OPPO Digital BDP-83 Blu-ray Disc Player - Blu-ray Done Right

The BDP-83 provided a well-balanced image with excellent detail, color, contrast, and black levels with Blu-ray Disc playback. An example of good detail reproduction was the Blu-ray Disc of Transporter 3 with the close-ups of Jason Statham and the heavily freckled face of his co-star Natalya Rudakova. Another example: The sequins and confetti detail on the Shakira - Oral Fixation Tour disc.

The BDP-83 also passed all the tests on the Silicon Optix HQV Benchmark DVD, which measures video processing and upscaling with standard DVDs.

The test results revealed that the BDP-83 does excellent on progressive scan (3:2 pulldown), jaggie elimination, noise reduction, detail, motion adaptive processing, and moire pattern detection and elimination. See some test results.

Performance was on par with both the OPPO DV-983H upscaling DVD player and DVDO EDGE Video Scaler used for additional video upscaling reference. This is noteworthy in that the BDP-83 uses the same video upscaling technology as both comparison units.

For a look at DVD upscaling performance with other Blu-ray Disc players, check out previous tests of the Insignia NS-2BRDVD, Samsung BD-P1500, Sherwood BDP-5003, Pioneer BDP-95FD, and the Yamaha BD-S2900.

Also the BDP-83 did not have a problem converting HDMI to DVI. Using the BDP-83 with the DVI input on Westinghouse 37w3 and Syntax LT-32HV LCD Television, which required the HDMI output of the BDP-83 to be converted to DVI to make the connection, there was no problem with recognition. Also, rerunning the HQV tests, no detectable performance difference was detected.

On the audio side, the BDP-83 offers complete onboard audio decoding, but also provides undecoded bitstream output for compatible home theater receivers. In addition, the BDP-83 comes equipped with both HDMI and 5.1/7.1 channel analog audio output options. This allows the BDP-83 to supply Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio access to both HDMI and non-HDMI equipped receivers.

In terms of audio performance, The BDP-83 delivered excellent audio performance on both Blu-ray and DVD soundtracks When playing standard DVDS, CDs, SACDs (Super Audio CDs), and DVD-Audio Discs. I noticed no audio artifacts that could be attributed to the BDP-83.

Surround image and vocal presence in movie soundtracks, such as Iron Man, The Dark Knight, and Night at the Museum (Blu-ray), and House of the Flying Daggers (echo game scene), Master and Commander (battle scene), Moulin Rouge (DVD), as well as audio-only discs, such as the SACD version of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, and the DVD-Audio version of Martin, Medeski, and Wood's Uninvisible, was very clear and consistent.

In terms of 2-channel CD playback, Heart's Magic Man, with its distinctive bass slide to the extreme low end of the audio range, was spot on and Joshua Bell's recording of West Side Story Suite had an excellent "live performance" quality to it.

The BDP-83 demonstrated versatility as both an excellent Blu-ray Disc and DVD player and also a CD/SACD/DVD-Audio player. It is too bad that SACD and DVD-Audio discs are hard to find on the shelves, as this player really delivers the goods on those two niche formats.

What I liked about the BDP-83:

1. Excellent Blu-ray Disc Video Playback and DVD upscaling.

2. Inclusion of SACD/DVD-Audio playback. The only other Blu-ray Disc player with this feature (as of June 2009) is a Denon priced at $4,500.

3. Two USB ports for video, still image, and music file acess via flash drives.

4. One gigabyte of internal memory for BD-Live content access.

5. Fast start-up and disc load time.

What I didn't like about the BDP-83:

1. No Netflix, You Tube, Pandora, or Rhapsody streaming capability.

2. Unlike OPPO's DV-980H, DV-981HD, and DV-983H Upscaling DVD players, BDP-83 cannot be made region code free.

3. Higher-priced than many Blu-ray Disc players.

Final Take

Despite a modest appearance, the BDP-83 is a power house of a Blu-ray Disc Player. It is easy to set up and use and its performance is excellent. The BDP-83 is Profile 2.0 compatible and plays Blu-ray Discs, DVDs, as well as SACD/DVD-Audio/CD/CDR/RW discs.

The Blu-ray/DVD playback using both standardized tests and real world observations was excellent. Images weere correctly detailed, with consistent color and black levels.

The exceptional DVD playback is due primarily to OPPO's decision to employ the same video processing that it uses in its DV-983H upscaling DVD player.

Audio performance of the BDP-83 was also excellent. Both onboard decoding and undecoded bitstream options worked well, with excellent surround processing using either method. CD, DVD-Audio, and SACD playback audio reproduction was solid. I did not sense any shortcomings that could be attributed to the BDP-83.

NOTE: DVD-Audio and SACD playback can be accessed by either the 5.1/7.1 Channel analog or HDMI outputs (provided you have an AV receiver with at least HDMI 1.2 input capability).

It must also be noted that that unlike many Profile 2.0 (BD-Live) capable Blu-ray disc players, the BDP-83 does not require the addition of external memory to access BD-Live functions, unless additional memory is desired by the user.

OPPO has succeeded in delivering a true reference-quality Blu-ray Disc Player, but the price is a little higher than many players currently available. However, if you are looking for a Blu-ray Disc player that offers excellent quality and flexibility for Blu-ray, DVD, CD, DVD-Audio, and SACD, then this player might be just the ticket.

The only features missing are Netflix/You Tube streaming that is included in some other new players, and, of course, it doesn't pop the popcorn.

Also, just as with any Blu-ray Disc player available so far, there are always idiosyncrasies that come up with specific disc releases that may affect playback or menu navigation. As a result, it is important that users attend to periodic firmware update availability, which can be access directly by the player using its Ethernet connection or downloading the update from the OPPO Digital website.

Based on both features and performance, I give the OPPO Digital BDP-83 a 5 out of 5 Star rating.

For a more detailed look at the OPPO BDP-83, also check out my supplementary Photo Gallery and Video Performance Test Results.