Home > Consumer Reviews > OPPO BDP-83 Blu-ray Disc Player with SACD & DVD-Audio

This is my second high definition player. I bought a Samsung BD-UP5000 when they were first released since it played both HD DVD and Blu-Ray discs. Poor support, lack-luster performance and the end of HD DVDs left me wanting something "better". I found what I was looking for in the Oppo BDP-83.

Oppo is a customer-driven company and conducted an extended beta test to uncover bugs. The beta testers had to accept the state of the player before it could be released! I've emailed Oppo support a few times and they are prompt to respond with real answers not just an automated or canned response - usually the same day. I can't say enough good things about the company.

The '83 is rock solid. It has not frozen or even hiccuped once. It plays all the discs I've put in. (The 5000 had trouble with some and often required the discs to be fingerprint free and occationally locked up requiring restart to even eject a disc.)

To me, one of the important features of a disc player is SD DVD upscaling. Standard definition can look pretty bad on a HDTV. Even the networks and cable channels often do a marginal job up-converting. My 5000 had a very good upconverter (Reon) but the '83 is better - something you'd expect from a company that focused on SD DVD players long after the introduction of HD DVD and Blu-Ray. Sometimes I forget I'm watching SD material!

Most high def players are sluggish, acting more like underpowered computers than audio/video gear. Boot and disc load times often exceed 30 seconds. Not the '83 - it's responds more like a DVD player than a computer. The tray opens in under 3 seconds from pressing the eject button (with power off) and playback begins in under 10 seconds (for SD DVD). For Blu-Ray, play start does depend on what enhancements the content provider loads before playback can begin (custom menus, etc.). (Remember Blu-Ray discs allow the content provider lots of control over the player and playback of the content.)

The '83 decodes all advanced audio formats: Dolby TrueHD, DTS HD Master Audio, etc. So the lossless audio is available via 7.1 analog outs as well as PCM over HDMI. You don't need an A/V receiver that includes decoders for these formats - the player does the work. Speaker management provided by the '83 makes the 7.1 analog outputs usable, but with some limitations: The bass management frequency is fixed at 80 Hz, and there are limitations to speaker distance delays.

The user manual explains things so that the user/installer can make important setup and usage decisions. For example, there is a section that explains the various output resolutions and which is best for various scenarios; and another that helps choose the correct "zoom" for various disc and TV aspect combinations.

So often, modern computer-based A/V gear is released without a complete set of features with the promise of adding them later. Again the '83 was released fully featured so there's little to wait for. But Oppo realizes there will be bugs to fix and new features to add as well as new disc behavior to support. They've provided THREE separate ways to upgrade firmware: via a network connection, via CD/DVD or USB memory.

I use a universal remote to control all my A/V gear and thanks to a document provided by Oppo, I was able to program my remote prior to receiving the unit. Most of the commands use the same data as their previous players so I was able to start with the configuration for an older mode. Oppo provided an Excel file with all the control codes in a format that can be imported into Universal Remote Control and Pronto remotes (maybe others). I've never seen this level of support from any other consumer electronics company and this material existed BEFORE product release. Where documentation was lacking, customer support provided the missing information.

There's been one (public beta) firmware update and a user manual update since the '83 was released at the beginning of June 2009. The firmware update was fast and painless (via USB memory).

My one compliant of the BDP-83 is it's power cord. It uses a 2-pin connector resembling an IEC connector found on many pro and prosumer equipment, however there is not sufficient holding tension and the cord has unplugged itself from the unit twice. I had to wrap the cord around one of the feet to prevent it from happening again.

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.

A year in the making, OPPO has finally released the BDP-83 Blu-Ray Player - their first entry into the market. They have produced some of the finest upscaling standard DVD players, including the exceptional DV-983H. Thankfully, the BDP-83 uses the same Anchor Bay chip as the DV-983H, so your standard def DVDs will look as good as possible. On the Blu-Ray side of things, the audio and video quality are exceptional; on par with the best Blu-Ray players available. The BDP-83 also plays back DVD-Audio and SACD discs, making it a truly universal player. Anyone familiar with first-generation Blu-Ray players is all too familiar with their slow disc-loading times. Recent players have made great strides in this area, but the BDP-83's loading time is the fastest I have seen.

OPPO chose to forgo the trendy conveniences of YouTube, NetFlix, and Amazon Videos on Demand. I find these all to be quite convenient, but can't fault OPPO for sticking to their mission to create the best and most universal Blu-Ray player. Adding these features would have inevitably detracted from the performance of the machine.

OPPO has included all of the connections you may want. Along with the HDMI interface (which supports 1080p HD video output (with 24p), and TrueHD audio), the BDP-83 has 7.1 channel analog audio out, a dedicated stereo output, and both digital optical and coaxial outputs.

The BDP-83 also includes two USB ports (one in front, one on the back) to play back video and image files. It will even play PAL-formatted DVDs and convert them to NTSC on the fly. It also includes IR in and out ports to integrate into home theater control systems. Finally, the remote is a step up from previous OPPO models and easy to use with its back-lighting.

Bottom line: this is the best Blu-Ray player available. The image and sound quality is unparalled, the load times are fast, and it's ability to play any format of disc is a wonderful convenience. I can finally retire my dedicated SACD player!

Beautiful video and audio. In addition to advertised formats, plays DivX as well(not specified in description/manual for some reason).

I have a stereo system - so when playing CDs, SACDs, DVD_A, etc, I use analog output - the sound is better this way than when using an HDMI for music. The sound (even for 2-channel) is absolutely amazing for SACDs and DVD-A. Dark Side of the Moon on SACD will blow you away. CDs sound very good too, may be slightly inferior to my Marantz stand-alone CD player ($300) but it is difficult to tell the difference. If I had the OPPO earlier, I would not buy Marantz at all.

DVD upconversion is very good. I was especially impressed with the sound quality of standard DVDs (HDMI connection). Blu-ray is as good as it gets.

I did not have any technical problems so far - played HDCD, DVD-A, DivX, SACD, CD, DVD (PAL, NTSC), Blu-ray. Very happy with this purchase.

this player is fantastic: 5 stars: it is fast and reasonably priced.

I have compared it to many other high end players including the Sony BDP-S5000ES. the Sony SCD-XA-5400ES, the Denon DVD-A1UD. While the higher priced players are also excellent, I prefer the OPPO because of its speed and responsiveness: and used as a transport I see no difference in audio or picture quality

It also does things none of the other high priced players can do, like display and change its setup menu while a BD disc is still playing behind it!

Highly recommended: this is the player of choice