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DVD/CD/Blu-ray player questions

7 years ago

Over the years, I have acquired several optical disk players for playing specific types of media. The first was a Panasonic VCR/DVD player-recorder which played DVD-Rs and DVD RAMs. The second was a CD player which played SACDs, also DVDs and DVD-Audios. The third was a Samsung Blu-ray player which came with my new (5 years ago) Samsung TV. The Blu-ray player recently declined to play regular DVDs (I don't know if it plays Blu-rays because I don't have any), so I probably need to replace it. What should I get? I Believe most Blu-ray players now will play regular DVDs, but will they play CDs? (mine wouldn't). Should I get a 4k version? Should I get a "smart player"? I would also like to play SACDs and DVD-audios (high-resolution, 6 analog channels). I saw a good review of the OPPO UDP-203 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc Player, but at $549, it seems a little pricey. Any other ideas?

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Comments (5)

PRO
Technospeak Corporation
7 years ago
I would go for the Oppo-- whether you do the blu-ray or 4k player is up to you. Oppo is higher end, but they are one of the few blu-ray manufacturers that realize their customer base still appreciates high bit rate audio and dying formats like SACD and DVD-A. They also have great video calibration straight out of the box. They will not be as up on the streaming apps as say Samsung or Sony would be but its because their focus is not apps.
mtvhike
Original Author
7 years ago
On doing more research, I see that OPPO has a model 203 and 205; I'm not sure what the difference is. This same source says that there are no streaming apps. Why would I want them? I have an Apple TV and plan to get a 4k Smart TV (my current Samsung TV is old and not "Smart".
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Comments (4)
Are you connecting directly to your tv, or going through a stereo/receiver? Ate they both newer? You’ll want to make sure the new player has outputs that will work with them. I would definitly recommend a bluray over dvd to help future proof it for as long as possible. You can still play dvd’s in a bluray player. There are plenty of “best xxx of 2018” out there to help direct you to well rated players. https://www.cnet.com/topics/blu-ray-players/best-blu-ray-players/. That Sammy you listed looks like a good buy. Pay attention to the loading speeds. Waiting a long time for discs to load gets annoying fast.
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PRO
Technospeak Corporation
7 years ago
Yes streaming apps is not their focus. On the 203 they included a 4k HDMI input so you can stream your Roku/Apple TV, Firestick etc through the player and not lose an HDMI input on your TV.

The used to have the 103 and 105 priced similarly when they came out with these blu-ray players. If you assume a 2017 version of a similar feature upgrade from the 203 to the 205, then they are probably something like this:

https://www.oppodigital.com/KnowledgeBase.aspx?KBID=37&ProdID=BDP-93

In the 103 /105 case, the higher end version was based mostly on improving the audio listening experience.
mtvhike
Original Author
7 years ago
I am most interested in the improved audio quality of the n05 versions. What's the difference between the 10n and the 20n units?
PRO
Technospeak Corporation
7 years ago
On the Video side: 4k output, HDR10 support and firmware upgradable to Dolby Vision. On the audio side, Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support for 4k UHD discs, and multi-channel DSD64/128 support for high res multi-channel audio formats. It also continues to support 192kHz/24-pit PCM and multi-channel analog output just like the 10n did.

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