When car manufacturers create new models they usually release multiple trim levels in the hopes of capturing as many customers as they can. While the top of the line version gets all the bells and whistles, the  reality is most  people spring for the base model not only because it’s affordable, but also because  it inherits the same styling, engineering, dealer network and reputation as the flagship making it a terrific value.  In many ways Oppo’s doing the same thing with their lower cost BDP-80.  The company’s marketing this entry  level player as a “universal digital transport” and even states in their product page “not recommended” for home theaters with large screens.   Hmm what’s a digital transport you ask?  A digital transport is just what the name implies.  It’s designed to take the 1’s and 0’s off the disc and shoot them straight out the digital ports with minimum processing, with the idea that another device down the chain, such a high end processor or AVR ,will handle the heavy lifting such as deinterlacing video and converting digital to analog audio.  This allows manufacturers to use lower priced components bringing the price down.  However does the BDP80 live up to the company’s terrific reputation?  We find out!

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I have a confession to make.  I never saw the value in spending bucks for quality AV furniture because the price got me thinking about other gear I could buy instead.  Years went by and sure enough I ran out of space in my cheapo IKEA rack, to the point I was drilling holes in the cabinet to add shelves.  Clearly it was time to upgrade.  Instead of replacing it with another IKEA special I decided to invest in something higher quality that I could keep for many years to come — Something that would hold all of my components with enough space to keep them cool while offering easy access to the back of the cabinet for tinkering.

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Trying to explain this product goes something like this:

Me: Hey check out this cool box that allows me to control grayscale, hue, saturation and brightness for primary and secondary colors independent of the display!

Friend: <blank stare>

Me: Umm.  It’s an EQ box that makes colors as perfect as possible.

Friend: Dude, why didn’t you just say so?

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We just received a review sample of Oppo’s new entry level BDP-80 universal blu-ray player!  Look for a full write-up in a few weeks.

Intro

Now is the best time to buy an HDTV.  With new models announced at CES, this is the time retailers look to dump current stock in order to make room for higher margin gear.  Current sets such as this 12th generation 50” Panasonic S1 plasma can be picked up for a song if you wait for the right deal and if history is any indication you’ll have to wait another 12 months for the 2010 models to come down in similar price.

The S sits right below the THX certified G and V10 models in Panasonics Viera lineup.  Besides THX certification, the S lacks the companies Vieracast content which includes the likes of Youtube, Amazon VOD, Picassa and the recently announced Netflix partnership. Don’t worry the S series is still 1080p and features the same NeoPDP panel,  ranging in sizes from 42 to 65 inches.  Psst.  If you don’t care about online content and can forgive a little color inaccuracy, the S series is your best bang-for-the-buck in Panasonic’s lineup.

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Overview:

In our recent $260 vs $4500 Blu-ray article we compared an LG BD390 to the uber expensive Denon DVD A1U and came to realize that differentiation in high end players were down to build quality, deinterlacing and analog audio.  Well along comes Oppo and throws us a player in the big fat middle.  If you’ve never heard of this small Mt View based company don’t be surprised.  Oppo represents a growing trend of internet-only brands with a cult-like fan base. The $499 BDP83 has a designer de-interlacing chip , plays high resolution SACD/DVD-A, and is not only faster than the wine and cheese players, but more user friendly as well.  What gives?  I received the Oppo in early August put it through its paces to find out.

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