Oppo UDP-203

A film’s soundtrack is just as important as its visuals or its story. In fact, the two intertwine to give you the full cinematic experience – watch a horror film on mute and it won’t be nearly as scary.

Similarly, a disc-spinners’ prowess with sound is just as important as its dazzling 4K picture. It doesn’t matter if you’re playing a Dolby Atmos soundtrack or a standard 5.1, either, because the Oppo does exactly the same thing with sound as it does with its picture: give us more of everything.

Texture and bite

That’s not to say the Panasonic isn’t a fine-sounding device. On its own, you’d never describe the DMP UB900’S sound as lacking. It’s rich and weighty, the dynamics are entertaining, and you can track the clear, articulate sound effects around the room. But listen to the UDP 203 and you’ll hear the soundfield open up: the scale of sound, the dynamics and the nuanced detail surpass that of the Panasonic.

The soundtrack to Star Trek Beyond is a grand, dynamic affair through the Oppo. There’s a rousing sense of build-up as Michael Giacchino’s score blares through our reference PMC Twenty23 7.1 speakers, with the Oppo handling the orchestral dips and soars with plenty of grip and precision.

Detail is crisper and punchier through the Oppo, too. There’s a real solid smack when aliens thud against glass windows, for instance, while voices go that bit deeper, sounding more natural and expressive than via the Panasonic.

While the Panasonic is no slouch, Oppo’s snappy sense of rhythm serves stereo music better. Play The White Stripes’ Seven Nation Army on CD and the distorted guitars have texture and bite, the vocals shine through with attitude, and that defiant tone and tight rhythm pack a punch.

Standard blueprint

We’re not expecting a revolutionary design when it comes to this next generation of disc-spinners. The standard blueprint of black, rectangular and metal and/or plastic is a formula that has worked across various technologies. As long as they’re built well and work smoothly, we’re happy.

That’s the case with the Panasonic and Oppo players, although we’re pleased to say they look rather smart, too. Disc players don’t need to stand out like speakers or turntables – they’re designed to melt into your home-cinema room. And the clean, minimal design of these players does just that.

They’re an understated symphony of brushed aluminium and black plastic, all assembled in a rigid chassis with clear displays. The UDP 203’s robust build feels reassuringly solid and hefty – more so than the lighter DMP UB900.

While the Oppo features a handful of control buttons on its front panel, the Panasonic favours touch-sensitive buttons to power up and invoke the disc tray. Discs load swiftly and are fairly quiet in operation. The speed is on par with regular Blu-rays, and the buttons are responsive, too.

A step too far

Backlit remotes are supplied, although we have to single out the Oppo for special praise here. The backlighting on the Oppo’s remote is motion-triggered, which makes it convenient to use in a darkened cinema room. It’s a genuinely useful feature that we wish more manufacturers would implement.

You have to press a button on the Panasonic’s remote to activate the backlight. Though fairly standard practice, it feels a step too many after using the Oppo. That niggle aside, both remotes are intuitive to use with the players’ menus and playback functions.

If you’re after a really well-specified disc-spinner, then you’re in luck as both these players have a generous mix of features to keep both AV and audiophile fans happy. The Panasonic UB90’S features list is long enough, but the Oppo 203 can more accurately be called a universal player – it’s compatible with a broader variety of disc and file formats.

Backwards support

The basics are there: both players adhere to the 4K and HDR standards set by the UHD Alliance, from the larger BT.2020 colour space and 10-bit colour depth, to supporting HDR10 (found on all current 4K discs) and a brightness range of between 1000 to 10,000 nits.

Long story short: they will play your new 4K Blu-ray discs accurately, and relate all the information intact to your compatible 4K HDR TV or projector.

”The Oppo has control buttons on its front panel; Panasonic favours touch-sensitive ones”