OPPO BDP 103 Universal Blu ray DVD Audio
My previous Blu-Ray player was the Pioneer Elite BDP-05FD. A fine player as far as picture goes, but no 3D, no Internet capability and as slow as molasses to load and operate. I had read many praises of Oppo's players and when I got a new 3D TV I decided it was time to make the switch. I am glad I did.
The first impression on opening the box was that of elegance and care, right down to the woven polyethylene bag protecting the player itself. (Oddly, printing on the bag suggests reusing it as a shopping bag, but it is much too narrow to be useful for that!) I was also pleased to see that a hefty HDMI cable was included, something pretty much unheard of nowadays.
The player itself is nice to look at, though not super-fancy. I liked that the tray open button lights up when the player is powered on, and I was delighted at how quickly it went from power on to ready. But nothing prepared me for how quickly a BD disc started to play! Faster than many CD players I have used!
The picture quality was wonderful - the ISF technician who calibrated my set loves the Oppo players (he has a -93) and used it as the source for his test patterns. It delivered a perfect 1080p picture with full dynamic range and 4:4:4 color encoding. I then played a 3D BD (Avatar) and it was at least as immersive as in the theater, if not more so.
I'm not using the network apps on the Oppo, having a Roku box for that, but it was nice to see it there.
A big plus for the BDP-103 for me was the dual HDMI outputs. Since my A/V receiver has HDMI 1.3a only, I could not route 3D signals through it. So I ran one HDMI out to a HDMI switch and the other to the receiver for the audio. At the urging of the ISF tech, I tried using the unusual HDMI input of the Oppo, running the HDMI switch output to the Oppo input, and then Oppo to the TV, but I could not get that to work - the TV would show no signal, give an error or, more often, show me a screen of green stripes. Perhaps I'll try it again sometime later.
Oppo includes a USB wireless dongle, but I used Ethernet instead. I also used the IR input for my remote control distribution - I wish more devices had that!
Get your OPPO BDP 103 Universal Blu ray DVD Audio Now!
I had the Oppo BDP-93 in my wish list for 2 years, but could not bring myself to buy a $500 bluray player. Then I saw the new BDP-103 model and really NEEDED it. I still could not justify $500 for myself, but the selfless guy I am bought it for my wife for Christmas. I found a loophole. We both love it. I had a Panasonic Bluray player and it took about 2 minutes to turn on and load a Bluray disc. I was completely amazed with the load speed of the Oppo. I am watching a movie within 30 seconds of pushing the power button. Load time is about 5 seconds. The Oppo discovered my Wifi network right away and was up and running. It automatically tells me when a firmware update is available and does it quickly. The streaming quality is definitely better than the Roku that I have sitting next to it.
BalasHapusThe video quality is noticeably better than my Panasonic. It has its own picture control settings separate from the TV. The most amazing improvement in my opinion is the audio quality. I have an Onkyo receiver with a 5.1 Klipsch surround system. The difference was very obvious from the Panasonic. We tried the Dark Knight bluray as a demo and just kept looking at each other and smiling during the movie. The audio quality is incredible. It is a pleasant change to see the pride Oppo takes in every aspect of their product, right down to the packaging. The player was packaged securely in a sturdy box and was wrapped in an Oppo bag. If I had to think of any improvement, it would be to add more apps to the streaming capabilities. It could use Amazon and Hulu Plus to make it even better.
If you can get past the cost, you will be very pleased with this Bluray player. It makes a great Christmas present for the whole family.
I have purchased five different bluray players since blueray was introduced and this OPPO RDP-103 is by far the best one. It loads amazingly quickly and produces the best quality picture and 7:1 sound I have ever experienced. It is also the most expensive of the bluray players I have purchased, but it is worth every nickel. This Oppo replaces a Samsung BD-D6700.ZA I purchased a couple months ago that recieved rave reviews in some of the periodicals but which performed even worse that my old Sony BDP-S300, both of these players having excruciatingly long load times, with nothing more than average video and audio reproduction and even some occasional artifacts in the picture and audio anomalies like hissing, pops or mechanical noises. Both the Samsung and Sony were also below average in their DVD and CD reproduction. We played the newly remastered bluray of "Lawrence of Arabia" on the Oppo the other evening and I can honestly say that the reproduction was awesome....the best I have ever experienced on a home theatre setup. I challenge anyone to play "Master and Commander" or "Phantom of the Opera" on this Oppo and tell me it isn't the best home theatre experiance they have ever had. I simply can't see how the bluray experiance can get much better than the Oppo BDP-103. For the record I use my Oppo with a 54" Sony Bravia LCD and a Sony STR-DA5300ES AV Receiver with Sony main and satellite speakers and a Klipsch 15" woofer.
BalasHapusYou can read other reviews for the working details of the '103' but I'll just say this: IMO this machine completely knocks all other manufacturers Blu-ray players out of the water. I can't imagine what Sony, Panasonic, and the other companies were thinking when they put forth their players as 'state of the art' for this new format at the beginning. Comparing their products to this OPPO 103 is like comparing a Toyota Corolla to a Bentley- they both get you to where you want to go but the quality of travel equation is all lopsided in favor of the better machine.
BalasHapusYes, the cost of the OPPO is significantly higher: but it seems to me we were lulled into thinking that because of the improved quality of the Blu-ray format over DVD that we wouldn't notice the irritating quirks of the (much) less than perfect Blu-ray hardware when it first came out. Maybe it's a 'coming of age thing' where expectations for better control, better picture, better sound, better overall convenience from the machines that deliver Blu-ray had to grow and blossom over time. It certainly grew in me: to the point where my inhibitions about paying $500 for a Blu-Ray player were overcome by a distinct need for much improved quality in my viewing experience.
Bottom line: I view Blu-ray movies normally- no 3D - and yet I feel sometimes watching some movies that the image is almost 3D! That's how sharp they look. And I'm hearing layers of sound dynamics that were never reproduced to their fullest on my old Panasonic player. Every movie I play - including DVD - is an eye and ear-opening experience. This OPPO it turns out isn't doing anything special, it's simply producing the quality that other players should have been producing all along ( I tested other players before I bought the OPPO: putting out $500 for a toy is a tough decision ).
If you ever sat through a Blu-ray movie and wondered if you're seeing/hearing everything there is to experience, find somebody who has an OPPO and view that movie again. It will be a revelation of sorts. But only go there if you have money in your pocket. Once you've seen and heard what this OPPO can deliver there will be no going back to the slow loading, mediocre picture and diminished sound reproduction of your current player. Believe me, I found that out first hand.
I have to start by making it clear that it took a number of months to convince myself that $500 was a price I was willing to pay for a Blu-ray player. After all, I have (for the most part) become well entrenched in the streaming world. What intrigued me most was what so many have said about audio performance as a universal player. I can't stress this one point enough: you have to see and hear this to really understand all the awards, comments, and praise from consumers and reviewers alike.
BalasHapusI recently upgraded my receiver to Pioneer's Elite SC-68 and was very impressed with the quality of the leap in sound I was hearing over my previous Onkyo unit. That said, I was largely still using compressed MP3 or AAC for my music collection as they were all ripped at the highest bit rate possible and with my Panasonic player there was little difference. Not anymore. More to come on that.
Just the simple act of unpacking this player speaks volumes about what Oppo is all about. Meticulous attention to detail was given to each item. There is a even a very large, very comprehensive owners manual that is very well written, included. I can't say that for Pioneer, even though I paid $1500 more for their receiver.
The player is heavy, solid, and made from brushed aluminum. It's user interface is second to none and there are options for every detail of audio and video playback imaginable. Wireless is included in the form of a USB stick. Oppo claims the all metal chassis would be prohibitive to signal strength. A USB extension and base for the stick are provided. I did not find that I needed to use it. Wireless setup was quick and easy, and the firmware was current.
The player is quick to both navigate as well as load. I believe the 103 brought a dual core processor to the hardware side and it shows. If you are looking for a player with streaming options galore, this really isn't it. Options are limited to a few basics like Netflix and Vudu. However, the 103 is Roku ready; meaning you can plug a roku stick into the mhl port on the front and have roku service in the player. Oppo sells the stick at a discount for owners on their website. I believe it's 49.99.
Now, if you bought this for audio and video performance; look no further. CDs are presented with incredible clarity and very good stereo separation. The sound is simply excellent and has made me reluctant to listen to another mp3 again...ever. That said, even the sound with compressed files is distinctly improved and i am really looking forward to hearing a sacd or dvd-a on this thing. Video is top notch as you would expect as all of the oppo players are bit perfect. DVDs look fantastic as the player does a great job with up scaling.
I have a lot of testing I want to do with various file types and with different configurations. It does have dual hdmi out on the back as well as 7.1 out for audio analog. If you weren't aware, all players for 2013 and beyond had to lose the video analog connections. That had to do with copy protection (aacs) and was not a choice made by oppo.
So, at this point I am very impressed with this player. Far more so than my SC-68. Not only did they create a piece that performs beautifully in everything it does...but, they built, presented, and shipped it with class.