Will someone with familiarity in the subject area please break down the difference(s) between these three? I was going to just get the 970, but it doesn't have the Faroudja chipset -- how important is this? Someone on another forum said the 981 is supposed to be a replacement for the 971, but takes away the Faroudja chipset (I think he meant the 970, because the 981 explicitly has the Faroudja chipset).

This is what I get:

970 -- entry level

971 -- Faroudja chipset

981 -- 1080p

Or are there other important differences? I will be using it with this, amongst other things.

I am interested in sound, especially SACD and DVD-A, as I can always use an outboard DAC to improve redbook.

I was lucky that the HK DVD-47 Universal DVD/DVD-A/SACD player I picked up had the Faroudja DCDi chipset. I was primarily looking for something to replace my Denon DVD-2910 that matched my HD AVR-635, and hadn't researched the whole HD upscaling and deinterlacing stuff. Since getting my 720p HDTV, I've been very happy with its upscaling capabilities. The upscaled DVD picture's a little soft in comparison to true 720p/1080i HD content, but it's not far behind with my 46" TV and a 9' viewing distance. Having said that, I haven't done any direct comparions to a non-DCDi player.

Check out AVS Forums for more info if you haven't already. I haven't read up on the Oppos much because I'm happy with my player. But there seems to be a ton of info on all three models, and the Oppos seem to have a great reputation over there. I have no idea if the 1080p would be worth while on a 22" monitor, but I guess future-proofing yourself short of a HD-DVD/BluRay player wouldn't be the worst idea if you can afford it.

Good luck!

The 971 is apparently the best of the bunch for audio. The 981 though is an excellent upscaling dvd player, I've really enjoyed mine.

The 971 is a fantastic DVD player... especially for the money.

Thanks for all the info, everyone.

Check out AVS Forums for more info if you haven't already.

To the color scheme: yeezh!

beware - the 971 does NOT do SACD. my 970 does. however if you're a vid guy, the 971 is better because it has that faroujda thing, the 970 doesn't. dunno anything about the 981.

To the color scheme: yeezh!

"My eyes! The goggles do nohing!"

beware - the 971 does NOT do SACD. my 970 does. however if you're a vid guy, the 971 is better because it has that faroujda thing, the 970 doesn't. dunno anything about the 981.

Whoops you are correct I meant to say that the 970 is the best of the three Oppo players for audio use.

beware - the 971 does NOT do SACD.

Ah! Good catch, I had missed that. Thanks for pointing that out. So that puts the 971 out of the running, it's between the 970 and the 981.

"My eyes! The goggles do nohing!"

Exactly.

Thought I'd chime in and say I recently purchased the 970HD specifically for watching DVD's. Its a great no-nonsense player with a fantastic picture, plus it comes with a free 6ft HDMI cord. I've read over on the AVS forums that Oppo's customer service is top notch, but luckily I haven't had the need to use it yet.

I know nothing of its capabilities as a CD player, though.