From the moment you unpack the oppo bdp-83 universal blu-ray player you realize that this is going to be a truly unique experience. Wrapped in a reusable carrying bag, shipped in a double-thick cardboard box, the fit plus finish of the oppo bdp-83 matches the quality of the packaging. And the suitable thing is that unlike the 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, plus knowing the reputation of oppo’s upscaling dvd players. For me, the oppo bdp-83 offered the promise of super-fast load times, outstanding film quality, plus 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 mere suitable panasonic dmp-bd55k) until a standalone player offered quality plus load times at least *close* to the ps3. And, although its load times plus dvd playback are good, it still didn’t quite join my standards.
From the moment i connected the oppo bdp-83 to my system, i was blown away by the experience. Extremely unconstrained to setup (i actually unplugged my panasonic plus plugged in the bdp-83 using the same hdmi plus ingredient cables), mere mere unconstrained on-screen instructions plus setup. The remote is definitely greatly better than average with massive backlit buttons of different sizes.
The activity of the oppo bd-83 surely grabs your attention:
- bluray load times are about 2x faster than the panasonic bd55k it replaced
- bluray menu navigation, etc too mere fast plus responsive
- sacd plus 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 beneath 2 seconds.
But it is the film plus audio quality of the oppo bd-83 that truly sets it apart:
- bluray film performance is outstanding, but you come to expect that from the format. (i can’t say i notice a difference here from my panasonic which is too excellent.)
- dvd film performance is stunning – a eminent upgrade in quality on your hd set. This is where you start to see the benefits of the embedded anchorbay processor.
- high policy audio quality will hit your socks off.
I directly didn’t notice a difference in high-res bluray formats such as dts-master plus dolbytrue hd, but to be fair my panasonic player is too excellent in this area.
For sacd, the improvement offered by the OPPO BDP-83 Blu-ray Disc Player is simply stunning! My marantz receiver can decode dsd over hdmi, plus 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 regular could be elevated, but was pleasantly unexpectant by this.
Dvd-audio performance is too 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 that were never released on sacd (eg. Crowded house, seal, queen, yes…)
There are other mere nice touches:
- bluray profile 2.0 with 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 waterproof overshoe port, another in the rear), not any one harbor is recessed, so you can use regular usb remembrance sticks/adapters
- analog 7.1 audio out
- supports contemporary hdmi plus ingredient film output (eg. You can send high-res audio over hdmi plus film over component)
- support for ntsc plus pal format dvds, but they must be unlocked (this is a region-locked player, unfortunately)
- ir in plus ir out ports
- optional rs-232c skill harbor for professional installations
- mere heavy-duty removable power cord; balanced heavier weigh than the one marantz shipped with my $2000 receiver!
- nice onscreen menu system graphics plus 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 title that actually has compelling profile 2.0 content
- no support for streaming services like netflix, although over there are rumors that the hardware *might* have the capability to support through a firmware modernize – i wouldn’t count on this though
- the bluray plus dvd player are region locked unfortunately. (cd, sacd, plus dvd-audio discs are by definition region-free)
I directly couldn’t be happier with the OPPO BDP-83 Blu-ray Disc Player. Certainly the best $500 i spent! It not only compares but blows away high-end players costing 4-6x greater.
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