Compare – upscaling DVD players and HDTVs

Upscaling DVD players is now the trend with most people who own HDTVs. Here lies the controversy as most HDTVs have built-in scalers and that upscaling DVD players are not required because HDTVs will automatically upscale all incoming signals to their native display resolution.

To allay all misunderstanding, it needs to be stated that the inbuilt upscalers of most HDTVs are very basic in nature and often times lack advanced processing to eliminate scaling artifacts, such as jagged edges, motion noise, mosquito noise, moire patterns, and proper detection of various video and film frame rate cadences. There is no denying that an upscaling DVD player will have better video upscaling capability than a typical HDTV. There are of course ways to check the difference between the quality of the scaler in an upscaling DVD player and the scaler in an HDTV.

While on the subject, we need to know certain basic details. It is good to understand that HD-compatible DVD player is a unit that is equipped with either a DVI (Digital Visual Interface) or HDMI (High Definition Multi-media Interface) connection. This connection can transfer the video signal from the DVD player to an HDTV that has the same type of video connections in pure digital form. In addition, this type of DVD player also has the "upscaling capability".

The upscaling process largely helps in matching the upscaled pixel output of a DVD player to the native pixel display resolution of an HDTV capable television, resulting in better detail and color consistency. Please remember that a standard DVD player, without upscaling, has output video resolution at 720x480 (480i). A progressive scan DVD player, without upscaling, can output 720x480 (480p - progressive scan) video signals. 480i represents 720 pixels displayed across a screen horizontally and 480 pixels down a screen vertically.

In other words, all the odd lines are displayed, followed by all the even lines. 480p represents 720 pixels displayed across the screen horizontally and 480 pixels down the screen vertically. This arrangement yields 480 horizontal lines on the screen, in which each line displayed sequentially follows another. Upscaling is a process that mathematically matches the pixel count of the output of the DVD signal to the physical pixel count on an HDTV.

In the final analysis, it has to be noted it makes very little difference to the eye of the average viewer between 720p and 1080i. However, 720p can deliver a slightly smoother-looking image, due to the fact that lines and pixels are displayed in a consecutive pattern, rather than in an alternate pattern. Please know that any DVD player can be hooked up to an HDTV - though HD-Compatible DVD players are better able to match the native pixel resolution of an HDTV.

However, if you DO have an HDTV, and a standard DVD player, you will get the best results using what is called the component video connection between the DVD player and the HDTV. In addition, if your DVD player is progressive scan capable, you must use that option when connected to a progressive scan capable television.