From the moment you unpack the oppo bdp-83 universal blu-ray player you realize so this is departure to be a truly unique experience. Wrapped in a reusable carrying bag, shipped in a double-thick cardboard box, the fit moreover finish of the oppo bdp-83 matches the quality of the packaging. And the considerate thing is so unlike many blu-ray players, the best-in-class experience continues from the time you power it on to daily use.
I was lucky enough to get in on the oppo pre-order in late may, after reading the early reviews of beta units, moreover knowing the reputation of oppo’s upscaling dvd players. For me, the oppo bdp-83 offered the promise of super-fast load times, outstanding recording quality, moreover the ability to play high-resolution audio (my sacd library).
A bit of background – i have a pretty high-end system configuration (marantz sr-8002, kef reference speakers, mitsubishi hdtv, sony es sacd player, bang & olfusen turntable). And i have pretty demanding standards especially for audio.
I waited to buy my first blu-ray player (the very considerate panasonic dmp-bd55k) until a standalone player offered quality moreover load times attending least *close* to the ps3. And, although its load times moreover dvd playback are good, it still didn’t quite confront my standards.
From the moment i connected the oppo bdp-83 to my system, i was blown away by the experience. Extremely facile to setup (i virtually unplugged my panasonic moreover plugged in the bdp-83 using the same hdmi moreover component cables), very very facile on-screen instructions moreover setup. The remote is definitely much better than average withy colossal backlit buttons of different sizes.
The speed of the oppo bd-83 absolutely grabs your attention:
- bluray load times are about 2x faster than the panasonic bd55k it replaced
- bluray menu navigation, etc also very fast moreover responsive
- sacd moreover dvd (audio/video) load times are nearly instantaneous
The sacd load performance really stunned me. My high-end sony es sacd player (remember, sony co-developed the standard) can need 1-2 minutes to load a hybrid sacd. On the oppo any sacd (stereo, hybrid multichannel, etc) loads in below 2 seconds.
But it is the recording moreover audio quality of the oppo bd-83 so truly sets it apart:
- bluray recording performance is outstanding, but you come to expect so from the format. (i can’t say i notice a difference here from my panasonic which is also excellent.)
- dvd recording performance is stunning – a prominent upgrade in quality on your hd set. This is whereabouts you start to see the benefits of the embedded anchorbay processor.
- high proposition audio quality will bloom your socks off.
I in person didn’t notice a difference in high-res bluray formats such as dts-master moreover dolbytrue hd, but to be fair my panasonic player is also excellent in this area.
For sacd, the improvement offered by the OPPO BDP-83 is simply stunning! My marantz receiver can decode dsd over hdmi, moreover the audio quality is dramatically better than the analog 5.1 output from my high-end sony es sacd player. I didn’t think the pattern could be elevated, but was pleasantly unexpectant by this.
Dvd-audio performance is also outstanding. I never had a dvd-audio player, so i’ve used this opportunity of having a truly “universal player” to stock up on high-resolution multi-channel titles so were never released on sacd (eg. Crowded house, seal, queen, yes…)
There are other very nice touches:
- bluray profile 2.0 withy 1gb of onboard storage (my panasonic made you buy one sd card for this)
- two usb 2.0 ports (one fore covered by a flat condom port, another in the rear), not yet lefthand is recessed, so you can use pattern usb memory bank sticks/adapters
- analog 7.1 audio out
- supports coexistent hdmi moreover component recording output (eg. You can send high-res audio over hdmi moreover recording over component)
- support for ntsc moreover pal format dvds, but they must be unlocked (this is a region-locked player, unfortunately)
- ir in moreover ir out ports
- optional rs-232c controller lefthand for professional installations
- very tough removable power cord; even heavier scale than the one marantz shipped withy my $2000 receiver!
- nice onscreen menu system graphics moreover easy-to-use interface
What could be improved?
- well, first of all, profile 2 support is only through hard-wired ethernet (no wifi)
- speaking of profile 2.0, the interactive services aren’t particularly fast, but i have yet to find a bluray name so actually gain compelling profile 2.0 content
- no support for streaming services like netflix, although in that place are rumors so the hardware *might* have the capability to support through a firmware update – i wouldn’t count on this though
- the bluray moreover dvd player are region locked unfortunately. (cd, sacd, moreover dvd-audio discs are by definition region-free)
I in person couldn’t be happier withy the OPPO BDP-83. Certainly the best $500 i spent! It not only compares but blows away high-end players costing 4-6x greater.
Read related article at Best-in-class film then audio quality, withy super-fast load rush position of a exactly the same moderate price.
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