Like all the (very few) previously announced UHD Blu-Ray Disc Players from Sony, Panasonic and Samsung, the new OPPO UDP-203 supports the playback of 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Discs. Packing a resolution of up to 3840 x 2160 pixels, UHD Blu-ray delivers four times the pixels of Full HD Blu-ray, but that’s just the beginning of the story. The UDP-203 also supports High Dynamic Range (HDR) and Wide Color Gamut and will support Dolby Vision (12-bit HDR) via a firmware upgrade. The enhanced resolution, refined contrast, greater brightness, and expanded color produce stunning video with unparalleled clarity and detail.
The UDP-203 combines the latest technology with OPPO’s many years of experience in delivering high quality video and audio. A customized quad-core video decoder/processor integrates OPPO’s advanced video decoding, processing and optimization expertise. A high-precision, well-balanced laser optical disc loader ensures smooth and reliable playback of all types of disc media. The player features two HDMI outputs – an HDMI 2.0 port for connecting to the latest UHD TVs, projectors and A/V receivers, and an HDMI 1.4 audio port for connecting to older A/V receivers. The HDMI 2.0 port will ensure support for pictures up to 4k@60 resolution with native 4:4:4 Color Space. OPPO has once again teamed with MediaTek to produce and manufacture a specialized 4K UHD Blu-ray decoder SoC - the quad-core OP8591, which offers the most advanced image decoding and processing technology available for 4K UHD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, DVD and user generated media formats.
The design of the UDP-203 focuses on quality playback and universal compatibility with multiple disc and file formats. In addition to the latest UHD Blu-ray, the UDP-203 supports regular Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D, DVD, DVD-Audio, SACD, and audio CD. The UDP-203 is equipped with two USB 3.0 ports on the back and another USB port on the front. Users can play video, music and photos from USB hard drives or thumb drives. Built-in 802.11ac Wi-Fi or Gigabit Ethernet connects the UDP-203 to users’ home networks, so users can easily play media files stored on computers and home servers.
The UDP-203’s video performance and universal compatibility is further complemented by its support of lossless high resolution audio. The player decodes audio file formats such as AIFF, WAV, ALAC, APE and FLAC. It also directly plays Direct-Stream Digital audio files in stereo DSD64/128 or multi-channel DSD64. With internal decoding of Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, and bitstream output for object-based immersive audio formats such as Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, the UDP-203 delivers great sound for both movie soundtracks and music. Besides HDMI, audio is concurrently available through the 7.1-channel analog outputs, featuring “Velvet Sound” 32-bit premium digital-to-analog converters from AKM of Japan. The UDP-203 features a premium 32-bit DAC from AKM, the AK4458VN, which is an 8-channel DAC with support for formats such as 192 kHz / 32-bit PCM and multi-channel DSD64/128.
In order to provide a premium user experience with quick start-up times and fast response, the UDP-203 is designed with a purist approach in mind for disc and file playback, and so it does not carry Internet video and music streaming apps. Instead, an HDMI 2.0 input port that supports UHD resolution is available for users to connect an external streaming device. This approach affords users the flexibility to choose from a wide range of streaming devices and easily upgrade as streaming technologies evolve, while still taking advantage of the UDP-203's audio and video processing capabilities.
Continuing OPPO’s tradition of providing firmware updates long after the initial release, the UDP-203 is upgradable via an easy-to-perform firmware update process. Since the Ultra HD Blu-ray format is still very new, customers can expect ongoing firmware updates that introduce new features and resolve issues. Leveraging hardware designed to support Dolby Vision, customers can expect a firmware update in early 2017 that brings Dolby Vision support to the player. Dolby Vision transforms the TV viewing experience by delivering striking highlights, brilliant colors, and deep darks never before seen on standard television screens, and OPPO is committed to bringing this exciting technology to the UDP-203.
In addition to the UDP-203, a UDP-205 model is in development as a successor to the BDP-105/105D with upgraded audio performance. The UDP-205 should be available in early 2017. The UDP-203 will retail for $549.
www.oppodigital.com/blu-ray-udp-203/
