Oppo BDP-83 question

[Tall Dog]

I tried to watch a BD movie tonight, but the movie will not play, and the Oppo says "BDMV" in its little window. The movie I was trying to watch was "Fighting".

I am running the newest firmware and have watched a BD movie after the firmware install, so I don't think it's firmware related.

I tried another BD movie just to make sure the disc wasn't bad, but it did the same thing.

This is the first time I have had this problem. Anyone run across this?

Thanks

[rdodolak]

Have you tried the firmware for the 9 Sep Public Beta Release? If that still doesn't work then you'll want to report the issue with Oppo.

[Tall Dog]

Nevermind, the problem is fixed. Not sure what happened, but I powered off the unit and unplugged it for a few minutes, and then it worked fine. Guess it just needed a reboot. I am running the new Sep 9th beta firmware.

[solarrdadd]

well, i've had my first real issue with my Oppo. i did update the the latest beta on their website. (dated 9-09-2009 posting date) everything seemed to work fine so i tried crank 2 and it worked fine did the bd-live update at the begining and then played fine; i like the widgets! Then i tried wolverine and it started with the message about it's new and you might need a firmware update then nothing. we sat there for about 15 minutes and then i stopped it. i put it in my ps3 and the first thing that popped up after it got as far as it could in my oppo was a "bd-live update available, wanna download it, yes or no" so i said yes and it played fine on the ps3. so, i went back to my oppo and went into the menu, in network settings and disabled the bd-live features to off. i put the wolverine movie back in and this time it worked fine without a hitch. so there is a problem with the disc trying to load that little bd-live updater at the start that halts it in the oppo. i'll drop oppo a line about it. just wondering is anyone else having a problem with wolverine with your bd-live settings in the setup menu enabled to yes.

[gonk]

Others are also reporting that you need to turn BD-Live off to get the disc to play.

[Systemlord]

Originally Posted by gonk

Others are also reporting that you need to turn BD-Live off to get the disc to play.

Isn't that the truth, BD Live equals headache. Turn it off and keep it off!

[progers13]

Originally Posted by Systemlord

Isn't that the truth, BD Live equals headache. Turn it off and keep it off!

[Tall Dog]

I think the Oppo is a great BD player, and I'm not sorry I bought it, but I think they need to do a better job of trying to stay in front of firmware updates so the newer movies will play. There is nothing worse than to sit down with family to watch a movie and find out that it won't play.

I never had a problem with my old Panny DMP-BD30 not being able to play a newer movie. I updated the firmware for the Panny whenever a new version came out.

I do the same with the Oppo, but it just seems like their firmware updates come a little slow.

I can understand if they don't want to release a "major" firmware update until they're sure it won't cause harm, but minor updates to make sure the new release movies will play should come sooner and more often.

The updates should come automatically also. I have my Oppo hooked up to an Ethernet cable via my router so I don't have to manually do a firmware update like I used to have to with the Panny. That is one of the reasons I decided to buy the Oppo, but I still have to manually install most firmware updates because they're listed as "beta".

I'm not trying to bash Oppo, but I think this is one area they could improve on.

[solarrdadd]

Originally Posted by Tall Dog

I think the Oppo is a great BD player, and I'm not sorry I bought it, but I think they need to do a better job of trying to stay in front of firmware updates so the newer movies will play. There is nothing worse than to sit down with family to watch a movie and find out that it won't play.

I never had a problem with my old Panny DMP-BD30 not being able to play a newer movie. I updated the firmware for the Panny whenever a new version came out.

I do the same with the Oppo, but it just seems like their firmware updates come a little slow.

I can understand if they don't want to release a "major" firmware update until they're sure it won't cause harm, but minor updates to make sure the new release movies will play should come sooner and more often.

The updates should come automatically also. I have my Oppo hooked up to an Ethernet cable via my router so I don't have to manually do a firmware update like I used to have to with the Panny. That is one of the reasons I decided to buy the Oppo, but I still have to manually install most firmware updates because they're listed as "beta".

I'm not trying to bash Oppo, but I think this is one area they could improve on.

you'll never get a beta to download automatically because it's a beta! all of the official releases of the firmware, thus far as i have had my player for months have automatically downloaded for me. when i would start the machine up a notice pops up saying that there is a new firmware update do you want to install it now. beta's you have to download from the website on your own because it's a test firmware not an official.
also, it's hard to blame every machine maker for a disc that doesn't work. i don't honestly know if every maker gets advanced copies of every disc released to test it. can you imagine!?! how about the makers of the disc send it out to all the player makers and have them test it in their machine to give them time to make needed firmware updates and lets face it. if there were true standards for blu (i keep hearing there are) every disc would work in every machine, no question. no matter if your 1.1 or 2.0 if strick standards were in place, every disc would work in every machine. when a blu-ray approved change in the spec's would be agreed on, every blu-ray certified player would have to put those firmware updates in effect. mine you this is a perfect world and we don't live there so we have to make due where we are at!

mind you i commented earlier about the wolverine blu playback issue. its a bd-live issue, so turning the bd-live off in the player setup menu works, i'm sure oppo will take care of that soon, but i don't blame them, they didn't make the wolverine disc so they can't anticipate what the disc makers are going to do with a disc that won't work right in their machine.

i love my oppo, but i do hate the power cord it comes with! there, you see i do have a fault with Oppo!

[gonk]

Originally Posted by Tall Dog

I think the Oppo is a great BD player, and I'm not sorry I bought it, but I think they need to do a better job of trying to stay in front of firmware updates so the newer movies will play. There is nothing worse than to sit down with family to watch a movie and find out that it won't play.

I never had a problem with my old Panny DMP-BD30 not being able to play a newer movie. I updated the firmware for the Panny whenever a new version came out.

I do the same with the Oppo, but it just seems like their firmware updates come a little slow.

I can understand if they don't want to release a "major" firmware update until they're sure it won't cause harm, but minor updates to make sure the new release movies will play should come sooner and more often.

The updates should come automatically also. I have my Oppo hooked up to an Ethernet cable via my router so I don't have to manually do a firmware update like I used to have to with the Panny. That is one of the reasons I decided to buy the Oppo, but I still have to manually install most firmware updates because they're listed as "beta".

I'm not trying to bash Oppo, but I think this is one area they could improve on.

OPPO would agree with you, even though they've made considerable efforts from the very outset and many of us think they've already done a pretty impressive job. They have been working to get BDP-83's into all of the disc testing labs so that studios can include it in their disc compatibility testing, but that's no guarantee of being able to even know about compatibility problems until the disc hits the streets and consumers try to play it. I've also got a BD30, and it's been a pretty decent player but has also had some compatibility problems (Twilight still gives it fits when my wife watches it in the bedroom, but it works fine in the den on the BDP-83).

The beta firmware isn't pushed via the network because consumers need to have the choice of whether or not to use it. And even a "minor tweak" to fix disc compatibility can have repercussions - going straight into production firmware with them is risky.

[Tall Dog]

Originally Posted by gonk

OPPO would agree with you, even though they've made considerable efforts from the very outset and many of us think they've already done a pretty impressive job. They have been working to get BDP-83's into all of the disc testing labs so that studios can include it in their disc compatibility testing, but that's no guarantee of being able to even know about compatibility problems until the disc hits the streets and consumers try to play it. I've also got a BD30, and it's been a pretty decent player but has also had some compatibility problems (Twilight still gives it fits when my wife watches it in the bedroom, but it works fine in the den on the BDP-83).

The beta firmware isn't pushed via the network because consumers need to have the choice of whether or not to use it. And even a "minor tweak" to fix disc compatibility can have repercussions - going straight into production firmware with them is risky.

Gonk,

I agree with you, and I would prefer not to install "beta" firmware unless I have to, but if I want to watch some of the new release movies, the only way I can do it, is to manually install the beta firmware.

I guess I'm just saying that if I have to install the beta firmware to get the movies to play anyway, Oppo might as well make them "automatic" updates so they will download and install automatically.

Since I've had the player, there has only been one "automatic" firmware update, the rest, I've had to install manually.

I just think this issue of "beta" firmware updates vs an "approved" update is a little goofy. It's like Oppo is having us do the testing for them. IMO, if Oppo releases a firmware update, it should have already been tested by them, and they should have the confidence to make it an automatic approved update.

My old Panny never had "beta" updates.

Like I said, I'm not trying to bash Oppo, but I think they should look at this. Either release an update as a full approved update, or don't release it at all.

[solarrdadd]

Originally Posted by Tall Dog

Gonk,

I agree with you, and I would prefer not to install "beta" firmware unless I have to, but if I want to watch some of the new release movies, the only way I can do it, is to manually install the beta firmware.

I guess I'm just saying that if I have to install the beta firmware to get the movies to play anyway, Oppo might as well make them "automatic" updates so they will download and install automatically.

Since I've had the player, there has only been one "automatic" firmware update, the rest, I've had to install manually.

I just think this issue of "beta" firmware updates vs an "approved" update is a little goofy. It's like Oppo is having us do the testing for them. IMO, if Oppo releases a firmware update, it should have already been tested by them, and they should have the confidence to make it an automatic approved update.

My old Panny never had "beta" updates.

Like I said, I'm not trying to bash Oppo, but I think they should look at this. Either release an update as a full approved update, or don't release it at all.

beta testing is also how they get feedback from outside the labs from customers before they release it to the masses and find out that there is a problem that was unforseen in the test labs. some folks just don't release beta's but there is always a beta sometimes it's just in the labs.

[Uniquely]

Originally Posted by solarrdadd

if there were true standards for blu (i keep hearing there are) every disc would work in every machine, no question. no matter if your 1.1 or 2.0 if strict standards were in place, every disc would work in every machine.

Nominated for "Most Truthiness!"

[gonk]

Originally Posted by Tall Dog

Gonk,

I agree with you, and I would prefer not to install "beta" firmware unless I have to, but if I want to watch some of the new release movies, the only way I can do it, is to manually install the beta firmware.

I guess I'm just saying that if I have to install the beta firmware to get the movies to play anyway, Oppo might as well make them "automatic" updates so they will download and install automatically.

Since I've had the player, there has only been one "automatic" firmware update, the rest, I've had to install manually.

I suppose one option would be for them to put public beta firmware on the servers and allow network updates for machines already running an earlier beta. In that scenario, they would either want to disable "automatic updating" or tell folks to do automatic updates at their own "risk." You would still need to use USB or CD-R to move from beta to production firmware branches in that case, though. Email them and tell them you'd be interested in that. They will listen and they will consider it.

Originally Posted by Tall Dog

I just think this issue of "beta" firmware updates vs an "approved" update is a little goofy. It's like Oppo is having us do the testing for them. IMO, if Oppo releases a firmware update, it should have already been tested by them, and they should have the confidence to make it an automatic approved update.

My old Panny never had "beta" updates.

Like I said, I'm not trying to bash Oppo, but I think they should look at this. Either release an update as a full approved update, or don't release it at all.

Keep in mind that the public betas are not the same as the "test" firmware that the beta testers get. It has gone through some preliminary QA to make sure it doesn't do anything obviously nasty, but it simply hasn't been approved for loading onto new production hardware. It's an unusual concept - I don't know of any other electronics manufacturers doing it. I've been comfortably running public beta firmware on my OPPO players ever since the 971H I bought in 2005. I think they've been more common on the BDP-83 because of Blu-ray's ongoing issues with standards and compliance - it was a very rare case indeed that forced OPPO to release a firmware update to one of their DVD players to address playback of an individual disc (not sure it ever happened at all, come to think of it, unless it was an SACD or DVD-A title), but all Blu-ray manufacturers have struggled to deal with the problem with Blu-ray. Sony and Panasonic have an advantage in that regard, because they are bigger and more deeply involved in the BDA's inner workings. OPPO seems to be staying in line with or ahead of other manufacturers, though, and their old tradition of public beta firmware likely helps. Allowing download of public betas when players already have a public beta might be a nice refinement, though. Be aware that if they do that, you will probably still have to load one more beta firmware via USB to get a firmware version that will know where to look to download firmware via the network (that's what happened with the test firmware back when they enabled network installs, at least).

[Tall Dog]

Originally Posted by gonk

I suppose one option would be for them to put public beta firmware on the servers and allow network updates for machines already running an earlier beta. In that scenario, they would either want to disable "automatic updating" or tell folks to do automatic updates at their own "risk." You would still need to use USB or CD-R to move from beta to production firmware branches in that case, though. Email them and tell them you'd be interested in that. They will listen and they will consider it.

Keep in mind that the public betas are not the same as the "test" firmware that the beta testers get. It has gone through some preliminary QA to make sure it doesn't do anything obviously nasty, but it simply hasn't been approved for loading onto new production hardware. It's an unusual concept - I don't know of any other electronics manufacturers doing it. I've been comfortably running public beta firmware on my OPPO players ever since the 971H I bought in 2005. I think they've been more common on the BDP-83 because of Blu-ray's ongoing issues with standards and compliance - it was a very rare case indeed that forced OPPO to release a firmware update to one of their DVD players to address playback of an individual disc (not sure it ever happened at all, come to think of it, unless it was an SACD or DVD-A title), but all Blu-ray manufacturers have struggled to deal with the problem with Blu-ray. Sony and Panasonic have an advantage in that regard, because they are bigger and more deeply involved in the BDA's inner workings. OPPO seems to be staying in line with or ahead of other manufacturers, though, and their old tradition of public beta firmware likely helps. Allowing download of public betas when players already have a public beta might be a nice refinement, though. Be aware that if they do that, you will probably still have to load one more beta firmware via USB to get a firmware version that will know where to look to download firmware via the network (that's what happened with the test firmware back when they enabled network installs, at least).

Way to complicated, like I said, if Oppo releases new firmware it should have already been vetted and safe to install, otherwise, just hold off until it is. JMHO

[Hammie]

Just an FYI, Oppo had me install the beta firmware due to an issue I was having.

I was having issues getting my SACD's to play in 5.1 multi-channel DSD over HDMI to my Denon receiver. A temp solution I had to do was change from DSD to PCM and then back to DSD.

I have not yet tested the beta firmware extensively, but from the couple discs I tried, it seems to have been fixed.