The Ideal DVD Player?!?

[jslickman4]

I've been having trouble finding a ideal DVD player for my Polaroid FLM-2601:

DivX/XviD HD Support
HD 1080i/720p upscaling for both DVDs and DivX/Xvid videos
DVI or HDMI output
If possible, something under $300

I have found DVD players that have upscaling and DivX HD support, but have only analog outputs (e.g. Buffalo and I-O data player). The closest thing I've found to this ideal player would be the new JVC SRDVD-100U http://pro.jvc.com/prof/Attributes/features.jsp?tree=&model_id=MDL101546&itempath=&feature_id=01

Unfortunately, the SRDVD-100U is hard to find and very expensive (~$400). Does anyone know of any (cheaper) alternatives with the specs listed above? Also, I read in this thread that an upconverting DVD player isn't neccesary for 720p resolution for LCDs with native resolutions close to 720p.

Since my Polaroid HD-Ready LCD's native resoluton is 1366x768, does that mean that upscaling is automatically done BY my TV and therefore makes upscaling from a DVD player obselete? Thanks for your help![/url]

[manono]

Hi-

Here's the list:

https://www.videohelp.com/dvdplayers?DVDname=&Search=Search&dvdportable=&dvdchanger=&dv...Submit2=Search

They're still pretty scarce, and some are pretty expensive.

Also, I read in this thread that an upconverting DVD player isn't neccesary for 720p resolution for LCDs with native resolutions close to 720p.

They're not strictly necessary for any HDTV, as the TV will have its own scaling to upconvert to its native resolution. However, there can be and often is an advantage to having the player do it if its scaling is better. I have the $200 Oppo, which fits your requirements except for the HD DivX/XviD part. However, I'm taking you to mean that you want the ability to play HD AVIs, say at 1280x720 original resolution. If you mean you want a player that will upscale a, say, 640x352 AVI to your TV's resolution, then I recommend the Oppo without hesitation.

Since my Polaroid HD-Ready LCD's native resoluton is 1366x768, does that mean that upscaling is automatically done BY my TV...

Yes, of course. Obsolete? I don't think so. Plenty of people (including me) have them and love them.

There's a caveat with that. Your resolution is neither 720p nor 1080i. There aren't too many players that can do a 1:1 pixel mapping to 1366x768. The Bravo players (for sure) and the Momitsu players (I think) can. This means that something upscaled to 720p by a player will then be scaled again by your TV set. You may get a better picture by outputting 720p and letting the TV set do it again. You may get a better picture by outputting 480p and letting your TV set do it all. You'll never know until you try.