Whats the deal with the upconvert DVD players?

Question

Whats the deal with the upconvert DVD players?

Answer 1

They let you watch normal dvds on an hd tv.

Answer 2

The "upconversion" process is a computer chip taking a good picture and trying to make it better.  It is essentially "faking it" into an almost HD-picture.  While it sounds iffy, the results are usually very impressive on an HDTV.  The picture quality obviously doesn't compare to a blu-ray or hd-dvd player, but it is a noticeable step up from a standard dvd picture.  

One important thing to note is that any upconverting dvd player made/sold in the US can ONLY upconvert using an HDMI cable.  Component cables will only provide a standard 480p picture.  This has to do with digital copy protection stuff that the studios insist on.  

So if (and only if) you have an HDTV with HDMI input, an upconverting dvd player can offer you an improved picture on your current library of dvds for a moderate price.

Answer 3

An upconvert DVD player is taking the DVD resolution of 720x480 source and is trying to mimic a resolution of 1920x1080.  The Upscaling from the DVD player is not high definition but it's the closest you will get if you use it along an HDMI cable.

Answer 4

All responses are correct; however, they forgot to mention that inside EVERY HDTV there is a built-in upconverter.

One can debate whether the upconverting player or the TV will do a better job, but at this point I would only buy either an HD DVD, a Blu-ray , or the cheapest SD DVD player I could find.

Answer 5

Mainly it upscales standard definition DVDs to high definition. Here is the article that'll answer you: http://www.connectedhomemag.com/Visual/A...