Interesting HDMI Problem: OPPO UDP-205

I had a problem with my Sony SACD player (the last good one Sony made -can't recall the model number). It would truncate the first one or two seconds of music if using the HDMI out (oops!). The manual fessed up to the "condition" as nobody at Sony could figure out a fix. Also, my Philips 4K player uses some kind of fancy "helper" system. If you turn on the Philips player, it will automatically turn on the TV it is connected to and select the correct TV input. It doesn't, however, return the TV to whatever input it was set to and turn the TV off when you turn off the player (again, oops!). Guess Sony/Philips have their own ideas about what is acceptable convenience.

What a wonderful digital world we live in ;) Manufacturers (Sony in this case) releasing products with non-defeatable trolling software to "think for you" and it causes a very undesirable condition with another manufacturer’s product’s functionality. I thought only Microsoft did that.

BTW - your 205 uses only one of the two DAC chips for two-channel digital processing. The other one is used for multi-channel.

Dave

There's a fellow on the AVS Forum thread http://www.avsforum.com/forum/149-blu-ray-players/2821841-official-oppo-udp-205-uhd-blu-ray-player-o...
who is rather knowledgeable with answering this type of question. He is also a Beta tester. Bob Pariseau. I've been on the thread since day one and I recall some questions very similar to yours. You may want to post there.

I did not see you asking for assistance in the OP. I did see you referring to "DACs" (plural) when referring to your 205's two-channel DAC chip and was offering a bit of clarification.  That's all.  

Lighten up and try to enjoy your day.

Dave

I recently changed Tv’s going from a Samsung to Sony. Here is the quote I received from Oppo. "Just leave the TV on when your using the music player section of the Oppo or disconnect the HDMI cable". I have a 105D and a Sony x900e and the sound drops out as stated above. Even though it’s not my primary spinner, I really like the Oppo player. It does so much so well. You would think that while the units offer a "Pure Audio" mode, that it would remove any "video feed" from the circuit.... in effect turn the HDMI portion off. Particularly if it is an audio only disc. I’m not sure who’s 100% at fault for the issue.

I suppose I’ll just use the Oppo’s Gracenote feature and utilize TV screen if playing SACD. However, the Sony remote does offer a "PIC OFF" button on my remote.

N

Here's the real problem from an email interchange with an OPPO tech. 

After I installed the EDID emulator, and the system worked, I emailed OPPO tech services with my solution to the dropout problem.  OPPO replied that they were aware of the dropout problem - and then went on to explain the real problem. 

The REAL problem is that the OPPO player is polling the display for a high-bandwidth digital content (HDCP) copy protection response.  When the set is "OFF" it will not respond to the OPPO query - and the OPPO drops 2-3 seconds of music because there is no response.

In the email, OPPO tech services said "We hope to fix the problem in a future firmware update."    Well, "hoping" and knowing how to fix something are completely different - as "hoping" has no fixed date and no promise that a solution will be forthcoming.

If you want to actually fix the dropout problem, you can leave the display turned "ON" and it will respond to the OPPO with the HDCP information.  When that happens, no dropout will occur.

If you want to listen to music with the display "OFF" - then the solution is the EDID emulator between the OPPO and the display.  In my case, I inserted the EDID emulator between the McInstosh MX122 HDMI output and the Sony display.

The Atlona EDID emulator is 4K compliant and does not affect the image quality.

It does so much so well. You would think that while the units offer a "Pure Audio" mode, that it would remove any "video feed" from the circuit.... in effect turn the HDMI portion off.

@nutty

Just so you are aware, *if* the 105D pure audio mode functions identically to the 205 (and I believe it does), in Oppo’s "defense", they do clearly document that pure audio mode does NOT shut down or otherwise remove the video feed, deactivate the HDMI port, etc. Instead, what happens is that a "black" screen is transmitted via HDMI. That said, I agree with you that ideally - and assuming there is no technical reason this couldn’t be the case - the video should completely shut down and act as though nothing is connected to the HDMI port.

Good thread--thanks. Buckhorn’s use of the the Atlona emulator in this case is good to know about. Although perhaps not a "solution," my way of handling the cd-interrupting handshake between the UDP-205 and my Bravia is to turn on the tv and select Action Menu--> Picture Off from the remote--no interruptions to playback then and dead black screen on the monitor.

I had a problem with digital playblack truncation over HDMI at the beginning of cd tracks with my BDP-103 and Cambridge Audio 651r very similar to what dweller describes above: Cambridge now calls this little lapse "expected behaviour," but it is certainly not menioned in the manual any more than the Oppo/Sony concern can be found in a manual from either of those manufacturers. No solution to be had there but analog playback, which I found to be a pretty unhappy avenue with that player compared to the 205.

Whatever would we do with all our free time in a perfectly synchronized world?

@GDHAL: thanks for the contact person you listed regarding the 205. I sent him an email

You’re welcome @don_1

Interesting thread which has helped me resolve an audio issue!

I have the UDP-205 connected to a Sony 65x9005b TV which i had setup with ARC so the TV could play audio through the hifi, and CEC for convenience of control - and had never had an issue.

I recently added an Nvidia Shield to the HDMI input of the Oppo which runs Kodi / Plex to play stuff locally on my network (this is entirely to circumvent Cinavia).

What i noticed was that with passthrough enabled for a TrueHD 7.1 audio track the Nvidia was tripping out and sending LPCM 2.0 with no audio, however the 5.1 DTS or Stereo tracks would work with no problem.

Disabling passthrough on the Kodi or Plex client resolved the issue, but it was clearly the Shield doing the decoding and passing LPCM to the Oppo.

Fine in theory as should be the same, but it was annoying me the Oppo wouldn't decide the TrueHD source, and it seemed silly to just be using it as a pre-amp!

What fixed the issue was sticking the HDMI CEC setting on the Oppo to Limited rather than On - and suddenly everything works as it should with passthrough enabled! Et Voila!

The only downside is that the Oppo doesn't automatically turn on/off anymore when the Shield is turned off, and i can't find a way to get the receiver IR setup correctly with it.

Was watching a video on the Philips 4k player (see top of post) and heard a distinct "pop". Must have blown some kind of chip as my Sony 4k TV no longer turns on and switches to correct HDMI input when Philips is turned on. I hate technology...

Just received this player and have the same problem.

While CD is playing, if tv is turned off or on, audio repeatedly blinks in and out, the last time in went on for about a minute so I had to unplug the HDMI to stop it.

Also 10 ft of digital coax in also blinks in and out from direct tv genie.this I figured was related to length or the genie .

Battle of the smart devices?

I’ve read reviews where the reviewer had to try out different makes of HDMI cable to get the proper "handshake" to occur. Not all HDMI cables are made the same.

Also, there seems to be a lack of consensus from makes of gear on just how those handshakes are done. Between some products, nothing can be done. For some, completely turning everything off and only turning them on after connecting the HDMI cable will work.

All the best,
Nonoise

Yes, but if I am watching an HDMI connected tv in mute while listening to CD on the oppo....if I just turn *off* the tv it shouldn't cause problems with the CD playing. 

I kind of understand if I were to turn *on* the tv there wiuld be some smart confusion - that would be more acceptable defect imo.

The HDMI cable IS NOT the problem.   No cable will solve the dropout problem with the OPPO 205.

When the screen is "OFF" the OPPO senses the hardware (display) in the HDMI chain and queries the screen for its high-bandwidth digital content (HDCP) license response to make sure it can send copy protected digital content to the display.

When the UDP205 does not get an answer from the display because it is  "OFF,"  the UDP205 momentarily drops out as it resets and then begins playing again.

If you have the display turned "ON" you should not have the problem because the screen can answer the UDP205 HDCP query.

The solution is to either turn the display "ON" while you're playing music content (CD's, SACDs, etc.) or implement the Atlona EDID emulator.  The EDID emulator copies the displays information (HDCP license, etc.) into its memory, and since it's always turned "ON," will respond to the UDP205 HDCP queries with the required information.

As was previously explained by another poster, some displays have the ability to be turned "ON" and put in a standby mode with the display powered up, but the screen dark.  That will also work.

Thank you for the explanation.

I have the front screen on now and there is only a 1 second blink when turning off and on the tv.

I can live with that. You saved me a headache- thanks again

Good news bad news

Just bought a Sony XBR 900e TV and had the same problem. My 2012 Panasonc had no issues.I own a Marantz 8802a pre-pro it has two HDMI outputs. All I have to do is use HDMI 2 which is not connected to any devices and all works well.It's to bad that the movie industry is so concerned with pirating. I also had an issue with my Logitech universal remote and a new 4k apple TV. I managed to fix that by re-setting my the Sony back to factory settings. It seems TV manufactures keep trying to build as much into a TV so we will not use another manufactures device. I would never use a TV's streaming apps, or other builtin apps. That's what I buy a Roku or Apple TV for,they do it right. 

I have had the same problems. Audio cutting out briefly. Only started when my Pioneer plasma of 15yrs decided to die. Replaced with Sony KD65A1. Only solution so far is to unplug hdmi. I don't really want to keep Sony TV screen on whilst listening to music.
A bit disappointed with this set up but what else can you do. Never had the problem with Pioneer. Also, on a different gripe, I'm still not sure if the oppo 205 sounds much better through anologues into my Denon avc a1d than an optical off the 205 and letting the Denon do the DAC duties. The Burr brown DAC in the Denon has a lovely sound. I find the Oppo harsh. I'm going to change out levels from Oppo to see if that improves things. So far, not hugely impressed.

With a suggestion from Dan Wright (Modwright) and this thread I was able to solve my Oppo 205 issues simply. It's strange how even when the Sony television was off and the only connection between the Oppo and TV was through a Marantz 8802, also powered off, I would still get the drop out in sound. So far the simplest solution was pulling the hdmi cord from the back of the Oppo. I haven't tried the other solutions on here...but thanks to all for the investigation and advice.... 

Newer Sony TV's remain ON even when powered down for firmware updates. So the unit is never really OFF. When your OPPO is playing music, it sends a signal to the HDMI output of the player. The "HDMI Handshake" between the Oppo and Sony does not connect properly and causes the dropouts. You'll can either unplug the HDMI, turn on the TV and use the Gracenote function or use the screen off function on the Sony TV remote. 

N

No such issues with my 205 and Sharp  60" LED. Started playing CD, turned on TV, one short blurb from Oppo, nothing more while TV playing or with TV turned off again.
Maybe my older Sharp not smart enough :)

I have been struggling with my Oppo UDP205, Sony XBR75 940d, and Marantz 8805. At first, I could watch 4K Blu-Ray discs but when I tried to play an SACD it would play for a few minutes and then stop. Then, the same problem started with 4K discs. I sent the unit back to OPPO. They replied:

Your OPPO product is ready! We will ship your OPPO product back and send you a shipment notification e-mail with tracking information. We performed the following on your OPPO product:

• Diagnostics – Unable to confirm reported problem.
• Problem Resolution - Based on the problem description, replaced decoder board. Please note that your player now has a new serial number: B210U81823123945.
• Upgraded firmware to revision UDP20x-65-0131.

Passed standard post-repair diagnostics.

I just received the replacement 205 yesterday. Beautifully packed. I enjoyed a 4K movie, but when I tried an SACD, same problem. I wondered whether I needed to use analog interconnects instead of the HDMI connection for music. 

Any thoughts.    

Analog interconnects would solve it, or if you look up higher in this thread, an Atlona Etude will solve the issue for HDMI. I am going through this right now, just picked up a used Etude on eBay, placed it between my Oppo 203 and Sony XBR-65X850, and can confirm it works. I use the HDMI to stream DSD directly to the Marantz, which is only possible via HDMI. Does it sound that much different? I don't think so, but it's fun to play around with and pretend it sounds better.

For anybody still reading this thread that ever got an Oppo 20x player to work with an Etude and Sony TV, how was it connected? Per Atlona support, the Etude should go between the Oppo and the AVR (a Marantz), with the Oppo as HDMI in and the AVR as HDMI out. This is my config, but it only works with Audio out HDMI output from the Oppo and even then, it still cuts out about every 10 minutes. I learned the EDID of the TV directly cabled to the Etude and also whatever EDID I get when directly cabled to the AVR. I can't believe what I've already gone through to avoid leaving the TV on when using the Oppo to play music, but here we are.

I'm sorry it has taken me so long to find this thread.  I have the same problem with my Oppo UDP-205 connected to my NAD M17 which is connected to my Sony XBR-65X940D.  The problem occurs whenever I play audio discs (CD's, SACD's).  It isn't a problem with the TV turned on.  I just don't like having it on when not necessary.  For CD's, I resorted to using a digital cable but for SACD's, I guess I will just have to have the TV on.  Not a good solution but it is what it is.

 @esmurrell - Look on your TV remote for a button called "Pic Off" (mine is on the bottom-right corner). The TV remains on but the picture is cut off.

I was having a similar issue, but the fix ended up being a bit different. I have my oppo connected via HDMI to a TCL TV, and also via RCA to a rogue integrated amp for analogue playing. 

The TV is connected via eARC to a samsung sound bar. 

The connection between the TV and the soundbar had become loose. When I pushed it in better, it resolved the oppo skipping issue. This, despite the fact that the TV was off. Strange. 

Ah well, something to do during Quarantine!

The skipping issue is the same for me with the UP-205 (AU) teamed with the Toshiba 65U775. So frustrating. You would have thought they would have a firmware fix for this. The best fix for me is to either switch the TV off or have it on at the same time I am playing my CDs but with "Pure Audio" from the Oppo remote.

Apart from this issue that could not be fixed or emulated by the seller (Apolllo HiFi) or the distributor, I find the Oppo an excellent player.

I have the same issues with the Sony OLED and my OPPO 203. Every time I stop, or start the Oppos playback, whether it's a pause or whatever,, my Marantz 8805 switches to "TV audio" as if I was firing up the Roku. Which is exactly as it should for running the Roku, but not the OPPO. The Oppo’s sound comes from a dedicated HDMI straight from the Oppo to the Marantz. Why it switches that input is beyond me.

Good evening all,                  5/29/2021

I have also experienced the same 5 second  audio cut out problem with CD playback and have come up with a work around (but not a true root cause solution).  It would also randomly switch off the AVR in the middle of a CD track.

Over the winter we did some upgrades and put in two dedicated 20 amp circuits and split up the AV components between the 2 separate sources. 
Each feed has a Furman PC Pro power conditioner.

The CD playback was fine when played back on the main circuit with both the Oppo 103D and the Panasonic BPD U 9000, through an Integra DRX-R1.

The problem occurred when the second circuit was energized which fed a SVS powered Subwoofer, and a Sony OLED XBR AG9 TV.

Both the OPPO and the Panasonic 9000 have the 5 second cut out problem, with the second circuit on which has the TV connected. This happens with the TV off or on.

I checked for all firm ware updates and had good quality HDMI Cables.

 I tried several old and brand new CD's, and switched the output connections. Even upgraded various HDMI cables. But nothing solved the problem.

In researching the culprit it appears the problem is with the EARC HMDIn circuit that is connected to the Sony TV via HDMI..

For now during CD music playback I have simply unplugged the EARC HDMI cable from the back of the AVR and the CD now play the entire recording without the 5 second skip...

I will have to study some of the solutions listed above but for now pulling the EARC HDMI has allowed uninterrupted CD playback 

Hopefully the TV design engineers can revisit this EARC HDMI circuit and provide a default solution to prevent this problem.

Thank you all,

Dan

  

Hello folks,
I am trying to connect my UDP-205 to a Sony OLED TV (XR-65A80J) which I bought a few days back. I am not able to get audio returned  through eArc/ARC HDMI port on the Sony TV. Here is my set up.
1. UDP-205’s main HDMI out is connected to HDMI port-3 (eARC/ARC port) on the Sony TV
2. I have turned on HDMI CEC control on UDP-2053. Oppo connects to a 5 channel Emotive amplifier using unbalanced cables. I am using it in 3.1 channel configuration (with front /center/subwoofer speakers)
4. I have connected an Apple TV 4K streamer and a cable box to the two other non eARC/ARC ports on the Sony television
5. Sony Bravia synch is turned on on the Sony Television to activate the eARC/ARC functionality
6. The objective is to get the audio returned back to Oppo when watching Apple TV 4k and Cable
7. After turning on Oppo I do see that Sony Bravia sync instantly identifies Oppo as a player and also as an audio devise in its list. It displays two line items for UDP-205 in the list, one as a player and the other one as an audio device on the same HDMI port (port-3) as the player
8. Then I go to input-3 on the TV to the blue Oppo home screen and select the HDMI ARC: Out option on the input menu of UDP 205.
9. The screen shows that it is connected and displays a message that you are now ready to move to an input on the TV for watching cable. etc.
10. However when I try to change the input on the TV to either Apple TV 4K streamer or Cable, the TV shows a message Audio system is unavailable and it is switching back to TV speaker. The screen flickers and it takes me back to the blue Oppo home screen.
11. I tried resetting Sony TV to its factory default but it didn’t work
12. I ensured that UDP-205 has the latest software version. I tried resetting UDP-205 to its factory default but it also didn’t work
13. The only time the ARC channel worked with UDP-205 is when I had only one external input, cable box connected to the Sony TV and the CEC control was turned off in the UDP-205. But the moment I added the Apple TV 4K streamer to another HDMI port on the TV, the screen flickers and it brings me back to the blue Oppo home screen with the error message Audio system is unavailable and it is switching back to TV speaker.
14. I am currently using an optical cable to connect UDP-205 to the Sony TV and I am getting audio with all inputs connected to the TV, absolutely no issues
15. I tried using an Emotiva pre-processor UMC-200 with an ARC compatible HDMI main port and it was able to get the sound back through the ARC channel for both inputs w/o any issue.
16. I troubleshot the issue with Sony technical support team and they couldn’t find anything wrong with eARC/ARC port on the TV
I e-mailed Oppo support team about this issue an hour back but I am not sure if they would reply at this point. 
Any help from this forum would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

I didn't read your entire post but it seem like you should connect the Oppo to an HDMI on the TV that is NOT the ARC return and connect the ARC return HDMI to the Emotiva HDMI input to get sound. Sorry if I'm totally off base...

Hello dweller,
Thanks for your reply. Your suggested combination works in my set up but I don't want to keep an additional component in the chain just for getting the audio out. I am trying to reduce the clutter in the existing set up without compromising system performance.
The Oppo UDP-205/native DAC is more than capable of handling the audio especially those coming out of the cable/Apple TV streaming box. The optical/Toslink connection to Oppo is working well but this interface doesn't handle the Hi-Res audio, although very little Hi-Res audio is currently streamed. So I was very excited to get the HDMI:ARC working out of Oppo such that I am able to get the best of both worlds, audio & video, with a relatively simple set up. 
Interestingly Oppo support team did come back to me but they are not in a position to troubleshoot this ARC issue.

Thanks.

It seems as though others have also found trouble getting Sony TV's to play nice with the Oppo 205. Here are some suggestions that might (?) work for your. When changing HDMI inputs/outputs unplug the devices, the reboot can sometimes help. Try first selecting the PCM and then the Bitstream audio modes on the Oppo. If the main objective is to get the Apple streamer to play through the Oppo's DAC; if the Oppo's HDMI input is not already used, try running the Apple streamer through the Oppo's HDMI input and then outputting that signal to the Sony TV. 

Hello unsound,Thanks for your feedback. Yes Apple TV connected through Oppo’s HDMI input works fine. However the picture quality of it when connected directly to Sony TV is comparatively better. But the audio output using this approach is way better than what I am getting from the optical/toslink connection. My idea is to connect all devices supporting HDMI 2.0 and above directly to the new Sony OLED TV such that I get the best picture quality using Bravia video processor and get the audio out of Oppo’s DAC/analog output which performs best compared to any other pre processor that I currently have in my system. I was really close to making it work but the ARC issue threw a big monkey wrench to my plan…

I’m surprised you find the Oppo’s video processing unsatisfactory. Many might consider it amongst the finest. Perhaps if you could calibrate one input setting on the Sony to optimize compatibility with the Oppo’s video output?

Hello unsound,
I agree with you on Oppo's video processing capability which is indeed the very best. However I am using the HDMI Bypass input of Oppo which allows me to set up the Apple TV video display as Dolby Vision instead of 4K UHD. I don't get that option if I use the regular HDMI IN input in Oppo. The HDMI IN input of Oppo might not support Dolby Vision organically. The Dolby Vision picture is significantly better than the regular 4K display even when it is processed by the very best video processor inside an Oppo player. I am very new to this 4K/Dolby Vision display stuff, never been a videophile. It appears to me that the Dolby Vision output when I connect Apple TV directly to the Sony HDMI input is relatively better than the output of Oppo HDMI bypass mode. It might be because the HDMI in input in my Oppo has never been used before and it is currently breaking in. I would let Apple TV/Oppo combination run for 100/150 hours and look for improvements. If affirmative my issue would be handled gracefully else I would have to go back to connecting Apple TV directly to the Sony TV and then get the audio using Optical interface.
I have got the Spears and Munsil UHD video calibration disk. I will try to calibrate the Apple TV/Oppo combination and see if that brings any improvement in the video performance.
Thanks for your feedback.

Doesn’t the Oppo 205 have Dolby Vision too?
OPPO UDP-205 4K Ultra HD Audiophile Blu-ray Disc Player (oppodigital.com)

If you just got the Sony, you might want to burn it in at it's neutral settings before doing a calibrating.

Hello unsound,
Yes this unit supports Dolby Vision through the main HDMI out. The Oppo’s manual doesn’t specify what exactly is supported on its HDMI IN input. I don’t understand why Apple TV doesn’t show the Dolby Vision in the video output menu when connected to Oppo’s regular HDMI in input but it shows this option when I connect it to the HDMI Bypass input where the video signal bypasses all the internal video processin of Oppo.
However it seems that my new Audioquest HDMI cable, the HDMI IN input on the Oppo and perhaps the Apple TV itself are all breaking in and now the picture through the Oppo/Apple TV combo is definitely much better than Sony/Apple TV combo. I have done this A/B analysis a few times and I see the improvement consistently. While I am enjoying the overall video handling experience, the part that is confusing to me is how Oppo is able to enhance the video performance on its HDMI bypass input where it is not is even touching the video signal. It is possible that Oppo’s transport mechanism is better than Sony. Also in my set up the Oppo unit has a much better power cable than the Sony TV and it is placed on a Townshend Seismic Platform. All these factors c
ould lead to a better video performance as well. Very interesting nonetheless...
Thanks

Hello unsound,
I am not too experienced in dealing with TV panels. I have so far been using Samsung F8500 plasma TV, their last plasma model before they decided to call it quits on the manufacturing of plasma TVs. I have just got the Sony OLED TV, less than 2 weeks old,  to experience the OLED panel/4K resolution. What do you mean by running it on its neutral setting? I am using Sony's custom picture setting, using its default values, for viewing all sources. Is that considered to be a neutral setting? Also how long do you recommend burning in? I am very used to the concept of burning speakers and electronics but not so much for a TV. I could run any electronics 24x7 but that wouldn't be easy or even possible with a TV.  Any comment/feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

I’m not much of a videophile either, and am not too familiar with OLEDs. In the past some highly regarded video calibrators either had special pre calibration settings or suggested all settings be placed in their neutral positions (I believe they meant mid-point, but I'm not sure) and allowed to burn in for a set number of hours.,100-150 hours comes to mind, but I’m really not sure, before doing actual calibration setting. There used to be a highly regarded (even c-net acknowledged his talents) calibrator "D-Lite" (?) on the AV Forum who used to offer well respected calibration suggestions for specific sets. I’m not sure if the same process applies to OLEDs. Since your set is new, it might be worth a search.

Thank you, unsound.

@idranilsen Pray tell, did you ever sort it out, and if so, how?

@unsound- Yes, I am able to solve the ARC issue following a specific sequence of starting the components and also recycling the Bravia connections periodically. Inconvenient but it kinda works…