Sony Bravia KDL32W5500U 32" LCD TV: Upscaling

(Pursuit of truth. Trying to decide whether or not to splash out on
an HD STB - e.g. Humax Foxsat.)

I've seen comments that the benefit of HD only emerges with
TV's larger than 32".

So the question is:
When the Sony 32" receives a Freeview SD signal,
would the upscaling it does on that signal produce a picture
noticeably superior to an un-upscaled Freeview SD signal?
(Same question w.r.t. input from a pre-blu-ray DVD player.)

If a Freesat/Freeview HD STB is connected to the Bravia, and
the box can also do upscaling of Freeview/Freesat SD signals,
should either the TV's upscaling or the STB's upscaling be turned off?
(Same question w.r.t. to connection of a blu-ray DVD player.)
--
/\/\aurice
(Replace "nomail.afraid" by "bcs" to reply by email)

On Sun, 09 May 2010 12:54:27 +0100, Maurice Batey
wrote:

(Pursuit of truth. Trying to decide whether or not to splash out on
an HD STB - e.g. Humax Foxsat.)

I've seen comments that the benefit of HD only emerges with
TV's larger than 32".

That depends on your viewing distance. I have a 24" HD TV in my bedroom.
It is close enough to me for me to see the difference between SD and HD,
and to get the benefit of the difference.

So the question is:
When the Sony 32" receives a Freeview SD signal,
would the upscaling it does on that signal produce a picture
noticeably superior to an un-upscaled Freeview SD signal?
(Same question w.r.t. input from a pre-blu-ray DVD player.)

If a Freesat/Freeview HD STB is connected to the Bravia, and
the box can also do upscaling of Freeview/Freesat SD signals,
should either the TV's upscaling or the STB's upscaling be turned off?
(Same question w.r.t. to connection of a blu-ray DVD player.)

--
Peter Duncanson
(in uk.tech.digital-tv)

Maurice Batey wrote:
(Pursuit of truth. Trying to decide whether or not to splash out on
an HD STB - e.g. Humax Foxsat.)

I've seen comments that the benefit of HD only emerges with
TV's larger than 32".

So the question is:
When the Sony 32" receives a Freeview SD signal,
would the upscaling it does on that signal produce a picture
noticeably superior to an un-upscaled Freeview SD signal?
(Same question w.r.t. input from a pre-blu-ray DVD player.)

If a Freesat/Freeview HD STB is connected to the Bravia, and
the box can also do upscaling of Freeview/Freesat SD signals,
should either the TV's upscaling or the STB's upscaling be turned off?
(Same question w.r.t. to connection of a blu-ray DVD player.)

You can't get 'something for nothing' in any case. The TV's native resolution
is 1080 x 1920, so you must upscale an SD image (that is 576 x 720 or less in
some cases) to display it properly on the screen, otherwise it will appear as
a postage stamp in the middle.

The TV will upscale anything that is applied to its Scart or analogue video
inputs. Whether that will result in better quality than the STB or DVD player
upscaling to 1080 x 1920 itself, and applying via the HDMI interface, is
entirely dependant upon the difference in quality between the the upscaller in
the TV and the external device.

I've got a 40W5500, I'd say that the TV's internal upscaller is better than
the one in my Humax Freesat STB, but it's pretty marginal stuff. IMHO, IME,
YMMV.

--
Mark
Please replace invalid and invalid with gmx and net to reply.

www.paras.org.uk

On Sun, 09 May 2010 12:54:27 +0100, Maurice Batey
wrote:

(Pursuit of truth. Trying to decide whether or not to splash out on
an HD STB - e.g. Humax Foxsat.)

I've seen comments that the benefit of HD only emerges with
TV's larger than 32".

So the question is:
When the Sony 32" receives a Freeview SD signal,
would the upscaling it does on that signal produce a picture
noticeably superior to an un-upscaled Freeview SD signal?
(Same question w.r.t. input from a pre-blu-ray DVD player.)

If a Freesat/Freeview HD STB is connected to the Bravia, and
the box can also do upscaling of Freeview/Freesat SD signals,
should either the TV's upscaling or the STB's upscaling be turned off?
(Same question w.r.t. to connection of a blu-ray DVD player.)

I've got this telly and I have to admit that the picture quality from
my Topfield PVR is very definitely improved by the upscaling.

So what I wonder is the problem with different ways of making the picture
fit the space.

Presumably if the processing was fast enough some kind of tweening of edges
that otherwise would be jaged could be done, and presumably, some sort of
way to make movement look more smooth would also result.

Brian

--
Brian Gaff -
Note:- In order to reduce spam, any email without 'Brian Gaff'
in the display name may be lost.
Blind user, so no pictures please!
"A.N.Other" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 09 May 2010 12:54:27 +0100, Maurice Batey
wrote:

(Pursuit of truth. Trying to decide whether or not to splash out on
an HD STB - e.g. Humax Foxsat.)

I've seen comments that the benefit of HD only emerges with
TV's larger than 32".

So the question is:
When the Sony 32" receives a Freeview SD signal,
would the upscaling it does on that signal produce a picture
noticeably superior to an un-upscaled Freeview SD signal?
(Same question w.r.t. input from a pre-blu-ray DVD player.)

If a Freesat/Freeview HD STB is connected to the Bravia, and
the box can also do upscaling of Freeview/Freesat SD signals,
should either the TV's upscaling or the STB's upscaling be turned off?
(Same question w.r.t. to connection of a blu-ray DVD player.)

I've got this telly and I have to admit that the picture quality from
my Topfield PVR is very definitely improved by the upscaling.

A.N.Other wrote:


I've got this telly and I have to admit that the picture quality from
my Topfield PVR is very definitely improved by the upscaling.

Can you explain how you came to that conclusion ?

How did you manage to display a non-upscaled image from the Toppy on the TV ?

--
Mark
Please replace invalid and invalid with gmx and net to reply.

www.paras.org.uk

"Mark Carver" wrote in message
...
A.N.Other wrote:


I've got this telly and I have to admit that the picture quality from
my Topfield PVR is very definitely improved by the upscaling.

Can you explain how you came to that conclusion ?

How did you manage to display a non-upscaled image from the Toppy on the
TV ?



can you not tell it to output at native resolution? - you can with sky
boxes.



--
Gareth.

that fly...... is your magic wand....
http://dsbdsb.mybrute.com
you fight better when you have a bear!

The dog from that film you saw wrote:


"Mark Carver" wrote in message
...
A.N.Other wrote:


I've got this telly and I have to admit that the picture quality from
my Topfield PVR is very definitely improved by the upscaling.

Can you explain how you came to that conclusion ?

How did you manage to display a non-upscaled image from the Toppy on
the TV ?

can you not tell it to output at native resolution? - you can with sky
boxes.

Mine only has SD analogue output, though I notice Googling that the 5810 has
an upscaler and HDMI output. I presume this is the model being referred to, in
which case the original statement that I questioned makes sense ?


--
Mark
Please replace invalid and invalid with gmx and net to reply.

www.paras.org.uk

On Sun, 09 May 2010 13:13:49 +0100, Mark Carver wrote:

The TV will upscale anything that is applied to its Scart or analogue video
inputs.

Presumably also the output from its builtin Freeview SD tuner?

Upscaling *not* applied to HDMI input (e.g. from STB or blu-ray)?

Whether that will result in better quality than the STB or DVD
player upscaling to 1080 x 1920 itself, and applying via the HDMI
interface, is entirely dependant upon the difference in quality
between the the upscaller in the TV and the external device.

Fair enough!

I've got a 40W5500, I'd say that the TV's internal upscaller is better than
the one in my Humax Freesat STB, but it's pretty marginal stuff. IMHO, IME,
YMMV.

Thanks for that.

--
/\/\aurice
(Replace "nomail.afraid" by "bcs" to reply by email)

On Sun, 09 May 2010 13:11:34 +0100, Peter Duncanson wrote:

I have a 24" HD TV in my bedroom.
It is close enough to me for me to see the difference between SD and HD,
and to get the benefit of the difference.

Duly noted; thanks, Peter.

--
/\/\aurice
(Replace "nomail.afraid" by "bcs" to reply by email)