UPBEAT Tech Beat

by John Mundazio with additional editing for this column by Bridget Petrella

Somewhere near the end of 2004, a contemporary, cutting-edge company joined the North American DVD player market— OPPO Digital, a smaller subsidiary of the relatively extensive corporation, BBK Electronics. OPPO's focus was upgrading DVD players for the US market, an new concept that was seeing rapid growth due to the booming HDTV industry. Their very first product was a player with the rather unwieldy name OPPO Digital, more commonly known in tech circles as the "OPPO." When that player appeared in the April 2005 edition of the Secrets of Home Theater DVD Shootout and scored the second highest rating EVER (an impressively whopping 94, just three insignificant points behind the $3,500 Denon DVD-5910), it almost instantly eclipsed the previous upgrading players such as the Bravo D1 and Samsung DVD-HD931. Unlike the assorted upgrading players that had come before it, the OPPO had solid core performance and excellent upgrading video via its DVI output. OPPO quickly generated a loyal following thanks to excellent video performance, pocketbook-friendly price tag, and aggressive customer support. Even with the rapid pace of change over the last two years, it remains a well-regarded player and is still available from OPPO Digital. The arrival of 1080p video displays and the commencement of a new high definition format war have changed the market, however, and it is into that current market that OPPO Digital has released the OPDV970HD DVD, a player that redefines budgetary bargain. The old DVI input that was still common in 2004 has been replaced by an HDMI v1.1 output, the maximum output resolution has risen to 1080p, and SACD support has joined the mix as well.

The OPDV970HD DVD is not for every user— a statement which can easy be made for any piece of electronic equipment on the market today, if we really ponder it. I mean, by simply measuring the rate at which DVD technology perpetually evolves, it’s often a formidable argument. But that aside, if you are like most consumers out there, you can't or just don't want to spend $500 to $1500 (or more) on an HD-DVD or Blu-ray player, the OPDV970HD DVD can provide tremendous DVD performance that will make it easy to sit back and enjoy movies on your HDTV or your old faithful TV while you let the format war clear up a bit. It will also give you access to the high-resolution audio formats that were the highlights of our last format war (DVD-Audio and SACD). Video performance is top notch through the HDMI output, the digital audio output does its job without any problems, multi-channel analog output is respectable (especially for the price), and support from OPPO for the product and its owners is top notch. Fortunately, as far as compatibility and functionality go, the OPDV970HD DVD player is one of the best players we have seen thus far. Featuring the latest in chip technology, the innovative OPDV970HD DVD player can produce videos and images in 480p, 540p, 576p, 720p and 1080i resolutions; more than most HDTV’s support.

Let's face the facts— the world of home video is literally erupting with an abundance of changes with the introduction of Blu-ray and HD-DVD products. It's probably the biggest war to embark since Beta versus VHS... But before that happens, manufacturers are coming up with innovative ways to keep people interested in the current DVD technology. We have seen players that feature media-card readers, support for DivX and other encoded media content and now DVD players that up-convert the picture signal to a high definition resolution such as 720P or 1080i. OPPO Digital may be a new contestant in the DVD player game, but they are hitting so many things right with their new OPDV970HD DVD player, that the buzz is growing in intensity. Oh and did we already mention that this puppy uses the most ultra-supreme in chip technology to provide a smooth, yet realistic image without visible anti-aliasing? This is the chip that all respectable DVD fanatics have on the very summit of their wish-list when looking for a new DVD player. Trust us, this jack-of-all-trades can definitely swim the digital waters and hit those waves with the big boys. At the price range offered, this player is a steal for upgrading current DVD's to 720P. The player is easy to use and loads fast. There are some advanced features that too me are a waste of time. Once the 720P feature is set, it is just load it up and play. The picture quality is sensational on any television screen.

From high-tech animation like Disney's Cars or high contrasting, fast moving feature films like Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, the image is HD-like and difficult to look away from anytime soon. The player also does a fabulous job of automatically scaling each and every movie. The picture quality is positively stunning and again, for the price, it's next to impossible to beat OPPO Digital in terms of overall value. If you are simply looking for a ground-breaking DVD player to play many file formats with easy with an impressive user interface then this is also the player for you. HDMI cables are included as well. We upgraded to the 15 ft. cable for an extra $30 and still received the free 6 ft. HDMI cable that is provided with the player. We would recommend this player to anyone that is looking to upgrade their DVDs to obtain phenomenal visual quality. Movies we have all watched millions of times looked brand new to us and we even noticed extraordinary details in the background for the first time.

OPPO Digital is a leading developer of next-generation digital electronics, dedicated to enriching people's digital lifestyles with technology and innovation. The OPDV970HD DVD Player features DVI (Digital Video Interface) output to eliminate flickers and to produce more clear pictures. UB

John Mundazio works for one of the numerous publishing companies in the New York metropolitan area which is currently planning a bold takeover of the parallel universe in which he occasionally resides with several of his imaginary friends and at least two of the strange voices in his head. But he is confident it is not the one you're thinking of at this very moment. Convinced that Susie-Q's are indeed a food group and that no REAL list of fun toys is ever really complete without mentioning "Log"— that quintessential Ren and Stimpy Show toy that boldly dared to go where no toy ever could... "The Dazed-Meister" refuses to partake in anything which requires him to dress up like Wonder Woman or sing the theme song from The Partridge Family in its entirety. He also opposes floatation devices of any sort.