Quote:
Originally Posted by MRSMITH
A better option now than before IMO: with the very good but disappointing HD-DVD and Blu-Ray machines(problem may be in the transfer rates of those disks now available), the upconverting players look even better now than before on a 'bang for the buck' basis. Using the B/R version of 'The Fifth Element', and its SuperBit standard DVD as a comparison on the same Samsung machine and display, the difference in image(the Samsung upconverts standard DVDs) is so small as to be hardly worth mentioning. The majority of the nation's professional electronics writers came to the same conclusion with HD-DVD, labeling the image as "unimpressive".
So ----- get yourself a good upcon player now at a fraction of the cost of HD-DVD or Blu-Ray and enjoy virtual hi-def. If you have a display with HDMI/DVI you'll have a wide range of machines to choose from, including those with the latest Faroujda chips. If your display only has component, there are fewer to choose from, but an outstanding image anyway. While the chip may be a little dated(Sigma EM8500), the Momitsu V880 series still produces a knock-out upcon picture for somewhere around $300(the V880N is perhaps still the most sophisticated upcon player on the market in terms of features, but the V880s are hard to come by with many outlets on back-order after some three years on the market). While I have not seen ithem in action, the NeoDigits players apparently do an acceptable job via component as well.
Whichever you choose, make sure you have a good return policy from place of purchase just in case the match-up between player and display does not satisfy your eyes.
Enjoy!
Milt R. Smith
mrsmith2002@yahoo.com |
In the intervening months has been the independent Oppo study which confirmed most viewers could not tell difference between upcon and native. Toshiba gave Paramount/Dreamworks 150-million reasons earlier to go HD-DVD exclusive, Sony allegedly gave Warner Bros 500-million reasons to fo BluRay only, and hi-speed movie downloads are coming later this year. Net result? Sony won nothing but bragging rights, and Joe Sixpack had little or no input into which format won, having been decided by a very mundane pay-to-play arrangement. Business as usual. My guess is, if genuinely competitive, hi-speed downloads will just eliminate on-disk distribution, sooner rather than later. Makes sense both from a convenience and economic standpoint.
Milt R. Smith