Ensign Eddie

1080i v. 1080p - Is Upgrade Worth It?

I have a Toshiba A2 HD-DVD player and a Mitsubishi DLP rear projector that is capable of 1080p. Everything is connected to an Onkyo 705 via HDMI.

Since Toshiba is dropping the price of the A30 (<$170 at Amazon this morning), I have considered an upgrade. Is it worth it to go to 1080p (in other words, would I really notice a difference)? Besides 1080p, are they any other reasons to upgrade?

Thanks for any replies.

andrew markworthy

Re: 1080i v. 1080p - Is Upgrade Worth It?

Do you notice any difference between 720p and 1080i? If the answer is 'no' then I seriously doubt you'll notice any improvement in getting 1080p. If 'yes' then you may notice a difference. BUT: don't expect it to be a huge mud-wrestle-your-grandmother-to-get-it difference.

I'd counsel caution against investing in HD DVD given the recent news, unless it suits your specific needs.

FWIW. I have 1080p BD and HD players but 'only' a 1080i screen. I've tried out a 1080p screen and yes, I can tell a difference, but IMHO it ain't worth the extra outlay at the moment. Yes, the next set I get when my present one has to be replaced will be 1080p (and 24 fps, etc as well), but I'm in no great rush.

JeremyErwin

Re: 1080i v. 1080p - Is Upgrade Worth It?

Are you having problems with interlacing? Combing artifacts, perhaps? If so, by all means, get a 1080p player. Otherwise...

Ensign Eddie

Re: 1080i v. 1080p - Is Upgrade Worth It?

Frankly, if there is any difference at all, I don't expect it to be noticeable. I believe that my TV actually converts the 1080i to 1080P (but I could be wrong about that). I was just looking for confirmation.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JeremyErwin Are you having problems with interlacing? Combing artifacts, perhaps? If so, by all means, get a 1080p player. Otherwise...

I don't notice any artifacts with my current setup.

However, I am also interested in whether there are other features or advantages going from a second-gen (A2) to a third-gen (A30) player.

Quote:

Originally Posted by andrew markworthy I'd counsel caution against investing in HD DVD given the recent news, unless it suits your specific needs.

Although I don't plan to buy many (if any) new HD-DVDs, I enjoy the 30 or so I have already. I expect the A30 to reach below $150, at which point it is not that much of an investment. Plus it would allow me to move the A2 to another room. But if there is no real difference than I will probably pass.

andrew markworthy

Re: 1080i v. 1080p - Is Upgrade Worth It?

Fair point. And in addition, the upscaling should be excellent so it's also a wise bet for playing SD discs (It'll be years before they're all issued - if indeed all of them are - in a hi def format).

Bryan X

Re: 1080i v. 1080p - Is Upgrade Worth It?

The answer is no*.

*If your TV properly de-interlaces the 1080i signal, there is no difference if your HD DVD player is 1080i or 1080p. Your TV will take the 1080i signal and de-interlace it and put all the lines back to their original 1080p state before it displays it. The only reason you would see a difference is if your TV doesn't properly handle the de-interlacing step.

So if 1080i/1080p is the only reason you are thinking of spending the extra coin (and your TV properly handles the de-interlacing), save your money.

Matthew J

Re: 1080i v. 1080p - Is Upgrade Worth It?

I think I'll be upgrading my A2 to a A35 Even though I don't have a 1080p tv just yet. And the analog outs seem worth it for my current receiver.

Ensign Eddie

Re: 1080i v. 1080p - Is Upgrade Worth It?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bryan X The answer is no*. *If your TV properly de-interlaces the 1080i signal, there is no difference if your HD DVD player is 1080i or 1080p. Your TV will take the 1080i signal and de-interlace it and put all the lines back to their original 1080p state before it displays it. The only reason you would see a difference is if your TV doesn't properly handle the de-interlacing step. So if 1080i/1080p is the only reason you are thinking of spending the extra coin (and your TV properly handles the de-interlacing), save your money.

That's pretty much what I thought. I think my TV does a fine job of deinterlacing so I'll keep my money in my pocket for a while. Unless someone can tell me other reasons for moving to a third-gen player.

andrew markworthy

Re: 1080i v. 1080p - Is Upgrade Worth It?

If HD DVD folds now that Warner has gone Blu-Ray, then chances are high that third-gen HD will be the most advanced generation that comes to the market place. Therefore, there would be grounds for buying a fire sale HD DVD player and keeping it in storage for when your current player bites the dust. But this is predicated on two suppositions:

(1) in the future, affordable dual players don't appear (this is implausible given previous analagous experiences of multi-format DVD recorders, DVD players that play VCDs, etc)

(2) BD versions of HD discs don't appear (if they do - and it's odds-on they will - then it'd probably be cheaper to buy replacement discs than buy another HD player).