Best DVD player for the money?

I didn't because I really was just looking for a general over-view/education of what to expect from a DVD player -- what features and capabilities separate a high-end interpretation of a player from a mass consumer-grade piece, and whether those differences are worth paying for, and where diminishing returns begin.

I'm right in the middle of re-building, so a lot of my setup is in flux. I'm using just a 30" HD tube widescreen, but that'll be a HD plasma down the road. I need to buy a new (probably used) processor, right now a Lexicon DC-1 seems like a good idea, but who knows. I'm driving my speakers with a couple of B&K amps (all used). Where audio is concerned, I've always subscribed to the approach, "why should I buy a brand-new Chevy when I can buy a two-year old Cadillac."

I'm not so sure I'll get off as easy with the DVD player -- I suspect they're changing, unlike solid state amps, all the time. On the other hand, there's that "diminishing returns" caveat. $500 seems to be the theme (so far) for each item (my most recent purchase, a used B&K three-channel amp, cost me about $500, and was over $1k new). I guess I need to figure out what I can buy for under $500 in a DVD player, verify whether there's viable options on the used market, then determine if it's worth going upscale, based on the answers to the first paragraph. LOL. You asked.

As I have a serviceable DVD player now (just a mass-fi Sony), I'm wondering if I wouldn't be better off waiting for HD functionality to come out in force?

Charles,

The germ of thinking about upgrading my consumer-grade Sony DVD player comes from my recent purchase of an HD 30" wide-screen TV with HDMI inputs, etc. My Sony DVD player doesn't have progressive scan, for starters (though it does have an optical digital out).

Now, I view the new TV as a 2-3 year stop-gap necessitated by the death of my old 4:3 tv -- it will ultimately become our bedroom TV when HD plasma tvs drop in price in a few years. I'll wait.

I'm actively working on upgrading other items. What's set now is I'm driving five NHT VS-2s with B&K 200w amps (based on recent purchases).

So my upgrade path now looks like this:

1. I need a sub.

2. I have to upgrade my old Fosgate pro logic processor (a Lexicon DC-1 v4 sounds like the way to go but I need to look at the whole DVI/HDMI variable) -- right now, I can't even take advantage of the optical digital outs of both my satellite box or my consumer-grade dvd player.

3. I need a better DVD player.

4. HD/Tivo satellite tuner -- maybe a year off -- the TIVO variable has that price way up there right now.

That order isn't fixed -- finances and used item opportunities will drive that game-plan along, but I'm thinking the sub is going to be next (since my Fosgate does work and I do have a DVD player). But, concurrently, I need to start thinking about what I want in a DVD player and what I want in a processor.

I really don't want to spend more than $500 - $750 on any one thing in the chain, and going pre-owned wherever I can will go a long way. Going used with the amplification was easy, the speakers, too, and I'm confident the sub will be that way, too. I'm worried I won't get off so easy where the processor and DVD player are concerned -- have to learn more about the HDMI/DVI issue.