Oppo BDP-80 Universal Blu-ray Player First Look

What can you do when you're one of the most talked about Blu-ray manufacturers on the market? What can you do when it's been uncovered that your player (or at least the vast majority of it) has been dropped into a different chassis and marked up 700%? Well, if you are Oppo Digital, you release another universal Blu-ray player. While your first thought might be that they would release another "audiophile" player and try to cash in on that high dollar crowd, but you'd be wrong. Instead they release the BDP-80 - a player with most of the same components and performance as the award winning BDP-83 but priced over $200 less.

That's right, while other manufacturers are pricing their universal blu-ray players at multiple of thousands of dollars, Oppo keeps reducing their prices. Before we talk about what is different between the new BDP-80 and the BDP-83, let's talk about what is the same. First, and foremost, they are both universal players. That means that not only do they play Blu-rays and DVDs (like everyone else) but they also play SACDs and DVD-As. While most are moving away from those formats, there are many out their with considerable SACD and DVD-A collections that generally have to keep an extra player around just for those discs. Of course, they play back a multitude of other formats as well including AVCHD, CD, HDCD, Kodak Picture CD, CD-R/RW, DVD±R/RW, DVD±R DL, and BD-R/RE.

Both of the players include 7.1 channel analogue outputs for compatibility with legacy receivers and processors. These outputs can be configured for 5.1 or 7.1 output. They both include component upconversion to 1080i, support BD-Live and Profile 2.0 (with a gig of internal memory), and 1080p/24Hz Blu-ray output. On-board decoding of the HD audio formats is integrated and most of the connection types are identical (one each HDMI, component, coaxial, optical, and composite video - also dual USBs, and an Ethernet port).

The differences are fairly substantive but are well chosen in our opinion. The older BDP-83 player definitely was geared for someone that wanted everything. The new BDP-80 player is for the user that has a lot but wants a box with universal capabilities. The main difference is the video processing. While the BDP-83 has an ABT2010 with VRS by Anchor Bay Technology onboard processor which scored a remarkable 110 out of 130 on the HQV test, the BDP-80 has a proprietary processor which will most certainly provide significantly reduced video performance. Will this matter for Blu-ray and SACD/DVD-A playback? Not really (if at all) but it will affect how good DVDs will look on your big screen.

Along the same lines, the BDP-80 does not support 24Hz upconversion of DVDs (a feature that not too many use currently). While the BDP-83 has a dedicated set of stereo analogue outputs for stereo playback, the BDP-80 relies on it's 7.1 outputs (which can be selected for just stereo). In addition, the BDP-80 lacks dedicated IR in/outputs, a RS-232 port (optional on the BDP-83), and a backlit remote. The BDP-80 sports a glow in the dark remote (which means you'll need to either do some button memorization or integrate the remote into a universal remote system).

Conclusion

There are a few that will look at the above lists of differences and feel that one (or more) is a deal breaker. The upside is that the BDP-80 is still a remarkable value at $500. For $289, the BDP-80 is ridiculous. So, who should buy the BDP-80? The major downside (for most) will be the video processing. If you have a device in your chain that handles upconversion well (like a top of the line display, an upconverting receiver, or a standalone video processor), than you should be fine. Alternatively, if you are upgrading from a cheapo Blu-ray or universal player and don't care about video processing or watch on a smallish screen and/or from a great distance, perhaps you'll be OK. For those that want a player that some think is worth $3500, the BDP-83 is for you. For those that want a one box solution but don't care that much about all those bells and whistles, check out the BDP-80. Either way, you are getting a lot of performance and features for not a lot of scratch. At least until an A/V manufacturer with high-end aspirations decides to drop it in a pretty case and charge enough for a used car.

For more information, please visit www.oppodigital.com.

Unless otherwise indicated, this is a preview article for the featured product. A formal review may or may not follow in the future.