mustang guy Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 Why would a person buy a Cadillac when a Chevy does everything just as well? I understand I am answering a question with a question, but it is a question with a similar answer. Higher expectations for service, build quality, components. There is also the prestige, personal taste, buying american, buying american, buying american, and buying american. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaddeus Smith Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 The qdeo chip does amazing things for dvd up scaling. I went through two Xbox 360s, a fat PS3, and a slim ps3 before I got tired of the crappy hardware taking a dump on me. Using a controller for media playback was clunky and the Logitech interfaces for harmony remotes to work were annoying. Neither platform supported native MKV video files. DLNA implementation was a joke. And my aging denon provided appropriate hdmi pass through but no quality video scaling or processing features. At the time, my Oppo 93 was a very obvious winner to achieve my goals. I certainly understand if that's not the case for you here and now, but to cast them off as frivolous money wasters is a bit extreme. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Youthman Posted November 5, 2014 Moderators Share Posted November 5, 2014 Why would a person buy a Cadillac when a Chevy does everything just as well? Good question. Higher expectations for service, build quality, components. There is also the prestige, personal taste, buying american, buying american, buying american, and buying american. Those are definitely great reasons for the additional cost of the Oppo. For me personally, I would need to be able to see a difference on screen and hear the difference audibly for me to purchase one since I already own the PS3 and PS4. Recently, I "upgraded" my cheap paperweight Marantz DVD player to a Rotel DVD player. Honestly.....the only "upgrade" that I see is the Rotel looks cooler and it's bigger (bigger is better right?). No audible difference though whatsoever. I'm keeping it because I picked it up from a forum member at a good price but I just don't see the justifiable "value" in what used to be a $1500 dvd player. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Youthman Posted November 5, 2014 Moderators Share Posted November 5, 2014 I certainly understand if that's not the case for you here and now, but to cast them off as frivolous money wasters is a bit extreme. I wouldn't say the Oppo are money wasters, they just do not fill any "needs" for my setup. I don't watch standard DVD's so upscaling isn't important. I've never had any hardware issues with my fat PS3. I actually prefer the controller over my Harmony One for Bluray playback. I don't have a need for native MKV files. I think it all boils down to what your needs are and each of our needs and desires are different. It would be the same as me telling someone they need Khorns for their bedroom, just because the Khorns are a better speaker than say Heresy's. For a bedroom, the Heresy might be a better fit for the person's needs. I was just curious if there was any visual difference for bluray or any audio benefit between say an Oppo and a PS3 / PS4. From what I'm hearing, there is not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Youthman Posted November 5, 2014 Moderators Share Posted November 5, 2014 For those that missed it, Scrappy added the video to his previous post where a gentleman compared the PS3 to the Oppo BDP 95. Cool video. Thx for sharing Scrappy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sully141 Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 I had a $100 samsung bd and jumped to the pioneer elite bd62 and I could tell a big difference in sound and a little in picture. Loading speed is faster and there is less noise when loading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heritage_Head Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 You do get a better pic with the oppo.I have also done back and forth. I have doubles of a few movies that I bought the 3d for after I had the reg one. So flipping back and forth was easy. And my eyes don't lie. If it was the same it would have gone back. The oppo also has a ton of video control. And with a little tweaking its a big difference. With no tweaking its a smaller upgrade but still there. Now if that better pic is worth the extra cost is up to that person. Like any upgrade we make in are ht (Like an amp vs avr). Both my ps3 and my other sony gave me a hard time on some movies. I even had the ps3 sitting on the other player in case I had to run the disc in the other one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max2 Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 If someone needs to talk you in to buying a mid level $500 universal player or $600 if you go with the darby edition, you probably don't need it. I had a basic $150 Samsung 3D bluray player and it worked and sounded great, but it wouldn't play a SACD. I could have bought a different brand U player that handled SACD's for $150 or a little less, but I didn't. It may do the exact same thing as other brands, but I know if I have an issue I will be dealing with a company that concentrates on U players alone, not TV's, cell phones, washers and dryers, swamp coolers, etc. etc. I also know the Oppo is always what "the rest" is compared to in terms of quality, service and audio and video performance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Youthman Posted November 6, 2014 Moderators Share Posted November 6, 2014 If someone needs to talk you in to buying a mid level $500 universal player or $600 if you go with the darby edition, you probably don't need it. I'm not sure I feel the same way. Sometimes, a person simply lacks knowledge and once they have received that knowledge, they can make a better informed decision. It seems the OP was asking a genuine question (as was I). I personally don't see myself buying a $500 + player but that's just me and my cheap self. I also know the Oppo is always what "the rest" is compared to in terms of quality, service and audio and video performance. And there are reasons for that (which is what the OP was seeking to find out). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaddeus Smith Posted November 6, 2014 Share Posted November 6, 2014 Just so we're clear on the Playstation "value".. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayStation_3_launch#Release_data_and_pricing http://www.ign.com/wikis/playstation-4/PlayStation_4_Price_and_Bundles A $500 Oppo isn't all that extravagant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Youthman Posted November 6, 2014 Moderators Share Posted November 6, 2014 To me, the PS "Value" is the fact that it is a Gaming System that also is a Bluray player, media server, and has internet capabilities and media support (ie. netflix, youtube). I have never felt that the PS was a Bluray player with the added bonus of a gaming system. I guess that's why I say I personally would not invest $500 + in an Oppo. For the record, I'm not trying to argue that the Oppo is not worth $500 or $1300 for the top end Oppo (although that would be very difficult for me to justify myself). My main question was can you visually see a significant difference in PQ and is there a significant audio improvement in the Oppo vs the Playstation. Some say yes, some say no. I guess I'll just have to wait for a "Youthman Oppo Deal" to come along so I can find out for myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max2 Posted November 6, 2014 Share Posted November 6, 2014 If someone needs to talk you in to buying a mid level $500 universal player or $600 if you go with the darby edition, you probably don't need it. I'm not sure I feel the same way. Sometimes, a person simply lacks knowledge and once they have received that knowledge, they can make a better informed decision. It seems the OP was asking a genuine question (as was I). I personally don't see myself buying a $500 + player but that's just me and my cheap self. I also know the Oppo is always what "the rest" is compared to in terms of quality, service and audio and video performance. And there are reasons for that (which is what the OP was seeking to find out). If someone needs to talk you in to buying a mid level $500 universal player or $600 if you go with the darby edition, you probably don't need it. I'm not sure I feel the same way. Sometimes, a person simply lacks knowledge and once they have received that knowledge, they can make a better informed decision. It seems the OP was asking a genuine question (as was I). I personally don't see myself buying a $500 + player but that's just me and my cheap self. I also know the Oppo is always what "the rest" is compared to in terms of quality, service and audio and video performance. And there are reasons for that (which is what the OP was seeking to find out). A decent Denon or Marantz REFURB U player starts at $300 at accessories for less. A new, A stock Oppo 103 is just $200 more. Spreading that $200 over the 5-8yrs or so of use, I don't see where the extra dough is wasted. "You're too cheap?" You have a projector in your dedicated HT with a row of LaScalas up front, RF's for rears and a laundry list of good equipment. This is the one thing you are missing man. You need to check out Darbee on an Oppo when used with a projector, it makes a big difference. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heritage_Head Posted November 6, 2014 Share Posted November 6, 2014 I would have a hard time going without darbee now that I have had it for more than a year. Its amazing what it can do for the pq on a projector. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Youthman Posted November 6, 2014 Moderators Share Posted November 6, 2014 "You're too cheap?" You have a projector in your dedicated HT with a row of LaScalas up front, RF's for rears and a laundry list of good equipment. You are correct. Probably 95% of my HT was purchased used from CL at pretty ridiculous prices. Projector and screen were the only pieces in my entire system that I paid retail for. That's the reason I refer to myself as being "cheap". I guess the better description is I just realize if I'm patient enough, I can typically find deals that are around 75% or more off retail. This is the one thing you are missing man. You need to check out Darbee on an Oppo when used with a projector, it makes a big difference. Pro-Cinema has shared several times how pleased he is with it's performance. I'll keep an eye out for an Oppo with Darbee. When the right deal comes up, maybe I'll pick one up to see for myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChuckAb3 Posted November 6, 2014 Share Posted November 6, 2014 Heck, I thought I was being 'thrifty' when I got the 103 instead of the 105. Wouldn't trade it ...great well built unit. Thanks for an interesting discussion. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psg Posted November 6, 2014 Share Posted November 6, 2014 (edited) If, like for me, the Bluray player is only used to take the audio and video bits of the disk and hand them over to the AVR, projector or TV over HDMI, then an Oppo will perform the same as a cheap player. I will cite: http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-blu-ray-player/ Who am I to make that claim? I’ve been handling almost all the Blu-ray reviews for Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity since 2010 and have had nearly three dozen players come through my hands. I’ve subjected them to countless objective and subjective tests. I’ve even thrown them on a $15,000 HDMI Analyzer to verify their performance. Often, as is the case with the LG, the picture from a cheap player is 100 percent identical to an $8,000 player’s. Edited November 6, 2014 by psg 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tromprof Posted November 6, 2014 Share Posted November 6, 2014 I think I am in the above camp. With my setup Iam not going to get much out of a more expensive player (except SACD). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AaronH Posted November 7, 2014 Author Share Posted November 7, 2014 I have definitely made my decision to keep my "cheap" Sony player. Thanks for all the comments fellas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psg Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 I too am actually curious if there is any visual or audio benefit to the Oppo vs other Bluray players. I did a quick google on my phone But didn't see any blind or double blind test results. If I had to guess, you would not see or hear any difference between the two. I would think it would come down to build quality, whether you play games, and if you need SACD capability. a is a guy on abs who did a side by side test on YouTube with the 93 or 103 and his play station. I'll see if I can find the link.Edit: even better is the 95. Let's call that quick side-by-side observations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJIann Posted November 8, 2014 Share Posted November 8, 2014 For me personally, I bought the OPPO-103 earlier this year because I wanted first and foremost a high quality, multi-faceted music player (SACD, DVD-A, etc) with a really good DAC, and also I wanted the unit to secondarily be my Blu-Ray/DVD player (I listen to music much more than watch movies). I don't own a gaming system, but have owned Samsung and Sony Blu-Ray players and the OPPO build quality is far superior, it has a great DAC, Blu-Rays/CDs load much quicker than the previous players which I like a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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