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My email with Oppo re: BDP-83SE as usb/PC dac

What follows is my email exchange with Oppo regarding music from a PC. As I understand in, in addition to the deficiencies discussed, it won't even recognize a NTFS file system, which has been standard for Windows since XP.

Maybe we all need to convince Oppo to add the proper support so it can be a USB dac?
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Hi -

Just a quick note to say that I'm disappointed that this player (BDP-83SE) cannot be used to play music files directly from a PC. I'm considering this unit as the perfect all-in-one solution, but the lack of computer hard drive support is a huge factor. I don't want to have to get a separate USB DAC.

Scott
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Scott,

The player supports DLNA streaming as of the 48-1224 Firmware (http://oppodigital.com/blu-ray-bdp-83/bdp-83-firmware-48-1224.aspx).

Once installed, you can use a DLNA client such as PS3 Media Server, TVersity, or Windows Media Player to send MP3 and WMA files to the BDP-83 through the network.

Best Regards,

Customer Service
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Thanks for the quick response! Which lossless formats will it support?
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Unfortunately, at this time we do not support any lossless audio formats. We only support lossy MP3 and WMA.
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Ah, and therein is the issue. Are there plans to do so?
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We are looking into support APE, FLAC, and other formats, but we do not know when, or if, this will occur as a firmware release.
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Add the codecs and good computer hard drive support via usb. Spiff up the software for computer support. Call it the "media center" edition or something, and charge another $150.

Oppo BDP-83SE MC?

Audiophiles love your player, and it would fly off the shelves (even more than it is now). People wouldn't have to buy a separate usb dac. As far as I can see, lack of lossless media support via usb hard drive is the only drawback.
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Any additional features for the player should be a free addon, and not as a paid for service. Unless, of course, such an additional feature needs new hardware due to inherent deficiencies of the current design.

XXX
seditious3
seditious3 OP
184 posts
 
Grisham, I would think (I may be wrong) that adding usb or firewire computer support for lossless audio would be among the easiest things to do. And many of the codecs are free. It even has the usb jack.

"Plenty of disappointment" may be an overstatement by Ejlif, but I'm surprised that it's not included, since this is a machine directed at audio/videophiles.
unsound
7,329 posts
 
Maybe Oppo's next piece will have this ability, along with balanced out-puts, video streaming, HDMI 1.4 and 3D. My preference would be for a dedicated transport.
cheinonen
4 posts
 
The issue when it comes to FLAC and other Codec support is in the Mediatek chipset. Mediatek has provided code for MP3 and WMA support, along with various other Codecs for video and audio support, but they have not provided it for FLAC, Apple Lossless, or anything of that nature. Oppo is dependant on Mediatek to write some of that code, so if Oppo could add that to their player, they would.

I have the Oppo and while I have used it to stream videos from my NAS (TV episode DVD's ripped to x.264 with AC3 audio in an MKV container, and they're perfect), I find that audio is harder to navigate with an on-screen remote and no keyboard. If Oppo was going to allow an input on their future Blu-ray players, I'd prefer coaxial or optical so I could use a Squeezebox, or Sonos, or other audio device that has a better interface.
cgw
29 posts
 
I was disappointed with the following Oppo emails. I wish I could convince them to add a digital input so I could use the Oppo as a 2 channel DAC.

To Oppo:

I just read on a forum that OPPO was looking at adding a digital input onto the BDP-83SE.

I would love to see a digital input added to the unit! Is this something that is actually being considered? I am currently using my Cary 306/200 as a DAC on my main system and would love if the OPPO could do this!

Reply from Oppo:

We will never make a product which has external audio or video inputs. The type of programming required to make such a product work well is far to intensive for our current capabilities.

My reply to Oppo:

I was asking about a digital input? (The data would just be feed into the ESS DACs - very small circuit change.)

Reply from Oppo:

There will be no changes to the hardware to allow for digital audio input.
seditious3 OP
184 posts
 
Well, looks like a separate firewire DAC at some point.
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