Oppo DV-981HD

Last updated: Review by CNET (last updated: 14/02/07)

The Oppo DV-981HD Universal DVD Player features Offers HDMI interface, with Farudja HD upconversion output up to full 1080p, plays DVD-Audio, Super Audio CS, Audio CDs, HDCD, WMA, and more, Outputs in stereo, or in 5.1 surround sound, S-Video out, digital coaxial, and optical audio outs–no component out with Built-in equalizer, channel trim, and channel delay functions.

Oppo DV-981HD Latest Price

+ REVIEWS (last updated: 14/02/07)

CNET reviews the Oppo DV-981HD (rating: 8.3/10) and writes;
“The good: Excellent image quality; upscaling to 1080p over HDMI; attractive, understated black design; multichannel SACD and DVD-Audio over HDMI; DivX/Xvid support; aspect-ratio control; can be made region-free with a simple hack. The bad: Worth it only for use with 1080p TVs with an HDMI input; no component video output. The bottom line: Performing nearly as well as players costing four times the price, the Oppo DV-981HD is an unbeatable bargain for videophiles and enthusiasts.”

Prilaman reviews the Oppo DV-981HD and writes;
“The arrival of 1080p video displays and the commencement of a new high definition format war have changed the market, however, and it is into that current market that OPPO Digital is releasing the DV-981HD. The old DVI input that was still common in 2004 has been replaced by an HDMI v1.1 output, the maximum output resolution has risen to 1080p, and SACD support has joined the mix along with a slight price increase to $229. The DV-981HD is not for every user – a statement that can be made for any piece of electonics, if we really think about it. The omission of a component video output highlights the target market for both the old 971H and the new 981HD: users with DVI or HDMI-equipped HDTV’s who want to get the most performance out of their DVD’s that they can without spending a lot of money. If you can’t or don’t want to spend $500 to $1000 (or more) on an HD-DVD or Blu-ray player, the DV-981HD can provide awesome DVD performance that will make it easy to sit back and enjoy movies on your HDTV while you let the format war clear up a bit. It will also give you access to the high-resolution audio formats that were the highlights of our last format war (DVD-Audio and SACD). Video performance is top notch through the HDMI output, the digital audio output does its job without any problems, multichannel analog output is respectable (especially for the price), and support from OPPO for the product and its owners is top notch.”

HomeTheaterSpot reviews the Oppo DV-981HD (Rating: 5 paws) and writes;
“Like it’s predecessor, the Oppo DV-981HD is a very impressive player at its price. Its video quality exceeds many more expensive players and its audio quality is equal or better than anything in its price range. Oppos also have been proven to be a very reliable players, and Oppo’s customer service and dedication to product improvement continues to set standards for every other manufacturer. It will be interesting to see where Oppo goes from here. Personally, I look forward to the day when they decide it’s time to enter the HD disk market (BD or HD DVD), as when that day comes it will likely be THE player to own. Overall, I’d give the Oppo DV-981HD 4-1/2 paws, the same as the 971H. However, for those with a 1080p display and using the digital audio outputs, I’d have to give it 5 paws.”

MissingRemote reviews the Oppo DV-981HD and writes;
“The fact that the player can play just about any optical media (short of the next gen formats) is a major plus for anyone looking to unify their various devices. The only negative is the macroblocking issue. However, this is dependant on the content and even the calibration of the display being used. Most people wouldn’t even notice it… Bottom line: This would be an incredible value for anyone who wants a single unit to handle all their DVD collection and doesn’t want to mess with multiple devices or an HTPC. I personally can see recommending this to more then a few people I know who bought an HDTV set for Christmas, have older 480i/p only players, and are wondering how to get the most out of their movie collection.”

CEN reviews the Oppo DV-981HD (rating 8.8/10) and writes;
“Summing up, this player lets an ordinary standard-definition DVD transcended its humble origins, displaying a quality that to trained eyes actually approaches low-end HD. It’s certainly a noticeable improvement over garden-variety 480p DVD playback. The Oppo DV-981HD is certainly the best DVD player we’ve ever used here the Midwest Test Facility, and it fits in well with a higher-end 1080p home theater setup. If you must still resort to watching those old-fashioned DVDs, there’s no better way to do it than with this up-rezzing player. It delivers a sharp picture that’s well beyond what any DVD can deliver on its own, as well as vivid color and lifelike enhancement options, all for a bargain price of $230. It’s well worth it. Highly recommended. 8.8 out of 10 stars.”

HDTV Mag reviews the Oppo DV-981HD and writes;
“At $229 you can to buy a cheaper DVD player. But not one that will support more audio and video formats (DVD Video, DVD Audio, SACD, DivX, XviD, Audio CD, HDCD, WMA, DVD+R/RW, DVD-R/RW, CD-R/RW, and Kodak Picture). If you have a HDTV you should have one of these DVD players in your home theater. If you have a 1080p TV and you want to wait a until the format war is over you will want to buy DV-981HD. This player will breath new life into your standard DVDs. We also got a hold of a SACD (Dark Side of the Moon) to listen to. It sounded phenomenal! As if we need another reason to go buy more music!”

HDTVExpert reviews the Oppo DV-981HD and writes;
“OPPO’s DV-981H is indeed a big step up from its predecessor in many ways. It offers top-notch 1080p up-conversion for a very reasonable price, not to mention 480p and 720p for those with lower-resolution EDTVs and HDTVs. As long as the DVD content is encoded as 3:2 frames, you’ll have silky-smooth pictures. But variable-speed and other cadences won’t look as nice, so if you record a TV movie to DVD and want to play it back later, you may see some scan line artifacts and flicker in areas of thin detail. Ditto any home movies or Web video burned to recordable DVDs. I am still puzzled by the omission of component video outputs and the inclusion of analog multi-channel audio outputs. Perhaps it’s because the advent of 1080p displays has happened as HDMI interfaces have come into widespread use, and most new HDTVs provide at least two HDMI inputs.”

AudAud reviews the Oppo DV-981HD and writes;
“Oppo’s customer service is excellent. Just call their number and a helpful representative will work with you. Reports of glitches and incompatibilities are dealt with responsibly, and Oppo has already made some firmware updates to correct discovered faults on their players. They will also tell you exactly how to set up your player for “0 Region” coding - meaning that you can play NTSC and PAL DVDs from anywhere in the world without problems.”