the reason i bought this blu-ray player is because i wanted to have a back up for my arcam bdp 100, which i wont be be able to get spare parts for.also being a hi-fi fan, i wanted a machine with stereo phono outputs and this is hard to find.if you want this facility, there are not many choices on the market and certainly not in this price range.the tascam bdp 1 is a very slimline and stylish player, which will look good in any set up.when you load a disc into it you hear a few seconds of low level noise and then you get a black screen, no fancy logos here. as soon as you press play the picture sparks into life, so it loads discs super quick!the picture is very good as far as i can see, but i do only have a 32 inch samsung tv.the sound is crisp and clear and pretty good, with no distracting machine noise, the transport is completely silent.although the sound is very good, it isn't hi-fi quality sound. but please bear in mind, yes my arcam is 10 years old, but it is a £1000 player and the tascam is only £354 with the one seller.so with this comparison in mind the 4 star rating is probably a little harsh, but value for money this player gets 5 stars!!