OPPO DV-970HD Up-Converting Universal DVD Player
excellent picture quality, but cheaply built
Summary - top quality picture, snappy menus, comes with a HDMI cable, supports USB and many other kinds of media, but sub-par looks and build quality.  Priced higher than most basic DVD players, but if you bought a HDTV to watch movies, this is IMO the cheapest way to get the most out of your set. <br /> <br />I read many reviews of this DVD player online before deciding to plce the order.  I was delighted to find that they were headquartered practically in my own back yard (SF Bay area), and that if I needed to service/replace the unit, I could bring it in to their office.  I got mine with a 6ft HDMI cable included in the price. <br /> <br />I bought it because I wanted the HDMI output and the ability to play .mpg and .avi files from my extensive library of, um, stuff.  Previously I tried the Philips 5140 over component cables, Harman Kardon DVD47, and Sony DVP-NS975V both over HDMI.  This player is the best of any that I have tried in terms of picture quality.  The DVD47 does well in that regard, but I had some other problems with the unit that led me to return it.  Oppo's player matches the DVD47 in DVD image clarity and also handles DivX movies like movie trailers and internet meme type garbage. <br /> <br />Software built into the player does something most others' fail at miserably: it responds instantly to your commands!  Even the file browser to load .mpegs and still images is relatively snappy.  Here is where Sony and Philips should take note - it is a critical part of the user experience. <br /> <br />The only bad things I would say about Oppo is that they neglect the intangibles to help deliver this player at the $150 price point.  It looks more like the $50 players at Wal-Mart or Target.  I don't really care about that but some might.  When the DVD tray is extended, I am always worried that it's going to break if I put a disc in the wrong way.  It feels flimsy.  I don't know if it's worth a star off its rating to complain about that or not.  The intangibles do matter to some people more than actual performance.