issue is that DVI ports have a hardware copy protection in them

No, that is HDMI. Also there is no conversion from DVI-i to VGA. It's just a different pin configuration.

Posted by Mitchell Dvoskin (Member # 751) on 11-17-2005, 11:50 AM:

quote: Joe Redifer
No, that is HDMI. Also there is no conversion from DVI-i to VGA. It's just a different pin configuration.

No, HDMI is just DVI with sound added, using a different and smaller connector. You can go between DVI and HDMI with no problem.

I think you are refering to HDCP, which is the hardware copy protection added to DVI sometime after it's introduction and on all HDMI. While it is true that mapping between DVI-I and RGB is just pin configuration, all current (non computer) DVD players contain HDCP, and if they do not get the proper HDCP response back from from the display device, they will not output HD in either digital or analog from their DVI/HDMI outputs.

Posted by Mike Schindler (Member # 1309) on 11-17-2005, 04:49 PM:

Does anyone know of any non-HDCP DVD players with upconversion?

Thanks,
Mike

Posted by Greg Mueller (Member # 17) on 11-17-2005, 06:38 PM:

I wrote to Oppo tech support and asked if they might have a way to get 480P out of the RGB output or if they might have a new player coming out soon that might. I got this response......

Greg,
We are working on a new product that will hopefully have better component support, but we are looking at a production run that will not start until early next year.

Best Regards,

Customer Service
OPPO Digital, Inc.
453 Ravendale Dr, Suite D
Mountain View, CA 94043
Service@oppodigital.com
Tel: 650-961-1118
Fax: 650-961-1119

Guess I can wait just a bit longer to see what they come up with

Concerning the DVI to 15 pin question, their FAQ says this

Q: My display unit does not have a DVI or HDMI input. Can I use a DVI to VGA (RGB) adapter?
A: Unfortunately, no. VGA is an analog interface, whereas the OPDV971H is a purely digital DVI interface. Consequently, the OPDV971H will not transmit an analog signal. In order to use the OPDV971H on a VGA (RGB) device, you would need a separate digital to analog converter for VGA output. Please note some DVI-VGA adapters that come with computer video cards will not work, because those adapters only work for DVI-I output, which has both digital and analog signals. The OPDV971H has a DVI-D output, which is purely digital.

Posted by Frank Dubrois (Member # 3042) on 11-17-2005, 11:21 PM:

Oppo makes a great DVD player. i also heard the Bravo D3 will be an excellent machine. it was supposed to come out over the summer, but not sure if it made it. It was supposed to not only upconvert, but also play the microsoft WMV-HD files (like on the T2-Extreme Edition) DVD, which are true 1080i or 720p, not upconverted.

Posted by Greg Mueller (Member # 17) on 11-21-2005, 01:37 PM:

Frank
On one of the BB I go to, they say that customer service for the Bravo is pretty poor. A lot of people there, seem to like the Panasonic S97

Posted by Mitchell Dvoskin (Member # 751) on 11-21-2005, 02:51 PM:

I would be wary of anything a salesman at Best Buy says. They are required to push anything that they make a high markup, and downgrade those with low profit margin.

Samsung makes a whole line of inexpensive upconverting DVD players. The one I have is the now discontinued 841, which I bought at closeout for $129. There current models can be found at:

Samsung DVD

This is not to say that the Panasonic in not a good choice, it may be, but you need to check it out on-line at places like the hometheaterforum.com.

Posted by Greg Mueller (Member # 17) on 11-21-2005, 04:24 PM:

When I said BB I meant Bulletin Board (like this one) rather than Best Buy (I don't care much for that place)
The BB I go to....
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/index.php

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 11-21-2005, 05:54 PM:

The AVS Forums can be very helpful, but they can be a PAIN IN THE ASS to navigate. They have about 900 different forums to choose from. Regardless, a lot of good info is there.