Scott Wilkinson

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Sweepstakes
Oppo BDP-93 Disc Player Sweepstakes
Scott Wilkinson  |  Aug 01, 2011
We're giving away an Oppo BDP-93, valued at $499, which is widely considered to be among the finest disc players available today at any price. If you've been drooling over Oppo's new universal disc players—and let's face it, who among our readers hasn't?—here's your chance to snag one for free in our latest sweepstakes!

[This sweepstakes is now closed.]

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Ask S&V
Oppo BDP-95 Settings
Scott Wilkinson  |  Apr 25, 2011
I recently bought an Oppo BDP-95 Blu-ray player, and I already have a Pioneer PRO-110FD Kuro plasma TV. Which video setting should I use in the player, Auto or Source Direct? I've tried both, and the picture looks great either way. I've also tried 1080p, and that looked great as well, though I understand this is far from an ideal setting for 1080i sources. Is there anything I should be looking for to see which setting is better? I have a Denon AVR-4308CI receiver, but I set it to pass the video signal through without any processing.

I use the AVR's HDMI 1 input for movies, but I also hooked up the player's 5.1 analog outs to the receiver's Ext. In. This is for listening to music (CD, SACD, DVD-Audio). For Blu-ray music, should I use the analog out when the signal is PCM? Is the HDMI out better for the lossless forms of Dolby and DTS? As an aside, the player's manual hints that it is better to output SACDs from the analog outs as PCM rather than DSD. Is this because the player likely does a better job at decoding the DSD signals?

Stephen Beney

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Oppo BDP-95 with Arcam AVR350
Scott Wilkinson  |  Oct 24, 2011
Four years ago, I purchased a high-end Arcam AVR350 A/V receiver without a good understanding of the future. Now I want to take advantage of the new lossless audio formats offered on Blu-ray from my new Oppo BDP-95 player. I can connect the multichannel analog output of the Oppo to the Arcam's multichannel input, but I am concerned about bass management, equalization, and lip sync. Can an amateur do the adjustments recommended or is a professional needed? Also, I am questioning my recent decision to repair my AVR350, which had a power-supply issue (it cost $400 to repair). Should I have bitten the bullet and scrapped this $2700 clunker for a newer receiver? It's a hypothetical question because now I don't have the funds to buy both a high-end receiver and high-end Blu-ray player. Any thoughts?

Lisa Kaye

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Oppo, Task Lights, Best Connections
Scott Wilkinson  |  May 26, 2010
Oppo vs. Oppo
What is the difference between the Oppo BDP-83 and BDP-83SE? I have HDMI capabilities, so should I go with the 83, considering the price difference?
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The Big Picture
Optimization Consternation
Scott Wilkinson  |  Dec 11, 2008  |  Published: Dec 12, 2008

Steven Lassair asks a perennial question that all TV owners should heed:

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Optimize Your New TV
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jun 09, 2010
Out of the Box
For the average consumer who takes a new LCD TV out of the box, what is the best way to set it up for home use? What is the name of the DVD used for adjusting and fine tuning?
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CES 2011
Optoma 3D
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jan 11, 2010

In addition to all the 3D flat panels on the show floor, there were also a few 3D front-projection demos, including one from Optoma at the low end of the price spectrum. I've always been impressed with the quality and value of Optoma DLP projectors, but its 3D demo was very disappointing—it wasn't even 1080p! The projector was the 720p HD66, and the source was an HQFS (High Quality Field Sequential) DVD playing at 480i through a composite connection. There were jaggies galore, and the sense of depth was very unconvincing. A separate demo of 3D stills, from which this photo was taken, looked better, as I would expect with no motion.

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Projector Reviews
Optoma HD20 DLP Projector
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jul 29, 2011
Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
Price: $999 At A Glance: Excellent detail & color via HDMI • Poor blacks & shadow detail • No lens shift • Excellent user interface

In some respects, the Optoma HD20 is an exceptional value, providing a razor-sharp 1080p image for just about as little money as any projector I know of. It's overall detail and color are excellent via HDMI, and it offers extensive controls, surprisingly advanced features, and a well-organized user interface. However, the lack of lens shift makes placement difficult without invoking the keystone control that can degrade the detail a lot. And even if you solve that problem, the shadow detail is poor, which causes dark scenes have large areas of solid darkness rather than subtle low-level details. Finally, at the largest image size I could manage in our studio given the lack of lens shift, the black level was quite high, which means the black of space was dark gray and letterbox bars were obvious. For better performance in this critical area, a larger image is a must.

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Projector Reviews3D Projector Reviews
Optoma HD33 3D DLP Projector
Scott Wilkinson  |  Feb 07, 2012
2D Performance
3D Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
Price: $1,499 At A Glance: Among least expensive 3D projectors • Good detail and color • High black level in 2D, low brightness in 3D • No lens shift

Like it or not, 3D compatibility is becoming nearly ubiquitous in midrange to high-end flat panels and projectors. But what about those who are looking for an entry-level projector with 3D? Are they out of luck? Not according to Optoma, whose HD33 DLP projector sells for less than $1,500, making it one of the least expensive 1080p 3D projectors on the market.

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CES 2010
Optoma HD8200
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jan 11, 2009

I've always liked Optoma's 1080p DLP projectors, except for one thing—no lens shift, which makes placement difficult. I guess the company listened, because the new HD8200 takes lens shift one step beyond normal. Called PureShift, the Optoma shifts the entire light engine up to 20% left/right and 30% up/down, keeping the light path in the center of the lens. It'll be available only through custom installers for $5000 starting in February. The similar HD808 will be available at retail for $3500 in March; the 808 uses the DarkChip 2 DMD, whereas the 8200 uses the DC3 chip for greater contrast.

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