I'd recommend the 950's, but it depends on how you connect the DVD player.

If you use the 5.1 analog output from the DVD player to the 950's 5.1 analog input, you will be using the DVD player's decoder. You will also be giving up DPL II, Dolby Digital EX, DTS-ES, DTS-Neo6, and all the other fancy processing in the 950 -- none of that works with the 5.1 analog input. If you use the digital output from the DVD player (coax or optical, whichever is there), then the 950 handles the decoding. Seeing as that's one of the main things the 950 was built for, it'd be the better one to use. Even good DVD players are likely to have only "good enough" decoders onboard, without bass management or 6.1/7.1 capability.

Do any of the players you are looking at do DVD-Audio or SACD?