i have the following:

Panasonic PT-AE900U
PS3
iScan VP30 with upgraded SD interlace card

I'm really wanting to take full advantage of 1080P HD on my Blu-ray movies but I'm torn on what the best bang for the buck would be. I can probably squeak out enough cash for a 1080P projector OR an upgrade from the VP30 to a VP50 Pro. The question for you is:

Will I get a better image by keeping the signal at 1080P all the way into the VP50 Pro where it then can get scaled by all the VP goodness down to 720p, or am I better off letting the PS3 interlace the 1080P Blu-rays into 1080i into my VP30, which then converts to progressive and outputs to a 1080P projector?

My understanding of the downscaling process is that 1080P to 720P involves halving 1080P to 540P, then upcomverting to 720P. it would seem to me that a 1080P to 1080i to 1080P process would be better.

VP50 Pro vs 1080p projector: Want them both, can't have them both. Which would you buy first?

Troubles,Troubles.
I feel like I'm going through the same problems but different items, I have the VP50 but no processor with hdmi, nor do I have a 1080p display device
My dilemha is 1080p projector or surround sound processor and I'm going through many a sleepless nights,spent 8k this year only have 4k left,money does not go far in Australia.
I would suggest that you opt for the1080p projector because you already have the1080p goodness of the VP30,that way you can upgrade the VP30 when you can but you will already have 1080p display device when you do.

Kheiden, I beleive image quality would be better if you don't down-convert the signal that's why I suggest you get the 1080p projector, and what projector are you thinking of getting?

VP50 Pro vs 1080p projector: Want them both, can't have them both. Which would you buy first?

1080p by far.

The $1000 rebate on teh Panny PT-AE1000U is the attraction here. I have to act before month's end to take advantage of that. With the price I could get for the old projector, it would bring my total upgrade cost from 720p to 1080p to about $2000.

The VP30 to VP50 Pro upgrade is about $1800 if I remember correctly so there's how I came up with the decision. What if they stop ofering upgrades for the VPs at some point? I know the projectors will get cheaper each year, but specialty items like scalers may not drop as quickly in price.

Glad to see people think the projector's the way to go. I've always been a resolution guy when it comes to computers so I always lean towards more pixels. It's just the progressive-interlace-to-progressive stuff that makes me wonder what the end results will look like. Keep the comments coming. It's a big purchase for me and I want to be as informed as possibe.

I hear you avrtRick. Our dedicated home theater already went about $5k over budget and I can't stop finding things I feel are necessary changes. I don't gamble with the stock market anymore so there isn't a fountain of income coming from anywhere right now to do everything I want.

Well put, that's true,PJ's do come down in price and with little knowledge I have with the way DVDO pricing is ( Ithink it's set and stable)so here's another solution;work out when next you will be able to shell out that amount of dosh and then get in touch with Anchorbay/DVDO and ask about the trade-up timeframe and then there's your answer,if you can have that amount before the trade-up drops get the PJ if not get the VP50PRO

my bad I see, sorry (end of the month)

when it comes to projectors I have a limited choice, the epson emp-tw1000(think it's called the powerlite1080 in the US) is in my price range
($5000aussie dollars)I think I could get them down $700, so that makes my limit, the panny your thinking of goes RRP of $7000 here so I'm very limited but I'll do more research tomorrow.
Do you know anyone that has had the powerlite 1080? if so can you give me a heads-up on it because I'd have to lay money down on it before I see its performance for myself and then if I didn't want it I lose my money (10% of $4300=$430=too much of a loss)

For 1080p source native 1080p PJ is fine but you need to keep in mind that what does it do with a 1080i signal. If you like to keep things simple then it is better to sell the VP30 & get a projector that handles 1080i video properly & deinterlaces 1080i properly.

I don't think the DVDO upgrade time will be a problem as there upgrade program is ongoing (I think) people that have had the first iscan's now have the VP's(I've seen a post in here somwhere, someone has upgraded 6 or 7 times.
I say keep the VP30 and buy the 1080p PJ then at least you will have VP to do the superior deinterlacing and scaling( and do it better than the PJ) for any other devices that you might connect and pass the 1080p signal from your PS3 through the VP to your PJ.
I hope this helps you some

Then get the VP50pro upgrade next,1080p goodness all the way

I upgraded from the Panny 900 to the 1000. I have had the VP-50 in the chain from day one though, so keep that in mind…. I have no experience with the VP 30.

I sit 12’ away from a 96” wide 2.35 screen. When I compared the images that the 900 and 1000 threw up on the screen, resolution did not seam a whole lot better. It was difficult for me to see a difference in that regards. Slight, but hardly something to write home about. Where I did notice a difference (to the better), was depth of picture, shadow detail, blacker blacks and more lumens. The increase in lumens could be due to bulb life as the 900 had 500 hours on it, but now my 1000 has 500 hours on it too, and it’s still just as bright as day one (or seemingly so).

All that aside, don’t get too hooked up on the 1080P game, but consider the image in general. I would choose the 1000 over the VP-50Pro. The 1000U does a very good job with de-interlacing and scaling and It get’s ZERO credit for this and I don’t really understand why. If I bypass my VP-50, the image looks dam near as good as with the VP50 in the loop. Plus, the 1000 has vertical stretch on all inputs, so if you have a scope screen and want to use a HE anamorphic lens, you don’t need an external scaler.

I am continually wowed by the image the 1000 throws up and it will accept any resolution and has none of the little quirks and issues the RS1 has. I have no regrets buying this projector and have no desire to buy anything new…well yet anyway. I may pick up a Panny 2000 next year, or one of the other HDMI 1.3 machines, but I’m in no hurry to do that.

I'm in a similar position- aged G70 CRT drawing from a same generation Sony ES DVD carousel needs updating. The current pq is nowhere near what the machine is capable of. I'm trying to determine whether it's worth it to get a VP and eek out my projector's 720p limits while upgrading my source(s) then projector down the line, or to bite the bullet and get a projector with decent onboard processing first and add the vp/sources later.

I don't have an aftermarket solution for digital inputs on my G70 and am a bit worried that HDCP would negate some of the utility of a vp given the auto-off requirements for vp analog connections. This leads me to think that I'd need to do the projector first, knowing I'd need to get one capable of handling my old source connection unless I throw more money at my G70 for an aftermarket input- not keen on that as I'll want a smaller, more HD/BD capable display eventually.

I could build an HTPC and try that route first but that's time and frustration I'd rather avoid at the moment. But if it's the most efficient remedy maybe I'll go that way. Any thoughts from you guys would be appreciated. cheers.

I'm in a similar position- aged G70 CRT drawing from a same generation Sony ES DVD carousel needs updating. The current pq is nowhere near what the machine is capable of. I'm trying to determine whether it's worth it to get a VP and eek out my projector's 720p limits while upgrading my source(s) then projector down the line, or to bite the bullet and get a projector with decent onboard processing first and add the vp/sources later.

I don't have an aftermarket solution for digital inputs on my G70 and am a bit worried that HDCP would negate some of the utility of a vp given the auto-off requirements for vp analog connections. This leads me to think that I'd need to do the projector first, knowing I'd need to get one capable of handling my old source connection unless I throw more money at my G70 for an aftermarket input- not keen on that as I'll want a smaller, more HD/BD capable display eventually.

I could build an HTPC and try that route first but that's time and frustration I'd rather avoid at the moment. But if it's the most efficient remedy maybe I'll go that way. Any thoughts from you guys would be appreciated. cheers.
Well I've heard that the CRT's can accept many different signal types(framerates etc.) so if you got a VP that could possibly be an advantage(depending on what type of connections that are availible on your CRT)because I also read somewhere that some VP's can output 1080p over component (providing the signal is not coming from something thats HDCP encrypted) and your CRT should accept the 1080p signal because they are adaptive to the input signal (unlike fixed pixel display devices)but for more info on this ask your local AVspecialist.
I hope this helps some

I just installed my PT-AE1000U and all I can say is, "WOW!"

This was the best purchase I've made for the whole home theater. Anyone who says the difference between 720p and 1080p isn't noticable, or isn't worth the extra money hasn't seen the difference between the Panny 900U and 1000U. This thing is stunning. Colors are more vibrant, the improved contrast ratio and everything else make the 900 look like it was running from a 60W GE light bulb.

This thing is incredibly bright! I have to say I'm thrilled. I've tried the straight 1080p to the projector form the PS3, and running 1080i from the PS3 through the VP30 and it's very hard to see a difference. The process of interlacing and deinterlacing all at 1080 seems far less disruptive to the signal than downsampling 1080p to 720p.

I'm in love. Thanks for the advice, folks. This was the right decision.