Oppo's New Blu Ray Released Today

[BadAssJazz]

True to their word, Oppo has finally released a more affordable universal player with Blu Ray capabilities...all for only $289.

Go here:

http://www.oppodigital.com/blu-ray-bdp-80/

[poppachubby]

Right on!!

[winston]

[QUOTE=BadAssJazz]True to their word, Oppo has finally released a more affordable universal player with Blu Ray capabilities...all for only $289.:/QUOTE]

Well I am thinking its time for for me to owned my first OPPO" as it might not get any better than That??!! for $289. what are you guys "thoughts" ??

[Worf101]

Oppo had two choices to bring down the cost of the flag ship, cheapen the up-conversion or drop the SACD and DVD-A. Oppo chose the former. To me the finest part of the flagship 83 is it's upconversion prowess. I don't own any SACD or DVD-A disks, I don't know anyone who does outside of this and other forums. To me I think they made absolutely the wrong choice in sacrificing up-converting prowess for niche audio formats that 99 percent of the market has never even heard of.

Worf

[kexodusc]

Oppo had two choices to bring down the cost of the flag ship, cheapen the up-conversion or drop the SACD and DVD-A. Oppo chose the former. To me the finest part of the flagship 83 is it's upconversion prowess. I don't own any SACD or DVD-A disks, I don't know anyone who does outside of this and other forums. To me I think they made absolutely the wrong choice in sacrificing up-converting prowess for niche audio formats that 99 percent of the market has never even heard of.

Worf
I suspect you'll see a 3rd BluRay player from them before too long offering exactly that.

I on the other hand have little care for the upconversion - my DVD's look good enough now, but if the SACD/DVD-A is up to snuff this could be on my buy list real soon...

[Worf101]

I suspect you'll see a 3rd BluRay player from them before too long offering exactly that.

I on the other hand have little care for the upconversion - my DVD's look good enough now, but if the SACD/DVD-A is up to snuff this could be on my buy list real soon...
Many if not all my friends on various gear forums (don't shoot, I consider you a friend) feel as you do. How many SACD's/DVD-A's do you own? What genre? What lables? Educate me let me buy some and see if the difference exists? I've been spending most of my time re-watching "The World at War" all 26 hours of it. Upconversion means a LOT to me.

Worf

[Feanor]

Oppo had two choices to bring down the cost of the flag ship, cheapen the up-conversion or drop the SACD and DVD-A. Oppo chose the former. To me the finest part of the flagship 83 is it's upconversion prowess. I don't own any SACD or DVD-A disks, I don't know anyone who does outside of this and other forums. To me I think they made absolutely the wrong choice in sacrificing up-converting prowess for niche audio formats that 99 percent of the market has never even heard of.

Worf
I see your point very well, Worfster. I too would rather have the better video and up conversion.

But I do have quite a few SACDs. It that were my priority I'd to go for the BDP-83 anyway because only the '83 has DSD analog output. And if analog, then I'd probably feel compelled to go to the 'SE' version, (not Lexicon's :nonod:).

[Worf101]

I see your point very well, Worfster. I too would rather have the better video and up conversion.

But I do have quite a few SACDs. It that were my priority I'd to go for the BDP-83 anyway because only the '83 has DSD analog output. And if analog, then I'd probably feel compelled to go to the 'SE' version, (not Lexicon's :nonod:).
I DID go with the BDP-83. Which is why I love it's up-conversion talents so much. I salute Oppo for filling in the blanks on their product line, particularly since they've ceased regular DVD player production.

Worf

[BadAssJazz]

Oppo had two choices to bring down the cost of the flag ship, cheapen the up-conversion or drop the SACD and DVD-A. Oppo chose the former. To me the finest part of the flagship 83 is it's upconversion prowess. I don't own any SACD or DVD-A disks, I don't know anyone who does outside of this and other forums. To me I think they made absolutely the wrong choice in sacrificing up-converting prowess for niche audio formats that 99 percent of the market has never even heard of.

Worf

Maybe I've oversimplified this, but the BD80 is essentially the 980H, which performed remarkably well (an understatement) with standard DVD's, albeit with the additional Blu Ray capabilities. To hedge against the ability of the BD80 to provide above average video quality on par with the much-lauded 980H simply because it doesn't use the same chip as the 83 is probably a hasty assessment. The 83 is Oppo's flagship model. Sure, the thrill of driving down the coast in a convertible Stingray as opposed to a Ferrari is unquestionably different. But with the Ferrari, you pay for what you get under the hood. Most consumers would be very happy with the Stingray. It's the view they're after.

I think what Oppo should be concerned about, however, is whether or not the BD80 can thoroughly outperform the cheaper Panasonics, Samsungs, and LG's, etc., that you can purchase for half the asking price of the BD80 and get Netflix/Amazon/Pandora streaming to boot. My assumption is that Oppo isn't targeting only the audio/videophiles who covet an 83, but are too shallow of pocket.

That said, I do agree that there was no point in keeping DVD-A/SACD capabilities for the newer unit. But who knows... maybe it was cost effective for them to keep these dying formats in play?

[Feanor]

Maybe I've oversimplified this, but the BD80 is essentially the 980H, which performed remarkably well (an understatement) with standard DVD's, albeit with the additional Blu Ray capabilities. ...
I have an 980H and it's a good DVD player but I bought it for an SACD capatible machine. But FPMO, it quit playing a SACDs a few weeks after the warranty expired.

[audio amateur]

True to their word, Oppo has finally released a more affordable universal player with Blu Ray capabilities...all for only $289.
That's close to PS3 price territory...

[frahengeo]

In terms of component pricing, does the absence of the ABT chip allow for a greater discount. In other words, would the removal of SACD and DVD-A capabilities alone, reduced the price enough?

[kexodusc]

Many if not all my friends on various gear forums (don't shoot, I consider you a friend) feel as you do. How many SACD's/DVD-A's do you own? What genre? What lables? Educate me let me buy some and see if the difference exists? I've been spending most of my time re-watching "The World at War" all 26 hours of it. Upconversion means a LOT to me.

Worf
Mostly Jazz and classical SACD's, a lot of rock based DVD-A's though. In all honesty, I probably only have 45-50 titles or so between both formats, though I can say every single one is a very favorite album of mine. A lot of the usual suspects in Jazz and Classical, and even Rock. I have no pure blues in either format, though. I buy maybe 1 every month or so lateley, after a year or two of not buying any. I have bought them in bunches it seems when I could find them on sale, 2nd hand, whatever...

For heavyweight classics or some of the staples of the 40-70's Jazz era, they are great...a lot of classic pop/rock albums just aren't available.

I totally get the concept that $300 for playing 4-5 SACD's is a non-starter, but if it was thrown in with some BluRay capability, why not try experimenting?

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

In terms of component pricing, does the absence of the ABT chip allow for a greater discount. In other words, would the removal of SACD and DVD-A capabilities alone, reduced the price enough?

Worf is right, it is the ABT chip or the SACD and DVD-A playback. I would also say yes on the removal of both DVD-A and SACD would have reduced the cost. With the removal of those two formats, you would save on a DSD decoder chip, and the extra signal paths to handle it. You get rid of all the components that allow the transition of SACD as a PCM or DSD signal.

I agree with Worf on this one. SACD and DVD-A are basically dead formats, and it would have been smarter to get rid of that, than the ABT chip for upconversion. You leave the SACD and DVD-A playback for your flagship player.

[blackraven]

I think oppo made the right choice, especially since I agree with Worf that they will probably come out with a cheaper version. I think Oppo knows its customers. There are a lot of people out there that will buy this unit just for its audio ability. There are so many midfi people out there who already have a good DVD player or who bought the 980/981and are now looking for a better Cd/SACDP and BluRay and this unit fits the bill at an affordable price. Why spend the money for the BD-83 when you already have a good DVDplayer and all you need is a good BluRay.

[nightflier]

It would really be interesting if their next player only offered HDMI out (no other audio or video outputs), and no SACD/DVD-A, making it pretty-much a video-focused player with audio-over HDMI. For kicks they could make it one of those super-slim players, too. The news coverage for this kind of minimalism alone would guaranty quite a few orders, I think. I wonder how much that would save them on production costs?

[Woochifer]

Wow! Truly impressive work from Oppo if the performance measures up to their past efforts at this price point.

That constant height zoom feature and subtitle offset is a true high end feature that I haven't seen in any Blu-ray player (it's basically for installed front projection systems that use a constant height and will vary the width according the aspect ratio, much the same way that a movie theater does).

[Woochifer]

Many if not all my friends on various gear forums (don't shoot, I consider you a friend) feel as you do. How many SACD's/DVD-A's do you own? What genre? What lables? Educate me let me buy some and see if the difference exists? I've been spending most of my time re-watching "The World at War" all 26 hours of it. Upconversion means a LOT to me.

Worf

I also have a modest collection of maybe 50 SACD and DVD-A titles at the most. But, the SF Symphony's Mahler series is about as prized a group as any in my music collection. Those are stellar performances and recordings, and the 5.1 SACD tracks are an absolute marvel to listen to. Any future upgrades to my system would have to allow for playback of that series. That's why I'm glad that Oppo still offers up the option. I think that Oppo knows their target audience, and most of them have 5.1 audio discs that they would like to continue listening to.

With Oppo's universal players, they get it right. They allow for 5.1 PCM transcoding, which is compatible with HDMI 1.1 receivers, and they stream the 5.1 DSD track for those more advanced receivers that can natively decode the DSD format. I don't know of anything else that has this kind of flexibility. It's too bad that this kind of flexibility wasn't available when DVD-A and SACD discs were still widely available. The format might have done a little bit better if not for the ridiculous analog-only output.

I have a dedicated SACD player, but it has already been repaired under warranty once. At some future juncture, I'd like to upgrade my receiver, and the Oppo would be a great addition.

Also, Worf the upconversion is not all that it's made out to be, since your HDTV already has that capability built in.

[winston]

I have an 980H and it's a good DVD player but I bought it for an SACD capatible machine. But FPMO, it quit playing a SACDs a few weeks after the warranty expired.
Feanor" are you aware of anyone else that has this problem with the SACD?? (just curious) (as I might be geting the BD-80) W/O the Warranty... OH another thing the Black Lit Remote cost an extra $9.50 which brings the price back up to $298.50 minus .50 cent" off the list price....

(optional black lit remote) have they done this with the other players?..........I'M almost sure I'll be OK if i get it.... however i just don't want to to be doing the??!! (:incazzato: ) later

[BallinWithNash]

Alright, I want to buy a blu ray player and also use it as a CD player but only want to spend around 250$ preferably less, this Oppo vs. Samsung BD-1600 or Panny's DMP-BD60K ... I have Netflix and being able to stream would be nice but I already have a xbox 360 for that, anyways I can spend 200$ on Samsung or Panny and there appears to be not that much of a difference from the 300$ Oppo ... what am I missing?

[Feanor]

Feanor" are you aware of anyone else that has this problem with the SACD?? ...
No, I've mentioned around but no one as admit to it. In general the Oppos seem pretty reliable.

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

Alright, I want to buy a blu ray player and also use it as a CD player but only want to spend around 250$ preferably less, this Oppo vs. Samsung BD-1600 or Panny's DMP-BD60K ... I have Netflix and being able to stream would be nice but I already have a xbox 360 for that, anyways I can spend 200$ on Samsung or Panny and there appears to be not that much of a difference from the 300$ Oppo ... what am I missing?

The Panny or Samsung can not do SACD or DVD-A.

[winston]

No, I've mentioned around but no one as admit to it. In general the Oppos seem pretty reliable.
Thank You Sir.

About the Remote!! (Are they scrimp-ing on me ? )

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

I think oppo made the right choice, especially since I agree with Worf that they will probably come out with a cheaper version. I think Oppo knows its customers. There are a lot of people out there that will buy this unit just for its audio ability. There are so many midfi people out there who already have a good DVD player or who bought the 980/981and are now looking for a better Cd/SACDP and BluRay and this unit fits the bill at an affordable price. Why spend the money for the BD-83 when you already have a good DVDplayer and all you need is a good BluRay.

If this player uses the same analog stages as the BD-83, then the better CD or SACD playback comes into question, at least through the analog outs.

[Worf101]

Thank You Sir.

About the Remote!! (Are they scrimp-ing on me ? )
I've the non-backlit remote on the old up-converter upstairs and the backlit remote on the 83 downstairs. I much prefer the back-lit remote, it's bigger, better and easier to see in my ole age. Don't be so cheap... spring fer it:cornut:

Worf

[Jim Clark]

I have been very happy with the performance of my Oppo BDP 83. It may be in my head but for now I'm convinced that the upscaling is far superior to that of my 981. I do have a nagging feeling that I paid way the heck too much for this thing especially since I have no interest or desire to get into DVD-A or SACD. My Jolida 100A CDP sounds a lot better to me than the Oppo so it's basically a BDP and nothing else for me. Maybe if it had a phono stage...j/k

I think Worf is right, they saved money in the wrong place. I have to believe that anyone who wanted an SACD player, already had an SACD player and it was probably superior to the Oppo's performance in that regard. Oh well, it's just money, right?

jc

[BallinWithNash]

The Panny or Samsung can not do SACD or DVD-A.

So for a 100$ more that is the only thing I get more? plus I don't get networking capabilities with the Oppo.

[blackraven]

I have been very happy with the performance of my Oppo BDP 83. It may be in my head but for now I'm convinced that the upscaling is far superior to that of my 981. I do have a nagging feeling that I paid way the heck too much for this thing especially since I have no interest or desire to get into DVD-A or SACD. My Jolida 100A CDP sounds a lot better to me than the Oppo so it's basically a BDP and nothing else for me. Maybe if it had a phono stage...j/k

I think Worf is right, they saved money in the wrong place. I have to believe that anyone who wanted an SACD player, already had an SACD player and it was probably superior to the Oppo's performance in that regard. Oh well, it's just money, right?

jc

I don't think that the $500 price tag of the Oppo is hindering its sales. In fact it may be helping with sales to other audio manufacturers who are rebaging it or modifying it and reselling it. Plus, SACD players are still being sold (the $1,000 Marantz SA-8003 SACDP is selling very well), its kind of narrow minded to think that all the people that are interested in SACD already own one. Most people that buy Oppo's are into some type of audio vs people who buy Blu-Ray players from stores like Best Buy. I do believe that the new lower priced version will cut into the BD-83 sales though.

[Jack in Wilmington]

Alright, I want to buy a blu ray player and also use it as a CD player but only want to spend around 250$ preferably less, this Oppo vs. Samsung BD-1600 or Panny's DMP-BD60K ... I have Netflix and being able to stream would be nice but I already have a xbox 360 for that, anyways I can spend 200$ on Samsung or Panny and there appears to be not that much of a difference from the 300$ Oppo ... what am I missing?

Buydig.com and Beach Camera have the Panny for $129

[winston]

I've the non-backlit remote on the old up-converter upstairs and the backlit remote on the 83 downstairs. I much prefer the back-lit remote, it's bigger, better and easier to see in my ole age. Don't be so cheap... spring fer it:cornut:

Worf
Worf" I'm cracking up reading your response!! so ill just "throw" the cornut back at ya:cornut: and go get into my first OPPO" purchase.
LOL" man

[Worf101]

Worf" I'm cracking up reading your response!! so ill just "throw" the cornut back at ya:cornut: and go get into my first OPPO" purchase.
LOL" man
Hey man, chill, the teaches watchin' LOL. Hope you love your Oppo as much as I love mine. And I LOVE your signature, shows class it does.

Worf

[Jim Clark]

its kind of narrow minded to think that all the people that are interested in SACD already own one. Most people that buy Oppo's are into some type of audio vs people who buy Blu-Ray players from stores like Best Buy. I do believe that the new lower priced version will cut into the BD-83 sales though.

Yep, that's me, narrow minded : )

I guess it's possible that DVD-A and SACD are gaining in popularity with new adopters climbing on board every day. I just haven't seen it. I haven't even seen it in this thread which I suspect accounts for Worf's O/P. I don't think that any of the 50 or so albums that I purchased in 2009 were even available in either format. Many of them where available on vinyl however. (insert double smiley here!) The market could very well be clamoring for a good quality Universal Player I just really haven't seen it, doesn't mean it doesn't exist of course.

With regard to Worf's main post I don't think we should lose sight of what "made" Oppo in the first place, a very affordable DVDP that had outstanding video rendering. Top benchmark scores in a value priced machine is tough to beat. They further enamored themselves to the higher end buying segment by offering timely firmware updates that tweaked an already incredible machine. IMO, the Oppo 980 was one of the best HT values ever and as such it was nothing short of a phenomenon. That leaves me wondering why they didn't take the same approach here. The only answer that makes sense is money.

Regards,
jc

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

I actually agree with Worf and Jim. DVD-A and SACD are either dead, or using its last two breaths. I also believe the BR spec's renders both of these formats pretty useless for music applications. BR is a higher resolution format than both of these formats, and does not require a special hookup(a single HDMI cable will do the job). A continuing focus on these two formats is IMO a waste of precious component space and circuitry. With companies like 2L and Surround Recordings coming out with great classical music on the BR format it won't be long before the big record companies start eyeing(if they have not already) BR disc as a music format. I know Sony/BMG is definitely looking at it, and so are a few small European labels.

It just doesn't make any sense to me to sacrifice anything in favor of two nearly dead formats. It is backwards thinking IMO

[blackraven]

Jim, I did not mean to say that you are narrow minded just that view was. I didn't mean to insult you.

[Worf101]

This has been a VERY informative thread. My head's kinda spinning because personally, I expected to be bull-rushed by DVD-A and SACD lovers attacking me for being behind the times. Once I bought my BDP-83 I tried to find DVD-A or SACD versions of albums I love enough to buy in a new format for the 3rd or 4th time like Santana's "Abraxas", Miles' "Kind of Blue" etc... didn't work, couldn't find em. So I have capabilities on my Oppo that I'll likely never get to use, so to me at least, it would make more sense not to have to pay for something I'll never need. Oppo felt differently.

I'm sure they'll come out with a better up-converter without the Audio formats but I couldn't wait for that. I'm glad I bought the BDP-83. Blu-Ray play back is top-notch and it up-conversion to me is well worth the list price. With me they've a customer for life, or until they're bought out and mangled.

Worf

[Jim Clark]

Jim, I did not mean to say that you are narrow minded just that view was. I didn't mean to insult you.

I knew that, hence the smiley : ) It was funny.

Plus I can be a bit opinionated.

We're definitely good so no worries at all.

jc

[BadAssJazz]

... or until they're bought out and mangled.



**Crosses Self**

Lord, please spare us (and Oppo) from this accursed Fate!!!!

"So sayeth the shepherd! So sayeth the flock!"

[harley .guy07]

I looked at the new bdp-80 but decided to pull the trigger on the 83. It just gets my vote due to the fact that the video quality is better and I have heard so many good things about using this player as a audio media transport so I decided the extra money was worth it and since I just bought a 46" samsung LED television I figured I would feed it with the best for the money plus once I find the DAC I want this will make a good transport as well.

[Worf101]

I looked at the new bdp-80 but decided to pull the trigger on the 83. It just gets my vote due to the fact that the video quality is better and I have heard so many good things about using this player as a audio media transport so I decided the extra money was worth it and since I just bought a 46" samsung LED television I figured I would feed it with the best for the money plus once I find the DAC I want this will make a good transport as well.
I for one, will be waiting to hear/see a review of all the new goodies you've just purchased. You're gonna give me what I want right? Hmmm? Hehhhh? Hmmmm?:devil:

Worf

[harley .guy07]

Sure will. I am waiting on the Oppo to get here. It should be here tomorrow so I can't speak on it yet but the Samsung LED tv is awesome. I have had my eye on the LED Samsung for quite some time and finally just went for it. the price was lower than it has been so I figured it was time. I will let you know how the oppo looks on my Samsung when I get it in and get it hooked up.

[harley .guy07]

My report back is great. I got the Oppo BDP-83 in Saturday and unpacking it revealed why they are superior products to others in their price class, just the way they box up the unit and cables and looking at the manual tells me that they care a little more for their product than other companies do. Then I hooked it up and the setup took a little while but it was easy as hell and after that I put my first blue ray disc in and wow, the picture is awesome and the analog outputs and processing is top notch and was a good thing since I am running them into my 6 channel input on my HTR that does not have processing for the new codecs. The unit works great with the Samsung LED tv and I believe it will make a great music transport as well and when I order my outboard DAC at some time I believe it will be a killer package.