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Question on upconverting SD-DVD

#61
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8/28/06 at 6:34am
  • Joined: August 2006
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Re: Question on upconverting SD-DVD

The HD-A1 will upconvert any SD DVD over component as long as the player does not see the flag the distributors put on most DVDs to prevent such things.

The easiest way to accomplish this is to 'backup' your dvd to a blank DVDR. I use DVD+R Dual Layer discs to keep the quality the same by eliminating the need to further compress the film. The copy will upscale perfectly.

It is a pain having to do this, and I hate the way the film companies effectively ensure the end user is conversant with the necessary skills to copy commercial DVDs.

What is the point in them preventing upscaling of a user's DVDs? Plain daft IMHO.
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#62
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8/28/06 at 7:36am
  • Joined: October 1998
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Re: Question on upconverting SD-DVD

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tim Glover
Phil I,

Just noticed your links and your new Toshiba HD 1080p TV is gorgeous. Great screenshots of Star Wars, Serenity, and CSI. Classy looking TV bud.
Thanks Tim!!!

I'm really enjoying my Toshiba 56HD195 1080p HD DVDs PQ quality now that I added an Toshiba HD-A1 to the HT Mix!!!

Last night, my son & his girlfriend watched "The Phantom of the Opera" HD DVD and that PQ was extraordinarily three-dimensional and detailed but, ... after the 2.0FW update, ... the TrueHD 5.1 Audio Soundtrack was exceptionally clear & dynamic!

Back to the upconverting SD-DVD comments, let me add I've been watching "Threshold" (short lived TV series w/Carla Gugino & Brent Spiner - 13 Episodes including 4 Unaired) and that upconverted 1080i > 1080p PQ on my HDTV highlights the fact that SD DVD video was definitely an HiDef transfer & the HD-A1 delivers outstanding PQ w/my SD DVDs that have digital & HiDef transferred video!!!

Phil

My HT Enthusiasts GeoCities Website
---- Toshiba 62HM196 62" 1080p DLP HDTV pic's (#1 in Consumer Reports)
DVD Aficionado (DVDAF) on-going list.
Acquisition Rule #59 “Free advice is seldom cheap.” (Quark @ DS9)
JBL S-Series + SVS 25-31PCi (SN: 00034) w/NSD Upgrade!

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#63
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8/28/06 at 10:00am
  • Joined: October 2001
  • Post Count: 4,026

Re: Question on upconverting SD-DVD

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cees Alons
Brent,

Yes it looks like you have a win/win setup then. Please let us know about your judgement of an A/B comparison of the SDVD upconversions, when you've got the A1.


Cees.


Will do.

"If you're good at something, never do it for free."

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#64
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8/28/06 at 2:27pm
  • Joined: July 1999
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Re: Question on upconverting SD-DVD

FYI on the firmware versions. I got my HD-A1 2 weeks ago & checked on the firmware as soon as the unit was plugged. My machine shipped with 1.4. Purchased at Best Buy, Union, NJ on 8/16/06.
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#65
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8/28/06 at 2:56pm
  • Joined: January 1999
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Re: Question on upconverting SD-DVD

How do you check this Ed? I've had mine for a little over a week and would like to know...Thanks!
Club Timobi Wan-Episode II
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#66
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8/28/06 at 3:26pm
  • Joined: August 2006
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Re: Question on upconverting SD-DVD

Tim,

You should be able to go into SETUP, select MAINTAINANCE, and UPDATE. You'll see X.X/XX/XX and the first two digits will tell you which update was last loaded.

I got mine pretty recently and it had 1.4. Updated to 2.0 this weekend, but am still trying to figure out how to do the analog speaker set-up.
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#67
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8/28/06 at 4:04pm
  • Joined: January 1999
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Re: Question on upconverting SD-DVD

Thanks!
Club Timobi Wan-Episode II
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#68
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9/3/06 at 5:40pm
  • Joined: July 2001
  • Location: Whittier, California
  • Post Count: 2,598

Re: Question on upconverting SD-DVD

I have had my HD-A1 for about 3 days now and am happy with it so far. I allready own about 9 titles and watched Sky Captain And The World Of Tomorrow yesterday. While I was not impressed with the movie itself, the HD presentation looked great. I have also tried Pirates Of The Caribbean: Curse Of The Black Pearl and Star Wars 3:Revenge Of The Sith on SD-DVD. I was very impressed so far with how good the video looks when it is upconverted to 1080i. I am just using the HDMI cable that came with the machine and am concidering getting a good quality 2m Monster HDMI cable next pay check.

1080p High Definition SupporterLossless Audio Supporter Current Library: 221 DVD's / 70 HD-DVD's / 181 Blu-ray's (251 HD Titles)

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#69
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9/4/06 at 6:11am
  • Joined: May 2002
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Re: Question on upconverting SD-DVD

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave Moritz
... I am just using the HDMI cable that came with the machine and am concidering getting a good quality 2m Monster HDMI cable next pay check.
Don’t forget Dave, that digital either works—or does not. So long as those 0s and 1s are pumping along, you probably won’t see any difference in your display.

Unless you are seeing freeze ups or blocks on your display, you might consider using the money to purchase another movie.
¡Time is not my master!
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#70
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9/4/06 at 10:37am
  • Joined: October 1998
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Re: Question on upconverting SD-DVD

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lew Crippen
Don’t forget Dave, that digital either works—or does not. So long as those 0s and 1s are pumping along, you probably won’t see any difference in your display.

Unless you are seeing freeze ups or blocks on your display, you might consider using the money to purchase another movie.

Lew is correct!

Now, let me qualify this with my experience with the HDMI cable that came with my Panasonic S77s.

After connecting everything, setting it up to upconvert my 480 DVDs to 1080i into my 1080p 56hM195, ... I would get intermittent audio skip, hick-up, or drop-out randomly in my blockbuster DVD movies, ... like Serenity, Sahara, etc.

So, in my case, I had no video problems, ... just audio issues / COAX SPDIF connection.

To verify if it was the Panasonic supplied HDMI cable, I played the same movies via the component inputs and had no issues. It was random using my HDMI input, so I thought it might be the unit!?!?!??

Anyway, I didn't want to return my S77s to OneCall, ... I thought I'd try another HDMI cable, ... so, ... I bought a 6' Gold Ends HDMI cable @ eBay for $0.99 + $7.95 SH, and that did the trick!!!

After I got my Toshiba HD-A1 and verified that it upconverted my 480 DVDs better than my S77s, I auctioned off my S77s @ eBay.

I kept my eBay HDMI cable though and used that with my Toshiba HD-A1!

So , add to Lew's comment, ... unless you also experience some intermittent audio problems, then use the supplied HDMI cable. If you have any problems, check out eBay!

Phil

My HT Enthusiasts GeoCities Website
---- Toshiba 62HM196 62" 1080p DLP HDTV pic's (#1 in Consumer Reports)
DVD Aficionado (DVDAF) on-going list.
Acquisition Rule #59 “Free advice is seldom cheap.” (Quark @ DS9)
JBL S-Series + SVS 25-31PCi (SN: 00034) w/NSD Upgrade!

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#71
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9/4/06 at 4:40pm
  • Joined: July 2001
  • Location: Whittier, California
  • Post Count: 2,598

Re: Question on upconverting SD-DVD

I have allways believed in using good quality cables. I have purchased Monster, Audio Quest and Tributary cables in the past. I never have cared for the cheap cables that come with the hardware.

1080p High Definition SupporterLossless Audio Supporter Current Library: 221 DVD's / 70 HD-DVD's / 181 Blu-ray's (251 HD Titles)

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