PAL and NTSC base line DVD Players?

[Sinecure]

Done a lot of reading and searching, but I can't seem to get a 100% solid answer to a couple questions I have.

Been looking at a few DVD players which can convert PAL to NTSC, which is what I need. The problem is where the price range is concerned. What I really need is just a stand-alone DVD player that can play PAL or NTSC dvds, and is fully region free.
Through out my search the two most popular seem to be:
Philips 642
Pioneer DV-490S HDMI

Both of these play DIVX etc etc..
So my real question is....

Of those two, which in the end has proven itself more reliable?
Is there another base line model which plays PAL and NTSC dvds, can be made region free (via remote commands) or is region free out of the box? My TV does not have HDMI, so is the Pioneer DV-490S worth the money? My TV is HDTV ready, would I see a big difference in quality if I run it via my HD input rather than my typical RCA?

Any help would be greatly appreciated guys.

[jman98]

I have a Philips DVP-642. I've had it for almost 2 years. While my player has mostly performed admirably, I don't recommend the model. There were a lot of quality issues with it. Quite a few of them had serious problems almost from the first day of use. Mine did not, but I have read many posts about problems others have had. Also, their Divx chip is outdated now. It doesn't support any of the new features that can improve Divx quality and there's no High Def Divx support either. Sorry, I can't answer any of your Pioneer related questions.

The DVP-642 has been replaced by another model by Philips, but I don't remember the model number. I almost forgot - there were a lot of complaints about the player not correctly support Progressive Scan PAL DVDs and many insisted that the DVP-642 looked like crap on a high def TV, but I can['t honestly say whether this was a valid criticism or if those people didn't know how to hook it up correctly. The picture quality is fine on my old analog TV.

[Krispy Kritter]

I have 2 of the 642's. I've been fairly happy with mine. NTSC to PAL (or PAL to NTSC) is mediocre at best with this player. Although the cost is higher, I do highly recommend the OPDV971H (oppodigital.com). Excellent video quality, region free, fully Divx Pro compliant (unlike the 642), the NTSC to PAL conversion is also excellent.