Buying a new dvd player soon, please recommend one

[dimmy32]

I have a bunch of DVD-R and DVD+R movies I copied.
I'm looking for a dvd player that will ALWAYS play both dvd types. AND it must be able to do surround sound.

I dont want HD-dvd, nor a dvd-recorder.

Please recommend a good player for between 100-300 $

thanks !

[jman98]

Oppo players have consistently gotten rave reviews here. You can get info on their models at:
http://www.oppodigital.com
I am going to soon need to replace my current cheap player and I'm strongly considering getting one as the ability to play DVD-Audio and SACD discs would be useful to me in addition to the various video features their players have.

You should note that NOTHING outside of a PC can guarantee DVD+/-R playback "ALWAYS", but assuming you use decent quality media, I'm sure the Oppo would work fine. You might take a look at:
http://www.nomorecoasters.com
and see the ratings for the media you burn to. You might be surprised. You should also note that if you burn dual layer discs that if you use anything other than Verbatim DVD+R DL discs, you are asking for playback problems. Around here we generally recommend Taiyo Yuden and Verbatim DVD discs for burning as they seem to have the highest quality.

[gigantibyte]

Just a thought...

Whatever you buy, don't spend too much money, as new tech is always being added. For instance, DivX enabled players are common today, so you might find it inconvenient to have one that isn't. If you have gobs of cash to throw away, build a DVD-playing specific PC. At least that way, it be modular and adaptable to new advances.

[dimmy32]

No, I'm more concerned with picture quality , sound quality and DVD-R+R compatibility.
I couldnt care less about divX or JPEG ability. I have a computer for that.

It's still too early to jump on the HD-bandwagon.
The Oppo player looks interesting, and I found a distributer in Canada as a bonus !
Never heard of that company tho.

[mrsoul1952]

I have the Oppo DV970HD and I love it. I'm thinking about getting the new Oppo DV980HD too.

All three of their players get rave reviews. And they'll play everything currently available except for HD-DVD or BluRay. Like I ordered an SACD CD and, even though I wouldn't specifically buy a player just for SACD, it's nice to have it available. The Oppo gives you lots of audio and video tweaks separate from what you do with your receiver.

[Krispy Kritter]

I agree about Oppo. I have the older 971 and it is an excellent DVD player.

[Constant Gardener]

I've had an Oppo for a couple of years - it plays just about anything, including double-layer DVD+R disks, and the picture quality is exceptional. I have seen comments that some Samsungs and LGs are almost as good and half the price.