Samsung DVDC600 5-Disc DVD Player
A lot for the money as currently ($$$)
First off let me say that I have not had a problem with this player and that it does play CD-R's.  I guess it may matter what brand of CD-R you have.  I prefer the TDK brand myself ( certified plus )<br />As you read the overview here on Amazon notice that it does have a very complete feature set and as currently ($$$) represents a heck of a deal.  Remote is well laid out and operats cleanly.  It is nice to be able to mix and match DVD's and CD's as I doubt I will have a marathon with 5 DVD's - hey maybe if I am really board...:-)<br />The unit has all the various inputs and outputs you could use and produces a very nice picture, especially through the component outputs.  <br />There is not much difference between this and the 601 so if you are looking for a lot of features for minimal $$ this is a great player.  I have other Samsung gear and have not had a problem as well with any of it but I usually buy their mid range gear.<br />I view this as a good utility player where you can put in one or two movies and your favorite CD's and extend the party without having to load and re-load the player.