Oppo bows out of the hi-fi and Blu-ray player business

Among AV enthusiasts and audiophiles, Oppo Digital is a brand well known and highly-regarded for its impressive hi-fi systems alongside its superb Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD players, such as the fantastic Oppo UDP-203.

Now, 14 years after it was established in the US, Oppo Digital has announced that it "will gradually stop manufacturing new products" via a farewell post on its website.

"As our latest 4K UHD players reach the pinnacle of their performance, it is time to say goodbye," reads the announcement, further stating that Oppo Digital is "proud to have made such well-regarded products and to have served the enthusiast community."

End of an era

Clarifying to one Twitter user that it waited an extra day to post the news so as to avoid April Fools claims, Oppo says that "existing products will continue to be supported, warranties will still be valid, and both in-warranty and out-of-warranty repair services will continue to be available."

"Firmware will continue to be maintained and updates released from time to time. Customers can rest assured that they will continue to receive the high quality service and support that they have come to expect from Oppo Digital," said the statement.

With regards to how often customers can expect firmware updates on Oppo Digital products they've posted, the company stated that "Newer products such as the UDP-203 and UDP-205 will likely receive more frequent upgrades, while mature products such as the BDP-103 and earlier models will only get firmware upgrades if there are critical fixes."

If you're a fan of Oppo's non-AV products, such as the excellent Oppo R11s smartphone, don't be too alarmed by the news — only the Oppo Digital arm of the Chinese electronics giant is saying farewell, so Oppo phones and accessories should continue to be released at the company's typical brisk pace.