Upconverting DVD Question.... (1 Viewer)

[Kirk_T]

OK, now that I have finally taken the step into the HD world I have a question that I'm sure many of you know the answer to.

I recently purchased a Tosh. 1080P DLP TV. I am looking to upgrade my DVD player and am seeing some new DVD players that claim they Upconvert the SD signal to HD. Initially I thought this would be great to enjoy HD quality DVD's. Doesn't my TV do the same Upconverting??

What are the advantages/disadvantages to these upconverting DVD players??

I would like to use an HDMI connection to keep the number of cables as low as possible. By doing this directly to the TV would I then use the optical/digital audio OUT from the TV into my Receiver to get the surround sound?? Or Can I go HDMI to TV and also connect Optical to my Receiver? My receiver does not accept HDMI but does upconvert to component video.

Any suggestions on hookups and whether an upconverting DVD player is advantageous???

Thanks as always in advance,

Kirk

 

[Randall Wetmore]

The upconverting players are well worth it, IMO. I have the Panasonic S97, and it does a nice job upconverting to 1080i or 720p via HDMI. I do not know of a DVD player that upconverts to 1080p though. I think most HDTV's themselves do do some form of upconversion, but I don't believe it is the same as what the upconverting players do.

As to your second question: I think with most (if not all) players, you can go directly from your DVD player to your receiver via an optical output.

 

[Ronn.W]

You're going to want to use the HDMI connector (or DVI adapter, depending on the player) going directly from the player to the TV, and then use the optical to deliver audio to the receiver.

You're right, the TV is already doing it, but that doesn't mean the right player won't do it better. There are a lot of upconverting players on the market now, with more to come. Not all are created equal. I'd suggest doing research on some of the more hardware intense forums and test sites before buying one. That should narrow it down a bit for your TV. From what I've read, it seems certain players bring nothing to certain TVs, while others that are OK on some sets look fantastic on others.

 

[Jongyoon Lee]

Connect DVD player to TV via HDMI.
Connect DVD player to receiver via digital audio (optical or coax).

 

[Kirk_T]

Thanks for the responses!

I am seeing upconverting DVD players from $79-$3,500. Obviously the $3500 is out of my league. At what point does it seem to be beneficial to spend the extra dough??

My TV is a Toshiba Cinema Series 56MX195 1080P. I would think that it has a pretty decent internal converter. About how much would an upconverting DVD player cost where the player starts having the better converting technology?

Also, Is there a difference between Upconverting and Upscaling. I would think since my TV is 1080P I should be looking for something that upconverts to 1080i to make it easier for my TV to simply deinterlace that signal. Does this make sense??

Thanks Again,

Kirk

PS Ron, it's good to see fellow Vegas folks on here.

 

[John S]

This is a tough one...

You have to try one and experiement between different connections even between players and feeds to see which is really best.

Some modern nice displays excel with just a plain component connect fed 480i.

Just reality, that to really find the best you have to expeirement some with players and displays. Connections and Resolutions.

 

[Mort Corey]

Or.......if you have a DVD player hooked up presently, and feel you are getting a pretty good picture (and just want something a little better), save your money until next year and be the first on your block with a blu-ray player that will likely take full advantage of your display. The upcoming player(s) should be a substantial improvement...akin to VHS to DVD (or it'll flop)

Mort