What's the best HD DVD player under $1,500

I would not invest big bucks in an HD DVD player. Put your money into a decent one..less than $500.00

Wait a while and get a good Blu Ray when the price is down a bit and it is more dependable.

I own both Blu Ray and HD DVD...I kinda like the Hd DVD a bit more as it has less quirks and the picture is as good on my set-up.

But, all things considered, your joy of a really good HD DVD player is destined to be short-lived.

Rxlarry99,

There has never been an HD DVD player that cost that much and the Oppo's aren't HD DVD players......

What are you really asking?

Rxlarry99,

Are you looking for an HD-DVD player that plays the high-resolution format HD-DVDs. Or are you asking about an upsampling player that upsamples standard DVDs to 1080i or even 1080p?

If you are talking about an upsampler, then yes, the Oppos are some of the best available at any price, competing with brands that are many times more expensive. The current Oppos do not play the high-resolution HD-DVDs. They also do not have the "overbuilt" build quality which many audiophiles prefer. They perform like high end models, but they feel like low end models. However, I have not heard any/many complaints about reliability issues, just complaints that people don't like some of the inexpensive design features.

I have the Oppo 970 which has been mod'd to level 2 status by Ric Shultz at EVS. I love this player and use it for everything-redbook CD, SACD, DVD-A and DVDs. It is an outstanding performer. The Oppo 981 has the same high quality audio as the 970, but has better video quality.

If you wanted a high performance DVD player for standard DVDs, that upsamples to 1080i or 1080p, and has excellent audio quality, the EVS mod'd Oppos are really outstanding. If you buy a new Oppo and send it to Ric Shultz at EVS for Mods, he will give you your money back if you return it. If you just want a quality DVD player that sounds good, the stock Oppos are very good performers too.

Enjoy,

TIC