It will make a huge difference to the quality.
You can buy it from http://discountlaserdisc.com for 25 bucks.
I'd try and bowwow a better player if you can score one, the amt of sparklies your shows is the most I have ever seen!
Try some of the Home Theater forums like AVS, you may find someone in your area who would be willing to loan you a unit in return for some DVDs