Video Asylum

Posted by Joe Murphy Jr (A) on December 01, 2003 at 19:45:58

In Reply to: DVI output-does it matter for DVDs? posted by Peter Breuninger on December 01, 2003 at 06:02:01:

If you have one of Sony's recently released RPTV LCD models, the answer is yes. If you have last year's model or the one before it, then no.

The latter two Sony models actually used analog circuits for the video processing. Sony's said that they offered DVI inputs to allow consumers with DVI capable sources to use them with Sony's RPTV LCDs. Actually, that was just marketing speak for "our WEGA engine is analog, therefore your digital input is converted to analog negating any potential inprovement gained by an all digital path.". Facts is facts, as they say.

This year, the WEGA engine is (finally) all digital and there are no analog steps in the path -- except at the phosphors, of course.

DVI, even for just DVDs, will allow for an increase in picture sharpness, less video noise, less degradation of the signal due to analog conversions and their required connectors/cables in the video path. The upscaling DVI DVD players usually offer an upscaling fuction that (may) present a better signal for your display to... well, display.

DVD player and display with proper DVI implementation:
(MPEG2) digital YCbCr --> digital RGB --> D/A (LCD phosphors)

As you can see, using this route there's only one analog conversion, as opposed to multiple D/A and A/D conversions.