Upconverting DVD Players

[CybermatriX]

I just got a 32" HDTV LCD TV and was thinking about getting a upconverting DVD player. How's the picture quality of video output of an upconverting DVD player connected via a HDMI cable when compared to a regular progressive scan DVD player connected via component cables?

[edDV]

I just got a 32" HDTV LCD TV and was thinking about getting a upconverting DVD player. How's the picture quality of video output of an upconverting DVD player connected via a HDMI cable when compared to a regular progressive scan DVD player connected via component cables?

Your current LCD-TV has a built in upconverter that converts 720x480p directly to your screen's native fixed pixel resolution (typ. 1366x768). An upconverting DVD player would upconvert to 1280x 720p and then your TV would convert 1280x720p to 1366x768.

I doubt that path would be superior except maybe for HDMI. The real test of the player's up converter would be to compare 480p out (using the TV converter only) vs. 720p out both over HDMI.

The one area where good DVD upconverters can add quality is for 480i source. An expensive or latest tech upscaling DVD player (like an Oppo) may do a better inverse telecine or deinterlace to 720p than a cheap or old HDTV processor.

[CybermatriX]

Your current LCD-TV has a built in upconverter that converts 720x480p directly to your screen's native fixed pixel resolution (typ. 1366x768). An upconverting DVD player would upconvert to 1280x 720p and then your TV would convert 1280x720p to 1366x768.

I doubt that path would be superior except maybe for HDMI. The real test of the player's up converter would be to compare 480p out (using the TV converter only) vs. 720p out both over HDMI.

The one area where good DVD upconverters can add quality is for 480i source. An expensive or latest tech upscaling DVD player (like an Oppo) may do a better inverse telecine or deinterlace to 720p than a cheap or old HDTV processor.

Is that a know fact that all LCD HDTVs upconvert DVD video to 1280x720p? When I press the 'INFO' button on the TV remote it shows the input type which is YPbPr2, 720x480p and on the right where it says what type of audio, video type, etc. it shows SD for standard definition. The video on the TV doesn't look like its 720p when I compare it to a 720p HD video I download and view on my computer, a HD 720p trailer, for example.

Also, when I press the 'ASPECT' button it shows 'Source 4:3 / Wide' theres no 16:9 choice.

BTW, my TV is a 32" Emprex. 480i/480p/576p/720p/1080i are the supported output resolutions.

[edDV]

If this is the TV you have it has a display resolution of 1366x768 progressive.
http://www.emprex.com/02_products_02.php?id=78

Every input needs to be converted to 1366x768 for display. If the TV was to display 720x480p directly, the picture would be tall and thin with wide black borders on four sides. Upconversion will rescale 720x480p to 1366x768 square pixels. If the original file is 16:9 aspect ratio, the full screen will be used. If the original video is 4:3, it will display with side pillars.

Unscaling DOES NOT add picture detail, it only scales the image for display. It is similar to using "Full Screen" on your computer display. Some upscale chips add some sharpening but the detail in the picture is mostly the same as 720x480.

A true 1280x720p source will have that amount of detail.

[jman98]

BTW, my TV is a 32" Emprex. 480i/480p/576p/720p/1080i are the supported output resolutions.

I wanted to point out so that there's not any misunderstanding on your part that the fact that the TV says it "supports 1080i" does NOT in any way mean that it can actually play 1080i at 1080i. It means that it can handle that resolution, which means it downscales it to 1366x768.

One of the problems in video is that people mistakenly think they HAVE to have an upconverting DVD player, when they do not. The HD TV will handle the upconversion for you and it may do a better job, as edDV has stated before, than a cheap upconverting player. I am getting truly excellent results from a Samsung HD TV and I have a 3 year old DVD player that doesn't upconvert at all plugged into it and everyone who's seen it talks about how nice the picture is.

[edDV]

Also, 1366x768 is very good display resolution for a 32"TV that will be viewed from a meter or more. Any disappointment in image quality would relate more to screen reponse time (blurred motion), deinterlace processing performance (blurred, double image or pixelated edges during motion) or display panel contrast (poor black or dark gray performance).

The true test of any LCD-TV is how well it displays a standard analog NTSC/PAL or an interlace SD cable signal. This is the tough case and most sales people have been instructed to not show SD source and direct attention to pretty HD images that are less demanding for the TV.

[CybermatriX]

If this is the TV you have it has a display resolution of 1366x768 progressive.
http://www.emprex.com/02_products_02.php?id=78

It's actually this model that I have:
http://www.emprex.com/02_products_02.php?id=195

But I guess the only way to find out how good the output video of an upconverting DVD player is to actually go buy one and if I really don't like the picture quality I'd just return the DVD player.

[buttzilla]

I just got a 32" HDTV LCD TV and was thinking about getting a upconverting DVD player. How's the picture quality of video output of an upconverting DVD player connected via a HDMI cable when compared to a regular progressive scan DVD player connected via component cables?

I would save the money on the HDMi cable. I bought one for my Phillips upconvert dvd to see if it would improve the quality and i did't notice any difference over the component cables. i have a 42" panasonic plasma screen.

[CybermatriX]

I bought an upconverting DVD player and an HDMI cable yesterday; I saw a tiny improvement on the detail on original DVDs, no improvement on backed up DVDs so I've decided to just return it on Monday since I'm not satisfied with the upconversion quality.

EDIT: My mistake. After viewing a few more DVDs and from the normal distance I normally watch TV the quality looks a lot better then before...so I guess I'll be keeping the player.

[joeuu]

This might not be the type of question that can really be quantified and answered objectively.

Personally, I found the upconverting DVD player coupled with a $20. (from Apple) HDMI cable to be far superior in that colors are much more vivid and the sound much more theater like. This compared to a progressive player via component into an older Sharp 32" Aquos.

[edDV]

This might not be the type of question that can really be quantified and answered objectively.

Personally, I found the upconverting DVD player coupled with a $20. (from Apple) HDMI cable to be far superior in that colors are much more vivid and the sound much more theater like. This compared to a progressive player via component into an older Sharp 32" Aquos.

There are so many variables that can affect this that one needs to test their particular combination of products. The Sharp Aquos have above average analog component processing so most likely the progressive conversion in your older DVD player is the weak link.

Sound performance should be equal if an external sound system is being used. Improved sound from the TV speakers is to be expected over HDMI (AC3) vs. downconverted simple stereo over RCA cables.