Toshiba SD-1600 DVD Player
Go get this, .. now!
ok, so i never go anywhere and write reviews... but in this case i must make an exception.  to make a long story short i finally broke down and decided to get a DVD player (i know everyone's got one ;)  and as with everything, i searched long and hard, did my homework beforehand, and literally read every review under the sun.  the process took two months.  after much research i settled on this player and i must say i am extremely pleased.  the unit arrived in perfect condition after 4 days - i got it home, unpacked it, plugged it in and slapped in the matrix.  and ...... i sat back.  i cannot begin to describe how utterly beautiful the movie looked.  razor sharp images, true lush life like colors, .. and the sound .. the sound simply blew me away!  what a shame i'd been seeing this movie on VHS for such a long time.  it was like watching for the first time.  not once did the player skip or show signs of being overworked - i hear the matrix is one of the toughest movies on DVD players, so its a good test for ya' all.  in short, perfection.  i simply cannot see how this movie can look and sound any better (well i can - but that would take a progressive player hooked up to a $4,000 36&quot; 16x9 TV set ;-)  the controls are fairly simply, the unit is well built and the remote well laid out (though i would have made some of the buttons bigger and easier to reach).  trust me, if you are looking for a &quot;bargain&quot; player, go - no run - and get this player. ... and to sweeten the deal amazon has by far the best price i could find ($149.00 and no taxes).  4 stars.  1/2 star minus for no progressive (a bit unfair of me at this price range, no?) and (more importantly, and a slight nuisance (at leat for me) minus 1/2 star for no backlight on the remote (ugh!)  all in all a great player.  way to go toshiba!  ps. if you're considereing the 1700 go with the 1600 instead - i heard numerous reports that the 1700 models were plagued by production issues - what you gain is insignifiacant (a useless screen mode), though the production issues might have been worked out by now.  your choice.  again, a simply excellent DVD player.  thanks.