Need a good cheap dvd player

[Rob_Merritt]

The kids ps2 sucks for a DVD player. So much as a spec of dirt on a disk and the the freezes (seems to work fine for games) So I want to replace it with a DVD playrt that can handle disks that might get dirt from time to time. My other DVD players play disks fine even with a finger print or two on them. Even a perfectly clean disk sometimes gives the ps2 issues. So, what is the best solution out there? The cheaper the better. Would one of those $30 DVD players at Walmart do the trick?

[Backov]

Uh, go to best buy and buy one? THey're a commodity now, get a cheap one. Do you really care about features for the kids?

[Rob_Merritt]

If there is a brand that doesn't play most disks or is as picky as the ps2, yeah, I do care.

[RickH]

Oddly, the cheapie Chinese-made players are often the most compatible with burned media and variant DVDs. Look on videohelp.com for user reviews of players.

But, versions change so quickly, the only way to be sure is to just buy one and try it out. Luckily, WM has a great retuen policy.

[Lunch of Kong]

Rob, get one of those philips models that also plays back divx/xvid .avi files from CD-R/DVD-R.

It's $45. I've bought three over the past year for friends and family.

http://www.amazon.com/Philips-DVP642-DivX-Certified-Progressive-Scan-Player/dp/B000204SWE/sr=8-1/qid=1168922984/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-7255802-1676865

[Ed Solomon]

Rob, get one of those philips models that also plays back divx/xvid .avi files from CD-R/DVD-R.

It's $45. I've bought three over the past year for friends and family.

http://www.amazon.com/Philips-DVP642-DivX-Certified-Progressive-Scan-Player/dp/B000204SWE/sr=8-1/qid=1168922984/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-7255802-1676865
I have that one (took Roger's recommendation from an earlier thread). Works great. And my 3 and 5-year-old are not kind to DVDs.

The one drawback is the loading mechanism won't accept a DVD with a D_Skin (http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?Product=4018482&JRSource=nsa&nsa=1) on it.

[unbongwah]

Do any of these players support container formats like .MKV files? Or play H.264 yet? Are any of them flash-upgradeable?