If I buy a mid-level receiver with a lot of video processing is it really necessary to purchase a premium DVD player to get great DVD video? I’m looking at Denon AVR-4806 or 4306, from the specs it looks like I would be buying duplicate features with a DVD-3810. Maybe I should just buy a basic DVD player, not sure.
Thanks!
I don't believe that a mid-line receiver with video processing will alter the quality of your DVD video in any way. I could be wrong, but I'm an old fogie, and most of this stuff is just an advertizing gimick. Most people don't even use this. Instead of buying a old format DVD player, I would look into one of the new HD-DVD/Blue-Ray players. Maybe a universal. Since the studios are putting out the new movies in these formats, and you need a DVD player, I think this would do more for your video quality than anything else out there.
I was told that for the best video, get a device designed for video. While some receivers will do video switching and converting your component to HDMI, or whatever, it has usually been the case that it doesn't help the video quality.
You can get a really good DVD player for not as much cash as you think. I have a Panasonic S97 which is great. It ran about $300 when I got mine more than a year ago, but now they can be had for about $130 or so now. Others like the Oppo players. They have a new model (DV-970HD) that is a universal player too. I think that the new one goes for about $150. While not a discount $35 player, pretty cheap either way.
It's important to note that universal players are no longer universal. They'll play SACDs, DVD-As, CDs, DVDs, etc, but NOT Blu-Ray or HD-DVD. There is no player that will play both HD-DVD and Blu-Ray--and none that have been announced.
Absolutely correct kcarlile. Thanks for making that distinction.
While I agree that a mid line receiver with video processing will probably not help your picture, a good DVD player certainly will, Imo HD-DVD/Blue-Ray look great but are still at least a year away from working out all the bugs and coming in at a reasonable price point, there is also the worry as to which format will come out as the dominate leader.
Thanks for feedback all, guess I’ll get a quality DVD player with sacd and dvda ect.
There is no player that will play both HD-DVD and Blu-Ray--and none that have been announced.
Thanks for clearing that up, Ken. I did not know that. 
Not to mention I don't think any of the HD players play DVD-A or SACD, except in their respective wimpy modes.
Drift, it may be that neither the processing in the player nor that in the receiver is of benefit. The TV itself has to deinterlace and scale DVD material if the player or receiver hasn't done it. There's no way to know whether any of these will do a better job than the others until all the possible combinations are actually tried.
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There is no player that will play both HD-DVD and Blu-Ray--and none that have been announced.
Thanks for clearing that up, Ken. I did not know that.
I believe it will be a while for a BR/HDVD player to emerge. Blu-Ray is so named because it's designed around a blue laser. I believe HD-DVD is green. Now, multi-laser players are certainly possible, but I think neither side will license their tech for multi-laser players that will play both. No use anyway as far as I'm concerned. There's very few titles available now. Plus, I just finally got my collection converted to DVD ferchrissakes.
Mark, actually both HD-DVD and Blu-ray use a blue-violet laser with a 405nm operating wavelength, so that's not part of the incompatibility problem. Just as CD/DVD players use dual lasers for CDs(780nm) and DVDs, DVD-As and SACDs(650nm), the HD player lasers add the 405nm capability without any particular technological problem.
It's completely a manufacturers/designers are jerks type situation. Someone had designed a chip, but I think Sony killed it.