Official OPPO BDP-83 Owner's Thread [technical talk only] - Page 87

Your looking at the wrong PS3 thread. -1,783,607 views
Oppo 83 - 178,164 views.

Not even close.

I am signed up for a chance in the EAP program. I own another OPPO dvd player. I am an OPPO fan no question. But just from a devil's advocate perspective, what is the value proposition for the BDP-83 at 499 or as some have suggested regularly 599. The PS3 is a similar product but plays video games and does streaming video. Other blu-ray players have similar feature sets but instead of SACD they have Netflix streaming and for only 300 dollars. I guess I'm just trying to understand what the extra 200 - 300 dollars is for? DACs? The DVD upscaling?

It's been hashed out several times in the various BDP-83 threads, including this one, but basically:

-improved SD-DVD upscaling, perhaps best-in-class
-DVD-A (finalized implementation TBA, but for sure will happen, IMO)
-SACD (not all PS3s even do SACD any more)
-multichannel analogs through very-high quality DACs
-quiet operation (yes, PS3s have gotten quieter, but are not exactly paragons of silence)
-Much faster operation than most stand-alones, on par with or even faster than PS3

These are the functional and major quality facets of the Oppo BDP-83. There are other more esoteric/subtle differences that are also imprtant to many folks.

For me, it is the support of DVD-A and SACD along with top-notch SD-DVD upscaling. That being said, I don't "need" one, and I might wait a bit before replacing/upgrading current equipment.

If you just want a simple BD player that also plays SD-DVDs but don't really care to pay for top-notch scaling, then the PS3 or a other brand stand alone like the new Pannys or Sonys are probably more appropriate. If you want more, the Oppo might be the only device that meets your requirements for less than $3000 (or whatever ridiculous price the Denon is supposed to go for).

IMHO,

shinksma

There were money hats! Nevermind, sorry I asked Seriously thanks for summing up the main differences.

You forgot the Oppo tote bag.

If Oppo's history is any indication, the new BDP-83 will be around for a long time, while the more popular brands change their hairstyle every few months.
Enough time for some to aspire to it if it does not make sense for them today.

(I think putting Netflix streaming in a player is 75% marketing. Streaming has it's place but one would be smarter IMO to leave their options open for that technology than tie it up to one source in a player.)

There's just about nothing the BDP-83 doesn't (or won't) do that I need but after reading gonk's review today I realized it does not support an s-video output. Man, that's a bummer. I may be the only person to think so but I have an all s-video system to which I just added a DVDR.

I emailed Oppo to ask if there is any chance of a variant with s-video. They said they will no longer support s-video on this or future HD players. Would it really kill Oppo to keep a single s-video output port!

Could not agree more.....

You have provided great information and direction while the majority of us await the release of this apparently-so great unit.

While I elected to pass on the EAP, the prospect of a great SD-DVD player (to protect the existing investment in our DVD Libraries), a BlueRay player, and multi-channel analog out (so I don't have to yet jump at an HDMI-capable AVR) is a sound investment that justifies the price (to me, at least). DVD-A and SACD are bonuses (even though I have very few DVD-A and no SACD).

It has been a long wait (since mid Sept '08 or earlier) but the beta testers and EAPers all are very high on the player. The "feature-not-to-be-named" notwithstanding (no issue for me), this will be a great addition to my HT setup and can't wait to get in line for one.....

Looks great, mine will find a similar home...

I'd imagine that the demand for an s-video output is VERY limited--you might literally be the only person who needs it. The only reason a composite output is provided is for troubleshooting. If you accidentally set the player to a mode or resolution that your monitor doesn't support, you can always use composite output to get a constant 480i signal (one you can't adjust to something else) to fix the problem. (It will be especially useful for people who think their TV does 24fps or even 1080p but actually doesn't, and thus find themselves with nothing but a blank screen when they force it to 24 Hz output.)

Leaving out an s-video output keeps the cost down for Oppo. It's probably not much in terms of connectors/hardware, but it makes the output circuit board slightly less complicated and is one less thing that needs to be worried about in firmware. It probably saves them several dollars per unit in that regard. Those dollars are better spent on a license for, say, DVD Audio.

Well, my credit card is ready, hope I get lucky!

Mine is too. This is bang for the buck.

Hey Barry - you got your birthday present when you spent last weekend at Anthony Gallo's house listening to all his latest speaker designs! Please, leave some EAP hope and joy for the rest of us little people

Yes, 24/96 is totally unlistenable, isn't it...?

We've been over this subject on previous posts. If you're taking your data from the "DTS-HD Audio Consumer White Paper for Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD Applications" dated November 2006; some of the information it contains is obsolete.

Look on page 4 of this 2007 document. On the lower left hand side, read the "DTS-HD Master Audio" paragraph.
http://www.dts.com/~/media/151AAC592...081D6BA72.ashx

It states that it supports 7.1 channels at 48/96KHz and 5.1 channels at 192KHz.

Furthermore, this recording, along with 2 more from the same label, already uses DTS-HD MA with 5.1 channels at 192/24 (DD TrueHD also); see last page.
http://www.2l.no/files/2L50SABD_eBook.pdf

No, the 2-channel limit for 192kHz material was only for HD-DVD. For Blu-ray it's 5.1.

96kHz material compress better than 48kHz, 192kHz material much better. There isn't much up there to compress.

It's mainly for not playing video games. PS3's couldn't be sold with a loss for every player without another chance of revenue.

You know, as I was writting my post, I was experiencing a strange sensation; that of a dog chasing it's tale. I was thinking, something in here doesn't make much sense. Thanks for setting me straight. At least I was saved by a Princess.

If the player were to access the DTS lossy core as you explain, that's even worst from an audiophile's perspective.



Correct on 7.1 channels. WRT to 5.1, see my previous post (4 floors up).

If all you have is s-video, then most of the video stuff the BDP-83 does do, you won't be able to use. With s-video, you won't be able to use ABT de-interlacing, scaling, 24p output, and there's not much point of using Blu-ray over DVD as you won't get HD.

Would you be using this primarily as an audio player? If so, what's the need for s-video instead of composite? Or does your 'all s-video system' not support composite at all, so you'd have no way to get any video signal?

That's a good question. It certainly appears that the PS3 will decode 5.1/192 kHz DTS-HD MA (according to Neuro's observations), but I have no idea about other players.


Obviously the PS3 has more processor power, but being so fast, I imagine that the BDP-83 has fairly powerful processors as well. If some other "lesser" players can decode 5.1/192 kHz DTS-HD MA, the reason would most likely be an ASIC/FPGA-based decoder as opposed to firmware like on the BDP-83, I would think.


Even for 5.1 DTS-HD MA and 7.1 Dolby TrueHD soundtracks? The latter is indicated in the BDP-83 manual, but it contradicts what Dolby says about TrueHD...then again, since it seems that we can't trust everything DTS says, we can't trust everything Dolby says either.


I understand what you're saying and it makes sense per se, and I don't claim to know how DTS-HD MA actually works, but I suppose it is possible that 192 kHz lossless is implemented as a layer on top of 96 kHz lossless, much like how the latter is layered on top of a lossy DTS core (such layering is the reason that DTS-HD MA is so computationally expensive in the first place). If this is the case, then players that do not or cannot support 5.1/192 kHz could simply ignore some of the data and still produce lossless output at 96 kHz (sort of like how the rear channel can be omitted when decoding DTS-ES 6.1 Discrete soundtracks).


I certainly hope that this is not the case.


Correct, as far as I know (at the moment), but we're talking about 5.1 channels.


That was my understanding, but the BDP-83 manual says that 7.1/192/24 is also supported. Either Dolby has upped the ante once again without updating their website or the BDP-83 manual needs to be revised regarding this matter.


For me at least, it's a matter of principle and truth in advertising (in addition to curiosity). I also wish to know positively whether 5.1/192 soundtracks are downsampled but otherwise lossless or simply a decoding of the lossy core (yikes!). Even the worst case is hardly a deal-breaker for me personally, but others may feel differently.

Note that s-video, like composite, it limited to 480i/576i. You can't get high-definition or even progressive standard definition signals over either. So they have almost no usefulness on a Blu-ray player. For diagnostic purposes, as was said, but you don't need both for that.

-Bill

There are other uses besides diagnostic for s-video. I use s-video to feed a small display for a second zone in my kitchen...it beats composite and all my sources are hooked up to my pre-pro both as digital/high-def and as analog/s-video. Sadly this means I'll probably pass on the 83.

Steve

Does this mean that 1080i can not be output by component? My TV only accepts component for HD material (ie. no HDMI). So on this player one can get HD material only through HDMI?

The 83's output can provide 1080i in many cases, including Blu-ray content (assuming nobody starts turning on the ICT), video files, and non-CSS encrypted DVD's. If you have a commercial DVD, it will typically have CSS and will thus be limited to 480p via component output.

The Component Output section of the FAQ may interest you.

-Bill

Can't hardly wait. Maybe we will see the emails sometime today.

The thing that bothers me much more that all the rates people are talking about, is what is coming out on Blu.

I've been looking at the upcoming releases, and I think the best things coming out are "Nada", & "Nada II". Hollywood really doesn't have much in must have movies right now. Just my opinion.

GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE.

Does the OPPO have any type of gamma control? If yes, how does it function (point control or general control?) and how well does it work (ie. able to raise light output in lower ire without effecting 0 ire)?

Thanks