A Little Help, Please

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  • wkhanna
    Grumpy Old Super Moderator Emeritus
    • Jan 2006
    • 5673

    A Little Help, Please

    Hey guys, a little help, please.

    My old first-gen Oppo DVD player has become far too finicky, constantly locking up at the slightest hint of dirt or smudge.

    I just need a basic deck that will spin both Blu-Ray & DVD. Nothing fancy. No music CD’s, no streaming, no burning or ripping. We do not watch a lot movies but when we do it might be nice to be able to get the Blu-Ray disc when they are all out of standard DVD’s, & vice verse. Even better would be if there is something in $100 range that fits my minimal need.

    Oh, but there is one other critical requirement……it must be Black.

    Thanks, guys!
    _


    Bill

    Practicing Curmudgeon & Audio Snob
    ....just an "ON" switch, Please!

    FinleyAudio
  • madmac
    Moderator Emeritus
    • Aug 2010
    • 3122

    #2
    Well......I thought my old Oppo had the most fabulous picture available and it pooped out on me finally. I began to watch my dvd's using my PS3 and since then, and with a few minor adjustments (RGB) in the 'picture' menu of the unit, I have come to realize that the PS3 is as good or better than my Oppo was. Since the PS4 is now out, I would imagine that you could find a used unit around your price range. They sell new for $200 bucks now. It's also a benchmark BD player as well. The unit is a serious piece of hardware to be honest. I would recommend the PS3 in a heartbeat!.
    Dan Madden :T

    Comment

    • Hdale85
      Moderator Emeritus
      • Jan 2006
      • 16075

      #3
      I haven't really looking into Blu-ray players for quite a while, but now days I can't imagine there is a ton of difference between most of them. Find something in your price that fits your needs and go for it. Sony, Panasonic, Samsung a generally good players. Most of them have netflix, hulu, amazon prime and all that now days if you use any of those it might simplify your device count.

      Comment

      • wkhanna
        Grumpy Old Super Moderator Emeritus
        • Jan 2006
        • 5673

        #4
        Originally posted by madmac
        I would recommend the PS3 in a heartbeat!.
        Interesting proposal, Dan!

        Though i think i prefer to keep gaming consoles off of my audio equipment rack in the music room (she still insists on calling it the living room?). I should probably be quite grateful The Wife puts up with as much as she does.

        Thanks for the input!
        _


        Bill

        Practicing Curmudgeon & Audio Snob
        ....just an "ON" switch, Please!

        FinleyAudio

        Comment

        • wkhanna
          Grumpy Old Super Moderator Emeritus
          • Jan 2006
          • 5673

          #5
          Originally posted by Hdale85
          ............... now days I can't imagine there is a ton of difference between most of them...........
          Blu-Ray is fairly entrenched tech by now, I suppose.
          Much like when most all VCR's were basically made by one or two companies and simply re-branded?

          Thanks for thoughts, Dougie!
          _


          Bill

          Practicing Curmudgeon & Audio Snob
          ....just an "ON" switch, Please!

          FinleyAudio

          Comment

          • Ovation
            Super Senior Member
            • Sep 2004
            • 2202

            #6
            At this point, I would decide on a budget, make a list of features you want and then select among the name brands (Sony, Samsung, LG, Panasonic, Toshiba, etc.). The BD PQ will be identical (or nearly so) at your stated budget and just about any machine will include a Netflix app (if you so desire). Otherwise, a Playstation is a very strong BD player (I have one as my main player--I also have a Panasonic, a Sony and a Samsung player, each of which is equally good, in my HT, with Blu-rays). The Playstation is the best (by a slight margin) with DVDs.

            If I do get around to upgrading, I will likely go for an Oppo (region-free), as much for its audio as for its video capabilities. But that is considerably outside your stated budget and goals.

            Good luck.

            Comment

            • wkhanna
              Grumpy Old Super Moderator Emeritus
              • Jan 2006
              • 5673

              #7
              All my SeeDee's are ripped to FLAC files for play thru my NAS-DAC.
              I don't even have CDp in my system any more.
              So at this point I have no need for music via this devise, but if that were the case, the I would go Oppo, no question.

              The Netflix option is beginning to sound interesting, however.
              I dropped my subscription years ago, however, which means i seldom have access to most of the foreign & independent films that account for the vast majority of the few movies The Wife & I watch.

              Thanks for everyone's input, time for me to do some more research.

              One more question.......will streaming (if that is what it is called) from a service like Netflix provide the same video & audio resolution as a DVD or Blu-Ray?
              _


              Bill

              Practicing Curmudgeon & Audio Snob
              ....just an "ON" switch, Please!

              FinleyAudio

              Comment

              • Hdale85
                Moderator Emeritus
                • Jan 2006
                • 16075

                #8
                A little off topic but I feel Netflix's selection and original content to be very good these days! They even have quite a bit of foreign stuff which is a little surprising. I ditched them a while back when they started dropping providers but I have to say after all the changes and with the original content they are producing I don't feel bad about the 8 bucks a month one bit. Hulu on the other hand.........

                Streaming quality on Netflix is pretty darn good, you can get 720P or even 1080p and starting this year even up to 4k on some content via certain players. The audio quality is decent as well with Dolby Digital Plus. I find Netflix quality pretty on par with broadcast HDTV content at the very least.

                Comment

                • madmac
                  Moderator Emeritus
                  • Aug 2010
                  • 3122

                  #9
                  Originally posted by wkhanna
                  All my SeeDee's are ripped to FLAC files for play thru my NAS-DAC.
                  I don't even have CDp in my system any more.
                  So at this point I have no need for music via this devise, but if that were the case, the I would go Oppo, no question.

                  The Netflix option is beginning to sound interesting, however.
                  I dropped my subscription years ago, however, which means i seldom have access to most of the foreign & independent films that account for the vast majority of the few movies The Wife & I watch.

                  Thanks for everyone's input, time for me to do some more research.

                  One more question.......will streaming (if that is what it is called) from a service like Netflix provide the same video & audio resolution as a DVD or Blu-Ray?

                  Fyi....The PS3 also streams Netflix flawlessly. Netflix offers 3 stages of video quality in your settings once you join. The highest offers DVD quality pictures (not even close to BD quality) but it will burn around 2-3 gigs an hour. The lowest setting will look like a very soft dvd picture....a tad blurry actually, but will only burn about a half gig for the same time period. It all depends on your internet package and how much bandwidth your ready to burn. If you have kids in the house, these gigs can add up pretty quick!.
                  Dan Madden :T

                  Comment

                  • Ovation
                    Super Senior Member
                    • Sep 2004
                    • 2202

                    #10
                    Actually the highest quality on Netflix surpasses DVD provided your ISP package is sufficiently high speed. I upped my speed recently and now Netflix programming that is labelled HD is better than DVD (on par with 720p) and SuperHD is at least as good as broadcast HDTV and sometimes between that and Blu-Ray. For the first time, I'm willing to watch Netflix on my projector screen rather than limiting my viewing to much smaller displays. Also, I have directly compared my PS3 with my AppleTV (1080p version) and I get slightly better results with the AppleTV in my setup. Not all Netflix devices are equal, though. The "app" differs among the four devices I have with AppleTV and PS3 offering better versions than my Samsung and basic Sony BD players. Just FYI.

                    Comment

                    • madmac
                      Moderator Emeritus
                      • Aug 2010
                      • 3122

                      #11
                      Ovation that is highly possible. It's been a few years since I've used Netfix and it's possible the service has up'd it's HD abilities since then. That being said, I would assume that in HD format that it uses even more gigs of data per movie now. There are only a few internet providers here in Montreal that do not have caps on their internet usage so one must beware of over usage of the service.
                      Dan Madden :T

                      Comment

                      • Ovation
                        Super Senior Member
                        • Sep 2004
                        • 2202

                        #12
                        Videotron offers unlimited data at a 10$/mth premium over whatever one pays for their data package (varies with the speed of the package)--it's a recent offering. Don't know about Bell or the others.

                        As to Netflix, their current quality is significantly better in streaming than even a year ago, let alone a few. I've cut down on rentals from the video store quite a bit because of the increased quality, since I made the data plan switch and it will only get better. I still find it annoying that movies and TV shows disappear from the collection every once in a while (a few shows were pulled before I could finish watching them and some movies I wanted to revisit are no longer available), so Netflix won't replace my purchase habits entirely--it has allowed me to reduce those habits though, by quite a bit. As for more data per movie, with unlimited it doesn't matter to me so much, but their algorithms are constantly being upgraded, so the PQ increase doesn't necessarily result in far more data consumption. I'd say that anyone who hasn't used Netflix since 2012 (more so if earlier) should give it a try again. YMMV

                        Comment

                        • aarsoe
                          Senior Member
                          • May 2004
                          • 795

                          #13
                          Have you tried taking the lid of you OPPO and use some "canned air" (from a computer store or similar) to blow the laser "eye" clean? Sounds like it could be dirt/dust build up.
                          In regards to a new BlueRay player, then the PS/3 was good when it came out. Today it is no longer a match for even the really cheap ones.
                          In any case a "high-end" top of the line Samsung player is so cheap that unless you want to re-invest in a new OPPO then that should do just fine..

                          Comment

                          • madmac
                            Moderator Emeritus
                            • Aug 2010
                            • 3122

                            #14
                            I have a first generation PS3 and I'm constantly impressed at both the BD and DVD presentation. I got a good scare the other day though. I made the mistake of shutting it down while it was in pause mode. Well, the PS3 REALLY did not like that!. When I started it up the next day, it would not recognize the disc at all. I then popped in another disc and it would not recognize that one either!. Next thing I did was look to see if there was a new firmware update (Very important process for the PS3) and there were no new firmware updates. Oh boy I thought........Laser is pooped out???.......maybe.........I did the only other thing I could do at this point and shut it down and unplugged it. Tada!!!.......fixed!!. Lesson here is to never shut down a PS3 while there is a disc in it AND in paused mode!. Lesson learned!.
                            Dan Madden :T

                            Comment

                            • George Bellefontaine
                              Moderator Emeritus
                              • Jan 2001
                              • 7637

                              #15
                              Hey, Bill. Good to see you posting here again.

                              I have had pretty good luck with Panasonic players. I still have my first blu-ray player by Panasonic the BD 30. Maybe I was just lucky, but this old timer is still working as good as the day I bought it. A bit on the slow side, though, so I only use it for dvds on my Sony lcd TV. I have been using a Panny BD85 in my theater for some time now.
                              My Homepage!

                              Comment

                              • impala454
                                Ultra Senior Member
                                • Oct 2007
                                • 3814

                                #16
                                I own the Oppo in question and am curious if you guys who had it fail on you noted anything in particular. Did you guys keep the firmware updated? How often did you use it? I'd like to anticipate and try to be one step ahead of mine failing.
                                -Chuck

                                Comment

                                • wkhanna
                                  Grumpy Old Super Moderator Emeritus
                                  • Jan 2006
                                  • 5673

                                  #17
                                  Hi Sir George!

                                  Funny thing that you should bump this old thread.

                                  It seems just a bit ago I went to the local BigBox store & purchased a Sony BDPS3200 smart Blu-ray player with built-in Wi-Fi.

                                  The price was well under $100 & it had all conveniences I could ever want.

                                  DVD & BD compatibility along with streaming & no messy wires required for an internet connection.

                                  It also has an RCA digital output making connection to my non-HDMI Rotel RSP-1068 (another recent used acquisition that replaces my old 2nd-hand RSP-1066 that was having the occasional hiccup) V easy.

                                  Since then, The Wife & I have watched two hardcopy format movies.
                                  One DVD & one BD.

                                  Both worked flawlessly.

                                  I also signed up for the Netflix streaming package @ something like $8 / month.
                                  So far, we have watched one streamed movie (Mud- which was an excellent flick, btw).
                                  Actually, this was also the only one we could find that we both agreed would even remotely be worth watching.

                                  The movie played fine with no pops, clicks, hisses or pixilation & the audio seemed as good as any, though this movie did not have a lot LEF or action-style noise, the 'surround sound" audio seemed focused & always coming from the intended location.
                                  The overall performance of the streaming signal was quite acceptable as best as I could tell without performing a direct comparison to a hardcopy format.

                                  What I am disappointed in is the selection, or should I say lack thereof, of any content of interest to either myself or the The Wife.
                                  Needless to say, my Netflix streaming account is now cancelled.

                                  I am extremely disappointed that I can not find a source with a decent selection of current & recent movies in streaming format other than my cable provider who charges an arm & leg for any movie, let alone a new release.
                                  _


                                  Bill

                                  Practicing Curmudgeon & Audio Snob
                                  ....just an "ON" switch, Please!

                                  FinleyAudio

                                  Comment

                                  • Hdale85
                                    Moderator Emeritus
                                    • Jan 2006
                                    • 16075

                                    #18
                                    Hmm, I find lots of content on Netflix to watch. And generally seem to see lots of older stuff as well.

                                    Comment

                                    • madmac
                                      Moderator Emeritus
                                      • Aug 2010
                                      • 3122

                                      #19
                                      Both the US and Canadian Netfix will never show 'new' stuff in regards to TV stuff or movies. Where it shines is if you want to watch older television series or movies. There is a lot of content there. If you want the latest movies, you will always have to go to your local video store or to a store to buy them outright.
                                      Dan Madden :T

                                      Comment

                                      • Hdale85
                                        Moderator Emeritus
                                        • Jan 2006
                                        • 16075

                                        #20
                                        They can get newer movies relatively quickly, like 3-6 months after their disc release which isn't bad. It isn't Netflix at fault for that though it's the studio's wanting to maximize profits from sales and rentals.

                                        Comment

                                        • wkhanna
                                          Grumpy Old Super Moderator Emeritus
                                          • Jan 2006
                                          • 5673

                                          #21
                                          Originally posted by impala454
                                          I own the Oppo in question and am curious if you guys who had it fail on you noted anything in particular. Did you guys keep the firmware updated? How often did you use it? I'd like to anticipate and try to be one step ahead of mine failing.
                                          Hi Chuck!

                                          My Oppo is an old Oppo 971H https://www.oppodigital.com/opdv971h...h_support.aspx that I bought new ages ago.
                                          It was always V finicky about the discs being spotlessly clean for some reason.
                                          Lately it it often just stops, a real PITA.
                                          The slightest spec, scratch or fingerprint & it locks up.
                                          Could be just a laser alignment issue, not sure.

                                          We watch one, maybe two movies a month on average.
                                          _


                                          Bill

                                          Practicing Curmudgeon & Audio Snob
                                          ....just an "ON" switch, Please!

                                          FinleyAudio

                                          Comment

                                          • Lex
                                            Moderator Emeritus
                                            • Apr 2001
                                            • 27461

                                            #22
                                            DVD & BD compatibility along with streaming & no messy wires required for an internet connection.
                                            Wires are not messy, they are "art", and for me, they are part of my decor, rofl.

                                            Ok, I struggle with wires just like everyone else does here. Just last night, i was wrestling quite a few! i did win this battle, but the wires will live to fight another day...
                                            Doug
                                            "I'm out there Jerry, and I'm loving every minute of it!" - Kramer

                                            Comment

                                            • wkhanna
                                              Grumpy Old Super Moderator Emeritus
                                              • Jan 2006
                                              • 5673

                                              #23
                                              I love showing off my Silver King Cats!
                                              _


                                              Bill

                                              Practicing Curmudgeon & Audio Snob
                                              ....just an "ON" switch, Please!

                                              FinleyAudio

                                              Comment

                                              • bigburner
                                                Super Senior Member
                                                • May 2005
                                                • 2649

                                                #24
                                                Originally posted by wkhanna

                                                My Oppo is an old Oppo 971H https://www.oppodigital.com/opdv971h...h_support.aspx that I bought new ages ago.
                                                It was always V finicky about the discs being spotlessly clean for some reason.
                                                Lately it it often just stops, a real PITA.
                                                The slightest spec, scratch or fingerprint & it locks up.
                                                Could be just a laser alignment issue, not sure.
                                                Hi Bill,

                                                I had an Oppo 971H for a few years before I bought an Oppo BDP-95 Blu-ray. I never had a single problem with my 971, and it got used a lot. It would play scratched DVDs that refused to work in other DVD players. I used to tell my friends that if you stuck a chapati into it you'd get a Bollywood movie. Interesting how we had a different experience with the same piece of equipment.

                                                Nigel.

                                                Comment

                                                • madmac
                                                  Moderator Emeritus
                                                  • Aug 2010
                                                  • 3122

                                                  #25
                                                  My PS3 does this annoying thing with DVD's (I've never had a BD skip or freeze on me). When it freezes because of a scratch or whatever, it pauses for about 4 seconds and then arbitrarily decides to move to the next chapter stop, which can sometimes be 15mins of lost content! I then find myself rewinding it to the spot where it froze and then the whole process starts again! ARGH !!
                                                  Dan Madden :T

                                                  Comment

                                                  • mjb
                                                    Super Senior Member
                                                    • Mar 2005
                                                    • 1483

                                                    #26
                                                    Originally posted by wkhanna
                                                    Hey guys, a little help, please.

                                                    My old first-gen Oppo DVD player has become far too finicky, constantly locking up at the slightest hint of dirt or smudge.

                                                    I just need a basic deck that will spin both Blu-Ray & DVD. Nothing fancy. No music CD’s, no streaming, no burning or ripping. We do not watch a lot movies but when we do it might be nice to be able to get the Blu-Ray disc when they are all out of standard DVD’s, & vice verse. Even better would be if there is something in $100 range that fits my minimal need.

                                                    Oh, but there is one other critical requirement……it must be Black.

                                                    Thanks, guys!
                                                    Bill, I've just bought a couple of Samsung BD-F5100/ZA for under $50, and am quite happy with the price:quality ratio. Nothing special, but they can play any disk I've found, at full HD, plus files from a USB source too. And its black!

                                                    On my main system I still use a PS3 for physical disk playback, but I'm increasingly "backing-up" my favourite titles and watching the rip instead of spinning it. It's much more convenient, especially with searching/navigation. For this I use a Sony Blu-ray USB drive and MakeMKV. You can then convert the MKV to an (H264 compressed) MP4 file with Handbrake. Both have Mac and PC versions.

                                                    You could get both drives, and a specced out Mac Mini, for a lot less than an Oppo!
                                                    - Mike

                                                    Main System:
                                                    B&W 802D, HTM2D, SCMS
                                                    Classé SSP-800, CA-2200, CA-5100

                                                    Comment

                                                    • Ovation
                                                      Super Senior Member
                                                      • Sep 2004
                                                      • 2202

                                                      #27
                                                      Really? I can get an Oppo BD103 for 500$. Isn't that less than the Mac Mini?

                                                      Comment

                                                      • Hdale85
                                                        Moderator Emeritus
                                                        • Jan 2006
                                                        • 16075

                                                        #28
                                                        Well....depends if it's new or used I guess. I'm not sure the appeal of a mac mini is though?

                                                        Comment

                                                        • mjb
                                                          Super Senior Member
                                                          • Mar 2005
                                                          • 1483

                                                          #29
                                                          Originally posted by Hdale85
                                                          I'm not sure the appeal of a mac mini is though?
                                                          lol, you gotta play those files back on something, and I've an all Mac household. It's also my music transport....

                                                          ymmv
                                                          - Mike

                                                          Main System:
                                                          B&W 802D, HTM2D, SCMS
                                                          Classé SSP-800, CA-2200, CA-5100

                                                          Comment

                                                          • Hdale85
                                                            Moderator Emeritus
                                                            • Jan 2006
                                                            • 16075

                                                            #30
                                                            Lots of ways cheaper and similar in price to a mac mini to play audio files though, that's all I was saying.

                                                            Comment

                                                            • Ovation
                                                              Super Senior Member
                                                              • Sep 2004
                                                              • 2202

                                                              #31
                                                              I was just surprised that a Mac Mini was a lot cheaper than an Oppo. Certainly not the case where I live.

                                                              Comment

                                                              • mjb
                                                                Super Senior Member
                                                                • Mar 2005
                                                                • 1483

                                                                #32
                                                                Originally posted by Ovation
                                                                I was just surprised that a Mac Mini was a lot cheaper than an Oppo. Certainly not the case where I live.
                                                                Sorry, I should learn to take account of "regional variation" - Oppo euro prices are much higher.
                                                                - Mike

                                                                Main System:
                                                                B&W 802D, HTM2D, SCMS
                                                                Classé SSP-800, CA-2200, CA-5100

                                                                Comment

                                                                • mjb
                                                                  Super Senior Member
                                                                  • Mar 2005
                                                                  • 1483

                                                                  #33
                                                                  Originally posted by Hdale85
                                                                  Lots of ways cheaper and similar in price to a mac mini to play audio files though, that's all I was saying.
                                                                  Agreed. I have a couple of Raspberry pi's running Openelec, which is a $30 solution, if thats what appeals.
                                                                  - Mike

                                                                  Main System:
                                                                  B&W 802D, HTM2D, SCMS
                                                                  Classé SSP-800, CA-2200, CA-5100

                                                                  Comment

                                                                  • Ovation
                                                                    Super Senior Member
                                                                    • Sep 2004
                                                                    • 2202

                                                                    #34
                                                                    Originally posted by mjb
                                                                    Sorry, I should learn to take account of "regional variation" - Oppo euro prices are much higher.
                                                                    Ah. Sometimes I think about consolidating my audio gear for hi-res playback. I started with a Cambridge Audio 540D DVD-A/DVD-V player (also my main CD player) and a Marantz DV6400 for SACD. This was in the days of analogue connections for hi-res audio. The Marantz is now doing duty as my SACD/DVD-A/CD player in my 2 channel rig in the living room, while the Cambridge is a back up player. I got a Cambridge DVD-99 for SACD/DVD-A playback via HDMI (and as a region-free DVD-V player). My Playstation 3 has SACD capabilities and served as my main Blu-ray player for a long time, but its fan is noisy, so I now use a Sony BDP 185 (very inexpensive at 50$ open box). The 185 has a feature that I think is quite rare. It can output SD DVD upconverted to 1080p (very common) at 24fps (very rare). My DVD99 and PS3 output DVDs at 1080p/60fps (the common form of upconversion). I've compared them and the PQ of the 185 with DVDs is more film-like. Surprisingly so, considering its cost. However, all this gear takes up space. Sometimes I think I should go with an OPPO to simplify things. But then I'd lose region free DVD playback and 1080p/24 DVD playback, so I keep going with the clutter.

                                                                    All this to say there are many ways to get disc playback. But no one machine covers every single base.
                                                                    Last edited by Ovation; 21 December 2014, 13:59 Sunday.

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