New Oppo BDP-80

[ewsjr]

[QUOTE=robertc88;2834114]No knock on the 983 BUT until we see lots of comparisons done from end users on these forums, we will not know if the higher cost was/is worth it. Again, no knock and it just may rather be one's specific needs per se as to needing better SD DVD upconversion and a better audio section. I'm not sure I'm willing to concede that the 983 is that "much" better in those regards OR the better unit for larger displays (ever read that last part before for any player?) As I said, we need to see more comparisons.

Well, according to what many consider THE industry expert on dvd players, the 983 is:

http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/dvd-p...rk-review.html

I, for one, believe it. (l certainly love mine)

[ZoetMB]

Almost any BD player out there will provide what most people will consider "acceptable" performance. The problem is that most people have no freakin' idea what high quality video and audio are and in many cases, hate it when they see and hear it ("....it's not BRIGHT enough, man...where's the contrast?")

What OPPO provides is an experience, craftsmanship and support that goes beyond what the ordinary, mass-market players provide. OPPO is not for consumers who do a lot of shopping at Wal-Mart.

Just like Apple is not looking to compete at the lowest end of the market, neither is OPPO. In fact, I would bet that most people who are looking for the cheapest possible price on equipment don't even know that OPPO exists. But for those who want something a bit better and can afford it, they'll go for OPPO. And while I obviously haven't evaluated the new player as yet and I personally am not in the market for it, because I already own the 83SE, it appears that it's a worthy, well made player.

IMO, it's absolutely incredulous to me that anyone could sell any BD player for less than $300. If you consider all the technology that is built into such a device, I find it quite unbelieveable that these can be designed, tooled, manufactured, shipped, distributed and placed into retail and everyone along that chain presumably makes some money. I think we've been absolutely spoiled by low-priced electronics. There are people on this Forum who have no problem spending $300 for a pair of RCA cables, but yet we wonder whether a BD player at the same price is worth it. (OK..maybe they're not the same people, but you get my point.)

[robertc88]

[QUOTE=ewsjr;2834642]

Originally Posted by robertc88

No knock on the 983 BUT until we see lots of comparisons done from end users on these forums, we will not know if the higher cost was/is worth it. Again, no knock and it just may rather be one's specific needs per se as to needing better SD DVD upconversion and a better audio section. I'm not sure I'm willing to concede that the 983 is that "much" better in those regards OR the better unit for larger displays (ever read that last part before for any player?) As I said, we need to see more comparisons.

Well, according to what many consider THE industry expert on dvd players, the 983 is:

http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/dvd-p...rk-review.html

I, for one, believe it. (l certainly love mine)

Again, no knock whatsoever but Kris hasn't reviewed the 80 yet to let us know if the 83 is indeed worth the extra money for most! It may depend on what features one needs. I personally haven't watched SD DVDs in quite awhile (I'm not finding enough time to even watch all the BDs at this point that I want to) and I personally have Class A components for SACD/CD playback.

I'm not trying to start a war between the two at all but I'm very curious really how good the 80 actually is cause we all know the reputation the 83 has. I didn't buy that one because of some of the reasons I listed as it wasn't worth $499 to me specifically. I know others in that boat! But it may turn out the same folks eventually may truly go with the 83 instead so time will tell.

[red_5ive]

I went ahead and ordered one this morning since it supports dsd streaming over HDMI. The price was just right. And hey, it's a blu-ray player, too.

I also just got the tracking# as I was typing this. Oppo !

[Grubert]

Up for preorder on amazon.

[red_5ive]

Originally Posted by Grubert

Up for preorder on amazon.

Would there be an advantage ordering from Amazon other than super-saver shipping? Otherwise this is my first time ordering from Oppo, and mine shipped yesterday with $10 shipping. Tracking has it for delivery tomorrow.

[gonk]

No benefit except shipping cost.

[red_5ive]

Originally Posted by gonk

No benefit except shipping cost.

Thanks!

[kingofgrills]

Originally Posted by Volume11

Of course. I don't think any of us are under the illusion that ANY OPPO BD player will look leaps and bounds better than any of the current budget priced Sony or Pannys BUT what we do know is that Oppo have great build quality, few major bugs that don't get fixed, outstanding customer service, solid design and fast load times.

For $500 I think your argument holds more water but for $289 I'm willing to pay the premium for the added benefit of an Oppo player over a similar quality Panny or Sony.

Actually, I was advocating for the Oppo player, not the Panny or Sony. The video performance of the Oppo players is very well regarded (at least with the BDP-83). Add in the fact they're universal players with both SACD and DVD-A (analog and DSD via HDMI), and they represent a huge value. I have a lot of SACDs in my collection, so I love the Oppo players.

My only point was that if a person was solely interested in BD and DVD playback, they can find a cheaper player elsewhere that will have decent video performance.

[blindcat87]

Keep in mind that if you order from Amazon, you need to register your player with Oppo. If you order direct from them, you are registered automatically.

Chris

Originally Posted by red_5ive

Would there be an advantage ordering from Amazon other than super-saver shipping? Otherwise this is my first time ordering from Oppo, and mine shipped yesterday with $10 shipping. Tracking has it for delivery tomorrow.

[Grubert]

Originally Posted by Blove23

That's all and good but remember when you stream, the HD audio is not added, plus I'm all about the audio and the experience that a Blu-ray disc provides.

That's beside the point.

You said: "The Oppo is a pure player where you do not have to deal with widgets. A purist wants an Oppo for the discs that they have."

However, Oppo has already begun to incorporate access to video from sources other than discs.

Hence, the idea that an Oppo may stream from Netflix, blasphemous as it may seem, is not so far-fetched. Indeed, I am ready to bet that this time next year Oppo will have a Netflix-compatible player in its lineup.

[jd13]

Originally Posted by ZoetMB

Almost any BD player out there will provide what most people will consider "acceptable" performance. The problem is that most people have no freakin' idea what high quality video and audio are and in many cases, hate it when they see and hear it ("....it's not BRIGHT enough, man...where's the contrast?")

What OPPO provides is an experience, craftsmanship and support that goes beyond what the ordinary, mass-market players provide. OPPO is not for consumers who do a lot of shopping at Wal-Mart.

Just like Apple is not looking to compete at the lowest end of the market, neither is OPPO. In fact, I would bet that most people who are looking for the cheapest possible price on equipment don't even know that OPPO exists. But for those who want something a bit better and can afford it, they'll go for OPPO. And while I obviously haven't evaluated the new player as yet and I personally am not in the market for it, because I already own the 83SE, it appears that it's a worthy, well made player.

IMO, it's absolutely incredulous to me that anyone could sell any BD player for less than $300. If you consider all the technology that is built into such a device, I find it quite unbelieveable that these can be designed, tooled, manufactured, shipped, distributed and placed into retail and everyone along that chain presumably makes some money. I think we've been absolutely spoiled by low-priced electronics. There are people on this Forum who have no problem spending $300 for a pair of RCA cables, but yet we wonder whether a BD player at the same price is worth it. (OK..maybe they're not the same people, but you get my point.)

Great Rant!

[red_5ive]

My BDP-80 arrived this morning. I wasted no time getting it hooked up. So far I'm loving this unit. The BD PQ is razor sharp (using passthrough). Haven't tried SACD yet, but that'll be later.

This is my first Oppo product. I'm very impressed with the care that they take to package these units, which I'm sure is the same with all their products. I've read all the positives about this company and their gear, and only had high expectations. So far they absolutely do not disappoint.

[kingofgrills]

Originally Posted by red_5ive

My BDP-80 arrived this morning. I wasted no time getting it hooked up. So far I'm loving this unit. The BD PQ is razor sharp (using passthrough). Haven't tried SACD yet, but that'll be later.

This is my first Oppo product. I'm very impressed with the care that they take to package these units, which I'm sure is the same with all their products. I've read all the positives about this company and their gear, and only had high expectations. So far they absolutely do not disappoint.

When you get a chance, would you please post back your impressions on SACD playback comparisons of the BDP-80, 60 GB PS3, and Yamaha DVDs1800? I play SACDs on both the PS3 60 GB and Yamaha DVD-S2500, and I'm considering the BDP-80 for DSD via HDMI. I'd be very interested to hear your comparisons of all three for SACD playback. Is your Yamaha connected via the analog outs?

Thanks

[red_5ive]

Originally Posted by kingofgrills

When you get a chance, would you please post back your impressions on SACD playback comparisons of the BDP-80, 60 GB PS3, and Yamaha DVDs1800? I play SACDs on both the PS3 60 GB and Yamaha DVD-S2500, and I'm considering the BDP-80 for DSD via HDMI. I'd be very interested to hear your comparisons of all three for SACD playback. Is your Yamaha connected via the analog outs?

Thanks

While I do want to make this comparison with the S1800, unfortunately I'm still a couple of weeks out before I can do that. The BDP-80 is in a second setup from the S1800 (check my sig, line 1 is separate from the rest). I'm in the middle of finishing my upstairs flooring which will take me at least into the next 2 weekends. After that I can take the time to shift my gear around and do comparisons.

The S1800 is using analog since it won't pass SACD via HDMI, which I believe is downgraded PCM (I haven't actually tried it so I'm guessing at least CD quality 44.1 kHz, but likely 48 kHz which seems to be common). I also haven't bothered using my 1st gen PS3 60GB for SACDs... the darned thing is just too noisy, but in the interest of the comparison I'll see if I can get my kids off of it for a few hours to test things out when I get there .

[jd13]

Originally Posted by red_5ive

My BDP-80 arrived this morning. I wasted no time getting it hooked up. So far I'm loving this unit. The BD PQ is razor sharp (using passthrough). Haven't tried SACD yet, but that'll be later.

This is my first Oppo product. I'm very impressed with the care that they take to package these units, which I'm sure is the same with all their products. I've read all the positives about this company and their gear, and only had high expectations. So far they absolutely do not disappoint.

How does the upconversion look comparable to the PS3?

[ZIPPO]

Originally Posted by red_5ive

My BDP-80 arrived this morning. I wasted no time getting it hooked up. So far I'm loving this unit. The BD PQ is razor sharp (using passthrough). Haven't tried SACD yet, but that'll be later.

This is my first Oppo product. I'm very impressed with the care that they take to package these units, which I'm sure is the same with all their products. I've read all the positives about this company and their gear, and only had high expectations. So far they absolutely do not disappoint.

CONGRATS!
Did it come double boxed, with bag & HDMI cord?
They have some of the best( well written ) manuals in the industry
It's these little details that really impress! I hope they never change.

[Volume11]

Originally Posted by kingofgrills

Actually, I was advocating for the Oppo player, not the Panny or Sony. The video performance of the Oppo players is very well regarded (at least with the BDP-83). Add in the fact they're universal players with both SACD and DVD-A (analog and DSD via HDMI), and they represent a huge value. I have a lot of SACDs in my collection, so I love the Oppo players.

My only point was that if a person was solely interested in BD and DVD playback, they can find a cheaper player elsewhere that will have decent video performance.

I know. I knew we were on the same page and I totally agree. But like I said, for me, the extra cost that Oppo carries is worth it for the reasons above. I like the idea that my player will likely receive FW upgrades for the unforeseeable future and not be phased out year in and out like Sony and Panny.

[red_5ive]

Originally Posted by jd13

How does the upconversion look comparable to the PS3?

I honestly didn't get the player for this purpose, but I did give it a try with the I, Robot dvd and I honestly couldn't tell the difference. Note though I wasn't exactly A/B'ing it, either.

Originally Posted by ZIPPO

CONGRATS!
Did it come double boxed, with bag & HDMI cord?
They have some of the best( well written ) manuals in the industry
It's these little details that really impress! I hope they never change.

Thanks, ZIPPO! And yes, the manual is very well written. Although it wasn't double-boxed, it was still some of the best packaging I've ever seen. It did include a 6' HDMI cord and was nicely wrapped in a bag. Here's some pics that I snapped.

[jd13]

Originally Posted by red_5ive

I honestly didn't get the player for this purpose, but I did give it a try with the I, Robot dvd and I honestly couldn't tell the difference. Note though I wasn't exactly A/B'ing it, either.

Not noticing a difference is a good thing.