Video Asylum

Posted by AbeCollins (A) on January 04, 2005 at 12:13:38

In Reply to: DVD upscaler posted by warrenh@optonline.net on January 3, 2005 at 03:18:51:

An upscaler can do a couple things like take 480i (interlaced) video and create 480p (progressive scan) video. Modern DVD players already put out a 480p signal which will work with most recent TV sets that can handle 'progressive scan' input. Beyond that, some upscalers will actually take the 480 signal and upconvert it to 720p, 1080i, or 1080p which are higher resolutions. By upconverting the signal you are not gaining any additional detail or information. The upscaler is basically filling in, in-between the lines. Some DVD players have this capability built-in. The Denon 5900 and others can do 480p, 720p and 1080i, others might even do 1080p but of course your TV/monitor will need to be compatible with these formats.

In my opinion, if you have a 'high-end' home theater setup with a large screen an upscaler might be worth the investment but it's really the source material (the DVD itself) that is limiting the picture quality. I can 'upscale' any DVD I own and none of them look even remotely as sharp as a true High-Definition TV (HDTV) broadcast with HD source / content.... Live NFL games for example or PBS programs shot in Hi-Def. Hi-Def is also 720p or 1080i but because the source was shot at those high resolutions, all the information is there as sharp as can be.... something that DVD can only 'imitate' with upscaling.

So to invest in a upscaler today or not? Hmmm, not me. Even modestly priced DVD players can do that. The real hot ticket will be higher resolution DVDs which are just around the corner.

Just my 2-cents worth from a layman's perspective.

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