Just a heads-up for folks who are interested: the BDP-83 is now available for purchase from OPPO's site. They appear to have gotten to the end of the interest list and have inventory on hand. Enjoy!

I ordered my BDP-83 a couple of hours ago. I recieved notice on 6/24, but have been debating whether or not to spend this much for something that I may or may not use often. But I've put off purchasing a BD player for over a year now, waiting on Oppo to come out with one, so I went ahead and ordered it. Many of the comments in this forum helped me to decide to do so, and I thank all of you for that. (I'll blame you later if I'm disappointed. Just kidding. )

Jeff

Oh, you won't be disappointed with the BDP-83. I assume it will go into your HT so it will be quite a step up from 971H for DVDs and Blurays are amazing both for video but also audio decoded in the BDP-83. Plus it does SACD, DVD-A, etc, etc. I don't have a 1080p display and all that extra data on a BD disc creates a very nice picture. I'd expect you to easily notice improvement using your projector.

Gonk,
I assume that I should be looking at the setup guide for the 1050 as the basis for my 1070? Is that correct?

No - if you have a 1070, look at the 970. The 1050 is a much older platform than the 1070.

Gonk,

First I want to Thank You for all the good work you do on these forumns. I really do appreciate the articles you write and have learned a great deal from them as well as your posts.

I have a question for you about your BDP-83 setup guides. I noticed on the guide for the 990 (the only one I looked at, since that is what I have)that you made no reference to using the analog stereo outputs. Although I have a 5.1 system I quite often listen to stereo CDs. Personally I don't enjoy the 5ch stereo option or any of the other digital conversions. I guess I am kind of a purist in that regard. OK, back to my point. I have done quite a bit of A/B testing myself and with others and we are all in agreement that the DACs for the stereo outputs sound much better than the multi-channel ones. BTW, this was a stereo to stereo test. I connected the analog stereo outputs to the CD analog inputs. If you haven't tried this I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

On a similar note, again after doing quite a bit of A/B testing, IMHO, I think the multi-channel DACs in the BDP-83 are far bettor sounding then the 990's. Therefore, my only connections from the BDP-83 to my 990 are the two sets of analog outputs. Furthermore, I run the video over a HDMI cable straight to my TV. My thought being fewer cable and fewer connections could only improve things.

Well, that's just my two cents. I would be interested in hearing your thoughts.

Thank You,
Mark D. Rodriguez

Posting from them road, so I will be brief.

Both the 990 and the BDP-83 offer a lot of options for setup. My guides are intended to get the combo or one of the other Outlaw combos set up optimally for most typically use. I have heard or more than one 990 owner using the 7.1 analog input almost exclusively, and I think that's an excellent choice. I think people should try the coaxial or optical connection for DVD/CD first, just so they have made an informed decision.

The stereo analog output on the BDP-83 is more robust than the 7.1 analog. OPPO designed it that way on purpose. I didn't mention it in my setup guide because I was trying to keep it focusd on the "essentials."

I got a present today from OPPO, a set of blue lenses for calibrating my display and an AIX audio disk for audio calibration. I assume all of you will get them as well.

The package arrived unannounced from Customer Service.

Yes, they are being mailed out to all BDP-83 owners. The blue lens is for use with the Spears and Munsil disc. I haven't gotten mine yet, so don't know what all is on the AIX Blu-ray disc - there are some sample music tracks along with the calibration stuff.

Like Bob Backer today I received the AIX disc and blue lenses for the Spears and Munsil disc today. This is just one more reason I like OPPO. Besides a great product they back it up, even unsolicited, I'm looking forward to trying out AIX disc.