I just went on a similar hunt...I do go off the deep end for my seperate (2-channel) audio needs but look for economy/value in my home theatre stuff...I auditioned a bunch of DVD players in that price range...dollar for dollar, NAD products absolutely blow away any of the Mass Market brands...NAD strives for simplicity and quality...so you may not get all those features (that you will never use anyway) but you will get incredible video and sound quality...for just a little more.
I ended up purchasing the T-514 for about 280 after tax from an authorized dealer...the difference in picture quality compared to the base Sony...was as drastic as the jump from VCR to DVD!
I ended up purchasing the T-514 for about 280 after tax from an authorized dealer...the difference in picture quality compared to the base Sony...was as drastic as the jump from VCR to DVD!