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Oppo officially announces BDP-93 Blu-ray player, shows off full specs
It hasn't been long since Oppo's well-received BDP-83 made its debut, but now it's gone, and the company has fleshed out details on the successor to the throne, the BDP-93. say hello to another universal player, now updated with Blu-ray 3D and streaming access to Netflix and Blockbuster over WiFi N. There's two HDMI 1.4a outputs in case your receiver isn't 3D passthrough ready, an eSATA port for playback from hard drives and two USB ports. Retail price? $499. If this is the player you've been waiting for you're probably already on the list, but if not click the source link for a full list of specs on Oppo's site and to register for notification when it goes on sale "soon." [Thanks, Mike]
Oppo adds a cheaper Blu-ray player to its lineup with the $289 BDP-80
After wisely avoiding being drowned out by the din of CES product launches Oppo has made official its new BDP-80 Blu-ray player. A lower priced version of the existing BDP-83 hardware (a comparison that should be familiar to owners of the company's DV-980H/DV-983H DVD players,) it still features BD-Live compatibility, DVD-Audio and SACD playback but drops the ABT2010 video processor, aluminum faceplate and some of the audio capabilities of its big brother. Other items sliced to get the price down to $289 from $499 are IR in/out, RS-232 control interfaces, and a backlit remote. Assuming one doesn't want to wait for the rebadged $2,500 Lexicon edition, it should be on sale "soon." Universal player fans looking to save a couple of bucks or bring their own video processor to the party can check Oppo's comparison page or the press release after the break.
Denon keeps high-end covered with AVR-4810CI receiver, DBP-4010CI universal Blu-ray player and ASD-51 iPod docks
Denon loyalists may have been stinging from the company's no-show at last week's CEDIA Expo, but the latest round of releases should help ease the pain. Here we go with the AVR-4810CI receiver, DBP-4010DCI universal disc player and ASD-51 iPod docks. The 9.3-channel AVR-4810CI ($2,999) looks to be the successor to Denon's popular 4308CI -- feature packed and definitely on the high end of the spectrum. Six HDMI 1.3a inputs, a pair of outputs, 140-Watts to nine channels, and the familiar set of features being rolled out across Denon's lineup: Anchor Bay video processing, Audyssey DSX and Dolby ProLogic IIz. Denon wants you to know it will pair up just fine with the DBP-4010UDCI universal disc spinner, which you should think of as a cheaper -- but at $1,999, not a "poor man's" -- DVD-A1UDCI. It'll play back just about every disc you've got (okay, maybe not laserdisc), and the build quality ensures it'll do so until after your physical media has turned to dust. Finally, Denon has also brought out the ASD-51W and ASD-51N iPod docks that also let you pull in internet radio, Napster and Rhapsody -- grab up the ASD-51W if you want to do that sans wires. As you'd expect from "CI" (custom integrator) designation on these bits of fun, everything is getting in on the network control and connectivity game, but we'll leave it for you to suss out those finer details after the break.
Oppo BDP-83 pre-orders now open for all (in North America)
Weren't on the invited pre-order list for the Oppo BDP-83 Blu-ray player? Our tipster Mike gave us the heads up that those not on the initial list can now go ahead and lay down $499 to pre-order one of the universal players, expected to ship sometime between July 1 - 3. All you have to do is check out our hands on or the comments from some previous owners to see why this fast loading, SACD & DVD-Audio playing box is so highly regarded already.[Thanks, Mike]
Denon delays Japanese delivery of its DVD-A1UD universal Blu-ray deck
Have you been waiting for Denon's DVD-A1UD universal Blu-ray player to fill that gaping hole in your equipment rack left when sold your SACD, DVD-A and Blu-ray decks on eBay? Be prepared to wait a little longer than expected -- the Japanese launch, originally set for January, has been moved out by a couple of months due to a "delay in the launch of production." That means the February US release is right out, and we wouldn't be surprised to see the European availability slip from its March date either. It looks like sister company Marantz's BD8002 will have to serve D&M Holdings' kilobuck Blu-ray player market for a while longer. Hit the link for the bad news, made worse by machine translation.[Via Electronista]
Denon's DVD-A1UD universal Blu-ray player gets priced / dated for UK: 3,299 in March
Denon's format-lovin' DVD-A1UD universal Blu-ray player has already notched prices and release dates for Japan and America, and now those in the UK can start counting their pounds as they await a launch of their own. The beefed-up deck -- which handles Blu-ray Discs, DVDs, SACDs and DVD-Audio discs -- is slated to go on sale this March in the UK for a stiff £3,299 ($4,808), and to-be buyers can go ahead and start thinking about whether they prefer silver or black.
Oppo coughs up BDP-83 universal Blu-ray player details
Lookie, lookie -- we just might have a winner on our hands here. While Denon just announced the world's first universal Blu-ray player at $3,800, the highly respected Oppo is looking to trump said offering with a low-cost version of its own. The heretofore elusive BDP-83 has finally been detailed, as consumers who signed up to know more have received an email (posted in full after the break) with oodles of delicious information. For starters, the player will indeed be fully universal -- a Profile 2.0 BD deck with SACD, DVD and DVD-Audio support -- and for SACD playback, it will support DSD over HDMI and DSD-to-analog without any PCM conversion. As of now, the unit is currently undergoing "an extensive and thorough beta test program," and Oppo is considering opening up an "Early Adoption Program" later this month to give a limited number to mere mortals for feedback. Obviously, there's no finalized date for release, but the anticipated price will hover between $499 and $599.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Denon prices DVD-A1UDCI universal Blu-ray player for US market: $3,800
So, there's good news and bad news. The good? Denon's US version of the DVD-A1UD (coined the DVD-A1UDCI) is priced considerably lower than the yen-to-dollar conversion led us to believe. The bad news? It's still $3,800. For those that that missed it, Denon's calling this the world's first universal Blu-ray player, and folks looking for a premiere unit to handle Blu-ray, DVD, SACD and DVD-Audio can satisfy their every desire in February 2009. Better hope that Christmas bonus comes through.
Denon's DVD-A1UD: world's first universal (SACD / DVD-A) Blu-ray player
Okay, so Denon wares aren't exactly "cheap," but you can't knock it for trying to innovate. Despite that fact that about eight people on this Earth still care about their beloved SACD / DVD-Audio collections, Denon has developed a Blu-ray player specifically for them. The DVD-A1UD is hailed as the world's first universal BD deck, and it features a black (shown after the break) or silver motif, SD / SDHC card slot, DivX support, HDMI 1.3, 1080p60 / 1080p24 output, internal decoding of DTS-HD Master Audio / Dolby TrueHD, 7.1-channel analog outputs, Denon LINK and all sorts of sophisticated pixel / audio restoration technologies. Better still, users who buy in can look forward to a Profile 2.0 update in the near future. Not surprisingly, the decked-out player will ship in Japan next month for a patently astounding ¥546,000 ($5,860), so you'll probably be stuck dreaming about it unless your ship rolls in.[Via Impress]
OPPO pushes DV-980H upconverting DVD player for Mother's Day
Mum a little overwhelmed with digiframes? Fret not, as OPPO Digital is telling you straight up that a brand new upconverting DVD player is sure to make this Sunday one to remember. C'mon, even you know your mother wouldn't approve of spending a mortgage payment or two on a hamstrung Blu-ray player, and that much newer (and nicer) DV-983H just isn't worth the coin. Our only question is how desperate must you be (or overran with excess inventory) to pimp a 9-month old upscaling DVD player for Mom's Day? Ah well, we've certainly seen worse.
Oppo's DV-983H universal player gets reviewed
When Oppo decided to exit the DVD deck business with a bang, it actually did precisely that. According to a recent review of the firm's last DVD spinner over at CNET, the DV-983H was summed up as practically the "ultimate standard-def disc player," with excellent image quality on DVDs, great upconverting abilities, included DVD-Audio / SACD support and 7.1-channel analog outs to boot. Reviewers were even able to make the unit region-free courtesy of a simple remote code hack, and it was said to have handled PAL discs like a champ. On the downside, the exorbitantly high price tag ($399) really makes it unattractive to most everyone, but the impeccable feature set still enabled it to net a solid 8.4 out of 10 rating. In all actuality, there's a slim chance you'll be picking this up before a serious price drop, but if you're not quite ready to go Blu, this here is apparently the player to own.
Oppo's upscaling DV-983H universal player up for pre-order
Though it's not the elusive Blu-ray player we're anxiously awaiting, Oppo's latest standalone deck is finally up for pre-order. The DV-983H universal player features 1080p upscaling of DVDs, SACD / Redbook CD / HDCD playback (no DVD-A?), optical / coaxial digital audio outputs, a USB 2.0 port, support for DTS, Dolby and Dolby Pro-Logic II, HDMI audio output supporting bit-stream and uncompressed multi-channel high resolution audio and a design that's actually not half bad. You'll also get a one-year warranty and a six-foot HDMI cable for $399, but we've got to say, picking this one up will be hard to do with knowledge of what's on the way.[Via AudioJunkies]
Cary Audio Design intros DVD 8 upscaling universal player
If you're still a fence sitter in the HD DVD / Blu-ray war, and you just can't part with that sweet sounding 5.1 audio collection, home theater boutique Cary Audio Design has a new universal player that should fit the bill quite nicely while the high definition blows are being thrown. The DVD 8, debuting at CEDIA, plays nice with DVD, SACD, and DVD Audio, and sports the oh-so-touted 720p / 1080i upscaling thanks to its component / HDMI (with HDCP, no less) outputs. The device features an impressive 24-bit Cirrus Logic 4360 DAC, as well as digital and analog 5.1 outputs to meet multi-channel expectations, and apparently supports both NTSC and PAL playback. If you're looking to consolidate that home theater setup while waiting for the ever elusive HD DVD / Blu-ray combo unit, the DVD 8 will begin shipping later this month for a currently undisclosed (but presumably costly) amount.[Via Talk About: CEDIA]
