DVD Players and Calibration Disks (1 Viewer)

[dhornick]

I know this forum is mostly for Display Devices TV’s and such but I have two questions about two different things. I have pretty much spent my entire wad on my 58” Plasma TV which by the way at least for the first 15 hours or so of break in time is wonderful.
Questions:
1.Advertised Upconversion DVD players. Best Buy advertises a Panasonic DVD player that says will “Up the ante in your home theater with this versatile DVD player that can upconvert your standard DVDs to 1080p resolution for stunning color and accurate detail. The dialogue enhance feature delivers crisp sound for improved enjoyment”. Is this true, why would some one spend $200 on a real HD-DVD player if so? What does the word upconvert really mean? Is it worth buying? My set is the 720p 768 1080i set so I don’t really care about the 1080p part but if I can get true 720p HD for $99 I’d go for it. Blu-Ray is not even a consideratiion at this point because of the prices.

2.Calibration Disks. Can a normal layman everyday guy operate one easily? I’m just fairly comfortable around electronic equipment and talk but sometimes you guys can really loose me in some of your technical garble.

 

[Patrick Sun]

You might want to consider waiting for the next Wal-Mart $99 Toshiba A2 HD DVD player sale (rumor is that Wal-mart will be having these pre-Black Friday sales on month long in November), and the HD DVD player is also a nice DVD player with upconverson available through its HDMI output directly from the HD DVD player to the TV (or through a HDMI-capable/pass-through receiver to the TV). Other stores are also getting on the reduced pricing on the A2, so you should look around if you don't live near a Wal-mart.

If you have the new HDMI-capable TV, and are looking for a DVD player, you should expand your search to these newly affordable Toshiba A2's because in a year or less, you'll kick yourself for buying a DVD player that offers upconversion when you could have already have HD DVD playback as well for the same price. Please check out the HD Hardware area and just read up some on the the threads for info and options.

The calibration discs will lead you through the process, just listen and follow their instructions. Come back if you are confused by the instructions.

 

[ChrisWiggles]

1) An upscaling DVD player is simply upscaling the video. It cannot create detail that is not present in the source. Moreover, if you have an HD display, it is already scaling everything to its native resolution. Adding an external video processor or an upscaling DVD player would only advantageous if it were superior in processing quality to your display.

2) Yes, though you may need to take some time reading to understand some of the pattern uses. But extremely fundamental to a quality image. Professional calibration is another choice, superior in results, but significantly more expensive obviously. A DIY disc by the end user gets you most of the way there, for very cheap. Everyone should at least do that much.

 

[dhornick]

Concerning Calibration disks….
To put it bluntly I have a fairly old crappy DVD player. It worked just fine with my old projection big screen. But now with the new 720p/768/1081i Plasma (Panny TH-58PX60U) I have it looks like a regular picture coming in at only 480i just like my basic signal from DISH (HD upgrade package scheduled in 3 days).
Question is how can this DVD player play a calibration disk at 480i and still have the correct communication with the much higher Plasma technology to make the correct calibrations? Wouldn’t they have to be on the same playing level? Make since?

 

[ChrisWiggles]

If you're calibrating SD signals, an SD calibration disc is the appropriate tool to use. If you have HD sources as well, then HD test patterns are used for the HD playback chain.