Need a player I and my wife can live with!!

[jobob313]

I have an Olevia 532H LCD HDTV with a native resolution of 720p but they say it can handle images up to 1080i. I currently have a toshiba sd-3950 hooked up via component. The tv has the Xilleon processor for the upscaling. I have tried playing the DVD player in progressive and interlaced to allow the tv to upconvert and can honestly not see much if any difference. Although currently dvd quality looks very good (better than the s-video feed from my non hd DVR) its nowhere near hd-quality. I am looking for a decent upconverting dvd player that wont cost me an arm or a leg. And that will allow me to show off my tv's abilities a little as I currently have no hd sources. I am considering the oppo 970 but if anyone has any suggestions that are less costly I would love to hear them. Thanks!

[Ratman]

All legacy DVD's are encoded at 480i. Your DVD player will deinterlace to 480p which is a positive improvement (as you've seen).

Your TV will "upscale" everything to it's native resolution. So, that's the best you will get from legacy DVD's. You could invest in an upscaling DVD player, but the improvement will not be dramatic. It depends on which upscaler is better, the TV's or the DVD player's.

IMO, if you want "HD" quality from DVD's, then wait for the "war" to settle, save your $$ and buy a "real" HD DVD player (HD-DVD or Blu-ray).

If you want to really see HD quality, hook up an antenna or if you are a cable subscriber, try connecting the cable and scanning for digital (HD) channels that are sent unencrypted.

[jobob313]

I have a direct tv pvr connected by s-video can I view hd on local channels this way? also, I was just hoping to get some more oomph out of my dvd's as It doesnt seem to make a difference how I view my dvd's right now. Many people swear by these upconverting dvd players. Do you think this is mostly wishful thinking?

[Splicer]

Wishful thinking...yes.

As for the HD...at a minimum you need componant connections...your 'S' video won't pass the signal.

[Ratman]

I'd suggest you look into upgrading your current D* PVR to an HD capable PVR. IMO, that's the better investment than an upscaling DVD player. And... you will be able to view (and record) "real" HD instead of a digitally manipulated 480i signal.

[jobob313]

Thanks for the reply! I also wonder if someone could give me advice on this? I currently notice some real jaggy issues on busy scenes such as trees in a wide shot or light on miniblinds etc, I see this whether I set my DVD player to Progressive or interlaced. Is there a way to correct this? I am thinking that a better dvd player such as the toshiba hd-a2 might not have this problem? Thanks.