Oppo 203 issues :( (1 Viewer)

[JaykohZ51]

I have the UDP-203. Bought in 2018 a few months before they stopped manufacturing them.
Firmware: UDP20X-65-0131

Here is the symptom:---For the last few years, playback will be interrupted/stopped around the 35-45 minute mark. Video and audio stop, the screen will be frozen or scrambled or a kaleidoscope of chopped up frames. The timer will sometimes still continue to count off the minutes. I can usually skip a chapter or two and then it'll continue to play just fine. Sometimes, I CANT skip chapters...it'll just freeze. This ONLY happens with 4K discs. And these will be BRAND NEW straight out of the box and into the player. But not all my 4K discs will do this and NONE of my non 4K discs will have this issues.

I spoke to some guys at Magnolia and Georgia Home Theater (I live just outside Atlanta). I didn't get any clear solutions from them. I opened up the unit to blow out any potential dust. It was clean as day one.

It's so bizarre....and extremely frustrating. Any ideas?

Would a cable be an issue? I have an AudioQuest Vodka from 2018 running from the Oppo to a Marantz 7012, then another Vodka to a Sony 75". The Sony is not an OLED...it was the model just beneath it...again, back from 2018.

The Oppo had zero issues when it was new. I'm at a loss as to why this happens...and it doesn't always happen.

Thanks guys....

 

[David Norman]

Doubtful it would be a cable. Sounds more like something inside the Drive Unit -- weak/faulty/dirty laser pickup, Laser is out of adjustment, etc.

Esp if this has had fairly heavy use after 6 years it might be worth contacting OPPO and arranging for them to look at it.

If someone in the house smokes, pets, extra dusty location - the absolute simplest think would be to use one of those Laser Cleaner discs. Normally I hate those thing and alwyas afraid they're going to knock something loose, but if you're considering a service call anyone it might be the thing of last resort.

Brand new straight out of the case discs often have a bit of a near invisible haze on them from that plastic offgassing or something from the Production facility. Even if the disc looks perfect I usually clean most of my discs on first play anyway and anytime a specific disc has issue I do it again. The 4K pickup is so sensitive to anything out of alignment it doesn't take a lot.

 

[JaykohZ51]

I hadn't thought of getting a cleaning disc.

The environment...zero smoking, no pets. Dust/pollen...eh, perhaps.
I do have one my dogs for a while. They usually stay with my ex but she's been really sick, so I have the 115 Rottie...also known as a large breed lap dog. lol. Anyway, the playback issues began long long before the dog was here.

I'll report back after running the cleaning disc. It'll be a few days...gotta order one.

 

[willyTass]

Oppo USA is still servicing their players . For a small fee they’ll trouble shoot and if needed swap out the optical drive . But a lens clean may help, but I do those by hand with a q tip

 

[JohnRice]

Definitely run a cleaning disc. That’s the most likely problem.

 

[JaykohZ51]

I'll try it. Any particular disc I should or shouldn't get?

 

[John Dirk]

Hey neighbor! I have the exact same problem with some of my 4K discs. It happened with my Oppo 203. When I sold that and got the Panny UB820 it continued to happen. Thoroughly cleaning the disc is the only solution I've found and a few discs I purchased would never play all the way through. Since these ones were purchase used I stopped doing that but it happens with brand new discs as well. Here's a video that may help.

 

[JaykohZ51]

John, thank you sir. I'll clean some of the known troublemakers and see how they perform. I'll report back once I know.

 

[Indy Guy]

Even as late as this year OPPO's service center in Caifornia is very responsive to problems with their players if the 4K discs are not the issue

 

[JohnRice]

I second @John Dirk 's comment. In fact, I also clean every new UHD disc I buy before I play it. At the same time, a couple months ago my Panasonic 820 started having playback problems with UHD discs, and running a basic cleaning disc fixed that.

 

[Jordanfff]

Hi, is anyone able to tell me when I remux a mkv file with dolby atmos to m2ts atmos using ffmpeg, the oppo will play the audio of the mkv but not the m2ts. When I list the files in mediainfo the atmos files look almost identical?