Review:




While the 971H was a panacea to those looking for a high performance DVD player at a reasonable price, it’s inability to provide a 480i signal over its digital video (DVI) output was an issue for those using video processors like Iscan or Lumagen. To a lesser degree, those who wanted to use its component video outputs bemoaned the lack of 480p availability over component. Finally, while the 971H provides support for DVD-A disks, including bass management, those with SACDs were left out. All this has changed with the 970HD, which not only supports 480i and p (576i and p for PAL disks) over its HDMI output (in addition to 480p, 720p and 1080i), but also both 480i and p (as well as upscaling of non CSS-encrypted disks) over component and SACD playback with bass management. The best part is that all of this will be available for a selling price of $149.

So, why is the price lower than the 971H if it does more? The 970HD does not use the Genesis/Faroudja chip for scaling or deinterlacing, leaving both tasks to the Mediatek MT1389EE/1392 chipset bundle. The 1392 chip does the scaling, HDMI transmission and analog video DAC. Mediatek chips are well known for their excellent chroma performance, including lack of chroma upsampling error, as well as its fast handling of layer changes. In addition to DVD-A and SACD playback, it will play a wide variety of video types, including XviD and DivX, it does PAL-to-NTSC conversion and has built-in Dolby Digital and Pro Logic II decoders. It has both optical and coaxial digital outputs and comes with 6’ HDMI cable. There is a USB port and a 4-in-1 card reader behind a door on the front panel to play DivX/XviD, digital audio and picture files.

The player is low profile, has a chrome and silver front panel with orange lighting of the front panel controls. Build quality is equal to that of the 971H, which is very good for a player in this price range. The 970HD uses the same remote and codes as the 971H, so to use both in the same room would require a universal IR/RF remote with IR routing.


Video Test Results

The 970HD was tested with 480i and 720p output over HDMI to a Panasonic AE900 720p LCD projector and over component at 480p to a Mitsubishi RPTV. Both displays have been professionally calibrated.

A full range of video adjustments are available, including saturation, hue and even three gamma settings. For testing purposes, all controls were in their “0” or “Off” positions.

The 970HD was subjected to the usual barrage of test disk patterns, including those from DVE, Faroudja, HQV and Avia Pro. Fortunately, the Mediatek chip provides motion adaptive deinterlacing, so it did well with the Faroudja pendulum and flag-waving tests. It was not so fortunate with the HQV “Jaggies” tests for directional interpolation and filtering, but in fairness, there are few players that can fully pass those tests (the 971H being one of them), especially those priced similarly to the 970HD. The 970HD flew through the Avia Pro layer change test, as was expected since fast layer changes are an advantage of the Mediatek chip. The 970HD also passes below black over both HDMI and component.

As mentioned earlier, there was no evidence of any Y/C delay problems and no ringing or other sharpness issues at the default player settings. PAL to NTSC conversion appears to be on a par with the 971H, which is quite good. However, it does not do 2:2 cadence, so if you have a lot of PAL disks, you should look to a different player.

All in all, the test disk performance of the 970HD was only a step below that of the 971H and with most DVDs and displays, the difference would be negligible.


DVD Viewing

I first connected the 970HD via HDMI to a Panasonic AE900 projector to check the real world upscaling and deinterlacing capabilities of the Mediatek chip. As was demonstrated with the test disks, there was little difference between the 971H at 720p (the native resolution of the projector) and the 970HD. On a few motion scenes with some diagonal sharp edges, the 971H displayed its superior ability to provide a “jaggie-free” picture, but the 970HD was certainly no slouch. For the most part, the images were clean and sharp. My old standby, the Fifth Element Superbit, as well as a new standard, Corpse Bride, looked very clean and well-detailed, just like I’ve come to expect from the 971H.

Moving over to the RPTV via component, the 480p picture was equal to or better than a number of other players I’ve had in the past. The one exception is my Panasonic RP-82, which still sets a standard for 480p over component. While the 970HD is aimed toward the videophile that wishes to provide a 480i signal via HDMI to an outboard video processor, a more casual user would be very satisfied with the 480p picture over component. I tried upscaling over component with a few disks that did not have CSS encryption and the 970HD did a very nice job, but it wasn’t significantly better than 480p, so I don’t see the lack of upscaling over component with most disks as a deal breaker.

The player was also able to play any DivX or XviD disk I threw at it. For recordable DVDs, it had no trouble with DVD-R, +R or -RW. Additionally, it has a “Virtual Keyboard” feature that enables the user to display all the transport functions on-screen. When using the supplied remote, it makes these functions easier to access as all you’re using is the easy-to-find arrow buttons. With a well-designed universal remote, this feature is of little value.


Audio

The 970HD differs from the 971H in that it plays both DVD-A and SACD. Digital-to-analog conversion is handled by the same Cirrus Logic chip (CS4360) that’s used in the 971H. Accordingly, I was expecting that the audio performance through the analog outputs would be virtually the same as the 971H. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the 970HD’s analog audio reproduction surpasses that of the 971H. Oppo engineers optimized the analog output circuitry for the best possible audio reproduction and the result is a clean soundstage, with sharp transients and solid bass. As far as SACD reproduction is concerned, the few SACDs I tried sounded very good indeed. I must admit that I don’t have much experience with SACD listening, so I can’t say how the 970HD compares with other universals in that regard.

In any event, the 970HD shined with a variety of DVD Audio disks, from Steely Dan (Two Against Nature) to Diane Krall (The Girl in the Other Room). Diane’s voice and piano come through with excellent clarity and definition. Overall, the analog audio reproduction exceeds that of other players in this price range and is equal or better to those costing much more. Good job, Oppo!

My preliminary unit did not allow for 5.1 channel transmission over HDMI, but the production models will have that ability


Final Thoughts

For what it’s designed to be, the Oppo DV-970HD is just as impressive in its price range as the 971H. Its video quality over component is equal to anything in its price range and its analog audio surpasses that of more expensive players as well. The 480i performance over HDMI is a great match for any outboard video processor. The 970HD will also find a home with those seeking a low priced universal player with solid video performance over component and excellent analog audio performance.

To date, Oppo players have proven to be very reliable and the customer service provided by Oppo is second to none. From my short experience with the 970HD, I’m not sure what features or improvements can be added, but you can be sure that if there’s a way to improve it via a firmware update, Oppo will do it as they have with the 971H.

Features:

• Superior compatibility with DVD-Video, DVD-Audio, Super Audio CD (SACD), Certified DivX, Xvid, Audio CD, HDCD, Kodak Picture CD and other digital audio and video media/formats
• Plays DivX® 5, DivX® 4, DivX® 3, and DivX® VOD video content (in compliance with DivX Certified™ technical requirements)

• Plays XviD and .SRT, .SMI, .IDX and .SUB format

Video Up-Conversion Features:

• High definition up-conversion with film-like picture quality to up-convert 720x480 interlaced video encoded on DVD discs to 480p/720p/1080i
• High-quality pure digital video and audio through a single HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) cable
• Multiple high definition video formats through HDMI and component outputs*: NTSC: 480i/480p/720p/1080i; PAL: 576i/576p/720p/1080i (* Component output for CSS-encrypted DVD discs (almost all commercially pressed DVD discs) is limited to 480i/480p only.)
• Compatible with HDTV, HD-Ready TV, HDTV monitors and projectors
• For more information about DVD video up-conversion, please read our white paper article Getting the Most out of DVD on an HDTV Display

Optimized Audio Features:

• Optimized analog audio circuitry for great audio quality
• Built-in Dolby Digital decoder with individual 5.1ch and down-mixed stereo outputss
• Optical and coaxial digital audio outputs for Dolby Digital, DTS and Linear PCM
• Unique "Audio Only" mode with video processing turned off for perfect acoustic fidelity
• 3D Surround (Virtual Surround): Concert, Live, Dance, Techno, Classic, Soft
• Built-in equalizer, channel trim and channel delay functions

Compatibility Features:

• PAL/NTSC disc and TV compatible with automatic or manual system conversion
• Compatible with CD-R/RW, DVD±R/RW and DVD+R DL* (* Playability of self-recorded discs may vary depending on media and formatting software types)

• Enhanced dual-layer disc support with fast layer change
• Wide range universal power supply (~100V-240V, 50/60Hz AC)

Standard Video Features:

• Progressive scan component outputs (YPbPr)
• Composite video and S-Video outputs for standard TVs
• Supports screen aspect ratio 4:3 (standard) and 16:9 (wide-screen)
• User adjustable video controls: Sharpness, Contrast, Brightness, Saturation, Hue and Gamma
• Multi-angle view

Convenience Features:

• 4-in-1 flash memory card reader compatible with Memory Stick, Secure Digital, Multi-Media Card, and SmartMedia (MS/SD/MMC/SM)
• USB interface for expanded connectivity
• Smooth and easy navigation of photo albums, music collections and video files on DVD, CD, flash memory cards and USB disks.
• Selectable subtitle and audio tracks

Connectors:

• HDMI - High Definition Multimedia Interface: 1
• Component Video (YPbPr/YCbCr): 1 group (3 connectors)
• Analog Stereo Audio (Mixed 2-Channel Left/Right): 1 group (2 connectors)
• Analog 5.1 Channel Audio: 1 group (6 connectors)
• S/PDIF (IEC-958) Coaxial Digital Audio: 1
• S/PDIF (IEC-958) Optical Digital Audio: 1
• Composite Video: 1
• S-Video: 1

Accessories Included:

• High-quality certified HDMI cable with ferrite core and gold-plated HDMI connectors
• Remote control with "glow in the dark" keypad (batteries included)
• Stereo audio cable
• Composite video cable
• User manual and warranty information