Is HTPC going to give a better PQ than top DVD player upscaling?

[mrm3]

If I use a HTPC is the image upscaled (in my case 1270x720)?

I have a Sanyo z3 projector with 1280 x 720 res and am using PowerDVD 6. The PQ is great. But is this giving me a better picture than a DVD player with upscaler @ 720p ?
Very confused. Hope this makes sense.

 

[zAndy1]

In theory yes, I've found that where a HTPC comes into it's own is when you apply post processing in the shape of e.g. FFDShow. Put it this way, Theatertek dvd player with the nvidia decoders and FFDShow post processing completely slaughters the Pioneer 868 I had at 720p over HDMI. No competition. I doubt very much you would see any PQ improvement by switching to a standalone dvd player, very much the opposite I suspect, assuming you're getting the best out of your HTPC but that's another question altogether...

Cheers
Andy

 

[KraGorn]

Well, I wouldn't expect a PC to be better than the Denon A1-XV.

However, for the price a PC can't be touched. However, they're a damn sight harder to set up and get into that state than a stand-alone player.

 

[SimonInd]

Well, I wouldn't expect a PC to be better than the Denon A1-XV.

I'm not so sure, whilst the Denon is an awesome player with more video processing than most scalers, I'd have thought a well set-up HTPC with good post-processing software and enough grunt should be in a similar ball park, plus it's going to be more flexible in terms of output resulotions and future developments.

My HTPC is currently outputting 1280x720 to a BenQ 8700 DLP projector and the only thing I'd like to tweak is the refresh rate as my pans still have a small amount of stutter. In this respect a HTPC can be a pain in the arse, a standalone box just seems to work.

Simon

 

[KraGorn]

Scaling is all about the algorithms used as far as I can tell, it's that area I'm not convinced a PC can't be bettered.

And yes, judder is the number one grievance I have with a PC, no matter how much fine-tuning of refresh rates and using (or not using) Reclock I am unable to eliminate them completely .. and it's nothing whatsoever to do with CPU power, the only thing left is AGP latency and if one has to get down to that level I for one have had enough.

My last remaining option that I'm considering is an SDI-ed X-Card into an external scaler. Keep the convenience of playing rips and using AnyDVD to bypass PUOs and lose all the pratting about with software.

 

[mrm3]

Scaling is all about the algorithms used as far as I can tell, it's that area I'm not convinced a PC can't be bettered.

And yes, judder is the number one grievance I have with a PC, no matter how much fine-tuning of refresh rates and using (or not using) Reclock I am unable to eliminate them completely .. and it's nothing whatsoever to do with CPU power, the only thing left is AGP latency and if one has to get down to that level I for one have had enough.

My last remaining option that I'm considering is an SDI-ed X-Card into an external scaler. Keep the convenience of playing rips and using AnyDVD to bypass PUOs and lose all the pratting about with software.

I have not noticed any judder. Probably will now. I'll try and forgot this post later.

Just using HTPC with ATI X800 XT PE , Sanyo Z3 and PowerDVD 6. All looks great.

PS Thanks for everyones replies. Makes me feel better not to go out and buy more hardware !

 

[KraGorn]

Judder is one of those things that can be DVD and system dependent. You may be lucky that the X800's timing is more accurate than my 9600's, in which case then apart from the hassle of switching from 50 to 60 it'd not be so much of a problem.

 

[Tim Cooper]

Scaling is all about the algorithms used as far as I can tell, it's that area I'm not convinced a PC can't be bettered.

And yes, judder is the number one grievance I have with a PC, no matter how much fine-tuning of refresh rates and using (or not using) Reclock I am unable to eliminate them completely .. and it's nothing whatsoever to do with CPU power, the only thing left is AGP latency and if one has to get down to that level I for one have had enough.

My last remaining option that I'm considering is an SDI-ed X-Card into an external scaler. Keep the convenience of playing rips and using AnyDVD to bypass PUOs and lose all the pratting about with software.

What scaling & resolution are you using?
Tim.

 

[John Narayan]

a while age I took my laptop to my friends house and connected it to his
3 CRT projector, at 1024 * 768 at 75hz WOW what view.
used power DVD 5 at 75 hz no flicker at all.
HTPC'S ROCK!!!

 

[KraGorn]

What scaling & resolution are you using?
Tim.

I use FFDSHOW to scale to 1920x1080, then let the graphics card down-scale to native 1280x720 .. I like the slightly less 'edgy' image this gives me over scaling directly to 1280x720.

For PAL I use 50hz (tried 75, saw no difference), for NTSC I use 59.939 (nearest I can get to 59.94) or 48hz if Reclock tells me it's a 24fps movie.

 

[Tim Cooper]

I use FFDSHOW to scale to 1920x1080, then let the graphics card down-scale to native 1280x720 .. I like the slightly less 'edgy' image this gives me over scaling directly to 1280x720.

For PAL I use 50hz (tried 75, saw no difference), for NTSC I use 59.939 (nearest I can get to 59.94) or 48hz if Reclock tells me it's a 24fps movie.

I appreciate that you do know what you're doing but indulge me
What's the machines spec, what's your monitor, when you talk of stutter is it micro stutter or noticeable stutter?
Have you tried 71.928hz for NTSC (film) material?
Tim.

 

[SimonInd]

The problem I have with stutter is that the more time you spend trying to remove it the more it bothers you.... the set-top box does have the advantage of limited flexibilty...

 

[KraGorn]

You have a good point about the twiddlability of the PC.