question regarding HD tv's and dvd players

[petemoss41]

Hi guys,

I was just wondering if someone could help me out with a question I have.
I have a Sharp Aquos HD tv, that is unfortunately only 720p. Connecting my xbox 360 to this tv looks great, but playing dvd's on my xbox does not look very good.
So I think i need a good upconverting dvd player.
But my question is - since my tv is only 720p - will it even make a difference??
Thanks so much guys...

[bermuddy]

There's still a pretty big difference from 480i to 720p. From what I've seen, upconverts only go as high as 1080i and most ppl find that somewhat comparable to 720p. If your tv is 32 inches or smaller you probably cant tell the difference between 720/1080 anyway.

[petemoss41]

thanks for the help.
my tv is only 32 inches.
So is there a certain kind of dvd player i should buy? most seem to be 1080p upconverting dvd players? I am assuming it doesnt matter?

[culturedog]

Oppo players are generally considered the best upconverting DVD decks. Stereophile even likes 'em. And the 1080p units will also put out 720p or 1080i signals as well.

http://www.oppodigital.com

[Captain Zepp 07]

There's still a pretty big difference from 480i to 720p. From what I've seen, upconverts only go as high as 1080i and most ppl find that somewhat comparable to 720p. If your tv is 32 inches or smaller you probably cant tell the difference between 720/1080 anyway.

QFT, the difference with 1080i and 720p isn't really that bad, but many people prefer 720p.

Remember, the DVD is where quality comes in, it's not the player. (Can't put a DVD in a Blu Ray and expect Blu Ray quality picture.) Another fun fact: no sense really getting an HDTV over 42 inches since if you have select the viewing style to fill the whole screen, it will stretch it to fit, (ruins the picture). So remember that when you hook up cable, satellite, Blu Ray, etc., to downgrade the Format of screen to help preserve the picture if this applies to you

[bermuddy]

I haven't really been in the market for an upconvert, so i don't know much about brands. From what i've read on the forums culturedog is quite the moviephile and if he recommends a certain brand, you should probably pay attention.

[killer_roach]

There's still a pretty big difference from 480i to 720p.

DVDs are 480p.

For a large-screen TV, you'd be well-served with an upscaling player; fortunately, they're pretty cheap.

[tormz]

For a 32" TV 1080p isn't really going to make a noticeable different unless you're sitting only a few feet away from the TV. 1080p doesn't realy make sense to have unless you are at 42" or above.

With that in mind, in choosing a DVD player, are you planning on getting something that will work well should you upgrade your TV? Or if/when you upgrade the TV you plan on getting a new dvd/Blu-ray player? Either way, if price isn't an issue I would also recommend the Oppo.

[Shredder87]

The 360 does upscale your DVD's to 720p. You just need to hook up via HDMI or PC input, which you can find for about 20 bucks or less.

Also, 720 isn't bad at all. My Toshiba looks way better than my friends Bravia 1080p tv. You can see all that nasty lighting on the sides.