More questions from a HDTV newbie (1 Viewer)

[Marvin Richardson]

Okay, I have a few questions that I hope someone can answer or offer opinions on.
My display is the Sony KP-57WS520, Sony STR-DE1075 Receiver and a Scientific Atlanta Explorer 8300HD DVR, 2 DVD players...Sony DVP-700NP and Panasonic DVD-K87S (which I'm taking back...not happy with it).
1. Would I see any great performance increase if I bought an upconverting DVD player? If I did so, do I have to connect that with HDMI rather than component? I only have 1 HDMI input, so the next question would be...
2. Would I lose any picture quality if I connected my DVR through component rather than HDMI?
3. If I buy a player that does DVD-A or SACD, will that work through digital optical out to my receiver? My receiver doesn't have any 5.1 or 6.1 (whichever it is) inputs broken out like on the back of DVD-A/SACD capable players.
4. Are there any carousel players that do upconverting yet?
5. If I were looking for a DVD player (carousel or not, depending on the previous question) that met these requirements (in order) what would that be?
a. Picture quality (best, that is)
b. Audio quality
c. DVD-A/SACD (both is nice)
d. Bells/Whistles (sleek looking, interface design, remote, etc.)

Thanks for any replies. All of this is a little overwhelming!

 

[Jeff Gatie]

I'll answer what I can (most of the upconverting stuff is covered in the sticky thread in "Sources").



No. DVD-A and SACD is only available through analog 5.1 inputs to the receiver.

 

[Steve Schaffer]

I have a 3 year old Sony KP57HW40, essentially similar to your 520. It doesn't have HDMI input, only component.

I have a Zenith DVB-318 upconverting player (early production that still upconverts over component) and a Sony DVP-NC875V 5-disc changer, as well as a Sony HD-200 DirecTV HD capable stb. The upconverting player has a bit smoother and more film-like image on well mastered discs, but the Sony player is also very good indeed, is more tolerant of less than perfect transfers. I have the DirecTV box set to upconvert everything to 1080i and it looks great too.

The benefit of HDMI over component on a crt based set is mainly to allow connection of devices that won't pass HD via component-like upcoming BluRay or HDDVD players.

On fixed pixel displays HDMI or DVI preserves a digital path all the way to the display which is also a digital device. CRT is an analog display technology so incoming digital signals over HDMI must undergo a digital to analog conversion while with a Sony crt, which is capable of native 480p and 1080i, an incoming analog 480p or 1080i signal via component should look as good as if not better than an incoming digital signal via HDMI.

In other words, component in should look as good as HDMI in.

Whether you lose pq on the DVR using HDMI vs component is something you can only determine for yourself by trying both connections. When the DVR is connected with HDMI, you are running a digital signal to the tv which does a digital-to-analog conversion prior to actual display. Using component your
dvr does a digital to analog conversion and sends it out to the tv. Which connection method looks best would depend on which device, the tv or the dvr, has the best digital to analog conversion.

480p from a good progressive scan player via component should look very good indeed, and my DVP-NC875V is one of if not the best 480p player I've tried (I've had 6 progressive scan players including a Panny with Faroudja).
It's a 5 disc changer with SACD but no DVDA, pillarboxes 4/3 discs so I don't have to use the gray bar mode on the set, and has lots of neat features like custom picture settings and such. It also has a couple of those way-cool blue lights on the front that Sony loves so much. Only paid $150 for it at Sears. If I didn't already have an upconverting dvd player I would not pay twice the price of this Sony to get one. The $160ish Zenith works best over component, has some problems with HDMI and no longer does 1080i over component so I can't recommend it to you.

 

[Dave H]

Yes, I've read this before regarding CRT.

I am at the point that I think I will just stick with the best 480P component player I can find for under $500.00 until HD-DVD or BluRay comes out.

I asked you this in another thread, but I will again.

What do you think or know of the Sony 975 player? It's an upscaler, but I've heard it makes a very good 480 component player which is what I'd use it for. I've heard it's got green depression with HDMI. But, if I use it with component, I don't think this would be an issue, right?

 

[Steve Schaffer]

The "green depression" via hdmi is because the player is outputting the ntsc color matrix and your set is switching to the HD color matrix when it sees 1080i or 720p. That player will only output 480p or 480i via component, and the set will use the ntsc color matrix when it gets 480p or 480i over component, so you should have no green depression.

If I were not going to use the upconversion and wanted a good Sony player I'd get the 875 changer instead. Specs are about the same except it doesn't upconvert to an HD scanrate, and it's a bit less expensive. A changer sounded like a dumb idea to me until I got my first one a few years ago, it's neat being able to load a weekend's worth of movies all at once or an entire LOTR EE set. I've been quite happy with mine.