I just tried out a
Panasonic dmp-bd55k, which is a profile 2.0 player. You can find specs online and a review or two. Plenty of real-world feedback on the link. BD image was superb, as was DVD upsampling. I was very impressed with how it worked as a transport (coaxial 2ch signal going to my Modwright Transporter). Build quality was not up to Pioneer Elite, or Sony ES, but better did not seem overly cheap either. Very easy interface, and easy to setup. I'd recommend it for what you are looking for. The Amazon price just went up about $20.
That said, I ended up returning mine, which was a personal decision and did not have much to do with the specifics of this particular player, and was more about the format itself. I felt the difference between the upsampled DVD signal (via HDMI) and Blu Ray were very close, though you could certainly tell the difference if you looked carefully. There are certain aspects of DVD that I'm spoiled by and prefer: The machines are faster than any BD machine (both boot-up and any menu operation). The Panny I had did not have a memory so if you stop play and eject the disk or go to a menu function it will not remember where you left off. Blu Ray discs are more sensitive to scratches and dirt and will more likely freeze up or not play at all if marked in such a way. This is a big concern if you are doing Netflix or a mega-rental chain. I'm also not a big fan of most of the material being issued in BluRay right now. Hollywood blockbuster's don't really do it for me, nor do Pixar cartoons. Again, a very personal choice. I feel Blu Ray is still in developmental stages and I am not entirely convinced it will take, especially in this economy (discs and players are more expensive). I'm sure they'll come down (and they already have), but I have my own doubts as to whether the format will be embraced, or become another Betamax. That's a whole other debate and many threads dwell on just that subject. For this one, I'd give the Panny a big thumbs-up as a transport for a good DAC and an excellent BD player and DVD upsampler.