"Richard Cranium" <dufus@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
news:482389ca.984401156@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>I have a Sony XBR LCD set and a non-upconverting DVD player.
>Is the
> TV automatically upconverting the 480p (I can select
> progressive on
> the DVD player) to something better? The picture seems fine,
> but not
> noticably better than what I saw on my older CRT. DVDs have
> always
> been crystal clear. Is there something to be said for the
> upconverting capabilities of newer DVD players (e.g., the OPPO
> discussion with its higher-end circuitry)? Thanks.
<OPINION>
"Up-conversion," which is an algorithmic improvement over
rescaling, comes in several flavors. Until recently, faroudja's
patented method was considered best by many - certainly at the
consumer level, and possibly at the pro level as well. Any TV
equipped with the same faroudja chip as that in an OPPO DVD
player should produce "up-conversion" of the same quality. I've
not seen the result of To****ba's HD-DVD players' SD
up-conversion but some have remarked that it's better than what
has been seen from OPPO - grains of salt aside.
Obviously image input, which is already properly scaled, would
not pass through these algorithms in an HDTV, so choosing the
proper mix of equipment (or disabling the source up-conversion
algorithm when the HDTV's is superior) adds another PITA
checkpoint to the HDTV shopper's list.
When comparing up-converted SD images to anything else, HDTV is
not the best choice for the comparison target. The question
is, more appropriately, how does the SD image appear on the HDTV
when compared with the SD image on SD TVs? SD images which have
been rescaled but have not been up-converted usually fair poorly
in this comparison. OTOH, up-converted SD images are better
able to take advantage of the HDTVs features - size and possibly
brightness - giving the viewer a more satisfactory viewing
experience than the same image on an SD TV. An up-converted
anamorhic DVD image which approximates a 16:9 aspect ratio
rivals HDTV in the viewer's eyes simply because the same image
on an SD TV didn't.
Shop only at places with liberal return policies!
</OPINION>
|
