Oppo DV-981HD Universal DVD Player with HDMI, 1080p Up-Converting, DivX & SACD by OPPO Digital
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List Price: Our Price: $179.00 You Save: $120.00 (40%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Home Theater See more digital camera details and other models |
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Digital camera reviews of Oppo DV-981HD Universal DVD Player with HDMI, 1080p Up-Converting, DivX & SACD
Digital camera Review: Best Value to Bridge the DVD Platform War! + Great Audio too!
Summary: 5 Stars
Are you gun shy from having lost platform wars of the past?
Perhaps you bought into Betamax, MiniDisc, or maybe even a Rio right before the iPod launched? I'm certainly ready to let BluRay and HD-DVD battle it out until one's left standing! But this could take awhile... In the meantime, get yourself an Oppo Digital upconverting DVD player ASAP! These are The Best Value on the market today. But you already know that which is why you are reading this, isn't it? And you know there are other upconverting players out there...
But Oppo is the clear victor in today's marketplace. I recently acquired a Sony 46" XBR2 LCD and love the image I get with HD broadcast across my Verizon FiOS service. Just stunning. I sought similar results with DVDs and after much research I had about settled on the Oppo OPDV971H, which is their highly rated upconverting player (up to 1080i) - be sure to check with Audioholics and HomeTheaterHiFi sites for reviews and ratings buzz. Fortunately I was smart enough to visit the Oppo Digital site to find this newly released player that stretches the previous technology all the way up to 1080p!
We've had ours a couple weeks at this writing, and is it ever worth it! First of all, unboxing this feels high-end as it is both wrapped and protected quite well in the shipping box. Set up was a breeze, as this comes with HDMI connectivity, including a gold-plated cable. Even switching over to 1080p upconversion was simple. The remote is nice, much nicer than the older versions that have been panned so badly. Build quality, while not Fort Knox, is still decent for the price point, and the black finish is a nice change over past players. I like the blue lights, but for those that don't, they can be dimmed or turned off.
On to the important stuff. The image is quite simply stunning. Oppo has made great use of the available DCDi technology from Faroudja. As my wife and I tested various DVDs from our collection, we got so caught up in the viewing experience that we found ourselves watching whole movies when we intended to just view snippets. From our latest DVD additions, to Pixar animation, to the Three Stooges B/W, to collections of old B/W silents of Buster Keaton, the output is very impressive.
Other nice features include all of the various disc formats that are handled. Specifically, it will convert between NTSC/PAL, and also play most audio, video, and picture formats.
Finally, Oppo has a reputation for being a customer responsive company, and has made their players software upgradeable, and with this, have addressed previous concerns raised with their past players. Another example with this unit, is the new remote which is a direct response to customer feedback.
The Good/Great:
1. Image Output Quality is stunning
2. 480p/720p/1080i/1080p upconversion
3. HDMI cable is included
4. Price
5. Customer Service
6. Upgradeable
7. Excellent Audio capability (added 2/1/2007)
The "Okay":
1. Oppo logo sceensaver (it can be turned off)
2. No component video output (but it truly was not intended for this purpose. Oppo intends it for use with HDMI or DVI interface)
The "Bad"
1. None at this time
Stop searching and buy now, you've found the Holy Grail of today's DVD players!
***Updated 2/1/2007***
For starters, with another months' experience with this player, I want to emphasize that we are VERY, VERY pleased with this unit. The video continues to impress -- I don't want to mislead, it won't make a miracle of a rough transfer, but for sound standard def DVDs the upconversion is INCREDIBLE. What we've had further experience with that has been equally stunning is the audio performance. This unit handles it all (CD, SACD, DVD Audio, etc) very impressively, and as a result I must re-emphasize the value quotient. Short of Bluray and HD-DVD, this unit will handle virtually any disc in your collection. Thanks Oppo!
(Also available direct from Oppo)
Digital camera Review: Best upconvert DVD player I've ever used!!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
Breathtaking picture quality when the image is displayed thru a 1080p HDTV. I couple this player with a Sony KDL46V2500 HDTV via HDMI connection and the result is just spectacular. Definitely should include this on your list if you are shopping for a high quality DVD player.Digital camera Review: Big Bank for the Bucks
Summary: 4 Stars
Upgraded from Panasonic s52 DVD/TH-42PX50U plasma to Sharp LC-52D62U 1080P - Oppo had great reviews everywhere and raves @ cnet for 1080p upconversion - very happy with product - while not HD - close enough for the money - would strongly recommend for anyone with 1080p HDTV. Call customer support - unbelievable - instant answer and very knowledgeable staff - whole call took under one minute!Digital camera Review: Breathtaking
Summary: 5 Stars
I've owned a Samsung 40 inch LCD TV for a little over a week now. When I viewed my first DVD through a standard Sony DVD player, I was immediately disappointed with the picture. The image would sometimes pixilated around the edges, especially during fast movement. Well, my friend told me about "upconvering" DVD players which would upgrade them image from standard definition to near HDTV quality. Until about a week ago I did not even know that "upconvering" DVD players even existed, and I was immediately skeptical. Conventional wisdom tells us that the image can never be better than the original source material. Well, I'm happy to say that I was wrong.
After a little research I decided to forego the retail stores and order an Oppo DV-981HD online, because the buzz surrounding these machines is so overwhelmingly positive. The buzz is well deserved. The picture quality is simply breathtaking. First, I put in my highest quality DVD, Revenge of the Sith, and I was totally blown away. The explosions are more vibrant. I can see particles that were not visible before. Every little mole and bead of sweat is clearly visible on Ewan MacGregor's face. There is absolutely no pixilation on fast action scenes. Now, my HDTV service is not hooked up yet, so its impossible for me to make a fair comparison between this and real HDTV, but I can't imagine the picture quality being much better.
I also tested my lowest quality DVD, which is a film of an airshow which I shot with a digital camera at 640 x 480 and only 15 FPS. Even this low resolution picture looked great on the Oppo, while on a traditional DVD player the image is so pixilated that its virtually unwatchable.
If you have an HDTV, you're going to want one of these. I've invested literally thousands on my DVD collection over the last 10 years. Who wants to start all over and start replacing your favorite discs with HD versions of the same films? Not I. The Oppo DV-981HD solves this problem. Now I can watch all my favorite movies in the best picture quality possible without another sizeable investment.
If you go on the company's website, they'll show you how to make it region free. It even will convert PAL to NTSC, and vise versa. If the picture quality weren't already enough of a selling point, it will also play any disc made anywhere in the world.
Update: I had to try a DVD from another region to make sure it worked as Oppo states it would, so I bought a Rory Gallagher DVD on Amazon.uk that's not available in the U.S. (PAL, region 2). It played without a hitch. This is great. Now I can buy and watch DVDs that would not normally be available in the U.S. market. I've already ordered "Azumi 2" and "Conan the Destroyer Special Edition". And "Pans Labyrinth", which is only now hitting U.S. theatres, will be available on UK DVD next month. This alone makes this DVD player worth the price, in my opinion.
Digital camera Review: Buy a Toshiba HD-A2 or HD-A20 HD DVD Player Instead. HD DVD plus Up-Convert!
Summary: 3 Stars
Why would you buy this player when you could buy a Toshiba HD-A2 or HD-A20 HD DVD Player for the same price, and you would get the up-converting capabilities and get HD-DVD capabilities thrown in for the same price?
I debated this with myself, but when the price of Toshiba's players dropped, I made the plunge, bought the HD-A20, and am very pleased with the purchase. HD-DVD is fantastic! SD up-convert is great too.