Disc playback issues

Sounds like a random compatibility issue between the authoring of the disc and your player's firmware. An update may fix it but only if one is actually available. I've had some weird glitches in the past, such as menu screens failing to respond, discs refusing to load, discs loading up and going straight to the third chapter of the movie or a random screen from the extras menu, and in one odd case my old BD player couldn't detect the Dolby True HD track on Terminator 3 (instead it played the Dolby Digital core track), among other oddities. Which is why I have three BD players, because I figure the chance of any disc having the same problem with all three is fairly slim.

I would check to see if there's a firmware update available for your player. Also, if you have a PS3 or PS4, you could try it on those (they get lots of updates and are compatible with almost any disc).

Although a bit pricey (but great value!) I use and recommend Oppo Blu Ray players. I am yet to find a disc it won't play, and the company is very good with releasing firmware updates to correct any issues that may crop up.

Buyer beware. It should be noted that the Oppo brand is heavily marketed as being a recognized high end brand of great acclaim, but in fact the parent company is an OEM for lots of no-name products that are functionally identical. Oppo is not a brand that has any real proprietary merits to justify the extra cost.

As one engineer from China advised me, the cheapest player often has the most capabilities. Big name players often perform the worst precisely because they do attract more attention from the DRM industry.

I was wondering about that myself, however I do notice the fantastic build quality, silent operation and device longevity.

I think it comes down to the fact that the US son/daughter company uses the Oppo platform for creating stable, quality firmware and good components in a quality chassis (the interior of the machines are just as high grade as the outside) and their customer service is good.

But I do question the pedigree of the parent company to be sure.

You can thank the ISO 9000 family of quality control specs for the near-perfect build quality that's the norm these days. And you don't need to spend any extra money to get it.

Oppo is a Red China company (as is the parent company BBK), so the "made in the USA" fable is phony. And if you want a chassis that you can pass down to your grandchildren, never mind that the guts will be hopelessly obsolete, that's your prerogative. I'm very familiar with the cosmetic wow factor that's a favorite gimmick of luxury electronics makers, I'm just not impressed by it. I don't buy a Blu-ray player to look at it, I buy it to look at the show on the disc.

Sorry, but I've seen snake oil peddlers come and go for many decades now. It's all about parting fools from money.

This whole thing started because the person I was responding to has a machine that is not playing back their disc. I mentioned that the Oppo would. That much is true. What would you recommend?

As I noted above, the cheapest model in the store is often the best choice. If it's a firmware/DRM problem, the most mass-produced hardware tends to get the most 3rd party support that can address the worst DRM offenders. If it is a hardware failure, replacing a $25 player hurts a whole lot less. It's not like there are boutique stores that have parts on hand to fix them while you wait.

The whole idea of having a dedicated player for spinning media is one that's due to go away. I'll be happy to see mechanical media transports go the way of the dodo. Until that happens I'm content to use my computer's optical drive instead. Of course that takes software and some skill, but once you master it, it's easy. The ripping software that I use is always on top of the most odious DRM schemes.

I see Oppo is highly touted by some. My player is Cambridge Audio azur752 and I can say I am very satisfied with it. It plays everything, including region 2 DVDs, and is silent and is easy to play.