Home > Consumer Reviews > OPPO DV-980H Multi-Region DVD player : HDMI 1080p USB DivX SACD DVD-Audio 7.1CH

HDMI upscaling, 7.1 channel output, SACD, DVD-Audio, DivX, XviD, you name it - this plays it.

Not only that, but with extensive menu features to fit whatever type of setup you have - from a simple 4:3 stereo TV to a widescreen monster with a multi-channel amplifier in-between - practically all configurations are catered for.

And the killer feature? A USB connection so you can transfer .AVI movies straight from your PC to the player. No need to convert or burn to CD anymore.

Oppo have really come up trumps with this one. Don't be concerned if you haven't heard of them before, this is a well built piece of kit. And as formats change (such as DivX) the DV-980H can be firmware upgraded via Oppo's website.

As a Multi-region DVD player
It not only plays all my USA DVD's, but those imported from other countries. And I did not need a multi-system TV. This is truely a Multi-region DVD player.

With my old CRT TV
It was just plug in the Scart and away it went - nice and simple! The display is easily read from a distance even in bright lights. The remote is easy to use.

With my New HD TV
I bought a 1080p Sony 42" bought a 1080p 42" HDTV, and the picture looks phenomenal in 720p and 1080p! For critical listening to CD/HDCD, and especially SACD on my high-end audio system. It works flawlessly for both my DVD and CD music collection, and SACD sounds GLORIOUS, even in stereo! OPPO also has a USB port & I have a 200 GB external USB drive connected to it, and it works perfectly. It's nice to play my downloaded formats from the internet. It can also view photos and play MP3s, although I don't do that much. Well packaged, free HDMI cable, and very well made. This player ranks up there with machines twice its price. Highly recommended!

The Oppo DV-980H is a DVD player. Like all DVD players, it also plays CDs. Unlike almost all DVD players, it also plays SACD discs. The DVD side of things has been covered by other reviewers, I would just like to comment on using this item as a CD/SACD player in a hi-fi system.

I bought the Oppo on the strength of some very good reviews in some classical CD magazines. Unusually, Oppo have used very high quality components in the audio stages of this player (most DVD player manufacturers pay little attention to performance when playing CDs). As soon as I put the first disc in (Mahler's 3rd. Symphony/ Chailly) Mahler: Symphony No.3 it was obvious that this was an excellent audio player. Wide frequency response, wide dynamics, and a natural sound that is so important for classical music. No emphasis on one particular part of the audio spectrum.

I actually hadn't meant to keep on listening, but I did, simply because the sound was so fine. And this was listening via the phono outputs; you can also output the audio via an HDMI connection direct to a receiver/amp with HDMI input and get results that Gramophone magazine said you would normally pay twice this price to get. I haven't noticed a great deal of difference myself between CDs and SACDs, but that may be because I can't as yet make use of the HDMI output.

A couple of other things. The front section of the extensive manual is written in Swedish; don't worry, there are clearly written English instructions later on in the manual. For some reason, Oppo, a Californian-based company, distribute their equipment in Europe from their Swedish base. This probably keeps costs down as there is no middle man. (But why on earth don't they advertise? They seem to rely on word-of- mouth advertising). No matter.

The display on the player is limited - it is really designed to show settings, tracks, etc. on a TV screen. I set my player up whilst connected to a TV, then moved it over to the hi-fi, preferring to keep video and audio separate. But that's me. The mains plug is a two-pin Continental one, but Oppo do include an adapter for the U.K., so that's no problem. Standard of construction seems high, as does presentation (the player comes in its own cloth bag, a nice touch).

There are two ways of purchasing, from Oppo direct, or through Amazon. At current Euro/pound exchange rates buying through Amazon is marginally cheaper. Either way, delivery from Sweden is by ParcelForce and takes about 5 working days from ordering.

I had budgeted to spend up to £400 on a new CD player, but found that the DV-980H (at £179) out-performed some Marantz and Denon players I auditioned.

At the current price this is a really excellent buy. And you can play DVDs if you want to!!

Highly recommended.

I have now been enjoying this amazing player for 4 days since it was shipped from Sweden (5 Days). I purchased this player on the recommendation of a friend to replace my aging CD Player and DVD Player.
The Oppo does a fantastic job of upscaling standard DVDs up to 720p/1080p on an appropriate display. I have not seen the Blu-Ray format but cannot believe it is a 'night and day' improvement over this player.
It also has very high quality Audio DACs (24bit 192Khz) and is absolutely stunning with CDs.
At £149.00 it is an absolute bargain.

I bought this DVD player because I wanted to play multi-region DVD's. After hours of searching I finally decided on this one and I am so glad that I did. It is 100% plug in and play - there is no faffing about having to choose regions or unlock multi-region capabilities.

The DVD player also provides perfect audio and visual, even with a bog standard TV. It has extensive menus allowing you to do all sorts with the picture and sound. The USB connection also saves time converting downloads as you can simply plug your laptop straight in and watch away.

An excellent DVD player and really good value for money. If you are stuck on which one to choose then I hope this makes your mind up as you won't be disappointed.