Player Help and Auto Scaling?

[Mao]

Okay, so I'm due for my third DVD player...I've got a Hitachi 53" widescreen set and I'm told I must, repeat, must go Progressive Scan with component cables.

I'm pretty dumb on tech issues and I keep hearing about auto scaling and no one I know seems to know what planet I'm from when I mention it? :)

Can anyone explain it in laymen's terms and recommend a player, either available now or rumored to be on the horizon, that is both progressive scan and does auto scaling (without me having to do anything but push the "play" button)?

Thanks for your input!

[Yug]

BUMP, I'm only slightly smarter than Mao on this issue..... please anybody out their that can point us to a website that displays the effect of X-Y scaling or just explain it with text.

To put this in context I'm now on the fence btw the JVC and Malata player all-region that DVDtalk is promoting thru HKflixs.com. This will go with the soon to be purchased 16:9 tube. My current non-progressive DVD player is a JVC and I love it's performance. Now with the new TV and an interest in playing imports I must step up. I trust JVC and have reservation buying the Malata brand.

As I understand the Malata however has 2 important features that the JVC lacks:

1. X-Y Scaling
2. Manually operable filters

I need to know not only how important these 2 things are but how they work.

Thank you.