HD-DVD choice (1 Viewer)

[Fernalfer]

I have a Samsung 1080p HS-5087W. I want a HD-DVD player but would something like the XA-1 look good at only out putting 10801. Or would it be a waist.

I just don't want to spend that kind of money for the XA-2 just because it out puts 1080p. Would i even notice the difference on a 50inch?

I just don't want buy the XA-1 and months later have to go get the XA-2. But i also don't want to spend the money on the XA_2.

-So would the XA-1 suffice for now?
-Or should i wait for the XA-2 to come down in price?

 

[Jason Seaver]

My HD-A1 looks fan-friggin-tastic outputting 1080i. I'm told that there's effectively no difference between 1080i and 1080p for film-speed data such as what is stored on an HD-DVD.

 

[Cees Alons]

Like Jason said: 1080 = 1080. It doesn't matter in what order the lines are put in place in your TV's display memory - as long as they are put in the right place.

I just received my new Samsung 1920x1080 full-HD TV set and stayed up last night doing some ( ) comparative tests. I can tell you: as to be expected, there's no visible difference whatsoever PQ-wise between 1080i and 1080p, certainly not if it comes from a HD DVD (or a BD). All you need is: to be sure that the TV set can handle 1080i input (and I would be surprised if it couldn't, to say it mildly).

I have the HD-A1, and the image on my Samsung (1080p too!) is stunning. So will yours be!


Cees

 

[Fernalfer]

I have the panasonics52s Upconvert DVD player which upconverts to 1080i. It does a pretty good job and the picture quality is great with regular DVD's.

Is the quality of an HD-DVD player really that much better then an upconvert DVD player like mine.

I just want to justify the advantages before i buy.

 

[Cees Alons]

Some people, who had an upconverter DVD player, say the Toshiba is one of the best. I can only say it's a very good image and I was able to compare it to the VP50, which is a rather expensive and versatile video-processor. The image of the HD-A1 when upconverting an SD DVD to 1080i is as good as the VP50's when it does 1080i or -p.

I compared an image of an SD DVD upgraded by the HD-A1 to an image output as 480i by the HD-A1 and upgraded by the VP50 (after each other, not next to each other).
If the last one was better, I couldn't really notice it, or tell for sure.

So, my guess is (but the proof in the pudding is in the eating here too), that the upconverted image of the HD-XA1 (or -A2) will probably be better than your DVD-player's, and at least certainly not worse.


Bottom line: you don't throw away your current DVD player (at least not before you're satisfied the HD DVD player is up to the job of replacing it ), and you can be sure that your current DVD collection will not lose any of it's worth when you buy a HD DVD player.


Cees