Thanks very much for the suggestions and advice :)
I'm in the UK, so a PAL machine would've made my life less complicated but I'm resourceful enough to be able to sort out a step-down converter and an NTSC compatible TV (if required). I'll only be transferring NTSC material so having PAL disc playback isn't really that important. I remember seeing the V4300D/V2300D players many moons ago at school and my local library, takes you back! Yeah, you're right - they're very hard to come by.
The lack of a digital audio output is a minor disappointment but I can live with that. It looks like the 4400 is going to be my choice machine and right now I'm trying to negotiate the shipping costs. I'll post back with details once the deal goes through. Thanks again.
Jay