Upconverting DVD? Does It Work? Should I Buy One?

Upconverting DVD? Should I buy one?

A better question might be, Do I need one?

Because in most cases the signal out of your DVD player is 480i, meaning 480 lines and the "i" means that the lines are visible.

As you know, your old style TV can display this format, if it is an older CRT type TV.

A CRT or old school TV will only display a picture with lines, and if you watch TV or you play a regular DVD movie on your CRT TV, you will see lines if you look closely.

But a regular DVD player produces a 480i signal. With lines.

If you use a flat panel set, the video processor onboard the TV processes the lines and removes them, turning the signal into 480p.

So why should you get an Upconverting DVD player?

The "p" means progressive scan in TV talk, or Non Interlaced in Computer talk, or No Lines visible on screen.

Now that also means the TV you use must be an EDTV or HDTV if you want to use the progressive mode, because progressive mode uses only Component or HDMI or DVI outputs.

In that the DVD player can physically see what is stored on the disc and convert the Original movie in Wide screen format, with no lines, in a higher perceived resolution that is more true to the original with the benefit of digital sound.

This doesn't mean that it "improves" the original resolution but it can perform some magic electronic tricks that make it seem like that is what has happened.

Because, some TV programs are stored on disc at 480i 60hz.

Or put another way, 60 DVD quality fields per second.

However, many original films have been stored on disc at 480p 24, Or 24 DVD quality pictures or frames per second.

The DVD player can see these different formats on the discs, and if it is a good quality model can get the absolute best quality pictures out of them.

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