Well, I now know not to take advice from.
The lower price is a function of many factors not having to do with quality.
The promotion of players to help move software sales.
A loss leader to bring people into the store.
The fact that the player doesn't have all the bells and whistles of other players---most of which i don't use on my more expensive player.
People have been buying extremly low-cost DVD players for years and have not had them break down just because they were a bargin.
I got my 80 year old mother a really inexpensive standard DVD player against her wishes (she thought she'd never use it) and five years later it still works and she treats it really badly.
She has now seen probably 2000 movies on the damn thing
She turns it on and off 20-25 times a day sometimes leaves it on pause for hours, turns off the TV and accidentally leaves the DVD player on. Open the drawer for no reason or accidently to restart movies or change the settings......
and the damn thing just won't die.
I'm waiting for it cheap thing to die so i can get her a better player for her HDTV, but it won't and she comes from the generation where you don't replace something till it conks out.
Price doesn't mean an electronic won't last.