DVD Players

I understand the appeal of upconverting DVD players, I really do. They give people a chance to squeeze the maximum performance out of a dying medium; they allow people to put all that wonderful display power of their latest LCD and Plasma monitors to good use. The trouble is, that BluRay players are a lot cheaper than they once were and contrary to what some commentators will tell you, they are going to get cheaper, a lot cheaper. So does anyone really need to be buying a $400 upscaling DVD player like this latest model from Oppo?

The long answer is no and the short answer is yes; allow me to explain. What Oppo offers is something that a lot of bigger brands do not; versatility. The Oppo DV983H will handle just about every format that you can throw at it, including DivX. Furthermore, it is PAL and NTSC compatible with a multivoltage power supply. It is made to be used anywhere, which is nice as it likely means it will play just about any DVD that you stick in it. There are cheaper models on the market that do the same thing. You can buy a $50 pience of junk that will do the same thing. The Oppo is aimed squarely at people that want the versatility of a region free system, without the compromise on quality. With 1080p upscaling and 7.1 channel sound, the Oppo DV983H is lightyears ahead of most of the region free systems on the market; yet I would find it tough to justify the purchase.