newbie dvd question

I think the major difference is in whether the player works the way it should or not. I have a DVD player that is part of the latter category, and would probably have been way better if it weren't for a stupid design error in the firmware. An error made by a company that prioritizes stupid features over proper functioning. So players differ all right.

Also, DVD players is probably the biggest OEM market in audio/video, with tons of players manufactured by other brands than the official. At a glance, most of the IC's used seem to come from a half dozen specialized manufacturers such as ESS and Sigma Designs no matter what brand the player is.

So it's down primarily to how much each manufacturer manages to mess up the finished product, and secondarily to what's actually inside. Even expensive players can go FUBAR in the hands of manufacturers with incompetent management.

Originally posted by Solar
it baffles me how a cheaper model can be better.

that bit should have been...
how can it have a better picture quality