Acoustic Sounds suggested getting an inexpensive coax switch box & when not watching cable to switch to the open input. Would that likely work? Example: https://www.amazon.com/Philmore-Del...40646677&sprefix=coax+switcher,aps,121&sr=8-8
I was talking about one of these. They are usually found where the coax cable enters the building. A ground wire is usually attached to a cold water pipe or the grounding rod at the electrical service. If you’ve had the problem since you moved in it might be the cause. The grounding block can short because of water damage or even just oxidize enough to make it stop working. https://www.amazon.com/CIMPLE-CO-Fr...qid=1640646849&sprefix=Coax+gr,aps,211&sr=8-3
Thanks! I'm concerned that this requires more mechanical skills than I possess. I believe Comcrap either buried or locked the entrance to the house outdoors for one.
I don't see why that wouldn't work too, since it disconnects the coax connection, and you have already determined that manually doing that solves your problem. That said, I would also endorse @ti-triodes ' suggestion too, if you have anywhere in your house where the Comcast coax is exposed - like in an unfinished basement for example - and you are relatively near a water pipe.
The coax wire is not exposed, just the connector. Unless I find a better option, I'm probably going to try a cheap splitter. Though I've had this problem ever since I moved into my current home, it wouldn't surprise me if the Comcrud installer messed up. As it is, I was supposed to get 3 outlets (TV & Internet) & only got 2 because he didn't bring enough parts (back in 2016). And it's almost impossible to get someone in the USA from Comcr@p who can actually solve a problem. Spending $20 on a splitter is probably the easiest way to go if it's likely to work, & I agree, logically it should. Though almost everything like that these days is Made In China Junk.
Tried a splitter A-B box today. 2 problems: 1. It won't work at all with a Comcast Streaming Cable Box (the box refuses to connect to my network with the splitter) 2. It didn't help at all with the ground loop hum even when the empty input was selected. And trying to get 1 of the 3rd world idiots to even understand what I was talking about, much less do anything about it is pretty much impossible. It may be an I have to live with it. I don't hear the hum when playing music (due to lower volume) but common sense tells me it's adding unwanted distortion. If they send a tech out & he's an idiot and doesn't find the grounding issue caused by an obviously bad install they can charge me. Unfortunately, where I live Comcrud is the only option.
I just had the first ever CD that won't play on my modified 105. It comes up "Unknown Disc" in the display after trying to load for a couple of minutes. It's the new Jethro Tull, The Zealot Gene. My computer drive will play it as will the player in my car. When I went to rip it with some Nero software there were 2 options that popped up. The first line was in Japanese. The second was in English and it ripped fine. Any idea as to what is going on?
If it's the only disc that's causing playback issues I wouldn't be too concerned. But If you start having issues with other discs and disc formats I'd contact Oppo to see about getting it serviced.
Thanks for the input guys! I'll keep that in mind. I don't think Oppo will service a player that's been modded though.
If you are one of your friends has the ability to install it that is an option. From past experience, there doesn't seem to be any competent digital av techs left in the Seattle area. Definitive audio is ok, but they will usually only work on gear bought from them.
Probably no, but if you are lucky it might still take a long time before the problems become more widespread. As long as it is only one disc I would not worry. Also if you like the player and you are likely to keep using it you might want to start sourcing either the laser or the full drive. That is assuming you are able to do the change yourself.
You might consider simply cleaning the lens before going to the trouble of getting a new laser. Even in the cleanest household, the lens will accumulate a layer of crud after time. You can try a cleaning disc that has the little brushes on it, but the best method is to unplug the unit, open the case, open the top of the drive assembly, and gently clean the lens with a cotton swab. A little distilled water or isopropyl alcohol may help, but isn't necessary. Don't use something like DustOff as it can leave nasty deposits on the lens. While you've got the drive open, clean the gunk off the sled rails - they get pretty dirty too. If you decide to replace the laser yourself, I've got a guide for the BDT-101 (which is essentially the same mechanism as the BDP-105) on the PS Audio forum. The BDT-101 is the unit buried inside the PS Audio DMP, so the instructions on opening the case won't apply to your 105, but the drive is the same. You can still find KEM480AAA lasers on eBay for $10 to $20 (they're in a lot of players). A failing laser will gradually get worse. It will start with being fussy about BDs, move to not playing the DSD layer on hybrid SACDs, and eventually not play CDs. Good luck!
Short on time and comprehension so not sure if this is what you're looking for, but whenever I used to have cable TV hooked up to a receiver I would get hum. I eliminated it by buying two 75-300 ohm transformers, stripping and joining the two wires on each back to back and covering up the surgery with electrical tape. Then you'll have 75 ohm connectors on each end. The cable from the wall connects to one end and the other end connects to your equipment using a 75 ohm male-male adapter. https://www.amazon.com/Matching-Transformer-Ancable-3-Pack-Plated/dp/B087B9J483/ https://www.amazon.com/Connector-RFAdapter-Extension-Splitter-Amplifier/dp/B07WS6PS14/
The end result of the DIY project above will have ends looking like this: Cable line from wall connects to the left end of the project. The right end needs a male-male adapter as below so the project can be attached directly to the receiver without having to use a short coax cable instead:
Can one of our resident Oppo experts comment on the relative video performance when comparing the 205/203 to the 105D/103D respectively? I know that the 105D/103D have a special video processing chip which makes the video significantly better than it is on the 105/103. But it's not clear to me whether the 205/203 are supposed to have a similar feature which enhances DVD performance or not. Basically, what I really want to know is do the 205/203 actually improve the video playback quality of DVDs when compared to the original 105/103 somewhat like the 105D/103D did, or were the 205/203 actually a bit of a step backwards in terms of DVD video performance when compared to the 105D/103D?
I can only comment on the 95. I've never seen upsampled dvd's look so good. There is a more expensive "Darbee" edition of the 105 that I think is supposed to provide some video quality benefits.
There were no “D” versions made of the 203/205 supposedly because someone(s) at Oppo felt it would not improve on the video performance of these models. I don’t have one of the “D” versions, but the 205 video is a significant improvement over the 105. The video reviewers feel that only the current top of the line Panasonic BD player bests the 205 video quality, although perhaps that is also true of Pioneer’s (which was never available in the US, and hasn’t even been made since around the start of the pandemic)
I presently have a 105 and 203. I've never compared the PQ between the two. If I did it would have been more focused on Blu-ray PQ than with DVD. I would guess that the PQ between the two with DVD playback is very close.
