Upconversion-Blu-ray player or AV processor?

[chefmac]

I have a Denon 2910/955 player that I bought to play CD/DVD/DVD-Audio/SACD formats. I supports 480p/576p, 720p, and 1080i output via its HDMI output. I believe that it was released pre HD-DVD, and it doesn't support that format. I have a Panasonic TH-50PX60U plasma HDTV that will handle up to 1080/60p, but not 1080/24p, as far as I can tell from the manual. I like the fact that the D2 can be my single input to the TV for all video sources: HDTV, Std Def TV, DVD, and Blu-Ray. Am I better off playing standard def DVDs in the Denon and letting the D2 upconvert? Does it matter what BD player I buy, if they all output 1080p? What are the quality differences between players that I should be aware of? The Anthem FAQ on HDMI seems to say that it doesn't matter if the player outputs via HDMI 1.1 or 1.3., because there isn't any source material that benefits from HDMI 1.3 for video, and the decoding for audio (Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD) is done in the player, so the HDMI version doesn't matter.

Which BD player will help me get the most out of my system? I don't want to spend a lot on a BD player now, because I think the technology is moving so quickly that in a year or two much better products will be available. I want to buy a BD player by mid-July that I'll enjoy for a year or two, but--I don't want to get a player that performs poorly.

Would I have to get a new TV to have 1080/24p? Does it really make any difference as long as the D2 can handle 1080/24p input and send nice output to the TV? (No way I'm going to get a new TV anytime soon--I bought the Panasonic last fall.)