Video Asylum

Posted by townsend (A) on August 24, 2006 at 18:31:33

In Reply to: Help with Dual-use DVD-player, please posted by Pathophone on August 24, 2006 at 15:34:48:

I think the correct answer is "no."

DVD players, even if they upscale, don't play the hi-rez layer of new HD--blu-ray or HD-DVD. Now there are some HD-DVD discs, which consist of both HD-DVD and DVD on the same disc, but that's a different matter.

For HD-DVD or blu-ray, you need separate players, and at present there are no plans for a universal "HD" player. As I understand it, either of these players will handle DVD, with upscaling, but I would at least wait until second generation players arrive before taking the plunge . . . some bugs are still being worked out . . .

Many recommend an OPPO player as good upscaling DVD player, but if you read some of Joe Murphy's informative posts in this forum, the Oppo player doesn't work well with certain plasmas--specifically Panasonic, which you mentioned as one of your favorites.

There are lots of fairly affordable DVD players that upscale, but I don't think there is one (excepting the OPPO?) that provides the best quality and best "bang for the buck."

The video handling of many of these players is put through some rigorous testing at the link below:

http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_7_3/dvd-benchmark-introduction-9-2000.html

townsend