Anyone....OPPO?

Hi all, has anyone in here bought Oppo Dvd player? An audio enthusiast friend of mine told me that this $200 Oppo could compete with other high end DVD players. Be honest, it looks kinda cheapy to me but I need your advise. I need a toy b4 Christmas.
http://www.oppodigital.com/

Oppo 981, best budget DVD player on the market, hands down. My second choice for budget DVD player would be the Denon DVD-1930CI.

See for yourself the benchmarks of the last generation Oppo 971 which scored 98 out of 100 (highest score): http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/cgi-b...h&articles=all

Of course this isn't to say that the Oppo could hold its own against a Denon DVD-2930CI. But in any case, the Oppo is an excellent choice.

Review: http://www.engadgethd.com/2006/12/18...ayer-reviewed/

I've heard nothing but good things about the 971, and the 981 is based on it, so I'll be getting one.

In other words, I haven't heard it, but I would recommend it based on the opinions of people whom I trust as much as one can without hearing the equipment for one's self.

There is, of course, a quasi-legal software "hack" that enables 1080i video upconversion via the component-video output. (normally its 480p component/1080i HDMI).

I'll let someone else tell you where to get it. (You burn it onto a CD and pop it in the player).

Yeah... It's not the heaviest build-quality... Performance is top-notch. In my experience, many optical disk players seem to have a short lifespan sometimes, regardless of how much they cost. Due to that and the fact that a higher resolution format will take over eventually... seems like a very wise purchase.

There are TONS of good consumer reviews on the internet (Amazon.com, etc...). I think you're sure to get the newest firmware and a bonus cable when you buy directly from OPPO though...

check out the latest absolute sound magazine! budget product of the year. i bought my sony ns500v on their recommendation and have never been sorry. if i were to replace it, the oppo would be the one to do it with.

the fact that it is a universal player is a big plus. i dont have but one dvda so the sony will suffice for now.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rock&Roll Ninja

There is, of course, a quasi-legal software "hack" that enables 1080i video upconversion via the component-video output. (normally its 480p component/1080i HDMI).

I'll let someone else tell you where to get it. (You burn it onto a CD and pop it in the player).

---

Is this upconversion only possible on the Oppo, or can it be accomplished on other makes? Neither my receiver nor TV have a HDMI connection so it would sure be great to get 1080i through the component hook-ups.