Conventional wisdom says that a consumer electronic product from a “brand name” will be superior to that from a small company, So you wouldn’t expect better video or premium features to be found on Oppo Digital’s DV-981HD DVD player – which retails for $229 USD and is sold over the Internet. But as we’ll see, (with a few noticeable exceptions as to design and menu navigation) when it comes to performance the DV-981HD is right there at the top.
Features and Design
The DV-981HD is svelte and has on the front the expected Power and Eject buttons, along with Play/Pause and Stop. So using the Remote is really a necessity, and even though there are tiny buttons, they at least follow a conventional format and can be seen in a poorly lit room, since they glow-in-the-dark. The front panel LCD display is fair in size and readable from a respectable range, and the Eject button glows blue which looks cool while in use.
The disc tray is made of a bendable plastic which “gives” when you touch it – that’s good because you can’t remove the disc from the top as is the case with most players, and instead must poke it up from below. It’s a bit inconvenient for those with big hands and can also lead to smudging the disc’s playing surface until you get the hang of it. Overall, the look of the DV-981HD is attractive, yet unrefined compared to some of Japan’s finest.
