Are these the same player, with the former being the Costco version? If so, I'll take the '601 with an included HDMI cable.

Also, can someone confirm that even when using the HDMI output, the other audio outputs (say, optical) are still enabled?

I have the 601 and i believe its the same as the 700. Just with an HDMI cable. I've been comparing it to the Pioneer DV-410V. The picture quality is to me seems about the same with maybe a slight nod to the Pioneer.