Thinking about ugrading from my 1080i RPTV to a newer 1080p LCD. Back when I purchased my RPTV there was a HUGE difference between the scalers found in sets. Some were terrible, others, like Pioneer Elite for example, were wonderful. Is this an issue with the newer LCD sets or are there differences between brands? I did a search but found nothing on this topic so sorry if it has been discussed. I'm usually over in the audio section. My prepro (NAD T-175) will pass the 1080p signal but does not contain any scaling or upconversion technology. Thanks, Tom

There are reasonable scalers built into most HDTVs. When it comes to standard definition sources however, the signal quality is what makes the difference, not the scaler. For example if your SD source is analog broadcast or analog cable, there is very little you can do to make the image look good - the quality HD display shows more of the warts in a less-than-perfect image.

Yet when you scale a clean source like standard DVD, you can get a really good HD image from a quality SD recording.

You would be happiest after acquiring a new HD display if you formulate a plan to upgrade your video sources (cable, broadcast, satellite, DVD) to HD over time. Never having to scale the source is an even better plan than having a quality resolution scaler.

There are reasonable scalers built into most HDTVs. When it comes to standard definition sources however, the signal quality is what makes the difference, not the scaler. For example if your SD source is analog broadcast or analog cable, there is very little you can do to make the image look good - the quality HD display shows more of the warts in a less-than-perfect image.

Yet when you scale a clean source like standard DVD, you can get a really good HD image from a quality SD recording.

You would be happiest after acquiring a new HD display if you formulate a plan to upgrade your video sources (cable, broadcast, satellite, DVD) to HD over time. Never having to scale the source is an even better plan than having a quality resolution scaler.


Thanks, Gary. I guess I haven't kept up on the display side of things. I have a HD DirectTV receiver and DVD player outputting via component at 1080i. With a change of display to 1080p I assume that I will get a somewhat better picture.