It's been suggested elsewhere that if your HDTV does a good job of handling a 480p signal you don't really need an upconverting DVD player. I'm planning on getting a new HDTV in a few months, but my current DVD player is a bit long in the tooth. It isn't a universal DVD player, nor does it do 480p (only 480i). So I'll probably get the 981HD as it will play anything. I'll have to then compare the video results with having the DVD player feed the TV a 1080p signal, or see how the tv handles a 480p one. As for HD content, I'm going to sit on the sidelines a bit and let HDDVD and BD duke it out a bit longer.