[space2001]

Since Hd-DVD is near and there is no possible way that I am going to replace all the dvds that I bought in a new format I was wondering how well does a hd video scaler do in comparison. I know that most video brodcast use scalers to do simulcast like abc, and it looks increadible.


Has anyone used a hd scaler?


How is it?


i don't really want to replace my collection of dvds with hd-dvd.

 

[oferlaor]

Space2001,


1. I don't really think HD-DVD is going to be out that soon...


2. Depending on quality, you might want to consider it (it'll probably be backward compatible, so you might want to consider replacing just the top of the line movies).


3. Up until now HD scalers were unaffordable for the mass public.


4. In CES, we're supposed to get a glimpse of two (or three) new HD scalers - aSimilator and HD LEEZA (I'm not sure if Rock Pro scales HD or not).


5. Prices should be around $4000, so they're definitely getting affordable.


No one I know has seen either of these units, so we don't know what they're capable of, nor have reviews of them. These products were hashed many many times, so you can do a search.


6. No matter how hard you'll look, DVDs can never be made to look like their equivalent HD transfers. It's just the facts of life. HD has more information, therefor - it will look more lifelike, have more detail and be more 3D.


I dare say that even Hd doesn't scratch the surface and that within the next 20 years, we're bound to get a few more format shifts. This is a starteling contrast to the last 50 years which had one significant format shift in video brodacasting (the addition color), a few in sound (stereo, then prologic, then 5.1 and more recently 7.1) and a few in storage (video tape recording, optical-digital and recently DVHS).

 

[space2001]

Thanks for the Reply. Right now for TV they do Simulcast which means that they play the regular broadcast and a hd one at teh same time. From what I heard they use a Hd-Scaler and to me the picture looks amazing.

 

[Gordon Fraser]

Ofer I think Mr Space is talking about a scaler that will upconvert SD to HD rather than a scaler that will de-interlace and scale HD.


Mr Space. There are already lotsof device that do this. Some better than others. Broadcast units like Terranex and Snell and Wilcox units are not that common in home use. Units like Faroudja, Key Digital, Vigatec, Focus Enhancements and many Home Theater Computer configurations can do this.


Keep reading this forum and you'll find more info


Gordon

 

[oferlaor]

Space2001,


As Gordon explained - a scaler that converts SD to HD for a broadcaster, is a much different animal than what's needed in a home.


First, TV stations (and networks) have a slightly bigger budget than we do... So, they can afford the S&W top of the line scaler, or the $50,000 Terranex unit...


Also, some of the stuff might be HD to begin with...


Lastly, they get a pristine signal, without MPEG artifacts, video noise, A/D - D/A - and they convert THAT into HD. You get the signal after several generations of conversions (A/D, MPEG encoder, satellite, MPEG decoder, D/A). That's quite a different signal than the one you're trying to upscale...