There’s been a lot of focus on lower-priced HD DVD players, and how important it is to get affordable players out the door to ensure success for the HD DVD format. Onkyo bucks that trend with the announcement of their high-end DV-HD805 HD DVD player. Compared to Blu-ray players, Onkyo’s $899 price is pretty average, but in the HD DVD playing field, the DV-HD805 is a few hundred dollars more than even Toshiba’s upcoming top-of-the-line HD-A35.

What do you get for the money? Many of the features sound similar to the HD-A35:

• HDMI 1.3a goodness including “Deep Color”
• 24p playback (coming in a September firmware upgrade for all second-genToshiba players)
• High bit-rate audio
• All of the HD DVD mandated features such as an Ethernet port for internet access, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio (The Onkyo supports DTS-HD MA, but it’s not an HD DVD requirement)

The Onkyo also features an HQV Reon-VX video processing chip which dices, blends, removes stains, brightens your teeth, and walks your dog. Ok, it doesn’t all of those things, but it’s the same chip inside Toshiba’s current HD-XA2 (it might also be in the HD-A35), and it handles duties involved with image quality enhancement including de-interlacing, noise reduction, detail enhancement, and up-scaling (especially important for viewing regular DVDs). HQV processors come from a military technology that was eventually adapted for use in $60K professional video boxes, and now fits on a chip. It’s the equivalent of buying a more expensive video card for your computer.

The HQV bumps up the price on every device that uses it, including Toshiba’s XA2. Whether or not you need one in your home theater depends on what kinds of picture quality defects you’re bothered by in the HD equipment you currently have. If you’re not noticing much difference between HD DVDs and cable/satellite HD or DVDs that you regularly watch on your HDTV, then it’s unlikely that you need to seek out something with this level of performance. It’s not about being stupid or ignorant – it’s about whether you care or not about these kinds of features. In other words, if you’re satisfied and happy with what you already have, then your money may be better spent on upgraded audio instead

One thing you have to keep in mind about high-end equipment like this is that most of the important components are typically better than the stuff you get on a typical discounted unit, and you usually get a better warranty and servicing options. It’s like comparing a luxury sedan to a high-mpg econobox. A lot of people are perfectly fine with a less than ultimate gadget, while many others have been holding off for their “chosen one” to arrive.

The DV-HD805 is due in the fall, and we’ll find out then how it stacks up against other HD DVD players, and whether anybody’s “chosen one” has finally arrived.