Pioneer 9G Owners Thread - Present & Future

[nugent]

Originally Posted by Carvince

I bought my elite pro-151fd back in Nov. '08 and never broke-it in. Is too late for me to break-in my plasma?

Unless it's been sitting in a box or collecting dust and has never been used then it IS broken in. I am assuming you have been using it as normal since you purchased.

All the break in process is for is to evenly age the pixels so that the calibration settings can be applied sooner rather than waiting the suggested 150 hours of run time.

[edubb5]

Pro 111fd look great! Got the isf modes unlocked!

[BLUCanadian]

So Ill be picking up my Pioneer Kuro Pro-101FD tomorrow and I would like a little bit of clarification on a couple of things.

1. According to D-Nice's thread on AVS, I am assuming that the 101FD "should be" broken in, however, there are no optimal setting provided for after the break in period. Am I to assume that the factory settings are correct or should I calibrate with DVE or try other peoples personal settings?

2. I plan on doing a break-in with the DVD from D-Nice's thread on AVS. However, I dont think I will be able to survive the whole 150 hrs straight without watching something on it. If I stick to programming that fills the screen, should I be OK to watch some TV/Blu-ray inbetween the break-in cycle?

Thanks

[TheZoof]

Finally got my 500m up and running!!!

Looking ok so far... Will be taking some pics soon....

Proud to be in the KURO club. LOL

[HDTV1080P]

My brief comments about the OPPO BDP-83 connected to a Pioneer plasma

The OPPO BDP-83 BLU-RAY player I purchased back in early August has been the best BLU-RAY player that I have every used so far. The disc load speeds are the fastest I have experienced on a standalone player. Also the ability to play SACD and DVD-Audio discs was a nice feature to have. BLU-RAY movies are encoded in standard 24 bit color depth. I connected the OPPO BDP-83 up to a Pioneer PRO-141FD Elite Signature series plasma display and set the OPPO player to upconvert 24 bit BLU-RAY discs to 36 bit deep color (36 bit deep color is the maximum allowed on the OPPO BDP-83 and Pioneer 9th generation plasma). The 36 bit deep color upconvert looks great on the Pioneer plasma when connected to the OPPO player (Pioneer also offers BLU-RAY players that have deep color. Some Pioneer players can do 48 bit deep color, but the limitation of the 9th generation Pioneer plasma screens is 36 bit deep color). Hopefully one day a extension of the BLU-RAY format using multilayer 100GB+ discs would allow for native 48 bit Deep Color BLU-RAY releases (No official plans yet for native 48 bit deep color, but it would be a nice enhancement to the BLU-RAY format).

I really like the two free BLU-RAY demonstration video and audio discs that comes with the OPPO BDP-83 (One disc comes with the player and the other bonus BLU-RAY audio disc ships a week later from OPPO when one purchases the player directly from OPPO). These are useful discs to use as demo material for video and audio. The Spears and Munsil disc that comes with the OPPO got good reviews over at the Home Theater website http://hometheatermag.com/advicefromtheexperts/spears_and_munsil/

I really like the source direct feature and multi-system menu option on the OPPO that will output a PAL DVD or PAL BLU-RAY disc in native PAL format (As long as the disc being played is region free it works with the officially OPPO firmware). The Pioneer Elite Signature series have worldwide signal support and allow native PAL and SECAM signals to be sent directly into the monitor. For those that do not have worldwide signal support displays the OPPO also has the option to convert PAL to NTSC.

The 1GB of internal memory built in for BD-LIVE is a nice feature. There are also two external USB 2.0 jacks that are ideal for those wanting to add external memory to the OPPO. The instruction manual that comes with the OPPO is in easy to understand English langauge. The manual is very will written compared to other manuals I have seen.

The Pioneer plasmas will automatically display 1080p/24 signals from BLU-RAY disc players at 72HZ regardless of the menu settings. Also if the Pioneer receives a 480I source direct signal from the OPPO BDP-83, the Pioneer will upconvert the image to 1080P/24 and then display the image at 72HZ as long as the Pioneer is set to Advanced mode under PureCinema. The OPPO also has an excellent video processor and the OPPO can upconvert 480I DVD's to 1080P/24 if ones display lacks a reverse 3:2 pulldown feature. I do miss the 24P indicator that was located on players like Sony and others that let the consumer know when 1080P/24 output is being sent to the dispaly. It would be nice if the OPPO on screen menu would also show the frame rate of the signal being outputed instead of just showing 1080P. This would make it easier to confirm HDMI communication for 1080P/24 is working correctly. The OPPO also has a forced 1080P/24 mode for those that have trouble with auto 1080p/24 detection working.

The cheapest place to purchase the OPPO BDP-83 is Amazon for $499.99 with free shipping. One can also purchase an OPPO BDP-83 from OPPO directly for $499.00 plus $18 for shipping. I decided to purchase the OPPO directly from OPPO since they offer an Optional RS-232 connection that can be installed at the factory. I am surprised OPPO does not call the player with a RS-232 jack added on at the factory a diffrent model number like BDP-84. Instead OPPO only has one model of BLU-RAY player called the BDP-83 for $499 when ordered without the RS-232 jack and an additional fee of $89 if you want a RS-232 jack included on the player. Currently right now I did not need a player with RS-232, but I ordered the player directly from OPPO with the RS-232 installed just in case I want to interface the OPPO in the future with a home automation controller. The Pioneer Elite Plasma and Elite A/V receiver already have a built in RS-232 interface, so in the future it would be ideal to interface everything with a home automation controller. One day also I might want to remodel and make a home theater room with a Front Projector and the RS-232 feature on consumer electronics devices is nice to have. I also ended up getting an IR sensor cable from OPPO for additional $20 in case I needed one in the future. I did wish the OPPO company would double box the player when shipping it instead of sending it in the original display box.

I am so impressed with the OPPO that I plan on purchasing a few more OPPO BDP-83's for other locations in the house. The OPPO for $499 or $588 with RS-232 jack is a bargain when compared to some BLU-RAY players that cost around $4,500. The OPPO is twice as fast as a $4,500 BLU-RAY player at loading discs and its video processor is just as good as quality as a $4,500 BLU-RAY player. I can see why so many video professionals and magazines have made the OPPO BDP-83 BLU-RAY player their reference BLU-RAY player to compare all other BLU-RAY players too.

[sunnyny2000]

Originally Posted by HDTV1080P

My brief comments about the OPPO BDP-83 connected to a Pioneer plasma

Very nice review. Thank you.

[HDTV1080P]

The Pioneer Elite A/V receivers and/or Pioneer Elite Signature series monitors need a firmware update so that the HDMI control can work properly

Over the last few months I have connected several Pioneer Home Theater systems for people I know who are family members. In each Home Theater setup I used a Pioneer Elite PRO-141FD or Pioneer Elite PRO-101FD Elite Signature monitor. Also in every setup I used a Pioneer Elite A/V receiver accept for one person I used a Yamaha receiver. Most the Pioneer receivers used were the 2008 SC-07 model's since the new 2009 SC-27 model was not out yet. One person I used the Pioneer VSX-03TXH for the home theater installation. Perhaps in the future I might use the top of the line SC-09TX model for any friends or relatives I know that request that model to be used in a higher-end 7.1 speaker setup. Overall I preferred the Pioneer Elite A/V receivers to other models. Pioneer has great build quality and all the Elite models are THX certified and support SACD over HDMI. One feature that is not available on all the 2008 and 2009 Pioneer receivers is the digital HD Radio tuner feature. Almost every other company offers one or more receivers with digital HD radio tuner built in. For most installations the radio feature was not important since the family members planned on using the Pioneer for mostly home theater movie watching. All the Elite Pioneer's support analog AM/FM radio, and subscription satellite radio with an optional add on adapter. Some models like the SC-07 and SC-27 support Internet radio. I found the Internet radio to be a nice feature for one person I know that lives in a remote area with no radio reception. This person for the first time could listen to radio since the SC-07 had several hundreds of Internet radio feeds to listen to from all around the world. This person could not use a standard AM/FM radio since there was none close enough to pick up reception. They were able to get DSL service on a home network and interface the Pioneer to the Internet. Personally I do not like the sound of the low bit rate MP3 Internet radio and do most my listening with SACD's or standard CD's.

The family members I installed these Pioneer displays for had never owned a flat screen before and were still using high-end 27 inch CRT tube TV's from the early 90's. In fact they just purchased their very first low priced low quality surround sound system in 2008. 99% of the time when they first got their first surround sound system back in 2008 they would not even turn it on and would use the speakers in their 27 inch CRT TV instead. At first they were a little upset that the Pioneer plasma monitors they were going to purchase had no speakers, table top stand, and tuners included. Then once they heard surround sound for the very first time using tower speakers they were amazed at what they had been missing all these years. In fact I am glad I recommended the top of the line PRO-141FD and PRO-101FD Elite Signature monitors instead of a Pioneer with built in speakers. If they would have purchased a normal Pioneer PRO-151FD or PRO-111FD with built in speakers they would have never purchased a new surround sound system. They would have left the old surround system off and kept using the TV speakers for movie watching. Many consumers still only purchase a flat screen and they are missing out on the much better sound quality a good surround sound system can sound like. Now they are very happy they have a surround sound system and since the Pioneer monitors do not have any speakers they are forced to use the surround sound system 100% of the time. They also love the surround sound which is nice to have in more than one room in a house.

Slight HDCP issue with the Pioneer VSX-03TXH receiver and a D-VHS machine

When I connected a couple of JVC HM-DT100U's up to a Pioneer SC-07 everything worked perfectly fine with no problems. When I connected a JVC HM-DH5U up to a Pioneer VSX-03TXH there was a HDCP issue that would not allow the VCR to play prerecorded 1080I D-Theater tapes when connected directly to the receiver. The funny thing is that the receiver still allowed the VCR to be used for everything else including watching ones own digital 1080I recordings from Verizon FIOS. When the JVC HM-DH5U was connected directly up to the PRO-101FD monitor with the receiver bypassed everything worked just fine with prerecorded D-Theater 1080I movies.

The HDMI Control issue

There is a feature on the Pioneer receivers and Pioneer Elite Signature monitors called HDMI control that allows Pioneer and other brands of HDMI devices to communicate with each other. The way it is suppose to work is when one turns on the HDMI control feature in the Pioneer monitor menu and the Pioneer receiver menu both devices are suppose to communicate with each other. For all installations I used Monster Cable M1000HD HDMI cables. So there is no problem with the quality of the HDMI cable construction.

When HDMI control is turned on in the Pioneer monitor and HDMI control on in any Pioneer receiver both devices are able to communicate with each other. A nice bar graph volume control will appear on the screen when adjusting the volume for a PRO-141FD and PRO-101FD when connected with a Pioneer receiver with HDMI control feature. Also when the power button is pushed on the remote for the PRO-141FD or PRO-101FD the Pioneer monitor and A/V receiver will both turn off with one push of the button. Pushing the power button again on the Pioneer monitor remote turns both the receiver and monitor on together.

Here is the problem with the HDMI control

Up to now it sounds like everything is working fine but it is not. The Pioneer monitor and Pioneer receiver are both connected to each other using a HDMI cable which is required to get 1080P quality from a BLU-RAY player. Also all other devices connected are using HDMI connections going into the receiver. The receiver is used for all video and audio switching. Now days all HD cable boxes and HD satellite receivers use HDMI connections. So everything including the D-VHS machines are using HDMI connections. The problem occurs when the Pioneer PRO-141FD and PRO-101FD send a command to the Pioneer receiver to turn the power on. What happens is the Pioneer receiver first turns itself on but then the Pioneer receiver will always switch to the TV input mode since the PRO-141FD and PRO-101FD send a signal to the receiver telling it to switch to the TV mode. The way all the Pioneer receivers are designed including the top of the line $7,000 SC-09TX is that if the receiver switches to the TV mode and the HDMI control is turned on then the TV mode cannot be assigned to a HDMI input. Only if the HDMI control is turned off can one assign the TV mode to a HDMI input on the Pioneer receivers. The other problem is there is no menu option in the PRO-141FD and PRO-101FD that would stop the plasma from telling the receiver to switch to TV mode when the power button is pushed on the remote for the monitor when HDMI control is on. I also connected a Yamaha receiver up to one Pioneer monitor installation. With the HDMI control on the Pioneer PRO-101FD kept telling the Yamaha receiver to switch to the TV mode which is not a HDMI input.

The problem with the Pioneer receivers is that when HDMI control is turned on the receiver assignments can not be made to input sources like the TV mode. Only if HDMI control is turned off can the Pioneer receivers allow the HDMI inputs to be assigned to inputs like TV. When HDMI control is on all the HDMI inputs are locked into the HDMI input modes. Sure you can rename HDMI inputs when HDMI control is on, but one can not assign the inputs to modes like TV ,SAT, and several other inputs. If it is technically possible I wish Pioneer would offer a firmware update for its receivers that would allow HDMI inputs to be assigned to other inputs when the HDMI control is turned on. The way it is now, if I want HDMI control turned on the TV mode has to be assigned to a component input on a receiver or other analog input. Very few people use HD over component anymore. We live in a HDMI world now.

The other problem is with the PRO-141FD and PRO-101FD sending the message to any connected receiver to switch to the TV input when the power is pushed on the remote. Since the TV input on all Pioneer receivers can not be assigned to HDMI when HDMI control is on, it creates the problem where the receiver always goes to the wrong input when the power button is pushed on the Pioneer plasma monitors.

I wish Pioneer would issue a firmware update to the PRO-141FD, PRO-101FD, and all other Pioneer plasma models that would have a menu option to tell the plasma monitors to stop sending a command to the receivers to switch to the TV mode. If such an update would occur then I could then use the HDMI control feature without the receiver always switching to the wrong input when it turns on.

The current work around I am using on all Pioneer setups

I have disabled the HDMI control feature on both the Pioneer plasma monitors and Pioneer A/V receivers since the Pioneer receivers would switch to the wrong input when turned on. I no longer have the on screen volume control for the PRO-141FD and PRO-101FD since that feature only works with HDMI control being turned on in both devices. I ended up using a special universal remote that allows one power button to send two IR power control functions to the Pioneer receiver and Pioneer monitor. So the only real important feature I am missing is a on screen volume control. I really never liked on screen volume controls anyways since it is distracting while the movie is playing.

[ShockWave]

Just got the KRP 500M last night. Breaking it in right now. So far very impressive monitor.

[BLUCanadian]

anybody now where I can find some good out-of-the-box settings for the Pro-101fd. I am not doing any type of specific break-in since I will eventually be getting it ISF Calibrated. I would be interested in some Blu-ray settings as well as some HDTV satellite TV settings.
Thanks

[TheZoof]

There are a ton on avsforums.

I got my 500M ones on there(that I haven't tried yet).

[sarge1976]

Originally Posted by HDTV1080P

The Pioneer Elite A/V receivers and/or Pioneer Elite Signature series monitors need a firmware update so that the HDMI control can work properly

Over the last few months I have connected several Pioneer Home Theater systems for people I know who are family members. In each Home Theater setup I used a Pioneer Elite PRO-141FD or Pioneer Elite PRO-101FD Elite Signature monitor. Also in every setup I used a Pioneer Elite A/V receiver accept for one person I used a Yamaha receiver. Most the Pioneer receivers used were the 2008 SC-07 model's since the new 2009 SC-27 model was not out yet. One person I used the Pioneer VSX-03TXH for the home theater installation. Perhaps in the future I might use the top of the line SC-09TX model for any friends or relatives I know that request that model to be used in a higher-end 7.1 speaker setup. Overall I preferred the Pioneer Elite A/V receivers to other models. Pioneer has great build quality and all the Elite models are THX certified and support SACD over HDMI. One feature that is not available on all the 2008 and 2009 Pioneer receivers is the digital HD Radio tuner feature. Almost every other company offers one or more receivers with digital HD radio tuner built in. For most installations the radio feature was not important since the family members planned on using the Pioneer for mostly home theater movie watching. All the Elite Pioneer's support analog AM/FM radio, and subscription satellite radio with an optional add on adapter. Some models like the SC-07 and SC-27 support Internet radio. I found the Internet radio to be a nice feature for one person I know that lives in a remote area with no radio reception. This person for the first time could listen to radio since the SC-07 had several hundreds of Internet radio feeds to listen to from all around the world. This person could not use a standard AM/FM radio since there was none close enough to pick up reception. They were able to get DSL service on a home network and interface the Pioneer to the Internet. Personally I do not like the sound of the low bit rate MP3 Internet radio and do most my listening with SACD's or standard CD's.

The family members I installed these Pioneer displays for had never owned a flat screen before and were still using high-end 27 inch CRT tube TV's from the early 90's. In fact they just purchased their very first low priced low quality surround sound system in 2008. 99% of the time when they first got their first surround sound system back in 2008 they would not even turn it on and would use the speakers in their 27 inch CRT TV instead. At first they were a little upset that the Pioneer plasma monitors they were going to purchase had no speakers, table top stand, and tuners included. Then once they heard surround sound for the very first time using tower speakers they were amazed at what they had been missing all these years. In fact I am glad I recommended the top of the line PRO-141FD and PRO-101FD Elite Signature monitors instead of a Pioneer with built in speakers. If they would have purchased a normal Pioneer PRO-151FD or PRO-111FD with built in speakers they would have never purchased a new surround sound system. They would have left the old surround system off and kept using the TV speakers for movie watching. Many consumers still only purchase a flat screen and they are missing out on the much better sound quality a good surround sound system can sound like. Now they are very happy they have a surround sound system and since the Pioneer monitors do not have any speakers they are forced to use the surround sound system 100% of the time. They also love the surround sound which is nice to have in more than one room in a house.

Slight HDCP issue with the Pioneer VSX-03TXH receiver and a D-VHS machine

When I connected a couple of JVC HM-DT100U's up to a Pioneer SC-07 everything worked perfectly fine with no problems. When I connected a JVC HM-DH5U up to a Pioneer VSX-03TXH there was a HDCP issue that would not allow the VCR to play prerecorded 1080I D-Theater tapes when connected directly to the receiver. The funny thing is that the receiver still allowed the VCR to be used for everything else including watching ones own digital 1080I recordings from Verizon FIOS. When the JVC HM-DH5U was connected directly up to the PRO-101FD monitor with the receiver bypassed everything worked just fine with prerecorded D-Theater 1080I movies.

The HDMI Control issue

There is a feature on the Pioneer receivers and Pioneer Elite Signature monitors called HDMI control that allows Pioneer and other brands of HDMI devices to communicate with each other. The way it is suppose to work is when one turns on the HDMI control feature in the Pioneer monitor menu and the Pioneer receiver menu both devices are suppose to communicate with each other. For all installations I used Monster Cable M1000HD HDMI cables. So there is no problem with the quality of the HDMI cable construction.

When HDMI control is turned on in the Pioneer monitor and HDMI control on in any Pioneer receiver both devices are able to communicate with each other. A nice bar graph volume control will appear on the screen when adjusting the volume for a PRO-141FD and PRO-101FD when connected with a Pioneer receiver with HDMI control feature. Also when the power button is pushed on the remote for the PRO-141FD or PRO-101FD the Pioneer monitor and A/V receiver will both turn off with one push of the button. Pushing the power button again on the Pioneer monitor remote turns both the receiver and monitor on together.

Here is the problem with the HDMI control

Up to now it sounds like everything is working fine but it is not. The Pioneer monitor and Pioneer receiver are both connected to each other using a HDMI cable which is required to get 1080P quality from a BLU-RAY player. Also all other devices connected are using HDMI connections going into the receiver. The receiver is used for all video and audio switching. Now days all HD cable boxes and HD satellite receivers use HDMI connections. So everything including the D-VHS machines are using HDMI connections. The problem occurs when the Pioneer PRO-141FD and PRO-101FD send a command to the Pioneer receiver to turn the power on. What happens is the Pioneer receiver first turns itself on but then the Pioneer receiver will always switch to the TV input mode since the PRO-141FD and PRO-101FD send a signal to the receiver telling it to switch to the TV mode. The way all the Pioneer receivers are designed including the top of the line $7,000 SC-09TX is that if the receiver switches to the TV mode and the HDMI control is turned on then the TV mode cannot be assigned to a HDMI input. Only if the HDMI control is turned off can one assign the TV mode to a HDMI input on the Pioneer receivers. The other problem is there is no menu option in the PRO-141FD and PRO-101FD that would stop the plasma from telling the receiver to switch to TV mode when the power button is pushed on the remote for the monitor when HDMI control is on. I also connected a Yamaha receiver up to one Pioneer monitor installation. With the HDMI control on the Pioneer PRO-101FD kept telling the Yamaha receiver to switch to the TV mode which is not a HDMI input.

The problem with the Pioneer receivers is that when HDMI control is turned on the receiver assignments can not be made to input sources like the TV mode. Only if HDMI control is turned off can the Pioneer receivers allow the HDMI inputs to be assigned to inputs like TV. When HDMI control is on all the HDMI inputs are locked into the HDMI input modes. Sure you can rename HDMI inputs when HDMI control is on, but one can not assign the inputs to modes like TV ,SAT, and several other inputs. If it is technically possible I wish Pioneer would offer a firmware update for its receivers that would allow HDMI inputs to be assigned to other inputs when the HDMI control is turned on. The way it is now, if I want HDMI control turned on the TV mode has to be assigned to a component input on a receiver or other analog input. Very few people use HD over component anymore. We live in a HDMI world now.

The other problem is with the PRO-141FD and PRO-101FD sending the message to any connected receiver to switch to the TV input when the power is pushed on the remote. Since the TV input on all Pioneer receivers can not be assigned to HDMI when HDMI control is on, it creates the problem where the receiver always goes to the wrong input when the power button is pushed on the Pioneer plasma monitors.

I wish Pioneer would issue a firmware update to the PRO-141FD, PRO-101FD, and all other Pioneer plasma models that would have a menu option to tell the plasma monitors to stop sending a command to the receivers to switch to the TV mode. If such an update would occur then I could then use the HDMI control feature without the receiver always switching to the wrong input when it turns on.

The current work around I am using on all Pioneer setups

I have disabled the HDMI control feature on both the Pioneer plasma monitors and Pioneer A/V receivers since the Pioneer receivers would switch to the wrong input when turned on. I no longer have the on screen volume control for the PRO-141FD and PRO-101FD since that feature only works with HDMI control being turned on in both devices. I ended up using a special universal remote that allows one power button to send two IR power control functions to the Pioneer receiver and Pioneer monitor. So the only real important feature I am missing is a on screen volume control. I really never liked on screen volume controls anyways since it is distracting while the movie is playing.

Thank you for this info, I'm glad someone finally addressed this issue. I have the same problems with my Pioneer 600M and my Pioneer Elite SC-27, it takes me a good 2-3 mins to get the TV on the correct input when the AVR is on. It can be a real pain in the ass at times , Thanks again for looking into this problem

[sarge1976]

Originally Posted by HDTV1080P

My brief comments about the OPPO BDP-83 connected to a Pioneer plasma

The OPPO BDP-83 BLU-RAY player I purchased back in early August has been the best BLU-RAY player that I have every used so far. The disc load speeds are the fastest I have experienced on a standalone player. Also the ability to play SACD and DVD-Audio discs was a nice feature to have. BLU-RAY movies are encoded in standard 24 bit color depth. I connected the OPPO BDP-83 up to a Pioneer PRO-141FD Elite Signature series plasma display and set the OPPO player to upconvert 24 bit BLU-RAY discs to 36 bit deep color (36 bit deep color is the maximum allowed on the OPPO BDP-83 and Pioneer 9th generation plasma). The 36 bit deep color upconvert looks great on the Pioneer plasma when connected to the OPPO player (Pioneer also offers BLU-RAY players that have deep color. Some Pioneer players can do 48 bit deep color, but the limitation of the 9th generation Pioneer plasma screens is 36 bit deep color). Hopefully one day a extension of the BLU-RAY format using multilayer 100GB+ discs would allow for native 48 bit Deep Color BLU-RAY releases (No official plans yet for native 48 bit deep color, but it would be a nice enhancement to the BLU-RAY format).

I really like the two free BLU-RAY demonstration video and audio discs that comes with the OPPO BDP-83 (One disc comes with the player and the other bonus BLU-RAY audio disc ships a week later from OPPO when one purchases the player directly from OPPO). These are useful discs to use as demo material for video and audio. The Spears and Munsil disc that comes with the OPPO got good reviews over at the Home Theater website http://hometheatermag.com/advicefromtheexperts/spears_and_munsil/

I really like the source direct feature and multi-system menu option on the OPPO that will output a PAL DVD or PAL BLU-RAY disc in native PAL format (As long as the disc being played is region free it works with the officially OPPO firmware). The Pioneer Elite Signature series have worldwide signal support and allow native PAL and SECAM signals to be sent directly into the monitor. For those that do not have worldwide signal support displays the OPPO also has the option to convert PAL to NTSC.

The 1GB of internal memory built in for BD-LIVE is a nice feature. There are also two external USB 2.0 jacks that are ideal for those wanting to add external memory to the OPPO. The instruction manual that comes with the OPPO is in easy to understand English langauge. The manual is very will written compared to other manuals I have seen.

The Pioneer plasmas will automatically display 1080p/24 signals from BLU-RAY disc players at 72HZ regardless of the menu settings. Also if the Pioneer receives a 480I source direct signal from the OPPO BDP-83, the Pioneer will upconvert the image to 1080P/24 and then display the image at 72HZ as long as the Pioneer is set to Advanced mode under PureCinema. The OPPO also has an excellent video processor and the OPPO can upconvert 480I DVD's to 1080P/24 if ones display lacks a reverse 3:2 pulldown feature. I do miss the 24P indicator that was located on players like Sony and others that let the consumer know when 1080P/24 output is being sent to the dispaly. It would be nice if the OPPO on screen menu would also show the frame rate of the signal being outputed instead of just showing 1080P. This would make it easier to confirm HDMI communication for 1080P/24 is working correctly. The OPPO also has a forced 1080P/24 mode for those that have trouble with auto 1080p/24 detection working.

The cheapest place to purchase the OPPO BDP-83 is Amazon for $499.99 with free shipping. One can also purchase an OPPO BDP-83 from OPPO directly for $499.00 plus $18 for shipping. I decided to purchase the OPPO directly from OPPO since they offer an Optional RS-232 connection that can be installed at the factory. I am surprised OPPO does not call the player with a RS-232 jack added on at the factory a diffrent model number like BDP-84. Instead OPPO only has one model of BLU-RAY player called the BDP-83 for $499 when ordered without the RS-232 jack and an additional fee of $89 if you want a RS-232 jack included on the player. Currently right now I did not need a player with RS-232, but I ordered the player directly from OPPO with the RS-232 installed just in case I want to interface the OPPO in the future with a home automation controller. The Pioneer Elite Plasma and Elite A/V receiver already have a built in RS-232 interface, so in the future it would be ideal to interface everything with a home automation controller. One day also I might want to remodel and make a home theater room with a Front Projector and the RS-232 feature on consumer electronics devices is nice to have. I also ended up getting an IR sensor cable from OPPO for additional $20 in case I needed one in the future. I did wish the OPPO company would double box the player when shipping it instead of sending it in the original display box.

I am so impressed with the OPPO that I plan on purchasing a few more OPPO BDP-83's for other locations in the house. The OPPO for $499 or $588 with RS-232 jack is a bargain when compared to some BLU-RAY players that cost around $4,500. The OPPO is twice as fast as a $4,500 BLU-RAY player at loading discs and its video processor is just as good as quality as a $4,500 BLU-RAY player. I can see why so many video professionals and magazines have made the OPPO BDP-83 BLU-RAY player their reference BLU-RAY player to compare all other BLU-RAY players too.

I have an Oppo as well and I love it , everytime somebody asks me what kind of BD player I own, I tell them an Oppo BDP-83 and they look at me like
I have 2 heads.(They think I said "Optimus") people who don't frequent these types of forums have no idea what an "Oppo" is.

[sarge1976]

Originally Posted by TheZoof

Finally got my 500m up and running!!!

Looking ok so far... Will be taking some pics soon....

Proud to be in the KURO club. LOL

Congrats Zoof on your Kuro , Welcome to the "Kuro Klub"

[TheZoof]

Originally Posted by sarge1976

Congrats Zoof on your Kuro , Welcome to the "Kuro Klub"

Thank you!

I am not sure if I should open up a new thread or not but I have a question for all you KURO owners.

I currently am just using default settings on my 500M and it is just the first weekend of use.

My problem is that PURE mode looks terrible comparing it to Optimal mode. I can understand the blacks are better in that and sometime Optimal is too 'bright' showing specles in white/sky type situations but that is expected. The problem is that PURE mode picture isn't clear. The image definition on Optimal mode shows off blu-ray so much better than PURE. I can show some screen shots on what I mean... to me it is like going from 720P(pure mode) to 1080p(optimal).

Does anyone else have this experience??? Is it normal? Should I lose detail when I go to PURE?

[sarge1976]

Originally Posted by TheZoof

Thank you!

I am not sure if I should open up a new thread or not but I have a question for all you KURO owners.

I currently am just using default settings on my 500M and it is just the first weekend of use.

My problem is that PURE mode looks terrible comparing it to Optimal mode. I can understand the blacks are better in that and sometime Optimal is too 'bright' showing specles in white/sky type situations but that is expected. The problem is that PURE mode picture isn't clear. The image definition on Optimal mode shows off blu-ray so much better than PURE. I can show some screen shots on what I mean... to me it is like going from 720P(pure mode) to 1080p(optimal).

Does anyone else have this experience??? Is it normal? Should I lose detail when I go to PURE?

I have the same problem with my 600M, I use the "Standard" mode for Directv and Blu-ray because "Pure" looks horrible for BD, it make movies look dull. I just bought ControlCal to see if that will help with the PQ,It should be here today.

[qwknuf6]

I use pure mode and do not see any drop off in detail ,. Optimal setting does not look natural to me . I am not using the default settings .
Mark

[TheZoof]

Originally Posted by qwknuf6

I use pure mode and do not see any drop off in detail ,. Optimal setting does not look natural to me . I am not using the default settings .
Mark

Hmmm...

That's really weird. It is huge difference for me. I admit that Optimal doesn't look 100% natural. It looks like DNR or something but the detail is key. If you stare at a scene(ie: first scene in I am Legend when Smith is pulling up to the house in the station wagon or whatever and you see the famous building with the tree infront of it. Put it on pause and then switch from Optimal to Pure. I can see all the individual leaves in Optimal but a blurred tree in Pure).

I do realize that I have nothing tuned but from all the reviews etc of PURE being so great out of the box, it just doesn't seem to be the case. I have played around with some settings a little bit and actually it doesn't seem to make much of a difference for this problem.

[qwknuf6]

I will mess around with modes tonight and report back . My KURO is still fairly new to me .I know there is a break in period before you can calibrate them. I think the gray scale changes after 150 hours of use .

Mark

[TheZoof]

Originally Posted by qwknuf6

I will mess around with modes tonight and report back . My KURO is still fairly new to me .I know there is a break in period before you can calibrate them. I think the gray scale changes after 150 hours of use .

Mark

Thanks for your time.

Yes I have not made any changes yet as I was also told to wait until after break in. I have watched most things full screen to this point with a few exceptions.

I decided to take a few screenshots of what I am seeing. Now either image is as good as it really looks but it should give you an idea of what I am talking about. Focus on the tips of the tree branches and that is the type of problem I see with Pure mode.

[lokir1]

Originally Posted by TheZoof

Thanks for your time.

Yes I have not made any changes yet as I was also told to wait until after break in. I have watched most things full screen to this point with a few exceptions.

I decided to take a few screenshots of what I am seeing. Now either image is as good as it really looks but it should give you an idea of what I am talking about. Focus on the tips of the tree branches and that is the type of problem I see with Pure mode.

Wow i have a 151fd the m series is supposed to be a step up from what i have and not to put you down or bash u but both pics look like crap honestly i would have to say use d nices settings for ur kuro in any mode pure or with control-cal isf day night etc start there as your reference points and gradually tweak the picture to what seems best to you from there whether its increasing contrast or color or decreasing depending on your lighting till it looks best to YOU remeber control-cal alone is not equal to a custom calibration with all required equipment either by you or an isf pro its basically jus getting your foot in the door huge differences on the + side but probably get you to 85-90% of what your set can do to reach the full 100% a full customisf calibration must be donei love control-cal isf day night and auto modes are leaps n bounds beyond any settings or tweaks that can be made w/o it eventually ill get a custom isf calibration but for now for the price of control-cal im more than satisfied