Should the Oppo 983 Upscale Better Than My Panny '10A?

[ClinicaTerra]

I'm on the waiting list for the 983 to come back in stock on Oppo's site; should this deck upscale DVDs to 1080p better than the chip in my Panasonic '10A Blu-ray player?

 

[j_garcia]

Yes, I believe it will, however your display size and type will be a factor also. I asked them how much better the 983 is than the 981 or 980 and the guy said on displays smaller than about 50", it isn't going to be a dramatic difference. In other words, unless you have a large projection system, I'd either go with one of the lower models or just use the Panny for everything.

 

[jostenmeat]

Agreed. I will heartily believe the Oppo will be superior than the Panny for DVD playback, hands down. However, the difference between a top-notch upscaling DVD player, and a mediocre upscaling dvd player will be much smaller than any of those two and a blu-ray player, IMO. I've compared the dvd playback of an entry Denon and the BD-30. The Denon was better, but it was subtle enough for me that it wouldn't be a big deal because I almost only watch in hi-def anyways. Personal balancing of habits and budget, per usual.

If you have a formidable DVD collection, of course it makes more sense to spend on a top notch DVD player. (Or upscaling receiver). Me? I have easily more hi-def discs than regular DVD's. GL.

 

[ClinicaTerra]

Thanks for your thoughts, guys...

My DVD collection is MASSIVELY larger than my high def collection so I do need a good upscaling source deck -- I am running a 50" Sony SXRD rear projection display and sit pretty close to it...shouldn't this warrant a good performing DVD player?

 

[Jey Jockey]

If you have the coin, from all reports including the first ever 100% score from secrets of HT, it would be a great investment, plus it does a great job at audio playback.

 

[Pyrrho]

Yes, I believe it will, however your display size and type will be a factor also. I asked them how much better the 983 is than the 981 or 980 and the guy said on displays smaller than about 50", it isn't going to be a dramatic difference. In other words, unless you have a large projection system, I'd either go with one of the lower models or just use the Panny for everything.

I think it is silly that so many judge this kind of thing by screen size alone. It depends equally on how close you sit to the TV. Being about 8' from a 42" set will be like being about 10' from a 50" set or 12' from a 60" set. That is, if all else is equal, you will be able to see about the same level of detail in all three of the combinations listed in the previous sentence. See:


http://s3.carltonbale.com/resolution_chart.html

And the full article:

http://www.carltonbale.com/2006/11/1080p-does-matter/

Or the same information in a somewhat easier to read chart:

http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/assets/download/0602_tech_talk2_large.jpg

(If you look at the charts, you will see that the screen and distance combinations I have listed are approximately at the points at which, if you have 20/20 vision, you will be getting the most out of a 720p picture, and could not tell the difference between 720p and 1080p.)

It is not simply a question of size of the TV at all. What they should say is that it depends on BOTH the size of the screen and how close you sit to it.

You might also want to read the new review of the new Oppo:

http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/transports/dvd-players/oppo-dv-983h

 

[j_garcia]

I think it is silly that so many judge this kind of thing by screen size alone. It depends equally on how close you sit to the TV. Being about 8' from a 42" set will be like being about 10' from a 50" set or 12' from a 60" set. That is, if all else is equal, you will be able to see about the same level of detail in all three of the combinations listed in the previous sentence.

The info came directly from a person who works there and is obviously intimately familiar with the products they offer. I would figure they have tested this and he knows what he is talking about, though it is a bit of a generalization. He and I both said there won't be a DRAMATIC difference until you move to a larger screen size, also taking into account that most people likely don't sit at an optimal distance. That also does not take into account the capabilities of the display either; one could take one average display and one high quality one and get very different results with the same size screen.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I've owned the Panasonic DMP-BD10A. I've watched plenty of SD DVDs on it. They looked great. I never compared the Denon 5910 vs DMP-10 side by side, but the DMP-10's PQ is excellent IMO.

Okay, on paper the Oppo might have better numbers. The HQV score for the flagship Oppo is 105. The HQV score for the Denon 5910CI is a PERFECT score of 130. The PS3's HQV score is 100. Even if the HQV score for the DMP-10 were 90, I doubt that we could actually tell much of a difference, especially if we sit 12 - 15' away from the screen.

You guys think the PS3 has better HQV score than the DMP-10?

 

[j_garcia]

My 980 and my PS3 look pretty close in terms of upscaling. The PS3 seems to have a bit better color, however hte 980 looks smoother with film based material than either the PS3 or the A2. The differences between each is minimal to my eyes though.

 

[allargon]

I've owned the Panasonic DMP-BD10A. I've watched plenty of SD DVDs on it. They looked great. I never compared the Denon 5910 vs DMP-10 side by side, but the DMP-10's PQ is excellent IMO.

How big is your display? You're only the 3rd person I've read say the DMP-BD10A is a good upscaler. The other two had displays less than 52".