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Blu-ray Players OPPO BDP-83 Universal Blu-ray Player - Benchmark
Blu-ray Players OPPO BDP-83 Universal Blu-ray Player - Benchmark
Blu-ray Players
| OPPO BDP-83 Universal Blu-ray Player - Benchmark |
| Written by Adrian Wittenberg |
| Thursday, 25 June 2009 00:00 |
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Page 7 of 7
Conclusions In a system with HDMI connections, the OPPO BDP-83 is an extremely desirable player to have because it's a fantastic Blu-ray player with a beautiful picture and speedy operation. Standard DVD processing is top notch as well and the player features high quality audio output for all the latest HI Def sound codecs as well as additional media types such as DVD-Audio and SACD in both bitstream and PCM output. Because the BDP-83's component video connections don't take advantage of the ABT2010 processor, the performance is not near as good and doesn't get quite the recommendation for systems limited to analog video connections. However, with the BDP-83's HDMI capabilities, its performance on the bench, the exceptional build quality, their continued support to their product line, and the inclusion of features such as BD-Live and additional media playback, OPPO has an out-of-the-ballpark grand slam home run. Highly Recommended. Comments (45)
This one was a lot of work.
written by JEJ , June 26, 2009 Because the BDP-83 handles so many codecs and allows you to choose bitstream vs. PCM, I ended up with graphs coming out of my ears. The bottom line is that for $499, this is one hell of a player.
DVD-A handling
written by Eric , June 26, 2009 I'm looking for a player that will handle the notoriously finicky Talking Heads DVD-A releases. Is there any chance you've tried any of them on this unit & if so, how did they work?
Good review
written by Styln , June 26, 2009 I've owned this unit for about six weeks. Your finding match mine perfectly. I am mostly interested in the analog audio side of things - which I find to be excellent. Especially through the stereo RCA outputs. The measurements and graphs are very much appreciated. It's good to have both subjective and objective validation. This is a really big step up from the Oppo 970 which I bought quite some time ago. The 83 walks all over the 970s analog outputs - not even a fair fight :)
No DVD / Bluray multiregion.
written by JP , June 26, 2009 EXCELENT review. It might be worth mentioning that this player is region locked for both DVDs and Blurays, a deal breaker for those of us watching tons of overseas material.
internal bass management/time alignment
written by Paul , June 26, 2009 What kind of bass management/time alignment flexibility does this unit have for those of us who would like to use it its analogue MCH outputs for audio?
right on
written by Chris , June 26, 2009 Your review is exactly what I was waiting for, from an independent source. This player does not compete with the high volume brands, nor should it. When you want the best in video and audio you only have two names to choose from... Denon or Oppo I went with Oppo and am extremely impressed.
MultiRegion Mods Available
written by pg , June 27, 2009 This is indeed a stunning machine and now thare are both software and hardware multiregion mods for both Bluray and DVD.
No DVD / Blu-ray multiregion?
written by Dwigt , June 27, 2009 The BDP-83 isn't region-free... or is it? Contrary to the Oppo DVD players, the BDP-83 isn't supposed to play discs from other regions after you type on the remote a short code given by the user manual to unlock the feature. Oppo was one of the hundreds or thousands licensees of the DVD forum, so nobody cared. There aren't many Blu-ray licensees producing players now, so they wouldn't take the risk to be noticed this early. However, the current firmwares have been hacked and the region free feature can be found on a few sites. Keep in mind a few things: - it isn't official. No problem has been reported but if it damages your player, it's at your own responsibility. If you have to send back the player to Oppo, install the official firmware - it makes the BDP-83 region-free for DVDs but you have to switch regions for Blu-rays by typing a short code on the remote (it's the same thing with any "region-free" BD player) - the team that hacks the firmwares might not do this for years, which could be a problem if they stop working on the official firmware updates.
Thank you for the detailed review... WITH measurements
written by WS , June 27, 2009 Adam you have outdone yourself. Thank you for the detailed review. (now please crank out more!) :-D
Shame about the Anchor bay chip...
written by Daniel H. , June 27, 2009 I was looking forward to buying this player. I have been waiting for a high quality universal Blu Ray player at a decent price. But, my HDTV does not have an HDMI port; so I watch HD material with a component cable. The fact that the video processing through the component output does not use the Anchor bay chip ABT2010, is a serious deal breaker for me. I hope they resolve this with their next player.
Too bad about the looks
written by Donnie , June 27, 2009 According to the review (which I trust) and the graphs this seems to be a stellar player at the price point. It's a shame they didn't continue the attractiveness of the previous two players. They were downright elegant but this one is butt ugly! I suppose for the most part this is a non issue with the player behind closed doors but it's a shame none the less.
Talking Heads DVD
written by Billw , June 28, 2009 I have played the Talking Heads Brick with this player and had no issues since the latest software upgrade.
Bravo Oppo!
written by Warren Poitras , June 28, 2009 I received my new Oppo BDP 83 in early May, but my older Dwin 720p projector failed almost immediately so I only had an opportunity to watch one Blu Ray disc. "No Country for Old Men" looked fantastic. With the option of watching movies out until I decided on a replacement (a new JVC HD-350 will be installed here later this week), I turned to surround SACD. Unfortunately, the sound produced by the player made me think my speakers had blown. I tried CD's and DVD-A's and both sounded fine. Only SACD exhibited this problem. I spoke to Oppo's customer support and learned they were aware of the problem and their enginneers were hard at work on a fix. No timeframe was available as to when a firmware update would be available, however. Two weeks later Oppo called to inform me that a new update CD was on its way. The disc arrived by mail the following afternoon: problem solved. I can't say enough good things about this company. They readily acknowledged the problem, promised to fix it as soon as possible and then did just that. I've dealt with a lot of audio/video companies over the years, and found none more supportive or helpful than Oppo. Great machine, great company! Oppo’s Customer Support sent a firmware update the day after I submitted my initlal comment above. I installed the update as directed and the distortion problems I described seem to have disappeared. I have only had time to listen to a couple of SACDs since the firmware was installed, but I wanted to add this information as soon as possible. Oppo could not have been more helpful. They readily acknowledged the problem, said they were working on a fix and sent an update as soon as it became available. One can only wish other audio/video companies would work so hard to ensure customer satisfaction after the sale. Bravo OPPO!
Component
written by Ron , June 28, 2009 I have the BDP83 and just for comparison purposes, I have tried both the HDMI and Component outputs on the player. I believe the difference between the two is minimal at best. I must admit, I don't buy the description that the HDMI connection with the ABT processing is vastly superior. Certainly ABT gives you additional adjustment options, however, you will get an excellent 1080i picture over your present set.
Why are the benchmarks no longer updated with this information?
written by Westcott , June 29, 2009 I have seen several player reviews as of late that do not seem to be included in the standard DVD benchmarks. Is this going to be rectified or are the benchmark tables being abandoned? It would be a shame not to keep them up to date. I would venture that most of your traffic on this site stems from the information provided in these tables. I would hate to see that disappear as a resource. I am sure many others feel the same way.
No multi-region=no sale
written by searcher , June 29, 2009 The lack of SD-DVD multiregion support is unfortunate, especially for those of us in countries where multiregion support is a standard feature on all DVD players. I have a huge multiregion library so this player is a non-starter. I suspect that is why they are only selling this player in the US, because if they sold in Australia, New Zealand or Europe they would have to release a region free version.
Layer breaks
written by Paul Camp , July 04, 2009 Previous Oppo players have had serious issues with handling layer breaks on personally mastered backup disks. The problem is that the players are very picky about the placement of the break. Mastering software such as Nero can break an Oppo player easily since Nero doesn't care whether the break is placed in its original position or not. Other players (my el cheapo Samsung even, as well as my LG drive on the computer) have no problem with these discs but Oppo players always cough up a lung. It would be nice if you would fling a few second generation discs at the player and see how it handles them.
Talking Heads DVD-A brick
written by Ravi Chopra , July 05, 2009 Previously could only play the DVD side of these on my old universal Denon DVD player - could not access the extra tracks on CD side. With the Oppo, both sides play perfectly with no problems. Very very very happy with this player!
Layer Breaks, etc..
written by Robert , July 07, 2009 For "personally mastered backup disks", look at the software from dvdfab.com, free 30 day trail for complete version. You can select your layer-break point. As far as component vs HDMI, I believe the idea is to move forward and try to keep pace with technology. We live in a digital world and analog is quickly going the way of the dinosaur. The OPPO BR Player is a unit with the capability of delivering the complete contents of a BR disk as per the studio's master.(1080p/24 and DTS-MA, DDTrue-HD) The video output via HDMI, into a display that can produce 1080p/24, is second to none. There are some individuals that will say, myself included, that a HD-SDI output is a purer and better video output, and they are probably correct, but the HDMI output of the OPPO is pretty darn close. OPPO does have an option to purchase the unit with an HD-SDI output. To really appreciate the OPPO BR player's video and audio, one requires the appropriate display and AV receiver. (Kinda' like a Ferrari/Porsche, etc with a 2 stroke engine.) They will all get you there, but... The OPPO unit will deliver a very good video and audio to older displays and receivers, but it is tailored towards the latest display and receivers that can decode DTS_HD and DD TrueHD. I have been involved in custom A/V since '85 and have had the opportunity to install and play with quite a few BR DVD players, displays, receivers and pre/pro units. While the OPPO may not be the "prettiest" player out there, it easily matches the performance of DENON and Pioneer Elite.. Try a comparison, I have. Yes, I do own a OPPO and KURO Signature 60" display. Is there a difference between this and other BD players and displays?? An absolute yes, after viewing these units for a few months, everything else comes in 2nd.(projector's not included). This is not just my opinion, but the opinions of my clients who have purchased the OPPO BR and Kuro Elite Signature or Kuro Elite display's. Yes, they carry a premium dollar value, some will say yes, others no, but the end result is that they deliver the goods...
Player used as a DAC
written by Vincent D. Ritzert , July 16, 2009 I assumed that this player can be used as a DAC for other media sources since it has a couple of USB ports. You even indicate what types of format the USB ports are capable of handling. I checked with Oppo and they tell me that none of their players have any inputs so the BDP-83 cannot be used as a DAC. Can you clarify this for me since I would very much like to use the USB ports from a computer for some music media. Thanks
Player Inputs
written by Chris Heinonen , July 16, 2009 Vincent, The Oppo can be used to play supported media that is connected to the player on a USB drive (thumbdrive or hard drive) that is formatted as FAT or FAT32. The Oppo, as with all players that I know of, is not able to be used as a USB DAC for a PC audio system.
SPDIF
written by Dietmar , July 20, 2009 The player has big problems playing DVD-V and DVD-A. 1. I own the Professional TEST DVDs from Rhode&Schwarz http://www.burosch.de/shop/pro...--PAL.html . This DVDs have 192kHz and 96kHz recordings on. Playing the 96kHz/24bit recordings of this discs gives me always an ouput signal of 48kHz/16bit! Means the signal is down sampled, caused by the copy protection on the disc. The level is always correct and follows the levels from the disc. 2. Playing a test tone of 1kHz full scale in 96kHz/24bit format from the Chesky Recordings (no copy protection) shows, that SPDIF output signal is 96kHz/24bit (no copy protection), but the level is always 10dB below the original level and the channel differs by 0.2dB!!! Enclosed a picture about this. 3. Playing 20bit or 16 bit recordings from the same DVD shows, that the payer gives 24 bit out. It seems that the payer is doing an upsampling on DVDs. I am surprised, that I have nothing found in the web about this problem. The player does not play the most of my DVD-As from Japan. I have send an email to oppo, but did not get an answer.
Matching A/V receiver?
written by HT Newbie , July 30, 2009 Thank you for a fantastic review on a fantastic product! Since this player outputs DSD (Bitstream) via HDMI from SACD and DVD-A, I would very much like to know which A/V receivers would take full advantage of this specific feature. Which models would match this player perfectly?
...
written by JEJ , July 31, 2009 I use a Denon AVP-A1HDCI processor with the OPPO BDP83, and the processor shows the sampling frequency when I play a disc. With DVD-A recorded at 192 kHz, the Denon display says 192 kHz. There are some issues with DVD-As that OPPO has been working on. I have not seen any downsampling that occurred, but it may be that the DVD-As I have are not copy protected.
...
written by JEJ , July 31, 2009 Westcott said, "I have seen several player reviews as of late that do not seem to be included in the standard DVD benchmarks. Is this going to be rectified or are the benchmark tables being abandoned?" We can't benchmark every player, just as I have mentioned that we can't bench test every component that we review. We all have day jobs. Our work on Secrets is in our spare time, which is limited.
SPDIF
written by Dietmar , August 02, 2009 My problem with the SPDIF output level was solved with the latest software update. I am sure this problem was only related to my player, which I bought at ebay as a used one. Thanks again to Jason and the support team of oppodigital for there fast response. Now I am really happy about this player, which I can use to play my DVD-As.
Oppo internal DACs
written by Eric , August 11, 2009 Thank you for the detailed review and the measurements. One thing I don't understand is a remark made at the benchmark-page about the internal DACs: "The DACs in the BDP-83 are there if you must use analog outputs (they are essentially a token), but this is really a player designed to deliver everything in digital format, and it is the digital circuits where the money has been spent." But when I look at the output of a CD via the analog outputs it "....measured less than 0.003% THD+N using a 1 kHz sine wave." That's pretty good for a digital player I think. Also Oppo put effort in the stereo part to install a separate DAC for stereo (CS4398) which is not a bad/cheap DAC. Can you please explain your comment? Thanks in advance. PS I'm interested in the DAC because I like to use this player with an analog stereo amplifier.
Region & Zone Free OPPO BDP-83
written by Keith Willis , August 11, 2009 Just for info - you can visit www.crtprojectors.com & click on the tab marked Modified Blu-ray. You can buy a modified BDP-83 with full warranty or have a DIY mod kit posted out world wide £55-£79 depending where you live. (Blu-ray zone A,B & C. DVD region 1-6)
Region & Zone Free Oppo
written by Erik Dahle Harvey , August 12, 2009 Thanks for a wonderful review, I am getting one somehow, I wish I could order directly from Oppo in CA but I cant since I live in Norway... The correct link in Europe is www.crtprojectors.co.uk or even http://www.crtprojectors.co.uk/region_free_bpd-83.htm
Oppo BDP-83
written by Kristian , August 21, 2009 Does anybody have advice on how the Oppo BDP-83 performs as a CD, SACD or DVD-A player with analogue output versus a Denon 2900 which I currently own? Will the Oppo play as well sound wise as the Denon? Also how will it perform concert DVDs with DTS 5.1 compared to the Denon? I do not use a surround-receiver, but let the Denon send analogue signals to the pre-amp (Holfi Integra 5.1 (no HDMI-input).
Analog
written by Piero , August 21, 2009 In my opinion the Oppo sounds great (if not better than HDMI) through the analog outputs and frankly rivals my much more costly SACD player.
cd/dvd tray
written by webwalker , August 22, 2009 I sent this to oppo back in nov 08. Did they remedy? Thanks for an excetional review. I will buy one soon. "I love my 981. Added it to my home theatre, to become main dvd player and moved my lg-531 to backup. So these are constructive criticisms. Since I've added the 981 I've been scarring my dvds. This is caused by me taking the dvd out of it's tray. The tray doesn't extend to full dvd clearance, like the majority of cd/dvd players in PCs and cd/dvd devices. The brand you are using leaves 1 or so inches of the dvd still technically inside the 981. Have seen this type of dvd player, doesn't fully extend, in some old portables! When you have 981 placement like mine, under the tv (low), occasionally I pull the dvd straight up rather than out then up. Memory lapse. But you don't get away with it because the dvd portion still inside gets scratched. Then you get this scarring. I know it's only on the top and really may only be cosmetic, but that's not the point. This is easily solved. Use a proper dvd carrier/player that fully deploys. thanks"
Does "Stop" return BDP-83 to the beginning of disc?
written by Sam , August 22, 2009 I am on the verge of purchasing the Oppo BDP-83 but would first appreciate knowing whether pressing "Stop" on the remote, and then pressing "Play" resumes the disc at the "Stop" point, or does it throw the disc back to the beginning, forcing you to manually find the point at which you stopped? I have not seen this addressed in any reviews of the BDP-83, unless I missed it. I have seen where this is an issue in other blue-ray players. I wonder therefore, not seeing this in reviews, is the BDP-83 an exception to this problem? Thank you very much. --Sam
...
written by Ria , August 23, 2009 I'm guessing probably 90+% of BDP-83 buyers could give a hoot, but did you mention the ability to play HDCD-encoded CD's in your fine review?
USB Hard drive
written by Michael Firstenberg , August 23, 2009 As much as I love my OPPO for BluRay, I can not get it to recognize my Fat32 external hard drives (even with a powered USB hub). It will read media sticks (I have tried up to 4gig without problems), but when I use a 500gig HD - nothing. I have upgraded to the latest firmware.... any thoughts? -michael
Blu-ray and Stop/Resume, HDCD
written by Chris Heinonen , August 24, 2009 Sam, The problem you mention with Stop and Play on a Blu-ray player isn't an issue with the player, but with the Blu-ray standard. The reason this happens with some discs and not all is based around if the disc uses BD-J (Blu-ray Disc Java) or not. If it doesn't use BD-J, then almost any player should be able to stop and resume without any issue on the disc. However, for discs that use BD-J, when the disc is stopped, the entire Java program has to be unloaded from memory, including the location that the movie was at. Unfortunately from talking to a couple of manufacturers, this is an issue that might not be easy, or possible to get around, since that data is marked as copy protected so they can't keep it saved. So, this problem is really not something that Oppo and other vendors can be faulted for, but it's how the BD-J specification was written. As far as HDCD goes, I've tested a couple of titles from Tom Petty and Neil Young on my Oppo BDP-83 and saw the HDCD flag come up with both of them. I didn't listen enough to see if I could tell a difference from the standard DVD decoding, however.
Blue-ray and Stop/Resume
written by Sam , August 24, 2009 Thank you very much for the explanation, Chris. --Sam
OPPO BDP-83 and HDMI 1.0 on an older receiver (Sony DA5200-ES)
written by Stan , August 26, 2009 I have just purchased an OPPO BDP-83 and will be mating it with myold Sony receiver with HDMI 1.0, Will I be able to get the HD audio formats decoded by OPPO through HDMI at full bandwidth or will I have to use the 7.1 analog audio outputs instead? This is kind of a generic question that could apply to any player with HDMI 1.3 and a receiver with 1.0, but there seems to be a bunch of smart people on this thread that could help. Thanks in advance!
HDMI 1.0
written by Chris Heinonen , August 26, 2009 Stan, HDMI 1.0 and above should still support 8 channels of PCM audio over the cable, and the Oppo can do the decoding internally (set the HDMI output to PCM instead of bitstream), so you should be set. What you are looking for in a player is not one that has HDMI 1.3 or anything else, but one that can decode internally.
Oppo BDP-83 or Pioneer Elite Blu-ray Player?
written by Rob , September 01, 2009 I'm interested in purchasing a Blu-ray player and the Blu-ray players that I am considering are: 1)Oppo BDP-83 , 2)Pioneer Elite BDP-23FD and 3)Pioneer Elite BDP-09FD (which I know is in a completely different price category). Could you please give me your thoughts and opinions on the 3 players in how they compare to each other. I'm mainly considering the Oppo BDP-83 and Pioneer Elite BDP-23FD but I would also seriously consider the Pioneer Elite BDP-09FD if it is clearly head and shoulders above the other 2 players. Thanks. Rob
Oppo vs BDP-09
written by Chris Heinonen , September 02, 2009 Rob, I've reviewed both the BDP-09FD and the Oppo BDP-83 players for Secrets this year. The Pioneer is built better than any other player I have seen, and offers some features that other players can not (individual Wolfson DAC's for each channel, allowing you to do all of the bass management and time alignment in the player over analog outputs). That said, I still have the Oppo in my system and it's the best player I have reviewed so far. It's much, much more responsive than the Pioneer, firmware upgrades are much smoother, it supports my SACD and DVD-A discs, and it's just a fantastic user experience, and player. Unless I had a need for the higher end features of the Pioneer (I had an analog system with no HDMI inputs, and needed the bass control and time alignment, or the dual HDMI outputs) I would certainly go for the Oppo. I have not had a chance to try out the BDP-23FD myself, so I can not comment on that player.
Performance as (SA)CD player
written by Lowie , September 05, 2009 First of all: kudos to the authors for this great review! One question though: how would the player perform as a (SA)CD player, using the analogue outputs? From the review: "Shown below are the SACD test disc graphs for an input signal that is a combination of 19 kHz and 20 kHz sine waves. First, is the set of graphs using the analog output. Besides the obvious noise, there are significant side peaks next to the two input peaks." How significant is this in terms of what you can hear? Is there an example of a player that does a better job in this respect? Right now I have a Pioneer DV-575A player. Besides the Blu-ray playback, I'm curious to know what I would gain in the (SA)CD region when buying the Oppo BDP-83. (You understand I need a good excuse to buy a new toy!) Thanks!
Volume control?
written by Alex Bunardzic , October 13, 2009 Thanks for the smashing review. Needless to say, I'm sold. One quick question: does this player come with a volume control? I'm asking because I'd like to be able to plug it straight into my stereo power amplifier, and bypass the pre-amp, thus preserving the clarity of the source signal. (I'm using very high end audio components that have no EQs, no channel balance, nor a remote controller) I used to have an old Sony CD player that had a volume control on its remote, it was darn handy. Thanks! Write comment
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