Do I need an upconverter player?

fondoo

Hi there, I'm a newbie to this forum. I own a beautiful a 50" plasma - Samsung HPT-5064 720p. I also own a samsung dvd recorder/player, which is not an upconverter. I picked up a dvd, Planet Earth last night and watched it on my system and the video wasnt really ultra clear/sharp. Do you guys think I need a upconverter player or it doesnt make any difference? Right now I have component cables connecting between the DVD recorder/player and plasma screen. do you guys think I should upgrade to HDMI?

Jim Bob Jones

WTF? If you own a DVD player that is not an "upconverter" why would it sport an HDMI jack? I guess with Samsung, anything is possible.

fondoo

my samsung dvd recorder/player(dvd-ar650) supports HDMI out.

Scottnot

According to CNET review, it is an upscaler: http://reviews.cnet.com/dvd-recorder...-32432864.html

Try setting the AR650 to output at 480p so your TV does the upscaling; you may get a better picture that way.

Also try a few other DVDs - again, according to CNET it should do a "commendable" job of upscaling.

fondoo

scottnot: thanks for your response. i've been playing with the video settings on the samsung dvd-ar650. it supports 480p, 720p, and 1080i in HDMI/DVI. i've tried dropping it to 480p and it didnt really help. maybe i should upgrade my component cables to HDMI. sugguestions?

Scottnot

If you're using component cables, the AR650 (like most DVD players) will only output 480i or 480p.

In order to use 720p or 1080i, you must use HDMI cables; so yes, you should try connecting it that way to see if you can get some improvement.

mshulman

There's just something wrong about that.

Planet Earth should only be watched in High Def - You'd be better of getting a blu-ray player and Planet Earth on Blu-ray. Its obviously more expensive then getting an upconverter, but the war is over, so you can buy with confidence knowing you are getting something you will use for a long time. Plus you'll get much more enjoyment from it and a far better picture!

__________________
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"I eat green berets for breakfast and I'm very hungry!"

fondoo

as much as i want blue ray. i just cant justify the $300 price tag.

mshulman

Can't justify is very different from can't afford. Who do you need to justify it to? We can help

I look at it this way. You spent a fair amount on your TV, right? Shouldn't you make use of it to its fullest? At Walmart right now, you can get a PS3 Blu-ray Player for $399. Plus you get $100 gift card, so its like getting the PS3 for $299.

Just use netflix or some other means for getting movies if you don't want to buy them too. My wife and I save a ton by NEVER going to the movies, we just watch them all at home.

__________________
Toshiba HD-A2 and HD-A3
PS3
Panasonic BD-P1600
Sanyo PLV-Z3
Canon HF-10
Onkyo 805
Panasonic TC-P46S1
Vholdr 1080P HD Helmet Cam

"I eat green berets for breakfast and I'm very hungry!"

fondoo

im just wondering if you can tell the difference between blueray and dvd.

mshulman

I can. On a 50" TV, I think you could too, even with 720P, which is why my projector is.

If you are that skeptical, why not try renting a PS3 somewhere? I think you'll find you'll see a much bigger difference between DVD and Blu-ray then you will DVD and upconverted DVD.

__________________
Toshiba HD-A2 and HD-A3
PS3
Panasonic BD-P1600
Sanyo PLV-Z3
Canon HF-10
Onkyo 805
Panasonic TC-P46S1
Vholdr 1080P HD Helmet Cam

"I eat green berets for breakfast and I'm very hungry!"

Jim Bob Jones

I'm one who generally maintains that no one can tell you what you will see. However, except on small TVs-say under 32 inches or so-the difference between Blu-ray and SD DVD is obvious if you have anything close to "normal" vision. Even the best upscalers can not wrench HD from non HD sources. But with smaller sets, you might have to look very hard to see a significant difference.

fondoo

well, i grab the HDMI cable from my xbox360 and pulled the component cables from the dvdr, and same video quality. is it worth upgrading my dvd player to blueray if my plasma is only 720p?

i went down to my local walmart and they had a blueray player for $388 and a magnavox blueray player for $300.

mshulman

You won't see a difference between HDMI and component in most cases. The both provide a High Def picture.

Seeing that you have an HD box, can you see a difference between the HD channels and the SD channels? If you can, you'll see that difference with blu-ray.

I don't know what those players are, but if you can deal with using the controller for a remote or picking up the bluetooth remote, the PS3 is still the best valued player. Especially seeing that you get a $100 gift card when buying it.

__________________
Toshiba HD-A2 and HD-A3
PS3
Panasonic BD-P1600
Sanyo PLV-Z3
Canon HF-10
Onkyo 805
Panasonic TC-P46S1
Vholdr 1080P HD Helmet Cam

"I eat green berets for breakfast and I'm very hungry!"

leevitalone

suggestion: watch BB for open box deals. our local has very good markdowns on BR decks. and there is always Oppo. I have HD tv and ps3 br. I use the oppo more for movies to tell truth