OPPO could not reproduce the problem even when I loaned them some discs and swapped hardware with them, but I changed my cabling to some Blue Jeans component video cables (done because I'd already taken one set out of service since the 981HD lacks a component output and because I needed more length, as the PCA's that I'd been using successfully for over three years were 0.5-meter long and hard to connect onto the 981HD's rather crowded rear panel) and haven't had a single problem since. Believe me, it was a most confusing deal. Still makes me scratch my head, actually...