"Best" multichannel universal player right now?

Pretty much. In this case best performance for what might be called "high end" at a price which is just at the point of rapidly diminishing returns if exceeded.

Of course, knee of the curve is a general term that refers to a break in a plotted function. In the case of a cost/value function, it's usually the point where cost rises faster than value, often much faster. I think the argument in these posts is that that knee is likely to be at a fairly low cost point.

db

There is only so much you can do with $500. Oppo did what they can to maximize the BDP-83's performance. They sell direct; that is why it is so inexpensive bypassing wholesale and retail.

Video quality is top notch. It makes my DVD (I mean good DVD)look closer to Blue Ray. The sound is decent, but not compared to top tier players. I haven't been and will not be able to compare everything out there, but for a HT system, the Oppo is awesome and good for occasional two-channel listening. For ultimate two-channel, I go to my reference system.