I don’t remember a time when the release of an optical disc player was so anticipated and discussed by the public. This could have been imagined 5-7 years ago, but now... And this is taking into account the fact that many were waiting for the release of a player for UHD Blu-ray discs, which are not officially sold in our country. Moreover, they are not going to sell them yet!
However, this player is now actively selling out. It appears in many demo systems and has been declared the best video source for high-end home theaters. Absurd? Not at all! It's just that this is really the best video player at the moment and its name is OPPO UDP-203.
Against
- No streaming apps
Ultra HD 4K TVs have been around for a few years now, and while 4K Blu-ray discs and players are still considered new, we've seen enough of them to become accustomed to this impressive resolution.
However, Oppo's first 4K Blu-ray player reminded us of how amazing 4K pictures can be, and took us back to the days when any film in this format would leave us gaping.
The list of player characteristics also includes HDR, Dolby Atmos and support for Hi-Res audio music formats, so the equipment of the Oppo UDP-203 can be envied.
Its price (£650) is higher than our current favorite 4K player, the Panasonic DMP-UB900 (started at £600, now available for £450). Moreover, until now, this Panasonic was the only 4K player to receive five stars.
However, Oppo is superior in many ways.
A little history
Today everyone is accustomed to the fact that OPPO makes excellent video players. However, if you remember history and understand the issue in detail, this situation looks even more surprising, although quite logical. Founded in 2004, OPPO Digital, as they say, jumped right off the bat, being the first to present the DV-971H DVD player with an integrated Faroudja DCDi processor, which immediately made it onto the lists of the best video sources of that time. For all manufacturers, especially for the Japanese who were resting on their laurels, who at that time did not consider even Korean companies as serious competitors, this was a real blow, because the player from OPPO, with all its advantages, cost less than $200!
Two years later there was another blow. OPPO introduced the universal DVD-SACD player DV-970HD at a reasonable price, which was especially noted by Stereophile magazine, which mainly covers Top Hi-Fi and High-End audio equipment. Then similar attacks followed almost every year. And in 2016, OPPO, ahead of Sony and LG, introduced a player with support for UHD Blu-ray discs. We would like to talk about it in detail.
Image
Life of Pi looks stunning on 4K Blu-ray. The colorful scenes of Pi's wanderings across the ocean against the backdrop of the setting sun are incredibly clear and vivid.
The Oppo UDP-203 is seriously superior to the Panasonic DMP-UB900 in terms of detail.
Every small detail - from the rough texture of the hero's sunlit skin to the crystal clear softness of the water - emphasizes the impeccable purity and subtlety of detailing. Every hair on this CG tiger looks so natural that you want to reach out and run your fingers through the fur.
You can peer into the bright colors of the image endlessly. Oppo's pleasing color balance combines rich shades of red, yellow and blue with an enviable naturalness.
The talent of the player is clearly evident when watching regular Full HD Blu-ray discs.
In films with a more natural color palette (like The Imitation Game), flesh tones delight with detailed textures and realistic chiaroscuro play.
Stable motion remains smooth even in the most challenging scenes with slow camera pans.
Bright whites and dark blacks are reproduced flawlessly. The white text on computer screens in The Martian on 4K Blu-ray stands out clearly and legibly against the blue background.
Reflections involuntarily attract attention; The vast expanse of Mars showcases Oppo's masterful work with varying shades of red, brown and orange on the 4K HDR disc.
The picture looks very impressive, but does not lose realism.
Characters and objects stand out clearly against the general background. Oppo's image turns out to be exceptionally layered. It manages to extract more from each disc (be it 4K or Full HD) than the Panasonic UB900: more clarity, more detail, more gradations of light and shade.
Separately, it is worth noting the quality of scaling of this player. While the clarity of Ocean's Eleven from DVD is slightly lower than in other formats, the energy of the image and the dynamic color palette are still very high. The picture from DVDs turns out to be more detailed and smooth than that of Panasonic.
Oppo's image processing system allows you to tweak its settings, but the adjustments aren't subtle enough to provide a noticeable improvement. We recommend that you adjust the picture directly on your TV or projector instead.
Player specifications
Main characteristics:
- Video processor OP8591
- Wireless Wi-Fi adapter (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, 2.4/5 GHz)
- Ethernet (LAN 100/1000 Mbit/s)
- Compatible with DLNA, SMB servers
- Matrix display
- Audio path with frequency range: 20 Hz – 48 kHz (±0.2 dB), 20 Hz – 96 kHz (–4 dB/+0.05 dB)
- Signal-to-noise ratio: >112 dB
- THD: <0.001%
- Dimensions 430 x 311 x 79 mm
- Weight 4.3 kg
Connectors
- Video inputs: HDMI
- Video outputs: HDMI 2.0a
- Audio outputs: 2xHDMI, analog audio outputs 7.1/5.1/stereo, optical audio output S/PDIF, coaxial audio output S/PDIF
- USB: 1xUSB 2.0, 2xUSB 3.0
Sound
In terms of sound, Oppo has the same rare virtue: it gives us more than others. The soundtrack to the film Star Trek Beyond makes a grandiose impression.
Michael Giacchino's score builds tension, and Oppo manages the highs and lows of the orchestral composition with precision and tenacity.
Details are written out clearly and energetically; in the episode of the “aliens” breaking through glass windows, the blows turn out to be dense and powerful, and deep voices sound more natural and expressive.
The richness of sound and impeccable rhythm are preserved when playing music in stereo format.
The guitars on Okkervil River Lost Coastlines on CD are textured and sharp, the voices are distinct, and the lively melody is full of exciting details.
Impressions and conclusions
The picture quality demonstrated by the BDP-103D is so much higher than the picture quality of entry-level players that it is even surprising. It would seem that for a long time there have been no problems either with the computing power of processors, or with “omnivorousness,” or with the lack of image enhancement technologies. And yet, the player is impressive.
We would venture to say that the device has no obvious shortcomings. We can only complain about the fact that not all of the Internet services presented in the menu work in our country, but these are clearly not OPPO’s problems. Perhaps more relevant services will appear in future firmware versions.
It is impossible not to note the high-quality software and high-quality localization into Russian. The menu is thoughtful and intuitive. It may not be entirely convenient to have to explicitly indicate the type of data that needs to be displayed/played, but you quickly get used to it. The quality of the electronic components used is also excellent, as is the overall build quality.
The player is capable of playing any (or almost any) audio and video file formats.
Considering all the listed advantages, one can hardly consider the cost of the device to be overpriced. In fact, there are not many players that can offer similar functionality for comparable money.
Player reviews
The player is well known to lovers of high-quality sound and video. This is a popular model that has not lost its relevance to this day. We were unable to find any negative reviews about the BDP-103D.
Equipment
Oppo UDP-203 is not just a 4K Blu-ray player; This is a versatile player in every sense of the word. It is capable of playing Blu-ray discs in 4K and Full HD (2D and 3D), DVD and CD formats. Unlike the Panasonic UB900, it even accepts DVD-Audio and SACD.
The player is equipped with two HDMI outputs - HDMI 2.0 standard for video and audio playback and HDMI 1.4 - for transmitting audio signals to older receivers.
The UDP-203 supports the latest HDCP2.2 specification, making its color palette compliant with the BT.2020 standard set by the UHD Alliance.
The player is currently limited to the standard HDR format, HDR10 (which all current 4K Blu-ray discs are recorded in), but a binder update later this year will provide Dolby Vision HDR support.
Unlike competing models, the UDP-203 does not have built-in streaming applications such as Netflix or YouTube. Oppo claims they've done away with them to speed up boot times (and indeed, the player starts up very quickly).
However, your 4K TV probably supports everything you need - Netflix, Amazon Video, BBC iPlayer and so on - so you're unlikely to suffer from Oppo's lack of them.
In addition, if necessary, “smart” functions can be added by connecting a casting device (for example, Google Chromecast Ultra or Amazon Fire 4K TV) to the player’s single HDMI input.
Oppo features a 32-bit/384kHz DAC capable of playing Hi-Res audio files up to 24-bit/192kHz and various flavors of DSD. All popular music formats are supported.
Connect the player to your home network via Wi-Fi or a network cable (both options are fast, but as always we prefer the more stable connection of a wired connection) and stream your favorite music from a NAS server or other connected device.
The list of connectors on the UDP-203 is quite impressive: a 7.1-channel set of analog outputs for connecting to older receivers that do not have an HDMI input, three USB ports for playing media files and charging smartphones, and two digital inputs (coaxial and optical).
The previous Oppo player we tested - the excellent £1,100 BDP-105D - was packaged in a rather old-fashioned-looking thick metal box. The UDP-203 boasts a much more stylish appearance and a thin, elegant body.
The clean lines, brushed aluminum front panel, small buttons and clear display make it look like a Cambridge CXU universal player - and that's a very pleasant association.
The stylish case will easily fit into the decor of any home theater. The legible and informative display has a dimming function. The buttons are responsive, and the 4K disc tray is fast and quiet.
The large and weighty remote control is quite convenient to use.
It has not only large and responsive buttons and a simple interface, but also backlighting that reacts to movement; many other manufacturers should take this approach.
Pleasant trifles
I would especially like to praise the ease of control of this player. Firstly, it is extremely fast. The menu “flies”, disks and files load quickly, in 2-3 seconds maximum, and this applies to both USB drives and downloading files over a gigabit network. Secondly, the menu interface is simple and extremely clear.
And thirdly, the remote control. No, like this - Remote! Not only are the keys optimally located and backlit, perfectly matched in color and brightness, but it also turns on as soon as you pick up the remote control or move it from its place. For projector users, this is just a balm for the soul!
In addition to the remote control, you can control the player using the OPPO UDP-20X MediaControl application (available for iOS and Android). It offers both detailed settings (see above in the screenshots) and on-screen menu control using the touch panel in the interface.
Finally, installers should know that, at your request, the new product has a trigger input and output (which was so missing in the BDP-103D), and this will greatly simplify the integration of the device into a smart home automation system.
