First, I would like to thank Howard Creech for helping me add this product to the Epinions database. This review is based on several months of using this product almost on a daily basis. I have my Oppo Digital DV970HD connected to my 5.1 home theater system. I will be evaluating it's performance on video as well as the audio using various formats at my disposal.

Ergonomics-
On the front face of the DVD player, there are only a few buttons that you can use. The open/close, play/pause, stop and power buttons are only on the front face. You will definitely need the remote for all functions necessary to navigate DVDs, CDs, etc., to enjoy them. The remote's buttons are laid out in a logical fashion but are not back lighted. They do glow in the dark but do not show what their functions are so it because useless to use in a totally darkened room. On screen display is very useful and is easy to scroll through. I did notice some inconsistencies is the look and use of the various menus and functions to move from one track to another. This is most evident when playing SACDs. Instead of using the skip track function on the remote, you have to use the up/down arrow keys. DVD-As, DVD-Videos or CDs use the skip buttons to move to the next track. Speaker management with the Oppo is subpar and confusing. Instead of using the industry standard speaker distance from the user, Oppo decided to use speaker distance relative to the main speakers. I would suggest not using their speaker management and use the one on your processor instead.

Video Performance-
Currently, I have a HDTV monitor that can accept an HDMI input since the Oppo can send it's video signal this way. For those of you not familiar with this connector, it is currently the best connector available to extract the most out of the video player. Better than RCAs, Coaxial and Component outputs. This player can upscale the video signal to 1080i which I used for my video comparison. When I compared the movie, "The Incredibles", on my Pioneer 563A which only has component video outputs and 480p displays, the Oppo clearly won hands down. Imaging was much clearer, smoother with finer details, colors were richer and shadowing with the grays came out more distinct. Using the same movie and comparing it to the latest HD DVD player, the Toshiba HD-A1, the video on the Oppo was on par with the Toshiba. Makes me wonder for the case of jumping on board for HD DVD and Blue-Ray when the Oppo did so well in upscaling the picture to near HD levels to begin with. Looking at each one of the Matrix movies, all benefit from the Oppo upscaling abilities. Gone was the overall graininess of the picture and in was the richness of the colors and clarity I remember seeing these movies for the first time in the theater. The Oppo has provisions to connect via RCA, Coaxial, Component Video for those of you without a HD monitor.

Audio-
Listening to the same movies in 5.1 channel surround sound, the Oppo is similar in performance to the Pioneer and other Pioneer players I've heard several times the price of the Oppo. In other words, you should not be disappointed unless you are high-end audio/videophile. Channel separation, detail and imaging depth was fine in 5.1 channel mode. You will feed that you are engrossed into the movie. Bass performance with entry-priced universal players usually are anemic but the Oppo is on par with mid-priced players so it's bass output is actually quite authoritative. Using my DVD-A of Riding with the King, both Eric Clapton and B.B. King's voices were spot on in the track, "Three O'Clock Blues", no sibilance, after harmonics when strings were plucked, no digital edginess, just lush and slightly neutral sound presentation abound. Next I use Diana Krall's, The Girl in the Other Room on SACD to compare the two formats performance. Using the title track, the snare drum brushes sounded correct without the harshness associated with lesser players. Diana's voice is presented more forward than some other players that I have used in the past. Overall, SACD performance is again on par with players costing several times the price of the Oppo.

Now using the Oppo as a redbook 2-channel CD player, the inexpensiveness shown through. In this mode playing either of these DVD-A and SACD recordings into 2-channel CD mode, the Oppo presented a flat, voice forward presentation without any digital harshness but at the expense of a rolled off highs with little imaging and depth. It seems this is the Oppo's Achilles heel. When asked to play standard CDs, the Oppo sounds like a run-of-the-mill CD player. Later, I tried an experiment, I used several different external DACs connected to the Oppo to see if these problems can be corrected. I am happy to report that as long as you use a high-quality external DAC, you can make the Oppo sound just like the high-priced CD players but be prepared to pay over $600 for an external DAC to make that happen. One thing I noticed that Oppo touts about this player is it's ability to turn off the video while letting the audio run to enhance the audio performance. Did it make a difference in my system? The answer is no.

Features-
Probably one of the best features on the Oppo is the built-in card reader located on the right front face behind a flip-down panel. It even had a reader for Sony's Memory Stick and a USB input for jump drives. This worked very well and played all my MP3 files off my Memory Stick without a problem. Don't try accessing your files off one of those large 60GB external hard drives using USB, the USB port only supports 1.1 and not 2.0. Found out later when I called Oppo Technical Support.

Included with the Oppo is a high-quality gold-plated HDMI cable. All the connectors in the back are gold-plated, a nice touch. This player has a selectable feature to play your PAL discs and convert them back to NTSC for viewing. I tried that with my one and only PAL disc and it worked beautifully. Also, going to the various forums on the Internet, you will find that you can program the Oppo to be region-free. I tried some of the DVDs I had from other countries and no matter what I threw at the Oppo, it played it. On the remote you will find the usual features such as pause, slow, repeat, zoom, etc. But this is the first player that I have encountered that also included a master volume control, 5.1 channel volume control and gamma video control. It even comes with a separate power cord so that in the future you can upgrade it for better performance.

Durability-
My only concern is with the player's tray. It is clear and looks flimsy. I have knocked it around several times and haven't had a problem. The Oppo is relatively light at 4.8 lbs. and can easy be pushed around since the rubber feet don't hold the ground very well when you push the front panel buttons.

Warranty-
One year from date of purchase. Free 30-day in-home trial.

Customer Support-
First-rate. Easy to contact by phone and questions answered by a knowledgible person.

Conclusions-
If you are looking to replace your aging DVD player with something that can upscale and you have a HDTV monitor, this is definitely one player you need to audition. It will surprise you with it's true film-like picture quality and make you think twice jumping on board the HD and Blue-Ray bandwagon. DVD-A, SACD performance is good but the Redbook CD performance stands with a bit of improvement. Overall, I would recommend this player to the movie buff or the audiophile wanting a taste of the DVD-A, SACD format but the high-end audiophile looking for Redbook CD performance, you need to look elsewhere. Hope this information was of assistance to your decision if this Oppo is right for you.

UPDATE!UPDATE!UPDATE!
It looks like Oppo Digital's Technical Support addressed the issues I had about their player's SACD navigation. On their site, they have a firmware upgrade to address the SACD navigation all well as other customer feedback issues. Now the Oppo is very easy to navigate with the remote. Also, I had a chance to experiment by replacing the stock cord with an IEC adapter to an aftermarket power cord which made the bass even more authoritative, while adding depth and detail to the sound stage and increasing the color saturation in the video picture. It proved to be a worthwhile upgrade that didn't cost too much to address the mediocre 2-channel performance.

Associated Test Equipment-
Mitsubishi WD-52725 52" DLP HDTV
Parasound HCA-1205A 5-Channel Amp
Parasound AVC-1800 Pre-amp
Magnepan IIIa Front Main Speakers
Eminent Technology LFT-XII center channel speaker
Magnepan IIIa Rear Surround Speakers
Velodyne HGS-12 Series II subwoofer
Sony CDP-CX240 CD Player
APL Hi-Fi Mod Pioneer 563 DVD Player
Pro-Ject 1.2 Turntable with Sumiko Pearl Cartridge
Pacific Valve Mod DIYEDEN Great March DAC
California Audio Labs DAC
MSB Link DAC III DAC
Channel Island Audio DAC
Synergistic Research Interconnects and Speaker Cables
Stock 18 AWG and PS Audio Prelude Power Cords
IEC Power Cord Adapter



Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 149.00