Ayre DVD-1. Awesome unit but potentially (actually definitely but in glorious fashion) breaks the budget depending on installed options. Rick you're question is a tricky one. From what I've seen it is a matter of trade offs. For really good sound the Cal Audio units are fantastic, but in terms of DVD they are behind many of the competitors in terms of latest generation enhancements. Same holds true for the Opposite. The really good DVD players like the Sony run cirles around the Cal in terms of video but can't and will never touch the Cal in terms of sound quality. Just two different beasts. You will have to decide based on the rest of your system. Do you have a high end 2 channel set-up? If yes, you might consider the Cal 2500. If you are really in the home theater camp and want to get the most out of a HDTV, then go with the Sony or Pioneer DV-05. All three reommendations will come in way under your budget. If you really want to spend some bucks and own the best check out the Ayre. My real suggestion is to wait a little longer. In the next 2 years (if you can hold out with your VCR that long) there will be a whole new generation of players that include DVD-A, SACD, etc and the format war may be little clearer.
