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vytas
Chicago, IL

Make your old DVDs step into the HD world

5 star rating

pc user, netflix subscriber, simple is good, movie buff, demanding, gadget geek, technically savvy, father of 3 young kids
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Pros

    HDMI output, 5.1 audio decoding, optical output, video upconverting 720p/1080i/1080p, HDMI cable included, DivX and XviD video support, compact design, easy to use, DCDi by Faroudja

Cons
    complex remote, no backlight on remote, no ethernet port, HD-DVD and BluRay not supported

JUL
18
2007
 
 
 
Looking to make your DVD collection shine on your new HDTV or HD projector?
Then look no further than the Oppo DV-981HD 1080p High Definition Up-Converting Universal DVD Player with HDMI.

What does that long product name mean?
It means that the Oppo DV-981HD DVD player takes the 720x480 pixel interlaced video encoded on DVD discs (which is of lower quality than what your HD TV is capable of displaying) and upconverts it to your selected resolution of 480p, 720p, 1080i or 1080p. Perhaps most importantly, it upconverts using the industry leading DCDi by Faroudja video processing technology. Faroudja is the company that provides image processing technology to high end systems (that cost in the thousands) and to digital movie theaters. Essentially, you are getting a high end video processor for a fraction of the price.

For more information on the upconverting features of the DV-981HD see:
http://www.oppodigital.com/dv981hd/dv981hd_info.html#Q1

What does the player not do?
The Oppo DV-981HD DVD player does not play HD-DVDs nor Blu Ray DVDs. Until the format wars have run their course and the prices of those players fall to reasonable levels, it probably does not make sense to spend money on either format, but instead get the most from your existing collection of DVDs on your HD viewing device (LCD, plasma, DLP, LCoS TV or projector).

I use the Oppo DV-981HD DVD player with the Panasonic PT-AX100U 720p HD projector and the results are cinema like. There was a clearly perceptible improvement in the quality of the image when I switched to the Oppo DV-981HD DVD player from my laptop (I used a DVI to HDMI cable with my laptop - so in both instances the signal was purely digital).

I have been watching the BBC series Planet Earth with my kids from a standard quality DVD set (the series was filmed in HD and is also available on HD-DVD and BluRay). Overall the quality has been spectacular though I would wager that if I watched the series using an HD player along with the HD disc version, the quality would be even better. Having said that, I am very satisfied with the Oppo DV-981HD DVD player and how it has breathed new life into my DVD collection. For just over $200, the Oppo is well worth the money once you take the leap into the HD world with a significant DVD collection or even if you subscribe to Netflix.

Oppo Digital is thoughtful enough to include a high quality 6 foot HDMI cable. Kudos to Oppo!

Other pluses include the ability to play DivX and XviD video and SACDs (Super Audio CDs).

The one feature that would take the Oppo DV-981HD DVD player from an excellent value that it already is and shoot it into the stratosphere (make it go to 11) is the addition of an ethernet port to access video, music and photo content on my home network.

Bottom line: the most cost effective player to breathe new life into your existing DVD collection in a HD viewing environment.

http://www.oppodigital.com

P.S. to make the Oppo DV-981HD DVD player region free (enable it to play DVDs from anywhere in the world), do the following using the remote (as reported on CNET.com):

  1. press setup

  2. enter the numbers 9210

  3. a new menu will appear - press 0 to make it region-free

  4. press setup again to exit

Last edited on Feb 13, 2008



I_thumb_up Oppo - DV-981HD - 1080p High Definition Universal DVD Player with HDMI is recommended by vytas

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I_comment_shdw24 Comments about vytas’s Review

 


vytas wrote on Jun 27, 2008 at 3:47PM

Have you tried it with another PAL DVD? According to Oppo's specs ("PAL/NTSC disc and TV compatible with automatic or manual system conversion"), the player should have no problem playing PAL discs. You'll note that it can be set to manual or automatic system conversion - so you may want to turn on the player without any discs inserted and go into the admin menu of the player. Another thing to look for is to ensure you're running the latest version of the player's firmware. http://www.oppodigital.com/dv981hd/dv981hd_support.html

oppo1 wrote on Jun 26, 2008 at 11:10AM

region free tip, I did this and put in a pal dvd and the player shut down.

CyndiA wrote on Jul 23, 2007 at 3:09PM

I think I will come to your house to watch movies!


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