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If the regional encoding is a problem to you, you might want to look at buying an "all regions" player. Mine came from Ghandi Electronics, in Chicago a few years ago. It's a pioneer that also happily plays PAL, and I believe SECAM. This device is a grey market machine. If that bothers you, Caveat Emptor! I have found it invaluable for playing inexpensive DVDs of Bergman, for instance. Bob Cham >Thanks for all the responses (so far). I live in a pretty >record-conscious area, so I've long known about the general market >conditions for both classical LP and CDs. > >The standard repertory on mainstream record labels on LP is >practically a dead market - hundreds of albums in $1.00 bins that >sit around for years - except for the occasional interesting >configuration (WLP; still sealed; interesting promo press material >included; etc.). > >For CDs, the market is rapidly declining, as it is for DVDs. >Downloaded classical music is rapidly rising, as is bit-rate >quality. Still, folks like DGG and Naive and Naxos release >incredible amounts of new CDs each year... Since most new classical >CDs I see are "international" - pressed usually in Europe - I can >only assume the retail market is more widespread than DVD (damn >regional coding!). That may sustain the market a bit longer. > >Ironically, new LP pressing has surged into a healthy niche market, >and will probably stay that way, serving both audiophiles and >hipsters. > >Although the vast majority of classical LP have low collector value >(as do pop records), there are enough desirable rarities to still >make an authoritative price guide useful. Bluebacks, shaded dogs, >old stereo UK pressings, private releases, early mono quartets, >avant garde and uncommon modern composers - these sorts of niches >still reach good prices on the collector market. Far as I see. > >Stephen > > >-- >Stephen M.H. Braitman >