Pioneer DV-578A-S DVD Player with DVD-Audio / SACD
Excellent sound and video, but a bit more $ than average
If you're looking for top-notch audio and video reproduction for your home theater system, this DVD unit is a nice choice. It offers both coaxial and optical connection for audio which is very nice and offers top-notch audio quantity. You'll be able to hear all kinds of subtle sound effects which you never have before.  For example, I watched the DVD for Matrix Reloaded and in the \\"Burly Brawl\\" sequence when Neo grabs the pipe and is fighting the Agent Smiths with it, you can hear the Doppler Effect of the air whooshing through it as he's whacking away. Yes, it's that good.  The video quality is top-notch as well. <br /> <br />That being said, the price tag is a bit higher than the average player.  The average player from Samsung, Phillips, etc. seems to go for the $65-70ish range right now and most any name brand will offer satisfactory quality. Some might argue (not completely without merit) that for the casual user that satisfactory is good enough.  To be sure it's a fair question to ask yourself whether that extra money would be better spent on extra DVDs over a bump in AV quality from adequate up to excellent. To me the better reproduction qualities coupled with Pioneer's reputation for their players exhibiting greater reliability and longevity was enough to make the extra costs worthwhile. You might decide differently. If you do decide on this one though I have no doubt that you'll be extremely pleased with it.