Has the Oppo carried the AV industry?


I looked through my last Widescreen Review magazine the other day (March issue), and I came accross the latest Oppo Bluray player review -didn't read it. In fact, I refuse to read yet another all-universe, all-everything, "the end-all-be-all", "greatest thing since sliced bread", "MUST HAVE", "there is none better", "will revolutionize your home theaters picture and sound quality, to world class levels" article, about the mythical Oppo player!!!..can't do it..WON'T DO IT! NO!!!
Over the last 13 years, I probably honestly read two (maybe three) entire Oppo Universal disc player reviews -start to finish -and other articles discussing Oppo mods and upgrades, articles/discussion that REFER to an Oppo player, as part of some reference system, and inevitably, I find that the Oppo reviews will JUST WON'T GO AWAY, APPARENTLY! They're like bunnies! They keep producing more of their kind, whether you want them to or not!
Lol -I'm just simply amazed by how much attention and press that a lowely disc player has obviously gotten over the years! Surely, owning an Oppo player must bee a system transforming experience! ..a "must have" item, no less. I must have missed out..cause I never owned one. In fact, never really cared to own one! I've been dazled by how good the quality of video processing has been in all the plain-Jane disc players, flat pannel display's, and even high end video projectors I've owned continue to supply me wiht! But, apparently, every one else bought the Oppo. Cause I surely, honesly, can't remember a year that's gone by in the past decade, where I don't rememer NOT reading somwhere about an Oppo player!
It's really felt, to me, like home entertainment AV products, and home theater in general, have been on a "demand" slide over the past decade! 7.1 and 1080p, Bluray, etc, have all been around long anough now, that it's kind of a "been there, had that" kind of feeling I get when I think about this hobby anymore. I guess life and priorities has weened me away from being a die-hard enthusiest now-a-days. And yet, I can't get the Oppo topic out of my thoughts, whenever I look at my gear!..and I don't think the hobby is going to let me forget much about it neither. lol!
Anyone else get the oppinion that this product surely has been single most important product in the AV industry, these past 10+ years?! Because it's certainly been the most talked about brand/topic I can remember reading about, if nothing else.
I really do think they'll be making Oppo's for the next 100 years, period! -even if they'll do 4k upscaling, 4k/8k future exact pixel mapping, wifi-HD streaming, toast your bread and make you breakfast, whatever! I'm thinking that these Oppo's just must have been so good, that no serious enthusiest, whatever-phile, or system owner should have ever considered "going without!"...otherwise, they missed out!?
Well anyway, anyone here who's used the Oppo think that the product has been a make-or-break, indespensible, product that really made all the differnence to the picture quality they achieved, or the sonic experience they got using these things? (I'm tickled pink by the digital AV processing advances I've gotten just upgrading processor and displays, year after year) I just want to somehow hear that I really missed out all these years, and the only important consideration I should have made was BUYING the Oppo! Cause at the very least, I'm not totaly convinced that Apple and Oppo aren't the same company, ..secretly.
100 more years of Oppo players?..servers?? -probably
avgoround
As I stated, I have failed to keep track on what the latest Oppo's offer, their evolutionary improvements vs past, whether they offer the BEST DAC's in the industry, or other high end parts which you would undoubtedly find in uber-high end essoteric players. I presume some of the better DAC's available today, all the latest Digital Codec's for movies, analog out's etc.
Question (as an audiophile, for a minute):
is the Oppo (current/best?) as good of a disc transport as what better, megabuck trasports offer? How's the ultimate dynamics? Is the background "BLACK quite", like on ultra-end tranny's? Rythem, dynamics, pace, even air? These are surely points of consideration that the extremely picky and discerning professional reviewers would surely touch on in a review, yes? So I ask seasoned audiophiles...does this thing simply throw in all the latest and greates, with a couple tweaks n mods? I assuming so, and I know they're are mods on these things, from the dialoge of reviewers and enduser readings. Cause I would have a hard time believing that the SACD quality of the Oppo would best an old SACD-1, or beat better dedicated transport/DAC (later offerings) combo's, in ultimate terms - CD/music DVD/SACD applications.
Movies? Like I said, I honestly think that more of the ultimate pic would be due to the technology of Bluray and outstanding scaling and video processing in these latest displays/projectors! I'm just saying. So, what? I'm thinking the Oppo is a superb performer, throughout, but not elite in any one area?..except perhaps video?
So, as opposed to paying $1000 for an ALL-IN-ONE, could I do even better results using $350 deal on a used trasport, $500 high performance dedicated DAC, and a $150 top Sony Bluplayer with SACD? How far better accross the board is my $1000 Oppo investment? See what I mean? Im not so convinced the Oppo would transform any efforts I put foreward to fill my system with the right parts, to do all the formats, is all I'm saying. But I'm sure the Oppo would make me happy enough, regardless - especially considering how my interest has wained over the years as a "phile" certainly.
Besides all that rhetoric, isn't all this stuff a moot point? Surely, ALL the discs are going away, yes? As far as I can tell - and read - digital media streaming and data storage is where it's at and going!? I already have Netflix, and only have 60 or so Bluray movies at present, and only occassionally listen to 2 channel music anymore, except in my car, of course.
So, do I really need an oppo? Probably not anymore.
Yes, in the near future I'll put back together a higher end multi/2ch system, doing double duties. Still, most all my music will likely be streaming variety.
Yeah, I prob don't NEED the Oppo..infact, Im sure of it.
I'm sure its great for everyone else though
Hey Tim-
Pace yourself or you're going to find yourself passed out face down in the swamp....again!
Wassa matta wi dat??? The good lord wooda neveh blessed us w' bourbon iffin' he didn't want us ta drink it! Y'all wanna see some drinkin' y'all betta come on up to mah Kin-tuck-ee Derby Party this weekend. Best mint juleps this side a the Mason-Dickson lahnn!

"A Speedo, My Rollerblades & Nothing Else: I make this look good"
Wassa matta wi dat???

You were so drunk, you started wetting your speedo.
Wassa matta wi dat??? 'S why Ah only gots black ones ;-)

remember, don't wear the same speedo on all 3 shows.
Wassa matta wi dat??? 'Member, ah only gots black ones!!! OK, OK, un-bunch dem panties; Ah'll rinse 'em out in da sink in that there green room. Y'all t'ink the make-up gal'll mind if Ah use the hairdryer on 'em??

We already have you booked with appearances on Leno, Letterman and the Today Show this fall for the book tour.
Yee-ha!!!Whadda ya say we start in the Big Apple and drink our way out to Calli-forn-ah-yea!!!!
Yer drunk bud
the Swampmeister
........So, as opposed to paying $1000 for an ALL-IN-ONE, could I do even better results using $350 deal on a used trasport, $500 high performance dedicated DAC, and a $150 top Sony Bluplayer with SACD? How far better accross the board is my $1000 Oppo investment? .....

A lot better. The Oppo is a factory direct, low margin / high volume business model. None of these invidual cheaper components can be ecomomically build with even remotely the quality of engineering or parts of a $1000 Oppo.
Having had the Oppo 103 (modded) for several months I'd opine there may be better players, just not players that are much better.