Oppo’s first Blu-ray 3D player is worth buying just for its 2D capability.

The BDP-93 is priced higher than most of the competition but picture purists won’t begrudge the $1350 price tag given the calibre of the extras – even if the appreciating dollar is making it harder to justify.

However, the premium’s partly due to one of the BDP-93’s most desirable features: it’s been hardware modified by NZ distributor RapalloAV so it can play back Blu-rays and DVDs from anywhere in the world, regardless of their regional coding.

This gives it a big advantage over the US model, although if you’re in the US you can use the BDP-93 for video streaming whereas here you have to be satisfied with merely its second-generation Qdeo video processing, dual HDMI outputs, wireless networking, universal audio, AVCHD and multi-media playback, 7.1/5.1/stereo analogue outputs (as well as optical and coaxial outs), eSATA and USB 2.0 ports (two)  … D’oh!!!

Everything about the BDP-93 exudes class. Even the polished packaging more befits Apple than a consumer electronics product while the substantial user manual puts Apple’s miniscule documentation to shame.

Lift the BDP-93 from the box and you’re immediately struck by its muscular heft and refined appearance.

I didn’t think a Blu-ray player could look more alluring than the 93’s predecessor, the BDP-83, but its successor is as eye-catching as its features are cutting edge.

Oppo even has managed to make its front panel more functional — and without compromising the fascia’s clean, uncluttered lines — by adding a USB port (the 83 has only one USB port, on the rear of the player that’s hard to access if rack mounted). (See comment below.)

Build quality is excellent while the solid backlit remote control is from the same mould as the 83’s, combining comprehensive functionality with a sensible configuration that makes it easy and intuitive to use.

All the most important features can be accessed with their own keys, from zoom to aspect ratio to output resolution, without having to access a multi-layered, on-screen menu.

Fire up the 93 and if the only Blu-ray 3D playback you’ve experienced is on a PlayStation 3, immediately you’ll appreciate its virtually silent operation.

Discs are quick to load and the multi-zone playback worked without a hitch. 3D playback, on Panasonic’s 50-inch VT20Z plasma, was just dazzling.

The Oppo flawlessly played Blu-ray 3Ds of Monster House, Piranha, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, The Official 2010 FIFA World Cup Film, Clash of the Titans and Panasonic’s Avatar, but failed to recognise Jean-Michael Cousteau’s ocean trilogy was in 3D.

However, it’s not unusual for Blu-ray authoring to outdate Blu-ray player specifications and a firmware update is all that’s required for discs to play nicely.

It’s not only 3D playback that distinguishes the 93 from the 83: it also has different video processing — Qdeo instead of Anchor Bay — and two HDMI outs: one is for optimal Qdeo performance, using the dedicated DE2750 processor, the other for Oppo’s own processing.

Picture adjustment options are plentiful but, in my experience, should be used judiciously as it’s easy to introduce side effects that are just as unwanted as the problems you’re trying to eliminate.

The tweaking is more versatile than the 83’s Anchor Bay processor and can be customised for three different modes, which should be enough to handle the variability of DVD transfers.

The Qdeo certainly breathed new vigour into the 1972 western, The Culpepper Cattle Co, enriching it with a vividness and clarity that was breathtaking for unrestored, 40-year-old footage that wasn’t flash to start with.

But while this gave the 93 an edge over the 83’s processing, the trade-off was fleeting yet still distracting new image niggles.

With that in mind, Oppo’s 83 successor doesn’t offer enough new features or noticeably better performance to warrant upgrading.

But if you’ve yet to buy a Blu-ray player or want 3D capability, for under $1500 the BDP-93 is as close as you’ll get to one that scores nigh on 100%.

• For more in-depth appraisals, see: Home Theater Review, Soundstage, Home Theater, AVS Forum and Audio Video Revolution.

Samsung HT-D6750W

Samsung’s 2011 home entertainment HD systems will combine Blu-ray 3D playback with wireless Smart Hub streaming.

Only the top-of-the-range HT-D6750W will have 7.1 audio but the three 5.1 systems – HT-D7500W, HT-D550W and HT-D5530 – will offer virtual 7.1.

All will have “3D Depth Sound”, for generating sounds that move with the 3D picture, and Crystal Amplifier Plus technology that Samsung says will accurately reproduce sound and protect the listener and the equipment from potentially harmful volume peaks and signal distortion.

The systems will play a wide range of disc media and audio formats (Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio); support Full HD 3D and 2D-3D conversion; and have Auto Sound Calibration (ASC), two HDMI inputs, built-in memory (1GB) and Wi-Fi, and an Apple-certified iPod/iPhone dock.

The HT-D6750W also will have:

• Samsung’s Advanced Vertical Surround Sound, which recreates “height” in surround sound for fuller, multi-dimensional audio;
• 1,330W total RMS power output;
• four tall-boy speakers and two swivel speakers;
• front speakers with unique directional front effects speaker cones.

Samsung HT-D7500W

Samsung claims the system’s super tweeter unit and wideband amplifier technology will deliver “outstanding detail and clarity at high frequencies beyond 50 kHz” while its passive radiator subwoofer will reduce bass excursion distortion.

When combined, these technologies are meant to provide natural sound in stereo, 2D or 3D.

The HT-D7500W is an 800W satellite system that, like the HT-D6750, will have wireless rear speakers; the two other 1000W systems will be wireless-ready.

Pricing and shipping dates have still to be finalised.

KDL-55NX810

The last of the consumer electronics giants to start selling 3D TVs in NZ, Sony, has just started shipping to retailers three LED models with varying 3D capabilities.

They range in price from $4000 for a 40-inch display to $10,000 for a 60-inch, and each TV is being bundled with two pairs of 3D active glasses, the choice of a 3D Blu-ray player or Cyber-shot camera, two 3D Blu-ray movies (Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, IMAX: Deep Sea 3D), and a PlayStation Network download code for the PS3 3D game collection (Motorstorm Pacific Rift, Pain, SuperStardust HD, Wipeout HD).

While Sony may be well behind Samsung, Panasonic and LG in delivering 3D TVs to the market, the company’s confident it can better support its product with 3D content, such as that accessible through its motion picture arm, Sony Pictures, and its PS3 games.

Indeed, Sony says only it can provide a full “lens to lounge room” 3D experience from content capture and creation, such as films and games, to device delivery.

Last month a PS3 download enabled playback of movies in 3D, making it the only console on the market to deliver true-HD 3D.

Sony Computer Entertainment recently announced that some of the company’s biggest games titles will be available this year in stereoscopic 3D, including Gran Turismo 5.

Watch also for 3D versions of KillZone3, Crysis 2, Mortal Kombat, Shaun White Skateboarding, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Future Soldier, and Tron: Evolution The Game.

“With PlayStation 3 consoles now offering 3D Blu-ray movie playback as well as stereoscopic 3D game capability, and even more 3D entertainment content in the pipeline, attached to a Bravia 3D TV, we can provide Kiwis with the most comprehensive 3D viewing experience possible,” Sony Computer Entertainment NZ’s sales and marketing director David Hine says.

While many are still sceptical of 3D TV’s prospects beyond early adopters, Sony appears more confident of its success now than a few months ago.

Initially, Sony NZ was going to bring in only its top-of-the-line 3D series, the LX900, which is limited to 52-inch ($7,500) and 60-inch displays ($10,000).

But it’s also decided to offer two 3D-ready series: the NX710 (40-inch, $4000; 46-inch, $4,500), and the NX810 (55-inch, $7,500; 60-inch, $10,000).

To see 3D content on these models, you’ll need an optional transmitter, which Sony initially will bundle with them.

All of the new models have Dynamic Edge LED backlighting, BRAVIA Internet Video and Motionflow 100Hz PRO (NX710) or Motionflow 200Hz PRO (NX810 & LX900).

They all sport Sony’s snazzy “Monolithic Design”, and the NX710 and NX810 also have an optional designer stand with a 2.1 sound system mounted in the base.

KDL-46NX710

Two of Sony’s 2010 Blu-ray players will be 3D-capable.

The BDP-S570 (left) and BDP-S770 will play 3D Blu-ray movies on 3D-enabled TVs, using specialist Active Shutter glasses, while the third new model, the BDP-S370, is being pitched as a multimedia hub that will play formats from a variety of sources, including Bravia Internet Video.

Sony’s press release says all three will be able to access “a whole world of free, on-demand videos to explore from IPTV channels and video sharing websites such as YouTube, Dailymotion and many more …  and stream full-screen content direct to your TV.”

The Wi-Fi capable S570 and S770 will connect to the Internet without cables while an optional Sony USB Wi-Fi dongle will do the same for the S370.

Sony claims its “IP content Noise Reduction” feature will optimise picture quality when streaming full-screen Internet video, its “Entertainment Database Browser” will be powered by Gracenote technology, and a free download from the App Store will turn iPhones and iPod Touches into Sony Blu-ray remote controls.

The S570 will be DLNA-enabled with a front USB port so it can ‘talk’ to other DLNA enabled devices, such as a phone, laptop or music player, and play back stored content on your TV wherever it is in the house.

An external hard drive or USB device also can be plugged into the front USB port to enjoy a wider range of file types, including DivX HD and MKV formats.

Sony’s new Blu-ray players also will boast a Monolithic design to complement that of the 2010 Bravia TV range; pricing and release dates of the 3D-capable models have still to be announced while the S370 will go on sale from May 1.

Sony’s range of 3D-capable home theatre-in-a-box systems will be released here ahead of its 3D TVs (which will be demonstrated

The Bravia Theatre Systems will go on sale in May, for prices that have still to be disclosed.

Of the five new models, three will offer 3D Blu-ray playback, Bravia Internet Video, DLNA, HD audio decoding and S-Air wireless connectivity.

But each Blu-ray model, from the 850W BDV-E370 to the 1000W BDV-E870 and BDV-E970W, will be compatible with 3D Blu-ray discs only when a firmware upgrade is offered for downloading later this year.

The online Bravia Internet Video content will include what Sony calls “exclusive IPTV channels and video websites”, including YouTube. But it’s not clear if in this market, where IPTV has been limited by data caps, broadband speed and licensing issues, the service will extend beyond what Sony’s PR machine calls “a range of entertaining and informative video clips”.

Meanwhile, the plug-and-play S-Air speaker system will be an optional extra with the BDV-E370 and BDV-E870 but standard with BDV-E970W, simplifying rear speaker setup with wireless connections.

There also will be two new DVD Theatre Systems that can upscale DVD movies to near-HD quality: the DAVTZ210 (above), which will offer 600W RMS power output through five satellite speakers; and the DAVDZ610 (below), with 1000W RMS power output and two tallboy speakers.

Oppo’s success in the burgeoning Blu-ray market is reflected in it launching two more HD models to complement the BDP-83.

Both the high-end BDP-83SE (above) and the entry-level BDP-80 (below) go on sale this month in NZ; the latter has just landed, for $799, and the former’s due next week, for $2135, compared to $1350 for the BDP-83.

Oppo’s NZ distributor, online retailer Murray Thompson, of RapalloAV, expects the BDP-80’s sales in particular to be “phenomenal” based on the popularity of the BDP-83.

“The sales of the BDP-83 are way beyond ever what I thought were possible in New Zealand,” he told ScreenScribe.tv. “Sales have way out-numbered any of the previous Oppo DVD players.

“Many customers have returned to buy a second player for the bedroom after falling in love with it.

“We have sold sometimes up to six at a time to some installers and I’ve been told they have even set them upon a number of super yachts.”

The BDP-83 has notched up enough four- and five-star reviews to make it the red-hot Blu-ray darling of the media. And not just with reviewers (including this one) – elite manufacturer Lexicon recently was embarrassed by coverage of it rebadging the BDP-83 and selling it for a massive mark-up.

While the BDP-83 is more competitively priced in the US, here it boasts the bonus of being hardware modified by the distributor so it can play Blu-rays and DVDs from anywhere in the world.

The new players also will be hardware modified but the BDP-80 lacks the ABT2010 upscaling chip that makes the BDP-83 such a pleasure to use with DVDs. Also missing is 24Hz upconversion of DVDs, remote control backlighting, and an RS-232 port.

While the BDP-80 retains 7.1 analogue outputs, for buyers with older, HD-compatible a/v receivers without HDMI connections, not so the BDP-83’s dedicated stereo analogue outputs.

Meanwhile, the BDP-83SE is a special edition of the original that will appeal to audiophiles because of its new audio analogue stage and improved power supply.

To compare the differences in more depth, see Audioholics’ First Looks on the BDP-80 and the BDP-83SE, or visit Oppo Digital and RapalloAV .

Panasonic NZ expects to be selling two Full-HD 3D-capable Viera plasma TVs here by July/August.

TV and Blu-ray products manager Grant Shaw told ScreenScribe.tv initially two sizes will be offered: 50 inches and 65 inches.

Pricing hasn’t been disclosed but the premium they’ll command won’t be as steep as that of Panasonic’s wireless Z1 plasma ($10,000) over the company’s comparable wired models in the V series (the 50-inch costs $4000 and the 58-inch, $8000).

Shaw isn’t bothered by statements from Sky TV boss John Fellet that he has “no friggin’ idea” when the satcaster will broadcast in 3D here, even though Britain’s BSkyB will offer a 3D channel from April and Australia’s Foxtel plans one for next year.

Instead, he argues consumers will be buying an exceptional 2D display that has 3D as a feature.

They will be among the first Panasonic sets to benefit from the input of the engineers who made Kuro plasma TVs hands-down the best in the world until Pioneer quit their production.

Moreover, to deliver 3D images, Panasonic’s had to develop new, faster screen phosphors. Coupled with their 600Hz sub-field drive, the new displays output alternating imagery at 60 frames a second to each eye. The brain then combines the images and interprets them as 3D.

“Our factories have worked very hard at improving plasma technology,” Shaw says. “So even if you don’t run 3D [content], they’re still superb 2D sets.”

He acknowledges broadcast content will be scarce and that initially the only Full-HD 3D product will be on Blu-ray movies.

Panasonic will launch its first 3D Blu-ray player at the same time as the Viera TVs. Walt Disney has announced its first slate of 3D Blu-ray movies and you can bet the blockbuster that’s driven excitement about 3D at home, Avatar, won’t be far behind.

Both the 3D player and plasma TV won Innovations Awards at the Consumer Electronics Show, and Panasonic will include a pair of its 3D shutter glasses with every TV it sells.

The Oppo BDP-83 may cost several hundred dollars more than premium models from Sony, Samsung or Panasonic. But such is its convenience, versatility and virtuosity that HD buffs won’t regret their $1350 investment.

True, you can buy a quality Blu-ray player for under $500 that provides comparable HD video but it will offer only a handful of the features that distinguish the BDP-83.

Arguably the most notable are its video processing prowess and it being hardware modified to play region- or zone-free Blu-rays and DVDs.

Rival Blu-ray players can be hacked by third parties to do likewise but usually this voids the manufacturer’s warranty whereas the BDP-83 can be bought officially modified, with guarantee intact, from its NZ distributor, RapalloAV.

As a result, it will play DVDs or Blu-rays from anywhere in the world, regardless of their regional coding.

DVDs play automatically while Blu-ray movies simply require switching the BDP-83 to a different zone via the remote control.

Blu-ray releases aren’t cursed with regional coding to the same extent as DVDs. Most studios don’t restrict their high-definition releases to one of three world zones — NZ is ‘B’ — but 20^th Century Fox and Walt Disney do while others have variable policies.

For instance, the first three seasons of TV’s Weeds on Blu-ray are region-free, which is a boon for Kiwi fans given Prime doesn’t air it in HD and only one season has been released here on Blu-ray.

But season four, which will be released here only on DVD in May,  is zoned A, as is season five (which has just gone on sale in the US but has yet to screen on Prime).

Not all movies are offered here on Blu-ray, either. Case in point: Sunshine Cleaning, NZ filmmaker Christine Jeffs’ first US feature. It came out on Blu-ray in the US but is zoned ‘A’ and can be bought or rented here only on DVD.

Then there are the niche movies, like The 400 Blows, Paris Texas, 8½ and Chunking Express, and TV series like Dexter and 24 that don’t air here in HD and so far have been released in NZ only on DVD.

While the number of regionally locked titles alone may not justify the BDP-83’s price tag, ownership does allow you to source competitively-priced Blu-ray movies confidently from the likes of Amazon, often ahead of their NZ release (odds-on Oscar favourite The Hurt Locker), without having to check to see if they’re region-free on sites like Blu-ray Region Code Info.

Authorised hardware modification isn’t the BDP-83’s only point of difference. It’s also a universal player, which means it will spin SACD and Audio-DVD discs, and boasts Anchor Bay processing that will upscale DVDs to a higher resolution than standard definition.

There’s still no mistaking them for HD transfers but my Region 1 DVD collection of classic sitcoms from the ‘60s and ‘70s – Green Acres, Mary Tyler Moore, Barney Miller, Taxi, The Bob Newhart Show – has never looked better. (The BDP-83 even will convert DVDs to the same 24p output as Blu-rays.)

As well as its superior, elegant construction and a comprehensive, intelligently-written manual, the BDP-83 comes in Apple-quality packaging, can be set up in snap with the help of an on-screen wizard, and will pipe HD audio to older a/v receivers with the analogue inputs to accept it.

The BDP-83 does have a couple of limitations: it’s BD-Live ready but can’t be connected wirelessly to the Internet; and it can’t fast-forward or rewind quicker than five times normal play.

But these are trifling criticisms given how fast it loads Blu-ray discs, its extensive picture calibration tools, its near-silent operation,  its masterful remote control and extras like automatic aspect ratio control.

The learning remote won’t win kudos for its looks but the design is textbook-perfect. It’s backlit, intuitive and places the most important functions, like zoom and resolution, within easy reach rather than deep with multi-step, on-screen menus.

The BDP-83 ships with a Spears & Munsil Blu-ray calibration disc that it sails through as well as a Blu-ray AIX audio calibration disc; it is also ScreenScribe.tv’s choice for reviewing Blu-ray releases and comparing the performance of other Blu-ray players.