for aske or other HD media techy type stuff knowing dudes?

[Walfredo]

So I'm trying to decide what kind of DVD player to get for my new plasma.  Directv is coming Wed to install the HD satelite and bring my HD dvr.  That will provide for the majority of my tv viewing.  The old Sony dvd player has been taken over by my son for Dora and Diego watching. 

I just can't decide whether or not to take the blow ray plunge at the moment.  We rent new releases maybe twice a month if that.  It would be nice to feed the tv blu ray PQ but I'm put off by all the issues.  I don't want a ps3.  I don't want to spend $500 on a good standalone BD player.  I know I can get the sony s350 for a little over 200 bucks.  But I don't like they idea of waiting 2 min+ for a movie to load.  And I also don't like the idea of needing to download firmware updates.  Not to mention it the issues they have with playback of discs and what not.  We still have a DVD catelog but I'm not big on watching movies I've already seen. 

So should I accept all the bugs and baggage of blu ray to see the few movies I watch in HD or what?  Or should I pick up a Toshiba HD DVD player on ebay for $60 with a some movies and continue renting redbox SD DVDs for new releases until blow ray finally makes a good reasonably priced player.  What say you?

[Aske]

If you really only rent 2x a month, don't rewatch what you own, etc... I'd seriously consider just using  D* PPV  in HD. 
The <$200 BD players will certainly give you better PQ/AQ, but pricewise I don't know if you're getting your $ worth.  I'd consider the BD buyin @ $200 if you were watching 4+ movies a month to be worth your while.   Also, your only shot of getting BD rentals for certain* of any movie you want to watch would be Netflix right now.  The hd-dvd bargains can be appealing too as long as you accept them for what they are.
   

[Walfredo]

If you really only rent 2x a month, don't rewatch what you own, etc... I'd seriously consider just using  D* PPV  in HD. 
The <$200 BD players will certainly give you better PQ/AQ, but pricewise I don't know if you're getting your $ worth.  I'd consider the BD buyin @ $200 if you were watching 4+ movies a month to be worth your while.   Also, your only shot of getting BD rentals for certain* of any movie you want to watch would be Netflix right now.  The hd-dvd bargains can be appealing too as long as you accept them for what they are.
   

That's the way I'm leaning.  I'm sure a few years from now with the toddler grown a little we will watch more movies and want blu ray.  We have recently used netflix and it didn't work great for us.  We'd have a movie at our house for weeks.  Then we can't get instant gratification when we really want to watch one.  I'm betting we will use the Dtv PPV HD most often.  I know when the HD dvr comes we will watch Dark Knight on PPV that night.  But I do need a new DVD player for sure.  I could get an Oppo 980 but I still don't get why a dvd player needs to upscale my 480i DVD when the $1000 tv can do that.  And buying a cheaper dvd player is the same price as an HD DVD player which also does a good job of "upscaling" if that is even possible.  Might as well have a few HD DVD movies I can watch on HD DVD until I get a blu ray in a few years.  I don't see buying an HD DVD player much different than buying a SD DVD player.  And I have to get something to play DVDs so what the hell.