I had a lot of problems with rented CDs. If the player encounters a scratch, it just stop for a while and then skips to the next chapter. I don't know why. The retailer told me it has something to do with the fact that they are dual layer. I have been using it for 2 months now and am pretty pleased with it.
Picture is very clear and sharp.
Sound quality for DVD's is very good and the cd quality was better than I expected after reading a lot of negative stories about CD's on DVD players. So unless you're quite picky about the sound quality or don't want a lot of devices in your room you might want to check this player out. Downside of this player is the cheesy tray. Can't say I found it very noisy, but it does have a cheap feeling to it. It works, but I believe that Marantz could have done better on this point.