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Oppo’s long awaited emergence in the Blu-Ray market is here and they got the technology to make their mark.  Behold the Oppo BDP-83!

Any aspiring home theater buff or techno geek will find the BDP-83 a great addition to their entertainment center. Oppo Digital built it’s brand name with up-converting DVD players like the  DV-980H and they definitely added their finishing touches with this product.  It practically supports any optical disc media that’s still being used today–Blu-Ray, DVD, DVD-Audio, CD, Super Audio CDs, and the list goes on!   OPPO definitely took it’s time on creating this incredible player; they didn’t jump head first into the Blu-Ray Market like many competitors and they began their Early Adoption Program early this year.  Many critics will agree it was a wise move on their part.  As Matthew Moskovciak of CNET Reviews stated, “Oppo held out for quite some time, and in retrospect it was a smart move; almost all the early Blu-ray players were plagued with usability problems and hardware limitations.”  OPPO Digital stuck with their guns and proceeded carefully to make sure they released a product that well lived up to their name.  The BDP-83 definitely does that and lives up to all its hype as well.

Home theater enthusiasts  can rejoice with the arrival of the OPPO BDP-83 for a variety of reasons. First, legacy format compatibility gives all adopters another reason to maintain and continue to invest in their current media collections.  Not only is the BDP-83 capable of playing your entire CD or DVD collection (along with some dying formats e.g. SACD), it does what Oppo Digital is known for, up-converting standard DVD movies to an excellent quality that’s on par with that of HDTVs.  Various tests have been given to test this feature on various notable review sites and the BDP-83 passed them all with flying colors.  HomeTheaterReview.com tested the unit’s up-converting feature and found that it’s VRS video processing technology handled difficult-to-render shadow detail and  rapid motion very well.    Through the utilization of Anchor Bay VRS technology, the BDP-83 is capable of upscaling standard DVDs into 720p, 1080i, and 1080p formats via HDMI, making the experience of watching DVDs much more closer to true-high definition. I wouldn’t be surprised if adopters begin consolidating their other playback devices and centering their entire system on the BDP-83.

Second,  speed and  operational performance are unprecedented on the BDP-83, making user media experiences  more effortless and enjoyable.  Typically, the load time for Blu-Ray discs are slow due to the amount of data BD players must read and process. This however, is quite the contrary for the BDP-83.  Jim Prillaman of Prillaman.net, compared its load time with other BD players by using the Pirates of the Carribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl Blu-Ray.  He found that it takes the BDP-83 only 24 seconds to load the disc, which did comparably faster than all others–all of which include, the PS3 clocked at 30 seconds and Sony BDP300 at 183 seconds! Moreover, the BDP-83 comes packed with all the typical features that make a BD player worthwhile and with some extra added goodies.  The user interface is much intuitive and smoother to use, especially with it’s LED lit remote control.  It’s capable of PAL/NTSC conversion; it can play back both formats and convert video to either formats if needed.  It’s also Profile 2.0 compliant, meaning BD-Live can be fully utilized and all the necessary hardware for this feature is in place–1 GB of internal storage which can be increased by connecting storage devices to its backpanel USB port.

Lastly, audiophiles will find the BDP-83 to be a fully capable player that can handle all their auditory needs and much more.  The BDP-83′s backpanel possesses all the necessary outputs to accomodate all home theater setups–7.1 or 5.1-channel analog, dedicated stereo, composite video, digital optical and coaxial outputs.

BDP-83 Back Panel

It’s also capable of  onboard decoding, meaning it can decode Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio through its HDMI 1.3 output or even through the 7.1 analog outputs. Also, if you have a newer audio/video receiver that can support onboard decoding, the BDP-83 can send raw bitstreams over HDMI so that the AVR can handle it on its own end!   Despite all it’s attractive qualities, the BDP-83 is not entirely ridden of flaws.  Unfortunately,  it lacks support for Wi-Fi making certain BD-Live features inoperable at first site.  According to Cnet.com,  Oppo couldn’t find a Wi-Fi processor that was as capable as the current one they’re using.  For those that believe this is a deal breaker,  Oppo Digital does offer an Asus Wireless Bridge Kit for those willing to spend an extra $80, which I believe is definitely worth it.   The price tag for this device may also be a bit steep for some, but considering what the BDP-83 has to offer and comparing it to more expensive devices–e.g. Denon DVD-A1UDCI priced at $4500, is another player that offers DVD-Audio and SACD playback–$499 is the right price point for such a remarkable device.   Another known flaw may be it’s lack of support for streaming media features like Netflix or Pandora.  Although this may be a vital service for some, I’m sure an easy accommodation can  found through other devices or platforms e.g. AppleTV or particular gaming consoles.

All in all,  Oppo has introduced a new device that gives all its competitors a run for their money.  Providing such a high end device at a fraction of the cost is what Oppo Digital is known for.  They definitely have achieved this with the BDP-83.