Mike999
08-21-08, 07:53 AM
I have three different set-ups that I use to watch DVDs:
- an older G4 PowerMac, internal DVD-ROM drive, and a 17" LCD monitor
- a Sony P/S player, Monster component cables, and a 36" Sony tube w/ a 16:9 mode
- the same model DVD player, the same component cables, and a Vizio VX32L
Comparing DVDs at equivalent (not equal!) distances from each screen, the Sony tube and Vizio reveal about the same level of detail, while the computer set-up reveals significantly more detail than either of the other two. For example, small objects on the screen - like faces in the background of a movie - are much better defined using the DVD-ROM and monitor. It would appear that resolution on the other set-ups is being limited by the use of component cables and/or the quality of the player's electronics.
What I'm wondering of course is how a DVD-ROM drive compares to an upconverting player w/ HDMI. Would I have to buy a high end Oppo in order to see the same level of detail my DVD-ROM produces, or would a lower end Sony upconverter achieve similar results? If I had to guess, I would say that the DVD-ROM reveals more detail mostly because of the all digital data path, and that any upconverter w/ HDMI should yield significant improvement over component cables. Of course many people here and elsewhere claim that HDMI and component should yield the same level of detail - given proper display calibration - but why then does the old DVD-ROM in my Mac produce better results than a much newer Sony P/S player?
- an older G4 PowerMac, internal DVD-ROM drive, and a 17" LCD monitor
- a Sony P/S player, Monster component cables, and a 36" Sony tube w/ a 16:9 mode
- the same model DVD player, the same component cables, and a Vizio VX32L
Comparing DVDs at equivalent (not equal!) distances from each screen, the Sony tube and Vizio reveal about the same level of detail, while the computer set-up reveals significantly more detail than either of the other two. For example, small objects on the screen - like faces in the background of a movie - are much better defined using the DVD-ROM and monitor. It would appear that resolution on the other set-ups is being limited by the use of component cables and/or the quality of the player's electronics.
What I'm wondering of course is how a DVD-ROM drive compares to an upconverting player w/ HDMI. Would I have to buy a high end Oppo in order to see the same level of detail my DVD-ROM produces, or would a lower end Sony upconverter achieve similar results? If I had to guess, I would say that the DVD-ROM reveals more detail mostly because of the all digital data path, and that any upconverter w/ HDMI should yield significant improvement over component cables. Of course many people here and elsewhere claim that HDMI and component should yield the same level of detail - given proper display calibration - but why then does the old DVD-ROM in my Mac produce better results than a much newer Sony P/S player?