What Is Meant By An HD-compatible DVD player?
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The Upscaling Process
Upscaling is a process that mathematically matches the pixel count of the output of the DVD signal to the physical pixel count on an HDTV, which is typically 1280x720 (720p) or 1920x1080 (1080i).
720p represents 1,280 pixels displayed across the screen horizontally and 720 pixels down the screen vertically. This arrangement yields 720 horizontal lines on the screen, which are, in turn, displayed progressively, or each line displayed following another.
1080i represents 1,920 pixels displayed across a screen horizontally and 1,080 pixels down a screen vertically. This arrangement yields 1,080 horizontal lines, which are, in turn, displayed alternately. In other words, all the odd lines are displayed, followed by all the even lines.
The Practical Effect Of DVD Upscaling
Visually, there is very little difference to the eye of the average consumer between 720p and 1080i. However, 720p can deliver a slightly smoother-looking image, due to the fact that lines and pixels are displayed in a consecutive pattern, rather than in an alternate pattern.
The upscaling process does a good job of matching the upscaled pixel output of a DVD player to the native pixel display resolution of an HDTV capable television, resulting in better detail and color consistency.
However, upscaling, as it is currently implemented, cannot convert standard DVD images into true high-definition images. In fact, although upscaling works well with fixed pixel displays, such as Plasma and LCD televisions, results are not always consistent on CRT-based high definition televisions.
Anyone know about this?
As you undoubtedly know, 1920 X 1080 (square pixel) is full raster 1080 (i or p), but there are a couple of thin raster sizes as well.
There is 1280 X 1080 and 1440 X 1080, both of which use rectangular (anamorphic) pixels that are converted to 1920 lines of square pixels when displayed. While stored on disc or tape, the thin raster frame sizes allow the format to use less total pixels, reducing storage size and bandwidth requirements.
FWIW.
My take on this is since you can’t upscale without HDMI or digital input on your video monitor (see my post 19), then this is really just another cheap DVD player with it’s own way of upscaling. This means it offers no value to those of us who only have component inputs, and for those that have HDMI, they might as well get a blue-ray player so they can play BOTH kinds of disks.
This really seems to be a product in search of a market. If they had allowed Component output I think it would have been much more successful. I think it will go the way of Digital audio tape, RCA “needle in groove” video disks, and the elcassette.
Of course, there will be those who may use it as a “transition machine”, as well as those that get it to augment their blue ray player, assuming they think the picture is better than “normal” upscaling and they have a significant dvd collection. On the other hand, anyone that particular would certainly be simply moving to BlueRay anyway.