Oppo Digital
www.oppodigital.com
Okay, you could be forgiven for asking,
“Oppo, who?” On the surface of
things, Oppo Digital appears to be
yet another Chinese manufacturer
looking to enter the U.S. market with
A/V products that tout impressive
specifications and sell at very affordable
prices. Of course, it’s one thing
to claim your products offer great
performance per dollar, and quite
another to deliver the goods. But,
judging by the sheer amount of
Internet buzz that Oppo’s premier
OPDV971H DVD player has generated
since its release in late September
2005, there’s a real possibility that
Oppo will be a success.
The $249 OPDV971H is a progressive-
scan, upconverting player
that supports 480p, 540p, 720p, and
1080i from its DVI output, with
Faroudja DCDi deinterlacing.
Initial online commentary suggested the
OPDV971H was so-so as an audio
player, but something of a giantkiller
as a video player.
However, we are aware that the Oppo team has
been working on firmware updates
said to improve the player’s sound
quality significantly. (As part of a
strong customer-service initiative in
the U.S., Oppo offers periodic firmware
updates for products in the
field.) Check out Barry Willis’s
review of the OPDV971H elsewhere
in this issue to see how it stacks up
against its competition.