DVD Upconversion:Noticeable difference in picture? or sellinggimmick?

I have a 42 plasma, so I was wondering if I should buy a upconversion
DVD player. Will I actually notice the difference or is it just a
selling gimmick. Any samples on the web showing the difference, or
would that not be possible to do, we all have different type of
monitors/ lcd.
Thanks.

On Wed, 27 Feb 2008 16:36:46 -0800 (PST), lbbss
wrote:

I have a 42 plasma, so I was wondering if I should buy a upconversion
DVD player. Will I actually notice the difference or is it just a
selling gimmick. Any samples on the web showing the difference, or
would that not be possible to do, we all have different type of
monitors/ lcd.
Thanks.

This question has been discussed in this forum, ad nauseam. The
simple answer is that it depends on how good the upconverting in the
TV set is. I have never seen a list of the HDTVs for which the Oppo
player noticeably improves the output on standard DVDs. The only
source, I know, that gives ratings of HDTVs on how well it does on
standard DVDs is Consumer Reports, 5 levels, red circle (best).
red-white circle, white circle, white-black circle and all black
circle (worst).

On 2008-02-28, lbbss wrote:
Will I actually notice the difference or is it just a
selling gimmick.

Those are not the only two alternatives.

If you are asking will a different DVD player put you into a new realm of
video quality: no. Can there be slight improvements: yes.

I've been very pleased with my Oppo players.

-Bill
--
Sattre Press Tales of War
http://sattre-press.com/ by Lord Dunsany
http://sattre-press.com/tow.html

lbbss wrote:

I have a 42 plasma, so I was wondering if I should buy a upconversion
DVD player.

What's the native vertical resolution of your TV? Mine is 768. My
upconverting DVD player can output 480/576, 720, or 1080, so no matter
what, the TV still has to convert the picture to its own native
resolution. I leave the player set to 720, but I really don't see any
difference between the three settings, presumably because of the final
conversion done by the TV.

If the TV's native resolution matched one of the player's output settings,
I presume it would just use the signal as is, and in that case I could
compare the quality of the two converters. But that's not the way it is.
You might have the same sort of situation.

In article lbbss writes:
I have a 42 plasma, so I was wondering if I should buy a upconversion
DVD player. Will I actually notice the difference or is it just a
selling gimmick. Any samples on the web showing the difference, or
would that not be possible to do, we all have different type of
monitors/ lcd.
Thanks.


As has been discussed in this very group in the last couple weeks,
it all depends on whether the upconversion is done better in the DVD
player or in the monitor. The balance depends on the specific models
of each.

Alan

Bill McClain wrote in
:

On 2008-02-28, lbbss wrote:
Will I actually notice the difference or is it just a
selling gimmick.

Those are not the only two alternatives.

If you are asking will a different DVD player put you into a new realm of
video quality: no. Can there be slight improvements: yes.

I've been very pleased with my Oppo players.

-Bill

I am the biggest fan of Oppo ever. However the Toshiba hd dvd player is
better at upconverting than the oppo. I don't suppose Toshiba will be
making anymore

"lbbss" wrote in message
...
I have a 42 plasma, so I was wondering if I should buy a upconversion
DVD player. Will I actually notice the difference or is it just a
selling gimmick. Any samples on the web showing the difference, or
would that not be possible to do, we all have different type of
monitors/ lcd.
Thanks.

Just this past weekend, a friend at work let me borrow a newer upcoversion
DVD player he had so I could compare against my older DVD players. My TV is
a new Samsung 1080p native res unit that upcoverts, but I wanted to compare
per the discussions found on this NG and elsewhere.

I found I could tell no difference whatsoever between the borrowed
upconverting unit and my old players...so I'll not be buying an upconversion
DVD player.

I can easily tell the difference between a regular component out DVD
and an upconverting player with HDMI.

On Feb 28, 3:41*pm, "deadendDan" wrote:
"lbbss" wrote in message

...

I have a 42 plasma, so I was wondering if I should buy a upconversion
DVD player. * Will I actually notice the difference or is it just a
selling gimmick. * Any samples on the web showing the difference, or
would that not be possible to do, we all have different type of
monitors/ lcd.
Thanks.

Just this past weekend, a friend at work let me borrow a newer upcoversion
DVD player he had so I could compare against my older DVD players. *My TV is
a new Samsung 1080p native res unit that upcoverts, but I wanted to compare
per the discussions found on this NG and elsewhere.

I found I could tell no difference whatsoever between the borrowed
upconverting unit and my old players...so I'll not be buying an upconversion
DVD player.

wrote:
I can easily tell the difference between a regular component out DVD
and an upconverting player with HDMI.


But the visual difference you detect is the result of Component v. HDMI.
Here, the recent installation of DishTV service included a component
connection between the sat box and the Sony HD display. Yes, it works
okay, but I eventually changed the sat box output to HDMI to go to the
AVR, so the sat can be switched like other signals. As in your case,
the visual difference was noticed.


--
jer
email reply - I am not a 'ten'

On Thu, 28 Feb 2008 12:59:50 -0800 (PST), wrote:

I can easily tell the difference between a regular component out DVD
and an upconverting player with HDMI.

On how many different TV models have you tested your ability to
discern a difference?