Jordan O'BrienOppo’s first 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player will be available to purchase in the UK this week (December 15, 2016), the company has confirmed. Dubbed the Oppo UDP-203 the Ultra HD 4K Blu-ray player should be available in a range of retailers this side of Christmas, although in the US the company has been limiting purchases to one per customer due to strong demand.
Boasting support for a whole range of physical media, including Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D, DVD, DVD Audio, Super Audio CD and CD; the Oppo UDP-203 is one of the most fully-featured 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray players currently on the market. What’s more, Oppo is promising a software update to bring Dolby Vision support to the player is coming in 2017. There currently aren’t any Blu-ray discs available in the format however, so there’s no rush for the update.
While the UDP-203 will be the first 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player from Oppo, it won’t be the last. The company already states that it’s working on a UDP-205 specifically designed for audiophiles – although won’t say when it expects to release the new model.
The retail price for the Oppo UDP-203 currently stands at £649.
While Oppo is best known for its smartphones abroad, here in the UK the company is better-known for its range of audio and video products. The latest addition to that line-up is the Oppo UDP-203 Ultra HD 4K Blu-ray player.
Offering support for 4K ultra-high definition visuals and HDR, the UDP-203 is the latest Blu-ray player offering support for the latest disc format.
At launch Oppo says that its latest player will support the standard HDR:10 format, although promises to have support for Dolby Vision in the near future, thanks to a firmware update.
In addition to HDR and 4K, Oppo’s UDP-203 Blu-ray player promises to put audio at the forefront of everything it does. That’s because the company has packed in a 32-bit DAC that supports formats such as 24-bit PCM, two-channel DSD256 and multi-channel DSD64/128. Lossless high resolution audio formats supported include AIFF, ALAC, APE, FLAV and WAV files.
It’s not just high resolution audio either – Oppo is also supporting immersive audio. The UDP-203 supports the Dolby Atmos and DTS:X 3D object-based audio formats, as well as the standard Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio.
While Oppo is keen to push the UDP-203’s high-quality audio and visuals, that’s not the only thing the company is touting. Custom installers will be pleased to learn about the company’s adoption of control standards – as the Blu-ray player can receive standard IR, RS-232, IR IN, third-party IP control and HDMI CEC commands.
Both USB and HDMI connectivity options are available, allowing users to connect from a number of sources, including satellite boxes, game consoles, computers and other Blu-Ray/UHD players.
Two USB 3.0 ports are featured at the rear of the player to increase the speeds of external media storage, in addition to a single USB 2.0 port at the front panel for easy installation and removal of external storage. Dual HDMI outputs are featured at the rear – a HDMI 2.0 port for video signal output (also supporting UHD output) and a HDMI 1.4 port for audio signal output. The UDP-203 is further complemented by a single HDMI 2.0 input – allowing users to connect to 4K content from external devices.
The UDP-203 is finished with a brushed aluminium front panel, steel cover and a metal chassis. Finishing touches include gold plated connectors – to provide a reliable connection and resistance against oxidation and corrosion. A custom-made 4K loader also features an optimised laser mechanism to ensure fast disc loading, optical media compatibility and strong error detection.
Oppo says that its UDP-203 Ultra HD 4K Blu-ray player will be available across Europe in November 2016.