DVD Scan Line Question

[Marcus Geezer]

Could someone please help me.

I am slowly but surely educating myself regarding High Definition and upscaling, and hope someone can confirm or at least put me right. Ok here goes.

I beleive the following to be true:

• Standard DVD film has 480 scan lines on it.
• DVD player scans these 480 lines then upscales them to 720 ready for a progresive output.
• The upscaled 720 lines is output by DVD player as progressive output via my HDMI lead.
• LCD TV receives the 720 lines progressive as a 'pure' signal from the DVD player and voila! we have a good quality picture.

If this is true, then if you have a HD DVD in a HD DVD player, then there is no upscaling, as for example it would take the 720 lines and output it direct to the HDMI lead for an impressive picture on the TV.

So... Am I right in saying that HD DVD's can only be played on HD DVD players (no brainer?), and that our standard DVD players no matter how good start the process by scanning 480 lines from the standard everyday DVD, the best they can do?

Blimey... Can someone confirm or correct?

[gingerone]

Correct, although some of the HD-DVD's are likely to be 1080p and scaled down to 720p by the HD-dvd player.(unless the player can do 1080p as well)

[Marcus Geezer]

So does it stand to reason that if you put a HD DVD disc in a standard DVD player, it won't work?

Originally Posted by Marcus Geezer

So does it stand to reason that if you put a HD DVD disc in a standard DVD player, it won't work?

Yes--you'll need a new player.

[Marcus Geezer]

So no-one has HD DVD player which plays HD DVD's,

What they have is actually a standard DVD player which upscales and has HDMI connectivity. They just see all the HD Ready stickers, logo's, etc, etc, and thinks they got the bee's knees.

Thanks to clever marketing, I wonder how many other people are living in this state of disillusion?

[hottstuff]

Originally Posted by Marcus Geezer

Thanks to clever marketing, I wonder how many other people are living in this state of disillusion?

id say 70% of them
and same can be applied to the sales staff in stores.

[Marcus Geezer]

I wonder.

Are the Sales Staff victims of their markets own media HD hype, or do they really know the true facts but use the hype in the act of performing their job, i.e. selling?

[hottstuff]

Originally Posted by Marcus Geezer

I wonder.

Are the Sales Staff victims of their markets own media HD hype, or do they really know the true facts but use the hype in the act of performing their job, i.e. selling?

well if the staff do they may be fooled into think they are being astute behind the managements back , telling people as such.
but they forget this

Goods must be of merchantable quality – goods should be of reasonable quality taking into account what they are meant to do, their durability and their price
Goods must be fit for their purpose – they must do what they are reasonably expected to do
Goods must be as described - the buyer must not be mislead into buying something by the description of goods or services given orally by a salesperson or an advertisement

and so even if the salesperson does not tell you this you will always get a refund , as just mentioning it , the management wont try to take it further

[Marcus Geezer]

I've just put Comet through an exercise in customer relations due to a fault with my TV. They failed. Miserably. But still acted within the limit of their responsibility with regards too the sale of goods act, etc.

I think if you went in and said you were sold something you were not fully aware of, I think Comet would be reluctant to do anything unless of course you could prove undoubtedly that you were mis-informed and therefore mis-sold equipment.

I think getting back to the point, is that 'people' generally think that by being sold HD ready equipment, with HDMI connectivity, they are automatically getting HD veiwing.

The last thing a salesperson would do is volunteer the following.......

'Oh by the way, although we are selling you a HD ready TV (as you possibly asked for), and an upscaling DVD player with HDMI connectivity (again as you possibly asked for), you won't actually be able to see true HD quality pictures becuase equipment to output a true HD picture isn't actually available in this country quite yet, and oh by the way when it is, you got to pay a small fortune for it by buying a HD sky box and/or a new HD DVD player along with a new set of HD DVD films'.

Cynical? Quite Possibly.

[hottstuff]

well try dixons , currys .
i did after returning the hopeless LG 9900 , just to see even if my remarks on returning it had sunken in , i asked is it true HD.

oh yes sir is what i got.

[Marcus Geezer]

I'm guessing the LG is a Plasma or LCD TV? Sorry you had problems with it and I'd like to hear more of your story if you have time.

I think if it meets with the scan line (or pixel?) requirements of having at least 720p then it is a HD ready TV. It could therefore be true HD if it meets this requirement and therefore they may have not been wrong?

I think what I'm getting at is that although we can buy HD ready equipment we cannot currently input a true HD picture into it yet, unless you can hook up a PC or laptop into it and play one of the downloadable HD WMV demo's.