[GSF]

Reading over the many posts it's seems that there are some very affordable 1080i capable DVD player options that are beginning to make there way into the marketplace.


Why purchase a 480p DVD player when there are better options for

a few additional dollars.


All the best,


Gary

 

[Vlad_Dracule]

There are an incredibly large number of reasons. Here are a few off the top of my head:


- De-interlacing quality. If your display doesnt do a very good job of de-interlacing then running in 1080i isnt going to look all the great.

- Reliability. Most of the 1080i players have many reported problems.

- Inputs/Outputs. Many of these players require a DVI connection (some do allow upconversion over component).


I'm sure there are more but thats all I can think of real quick.

 

[ThumperBoy]

Because the picture quality is better on the top-rated 480p players (Faroudja-based models) than most of the 1080i upconverting players. DVD source material is only 480p resolution anyway, so you aren't getting true HD quality no matter what.

 

[greeno]

Some comments on Vlad_Dracule's:


- de-interlacing might not be that big of a deal with the increase in scan lines. In my case, video-based material that combs badly in 480p looks pretty darn good on 1080i. I have a 50 in rptv and sit about 8.5 feet from the screen.


- many but not all require dvi. the cheaper ones, sub $200, don't have dvi.


I dont' think I'd really call it "reliability", but rather useability or "quirkiness". I also think that firmware has/can address most of these issues. So in making a decision, firmware improvement/development could play a role.


Best,

jeff

 

[Huey]

CRT may not benefit from scaling DVD player as much as digital display (DLP, LCD, plasma, etc.) There is no contest between 1080i on my LVD-2001 ($140) DVD player and my 480p sub-$200 (Panasonic RP62--DCDi based, JVC n40bk, Sharp NV-25su--DCDi based, Toshiba 3750 (Zoran based). LVD is clearly ahead on my LT150 XGA DLP. Even 480i of the same players into my AVT-3700 ($400 component input scaler using Trident DPTV 3dPro) falls behind. Only my Radeon-based HTPC outputting at 1024X768X32bit using Sonic video filters and Zoomplayer beats it with more hassle. LVD achieve 95% of HTPC PQ. So I guess depending on your display and its builtin scaler/deinterlacer, 1080i should beat 480p.

 

[Vlad_Dracule]

Totally agree with you greeno... you just went a little more detailed than me .


As for PQ being better on the top-rated players this can also greatly depend on your display. For example I have a Z2 which is 720p native so it generally looks better than any 480p player because the scaler in my player (Momitsu V880) is better than that in my Z2 and it allows for a 1:1 pixel mapping.

 

[greeno]

Right Vlad. You read my mind this time... Some displays might have "hidden" upconverts. My tosh 50hx81 upconverts 480p to 540p and doesn't do a good job of it. Feeding my set 1080i is best. Native resolution input is best in general.


jeff

 

[GSF]

But if DVD is only 480p then shouldn't you want to go 960i?

 

[GSF]

I have a Pioneer Elite Pro510 - there is no 720p native. Should I be looking at a upconverting DVD player?

 

[Huey]

What is your native display resolution? If it's CRT RPTV or PJ 480p may be just fine. If it's digital 1280x720 then 720p players will look better for sure. DVI is best if your PJ supports it. Some players have crappy 720p like my LVD-2001 but 1080i looks great. Others component output looks like crap (Bravo D1) and should be bought only for their DVI output. Momitsu has decent component, RGB, and DVI but its loader, reliability, and build-quality is suspect.

 

[GSF]

The Pro510 Elite is a CRT based 53" Rear Projection. The inputs are limited to RGB and Component. According to what I can desern from the owners

manual the native resolution is 1080i.


When fed a progressive signal it locks in to full-mode. The TV is basically a reference quality CRT. It will not recognize 720P, but does recognize 480P 540P, 480i and 1080i. The HD image is beautiful. The internal line doubler

is excellent.

 

[Huey]

Stick with a good 480p with DCDi like the Panasonic XP30, XP50, RP82, Denon for the DCDi. RP62 has an inferior MPEG decoder but does have DCDi and is a close runner up. You won't see much improvement on 1080i but you can always try and take a chance. You can use the spare DVD player on a future front PJ system

 

[GSF]

Would the Denon DVD 1600 qualify as a good player. My Elite is known for severe ringing and Stacey Spears told me that the only way to get rid of it is to go into the service menu and set sharpness to minus 120.

 

[ThumperBoy]

The DVD-1600 is based on the Panasonic RP82 design, so its pretty much equivalent.