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Oppo continues its legacy with two new top end Blu-ray players
Regarded as the best of the best when it comes to disc players, Oppo has two new ones that can easily handle any disc you've got. Physical media isn't the only game in town, obviously, so in addition to Netflix, Vudu and local file support like MKV, Oppo has stepped it up even further by adding an HDMI port in front for use as an MHL input. This allows you to leverage the high-end Oppo's processing to do wonders on content stored on your portable or other MHL source. Speaking of video processing, both the new guys use Marvell's Qdeo video processor and are capable of doing both 2D-to-3D conversion as well as up-scaling to 4K. From a control perspective, a back-lit remote is included, but there's also an IR input, RS-232 and mobile phone apps. The BDP-103 will surely satisfy any videophile at $499 this October, but if you happen to be an audiophile too, then you'd probably want to wait until the BDP-105 is released later this year. Not only does it feature two ESS Sabre32 Reference DACs and a Toroidal linear power supply, but there are also dedicated stereo outputs with both RCA and XLR balanced connections and a headphone amplifier -- if you know what all that is, we're sure you really want it.
You know you're a videophile if...
You actually know what OAR stands for and won't watch anything but. You believe edge enhancements are a crime against humanity. You understand that contrast is the most important video spec. You know that more P isn't always better -- as in 1080p vs 720p. You realize that properly de-interlaced video is perfectly acceptable and possible. You can't watch DVDs anymore. HBO HD is a big joke. You can explain what 3:3 pull-down is and why you'd want it. You knew the actual differences between HD DVD and Blu-ray. You have at least one video calibration disc on Blu-ray. You don't think LCDs look better than Plasmas. You've helped a random person at Best Buy pick out a TV, and you don't even work there. It makes you mad that Samsung calls its new 6000, 7000 and 8000 series LED TVs. You make fun of 240Hz HDTVs. Your HDTV has been professional calibrated. There are Blu-ray Discs in your collection because of their picture quality. You know the name of the mode on your TV that disables overscan. You think it simply isn't possible for downloads to ever compare to Blu-ray in quality. Engadget HD is the first site you read every day when you wake up.
