480 i/p?

[EricJ]

Basic for-dummies question, but just got my first screen, and still can't figure these things out:

Got a 720i set, and an upconverting player set for 480i, 480p (both 4:3), and a widescren 720i and 1080i--
Of the two standard 480's, which upconverts a cleaner picture for those old-fashioned square images?

[CptGreedle]

If your tv only handles up to 720i, than your player's ability to up-convert to 720p and 1080i or 1080p is pointless.
If your tv can handle the better resolution, you want to up-sample to that resolution. But if 720 is the maximum it will go than you should ignore the other resolutions.
as for 480i vs 480p, 480p has a better image but you can't see it in a single frame. It works by alternating frames in an interlaced ("i") pattern to smooth out action. It takes less processing power and is often used by cable and internet. p (progressive) is best because it does not alternate between the frames and keeps everything looking crisp and smooth. It is more like film in that aspect.

This is not really a good explanation, and there is a lot out there that can explain it better (howstuffworks.com), but it should give you an idea that p is better, and the higher number is better.

[AV_Integrated]

1. It is very unlikely you got a 720i set - you more likely got a 1280x720 (720p) display, or a 1365x768 display. The REAL numbers matter when discussing your display, the abbreviated numbers rarely properly correspond to your display.

2. Digital displays, DLP, LCD, LCoS, plasma - are all progressive scan by default. Only a couple out there are not progessive scan.

3. Progressive scan is typically better than interlaced scan.

4. TYPICALLY

5. To properly deinterlace material that was filmed originally as interlaced material, requires very good processing. This processing is sometimes better in your TV than it is on some other device, so it is better to let your TV do this. This is even more true with DVDs and native progressive material stored on DVDs as interlaced material. It should be possible, and fairly easy, to restore the true progressive frames. But, some DVD players can do this very well, and some DVD players can't. Likewise, some DVD players up convert to 720p/1080i/p resolutions very well, others do a lousy job.

This is why it is important to do some research on every piece of gear you are buying before you make that purchase.

[EricJ]

Originally Posted by AV_Integrated

1. It is very unlikely you got a 720i set - you more likely got a 1280x720 (720p) display, or a 1365x768 display. The REAL numbers matter when discussing your display, the abbreviated numbers rarely properly correspond to your display.

(Well, whatever: It was a first set, and they don't usually sell 1080p at 32", which spared me a lot of price-waiting.)

This is why it is important to do some research on every piece of gear you are buying before you make that purchase.

I'll confess there are better upconverting players than the LG, but it was a last-model-in-store, and it's only filling space for a future Blu-ray, as soon as we get a few fourth-quarter questions answered from Sharp--
All I needed was something to help with the widescreens...The LG's not proud, but it does its job.

(Also plays many of those home computer-burned disks that my old player didn't, and takes a Compact Flash card.)

[AV_Integrated]

I'm not dissin' your system - just providing info. It is a common misconcpetion by people that simply buying 'upconversion' is the same as buying 'good upconversion'. When you understand that just because pricing is coming down across the market, it doesn't mean that quality is going to be great.

YET: Sometimes it is phenomenal for the money!

Yugo is always a good reference, because just because the price came down on the car, it didn't leave you with something 'just as good' as the more expensive alternatives. On the other hand, if all you do is some casual driving and didn't hit anything (ever) then it may serve you perfectly and if you did your homework, you knew what you were getting.

I would set the DVD player to 720p and you must connect it via HDMI.