Sean,
Go for a late model dvd RF28 or 32.
I would avoid a curved screen avant nowadays - apart from potential faults and age, they just look a but "old" with a curved front.
To answer your points for UK variants - using a sky box into the RGB scart imput is a superb picture. Full control via STB-PUC codes and a blaster ...just like your BV7.
I use the VTAPE input for line-level sound from a pc, running spotify etc. So, in link rooms, its just Vtape for digital sound.
We have two avant's - one with sky HD (used as a standard sky plus box, I don't have sky hd subscription, but bbc hd, and a few others are still available and it is a stunning picture), and one with bt vision. The picture really is also superb.
A bit small compared to many peoples TV - and if your used to a 40" LCD, it will look tiny.
One last point - the sound is also great..... its a big box, so loads of air to move, and avants just sound "right" to my ears - like BL4000, a very natural balance is achieved.
just check the tube is OK before you buy.....£££'s to replace, far more than buying the whole thing in fact.