Oppo BDP-83 Universal Disc Player:
User Interface User Interface
In the past, Oppo has never impressed me with its remotes, but that's changed with the BDP-83. The hefty handset has large backlit buttons, it fits nicely in my hand, and the player responds to each command instantly. If you have more than one Oppo player in your rack, you can change their remote codes by entering the Setup menu and adjusting a physical switch inside the battery compartment on the remote.

Basic setup couldn't be easier thanks to the Auto Setup program that greets you the first time the player is powered up. From here, you choose the video output (HDMI or component), the video resolution (480i/576i, 480p/576p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p, Auto, or Source Direct—a nice option for users of external scalers), aspect ratio, and audio (Compatible for HDMI 1.1/1.2 TVs and AVRs or optical/coaxial connections, and Advanced for HDMI 1.3 receivers or pre/pros—with secondary audio turned off by default).

Additional options are available in the Setup menu to enable 1080p/24 playback, convert DVD playback to 24fps, adjust the audio delays for the analog outputs, configure the network settings, etc. One thing to note is that Oppo recommends a factory reset after every firmware update, so be sure to write down your settings once the player's been configured for your system. One idea I've read is to take a digital picture of each setup screen—now there's a great use of digital technology!

A trip into the user manual is needed for most modern electronics at one point or another, but I never felt the need with the BDP-83 because of the well-organized and easy-to-comprehend menu system. I did thumb through the manual to see if there was anything I missed and found it to be easy to read and understand—a rarity for user manuals.