Oppo BDP-83

Owning a disc player that handles every type of format is the dream of every home theater enthusiast. For any manufacturer to even comtemplate producing one is a huge technical challenge. But Oppo Digital met the challenge despite the difficulties and created a true universal blu-ray player with its new Oppo BDP-83.

Few products have been more eagerly anticipated than the BDP-83, and it’s easy to understand why. Currently, there is only one disc player in the world that offers the format versatility the Oppo does, and it costs 9 times more – the Denon DVD-A1UDCI. More importantly, Oppo enjoys a reputation for building “performance-topping” disc players whose video and audio quality far exceed most customers’ expectations given their down-to-earth prices. Oppo has certainly pushed the performance/dollar ratio envelope further than ever before with the BDP-83. This player has just raised the benchmark in terms of value for money.

OPPO BDP-83 | Player Details

Design

The design looks generic which is actually a good thing as the standard size complete with built-in leg supports allow it to stack nicely with other devices for a nice classic setup. The device stays balanced by safely putting the disc tray in the upper middle section with the logo planted on the center. The tray’s open/close button is intuitively positioned just by the right side of the tray.

In addition to that button and the logos that display its support for DVD Video and Super Audio CD, there is a ring where each side can be pressed to activate the corresponding playback button as labeled with the play button doubling as the OK button. The ring has a dual-purpose, also serving as a directional pad. Below the tray lies a fairly large info display and on the far left is the power button. The player is finished with a classy brush metal exterior for a conventional yet durable look.

The back panel features gold plated connections for 7.1 or 5.1, and stereo analog audio, composite video, and component video. Digital connections include Toslink and coaxial inputs, a HDMI 1.3 compliant connection, an Ethernet port for BD-Live and online firmware updates, IR ports for remote control, and a USB 2.0 connection. All connections are clearly labeled for easy setup.

It comes shipped with a high quality HDMI cable, a set of RCA cables, power cable, remote control, and one of the most thorough and informative user’s manual which makes setting up a breeze.

Features

The OPPO BDP-83 Blu-ray player comes equipped with a truck-load of features that will enlighten those new to Blu-ray technology and also satisfy those that demand the highest playback quality on their home theater systems. It is able to take advantage of all the latest video and audio codecs found in Blu-ray titles both new and old with full Profile 2.0 compatibility, which includes BD-Live and BonusView support. Via the Ethernet port at the back of the player, any BD-Live content found on the Blu-ray title can be downloaded. Unlike some of the mid-range Blu-ray players, the BDP-83 has built-in 1 GB internal storage memory eliminating the need for a USB storage device for newly downloaded content. Full BD-Live support is achieved right out of the box which is a major plus despite the lack of a wireless option.

The BDP-83 Blu-ray player also outclasses some of the competition by offering support for almost all known formats both old and new.  It is a true universal player in every sense of the word. The BDP-83’s officially supported formats for media are Blu-ray Disc, DVD-Video, DVD-Audio, SACD, AVCHD, CD and Kodak Picture CD. Support for additional media formats will be released via firmware updates by OPPO.

The BDP-83 is an HDMI v1.3 product that supports all of v1.3’s capabilities (bitstreaming new audio formats, CEC for control of other devices, and deep color), but as with all HDMI devices it is also backward compatible with earlier versions of HDMI. Video processing on the HDMI side is handled by Anchor Bay Technologies ABT 2010 processor which features proprietary VRS 10-bit video scaling, mosquito noise reduction, and proprietary lip synch technology. Oppo claims that it delivers a picture that is cleaner, smoother, true-to-life and free of artifacts.

BDP-83's circuit board showing Anchor Bay VRS video processor chip

No matter what media is being played back, there are several video output choices to choose from including the major resolutions: 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, and of course 1080p. 1080p/50 and 1080p/60 are also supported along with the 1080p/24 output as long the outputted displays are compatible. The BDP-83 is also one of a select few players able to upconvert standard DVDs into 1080p/24 output. For people that have their own external devices that handle the scaling, the BDP-83 can run in source direct mode so the player doesn’t handle any scaling or processing.

Actual user review:
“You might ask who is Oppo when there are many giant electronic companies producing Blu ray players. For price, there is the Sony PS3 slim, a game console with player capabilities. Then there are companies (LG, Samsung) adding internet content. Do some research online about the BDP-83 and you will find nothing but glowing reviews for this product. Oppo is a small company of videophiles whose goal is to produce the best video/audio qality for the price and with excellent customer support. You say $500 is high for a player? Add in that it comes with a high quality HDMI cable and two professional Blu ray calibration discs and the differences diminish. Build quality is first-rate; a substantial 11 pounds with mostly metal construction – not plastic! Even the AC cord is pro level. This is a UNIVERSAL player. Besides Blu ray, CD and DVD, this unit handled my DVD-AUDIO and SACD discs with aplomb. There are 7.1 analogue audio jacks if you don’t have HDMI audio capabilities and they support the player’s decoding DOLBY and DTS HD audio. The Anchor Bay VRS upconversion is superb, adding new life to a DVD collection. Some of my SUPERBIT DVD’s are now almost Blu ray quality on screen. Add a comprehensive setup menu and well written manual and you will get the most out of this unit. If your major criteria is PRISTINE video and audio quality, THIS IS THE PLAYER!” – R.P.Muraski (CT,USA)

Video Performance

The BDP-83’s user interface is well designed making it extremely easy for first time users to set up the player. When used for the first time, the user is greeted with a setup wizard that goes step by step through the configuration process setting up the resolution, connection, audio settings, and other preferences. This wizard can also be called up at any time in case resetting is necessary. Firmware updates may even improve the features of the interface and through the use of the Ethernet cable, downloading updates is just as simple. Installing the firmware via USB drive or CD is also possible in case there is no Internet connection available.

In video performance, without doubt, the OPPO BDP-83 produces amazingly beautiful images during Blu-ray playback. It produces images that are smooth, sharp, and three-dimensional – never looking artificially processed. This may be due to the Oppo’s superior ability to eliminate problems with jaggies – a capability the player demonstrated on the demanding Spears & Munsil jaggies tests. (The Spears & Munsil video benchmark test disc is suppplied). It displays all of the below black and above white information properly without clipping. The blacks were excellent and gave the image depth and dimension with no noticeable loss of details. Colors are accurate and natural and free from banding problems. Coupled with gorgeous deep blacks images were presented with a three dimensional quality. On movies with fine details and complex scenes like the excellent remastered ‘The Fifth Element’ Blu-ray disc, there were absolutely no moiré or jaggie effects on any of the scenes. Colors were vibrant and black levels were rendered correctly.

Load times have always been a complaint of Blu-ray player users, and the BDP-83 performed exceptionally well. On the average it loads about 2 to 3 times faster than previous generation players.

Audio Performance

It also performs just as good in the sound department keeping the distortion to a minimal and delivering sound through 7.1 analog pre-outs along with onboard decoding support for Dolby Digital TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. Audiophiles the world over will be happy with the inclusion of DVD-Audio and SACD playback. It even outputs these hi-resolution audio data on bitstream digital over its HDMI output. If you have a home theater receiver that comes with hi-resolution 24/192 DACs, you will be able to enjoy hi-rez audio in its full glory. The BDP-83 serves up full-bodied bass, luminous and well-defined midrange frequencies, and sweet highs free of edginess and glare. It portrayed each musical track as it was intended – leaving nothing out and doing nothing to alter the quality of the digital content.

The Oppo offers exemplary sound quality at its price point and can only be outdone by players that are substantially more expensive.

Bottom Line

The OPPO BDP-83 looks like an innocent classic device on the outside, but it bears a ton of features combined with excellent performance and an easy user interface. At $499, it is obviously not the cheapest Blu-ray player on the market and will not be the ideal fit for every user, but even at that price it represents an overall value that is very difficult to match. But for enthusiasts who have been anxiously awaiting for the Oppo BDP-83’s more unique features, it probably is the biggest bargain in today’s home theater marketplace.

More user reviews:

• “A year in the making, OPPO has finally released the BDP-83 Blu-ray Player – their first entry into the market. They have produced some of the finest upscaling standard DVD players, including the exceptional DV-983H. Thankfully, the BDP-83 uses the same Anchor Bay chip as the DV-983H, so your standard def DVDs will look as good as possible. On the Blu-Ray side of things, the audio and video quality are exceptional; on par with the best Blu-Ray players available. The BDP-83 also plays back DVD-Audio and SACD discs, making it a truly universal player. Anyone familiar with first-generation Blu-Ray players is all too familiar with their slow disc-loading times. Recent players have made great strides in this area, but the BDP-83’s loading time is the fastest I have seen. Bottom line: this is the best Blu-Ray player available. The image and sound quality is unparalled, the load times are fast, and it’s ability to play any format of disc is a wonderful convenience. I can finally retire my dedicated SACD player!” – P.Arnold (USA)
• “From the moment I connected the Oppo BDP-83 to my system, I was blown away by the experience. Extremely easy to setup, very very easy on-screen instructions. The remote is definitely much better than average with large backlit buttons of different sizes. But it is the video and audio quality of the Oppo BD-83 that truly sets it apart. BluRay video performance is outstanding, but you come to expect that from the format. This is where you start to see the benefits of the embedded AnchorBay processor. High resolution audio quality will blow your socks off.” – P.Christensen (PA,USA)

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