OPPO DV-981HD No Longer Plays PAL Discs

[elling]

My OPPO DV-981HD has mysteriously refused to play PAL discs. It used to, before I moved about a month ago. I had to re-perform the region code hack today to change the region from 1 to 0 (it had apparently "reset" itself to 1 while in storage during the move). When I play a disc I see a split second of the BBC logo and then the picture goes black but the sound still plays. It plays region 1 discs fine btw.

This is my software info. (from the Setup menu, after entering 9210):

MVersion
05.00.01.07

SUB-VER
00.00.00.01

Servo
23.70.00.00

Batch
OP981-20-0722A

[Ai Haibara]

On a number of devices, leaving the unit disconnected from the power source for an extended period of time can cause it to 'forget' its settings - up to acting like a complete factory reset (it reverts to the state it was in when you bought it).
Does it work (and 'stick') if you redo all the steps you had to perform to get it to play PAL discs, originally?

[elling]

Well, I only have 3 PAL discs and none of them are playing properly in my 981 right now. I did update the s/w to Batch 20-0722A before moving but I have not played any PAL discs after the update (nor any non-region 1 discs). I'm beginning to think that maybe Batch 20-0722A is the culprit here. I will install Batch 19-0701A (or 19-0701B or 19-0701) tomorrow and see if that helps.

As for the settings changes "sticking" it is remembering the region 0 setting after several restarts. It also remembered my front light panel settings changes that were made before moving (I was pleasantly surprised about that!).

Thanks for the fast reply, btw!

[hech54]

Why do you keep mentioning "region code"? It is the conversion process within the machine that has gone wrong. Check the menu.

[elling]

Why do you keep mentioning "region code"?

Because when I attempted to play my PAL disc yesterday OPPO gave me a "Wrong Region!" message. I then changed it from 1 to 0.

It is the conversion process within the machine that has gone wrong. Check the menu.

Specifically what in the menu do I need to check to address the conversion process?

[hech54]

Why do you keep mentioning "region code"?

Because when I attempted to play my PAL disc yesterday OPPO gave me a "Wrong Region!" message.

NOW you tell us.


Look for an "output" something-or-other in the menu. If it is a converting player then it should
have a setting that allows you to choose PAL, NTSC or Automatic. No matter what kind of disc
is in the machine...it will output to your choice.

[elling]

I tried changing the output (under "TV Type" in the Setup Menu Preference Page) to PAL, NTSC and Automatic and there is no video with either setting. I'll probably try the Batch 19-0701* software update next (it did play PAL discs before updating to 20-0722A).

[jman98]

elling - In the USA and Canada, the only safe output option is NTSC. This means "send all video out to the TV as NTSC, converting from PAL if necessary". PAL means "send out all video output to the TV as PAL, converting from NTSC if necessary". Automatic (sometimes called ANY or MULTI on other players) means "send all video output to the TV in the same format as the source and do not convert anything". Most TVs sold in North America cannot correctly display PAL video, so NTSC is the only safe option. Some HDTVs are capable of displaying PAL correctly, but not all. Samsung, for example, cannot. So if you don't know for a fact that your TV, whatever it is, can display PAL video correctly, you should always use NTSC.

[elling]

Thanks for that tip, jman. Fwiw, when I set the output to NTSC my PAL video was not showing. This is my TV (I bought it after the move). I no longer have my old TV and the signal from my OPPO goes thru a Sima CT-2 "GoDVD!" video enhancer via either S-video or composite cable, to my Pioneer DVR-650H-K DVD burner (standalone); then via HDMI from the Pioneer 650 to my Denon AVR-2311CI A/V receiver and finally out to my Samsung TV (via HDMI).

With the exception of the Denon AVR-2311CI (I had a different model Denon receiver) & TV this is the exact setup that was used to play PAL discs before I moved, and, before I updated the OPPO s/w to Batch 20-0722A. I will see if Batch 19-0701* helps. Edit: Now that I think about it, the OPPO Batch # shouldn't make a difference at all as they say:

"All new features and improvements from the previous firmware versions are also included in this revision"

Another forum (AVS forum link with good info.) that I glanced at seemed to suggest that switching the output (from my Pioneer 650 to the Denon receiver) from HDMI to component may help b/c component is 50 Hz (same vertical frequency as PAL). When I try to play a PAL disc I see a steady dark grey screen and not a rolling or flickering one. Edit: My prior TV was a Panasonic U.S. model.

[Gabriel]

Have you contacted OPPO support? They are very good at responding. If they don't have an answer to your problem, I don't think you'll find it here.

[elling]

The problem was not with the OPPO. I was finally able to watch Harry Brown, but that's all. I went HDMI straight from the OPPO to HDMI3 on my Samsung TV and the picture is fine. My Denon AVR is temporarily out of the loop but I'm sure it would work if I just went OPPO HDMI-to-Denon-to-HDMI out-to Samsung TV. If I could just get my Pioneer DVR to play nicely with everything else it would be a truly fine day. At least I now know that my OPPO's PAL output is working (I was beginning to wonder).

Neither PAL disc would play video when routed thru the Sima and into the Pioneer standalone burner (even when with it bypassed and straight out from the OPPO to the Pioneer).

Btw, switching from HDMI to component cables did not help. I am chalking this experience up to improved DRM copy protection. Also, rolling back the OPPO firmware to Batch 19-0701A did not help either.