My situation is this.... I'm currently using a Lumagen HDP scaler in line with JohnHWman's first DVI card. The HDP has a bad board so I only have one input on the entire scaler that works(DVI) and it will run me roughly $400 to fix plus shipping. My question is, would I be better off just getting a video switcher for all my sources and use the components(BD1400 Blu-ray, HD-A1 HD-DVD player, and HD-SAT) to run my resolutions and upscaling of SD sources instead of wasting time with the "long in the tooth" HDP? And if so, which switches are people using nowadays.

Other than the calibration utilities of the HDP(which are nice) I feel as though I may doing a disservice to my system by using this with the current advancments in today's source devices. yes, no?

I'd fix the HDP. I've yet to see an analog component switch less than $400 that won't introduce artifacts, and you'll get to keep 72p for film.

I was planning on running HDMI to DVI through the entire chain straight to the DVI card and leave analog out of it. In doing so, would it still be preferred to use the HDP?

I was planning on running HDMI to DVI through the entire chain straight to the DVI card and leave analog out of it. In doing so, would it still be preferred to use the HDP?

The biggest argument for keeping the HDP would be 72Hz output for film.

I'd fix the HDP. I've yet to see an analog component switch less than $400 that won't introduce artifacts, and you'll get to keep 72p for film.

Though I'm not sure I'd recommend it for this case, as I'm a believer in limiting the A/D D/A conversions, I did want to note that second hand Extron switches with 300MHz (-3db) BW on Ebay often go for way less than $400 and handle component switching of 1080p/72 just fine.

Many new receivers include HDMI 1.3a and upscaling. They, of course, also accommodate multiple format input and switching of video. The Integra and Onkyo line offer models that use the excellent Reon scaler and do an amazing job of up-scaling SD (480i) and 720p as well as deinterlacing 1080i and passing through Blu-ray 1080p. Having everything that you send to your projector be 1920 x 1080p is really nice.

If your DVI card on the projector is not HDCP compliant - I have "heard" that the Gefen 4 x 1 extend-it 4 HDMI in to DVI out switch will connect to non-HDCP compliant devices over that DVI output and "handle" the hand shake (HDCP) with any of the 4 HDMI inputs. Not that I would do such a thing - but rumor has it that the device does.

This might work for you (?). Some of the new receivers will also decode the Master Audio and DTS HD lossless formated audio via bitstreams from a Blu-ray player (such as the Panasonic 35) so you get the latest lossless audio, great scaling and deinterlacing and a completely digital chain for your video.

If you have to add money to the system - this will not just fix the problem - but will upgrade many of the features. Just a thought.

Ed