Panasonic PT47 better with iscan line doubler? (1 Viewer)

[Chris PC]

I am considering a projector like the AE100 but i'm just looking at the other less expensive options.

If I had an interlaced DVD player, and I was contemplating an RPTV like the panny, but I wanted better line doubling for cable, vhs and laserdiscs, wouldn't it make sense to just use an iscan dvdo? I could keep my interlaced DVD player too.

 

[Michael TLV]

Greetings

Yes, but your DVD images would still be inferior to a good progressive scan player.

Progressive scan players output more image resolution and the ISCAN ain't never gonna give you the back.

Add to that ... ISCANning cable is akin to getting 35% on a test. Sure it is better than 30%, but you know what, the image is still cruddy and you still failed the test.

Regards

 

[Chris PC]

Wouldn't the iscan still look better for cable, vhs and laserdisc than the line doubler for the panasonic PT47WX49 ?? Or would I be better off with a Sony KP51HW40?

I beg to differ about the iscan for DVD's. The iscan passed all the tests in the DVD shoot-outs and I saw the image of an interlaced DVD player through an iscan and projected via an AE100 projector and it was amazing. I doubt very much that any progressive dvd player less than $1000.00 would look much better than that.

 

[Michael TLV]

Greetings

Since most progressive scan DVD players output 540 lines ... and most interlaced outputs pass only about 480 to 500 lines ...

where does the ISCAN find those missing 40 to 60 lines that it never received in the first place to create an image that has more detail than from the progressive scan player?

As mentioned before, it will improve all sources, but not really enough to make that big of a difference. The linedoubler in the Panasonic is not exactly chopped liver.

That's what the statement of going to 35% on a test is all about.

Let me get this right ... you want to spend $900 to $1200 on a unit that gives you marginal performance improvements and yet you don't want to spend $350 on a progressive scan DVD player that will outperform the same ISCAN unit?

Okay.

Regards

 

[LaMarcus]

That's funny...
Mike is the man, I think I may be secretly in love with him in a heterosexual way, lol

 

[Allan Jayne]

If the broadcast or cable TV or VHS source is clean, the iScan will do a nice job.
The iScan surpasses a lot of progressive DVD players on non-film source or incorrectly flagged source. The reason is that the affected players don't have motion adaptive de-interlacing to fall back on. This is what the "shootout" article (I forget the URL) is revealing. I would guess that over 90% of film DVD's have the proper flags so a progressive DVD player on average has the superior edge.
It is unfortunate that (if true) some DVD players don't deliver all 540 TVL of light/dark resolution out their S-video jacks. Theoretically the Y of S-video is the same as the Y of component video. At least you can shop around for a DVD player with 540 TVL of resolution and bring your AVIA test disk to prove it. (Video Essentials doesn't go high enough.)
Video hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/video.htm

 

[Chris PC]

Let me get this right ... you want to spend $900 to $1200 on a unit that gives you marginal performance improvements and yet you don't want to spend $350 on a progressive scan DVD player that will outperform the same ISCAN unit?

What am I spending $900 to $1200 on? The point was, I have seen the picture of an interlaced player through an iscan and to me, it was great. No artifacts, vibrant colour. Lots better than the Toshiba and Hitachi upscaling that I always see to 540p.

I heard that the line doubler in the Panasonic PT47WX49 wasn't too hot. I figured 300 or $400 for an iscan would be worth it if it made my cable, vhs and laserdisc better, PLUS I wouldn't NEED to buy a progressive player and my interlaced player with the iscan would be flawless in terms of 3:2 pulldown.

The other option is to get the Sony which has a better line doubler, but its more expensive.