OPPO BDP-83 universal Blu-ray player hands-on
By Darren Murph 
posted Mar 20th 2009 11:01AM
posted Mar 20th 2009 11:01AM
All the goods you want are here, including Blu-ray Profile 2.0 support, internal decoding of Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio formats, SACD playback and the promise of DVD-Audio compatibility in the future. Upon unboxing the unit, we were pleased with the rigid chassis and felt the design was simple yet classy. The remote seemed accommodating enough, and the port selection 'round back was admirable. We're planning to fire it up this weekend to see just how far along this beta firmware is, but 'til then, hit the gallery below to have a look at what's sure to become a favorite amongst well informed home theater aficionados.
Oppo makes some damned fine stuff. If I didn't already have a PS3 for (amongst other things) Blu-Ray goodness, this would be a contender. Does it upconvert DVD's like their DVD players do? I love my Oppo DVD player, but I'd love to reduce the number of things in my entertainment area.
Your PS3 upconverts DVDs pretty well, too. Look, just saved you greater than $500 and reduced your A/V equipment by one piece. Go go recession-recognition!
I plan to buy the BDP-83 even though I already have a PS3, because I'd like to extend the life of my PS3 as long as possible -- especially because I have one of the original models with PS2 hardware built in which are not made anymore -- and using it to play Blu-ray movies will shorten the life of the drive within. Gone are the days of the NES when one could count on a game machine to last 10 or 15 years, so I'd like that baby to be functioning for me for a long time to come.
Plus, while the PS3 does an admirable job upconverting DVDs, it's got nothing on the Oppo DVP-983HD, with which which this Blu-ray player shares upconverting hardware.
The PS3 is a darn good DVD scaler, if not the best. I don't know why, at this moment you would feel the need for anything else?
@Andy Anonymous
You were still playing the NES in 1999-2000?
Long after the introduction of: Genesis, SNES, PS1, Jaguar, N64, Saturn, 3DO, Dreamcast, PS2, and others?
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII (BarCODE): The PS3 is a darn good DVD scaler, if not the best.
Have you tested the PS3 deinterlacing and scaling capabilities with benchmark and configuration discs, or are is this simply a pathetic fanboi comment from someone who has no idea what they are talking about?
OPPO BDP-83 Universal Blu-ray player uses the same award-winning Anchor Bay ABT2010 chip as Arcam, Denon, and others use in their extreme high-end DVD players that cost thousands of dollars; although the deinterlacing is top-notch and even handles weird animie cadences the scaling algorithm does ring slightly.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII (BarCODE): - I'll even put my Toshiba HD-XA1 up against your PS3 any day of the week for DVD upscaling. This Blu-ray Oppo and the current line of DVD players put both to shame.
@ everyone
But.. but... think of the economy!
@Vanillacide - Thanks for the info. Actually let my fingers do the searching at Oppo's website to verify, and you're absolutely right about the chip. It's there in this new player, as it is in their flagship DVD player. The PS3 is, in it's own right, a fine BluRay player. But considering that my library has 5 BluRay discs, and about 150 DVD's, I need to make sure that the DVD's look the absolute best that they can on my Kuro. In my own head-to-head shoot outs, the Oppo wins. And I really don't play my PS3 as much as I thought I would.
I'd actually love to go all digital- rip my movies, then put 'em on an external HDD, but I can't seem to find a software upconverting solution for my Mac.
Engadget is kinda late on this.. AVS has had these players in their hands for awhile now. I got picked as a second round EAP user but realized I didn't have $600 sitting around. I was very very bummed passing on my slot!
@IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII (BarCODE):
Of course I was. Many video games stand the test of time long after their release; I still have lots of NES, SNES, Genesis etc. games, and plan to keep them for as long as I can find hardware to play them. I expect the same to be true of games I buy today, but the problem is that hardware doesn't last nearly as long, so I try to put as little wear on my systems as possible...and playing movies creates a lot of wear on the drive. Do you want all your PS3 discs to be unplayable and obsolete in ten years' time once PS3s are no longer manufactured and most of them no longer work?
@Andy,
In 10 years I'll have a PS4 or PS3's will be $99 slimmed down machines or the world would have ended in 2012, in which case it would not matter.
Universal? Is this Region Free for Blu-ray and/or DVD?
Every Blu-ray player can read DVD too.
I guess he meant dvd as in region free for dvd as well as bluray
Sorry... misunderstood your question. Forget and forgive my previous comment.
I'm confused by the Universal tagline as well. Why wouldn't they just say Region-Free, if that's what it is? So, is it?
The only thing I can see is this:
Universal Power Supply – The BDP-83 features a wide range world power supply that is compatible with the AC power of all regions. No worries about damaging the player due to incorrect power voltage.
and.. It can also convert content of one system for output in another. (Subject to DVD and BD region restrictions)
Universal means that it plays Blu-ray, DVD, CD, SACD, and DVD-Audio.
NO!
It is not region free. Neither for Blu-ray nor for DVD. This is a major letdown from Oppo, and frankly I don't see why I should buy one. I already have a PS3 and an Oppo 981. This would be a downgrade.
Hey guys, let me just throw my Oppo Blu-Ray player into this conveniently included bag and lug it over to your house so we call all enjoy it's Blu-Ray goodness.
Seriously, a bag?
That's obviously the big bag of hurt El Jobso was talking about. So if you get the Oppo, make sure to get rid of the bag ASAP
But what's the price tag on it?
-Wes of PressDr.com.
Gee I wonder how many types of bluray this player supports. With so many blurays out there I just can't decide which is the right one for me....but this universal one should cover all of them. OK...I'll buy it.
Does this include wifi? I'm out of ethernet jacks in my room.
PLEASE STOP WITH THE SHALLOW DEPTH OF FIELD PHOTOGRAPHY!
Seriously, Engadget, you aren't a photography or art site. I want to see the technology - IN FOCUS - not some quasi-artistic interpretation of the back plate of a Blu-ray deck.
Please, for the love of all that is battery powered, set the camera to f11 and forget it...
Worst gadget pictures ever. The one's that aren't apertured so tight are blurry, so all of the pictures are basically useless.
100% agree...
ROFLMAO!!
yup, it's one of the those featured unboxing articles with Darren and his D90, I'm used to it.
with all the giveaway, you would think they could afford a decent bounce flash or a tripod.
agree 100%. Bounce flash or tripod, and f/11 or higher. These look like the shots you take on your first day with a DSLR. Intensely irritating to those of us who just want to see what the thing looks like.
God, worst part of all, is that there is no wide-angle shot of the entire unit from the front. We have a lovely photo of the bottom, but still have no idea what it might look like in our media cabinet.
agreed. this is supposed to be informative and not artsy. there are tasteful ways to take pictures of the product to show the best information, instead of taking pictures that just try to "look cool". product photography is tough but these pictures are very hard to read.
Proof that using a DSLR doesn't make a good picture. hell, there were a few blurry shots in there! Great picture of the bottom plate.... and the wires! A good compact would take better shots than this. It would FORCE the photographer to capture the entire product.
Sweet! The cooling fan runs on coffee!
Seriously though, I've had an Oppo DVD player for a few years now and it's awesome. Seems to play damn near anything. Highly recommend them.
$500... I'll pass.
And not region free. A PS3 will do the same and more, and for less.
For that price you can set up an Ion-based system to do the same and much more. (When you can buy them :-))
An Ion-based system can play SACDs and bitstream DSD?
What is the universal about it? Engadget, please clarify.
I got it. It has a universal power supply. Not region free.
"Universal Power Supply – The BDP-83 features a wide range world power supply that is compatible with the AC power of all regions. No worries about damaging the player due to incorrect power voltage."
from
http://www.oppodigital.com/blu-ray-bdp-83/
Well, my 971 isn't "region free", but can be configured to be so. They don't advertise the fact, but it is possible to set the region to "0" so it can play anything.
Is this unit like that?
No, it's region locked in hardware.
Oooh. I like the SACD compatibility.
But, does it stream Netflix?
Don't make me choose!!!!
Need more input.
What the heck is universal about it?
It's universal because it plays BD Profilee 2.0, CD, DVD (with Anchor Bay upscaling), SACD (with DSD output), and, supposedly, DVD-A. Also plays stuff off of a flash drive. No netflix support/streaming. Should be about the best quality DVD upscaling, and probably some of the best Blu playback.
Where's the flash drive port? It that what's on the front right side?
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2 Questions:
DivX - does it play DivX files from a CD/DVD?
USB - is there a USB port (that thing on the front right?) and will it play DivX files from a thumb drive?
Those 2 features would get my $500 for this unit (but wifi would be nice too).