Will an up-scaling DVD Player improve quality?

[W_Eagle]

Just purchased a Lowe Connect FHD (1080p) 27" TV (a very expansive one).
Satellite HD box is due on Sunday (a work day in my country).
Right now I watch SD satellite channels via S-Video out and a cheap DVD Player (Apex DVX-811) via component out. The SD material looks ok, though I notice the un-sharpness of it.

I was offered to purchase a Pioneer DV-410 DVD Player, which has both Progressive Scan and up-scaling into 1080p. Yet, I wonder whether the player will have any improvement of DVDs quality on my TV.

Any ideas?

[W_Eagle]

Some more info.
My country is PAL and I watch from a short distance (about 2 meters, or 6.56 ft).

[edDV]

Just purchased a Lowe Connect FHD (1080p) 27" TV (a very expansive one).
Satellite HD box is due on Sunday (a work day in my country).
Right now I watch SD satellite channels via S-Video out and a cheap DVD Player (Apex DVX-811) via component out. The SD material looks ok, though I notice the un-sharpness of it.

I was offered to purchase a Pioneer DV-410 DVD Player, which has both Progressive Scan and up-scaling into 1080p. Yet, I wonder whether the player will have any improvement of DVDs quality on my TV.

Any ideas?

Answer is "it depends".

All HDTV sets have internal upscalers. If this set is a premium state of art model, feed it 480i/576i and let it process the video to display native resolution.

An upscaling DVD player would be connected 1080p. In this mode, the DVD player carries the processing load and the HDTV internal processor is mostly bypassed. Some TV scaling may still happen for overscan. Try to set the TV for pixel by pixel display.

Ask for the DVD player on evaluation. Compare the scalers and use the one that looks best.


PS: 27" is small for a 1080p HDTV. I'm having difficulty finding a link for a Lowe Connect FHD. Premium HDTV sets have most of the cost in the video processor. LCD displays are mostly generic. If the DVD player wins this evaluation, you may want to return the TV for a less expensive model or larger size.

[guns1inger]

The smallest Loewe Connect I can find on their site is a 32" with optional DVR. There is a 37", which sounds more likely. The pdf datasheet is here : http://www.loewe-int.de/download/tech_dat/connect/Connect_37_Full-HDplus.pdf but it doesn't really mention the upscaler.

[W_Eagle]

Oops, my typo, it's a 37" one.
It's suppose to be a premium state of art model, since it costs similar to Sony and Philips top models. However, I like its picture quality more than all other brands I saw.
Next week I'll go to the shop, ask the Pioneer DVD Player to be connected to a same model TV and see whether there will be any improvement in PQ.

[guns1inger]

Loewe certainly do make a great TV. My main TV is a Loewe CRT. Still standard definition, but the picture quality when connected to a HD digital box is still far better than most of the low end HD LCD and Plasma TVs.

[W_Eagle]

Loewe CRT and LCD TVs are completely different animals, though, no doubt, they make top quality TVs.

[edDV]

Oops, my typo, it's a 37" one.
It's suppose to be a premium state of art model, since it costs similar to Sony and Philips top models. However, I like its picture quality more than all other brands I saw.
Next week I'll go to the shop, ask the Pioneer DVD Player to be connected to a same model TV and see whether there will be any improvement in PQ.

I'm not sure if you get Samsung there. We don't get Loewe. Samsung recently introduced a new top end model, the 750 series. Recent reviews say it beats the Sony XBR 4/5 especially for 120Hz interpolation Plus Series 7 adds direct Divx/Xvid/h.264/MPeg2 from USB2 or Ethernet. Sony will have new models at the end of August. Over here Sony and Samsung exchange the top premium LCD position. New models are introduced June-August at high price. Prices drop around Christmas time.
http://www.hdtvlounge.net/samsung/series-7-lcd/
http://www.productwiki.com/samsung-7-series/

[W_Eagle]

We get all brand names here, Samsung included (we aren't a third world country …) .
We are in an endless upgrade process, or, rather, race, where every year there are new and better models. I'd rather have a bird in hand than two in the bush. This is my TV set for the next few years. Within few years we are going to have new technologies, like OLED and who knows what else. So, right now I'm only concerned with choosing the peripherals for best possible PQ.

[edDV]

Just giving you the heads up on the new Samsungs. Networked HD is a plus but the current models lack LED/OLED backlights that many expected.

[W_Eagle]

The Samsung specs looks good, yet, nothing a streamer wouldn't do.

[edDV]

The Samsung specs looks good, yet, nothing a streamer wouldn't do.

Nice to have the TV take the Ethernet/USB2 directly to reduce box to box cables. Wireless will be next.

[W_Eagle]

The Samsung specs looks good, yet, nothing a streamer wouldn't do.

Nice to have the TV take the Ethernet/USB2 directly to reduce box to box cables. Wireless will be next.

The Loewe Connect also have USB 2.0 and LAN (optional).

[edDV]

Nice to have that option. I tend to see the HDTV and audio system as longer term investments so would rather have the networked video server be one with the DVD player rather than the TV. Others may prefer to have just a wireless connected TV.

[W_Eagle]

What do you mean exactly by: "the networked video server be one with the DVD player rather than the TV"? Do you mean that the DVD Player will serve as a streamer? If yes, which player can do it?

[edDV]

What do you mean exactly by: "the networked video server be one with the DVD player rather than the TV"? Do you mean that the DVD Player will serve as a streamer? If yes, which player can do it?

I'm talking concept. Philips DVD recorders currently stream SD via USB2. None currently stream HD.