JohnnyZ

Upconversion

My HT system is:

-DVD player: Sony DVPCX995V (400 disc changer w/ HDMI, upconversion, etc.)
-Sanyo Z4 projector (720p native)
-JVC DTS 5.1 amp

When I built the system, I ran a 35 foot component cable instead of HDMI since: all my research indicated that component was equal in video quality, didn't suffer signal loss of long wrongs and I didn't need audio going into the projector.

Now that I have all the gear, I find that the Sony only upconverts through the HDMI output. The component is 480p. So, I am not getting any upconversion. :-(

Questions:
-Anyone using the Sony DVPCX995V?
---I trust that when you use the HDMI, Sony keep sending audio to the other digital outputs (e.g., TOS).

-Is it worth it to run the HDMI? Anyone using an upconverter and seeing a difference? Does an upconverted DVD look as good/true as a 720p HDTV broadcast?

The projected image is a 92" diagonal and looks great, but I can tell it's ED (480p) and not HD (720p).

Michael TLV

Re: Upconversion

Greetings

Upconversion cannot create new detail out of nothing. It will never make a 480i source look like a 720p broadcast unless it is a very poor one.

regards

Michael @ The Laser Video Experience
THX Video Systems Instructor
ISF Calibration Instructor
Lion A/V Consultants Network

JohnnyZ

Re: Upconversion

Thanks for the reply, Michael:

But does it look better than 480p? Does having the output of the DVD player set to match the native resolution of the projector (720p) improve the picture? Since they can't add informtion, what's the benefit of upconversion?

I bought the Sony for the jukebox feature and considered the upconversion a bonus. Now I am bummed that I don't get the feature unless I run a new cable (not trivial, 35' run).

I figured that if I added an HDDV/Blueray player in the future, I could use the component cable and a A/V receiver to switch my video sources. Will the HD DVD players support component or will they be only HDMI?

Michael TLV

Re: Upconversion

Greetings

The Toshiba unit does support 1080i upconversion, but only with non-copyguarded material.

There is such a thing as poor upconversion ... just like there are bad doctors and bad lawyers. Nothing can be taken at face value that it is automatically better.

Think of the upconversion as little scalers built into the DVD player. If the player scales better than the projector then you let the player do it. You won't know until you try it. Good scaling often cleans up the image and shows far less noise than the 480 part of the DVD player. Sometimes it squeezes out all the detail there is to see on the disc ... but sometimes it loses the fine details.

Some projectors are better at handling the scaling of a 1080i signal coming in than a 480i/p signal. Won't know until you try it.

Regards

Michael @ The Laser Video Experience
THX Video Systems Instructor
ISF Calibration Instructor
Lion A/V Consultants Network

Dave H

Re: Upconversion

I have a Sony CRT RPTV 57" (KP-57WS520).

I have the Toshiba HD-A1 and I've tried a number of other SD upscaling players (Denon 3910, Sony 9100ES, Oppo, etc.).

While I'm very happy with the Toshiba for SD, I'm still not sure if I like upscaling better than just plain old 480p.

With upscaling, I no longer can see the dreaded horizontal scanlines that are sometimes visible.

However, with 480p, the image is a bit sharper and more defined.

The Avia resolution patterns do show very slightly more detail with upscaling. The tips of the white lines are more visible...where as they start to disappear at 480p component.

But, the sharpness pattern shows the text is very slightly blurred at 1080i upscaled (despite all inputs on my display being calibrated).

So, in essence, for me, each input has positives and negatives. Which is best? I'm not sure. It depends on what day you ask me.

JohnnyZ

Re: Upconversion

Okay, so I tried it. The Input source is a Sony 995 upconverting DVD player. The projector is a Sanyo Z4. Two cables: HDMI and Component.

I flipped back and forth on several movies. I paused to get a still picture and went back and forth.

I can't see a difference. I tried 480p, 720p and 1080i over HDMI and they all looked the same as 480p over component.

Michael TLV

Re: Upconversion

greetings

Then for your system, don't sweat it and use which ever connection is most convenient for you.

Regards

Michael @ The Laser Video Experience
THX Video Systems Instructor
ISF Calibration Instructor
Lion A/V Consultants Network

JohnnyZ

Re: Upconversion

Sorry for the ambiquity. I wasn't complaining. More posting of test results for those with similar systems.

Chris Gerhard

Re: Upconversion

I have a Panasonic 720p LCD projector and a 1080i Sony CRT 30" XBR910. The difference is not great with upconversion but particularly with the projector, I find a subtle improvement worthwhile. Just switching back and forth without calibrating may not identify the difference, but don't expect a great difference in any event.

Chris