R the new upconvert dvd players worth the money is the picture any better than a regular dvd player ?

Answer 1

An up-converting DVD player doesn't do anything that your TV doesn't do. The question is, how well does it do it compared to the TV's processor. You can't expect a $99 DVD player to do a better job than your TV will. In fact, using one can result in a poorer picture. one absurdity is using a DVD player to upscale to 1080P or i, and then have the TV downscale to 720P. Guaranteed way to degrade your picture. There are stand alone processors that will do a better job than your TV, but these are generally more expensive than the TV.
A top shelf up-scaling DVD player, probably will do a better job of up-scaling than your TV, but these are in the $300 to $400 range.

Answer 2

Depending on the chipset inside the DVD player it can:

- Look better than letting the TV up convert
- Arrive using an HDMI cable

In fact - the only way to get the up-converted video is with an HDMI cable. This sometimes simplifies peoples systems (and sometimes causes anger from people who did not read the fine print.)

One of the better up-converting players is the Oppo brand, and these run $169 new. But the Toshiba HD-A3 high def DVD player also up-converts for about $209.

So for $50 more you get a up-converting player and a HD-DVD player in 1.