Don't buy from mainstream supermarkets, they usually sell p.o.s equipment cheap and for the masses whom don't even know what they want/what they need.
From what I read in the first post, you're buying brand, not a player. Imo, thats not a good way to buy something. It can ends like this: "Oh this new player was just the thing I was looking for and it was cheap. Too bad it doesn't have xxx support/xxx in-out ports. Now I have to buy a new one"
Check the specs first, then the price. Forget the manufacturer. If you buy cheap, you get cheap quality. Thats just the way it is. And if you're poor, its better to invest in something a little expensive than buying cheap crap every year.