OPPO Digital’s DV-970HD Universal DVD Player with HD Up-Conversion

OPPO Digital’s DV-970HD universal DVD player with HDMI 1.1 output and high definition up-conversion is an excellent marriage of value and technology. At the time of this review the 970HD was priced at $149, which is toward the bottom of the up-conversion market for DVD players. But, don’t let the price fool you. This is an upscale component that everyone (except maybe some home theater snobs holding out for true HD-DVD) would be happy to own.

When you buy the 970HD, you get the following:

• 1 - HDMI cable with ferrite core and gold-plated HDMI connectors
• 1 - Remote control with "glow in the dark" keypad
• 2 – AAA batteries for remote control
• 1 - Stereo audio cable
• 1 - Composite video cable
• 1 – Power cable
• 1 – User manual and warranty information

Compatible Formats

• DVD-Video
• DVD-Audio
• Super Audio CD (SACD)
• DivX® - all versions
• Xvid
• Audio CD
• HDCD
• Kodak Picture CD
• CD-R/RW, DVD±R/RW, DVD+R DL

Connections

• 1 - HDMI - High Definition Multimedia Interface
• 1 - Component Video (YPbPr/YCbCr)
• 1 - Analog Stereo Audio
• 1 - Analog 5.1 Channel Audio
• 1 - Coaxial Digital Audio
• 1 - Optical Digital Audio
• 1 - Composite Video
• 1 - S-Video

The 970HD weighs 4.85 lbs. It is 16-1/2 x 10 x 1-5/8 inches (420mm x 255mm x 41mm).

The 970HD’s remote control is consistent with most remotes for DVD players; it has a lot of buttons. The button terminology and layout isn’t complicated. It is important to note that the remote is the central communication point for all functions considering the main console only features play, stop, open and power.

The remote doesn’t have a built-in light, but the buttons do glow in the dark. When operating in low-light situations letters on the remote are difficult to read so you would want to memorize the symbol for buttons you use. Watching in the dark, of course, is not the recommended way to watch television.

Buying Opinion: The remote is well-designed. I have seen better and worse. It impacts my purchase of the 970HD in a positive manner.

The User Manual

The user manual is well designed and easy to read. The text is large. The table of contents is organized. I could do any function with the remote by reading the reader’s manual.

Buying Opinion: I am a hypocrite when it comes to user’s manuals. I rarely read them when I buy a product but I do when reviewing a product. In the case of the 970HD, the user’s manual meets my expectations. This impacts my purchase of the 970HD in a positive manner.

The 970HD is an improvement on OPPO Digital’s 971H model that I reviewed last year. Two specific items that improved were the speed at which the DVD tray responded to the open/close command and how quickly movies played and skipped from scene to scene. The front panel has a nice LED screen that shows various items like if the disc is loading, the chapter its on and how far into the disc the movie is.

The 970HD is compatible with any type of television. It connects to a television by way of composite, S-Video, component or HDMI. Though, HDMI is the only option for high definition up-conversion. One nice feature is that you can cycle through the type of resolution displayed when watching on a HDTV through HDMI (this is only an option if the display allows it).

The 970HD is progressive scan through the YPbPr component output. It also supports 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios. There are four aspect ratio settings on the menu system that allow you to tailor playback specific to the type of screen you have. The menu system also allows you to adjust brightness, contrast, gamma, hue, saturation and sharpness. The zoom function enlarges and shrinks images in a variety of different sizes.

The 970HD is capable of interacting with a PC or multimedia card. The front panel has a USB port. This is a great tool for those wanting an added output for pictures, videos and music. It also has a 4-in-1 flash memory card reader that is compatible with Memory Stick, Secure Digital, Multi-Media Card, and SmartMedia.