Hi,

My DVD player looks like it's on its way out and I'm starting to research for a new one. I'm getting a little tired of going through players every year or two and am looking for one that will last. Is there such a thing?

I've seen some rave reviews for the Oppo 970HD and was wondering what you think of that machine for "build quality"? Is it substantially better than the $65-$90 players out there? I don't have HDMI input into my tv so the prospect of upscaling through component would be interesting (I read that there is a firmware hack to do so). Also what about a refurb Onkyo?

What other players would you recommend for good build quality? My current player is a Sony DVP-NS41P and it seems to be dying in less than 2 years. Can I expect to get longer life out of a more expensive/better player or is this industry standard? The Oppo would top out my price range so $150 is about the most I can do right now.

Thanks so much in advance!

In 2 years, HD-DVD or Blue-Ray should be mainstream so why worry about a "durable" DVD player. Go for the Oppo 970HD which has component upconversion (if your TV supports HD via component) and HDMI upconversion (for later TV upgrade), SACD, DVD-A, USB, DivX, free HDMI cable, etc.

http://www.oppodigital.com/dv970hd/dv970hd.html (refurbed has same warranty for $30 less)

Besides, what do you want for $150 or less?