If the plan is to get a player now that would tide you over for a year or two until you could get an HD-DVD player, that would be good advice. But how many early adopters who bought DVD players in spring or summer of 1997 were still using that same player a year and a half or two years ago? If HD-DVD does launch in 2005, it will be similar to the DVD launch. The first model year of any product like HD-DVD is going to have teething problems that will make an upgrade worthwhile after a couple years, and most of the buyers in that model year are early adopters who are most likely to turn around and upgrade when a newer model fixes those early quirks a year or two down the road.

How about this advice for someone whose budget allows for a player in the $1000 range? Shop around, demo some players (as Oil Can wisely suggested earlier), and include a few less expensive models in your search (like Denon's 2200, Pioneer's 563, or Yamaha's S1500 whenever it shows up). If a universal player isn't necessary, there are also a number of good progressive scan players in the $500. If you think you'll want to upgrade to HD-DVD early, then it may make sense to seriously consider the less expensive ones and set some of that budget aside as seed for a future HD-DVD upgrade. If you think you'll wait for HD-DVD to get on its feet a bit and for the library of movies to start to grow, then decide which player would make you, your listening/viewing preferences, and your pocketbook happiest today. Maybe it'll end up being the 2900 for $1000, or the Denon 910 (without DVD-A or SACD) for $300, or maybe it'll be the Pioneer 563 for $180.

------------------
gonk -- Saloon Links | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart | 950 Review