Is it worth getting an upconverting DVD player to go with my HDTV?

Question

The player itself is not that much but again does it make enough difference in picture quality? Also purchasing a good HDMI cable, like Monster, is almost as much as the player.

Answer 1

Yes get one most up-conversion in a TV is geared toward interlaced signals. Cables make or break a system. In this case buying a HDMI cable is counter productive. Using Component cables is advisable since we want to bypass the image processing of the TV and rely solely on the DVD player to interpolate the signal.

Best Buy has created a company to "make" their own cables, what ever the package says where it is made do not be fooled the raw components come from Venezuela. The Big box stores are not training their staff on the products they sell and anything technical from a employee should be weighed with a BS factor.

Anyone that says cables are a rip off, is a MORON and I said so.

You really need to audition cables, see if they add anything, a real audio/videophile will tell you that you must be happy with what you are getting. Try them out and if you aren't able to tell a difference then take them back.

Check any reputable dealer and they will say a good benchmark is to spend 10% on cables. I can't stand people coming out of a Big Box with a $100 DVD player and a $80 dollar cable with no understanding of what it adds (another reason to stay away from Best Buy and Circuit City).

That said if you have a smoking DVD player, I just got the newest Denon, you would be crazy to handicap it with $30 dollar interconnects.

Good cables make a system work like it should and performance cables make a smoking system even hotter.

If you want a good read on how to evaluate on your own, try the link below.

Answer 2

If you have a name brand HDTV, particulalry if under 42", don't bother since you won't notice an appreciable difference. Just use a good Component or HDMI cable (not Monster .. they are overpriced, See the link for one (of many) good source) and let the TV do the upconversion.

The only exception would be if you really NEED a DVD player now, in which case the best bet is an HD-DVD player. They are (almost) reasonably priced (~$300) and, even if Blu-Ray eventually "wins" the format war (not by any means a sure thing) they make an excellent upconverting player and will always play the HD-DVD disks that will be around for some time yet.

Answer 3

Yes. upconverting DVD player will all have a digital out in terms of DVI or HDMI. So you do not need a monster cable when putting out digital signal. However, if your HDTV does 1080P then you should consider getting HD-DVD or BluRay since those will output 1080P natively. The upconverting DVD will at most output 720P.

Answer 4

yes, it is totally worth getting an upconverting dvd player for a high definition television..the picture quality is amazing compared to a regular dvd player..

an upconverting dvd player gets up to a 1080i resolution, which is not the best possible, but very close..

and about the hdmi cable, it is only worth buying an expensive one such as monster if it is needed to bend a lot...so if you are running it through walls, you need to get a high quality one...otherwise, there is not much difference in quality if you choose a different brand..

i prefer monster and rocketfish for picture, and acoustic research for sound (home theather/surround sound systems)

rocketfish is only available at best buy, but monster can be purchased at almost all retail stores (circuit city, best buy, etc.etc...)

Answer 5

All HDTV's will upconvert any signal you feed into the component inputs, DVI, or HDMI to the TV's native resolution. So, your TV has a FREE built in upconverter. Don't waste your money on a GIMMICK...

p.s. Monster Cable is ALSO a gimmick.

Answer 6

nicely, it really is the position they get you. An up-replacing DVD participant will take a common def. DVD and up-convert it to HD or close to HD high quality for a a thoughts better image on your HD television. once you've an wide library of time-honored def. DVDs, then sure, that is worth it. besides the indisputable fact that, you won't be able to play Blu-ray on something yet a Blu-ray participant. With the shortcoming of existence of HD DVD, Sony has were given you through the throat....

Answer 7

The best bet is to buy a Toshiba A2 hd dvd player. I found one on the internet for $326.00. As for HDMI cables, Don't buy them at the major outlets. Bestbuy wanted $140.00 for a 6' cable. I got 2 of them from Monoprice.com for just under $19.00 each and they work perfectly. They are super fast on delivery too. My cables were shipped the same day I ordered them. The major chains rip you off on cables. Hope this helps.

Answer 8

Monster Cables are over-rated. Just because you spend more money doesnt ALWAYS mean you get better quality. You can get a good HDMI cable off the internet for a better price, but so many people are willing to pay more because theyre impatient. I have friends get mad when they over pay for everything and theyve realized how much more theyve spent than me for the exact same thing because they wouldnt wait 3 days for shipping. Convenience comes at a price, its always time or money.

Answer 9

Save your money on an HDMI cable and up convert DVD player and just get a Blu-ray disc player...By Christmas they'll be around $300...Besides your HDTV has a "scan doubler" inside that turns your DVD images into at least "960i".