BluRay is necessary of you like movies.  You have to see it so appreciate it.  If you are going to just get a DVD player, there is no point in getting one with HDMI as you can easily output 420p with component cables and that is really the best you can do with DVDs.  Personally I'd go with a BluRay player simply because it will play both and that is the direction things are going so you will probably have to get one eventually anyway.  I feel that money spent on dead technologies may as well been thrown away.  If you have a big screen, HDTV with a good 5.1 home theater sound system, BluRay is the way to go.

 

If I purchase the Blu Ray, should I invest in a HDMI cable as well?

Any current deals on BR players that I should be aware of?

 

Definitely get a HDMI if you go with the BluRay.  Without it you can't get the higher resolutions.  As far as deals, the best thing I can tell you is to watch the major retailers like Walmart, Best Buy, etc and their websites.  They have some pretty good deals and the holiday shopping season is about to kick off and there is bound to be a good deal somewhere on Black Friday if you can deal with the crowds.

 

Definitely get a BluRay player, they are really coming down in price (even if the movies are still a little steep).

The Panasonic BD60 (or BD605) has excellent reviews, and it's very affordable (~$150).

 

I  also recommend a blue ray player.
I would also advise against buying HDMI cables from the electronic stores like Best Buy, Radio shack and others. They mark those cables up some ridiculous amount. You can get quality cables off the web for $10-$20 vs $50 - $ 100 at the electronic stores.

 

Agreed.  I like Amazon for a lot of my BluRay movies and related cables and accessories.  If you are patient, you can normally find a really good deal on most items.

 

If you are going to just get a DVD player, there is no point in getting one with HDMI as you can easily output 420p with component cables and that is really the best you can do with DVDs.

One reason to get an HDMI cable with a DVD player is for upconversion. If you get a player that is capable of it, it requires HDMI. However, I agree it would be silly to not get a Blue-Ray if one is on the market for a new player.

 

I use a PlayStation 3 Slim for my DVD and Blu Ray needs and I can play games and brows the web with it. I have it hooked up with a HDMI cable and its great!

 

Wally world has an upverting dvd player starting at $39.  May only last a year but at that price I'd say it's worth it.  I saw them last night.

I'm in the same boat. Just bought a used 52inch plasma for $250; time to up the direct tv for hd.