My question is this: If and when I get a Blu-ray player will it play / up convert my regular dvds? I have quit an extensive collection of dvds that I hope to buy an up converter for. Will a blu-ray player do this? Or is an up converting player a completely different unit?
Depending on what brand you buy, yes...My PS3 upconverts my DVD's quite nicely...It is hands down the best blu-ray player you can buy, simply because it has the ability to upgrade its Firmware for all the latest additions available for Blu-ray, now and upcoming in the future..something the stand alone players out now cannot do....
I'm pretty sure all Blu-ray players can also up-convert regular DVD's. I am yet to see one that doesn't.