12 ms·

OPPO Digital will gradually stop manufacturing new products

72 points by smaili 9y ago

adamw2k 9y ago
Another sign of the times. I remember when Oppo's were one of the few (if not only) players to play burned CD's. There's just not enough of a "mid-market" enthusiast crowd left - someone that wants a hardware player, won't splurge on the big names, but willing to spend more than what a local retailer (or Best Buy?) has. Wonder what that says for mid-range speaker makers?
- S_A_P 9y ago
  Audio seems to be getting more personal now. Now that everyone can have just about every song ever, nobody wants a shared listening experience anymore. Half the reason to have a great stereo was because people couldnt afford tons of content to play, so having a nice room filling stereo meant others could hear and enjoy it too. I have fond memories of my uncles listening room. He was a tube amp hi-fi junky and every visit included at least an hour of deep listening sessions.
  - B1FF_PSUVM 9y ago
    > because people couldnt afford tons of content to play You'd save for a while to buy a vinyl LP, choose it carefully (besides radio play, you could also ask to play it for a bit at the store), take it home and listen to it a score of times in a row, perhaps in company. Then lend it to the friend(s) who also loaned you their LPs. Eventually the LP would come to its place of honour on a shelf with a couple dozen others, to be played when the mood struck. [/Flintstone ;-]
- ebiester 9y ago
  In headphones? Mid-market is truly emerging. Beats has introduced people into spending more than 50 dollars on a headphone and companies such as Audeze, Sennheiser, Beyer-Dynamic and others are really expanding. The high end is also expanding but headphones are becoming a geekdom. Just as an example. I guess senn and Beyer are considered big names at this point but in the scheme of things, Senn has 2000 employees and Beyer has around 300. They have a series of headphone enthusiast conferences called CanJam. I put mid-market as under 500 but others would put it under 1000, where the most interesting headphones are emerging.
- creeble 9y ago
  Passive speakers are becoming more and more of a niche (compared to various categories of powered speakers, mainly Bluetooth [and Echo]). But it's still a very real market. As a younger generation starts buying homes, the passive speaker market benefits. But many remain happy with the convenience of portable/small speakers, so it's still a way smaller market than it once was. Source: I work for a competitor of OPPO (still sad to see them go in a way).
farazbabar 9y ago
Oppo makes a great product but the thing that set them apart for me was their ability to play SACD disks. The number of players that can play this format have been dwindling and Oppo's demise is just a sign of the times. I wonder if physical media for very high resolution audio (and video?) would be as far removed a memory as sony beta or if the vinyl sales trends would imply a reversal of fates down the road, vindicating the high resolution video and audiophile crowd.
- voltagex_ 9y ago
  If you've got discs you want to preserve, get them dumped using a modded PS3 and store the files for posterity.
  - stplsd 9y ago
    In fact it is possible to rip SACD using some OPPO models, so no need for hard to get PS3 version [1] [1] https://www.computeraudiophile.com/forums/topic/28569-sacd-ripping-using-an-oppo-or-pioneer-yes-its-true/ https://www.computeraudiophile.com/forums/topic/28569-sacd-r...
Tsiklon 9y ago
A shame, I am a big fan of their PM3 Headphone and it’s companion amplifier the HA2. I was hoping they would be developing these two further. Both were well received by the audio crowd at large.
- gr3yh47 9y ago
  <3 my HA2, my favorite headphone amp really. great for portable or desktop use.
- zoltaan 9y ago
  I am a very satisfied owner of the PM3 myself, I was glad finding it a year ago after a long search. Now what? Should I resume search when my headphone wears out or unfortunately get broken or lost? I was relaxed that I always can buy a new one or even an improved one after that happens. Maybe I should buy a reserve now!
  - epai 9y ago
    Maybe! Or maybe just wait - one thing we know is that technology will continue to improve, and there may be a headphone in the future that appeals to you even more by the time your PM3 gives out. ... Or maybe it's worth buying a reserve just as an investment. Some people regarded the PM-3 as one of the best value closed-back headphones on the market now[1][2]; there's a chance it may increase in price? PM-3 Reviews: [1] http://www.trustedreviews.com/reviews/oppo-pm-3 http://www.trustedreviews.com/reviews/oppo-pm-3 [2] https://www.techradar.com/reviews/audio-visual/hi-fi-and-audio/headphones/oppo-pm-3-1299128/review https://www.techradar.com/reviews/audio-visual/hi-fi-and-aud...
  - Tsiklon 9y ago
    It's a good question - I don't think there's a currently a competing headphone in it's category (Portable, closed back Planar Magnetic driver) that's been as well received, other than perhaps the more expensive Audeze Sine. The main thing I'm worried about is the ear pads perishing over time - replacements will be quite difficult to find I think, once Oppo close up shop.
bwang29 9y ago
For those who don't know, OPPO's main line of business is selling cellphones now. They seem to do pretty well in China, and they are the parent company of OnePlus, which many thought is a competitor to OPPO. It's actually not easy to find information of OPPO and OnePlus's relationship unless you query the commerce database in the Chinese government, where you will also fine that VIVO and OPPO are affiliates..which are under control of BBK Electronics, who shipped 56.7 million smartphones in 2017 Q4 surpassing both Huawei and Apple to become the 2nd largest smartphone manufacturer in the world, just behind Samsung.
- joelhaasnoot 9y ago
  OPPO is also big in developing markets, for instance in Africa .
  - camillomiller 9y ago
    SE Asia as well. Huge in Vietnam, for example
- throwbacktictac 9y ago
  So that explains why there are so many OPPO and VIVO phone stores in Manila malls. I always viewed them as a crappy brands but I'm quite impressed to see that they are part of the second largest mobile phone maker.
- anoother 9y ago
  It's news to me that they manufacture anything other than phones. This announcement seems to be US-centric; doesn't seem they (or OnePlus) will stop making phones.
  - yellowapple 9y ago
    It's almost news to me that they manufacture phones (I happen to remember some sort of Oppo smartphone with a camera that you can physically rotate to take front/back photos, but that's about it). My only real experience with them has actually been their AV equipment.
fipple 9y ago
These guys consistently made the absolute best disc players (DVD, BluRay, 4K BluRay). Guess it wasn’t enough.
- nailer 9y ago
  A pity - I'm surprised they didn't use their expertise to get into the set top box business. Roku - as the only independent box maker vs FireTV, Google TV, Apple TV - needs some competiton.
  - fipple 9y ago
    Nvidia shield tv is tops. I think Oppo probably hit something a lot of companies are, which is that quality is losing value. People are less able to discern quality so making top notch products at top notch prices is a weakening strategy.
hennsen 9y ago
Everything is great, they are at the pinnacle of development... so why do they stop?
- vinceguidry 9y ago
  I guess the company expected the products to market themselves.
- overcast 9y ago
  Because people don't care about quality, only cheap prices. Audiophile/Videophile market is tiny in comparison. The general public is happy if they can see the picture, and hear the sound.
  - hennsen 9y ago
    This is probably true. The article doesn’t say anything about something like that...
    - overcast 9y ago
      Why would OPPO discuss that? My girlfriend is completely happy with just hearing the words being sung. She understands my obsession, and recognizes things do sound and look a bit better. But she doesn't care as long as the basic idea gets through.
      - hennsen 9y ago
        Because they talk about having people who love their products. Aren’t they worth a word of explanation why the products they love are withdrawn from the market? I don’t see whom it could hurt to spend a sentence on saying something like „but unfortunately the enterprise of giving you such high quality products didn’t lead to economicall success as we need it to sustain the business, and therefore took the hard decision to stop...“
palebluedot 9y ago
I'm saddened to read this. I've had their blu-ray player (BDP-103) for many years now, and it has been a pleasure owning a piece of electronics that is designed to not be disposable. Continued firmware updates (for years), solid hardware, and feature-rich. They'll be missed, at least by a niche community of a/v enthusiasts.
herodotus 9y ago
I have happily owned a BP-83 for many years. But this is a very strange announcment. Apparently, everything will continue has usual: firmware upgrades, customer support, warranty repairs, returns and even sales. So from a (naive) customers perspective, OPPO will become a company that will continue indefinitely, with no products and no means of making money! Even knowing that OPPO owns or has shares in other companies, this is hard to figure out. I would love to know the inside story. Someone, somewhere is not happy.
JohnJamesRambo 9y ago
Had one of their DVD players with Faroudja processing. Best DVD quality I ever experienced. RIP OPPO, loved your products.
fpgaminer 9y ago
I've had the pleasure of working with OPPO Digital on a couple of joint projects. They were the best, most put-together company I've ever worked with. They made, hands down, the best Blu-ray player. I've worked with every blu-ray player under the sun. Theirs was fast, featureful, and stable. It was something to be proud of; their engineering team always out-did themselves. OPPO Digital will be missed.
dmoor 9y ago
The UDP-205 is sold out. However Oppo is considering one last production run if enough people express interest. To do so go to https://oppodigital.com/blu-ray-udp-205/lastbatch.aspx https://oppodigital.com/blu-ray-udp-205/lastbatch.aspx and express your interest by giving them your email address. I've got my fingers crossed! When I picked up my 1O5D at their headquarters in Menlo Park I was told that there is no relationship with Oppo Asia, the cell phone maker. They are two totally separate companies. They use the Oppo name under license.
- overcast 9y ago
  Soon as I saw that announcement I got my purchase order in. I knew that was going to sell out fast. I'd been holding out for the last nine months, and knew I'd never get my hands on one if I waited.

72 points by smaili 9y ago

Another sign of the times. I remember when Oppo's were one of the few (if not only) players to play burned CD's. There's just not enough of a "mid-market" enthusiast crowd left - someone that wants a hardware player, won't splurge on the big names, but willing to spend more than what a local retailer (or Best Buy?) has. Wonder what that says for mid-range speaker makers?

S_A_P 9y ago
Audio seems to be getting more personal now. Now that everyone can have just about every song ever, nobody wants a shared listening experience anymore. Half the reason to have a great stereo was because people couldnt afford tons of content to play, so having a nice room filling stereo meant others could hear and enjoy it too. I have fond memories of my uncles listening room. He was a tube amp hi-fi junky and every visit included at least an hour of deep listening sessions.
- B1FF_PSUVM 9y ago
  > because people couldnt afford tons of content to play You'd save for a while to buy a vinyl LP, choose it carefully (besides radio play, you could also ask to play it for a bit at the store), take it home and listen to it a score of times in a row, perhaps in company. Then lend it to the friend(s) who also loaned you their LPs. Eventually the LP would come to its place of honour on a shelf with a couple dozen others, to be played when the mood struck. [/Flintstone ;-]
ebiester 9y ago
In headphones? Mid-market is truly emerging. Beats has introduced people into spending more than 50 dollars on a headphone and companies such as Audeze, Sennheiser, Beyer-Dynamic and others are really expanding. The high end is also expanding but headphones are becoming a geekdom. Just as an example. I guess senn and Beyer are considered big names at this point but in the scheme of things, Senn has 2000 employees and Beyer has around 300. They have a series of headphone enthusiast conferences called CanJam. I put mid-market as under 500 but others would put it under 1000, where the most interesting headphones are emerging.
creeble 9y ago
Passive speakers are becoming more and more of a niche (compared to various categories of powered speakers, mainly Bluetooth [and Echo]). But it's still a very real market. As a younger generation starts buying homes, the passive speaker market benefits. But many remain happy with the convenience of portable/small speakers, so it's still a way smaller market than it once was. Source: I work for a competitor of OPPO (still sad to see them go in a way).

farazbabar 9y ago

Oppo makes a great product but the thing that set them apart for me was their ability to play SACD disks. The number of players that can play this format have been dwindling and Oppo's demise is just a sign of the times. I wonder if physical media for very high resolution audio (and video?) would be as far removed a memory as sony beta or if the vinyl sales trends would imply a reversal of fates down the road, vindicating the high resolution video and audiophile crowd.

voltagex_ 9y ago
If you've got discs you want to preserve, get them dumped using a modded PS3 and store the files for posterity.
- stplsd 9y ago
  In fact it is possible to rip SACD using some OPPO models, so no need for hard to get PS3 version [1] [1] https://www.computeraudiophile.com/forums/topic/28569-sacd-ripping-using-an-oppo-or-pioneer-yes-its-true/ https://www.computeraudiophile.com/forums/topic/28569-sacd-r...

Tsiklon 9y ago

A shame, I am a big fan of their PM3 Headphone and it’s companion amplifier the HA2. I was hoping they would be developing these two further. Both were well received by the audio crowd at large.

gr3yh47 9y ago
<3 my HA2, my favorite headphone amp really. great for portable or desktop use.
zoltaan 9y ago
I am a very satisfied owner of the PM3 myself, I was glad finding it a year ago after a long search. Now what? Should I resume search when my headphone wears out or unfortunately get broken or lost? I was relaxed that I always can buy a new one or even an improved one after that happens. Maybe I should buy a reserve now!
- epai 9y ago
  Maybe! Or maybe just wait - one thing we know is that technology will continue to improve, and there may be a headphone in the future that appeals to you even more by the time your PM3 gives out. ... Or maybe it's worth buying a reserve just as an investment. Some people regarded the PM-3 as one of the best value closed-back headphones on the market now[1][2]; there's a chance it may increase in price? PM-3 Reviews: [1] http://www.trustedreviews.com/reviews/oppo-pm-3 http://www.trustedreviews.com/reviews/oppo-pm-3 [2] https://www.techradar.com/reviews/audio-visual/hi-fi-and-audio/headphones/oppo-pm-3-1299128/review https://www.techradar.com/reviews/audio-visual/hi-fi-and-aud...
- Tsiklon 9y ago
  It's a good question - I don't think there's a currently a competing headphone in it's category (Portable, closed back Planar Magnetic driver) that's been as well received, other than perhaps the more expensive Audeze Sine. The main thing I'm worried about is the ear pads perishing over time - replacements will be quite difficult to find I think, once Oppo close up shop.

bwang29 9y ago

For those who don't know, OPPO's main line of business is selling cellphones now. They seem to do pretty well in China, and they are the parent company of OnePlus, which many thought is a competitor to OPPO. It's actually not easy to find information of OPPO and OnePlus's relationship unless you query the commerce database in the Chinese government, where you will also fine that VIVO and OPPO are affiliates..which are under control of BBK Electronics, who shipped 56.7 million smartphones in 2017 Q4 surpassing both Huawei and Apple to become the 2nd largest smartphone manufacturer in the world, just behind Samsung.

joelhaasnoot 9y ago
OPPO is also big in developing markets, for instance in Africa .
- camillomiller 9y ago
  SE Asia as well. Huge in Vietnam, for example
throwbacktictac 9y ago
So that explains why there are so many OPPO and VIVO phone stores in Manila malls. I always viewed them as a crappy brands but I'm quite impressed to see that they are part of the second largest mobile phone maker.
anoother 9y ago
It's news to me that they manufacture anything other than phones. This announcement seems to be US-centric; doesn't seem they (or OnePlus) will stop making phones.
- yellowapple 9y ago
  It's almost news to me that they manufacture phones (I happen to remember some sort of Oppo smartphone with a camera that you can physically rotate to take front/back photos, but that's about it). My only real experience with them has actually been their AV equipment.

fipple 9y ago

These guys consistently made the absolute best disc players (DVD, BluRay, 4K BluRay). Guess it wasn’t enough.

nailer 9y ago
A pity - I'm surprised they didn't use their expertise to get into the set top box business. Roku - as the only independent box maker vs FireTV, Google TV, Apple TV - needs some competiton.
- fipple 9y ago
  Nvidia shield tv is tops. I think Oppo probably hit something a lot of companies are, which is that quality is losing value. People are less able to discern quality so making top notch products at top notch prices is a weakening strategy.

hennsen 9y ago

Everything is great, they are at the pinnacle of development... so why do they stop?

vinceguidry 9y ago
I guess the company expected the products to market themselves.
overcast 9y ago
Because people don't care about quality, only cheap prices. Audiophile/Videophile market is tiny in comparison. The general public is happy if they can see the picture, and hear the sound.
- hennsen 9y ago
  This is probably true. The article doesn’t say anything about something like that...
  - overcast 9y ago
    Why would OPPO discuss that? My girlfriend is completely happy with just hearing the words being sung. She understands my obsession, and recognizes things do sound and look a bit better. But she doesn't care as long as the basic idea gets through.
    - hennsen 9y ago
      Because they talk about having people who love their products. Aren’t they worth a word of explanation why the products they love are withdrawn from the market? I don’t see whom it could hurt to spend a sentence on saying something like „but unfortunately the enterprise of giving you such high quality products didn’t lead to economicall success as we need it to sustain the business, and therefore took the hard decision to stop...“

palebluedot 9y ago

I'm saddened to read this. I've had their blu-ray player (BDP-103) for many years now, and it has been a pleasure owning a piece of electronics that is designed to not be disposable. Continued firmware updates (for years), solid hardware, and feature-rich. They'll be missed, at least by a niche community of a/v enthusiasts.

herodotus 9y ago

I have happily owned a BP-83 for many years. But this is a very strange announcment. Apparently, everything will continue has usual: firmware upgrades, customer support, warranty repairs, returns and even sales. So from a (naive) customers perspective, OPPO will become a company that will continue indefinitely, with no products and no means of making money! Even knowing that OPPO owns or has shares in other companies, this is hard to figure out. I would love to know the inside story. Someone, somewhere is not happy.

JohnJamesRambo 9y ago

Had one of their DVD players with Faroudja processing. Best DVD quality I ever experienced. RIP OPPO, loved your products.

fpgaminer 9y ago

I've had the pleasure of working with OPPO Digital on a couple of joint projects. They were the best, most put-together company I've ever worked with. They made, hands down, the best Blu-ray player. I've worked with every blu-ray player under the sun. Theirs was fast, featureful, and stable. It was something to be proud of; their engineering team always out-did themselves. OPPO Digital will be missed.

dmoor 9y ago

The UDP-205 is sold out. However Oppo is considering one last production run if enough people express interest. To do so go to https://oppodigital.com/blu-ray-udp-205/lastbatch.aspx https://oppodigital.com/blu-ray-udp-205/lastbatch.aspx and express your interest by giving them your email address. I've got my fingers crossed! When I picked up my 1O5D at their headquarters in Menlo Park I was told that there is no relationship with Oppo Asia, the cell phone maker. They are two totally separate companies. They use the Oppo name under license.

overcast 9y ago
Soon as I saw that announcement I got my purchase order in. I knew that was going to sell out fast. I'd been holding out for the last nine months, and knew I'd never get my hands on one if I waited.