Is up-converting regular DVD to 1080i possible?

Question

I see many new DVD players up-convert to 1080i. Is this possible since the regular DVD is set at 480p. How can they up-convert to 1080i if the original format is 480p?

Answer 1

An Up-converting DVD Player does the following:

*Reads a regular DVD

*Runs the signal through an enhancement program

*Sends a 720p/1080i/1080p signal to an HDTV

You only start with 480 lines of resolution.

The signal cannot get better.

An Up-converting DVD player simply does a better job of expanding the signal to fill the screen.

Hope this helps and best wishes!

Answer 2

They magnify the image and break it up into 1080 lines and send it out interlaced.

The better units like the Oppo try to fill in the missing spaces a bit and can do a decent job of minimizing artifacts. But as you pointed out - its still 480 lines from the source.  It does not look as good as even true HD in 720.

Answer 3

no its not TRUE 1080i

its only simulated

to get true 1080i you need a 1080i capable tv

a hd dvd player and a hdmi cable or component wires rated for 1080i

Answer 4

Possible: yes.  It's actually required (the TV might do it), since the TV has a fixed number of lines.

It's just resizing (like in photoshop, though the interlacing complicates it, a bit).

No DVD players offer this, but there are algorithms that are good for upsampling while maintaining edges (like http://www.ononesoftware.com/detail.php?... ), but I wouldn't expect to see this in HD players any time soon.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hdmi#Cable has info on HDMI cable "rating," but for consumer resolutions, a normal cable should work just fine.

And even upscaled, it is "true" 1080i.  Quality is just the lowest quality the video was during the process.  You can have a 1080p movie, but it was recorded on film that doesn't have that resolution, it's a moot point.  If you can see grain on the DVD, a HD version won't look much better.