Talk me out of buying an Oppo BDP-93 (1 Viewer)

[David_B_K]

I updated the firmware last night. I don't usually keep the wireless adapter thingie plugged in, because I don't stream with the player much, and the wireless adapter sticks out a bit. Remember I cannot use the USB in back of the machine because the mod plugs in there, otherwise I'd connect a LAN cable in back.
After the update, my mod still works fine. After several firmware updates, I'm of the mind that the hardware mods are firmware immune. Looking forward now to watching Region B disc of The Innocents, which I received yesterday.

 

[Amnesiac7]

Rather than create another thread, I'll just put my questions here:
Hello,
I'm currently trying to decide whether or not an OPPO player is worth it. One of the primary reasons I would like one is to watch Region 2 Blurays and the like. However, I'm also interested in the technical advantages associated with an OPPO and how that might improve my home theatre situation.
Currently, this is what I have:

Samsung - LN40A4650
(purchased in 2008).

Playstation 3 (also purchased in 2008) - the original, not the Slim.

Logitech Z5500 (hooked up to the PS3 via optical cable).
Now, I'm hoping to improve in certain areas whenever that becomes possible (which may not be for a long while). For instance, I'd like to get a vinyl player, a proper 7.1 surround sound system, etc. I have no idea when -- or if -- I'll be able to do this, though. So, for the foreseeable future, this is my setup.
If an OPPO BDP-93 or 95 (I'm not sure which would be the wiser choice, at this moment) were to join this arrangement, would I see a marked improvement in any area that would justify the price? I feel that region free capability already justifies the price, but I'm just curious as to what some of you might say (particularly those of you who own an OPPO or are well aware of its advantages/disadvantages and might be able to better comment on its suitability for my setup).
Thanks.

 

[Gary Seven]

With your current situation, basically no improvment.

First, you will need a receiver or amp. You will not be able to use the Oppo without it (if you want surround), otherwise, you will have to hook up directly to the TV.

Second, those are computer speakers and are not very conducive to good fidelity. Therefore, the greater fidelity you will get with new amp and Oppo will be lost. In addition, I don' t think you will be able to hook up those speakers to an amp or receiver. Need to check the connectors.

The only advantage gained from the Oppo at this point will be the ability to play region B or whatever discs. Of course you have to mod the Oppo before you can do that.

My advice is to upgrade your speakers and purchase an amp. Then hook up your PS3.

If your primary concern at this point is region free playing of discs, there are cheaper alternatives to the Oppo.

EDIT: I should mention that the Oppo does provide a better picture than the PS3, so you will see an improvement there.

 

[Amnesiac7]

If your primary concern at this point is region free playing of discs, there are cheaper alternatives to the Oppo. 
EDIT:  I should mention that the Oppo does provide a better picture than the PS3, so you will see an improvement there.

Thanks for the reply.
So, in that case, isn't it at least a good investment at this point? If, for instance, I'm hoping to upgrade my speakers within the next few years...
The Oppo won't provide surround sound? The 5500s take coax and optical -- neither of those are supported by the Oppo players?

 

[Charles Smith]

The Oppo will run you $500 for the player, $50 or more for the region mod, and perhaps tax and shipping depending on where you are and where you purchase it. So, let's just say $600, easy. For that money -- unless things have changed in the last couple of years -- you can get a decent Onkyo HTIB (home theater in the box) with a real receiver and decent speakers, that will IMMEDIATELY and DRAMATICALLY improve your system.

Just another two cents worth.

 

[Amnesiac7]

Thanks, Chas.
I thought HTIBs were usually vastly inferior to building the surround set up piece by piece, starting with a top tier receiver and carefully selecting speakers and subs?
I mean, the HTIB sounds great just due to the ease and it makes logical sense given that I may be moving again and setting up a surround system piece by piece is probably something you should do once you're settled in a home as opposed to an apartment that you may be leaving in another year or so... but I'm not sure. I'm also thinking about getting a vinyl player, by the way, so I can improve the quality of my music and obviously I'd like some speakers that will help me get the most out of a good vinyl player (any suggestions, by the way)? Additionally, of course, I'd like a set of speakers to improve my Bluray watching (first and foremost, really). Since I am very interested in improving the sound quality of my existing speakers I'd be glad to get some more recommendations and feedback on this topic, especially if the Oppo is as ill-advised a purchase as your suggesting.
EDIT: Is Onkyo a great brand? As you probably noticed, I'm fairly new when it comes to all of this. Although, I have noticed that Yamaha is typically heralded as a great company that produces some of the best HTIBs.
EDIT 2: And if I am going for the Onkyo, should I be looking at something like this? http://www.amazon.com/Onkyo-HT-S8409-7-1-Channel-Network-Receiver/dp/B005EP2HMU

 

[Gary Seven]

The Oppo 93 will decode surround formats but you will need a reciever to amplify the signal decoded. Going that route, the amplifier will need external inputs that will be fed by the Oppo. Otherwise, the Oppo will hook up to an amp via HDMI. Going that route, the amp decodes the surround signal. In any event, the Oppo 95 is NOT for you as it is geared to the audiophile with a more elaborate setup.

You can use the optical hook up to the 5500 for sound. Then the 5500 will decode the surround codecs. However, I think the Oppo is overkill for that kind of setup. There are cheaper region free players (~ 200 bucks).

I would upgrade your speakers/amp first. I advise you to stay away from HTIB systems as they have little expandability and flexibility. Start with an amp and a pair of decent speakers and hook up the PS3 to that. Later add speakers until you achieve the surround configuration you want.

 

[Amnesiac7]

Thanks very much for the recommendations, guys.
The reason an HTIB is appealing is because, as I mentioned, my place of residence is bound to fluctuate very much in the next few years. It will probably be a long time before I'm living somewhere for a very consistent, long period of time (i.e., as opposed to moving from city to city, apartment to apartment). Given this, and given that this would be a major upgrade from my very humble beginnings with the 5500s, wouldn't an HTIB make sense?
This would entail holding off on working on a surround system in earnest (buying an amp, pair of decent speakers, etc.) until I have a more permanent place of residence to house all of that equipment.
I welcome and appreciate any thoughts on this. i'm going to upgrade my set up soon, it's just a matter of knowing where to allocate the funds. Much thanks for convincing me that the Oppo may not be the best choice at the moment.

 

[Gary Seven]

Since you mentioned an interest in vinyl, I suggest towers as the mains. I strongly suggest you take music you like to a stereo store and give the speakers a listen to determine what sound best for your budget.

Since you do have an interest an in music, I suggest looking at Denon or Marantz. I am not a fan of Onkyo and Yamaha equipment isn't what it used to be.

As for what makes sense for you... only you can determine that. What makes sense for you, may not make sense for someone else, or vice versa. It all depends on your priorities and preferences regarding those priorities.

 

[Amnesiac7]

Right, thanks.
While you are advising against HTIB, if I were to go with Denon, which would be best? Setting aside the question of price for the moment...

 

[Gary Seven]

What is you ultimate goal? If it is 5.1 configuration, then this will do you...

http://usa.denon.com/US/Product/Pages/ProductDetail.aspx?PCatId=AVSolutions(DenonNA)&catalog=DenonNA_US&CatId=AVReceivers(DenonNA)&Pid=AVR1613(DenonNA)

or even one down from that.

If 7.1 is your goal, then this will do you...

http://usa.denon.com/US/Product/Pages/ProductDetail.aspx?PCatId=AVSolutions(DenonNA)&catalog=DenonNA_US&CatId=AVReceivers(DenonNA)&Pid=AVR1913(DenonNA)

However, since you are still a bit nomadic, probably 5.1 is best for you now. Keep in mind that AVRs are one of the most technically changing units as opposed to say a regular amplifier. Therefore you can go with something inexpensive and put that money saved into speakers. Speakers tend to improve minutely so good speakers now will be good speakers in 5 years where a good AVR now may be more or less obsolete in 5 years because of advances in codecs and processing. Then later you can upgrade the AVR if needed while still maintaining the speakers originally bought.

EDIT: One more thing since you have interest in music. When you audition speakers, make sure you audition with music. Forget about movies. I find that speakers that sound good for music will always sound good for movies, while speakers that sound good for movies may not sound very good with music.

 

[AndyMcKinney]

However, from what I've been able to tell, there is no remote hack to make the BDP-93 region-free like there was on my DV-980, and that's the only thing holding me back.  (And I only need the region-free function for DVD, since all of my BDs are Region-A or all-region.)
I thought I had heard of a remote hack to make the BDP-83 region-free for DVDs only -- has anyone heard of something similar for the BDP-93?

Mark (and others):
If you need multi-region capability only for DVD, then you do not have to purchase a hardware mod, as I was previously told. All you have to do is download something called "SuperDisk" (Just google the two words Superdisk Oppo and you'll find it).
It's a software modification in its own right, not a modded firmware (although it says for BDP-83, it works on the 93, too). You just download, follow the instructions on the page you downloaded it from, and voila, your Oppo is multi-region for DVD without any hardware mods.
An Oppo technician pointed me to this when troubleshooting a R2 DVD playback problem I was having with Would I Lie To You: Series 4 (turned out the problem was firmware, not the mod).
Of course, if you need Blu-Ray to be all regions, you still have to buy a mod.

 

[AndyMcKinney]

If an OPPO BDP-93 or 95 (I'm not sure which would be the wiser choice, at this moment) were to join this arrangement, would I see a marked improvement in any area that would justify the price? I feel that region free capability already justifies the price, but I'm just curious as to what some of you might say (particularly those of you who own an OPPO or are well aware of its advantages/disadvantages and might be able to better comment on its suitability for my setup).
Thanks.

The only PQ difference you'll probably see is better-quality upconversion of DVDs, and better PAL to NTSC conversion of your R2 discs over your old player (if you had a region-free one previously), depending on how good that player's converter was. My old DVD player was a $50 Philips one, and the conversion is like night and day on an NTSC-only television.
Unfortunately, the fact you have a Samsung TV means you won't be able to take full advantage of the Oppo's "worldwide" capabilities, because Samsung displays (the ones sold in the US, anyway) aren't capable of displaying a pure, unconverted PAL image. That being said, though, the Oppo has a superior converter inside, and it is also capable of converting 50i Blu-Rays from the UK to 60hz, since your TV cannot handle 50i, either.

 

[AndyMcKinney]

The only PQ difference you'll probably see is better-quality upconversion of DVDs, and better PAL to NTSC conversion of your R2 discs over your old player (if you had a region-free one previously), depending on how good that player's converter was. My old DVD player was a $50 Philips one, and the conversion is like night and day on an NTSC-only television (i.e. shot-on-video stuff still looks like video and not like jerky film motion).
Unfortunately, the fact you have a Samsung TV means you won't be able to take full advantage of the Oppo's "worldwide" capabilities, because Samsung displays (the ones sold in the US, anyway) aren't capable of displaying a pure, unconverted PAL image. That being said, though, the Oppo has a superior converter inside, and it is also capable of converting 50i Blu-Rays from the UK to 60hz, since your TV cannot handle 50i, either.

 

[Jesse Skeen]

I've had mine for a couple weeks, with the region-free mod. It's great, but my one big complaint is that you cannot completely turn off the on-screen display. Depending on how fast some discs load, they will display a "Play" symbol onscreen for the first second. If a disc loads slower, the symbol will go away before anything from the disc hits the screen. Also, if you are playing 4x3 material and change audio or subtitles during playback, the picture will stretch out to 16x9 when the onscreen display comes on. I emailed Oppo about this and they say they are unable to fix that. Another nit-pick is that the region-switching is a bit awkward- there's nothing to confirm that you've done it right, and you have to turn off the player then turn it back on for it to take effect.
It does play MPEG-1 VideoCDs which is nice since many current players don't, but with the Philips movies made for CD-i players it squeezes those. I am sending Oppo a copy of one so they can check it out and hopefully fix that problem. The two HDMI outputs are invaluable, as I just got a 3D TV but my receiver won't pass the 3D signal. Getting this player was cheaper than buying a new receiver, since I'm otherwise pleased with the one I have anyways.
Pity that it can't play HD-DVDs, that would make it a truly universal player. Would also be nice if it had CD+Graphics but I guess you can't have everything. Loading time on most Blu-Rays is a LOT faster than my Sony, I have a few discs that are infuriatingly slow on that but take just a few seconds on the Oppo.

 

[Tina_H_V]

Move over, Jesse and everyone else here at HTF...
...I just added my OPPO BDP-93 just over a week ago!!!!!! AND I AM LOVING IT!!!!!!!!
It took me a few days to get it going due to my recently-crazy work schedule, but I am whooping it all up now!!!!!! I exercised the option on doing the dual-HDMI connection of one each for audio and video. The video is coming on strongly, smooth and buttery. The audio, however, is superb!!!!!!
3D is also great as well. I have only played The Green Hornet and Yogi Bear thus far, but I dug them both!!!!!!!
Welcome home, OPPO BDP-93!!!!!!!!

 

[TheBat]

Move over, Jesse and everyone else here at HTF...
...I just added my OPPO BDP-93 just over a week ago!!!!!! AND I AM LOVING IT!!!!!!!!
It took me a few days to get it going due to my recently-crazy work schedule, but I am whooping it all up now!!!!!! I exercised the option on doing the dual-HDMI connection of one each for audio and video. The video is coming on strongly, smooth and buttery. The audio, however, is superb!!!!!!
3D is also great as well. I have only played The Green Hornet and Yogi Bear thus far, but I dug them both!!!!!!!
Welcome home, OPPO BDP-93!!!!!!!!

wait until you play avatar in 3d on it.
Jacob

 

[Charles Smith]

I am out of town this week, but am greatly looking forward to adding my new second 20-foot Monoprice HDMI cable to the mix and doing just that, with my li'l 3D collection so far consisting of Avatar, Coraline, and Hugo.

The BDP-93 has been a dream machine in the few weeks I've only scratched the surface in enjoying it.

 

[Jesse Skeen]

wait until you play avatar in 3d on it.

If I could BUY the damn thing easily, I would! Not going to pay inflated prices just because they made this available only with Painasonic players!
Another plus on the Oppo is that it has COMPLETELY seamless layer changes on standard DVDs, from all the ones I've watched so far. No pause or audio dropout whatsoever, not even for a nanosecond! About time somebody got that right!

 

[Tina_H_V]

wait until you play avatar in 3d on it.
Jacob

Yes, Jacob. I am sure looking forward to that. And I am with you on the wait, Jesse!!!