Yamaha DV-C6480 Progressive-Scan 5-Disc DVD Player
My experience so far...
As far as the basic stuff goes (picture, sound and hardware) this player is pretty rock solid.  Using the S-video in (via an adapter) on my old Commodore 1702 monitor, the picture is good enough that the size of the phosphors on the screen are the biggest limitation. :) I'm anticipating great things from the component out using progressive.  Sound-wise, using the on-board decoders and the 2-channel downmixed outputs, sometimes the low frequencies are &quot;choppy&quot; sounding but I think this is simply phase-cancelling when the channels are mixed and not a fault with the player.  Sound is superb otherwise--I can't wait to hear it when I get a proper multichannel receiver.<br />Some Goods:<BR>* I've heard that a lot of players have quiet audio outputs.  This player has pretty &quot;hot&quot; outputs, a tad too hot for audio CDs and MP3s but a lot better for movies compared to my digital-cable box.<BR>* A power switch, not just &quot;standby&quot; like most players.  If certain DVDs start getting abusive and functions (like &quot;stop&quot;) don't work when they should, cutting the power always works. :)<br />Some Niggles...<BR>Not to sound overly negative, but more effort really could have gone into the firmware, aesthetic and functionality aspects, especially for a high-end player like this.<BR>* Poor MP3-CD support.  It played the CD-RW MP3 discs I tested it with fine (both ISO-9660 and Joliet, there's about a 1/2 second gap between tracks) but ignores any filenames and folders and simply plays the tracks in the physical order they're in on the disc, even if the alphabetical order (by filename) is different.  It wouldn't have taken much effort to program in ID3 support and proper player functionality (folders, shuffle, program and such), especially since they're there for CD and DVD-audio.  A bit of a disappointment, because I was wanting good MP3 support so I wouldn't need to use my computer or portable player.<BR>* No SVCD support as far as I know.  There should be, considering most players I've researched do support it.<BR>* Somewhat long disc-reading time, no picture zoom, less-than-ideal &quot;jog shuttle&quot; functionality (but there's frame-advance and frame-reverse which I find very important), sluggish operation in general, a few other minor things.<BR>* Flimsy, too-small, poorly-laid-out remote.  The player itself is rock-solid though.<br />I don't know if I'd recommend it for the average person new to DVDs.  It's a great player, but the manual is one of the worst I've seen, and relies too much on assumed knowledge and technical descriptions.  In addition, most on-screen menus rely on icons and cryptic descriptions.  But if you're technically inclined like I am or experienced with DVD players you shouldn't have a problem.  I got mine open-box, and I really wonder if had been returned because of trouble using it or understanding the manual.  Poor manuals have been a persistent problem with Yamaha electronics in general, which is unfortunate because a well-written manual can make a big difference.<br />All in all, some simple attention to details could have made this player absolutely outstanding.  But, if you're looking for great picture and great sound from your DVDs, which is what I got it for more than anything else, this one delivers.