Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

From the moment you unpack the Oppo BDP-83 Universal Blu-Ray player you realize that this is going to be a truly unique experience. Wrapped in a reusable carrying bag, shipped in a double-thick cardboard box, the fit and finish of the Oppo BDP-83 matches the quality of the packaging. And the good thing is that unlike many Blu-Ray players, the best-in-class experience continues from the time you power it on to daily use. I was lucky enough to get in on the Oppo pre-order in late May, after reading the early reviews of beta units, and knowing the reputation of Oppo's upscaling DVD players. For me, the Oppo BDP-83 offered the promise of super-fast load times, outstanding video quality, and the ability to play high-resolution audio (my SACD library). A bit of background - I have a pretty high-end system configuration (Marantz SR-8002, KEF Reference speakers, Mitsubishi HDTV, Sony ES SACD player, Bang & Olfusen turntable). And I have pretty demanding standards especially for audio. I waited to buy my first Blu-Ray Player (the very good Panasonic DMP-BD55K) until a standalone player offered quality and load times at least *close* to the PS3. And, although its load times and DVD playback are good, it still didn't quite meet my standards. From the moment I connected the Oppo BDP-83 to my system, I was blown away by the experience. Extremely easy to setup (I literally unplugged my Panasonic and plugged in the BDP-83 using the same HDMI and component cables), very very easy on-screen instructions and setup. The remote is definitely much better than average with large backlit buttons of different sizes. The speed of the Oppo BD-83 certainly grabs your attention: - BluRay load times are about 2x faster than the Panasonic BD55K it replaced - BluRay menu navigation, etc also very fast and responsive - SACD and DVD (Audio/Video) load times are nearly instantaneous The SACD load performance really stunned me. My high-end Sony ES SACD player (remember, Sony co-developed the standard) can take 1-2 minutes to load a hybrid SACD. On the Oppo any SACD (stereo, hybrid multichannel, etc) loads in under 2 seconds. But it is the video and audio quality of the Oppo BD-83 that truly sets it apart: - BluRay video performance is outstanding, but you come to expect that from the format. (I can't say I notice a difference here from my Panasonic which is also excellent.) - DVD video performance is stunning - a noticeable upgrade in quality on your HD set. This is where you start to see the benefits of the embedded AnchorBay processor. - High resolution audio quality will blow your socks off. I personally didn't notice a difference in high-res BluRay formats such as DTS-Master and DolbyTrue HD, but to be fair my Panasonic player is also excellent in this area. For SACD, the improvement offered by the Oppo BDP-83 is simply stunning! My Marantz receiver can decode DSD over HDMI, and the audio quality is dramatically better than the analog 5.1 output from my high-end Sony ES SACD player. I didn't think the standard could be elevated, but was pleasantly surprised by this. DVD-Audio performance is also outstanding. I never had a DVD-Audio player, so I've used this opportunity of having a truly "Universal Player" to stock up on high-resolution multi-channel titles that were never released on SACD (eg. Crowded House, Seal, Queen, Yes...) There are other very nice touches: - BluRay Profile 2.0 with 1GB of onboard storage (my Panasonic made you buy an SD card for this) - two USB 2.0 ports (one front covered by a flat rubber port, another in the rear), neither port is recessed, so you can use standard USB memory sticks/adapters - analog 7.1 audio out - supports simultaneous HDMI and component video output (eg. you can send high-res audio over HDMI and video over component) - support for NTSC and PAL format DVDs, but they must be unlocked (this is a region-locked player, unfortunately) - IR in and IR out ports - optional RS-232C control port for professional installations - very heavy-duty removable power cord; even heavier gauge than the one Marantz shipped with my $2000 receiver! - nice onscreen menu system graphics and easy-to-use interface What could be improved? - well, first of all, Profile 2 support is only through hard-wired ethernet (no WiFi) - speaking of Profile 2.0, the interactive services aren't particularly fast, but I have yet to find a BluRay title that actually has compelling Profile 2.0 content - no support for streaming services like Netflix, although there are rumors that the hardware *might* have the capability to support through a firmware update - I wouldn't count on this though - the BluRay and DVD player are region locked unfortunately. (CD, SACD, and DVD-Audio discs are by definition region-free) I personally couldn't be happier with the BDP-83. Certainly the best $500 I spent! It not only compares but blows away high-end players costing 4-6x greater.