Who's using component? (1 Viewer)

[KurtEP]

I though standard DVDs had been pretty much completely cracked at this point. It seems like this is closing the barn door to keep the horses in when the entire back side of the barn is missing.

 

[Chuck Anstey]

It's even worse than that. Even before the barn walls were breached, they were making perfect replicas of the barn and all of its contents, including the lock on the door. In a field of 1000 barns, which one is the original?

 

[Cees Alons]

Yep.
I totally agree. It only serves to make our (the good guys, the paying ones) lives a little bit less joyous.


Cees

 

[KurtEP]

Given how little it actually accomplishes in fighting piracy, I'm forced to wonder if they are doing it to make the older HDTVs like I have prematurely obsolete. Not to mention my receiver (My next upgrade is going to make my wallet groan :frowning: )

 

[Chuck Anstey]

I hear that. Another "even worse" situation, there was only one machine made at the very edge of prosumer that could possibly come close to recording the hi-def analog signal and no one would be able to play the analog recording. However, being 100% digital stream, "pirates" (poor and inaccurate name) can just tap into the bits and save them on any media for distribution and playback anywhere with just some software. Sure they need to crack it but that is just a time and effort problem or someone steals the trade secret. Analog is actually the "safe" format.

 

[Dan Hinson]

I have never, ever understood the studios insistence that DVD players be forbidden from upconverting over component video. Piracy? Give me a break. Who copies DVDs over component? Who has ever copied DVDs this way? Hadn’t standard DVD encryption been cracked long before upconverting players ever hit the market?

 

[Ric Easton]

Good point! Maybe the studios will wise up and let Toshiba fix my A3 for upconverting thru component with a firmware update!

Hey, I can dream, can't I?

 

[Shane Martin]

I don't really see the whole bruhaha about upconverting. I've watched upconverting on various machines and don't feel they do anything.

 

[RobertR]

I see a BIG difference between 480p DVDs and DVDs upconverted to 1080i. Scan lines are clearly visible at 480p.

 

[Cees Alons]

There's a big visual difference indeed. When the first HD Toshibas came to the market, some people even posted here to say that the upconverted image was "as good" as an HD image. Some even wondered why they needed HD at all.

Well, that wasn't really true (and the result is also heavily dependent of the original image quality), but it certainly is a pleasure to see your SD DVDs like that on your big HDTV screen (or projected).

It's difficult to tell why you wouldn't be experiencing that Shane. Is there anything "out of the ordinary" ( ) about your setup?


Cees

 

[Shane Martin]

I tried upconverting on both my Panasonic Professional Plasma and my old Mits HD CRT 55" RPTV. I tried various players to no avail really. If there was a difference, it's slight. We even played with upconverting on my friends' 1080P FPTV. He selected 1080P upscaling to match the resolution but we both agreed there wasn't hardly if any difference when we had the player at 480P. Also, Mike Knapp has said that the lower end ones aren't that great either and he ended up with a Cary that upconverts thru component. The cary was $3,000 or so. I'm not going to spend big bucks to upconvert. I can buy an HD player at $500 and spend the extra $2,500 on software and be better off IMHO.

My current upconverters are the PS3 and the A2. I've seen the XA2 as well. So far upconverting players don't produce a near HD image. Not close.

 

[Cees Alons]

Shane,

Were you looking at the same TV then? So the TV did the upconverting?

When you compare it to a 480 signal displayed on a 480 screen, there's much difference. I did A/B tests in my room.

I agree that upconverting on an HDTV is so good already, that better upconverters make no *big* difference to it anymore, although it's still visibly better.

Otherwise: I don't get it, but I cannot agree with you.


Cees

 

[GlennH]

I understand that logic, but the reality is that there are many, many DVDs that won't see the light of day on HD media for a long time, if ever. Sure would be nice to derive the benefits of upscaling in the meantime.

 

[Edwin-S]

I gotta agree with Shane regarding upconverting. I was finally able to see some upconverted images. The improvement, as far as I could see, was slight. Not worth the hassle and effort of burning discs to remove copy protection for upconversion over component.

I was also able to experience upconversion on the PS3. What a disappointment. In my case, everything windowboxed. The image was a postage stamp on my screen. I'd rather watch a lower resolution 480p image than an upconverted postage stamp any day.

Regardless of the above, I still think it is moronic to prevent upconversion over component when a much higher quality image is already being allowed to be transmitted over component. Only a pirate with an IQ lower than his/her shoe size would try to copy an analog signal.

 

[JGiampa]

How did you upconvert on your PS3?

- I have my PS3 hooked up via HDMI and the DVDs look pretty damn good (not compared to bluray of course)

 

[Edwin-S]

The PS3 was hooked up over component. I used a disc that I had burned with AnyDVD, so the protection against upconversion over component was removed. I didn't like the results.

 

[JGiampa]

Ok thanks- then I wont even bother with it.

 

[Scooter]

I see a HUGE difference when viewing an upconverted DVD. A friend loaned me a backed up disc sans any flags and ..WOW... BIG difference!

 

[David_B_K]

To those who did not like upconverting of "burned" DVDs: is it not possible that the backup was done with too much compression? After all, most DVDs are dual-layer these days. One should really view upconverting of a prisitine "real" DVD that has not been compressed, IMO. I realize the backup was necessary to remove the flags, but some compression artifacts could have resulted.

 

[Scooter]

It was a dual layer DVD9...full bore.