so i got a 50 inch panny plasma @ 720P (TH50PX80U) . ive got a panasonic dvd burner (DMR-E80H) but it doesnt upconvert (output set for 480P using RGB lines ) . it seems that results of upconverting are dependant on the quality of the dvd recording as well as the player itself.........or so it seems from reading this forum . so im considering getting a upconverting dvd player .

in reading here the pioneer DV-48AV gets much praise and it can be had for a C note with free shipping . http://www.vanns.com/shop/servlet/item/features/486974189/pioneer-dv-48av?v_c=PriceGrabber&srccode=cii_5784816&cpncode=19-9111736-2

so simply put it there a better dvd player for the money ? i did see a Toshiba HD-A2 HD DVD Player used locally for $90 . would that be better for upconverting use than the pioneer ?

i plan to get two HDMI cables , one for fios to the tv and one for the upconverting player to allow the setup to do the best it can

so now that you have a lil info....... are there any upconverting dvd player better than the DV-48AV for the money ?

p.s. i know the DV-48AV DOES NOT play HD-DVD even though vans says/implies it does .

The only reason most of us here buy DV-48 is for DVD-Audio and SCAD capability over HDMI, not for upconversion. It's upconversion is nothing to praise about. If you're into upconversion, get an Oppo.

For upconversion, consider an OPPO model or Toshiba's new XDE-E500.

The 50PX80 does a fantastic job of upscaling dvd's to the native resolution of 768P. If you can find a cheap player that outputs 480i, you will be all set.

doesnt 480 p give me the same resolution as 480i but with twice as many frames ? wouldnt cutting my frame rate in half and keeping the same resolution reduce the pic quality ? ill try it though , its just pushing a few buttons since my DMR-E80H give me an output option .

thanks

doesnt 480 p give me the same resolution as 480i but with twice as many frames ? wouldnt cutting my frame rate in half and keeping the same resolution reduce the pic quality ?

No. SD-DVD is stored at 480i. This has to be deinterlaced somewhere to 480p before it can be displayed, or scaled before displaying. The question is where to do the deinterlacing: in the player or in the display? You are right that trying it both ways is the best way to determine that.

-Bill