off topic -- bluRay question

My old HK DVD-CD is about to die.
Is the OPPO bluRay machine still the best one out there for the money ?
Any other bluRay candidates/recommendations at this time ?

There are a couple of threads on the Oppo BDP-83 in both the home theater and news and rumours forums. Apparently, Oppo has discontinued the entry-level BDP-80 and is discontinuing or already has discontinued the 83. A 93 version is supposed to be released soon that will include web streaming or download capability from services like netfilx. I've just scratched the surface on researching blu-ray players so my info may not be 100% accurate. As far as mass market goes, the Panasonic players seem to get good reviews as do some Sony and Samsung models. The Sony PS-3 still has a lot of fans even though it's been around for a while.

If you're like me and are interested in viewing a large dvd library on an HD tv then you may want to pay attention to the upconverting video processors used. Look for players from Oppo, Denon and Marantz that use the Anchor Bay video processors. At least that's what I've picked up on. The Denons are generally praised for their picture quality rivaling the Oppos, but there are a lot of reliability issues reported. The Marantzs generally get praised for sound quality but I haven't seen a whole lot about picture quality other than suggestions that you can get the same or better for less money from Oppo. (That's everything I've surmised in 2 paragraphs.)

After reading, researching and seeing all the comments after I posted on the HT board, there's no doubt this is the machine to buy. It's 'future proof' and has so many other great features that you can't miss with it.

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Originally Posted by Swish

After reading, researching and seeing all the comments after I posted on the HT board, there's no doubt this is the machine to buy. It's 'future proof' and has so many other great features that you can't miss with it.

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And when that adorable grand-daughter of yours is a little older, you can bribe her to come visit Grandpa with some really cool games. :)

It kind of depends on your needs and budget. My dad just wants to replace his DVD player. He doesn't care about the Netflix, streaming, networking or even the audio. Just something that plays DVD's. I am thinking of the Panasonic DMP-BD65 for him. It's pretty basic but with a good track record of reliability. It's on Amazon for $120.

If you want to spend more and are interested in something that can do it all, the the PS-3 is a great buy.

If you need analog out for audio, and want something that will play all the newest audio disks, then the Optra seems like a good deal. Check the models though as not all have the analog out.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Swish

After reading, researching and seeing all the comments after I posted on the HT board, there's no doubt this is the machine to buy. It's 'future proof' and has so many other great features that you can't miss with it.

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I've been looking at the SONY BDP - S570.
Seems to me the SONY BDP machines would have the same Blu Ray guts...........I'm not a gamer so why wouldn't this player do as well (for me) for less money ?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MasterCylinder

I've been looking at the SONY BDP - S570.
Seems to me the SONY BDP machines would have the same Blu Ray guts...........I'm not a gamer so why wouldn't this player do as well (for me) for less money ?

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I just installed one of these for a friend a few weeks ago. Nice player for what it is. It will do all the wireless streaming but you need a separate USB Wireless adapter to connect, it's not built in.

Loads fast and does pretty much what you want.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MasterCylinder

I've been looking at the SONY BDP - S570.
Seems to me the SONY BDP machines would have the same Blu Ray guts...........I'm not a gamer so why wouldn't this player do as well (for me) for less money ?

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I have the BDP-S560. Likely the predecessor to the S570. I quite like it. I don't stream video though so I can't comment on that. I've used it only for BR and CD. Mine has Wifi so I can connect through my wireless modem and I just needed to buy a USB memory stick which plugs in the back of the machine. I haven't actually set all that up yet, but I probably should. I did buy the USB stick.

My only complaint is that some BRs take a long time to load. My Lost BRs take a couple of minutes. But the Rush documentary was almost instant.

Picture and sound quality are great.

http://forums.audioreview.com/home-theater-video/okay-i-tried-do-search-find-my-answers-35089.html

I think you may enjoy some of the repartee that resulted from it, but there's a ton of good information that could sway your decision.

Bought the new SONY BDP-S570 for $200.
Loads fast and looks great @ 1080p.
User friendly remote too.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MasterCylinder

Bought the new SONY BDP-S570 for $200.
Loads fast and looks great @ 1080p.
User friendly remote too.

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Congrats, enjoy!

I'm gonna hold out for the OPPO 93 whenever it comes out.

I'd love the OPPO............but for $200 this was an easy buy.
Maybe next time.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MasterCylinder

I'd love the OPPO............but for $200 this was an easy buy.
Maybe next time.

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I have been holding out for the 83 to buy myself as a birthday present so I have already put aside the money. I'm bummed that they took away the dedicated 2 ch output in the 93 but it will more likely be used for dvd-bluray 95% of the time but having the capability to play almost any kind of disk is nice to have.

Yes, very nice............the Sony will read SACD.