Oppo Digital did not plan to show off its new Ultra HD Blu-ray player at CEDIA Expo 2016. Company representatives brought a couple prototypes to the show merely to test them with UHD projectors. But then people caught sight of the player, and word spread very quickly--which is a testament to just how anticipated this new product is.

We reached out to our Oppo representative, Jason Liao, to get the official details on the upcoming UDP-203. Here's what he told us:

"The UDP-203 is going to be our first Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc player. It will continue to be a universal player supporting DVD-Audio and SACD, just like our current generation of players. Comparing it to the BDP-103 that we currently have, the UDP-203 adds UHD 4K Blu-ray support. There will still be two HDMI output ports, with the main port being HDMI 2.0a with HDCP 2.2 for audio and video output, and an audio-only HDMI 1.4 port to connect to A/V receivers that do not support UHD or HDCP 2.2.

The player will support HDR and HDR-to-SDR conversion. There is an HDMI 2.0a input port on the back for connecting other video sources, such as a Roku Streaming Stick or Chromecast through the player. There are three USB 3.0 ports for media file playback, one on the front and two on the back. Network connections are Gigabit Ethernet and built-in 802.11ac Wi-Fi. We are also keeping the 7.1ch analog, coaxial and optical digital audio output, RS-232 for control, and adding trigger in/out for system integration.



The player will maintain our tradition of providing accurate and high-quality audio/video output from all sources. We are focusing our engineering resources on disc and file playback, so there will be no streaming apps like Netflix or TIDAL, at least when the player is initially released. Some customers may find this reducing the value of the product, and we understand that. Overall we still believe that the UDP-203 will be a great player for those looking for the best performance for their discs and media files.



The release date and price have not been set yet, but we are hoping to get it ready by end of the year and maintain the $499 price of the current BDP-103."

Additional Resources

� Oppo Digital Sonica Wi-Fi Speaker Reviewed at HomeTheaterReview.com.

� Check out the Blu-ray Players category page to read our reviews of the latest Ultra HD Blu-ray players.