I don't have any recommendations on a player other than to say that if you're looking at Blu-ray or HD DVD, I think they both still need to mature. Between load times and missing features in current models, I think my recommendation would lean toward just getting an Oppo for now and perhaps getting a high-def player early next year. Of course, I was impatient. I have a Toshiba HD-A1 first-gen HD DVD player, as well as a PS3 for Blu-ray. They both play back the movies well enough, though it seems like specific title issues continually crop up on the Toshiba, and it has to be resolved with firmware updates. I haven't run into any playback issues with Blu-ray other than if you get the slightest fingerprint on it, you have to wipe it off before the PS3 will recognize that a disc has been inserted.
Anyway, maybe someone with experience with the second-generation standalones can chime in.
By the way, what connections will you be using to your receiver/processor?
