On Monday, January 25, Oppo Digital is launching the BDP-80, the "lower-cost" Blu-ray player model the company recently hinted at (see blu-ray.com, December 22). It is a BD-Live (profile 2.0) player, based on the same decoder chipset and firmware as the acclaimed BDP-83. It also supports DVD-Audio and SACD playback, and multichannel analog audio output. It is priced at $289 and will soon be available for purchase on the Oppo website.
Overview The BDP-80 is a full-featured universal Blu-ray Disc player that supports BD Profile 2.0 (BD-Live and BonusView), DVD-Video, DVD-Audio, Super Audio CD (SACD), HDCD, CD and other popular media formats such as AVCHD, MKV video files, digital photos and music.
For video, the BDP-80 features an HDMI 1.3 port that supports 1080p Full HD, 1080p 24Hz, Deep Color (30-bit and 36-bit) and Source Direct modes. Component video, S-Video and Composite video connections are also available for legacy analog displays. The player can upconvert DVD from standard definition up to 1080p. Unique features such as subtitle shift and vertical stretch zoom mode makes the player an ideal source component for home theaters with 2.35:1 CIH (Constant Image Height) displays.
For audio, the BDP-80 supports internal decoding and bitstream output of the latest sound formats including Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master audio. The BDP-80 also features a configurable 7.1-channel analog output that can be set as 7.1-channel, 5.1-channel, or stereo. When playing SACD, the BDP-80 can output DSD (Direct Stream Digital) over HDMI in its native format or convert it into high-resolution PCM. For compatibility with many legacy A/V receivers and DACs, the BDP-80 also provides an optical and coaxial digital audio output.
The initial setup features an Easy Setup Wizard. Setup menus on the player can be accessed without interruption to disc playback. The front and back USB 2.0 ports enable easy access to music, photo and video files. The BDP-80 comes standard with 1GB of internal storage built-in so that no additional memory card or flash drive is needed to use BD-Live and BonusView features.
The BDP-80 supports NTSC and PAL, and NTSC/PAL conversion. Like the BDP-83, it as a universal power supply, and HDMI CEC.
BDP-80 and BDP-83 compared The main differences between the two models can be found on a product comparison page:
Video:
Video processor: the BDP-80 doesn't have the ABT2010 video processing, and handles all video processing tasks using its main decoder chip.
DVD upconversion: the BDP-80 doesn't support 24p upconversion of DVD material.
Audio:
Analog audio:
Digital-to-analog converters and analog driving stage: the BDP-80 uses the same components as on the (now discontinued) DV-983H up-converting DVD player; on the BDP-83 and BDP-83SE, the DACs and analog driving stage are more "sophisticated."
Outputs: the BDP-80 features a configurable 7.1-channel output that can be set as 7.1-channel, 5.1-channel or stereo; the BDP-83 has a dedicated stereo output in addition to the 7.1-channel output.
SACD output over analog: the BDP-80 outputs PCM over analog for SACD playback, while the BDP-83 supports PCM and DSD.
Digital audio: over digital connections, the BDP-80 and BDP-83 have "very similar capabilities and performances."
Other features:
Front panel appearance: the BDP-80 is plastic with black brushed metal appearance; the BDP-83 is heavy-gauge black brushed aluminum.
IR in/out ports: featured only on the BDP-83.
RS-232 remote control: featured only (as an option) on the BDP-83.
Remote control: glow-in-the-dark on the BDP-80; backlit on the BDP-83.
Dimensions: the BDP-80 loses 55mm (2.2in) in depth and 24mm (0.9in) in height versus the BDP-83.
Weight: the BDP-80 is 1.6kg (3.5lbs) lighter than the BDP-83.
Oppo Digital recommends the BDP-83 for users with very large projection screen or having a large DVD collection that needs the best up-conversion. On the other hand, it states that the BDP-80 is "incredibly well suited as a digital transport to feed into an external video processor, a high-end A/V receiver or display device with built-in video processing," and is also recommended "as a stand-alone Blu-ray/DVD/CD-player that offers higher video and audio quality than many mass-market players," and " for smaller home theaters as a standalone player where universal media support and speedy operations are the most ideal." The BDP-83 is Oppo's recommendation for home theaters with large screens.
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