Toshiba 50HX81 + Progressive Scan DVD (1 Viewer)

[Jerold Burrow]

Greetings -
I recently acquired a new Toshiba 50HX81 RPTV (my old 36" finally bought the farm). From what I understand, the 50HX81 has built-in progressive scan (480i -> 540p) and built-in 3:2 pull-down. I am using a Panasonic CV-36 (a non-progressive scanning player) as my DVD player.
Some Questions:
1. Would I benefit much from a progressive scan player such as the Panasonic RP-56 or the RP-91? The picture quality looks pretty good currently, but I have not compared it to a progressive scan setup. Has anyone done an A/B comparison of this?
2. What would the scaling abilities of the RP-91 do for me? I'm guessing it would help out only for non-anamorphic DVD's?
All comments are welcome. Thanks in advance!
Side Note #1:
I noticed that my center channel (PSB Image 9C) sounds much better sitting on my new TV. It seems that my old TV was resonating quite a bit, resulting in a "boxy" sound from the speaker.
Side Note #2:
When shopping for my TV, I came across a sales person who insisted that I watch movies in 5-channel stereo because it sounded "fuller". Uhhhh...
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Jerold Burrow

 

[Bob McElfresh]

In general, a progressive scan DVD player will do a better job than sending an analog interlace signal to a HDTV and letting it do the conversion.
A DVD movie often has tags to tell the player how to send the video out in progressive mode. This is all done in the digital domain.
A HDTV has to take the interlace video, buffer it, de-interlace it, guess as to if it needs 3:2 pull-down, then re-assemble the video.
This processing often causes lots of little artifacts.
Side Note #1: Try making little "feet" for your center speaker to get it up off the TV cabinent. Rubber door wedges or pink-rubber erasers work well, as does a half-inflated wheel-barrow innertube. The face of the speaker should be pulled in-front of the face of the TV by about a 1/4 inch as well so the sound does not "couple" itself to the face of the TV.
Side Note #2: Your salesman was just suggesting you try out the various DSP modes on your receiver. These CAN enhance the viewing experience.
Or are you telling me you prefer using those 2 smashed-together, single-driver speakers backed up by that powerful 30 watt amp (shared) in the Toshiba cabinent?
Someone a few weeks ago did a poll and discovered quite a lot of people use their A/V receiver and speakers for ordinary TV viewing. (But we are known to be a rabid bunch
Good Luck.

 

[JohnHN]

I have a 50HX81 and a Panasonic RP56. The doubler on the 50HX81 does a fine job and typically there is no visible difference between the Panasonic running interlaced and running progressive. But I can point to scenes where the image has severe moire in interlaced but not in progressive. Typically, the problems involve images with closely spaced lines. The Panasonic isn't perfect on many of these scenes either, but it is much, much, much better. (I was originally pointed to the car grill in the scene in Saving Private Ryan where the car arrives at the farmhouse to report the deaths of the Ryan boys. Now I know of lots of others.)
Some of the theoretical advantages of deinterlacers in DVD players are, well, theoretical. At the time progressive DVD players first came out, a lot was made about how DVD players would just read the flags and deinterlace perfectly. Then we find out that the flags are often screwed up, which throws flag reading DVD players into video mode, where they often do a less than stellar job. The progressive DVD players with the best deinterlacers, like the Sage in the RP56, are cadence readers, as is the deinterlacer in the Toshiba. But, for whatever reason, the RP56 is a better cadence reader than the Toshiba. For example, I can trip up the Toshiba by looping on short passages (e.g. the shots of stadium seating in Super Speedway), where it has less time to get the cadence, while the the Panasonic remains locked on.
I think that, given the price of the Toshiba, a good progressive player is nice, but not essential, to have. Buy something like an RP56 and move your old player to the bedroom.
My understanding is that, interlacing aside, the RP91 has better video (better digital/analog conversion), but that the RP56 does better deinterlacing. I don't have personal experience with an RP91, however.
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[Jerold Burrow]

Thanks for the replies...
Bob:
I had rubber feet on my center channel. The old TV's plastic enclosure was just too thin I suppose. The new TV's enclosure looks to be made of particleboard. Perhaps TV manufactures are now more aware of and accommodating the use of center channels atop their sets.
I was demoing a DTS movie (Dinosaur) at the time he suggested that 5-channel stereo would sound better – “fuller” than plain DTS. I found it odd because I thought that 5-channel stereo would defeat the purpose of having 5.1 discrete channels. Doesn't 5-channel mode just send the L/R main channel signal to the L/R rear channels (possibly with some delay/reverb) and a combined signal to the center?
I too use my receiver when watching any source. I don't see the point in not doing so.
John:
It's good to hear from someone with a similar setup to mine. I suppose at around $200, the RP-56 is worth a shot. My current player would definitely NOT go to waste.
Bob and John, thanks again for your posts. I'll try to post back with the results of my purchase.
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Jerold Burrow