Oppo UDP - 205

DACs aside, for those considering buying the OPPO 205, there is something you need to know if you plan on using it for a home theater system as well as listening to audio CD's.

The OPPO 205  may have an HDCP conflict with other digital equipment when the OPPO becomes aware of another piece of equipment connected digitally through HDMI.

If there is an equipment conflict, the audio from the OPPO 205 will drop out for 2-3 seconds at random intervals.

The HDMI connection with the OPPO causes it to make HDCP calls to some brands of video display equipment when both are connected via HDMI in the HT system.

I've chased this problem for nearly a month.  At first, I thought it was a Sony Bravia making HDMI CEC handshake calls because you cannot turn the CEC feature "OFF" on the Sony - and the Sony is never really powered "OFF," it is always in a standby mode unless unplugged from AC power.

However, through a number (over 10) of email exchanges with OPPO technical people on the dropout problem, I finally got an email reply from OPPO admitting they're aware of the dropout problem and "hope" to fix it with a firmware upgrade at some undetermined, later date.

Apparently, the OPPO 205 is sending out HDCP queries and when the Sony does not answer, the player momentarily times out.

This only happens when playing audio CD's.  In my system, the OPPO is used with the OPPO 205 analog outputs, and is also connected to my HT processor through HDMI for use with DVD / BluRay playback.

Dropouts will also happen if the OPPO is connected directly to a video display using HDMI.

My "fix" for the problem is to use an Atlona ETUDE EDID emulator between my home theater center (McIntosh MX122) and the Sony Bravia.  The ETUDE acts as a buffer between the equipment. 

At this point I have not tested whether the ETUDE is stripping the HDCP request out of the data connection between the equipment, or whether, because the ETUDE is always "ON," it answers the OPPO 205 HDCP call with the EDID information from the Sony.

Either way - no more dropouts with the ETUDE between the OPPO and the Sony.

but what about a Yggy?

The OPPO 205 may have an HDCP conflict with other digital equipment when the OPPO becomes aware of another piece of equipment connected digitally through HDMI.