HDMI versus component on 37" 720p LCD

I am right now in the market for a 37" (diagonal) HDTV LCD display to replace my 27" CRT TV. The model I'm thinking of getting is the Samsung LN37A450, since I don't have any immediate plans to connect a Blu-ray player to the TV.

Here's the question: what should I use to connect a DVD player to the TV? Should I keep my old Panasonic DVD-S35 player and connect it to the TV via the 480p component video inputs? Or buy a low-cost upconverting player to convert to 720p signal and connect it to the TV using the HDMI input? Does the DNIe signal-processing circuitry on the LN37A450 "process" the 480p component signal for better picture quality? (I'd like to keep my old DVD player if possible.)

Re: HDMI versus component on 37" 720p LCD

Your TV is going to rescale all inputs to its native resolution of 768p anyway, so there's really no reason to add another processing step. If you had a DLP that was a true 720p it might make sense, but with LCD there's no particular advantage. (And truth be told I can't see a difference between the processing on my Sony upconverting DVD player over HDMI and the Sony sending 480p over component to my 720p JVC RPTV.)

Put the money you'd spend on the upconverting player in your Blu Ray fund and buy the hi-def player that much sooner. In the meantime your SD DVDs should still look fantastic on the new TV.

Regards,

Joe

Re: HDMI versus component on 37" 720p LCD

Thank you very much for the information! In that case, I'll keep my old Panasonic DVD-S35 and connect it to the LN37A450 via component cables. Hopefully, my large collection of anamorphic widescreen DVD's will look reasonably good on this TV in true widescreen mode.

Re: HDMI versus component on 37" 720p LCD

Joe,
I'm looking for an HDTV for the first time. I've got a Denon 2910 that will upconvert SD to 720p via hdmi. Do both 720p hdtvs and 1080p hdtvs rescale? Is one process different than the other? Are plasmas and LCDs different in this respect?

Re: HDMI versus component on 37" 720p LCD

HDMI sends a digital signal to the LCD that is then displayed without any converting from analog to digital. The result is better picture quality.

Re: HDMI versus component on 37" 720p LCD

Except for a very few early plasma models and CRT-based direct-view and projection systems, all HDTVs use what is called a "fixed-pixel array". All fixed-pixel TVs share two characteristics: 1) They are inherently progressive-scanning. They aren't capable of displaying an interlaced image. 2) They can only display their own native resolution.

That means a 1080p LCD, plasma, DLP or LCoS set will accept a 1080p signal and display it unaltered. It will take a 480i or 1080i signal and first de-interlace, then scale it to 1080p. 480p, 540p and 720p signals will only need to be scaled to 1080p. All 1080p sets are true 1080p.

A true 720p set will likewise leave a 720p signal unaltered and reprocess other signals (inlcuding down-converting 1080p) as needed. The problem is that there are no flat-panel TVs that are a true 720p. Only DLP, LCoS and some LCD rear-projection sets are. (Some CRT-based RPTVs can also display 720p.)


It is true that there is no analog to digital conversion, but it isn't true that the image doesn't undergo any additional processing. For technical reasons LCD and Plasma "720p" screens are actually made up of 768 horizontal lines, yielding a native resolution of 768p. If such a display a 720p or 1080p signal it is going to rescale it anyway, because it must convert all inputs to its native resolution of 768p. All having the receiver up-convert the image does is add another processing step. If there is a way to turn that off I would. Then you can experiment with having the DVD player output 480i or 480p (if this is an option.) De-interlacing the image is a distinct step from image scaling, and it is possible that the player will do a better job of this than the TV, so it is worth comparing the two.

Also the amount of perceived difference between the digital of HDMI and the analog of component can be anything from impressive to non-existent. I've tested my upconverting Sony DVD player and my JVC (true) 720p 56" LCoS in every combination of connection and point of upconversion possible and the fact is that I can't distinguish between any two of them WRT HDMI vs. component connection. I also can't tell the difference between the Sony upconverting the image and the JVC doing it. So I just have the Sony pass the unaltered SD signal through my Onkyo receiver to the TV over component and enjoy the result.

Regards,

Joe

Re: HDMI versus component on 37" 720p LCD

Boy, that helps so much! It seems there is so much confusion on this matter in general, but I am much clearer now. Sorry Joe, but questions beget more questions.
1- Is there a way to know if a particular set or line of HDTVs is better at processing signals into its native format?
2- Do you think what some are seeing as a better picture out of 1080 sets over 720p sets is just better processing of the particular television to its native resolution?
3-If I run component from the receiver to televison, do you know if the receiver will pass an s-video signal from my vcr on to the HDTV?
4- Any opinions on the Oppo line of upscaling dvd players? I have a huge SDVD collection I'm not getting rid of any time soon.
Thanks for all your help!

BUMP

Some online reviews (hometheater mag, CNET) report on deinterlacing/scaling tests they run on the TVs using test discs like the HQV disc.


For normal DVD it's the processing.  But 1080p has inherent advantage over 720p for displaying Blu-ray or 1080i HDTV, if you are viewing close enough to take advantage of the extra resolution.



Depends which receiver; some do, some don't.


They are considered excellent, but at this point I would just get the Oppo BD player to get best of both worlds.