OPPO BDP-93 3D Blu ray Player Review
joerod
As many who read my Reviews or follow my posts know I have "played" with a lot of Blu ray players since the format kicked off. There has been quite a few (23 to be exact). From the cheapest available to some serious Flagship models like the Denon DVDA1 or Pioneer 09FD! Believe me when I say the new Oppo BDP-93 is THE ultimate 3D Universal Network Blu ray player. So what makes it the best I have had to date? Read on...
Unpacking the Oppo BDP-93 is not a chore. It comes neatly wrapped in an Oppo shopping bag. Right away you can see the nice build quality. It is cool to get a Blu ray player not wrapped in cheap plastic and styrofoam. Right away I noticed the back has my favorite feature. Dual HDMI outs! I am a huge fan of being able to send the image straight to the display without going thru any detours like a Receiver or Video Processor. Having Dual HDMI outs allows one HDMI output to go to your display and the other straight into your Receiver or pre-pro. You get the best of both worlds this way. Plus if you have a 3D display and not a newer Receiver that supports it just send HDMI 1 (Video) to your display, 2 (sound) to your Receiver and then Bob's your uncle! Also on the back is 7.1/5.1 pre outs, optical and coaxial outputs (in case you are old school) and not to mention video and component analog outputs. Newer features include an ethernet connection for hard wiring to the net and a USB input (also a hidden one on the front) which can be used for flashcards and for connecting to the internet with a wireless adapter. The power cord is also detachable which can make life much easier. I am a fan of using my higher end power cables and having them already in my rack makes connecting new components a breeze. Here's what the back looks like...
So how does Blu ray and DVD look? The secret weapon in the 93 is its Marvell Qdeo chip. DVDs upconverted to 1080p have never looked better. I was a huge fan of the Pioneer 09FD because it had Dual HDMI outs and also a Marvell chip. Oppo is using Marvell's Kyoto-G2 video processing which is their second generation (pics below). Let's just say I think we have squeezed out every little bit DVD has to offer. It simply does not get better than this. Using a couple different test discs I was not surprised to see the 93 score as high (or better) as players that have costed 8 times as much! Though I hardly ever watch DVD in my theater it is nice to know if I do this is the absolute best it can look. Doing Blu ray at 1080p/24 also proved to be pure eye candy. I like sending YCbCr 4:4:4 with Deep Color (upconverted) to 36 bit. I also have a newer Receiver (Onkyo 3008) so I like Bitstreaming sound and letting it decode it. Especially since I love my Height speakers! The Oppo 93 has many picture adjustments. I am happy to report you can "tweak" the Sharp, Color and Contrast Enhancements without hindering your image. The utmost optimal picture can be achieved no matter what type of display you are using. I viewed the new release Red on Blu ray and it was spectacular. Details were very noticable as were the rich colors. I also watched a preview for Disney's new Tangled and soon to be released The Incredibles and was completely floored how the image popped! Animations usually look good no matter what but this was definitely next level. So was Toy Story 3!!! Other previews like The Green Hornet, Easy A and The Tourist also looked exceptional. The BDP-93 certainly can get the job done no matter what the content is... What about 3D? Read on...
The Remote... It lights up! It is very simple to use and has plenty of easy to access buttons. Like Home takes you directly to your main selections. There you can find Netflix and Blockbuster. Hopefully someday we may find YouTube there. Speaking of Netflix I was able to "Stream" a very good image at 720p without any stutters. The load time was pretty fast as it also is with Blu ray titles. It is nice to be able to update component's firmwares by directly connecting to the Net. The 93 has alerted me each time there has been a new offering. Now that is cool since the folks at Oppo are hard at work improving their product in a relentless way. Back to the Remote. You can also hit the Display command to see all the info on your screen. Also by hitting the Set Up button you can make all the decisions about your display. There are even separate ones for HDMI 1 and 2. You can even tell the 93 how large your screen is for 3D! I also have to point out the very conveinent feature of Sub Tittle shifting. I have a Carada Masquerade Masking System to help hide those black (dark gray) bars and this feature is much appreciated. Moving them onto the screen so we can read them is amazing! Trust me when I say Oppo has thought of everything you will need. If it is not there then you don't need it...
Viewing 3D has been a terrific experience in my theater. The Oppo 93 has played every title I have thrown at it. I really enjoy showing my guests the famous Potato Cod scene in IMAX Under The Sea (pic below). Avatar 3D is also amazing. And for you T&A fans Piranha 3D is pure eye candy! I also watched Alice In Wonderland, Clash OF The Titans and various other titles in 3D. The screens below were taken through the lens of actual Xpand X103 3D glasses. Trust me again when I say that screen shots do not do the actual image justice. In person it is much more impressive. I am using the best projector I have had to date. It is the Sony VPL-VW90ES 3D model. I also have a Mitsubishi WD 65738 which also shines in 3D with the Oppo 93. Check out these pics taken through the lens of actual Xpand X103 3D glasses!!!
Back to regular Blu ray I must say The Social Network looked as if you were looking through a window. Better yet like you were sitting there with them! Again RED was amazing. In the opening scene there is a long panning moment around the neighborhood (my new test scene) and the 93 passed with flying colors. As it did in the other famous test scenes like Mission Impossible 3 (the stairs) and the slow panning scene (the beginning) in The Chronicles Of Riddick. Like I said before any torture tests I threw at the 93 it passed with flying colors. Some pics below...
As I reported before it is really amazing how even dogs (at least Rocco) loves 3D! Of course he may just like wearing the glasses which if that is the case I need to get him a cheap pair of sunglasses. Hmmmm.
Hitting Display reveals a lot of useful info!
You can change the Resolution on the fly!
RED was a fun ride...
So I should also mention that this player is a true Universal model but to be honest SACDs and DVD-Audio discs have been extinct in my world for quite a long time. I do have a few left but I want reference Blu ray, Blu ray 3D, and DVD playback in my theater. I do think it is a bonus for those that still have large collections though. I just think it is amazing getting all of this for this much money. You have to spend quite a bit more to get this good of quality and then I am not even sure that alternative includes 3D Blu ray playback!!!
Oppo stormed onto the Blu ray scene with their huge hit the BDP-83. As great as that player is the BDP-93 is that much better. There are quite a bit of "Opponuts" out there which is proof yet again that success breeds followers. If you are looking for the best today look no further... With Dual HDMI outs and a newer chip that provides pristine video what else do you really need? Blu ray 3D is included. So is Streaming Netflix. Oppo has officially "touched" every entertainment aspect in my theater. Now if the BDP-93 could just help with the popcorn.
Click here to read about or purchase the BDP-93!
Sony VPL-VW90ES 3D Projector, DirecTV HR24 500, DVDO DUO Video Processor, Monster Power HTS 5100, Oppo BDP-93 3D Blu ray play, Onkyo TX NR3008 Receiver/pre-pro, Emotiva UPA-1 AMP, Sherwood Newcastle A-965 7 Channel AMP, Antec Component Coolers, Vutec SilverStar 120.5" screen with a Carada Masquerade Masking System... Pinnacle Speakers- Center BD600, Heights BD500 OWs, Left and Right and Surrounds Super K555s and the KLCR for surround back. Subwoofers- Pinnacle Dig 600, plus four MTX Lolita Low Profiles. 7.6 Sound! Remotes: Harmony 1100 and a Sony Navitus. Monster M1000 Ultimate HDMI cables top to bottom...
Equipment used for all or part of this Review:
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