I import a lot of titles from the UK because it's often cheaper than buying domestically, and in some cases, you get superior content (Planet Earth in the original 1080i50 is a good example, assuming you have a compatible display).

I have the BDP-93 with the bluraychip.dk mod. Very pleased with its performance. It loads BDs as fast as--or faster than--my PS3, and it's the best universal player on the market (including DVD-A, SACD, and pretty much any media file format you can think of, even BD ISOs and BDMV folders via USB drives). Its DVD upscaling is excellent as well.

The region mod is very easy to install, with no soldering or any potentially warranty-voiding changes. You unplug a few cables from the mainboard, connect them to the mod, then connect the mod to the mainboard. If you ever need to send the 93 to Oppo for warranty service (which I did due to a faulty capacitor on the mainboard), simply remove the mod before sending it in. You can get a cheaper mod that connects to the rear USB port if you want, the downsides being the loss of that port and the need to boot the player twice (once to start it, then a reboot after you've switched the region). The internal mod lets you start the player in region A/B/C by pressing 1/2/3 on the remote to power it on.

The 93 is more expensive than most players on the market, but its video playback is reference and its build quality is solid. And Oppo's customer support is second to none. They had my 93 back to me in less than a week for that warranty repair. Good luck getting that from Sony or Samsung.