I'd go for a nice second hand technics with an S-arm if I were you.
Belt drive or direct drive doesn't really matter. Even an idler wheel machine can sound quite allright.
Most really audiophile players are belt drive though.
But really, it doesn't matter that much.
Overhere you can get a decent technics for as low as 15 dollars.
A bit better one (e.g. an SL-3310 of SL-Q3) would cost about 40 dollars.
But, it's not all that simple. You will need an amplifier that has a Phono input. A record player only gives a very, very little amount of sound compared to a CD player, you will need a 'preamplifier' as it's called. You can buy these, but most seperate amplifiers have one built in.
Then there's the cartrigde problem. I don't know how good your ears are, but the differences between cartridges (noob mode: That's the thing you stick the needle in) are huge. And then there's the problem of matching.
The Advise I give everyone who wants to start buying records is:
Buy a simple technics with an S-arm, buy an Audiotechnica AT95E cartrdige and, if you need a seperate phono preamp, don't go for the cheapest ones. This might be the most expensive part of your vinyl journey. Often an amplifier with built-in Phono preamplifier is way cheaper. Be advised.
Any questions, feel free to ask.
About the pro-ject mentioned above: It's value for money, but it's still low-budget. It is in no way better than a cheap-ass second hand technics (and I've tried, believe me
).
About Direct Drive/Belt Drive: None of those is better or more expensive. There's bad, cheap direct drive turntables and as I mentioned above, most really expensive (more than 2000 dollar) audiophile turntables are actually belt drive.
When in doubt: Don't buy anything that's made out of plastic and weighs the same as two packs of cigarettes. Look for wood and steel
.