The Oppo BDP-83: Any owners here?

meenmore

I'm strongly considering buying one (from eBay).
I currently have a Sony DAV-DZ260, and I'm looking to upgrade to a really decent bluray setup.

So far, the Oppo seems to be a dream come true for me (extensive support for discs, even SACDs and DVD-Audios, plus it's one of the finest bluray players around).

But, I've since found that, in order to hear True HD, etc. I'd need a receiver first (for handiness via HDMI), THEN connect (probably my existing) speakers to the back of that receiver.

Do I actually need the receiver in the middle, or would plugging speakers into the back of the Oppo work? I'm strongly guessing not...which is my next query:
What do you people recommend for pairing up with the Oppo? I'm been looking at this Pioneer (http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.aspx?sku=502499). It seems pretty much futureproof, for me at least (it's got the option of 7.1, etc.) Do I really need to go so high end, or can you people recommend a more level-headed but equally solid performing receiver?

Thanks in advance.

Idleater

The bdp 83 is supposed to be a cracking machine. I do want one myself, but haven't gotten around to it yet.

You are almost correct in your other query, since the BDP83 will internally decode all the HD audio formats making them available as discrete 7.1 outputs.

However, these are unamplified, so you will need something to amplify them to work with any speakers.

I'm not sure if you really want to go down that route, there are some power amplifiers that provide a volume adjust (have a look at some of the Pro-Ject ones) but again, an AVR is realistically your better option. At some point you are going to want to plug something else into it.

meenmore

Thanks for the confirmation.
I know it'll end up costing a good few quid, but yeah, an AV receiver will probably be more suited to me.

What do you reckon of the one I've linked? Is it way above my needs, or just right?

Idleater

The specs say it decodes all the HD formats (Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio, DTS-HD High Resolution), and it is not a bad price.

IMP the BDP-83 will be well above the calibre of the AVR but it's a good start for audio. Match it up with a decent ish set of speakers and you would have a decent setup. One thing though - I wouldn't be allowing the AVR to do any processing of the video signal if you catch my drift.

On the other hand, if you find that the bdp83 is beyond your needs, I'll be willing to take it off your hands Is the one you are looking at Multi Region? If not you can make it so with a small bit of soldering and an add on kit.

meenmore

Yeah, it's supposedly region-free for both dvds and blurays.
http://cgi.ebay.ie/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130346605653&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

It's a bit pricey, but you'd be paying a small price compared to higher end models which don't seem to perform any better than the Oppo (according to plenty expert reviews).

So...is it relatively easy to bypass video processing? I assume you mean: Oppo -> Pioneer receiver -> TV, with the result that only the audio has to undergo processing, and the video goes straight through, unprocessed?

Idleater

meenmore wrote: »

So...is it relatively easy to bypass video processing? I assume you mean: Oppo -> Pioneer receiver -> TV, with the result that only the audio has to undergo processing, and the video goes straight through, unprocessed?

What I mean, is that some AVR's (the pioneer reciever) can do things like de-interlacing or upscaling. I have no idea what that model is capable of. I would recommend downloading the manual and reading all the features to make sure it can do everything you want. I.e. compare the features in some models up and see if they are beneficial to you.

The components that do the video processing are already in the Oppo, and are by a company called VRS. They are very very good, so it would be a shame to have all that work "ruined" by an inferior component further down the chain. Generally these settings can be switched off or bypassed in the AVR. For example in mine, there is a hardware bypass for HDMI video, but only a firmware one for component video.

edit:
While I think of it, have you checked out CRT to buy the Oppo? It is more expensive but you won't have the extra VAT and customs charges that will inevitably come with buying from the USA.

meenmore

You can download the Pioneer manual from here:
http://www.retrevo.com/search/v2/jsp/mytrevo/myTrevo.jsp?page=man

Just enter the five digits and click on 'Download Now'. I don't know what I'm looking for, to be quite honest, with regards turning the video processing off. It'd be mighty appreciated if you'd have a flick through it. I have a feeling what I need to know is on Page 67: 'Setting the video options'. It's a pretty decent Pioneer system, so I can only assume it can bypass processing.

I checked out that 'crt' site before, but I've a feeling I'd be better off sticking with the fairly established eBayer. I've messaged him anyway, and he's reassured me that it's a dual voltage player, and that they'll supply all the appropriate converters for continous use.

Idleater

I have read through the manual and you are right, it does give options to configure the video. Tis a nice piece of hardware with a lot of functionality that should work well with the oppo.

What speakers are you going to be running in your system?

meenmore

You'll smote me to the deepest depths of Deepdom, but....
I'm currently using a Sont 5.1 surround sound system. It's doing me just fine, for now, but what with a 42 inch Panasonic G10 on the way, and bluray player in tow, all that'll remain of it will be the speakers.

So, for now, I envisage using those speakers. I'll probably upgrade a bit further down the line. Any strong recommendations? I haven't a clue when it comes to speakers. Reading reviews about bluray players and receivers is one thing. I can only imagine that there are countless speaker manufacturers making tonnes of fine speakers.

With regards the Pioneer (and indeed, a huge thanks for taking the time out to read its manual), what is the actual setting that I need to turn on or off to prevent it adopting its own video processing?

Idleater

meenmore wrote: »

With regards the Pioneer (and indeed, a huge thanks for taking the time out to read its manual), what is the actual setting that I need to turn on or off to prevent it adopting its own video processing?

For this I read on page 22 "about the video converter" that said that the device does nothing other than upconvert signals to HDMI - i.e. if you connect a DVD player via component, you can watch that on your TV through the HDMI. This is very handy because you only need to run 1 cable to your TV.

The HDMI signal path is straight through as far as I can see.

Regarding speakers, you are right, that is a whole new ball game. If you want to take a look at some interesting speakers, I'd check out Kef Eggs, or Anthony Gallo for 'lifestyle' or small speakers, or if you want traditional speakers (larger, and generally fuller sound) try something like Bowers and Wilkins.

Again, you can get into thousands per pair if you want, and if you do start looking at them you would probably have to upgrade the amplifier to do them some justice. The Kef's or Gallos should be fine with that amp though. A decent sub would be of benefit though.

See how you get on with the current speakers first anyway.

andy1249

Ive had the BD 83 for about 6 months now , excellent player , there is a wealth of information on the player here ,

http://www.avforums.com/forums/blu-ray-players/1106063-oppo-bdp-83-region-owners-thread-part-5-a.html

Review here

http://www.avforums.com/reviews/Oppo-BDP-83-Blu-ray-Disc-Player-Review.html

In terms of Blu ray playback it does what pretty much every blu ray player does , it outputs flawless 1080p 24 video. When it comes to actually playing blu rays , there is very little difference between players , if blu ray was all I was interested in I wouldnt have paid out the premium price for this player.

SACD and DVD A playback is excellent , one of the best on the market , that was my chief interest here.

DVD playback is again excellent , however be advised that the VRS implementation on this player is very USA centric , The BD 83 VRS does a fantastic job with NTSC titles , not so great at all with PAL titles , indeed the BD 831 ( the European version of this player ) was dropped with this issue cited as being one of the main reasons why.

The unit upscales to 1080p and you should note that with a 1080p output , no other device in the chain will attempt to upscale , whether that feature is enabled or not , so if your screen is 1080p , you dont need to worry about how the rest of your setup is configured.

The unit also has compatibility with most video and audio " file " formats , such as Xvid Divx , MKV , mp3 , flac , etc , however Divx has issues with the file indexer and approx 50% of titles wont play without re-indexing. Apparently there is a firmware update on the way for this.
File based content can be played from both disc and from the USB ports on front and back of the player.

If you buy from CRT ( Contact is Henry ) , you get a HD audio sampler and set up blu ray disc , A spears and Muncil Video set up blu ray disc , a HDMI cable , and a 2GB USB stick , the unit is lavishly packaged and thats putting it mildly. Its a Joy to open.

The unit can be made Multi-region for everything with a simple hardware upgrade , this will cost an extra 90 or so sterling. Its a ribbon cable , you simply pop the lid off and replace this cable. CRT will do it for you but charge extra for this.

SACD can be output directly as DSD , if you happen to have one of the few amps that can take such a signal.

The analog outs are pretty good , but if you read through the owners thread on Avforums you see that they are not up to the standards of some the more expensive players , such as the 4K Pioneer players etc.

That doesnt bother me though as Im using digital only.

One of the most useful features of this player is the ability to switch between audio tracks on the fly , that means you can change between DD5.1 , DTS , DTS Ma HD , or Dolby tru HD without stopping the title , a great feature that is absent on most players.