OK, here's the setup. Comcast DTV box, Denon 3910, LG OTA HD tuner now using a (gasp!) ancient Faroudja NRS and then via component to a Canon SX50 4:3 native projector using a 4:3 Firehawk screen.

OK, why this funky setup? Still a lot of 4:3 material out there, about half our viewing is this stuff. With the current VP, I send the DVD signal at 480i to the Faroudja, let it do the deinterlacing. The digital cable box is input through SVideo (gasp again! :) ) The HD signal from the LG goes through the pass-through of the NRS.

I switch the video at the NRS, the audio separately at the Parasound Preamp.

You'd be amazed at what a good job this primitive system does. The Canon has really decent upscaling.

Now I want to get a Comcast HD box. The NRS only has one set of component ins, no good. I'd have to add component switching, another device at which point my wife will murder me.

I also note that video processing is STILL in total flux, with folks having trouble implementing the Realis chip. So I'd like to improve this setup but stay away from a really expensive upgrade for now. Thinking that would come in about a year when I also upgrade my projector.

So I am thinking of picking up a relatively inexpensive used Lumagen HDP, using it to do all the switching. Let my Denon do the deinterlacing of the DVD signal and maybe even stick a Mosquito in there somewhere. This gets around the poor deinterlacing of the SiO4 (?) chip.

An alternative to the Lumagen would be picking up a used VP30 for the same price and doing the same with it--let it output at 720P but use the better Faroudja deinterlacing in the Denon.

Looks like I can get either the Lumagen or the VP30 around a thousand used.

Feel free to propose other ideas.

Thanks :)

Dan,

I used to have a similar setup (Denon 1600 DVD, TWC HD Cable, Faroudja NRS, NEC vt540k). I added another HD source, and found exactly the same problem - how to switch in a wife friendly way? About the same time, my kid destroyed my NRS by playing with it(on...off...on...off...on...off...on...off...bang! no more on). Can't blame him - he was about 1 year old, and the NRS has so many buttons and cool lights :D

I ended up with a Lumagen HDP to solve my woes - it worked great.

I just (about 2 weeks ago) upgraded the projector to a Pearl, and the Lumagen is still working great in this configuration (1080p/60 via DVI/HDMI to the Pearl). I'm changing the DVD player to an Oppo 970 (480i over HDMI) in a day or so in an effort to have a pure digital pathway.

I have no complaints about the Lumagen, besides its less-than-decent menu system. It was worth the money a year or so ago when I bought it; whether or not it is at this point is a decision you'd have to make on your own...

Hope this helps,

Just to add that the film processing in the Lumagen is actually excellent. The thing that folk go on about with the SIL504 chip is how it handles stuff recorded with a video camera. So if you watch lots of sports DVD's or old music video's there might be a point to using the internal dcdi of the 3910. If it's just for watching film source discs then I am pretty confident you'd find the Lumagen implimentation of the 504 to be excellent (not every implimentation of every chipset is the same so the mere presence of a chip will not give you a definative graps of the ultimate performance achievable).

Gordon

Thanks. I'm beginning to see why I'm still creaking along with this old NRS. Seems like the new stuff isn't out there even long enough to work out the bugs before the next generation shows up. The Dragonfly comes to mind, was supposed to be the end all but it seems to have dropped off the radar screen here except for a lot of reports about firmware problems. Ditto with the Vantage HD which has nice switching capabilities.

I'm getting the distinct impression that Realta based processors are a real bear to program properly and everyone is moving towards Gennum-based units because they're easier to work with and nearly as powerful.

I really am looking for a comprehensive solution that I can use for a number of years, so buying (for example) the DVDO VP50 that has many fine features as a deinterlacer and switcher, but lacks noise reduction, would have me obsolete in a critical area right out of the box.

Guess I'll let it ride for another 6 months and see what shows up. A DVDO VP60 with noise reduction maybe? :D

Dan,

I know what you mean. Part of my decision to buy when I did was that my NRS was dead - so that gave me the impetous to make a purchase.

Of course, you can always wait for the next best thing :D

I'm not sure if I'd buy the Lumagen HDP again at this point - not because it's a bad product (I do love it), but because it's getting long in the tooth, and other announcements (as always) are expected soonish.

Yeah I looked at the Lumagens but really would like to be able to switch audio. Plus, no noise reduction.

Thank God my creaky NRS still works flawlessly. In fact, my whole system is amazingly troublefree. I just turn it on and watch. Sometimes I think that if the manufacturers made this their top priority, we'd all be better off. It seems the VP makers try to build units that fit every conceivable situation and end up with constant bugs.

I can understand some problems with brand new releases, but if you're still seeing a bunch of posts talking about problems a year after release, that is hard to take IMO.