Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
506 of 519 people found the following review helpful.
Truly Impressive Video and Audio
By Dr. Stuart Gitlow
Oppo has created quite a name for itself with their Blu-ray players for home theater devotees. Priced between extraordinarily high end equipment and players that you can buy at warehouse clubs, the Oppo units have wowed users by truly being worth the extra dollars while providing a high-end experience. So here we have Oppo's brand new BDP-93. There were some minor glitches that were solved with the first firmware upgrade, already included on the release units. Firmware upgrades take place wirelessly using the included wifi dongle, assuming, of course, that you have a wifi network at home. You can alternatively plug into your network using an ethernet cable.First thoughts: This is a well packaged machine with subdued highlights on the front panel, clearly labeled inputs and outputs on the back panel, and an informative and useful display. Drop in a DVD-A disc, for instance, such as the one within the Lord Of The Rings complete soundtrack sets, and the front panel informs you that you're listening to a DVD-A. There's no confusion, as there can be with other components, as to whether you might be mistakenly listening to the standard stereo track and creating surround from that. The intuitive setup panels, accessed via the well designed and internally lit remote, quickly allow you to adjust your playback desires - you can listen to the multi-speaker output from the DVD-A or the mixed-down stereo version at the touch of a button.And I've started out with audio discussion for a reason. Many of us with high end CD players still have an extra box in our audio stack; finding a DVD player, Bluray or otherwise, that can play back a standard CD with sufficient quality to allow removal of the CD player has been a difficult task. Most reviewers of DVD players seem to ignore the stereo audio component entirely. Here, you not only have the ability to listen to DVD-A versions of audio sources when available, but you have a real reason to disconnect your CD player for good. I have one of Sony's wonderful ES models from years ago which until now has been unparalleled by any reasonably priced component. The staging of the audio, though, is really improved on the Oppo over other DVD players and is at least on a par with the Sony ES CD player, if not somewhat better. Taking, for example, "Blackbirds" from the new remastered Beatles White Album, Paul is clearly staged just to the left of my right speaker. His vocals are pure and clear to an exquisite extent (sometimes to a fault as you can now clearly hear a sibilant s in the lyric - a fault of the microphones of the era - that is somewhat muffled on other equipment). Orchestral and pop music alike are impressive and clear. Of course, now you can listen not only to standard commercial CD's, but also to CD's containing .mp3 or .flac libraries (among other alternatives). In those latter situations, your TV will function as a display, showing the titles of the entire disc's content and allowing you to easily pick your desired track.The Oppo's front drawer operates smoothly, quickly, and quietly, and the entire unit itself is inaudible in operation unless you're hovering a few inches above the component. Playback of DVD-A's and CD's are quick and straightforward. No delays in loading were apparent. Unlike many alternative models, the Oppo responds quickly. Turn it on by pushing the eject button and the unit will immediately come alive and open the drawer. There's been no time when I found myself standing next to the component and waiting for a response - as I have with many earlier Bluray players.After testing audio, I moved to streaming. Getting my Netflix account set up to stream to my BDP-93 took all of one minute. Seriously, this was far faster than I thought possible. Click the Home key on the remote, then move the cursor to select Netflix, click Select, and you're given a code. Type the code in at the Netflix website and in a few seconds you'll see your Netflix Instant Viewing menu loading. I quickly and easily watched the first few minutes of a movie and a TV series, both in HD. Mind you, Netflix doesn't stream 5.1 or 7.1 audio nor is their HD of the same quality that you're used to from Bluray. Streaming is NOT a replacement for Bluray discs (and isn't really a replacement for DVD's if it's quality that you're after), BUT it's a great way to quickly watch a movie with the family that you don't have available in your home library.I didn't test Blockbuster on Demand, but that's available as well.As we move to video, I should point out that I utilized a direct HDMI 1.4 connection between my Oppo and a 53" Sony XBR6 (last year's model, not 3D). 1080p Video was selected for my first test disc - the JJ Abrams Bluray of Star Trek. This disc was one of the tougher discs for my previous player (a Sony BDPS550) to handle, and I would wait and watch the Enterprise spin for quite some time while the player loaded the disc. No more. By the time I walked back to the couch to get comfortable, the first preview was starting. I quickly skipped to the main attraction - no delays in doing so, by the way - and was floored by the audio difference between the Oppo and my earlier Sony player. Now I should point out that I haven't tested the 7.1 capabilities, as my system is set up as a 5.1; I took the time to set up the 5.1 downmix in the setup menu (again, an intuitive and straightforward few steps). I felt enveloped in the soundstage and drawn in to the picture, which looked remarkably film-like and free of artifact. Just before the movie presents the "Star Trek" title, there's a fadeout which glowed as it would on a movie screen. The title card is presented in black, gray, and silver, a tricky combination of "color" that is difficult to see on many systems without at least some banding. None here that I saw, however. And any problems with bright red that you've seen on older DVD players are entirely absent as well.The Oppo has a secondary HDMI output that can be routed to your processor. For those with, say, the newest Anthem processor, that's a reasonable way to go. I have an older Sunfire TGP-V, however, so ran the 6 analog cables into my direct inputs and utilized the Oppo's internal decoding. This is perhaps the greatest advance over my older Sony which has the same decoding capabilities but with far less resulting quality. With the Oppo, dialog remains pure and pristine, easily understood over the sound effects bouncing from speaker to speaker, with the low bass routed appropriately to the Sub. The two HDMI outputs allow you to utilize a direct connection to a new 3D TV while using the other connection to go to an HDMI 1.1-1.3 processor without losing the 1.4 capabilities in the interconnect over to the TV. What does that mean? It means you don't have to upgrade your processor! You get everything you could possibly want with a 3D-capable TV and your old processor. Let the Oppo handle the sound decoding and the TV handle the video with a direct HDMI feed. (And those with a non-3D TV shouldn't feel badly at all. The picture quality is so perfect, you won't notice 3D's absence).I have lots left to try: the Oppo has two USB ports and an eSATA drive port. Bring on your FLAC files, your AVCHD files, your Kodak Picture CDs, your SACD's, and multiple other formats. Connect to your network and access your music files from your networked computers. The Oppo will handle it all. And yes, I ran a few non-Blu DVD's just to see how those work. There's up-conversion, of course, and you'll find the quality to be far better than you've seen before. I'd still get the Blu-ray when available, but it's nice to know that my DVD library won't go unused.One tiny nit has been raised by folks on the web: the eject button on the face of the unit is difficult to find in a darkened home theater. True. However, there is an open/close button on the remote, which has an internal light, so I'm not going to nit-pick there. I'll raise one of my own: push a button on the remote and the internal light comes on. It stays on for a couple of seconds, then turns off. That's annoying in a dark room and I'd rather see the light stay off unless I ask for it by pushing the button for the light. I'd also like to be able to turn the light off as well as on but the remote light button works only to turn the light on; you then have to wait a few seconds for the light to automatically extinguish. That's about the toughest criticism I can offer on a splendid follow-up to the BDP-83.As I mentioned earlier, Oppo distributes firmware updates online directly to the BDP-93, so that, plus the very sound pre-release firmware leads to my strong recommendation for this Bluray player as a worthy addition to your home theater - now, as opposed to waiting several months (my usual recommendation for a new product like this). Finally, the manual. Clearly written by those familiar with the language, the manual is both entertaining and informative. There are numerous technical points made with the reader clearly informed as to which choice and which selection is likely to be the most useful. We're at an incredibly complicated stage of home theater development. There are numerous potential sound outputs, video outputs, and connector possibilities, and everything has to talk together just right...the TV, the remotes, the processor, the player...Oppo makes this very easy, even to the point of having a "wizard" guide you through the basics on initial start-up. I was up and running in a few minutes, and it was a while before I returned to the Setup menu for a full and final set of adjustments. No gripes at all and kudos to those at Oppo for a well designed and implemented component.Those like me who are using the BDP-93's internal digital to analog converter may wish to consider the more expensive BDP-95, due out in another few months. The -95 will have an improved analog section which will likely produce improved sound. I suspect that you'd need to have a substantial audio system and truly impressive speakers to detect the differences between the -93 and -95, but then I haven't heard the -95 yet. If, on the other hand, you plan to use the HDMI cable for audio, letting your processor do all the decoding, then you'll have no audio difference between the -93 and -95 and may as well save your cash.Addendum 9/20/12: Note that the BDP-93 will be replaced next month with the BDP-103. Similarly, the BDP-95 will be replaced toward the end of the year with the BDP-105.
123 of 129 people found the following review helpful.
A truly universal player that cuts no corners
By Dennis E. Tamburello
I was one of the early owners of the BDP-83. My only major disappointment in it was its lack of Netflix streaming. At one point, there were rumors that BluTV (included in a firmware upgrade) would add this feature, but after waiting for over a year I gave up on that.Is it worth it to upgrade this player just to get the BDP-93's streaming capabilities (which are limited to Netflix and Blockbuster now, but will be expanded shortly)? My answer is an unqualified yes. Why? Because you not only get streaming, but much more. The BDP-93's video processing, including its upconversion of standard DVDs, is even better than that of the BDP-83. The BDP-93 also has built-in wireless, although I opted to connect through an Ethernet cable for better speed and stability. The BDP-93's disc transport is more solid and stable than that of its older brother (although, to be honest, I never had problems with the 83's transport). Support for SACD and DVD-Audio remain, to say nothing of numerous other formats like HDCD. Finally, there is its 3D capability -- not something I'm interested in right now, but should I decide later to go this route, my Blu-Ray player is ready.You can get a Blu-Ray player with network streaming for a lot less than the cost of the BDP-93. But this player delivers all the goods -- it's a high-end component at a price that won't break the bank. It will play, with optimal results, almost anything you put into it. And it is ruggedly constructed, built to last. In the end, I bought it for both these reasons: flexibility and high quality. One last thing: Oppo is a company that really listens to its customers. It responds promptly and competently to feedback and questions.I highly recommend this player. Like other reviewers, I strongly suggest buying it directly from Oppo or from Amazon, so you won't get fleeced on the price.
303 of 334 people found the following review helpful.
Great Player, But Not Without Some Flaws...
By Steven Tremblay
I really enjoy Oppo players. They are built well, play movies well and the company seems very good at providing customer service and support. I currently own the OPPO DV-980H, the BDP-83 and now, this BDP-93 model.I'll be honest, I was one of (probably) many who thought their BDP-83 could have 3D capability with a firmware update (Just like the the PS3). Sadly, this was not the case. What we did get was a new player capable of playing 3D at the same price as the previous model. While I was not anxious to spend another $500, at least the price was reasonable (OPPO could have really taken advantage here) and I really wanted to have 3D capability so I was one of the first to order as soon as it was available just before Christmas. This new 3D player however, while having made some improvements, still has some flaws compared to the previous player. Here are some of the things I like about this new player:- Call me superficial, but I love the look of this new player. The faceplate looks like brushed steel or aluminum painted black with buttons that are flush. Very sexy. It seems like it is the same dimensions as the previous model although there is no fan in the back.- The 3D capability is fantastic! The same picture quality that we have come to expect from Oppo but with 3D!- One thing I did not like about the older BDP-83 model was the fast-forwarding and rewinding during DVD playback. No matter how fast you forward or rewind during DVD playback, it is choppy and slow. I'm happy to say that this is greatly improved on this player. It is much smoother and more accurate. Navigating through DVD playback is much easier.- I also love the second HDMI output. It's a very helpful feature to have under certain circumstances.- And finally, OPPO has finally gone wireless! No more having to drag Ethernet wires through the house to somehow connect your OPPO and get those valuable firmware updates!Here is what I don't like:- The loading time seems longer than the previous model. Maybe it's my imagination, but I find the loading time especially longer when I insert a DVD. Not so much with most Blu-Ray discs.- Which brings me to my next point: I have noticed that some Blu-Ray discs take a very long time to load and I have already encountered one movie (Monsters on blu-ray) that not only took very long to load, but also froze my player just as the movie was about to play. I contacted Oppo about this and the person I spoke to told me that they've had issues with discs from certain companies like Anchor Bay. They were not, though, aware of the problems with the Monsters blu-ray. OPPO suggested I send the Monsters Blu-Ray in the mail so that they could test it, but I decided against it because I was afraid of losing my disc. (By the way, the movie played flawlessly and loaded quickly on my older BDP-83 player.)- When I eject a disc from the player, I have to wait about 10 seconds before I can close the tray again. This is an annoyance I can do without. I never had this issue with the BDP-83 player. I was able to eject the disc, switch another disc and close it without any trouble. In fact, I've never had this issue with ANY player. Hopefully, a firmware update will change this.- Although I like the new faceplate for this player, the display is significantly smaller this time so it is harder to see the information when you're sitting on the couch away from the player. The BDP-83 player had a larger display that was easier to see from a distance.- And lastly, although I love having wireless on this OPPO, it is not built-in. You have to plug-in a fairly fat wireless USB adapter that looks like the D-Link WUA-1340 model. It's ugly to look at so I have it plugged it in the back of the player. This wireless adapter adds another four inches or so to the length of the player. Fortunately, I had just enough room to fit it in my TV stand.In conclusion, the most important feature on any Blu-Ray player is picture quality and the OPPO BDP-93 certainly delivers. I had, for a short time, a Sony BDP-S350 and as nice as that player was, it still couldn't compare to the picture quality of my two OPPO Blu-Ray players. Still, the BDP-93 is not perfect by far and hopefully the problems I've experienced will be remedied with upcoming firmware updates. As it is now, with the exception of 3D capability, I think I still prefer my older BDP-83 player. Perhaps this player was rushed so OPPO could have this available in time for Christmas. I can't say for certain. What I can say is this player has a lot of potential if these flaws are fixed. For the time being, however, I would rate this player as is with 3 1/2 stars.**Update May 1st, 2011**Just to let everyone here know, I've encountered the exact same problem again with another blu-ray disc as I did with the Monsters blu-ray disc. I recently purchased the "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy" blu-ray. I inserted the brand new disc in the Oppo and waited...and waited ...and waited. Finally, after about five minutes, I tried to eject the disc so I could try having the Oppo read it again, but no luck! The Oppo had froze and I had to hold the power button for 10 seconds to completely power down the player. I tried powering up again, hoping to have a different result this time and finally watch the movie, but unfortunately, the exact same thing happened. For the sake of curiosity, I played the blu-ray disc in my older BDP-83 player that I keep downstairs in the basement. Sure enough, I had the exact same result as with the Monsters blu-ray... It loaded quickly and played flawlessly! At this point, I am becoming too frustrated with this player to enjoy it anymore. The negatives are outweighing the positives so I've decided to replace the Oppo BDP-93 with my older BDP-83. The BDP-93 will go downstairs and I will switch them back for those few times I need a 3D player (assuming that I don't replace it for a different 3D player altogether!). Otherwise, the older BDP-83 will be my main blu-ray player. Because of this, sadly, I am now changing my personal rating from 3 1/2 stars to 2 1/2 stars.***Update June 25th, 2011***I just encountered the same problem AGAIN with another disc I purchased. This time it's "The Italian Job" Blu-Ray. That's right. You read correctly..."The Italian Job" on Blu-Ray. I inserted the disc, got as far as the main menu and once I selected to play the main feature...I got, what seemed to me, the OPPO equivalent of the BSOD (blue screen of death). That is to say, nothing seemed to work on the BDP-93 and all I could see on the television was a blank screen with the OPPO logo. The only way I could get out of it was to completely power down the BDP-93. I tried playing the disc over and over again, but unfortunately with the same result. Needless to say (but I will say again for the record), it "loaded quickly and played flawlessly" on my older, discontinued OPPO BDP-83. This is becoming ridiculous! These are just the discs that I'm aware of! Sadly, I am very close to giving up on the BDP-93. I will wait to see what the next firmware update will bring to the table, but in the meantime, I think it's time to accept this loss and begin my search for another 3D Blu-Ray player.Even though it's discontinued, if you're looking for a solid, no frills, quality Blu-Ray player, you won't do better than the OPPO BDP-83. Grab one, if you ever have the opportunity. As for a 3D Blu-Ray player? If anyone has any recommendations, I would be very happy to hear from you.****Update October 12th, 2011****At the request of some of the people who have shown interest in my review of the OPPO BDP-93, today I have tested those three discs (Monsters, Anchorman & The Italian Job) that the BDP-93 could not play many months ago. Although it was not relevant to me at this point since so much time has passed, I am happy to say these discs are no longer unplayable. After a fair amount of time and a few firmware updates, the BDP-93 was able to play those blu-rays with no trouble at all. This is good to see, but what has really made me happy is that since my last post in June, I have not had any trouble playing ANY of my purchased blu-rays with the BDP-93. I have a fairly extensive collection of older and newer blu-rays (from The Natural to Thor 3D) and all have played flawlessly so far. I still find the small time delay when opening and closing the loading tray incredibly annoying, but the continuous firmware updates are helping and I am finding myself feeling optimistic with the BDP-93.*****Update December 16, 2011*****Yesterday, I accidentally found a workaround for the annoying delay problem when opening and closing the loading tray. I mentioned earlier that there is an approximate 10 second delay when opening the loading tray, placing a disc inside and closing it again using the open and close button on the player itself. However, I discovered this annoyance does not occur when using the same button on the remote. I have tried this a few times last night and as bizarre as that might seem, using the remote to open and close the loading tray causes no delay whatsoever. It works as seamlessly as it was meant to be. I'm still hoping for firmware update that will address the problem for the player itself, but at least this is something. The only alternative to this would be to actually physically push the loading tray closed, but this is something I am loathe to do. In my mind, I worry about breaking the tray somehow as I cannot imagine it was designed to be closed that way (I could be wrong...).Anyways, I mention this in case someone else might find this helpful. Otherwise, all is still going well and I am continuing to enjoy the BDP-93. I have had no need to fall back on the Sony PS3 yet for movie playback (although it is a great video game console!).
See all 301 customer reviews...
The Wi-Fi on this model (and all models in the line : U310 , U410) is DEFECTIVE
