hdmi / upscaling etc

[bunyboy]

so im new to the lcd tv game, so new in fact that i still have my old faithful crt... but im upgrading the inlaws gear for them...

currently theyve got a 32" samsung lcd LE32R71WX (white one) and a dvd player and freeview box connected via scart.

id like to get them a dvd player with hdmi out and upscaling so we can improve the picture quality... can i try a cheaper option? is it possible to get a scart to hdmi cable and let the tv do the upscaling? will it look any good?

otherwise, im looking for a multi region hdmi out dvd player with decent enough upscaling that it'll be a significant improvement on what they already have but doesnt have to be perfect...

or can the tv handle upscaling? confused by the whole thing!

also, if i went the dvd player connected via hdmi route, does the hdmi cable take sound like a scart does or do i need to route the sound another way? if so, any ideas how? phono's out of the dvd player and into the tv maybe?

thanks all

[Andy98765]

WOW you are behind the times.

No you can not get a SCART to HDMI cable with going through an expensive converter.
Yes HDMI does carry sound.
The TV is already upscaling the Scart connected DVD player, if it didn't you would end up with a small picture in the centre of the screen.
Three issues surrounding Scart connected DVD players that can be easily over come, you do not have to get an upscaling DVD player unless the orginal player is of poor quality..
1. Check that the TV end of the Scart cable is connected to a RGB enabled input on the TV and the picture settings in the DVD player are set to RGB.
2. Check the DVD player is set to 16:9 and not 4:3 or some letterbox mode.
3. Cheap "GOLD" supermarket cables used, get a quality cable.

[bunyboy]

ive not really been interested in lcd tv's because the picture quality was so much worse than a crt from standard definition (esp tv).. that is until recently.. i went to a friends house, he'd just got a 40" lcd and upscaling dvd player and wow did those standard def dvd's look good. certainly good enough for me and a HUGE improvement on what ive seen via an lcd before...

so, anyway.. im not that behind the times that i havent got the lcd hooked up in the best possible scart way. yes, its a decent scart lead. yes, its in the rgb scart. and yes, the tv and dvd player are in 16:9 mode.

but it still doesnt look god enough for me to want to get an lcd.

i set up my brothers lcd with component inputs and that doesn't look much better.

i hadnt seen hdmi until recently and my friends set up looked fantastic! im now very interested in an lcd.. at least for watching dvds! maybe not tv...