14 DAY TRIAL // While the battle between the next-generation optical disc formats (HD DVD and Blu-ray) and compatible players rages on, it would seem that there are still quite a few companies out there that have decided to stick with the "oldie but goldie" DVD format and continue to launch last-gen players, albeit pimping them up as much as possible. And the latest such product to hit the market is the DV-980H model launched by Oppo Digital, which, according to the company, is the world's first device of this type to offer both 7.1-channel audio output and 1080p video up-conversion.
As you've probably figured out already, this thing has two main selling points. Thus, first there's the 7.1-channel audio output with Dolby Digital Surround EX, which enhances the entertainment experience, while the up-conversion technology allows standard DVDs to look their best on high definition TVs with 1080p "Full HD" clarity. However, for the user to be able to fully enjoy these features, the player required some pretty advanced outputs and thus Oppo threw in an HDMI 1.2a output.
And speaking of outputs, it's worth mentioning the fact that the DV-980H offers multiple high definition output formats, including 1080p/1080i/720p/480p/480i. Moreover, it features PCM and DSD multi-channel high resolution audio, as well as an USB 2.0 port, high resolution photo slide show capability and DivX playback function. And in order to have at least a fighting change against next-gen players, the device is compatible with a wide range of discs, including DVD-Audio/Video, SACD, DivX, WMV9, WMA, Kodak Picture CD, as well as many other formats.
Quite obviously, the manufacturers' marketing strategy is closely related to the next-generation format war, as this product targets especially those users who haven't decided on which side to take. "OPPO is known for making quality DVD players that everyone can afford and enjoy, and we've done it again with the DV-980H," said Jason Liao, vice-president of product development at OPPO Digital. "Users can put their worry about the HD-DVD/Blu-Ray battle behind. Instead, they can appreciate their music and DVD collections at a whole new level with an OPPO player."
The DV-980H from Oppo Digital is immediately available on the company's online shop, as well as at various authorized retailers, for around 169 US dollars, which is quite an OK price to pay for such a device, if you haven't decided to go for a next-gen player, that is.
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