Progressive Scan DVD Player? What does this all mean? (1 Viewer)

[Jack DeWees]

Greetings to all,

I was wondering with a progressive scan DVD Player, would that eliminate the pause in a DVD when it's playing? I know that on deul layer disks that the system tends to pause for a brief second. With a Progressive scan machine, would it eliminte this? What does Progressive Scan do? Any good models out there?

 

[Rod Melotte]

Progressive scanning, otherwise known as 480P (p=progressive), creates a picture signal with double the scan lines of a conventional interlaced picture, 480I (I=interlaced), to create a noticeably sharper image. The 480P image offers higher picture resolution and eliminates virtually all motion artifacts. Even on large screens, the progressive scan lines are barely noticeable and picture flickering is greatly reduced, so you can enjoy extended viewing without eye fatigue. There are also many advantages to progressive conversion.

The benefits of progressive vs. interlaced scanning

Standard DVD-Video players use interlaced scanning to produce a picture. Interlaced scanning combines two fields to generate a picture of 525 scan lines (480 of which are displayed). Your television projects an interlaced image by first scanning the 240 odd-numbered lines of one field (in 1/60th of a second), followed by the 240 even-numbered lines of the other field (in 1/60th of a second). So, it takes two fields to build one frame of video.

Progressive enables all 525 lines (480 of which are displayed) to be scanned at the exact same time. A television with 480P component inputs can completely scan the entire image in 1/60th of a second, so it only takes one field to build one frame of video. The result is a smoother and sharper picture, with high resolution and no motion artifacts.

So to answer your question - no - progressive would not eliminate it.

 

[Jack DeWees]

Do you happen to know if they are smoothing out the transition on players when they are showing a dual-layered disk?

 

[Bob McElfresh]

Rod gave a great description. Let me add a simple example:

Your computer monitor - it's a "progressive" display. The rows are drawn in natural order.

To take advantage of a Progressive Scan DVD player, you need a HD/HD Ready TV or it wont understand the signals.

Does that simple example help?

 

[Michael Reuben]

For a very good detailed explanation of progressive scan and related issues, with illustrations, try the following link:
http://www.dvdfile.com/news/special_...2_pulldown.htm
There is no connection between progressive scan and the manner in which a player handles layer changes. I have one of the better progressive scan players ever made (the Panasonic H1000), and it has the longest pause at layer changes of any machine I've ever owned. It's about my only complaint.
For advice on progressive scan players, search for the word "progressive" in the Audio/Video Sources forum. There are many existing threads. But as noted, there's no point in even pursuing the subject if you don't have an HD-ready TV or some other monitor that can accept the 480p signal. The average TV cannot.
M.

 

[Vince Maskeeper]

Do you happen to know if they are smoothing out the transition on players when they are showing a dual-layered disk?

Jack,

The solution would be the buffer the disc into memory before playing it. Like skip protection on a portable CD player.

I have read reports that say that some ambiguous wording in the DVD player spec does not allow players to retain any info inside the player, and this might be translated to include buffering.

However- I would assume players should be coming soon with some sort of buffer feature to elimanate layer pause.

You could go to HTPC right now, using a PC to be the DVD player- as DVD drives already buffer to memory, so layer changes are essentially non-existant.

Or you could "live with it"- it is usually a very very subtle pause-- and compared to laserdiscs (with side changes and disc breaks)- it is a very tiny issue.

-V

 

[Jack DeWees]

Off the progressive scan issue, does anyone know what's the best player (Progressive scan perferable) that has the shortest pause rate when transitioning the dual layer format?

 

[Rod Melotte]

Jack - just curious - why the attention to the pause. I'm not sure I've seen anybody else really worry about it before.

I kind of get a small techno-smile out of it. It's rather ingenious I'd say.

 

[Jack DeWees]

The biggest reason regarding the pause is that I'm very nit-picky with technology. Always wanting it to be perfect. I should know by now that when dealing with new technology, it's never without it's little glitches. And to be honest, sometimes I don't really notice it. My biggest problem is when studios produce a DVD and place the pause in the middle of an action sequence. Now studios are getting better, placing the pause at a chapter interchange, but on the earlier realeses of a dual layered disk, it seemed on some cases the pause occured in the middle of an important scene.

You're right, it's not a big deal. But if I can reduce the pause time, that's great.

 

[Dave Poehlman]

I'm with you about the pauses, Jack. Except "poorly placed" pauses bug me more than the pause itself. DVD manufacturers generally try to hide the layer change in an inconspicuous spot in the action (between scene changes/still image). But when I see one out in the open.. it bugs me a bit.