Some opinions on the best money I could spend on a DVD/VCR player under $300

I was looking at just a DVD player. The Sony 400 DVD player but read a few too many bad reviews so then I decided it would be nice to at least get the VCR into the same box freeing up a shelf.

Any advice with links would be appreciated. I want to play DVD, MP3 songs, have a HDTV running from it, play burned DVDs' CDRW's, CDR's, etc. My computer burner is DVD+R.

Thanks...

Gary

After hearing about the spyware/rootkits Sony put in some of their music CD's (think Pearl Harbor II), I think avoiding Sony for now would be nice. "Consumer reports" likes the panasonic DMR-ES30V for "$280", but you need to look for players which have features you want like playing CD's, SACAD's, MP3's, output options etc.

Tom's Hardware has some suggestions today on what to look for and specific models.
- EXTERNAL LINK -

Recommended players are:
Pretty much all Denon models, particularly the DVD-2910 (SRP $729) on the mid-range and DVD-1910 (SRP $220) on the low-end. For the price of a used car, you can always get the top-of-the-line 5910 (SRP $3,500).
Panasonic DVD-S97 (SRP $299.98) - best value.
Yamaha DVD-S2500 (SRP $749.95)
Pioneer Elite DV-59AVi (SRP $719.99)