Upconverting dvd players a joke? or no? I'm looking to buy one buy my friend told me not to?

Question

my friend told me dvd's are in 720 and can't be upconverted to 1080 for picture quality like blue ray - no matter what even with a upconverting dvd player. I am confused then why people buy upconverting dvd players?

Answer 1

It's not immediately obvious which is better--up-converting in the player or the TV.  There may not be much difference.  However, the best up-converting players (like the now defunct HD-DVD) can do a really good job, better than most TVs.

One reason the DVD player can be better is that the images on the disc are progressive, and no de-interlacing is needed.  (This isn't always true of non-upconverting DVDs, at least the earlier models, which extract the image from the disc data in 60i format.)  This means all of the resolution of original movie frames is reproduced at the 60p rate.

But just because it CAN be better doesn't necessarily mean it IS better.  You have to read the reviews.

Answer 2

first off, dvds are 480p, not 720p (720 is high def, and dvds can't carry hd material). secondly, upconverting players do help to make to signal look a little better, and it might help with those annoying black bars. but if you expect it to make it look like blu-ray, your wrong. real hd material will still look better than a dvd, no matter what kind of player you have. I've seen ones as high as $10,000, but real hd still looks better. but who knows, since your tv will probably help make things look better, even with a good old regular progressive scan dvd player (a normal one...)

Answer 3

Your TV can upconvert by itself.

If you plan to invest in a new player, just buy a True HD player (Blu-ray).

Answer 4

DVDs native resolution is 480p.   Upconverting players "can" make a difference if you have a high definition TV, but often the video conversion in the HDTV is better than cheaper DVD upconverters.

Answer 5

Upconverting dvd players do work, but not as well as say a blu-ray player. Its all about budget.  If you have the money, definitely buy a blu-ray player, not an upconverting player.  You can play regular dvds on both an upconverting dvd player or a blu-ray and they will look about the same.  However, if you buy a Blu-Ray DVD (more expensive than a regular dvd) the blu-ray player will make it look much clearer/realistic on your tv, especially since your tv is 1080p.  If you have the money for the more expensive blu-ray player, and more expensive blu-ray movies (usually around $25-$30 each) then definitely go for it, if not, an $80-$100 upconverting dvd player is your best bet (Toshiba works well).

Also, regular dvds can be upconverted to 1080p, but it will not look as good as a blu-ray dvd.