best blu-ray for upconverting standard dvds - Blu-ray Forum

Superecdor · 12-11-2008, 06:43 AM

I am getting a blu-ray player in the next 2 weeks and almost went with the ps3. However, in my opinion, standard dvds do not look well on the ps3 (tried fight club dvd). I used to own a toshiba xa2 that made standard dvds look a lot better in pic quality (almost HD) but the ps3 does not do it as well. Is there a blu-ray player I can buy for under say $500 with good upconversion/upscaling for standard dvds and mayber has DTS HD-MA and bd-live too? Or should I just get a separate upconverting/upscaling dvd player altogether?

P.S. What is the difference between upconverting and upscaling?

CrazyFool · 12-11-2008, 06:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Superecdor

I am getting a blu-ray player in the next 2 weeks and almost went with the ps3. However, in my opinion, standard dvds do not look well on the ps3 (tried fight club dvd). I used to own a toshiba xa2 that made standard dvds look a lot better in pic quality (almost HD) but the ps3 does not do it as well. Is there a blu-ray player I can buy for under say $500 with good upconversion/upscaling for standard dvds and mayber has DTS HD-MA and bd-live too? Or should I just get a separate upconverting/upscaling dvd player altogether?

P.S. What is the difference between upconverting and upscaling?

Personally, I do not use my expensive Blu-ray player for watching DVDs. I bought a DVD player that 'upscales' for that purpose. You can buy one for under $50.

fighthefutureofhd · 12-11-2008, 01:16 PM

some people actually don't want to have 17,000 players/pieces of equipment all over their house. novel concept i know.

anyway to answer the original poster's question i have a samsung bd-p1200 that isn't so hot on the blu-ray side of things. but it's great on dvd's. the upconverting is really good. i wouldn't get the bdp-1200, but i would check out the newer samsung bd players.

callas01 · 12-11-2008, 02:12 PM

the panasonic bd-35/55 both do great jobs of upscaling. cnet(take it for what it is) said they upscale better then anyother bdp and close to that of the oppo's. I think it does great at upscaling.

Cortiz · 12-12-2008, 11:28 AM

I have owned several Blu-Ray players within the last year or so including the Panny BD30, BD35, Samsung, 1200 and 1500, Sony S300, S350, and the PS3 (which I still have).

Of all these players I can honestly say the Samsung with it REON chip has the best upconversion of all. However, the player was full of glitches. Freezing, skiping, audio and video drop outs etc.... and Samsung probably has the worse customer service and they don't support their products properly. Had to wait several months just to get a firmware update to fix some of the problems. Now, Samsung has since replaced the P1200 with the P2500 which has the same REON chip for upconversion. Maybe this player doesn't have as many problems as their older models, but after the experienced I had I'm not willing to find out.

So, what is the best upconverting player right now that is reliable?

My honest answer is : The Sony S350. Yes, I know some reviewers has said the upconversion is mediocre, however I do not agree. I compared the S350 and the Panny BD35 side by side ( I purchased both) and to my eyes the Sony looked better. More detailed and less noise, ringin. So my advice to you is this: Everyone has a different opinion and taste on what a picture should look like. So just trust your eyes and go with the one you think look best for your taste.....

SatinKzo · 12-12-2008, 12:20 PM

I hear ya on the samsung products Cortiz, I got burned by samsung BD players (with their 1500-house burner model, it was almost literal). Won't touch them again based on how they support their products let alone how they build them.

As for upconversion of current players, I'd have to say my Panny BD55 is one of the best I've seen. S350 for me was good, but I noticed a few times it had some issues with certain things and how it handled the upconversion/upscaling. Not show stoppers and should not disuade you from one at all.

billypoe · 12-12-2008, 12:31 PM

Samsung 2500--absolute best. Many reviewers and websites--including this one--can vouch for me on this one.

Cortiz · 12-12-2008, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billypoe

Samsung 2500--absolute best. Many reviewers and websites--including this one--can vouch for me on this one.

It may be a fine player and probably the company's best blu-ray player so far, but there are still some compatibily issues. Just read the Cnet review link below

http://reviews.cnet.com/video-player...?tag=mncol;lst

lobo81865 · 12-12-2008, 01:38 PM

My Panasonic BD-30 did a horrible job of upconverting, so I picked up a Toshiba XA2 HD-DVD player on Ebay. I will be replacing it with the upcoming Oppo player though since it will apparently be as good as the 983 for standard DVD's.

billypoe · 12-12-2008, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cortiz

It may be a fine player and probably the company's best blu-ray player so far, but there are still some compatibily issues. Just read the Cnet review link below

http://reviews.cnet.com/video-player...?tag=mncol;lst

The question at hand deals with upconverting DVD's--not compatibility. So, as far as upscaling goes, Samsung is the best.

And as far as compatibility, I had more trouble with my BDP-300 handling certain Blu-rays. I've yet to have any issues with my 2500.

MoPe · 12-12-2008, 03:06 PM

The Samsung with the Reon chip, would be the best, at least according to those who have DVD's. However with it's reliability questions, I probably wouldn't touch it with a 10-foot pole. And no, I have no bias towards any company, just the ones that make quality products. Samsung hasn't made a quality BR player, yet. I'm sure they'll get it right eventually.

Mr. HiDef · 12-12-2008, 03:09 PM

If you want to have the best up converter it is a oppo although it is not a bd player it is still worth the money because it can upconvert better then any bd player Ive seen and also less strain on your bd player as well

http://www.oppodigital.com/

MoPe · 12-12-2008, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. HiDef

If you want to have the best up converter it is a oppo although it is not a bd player it is still worth the money because it can upconvert better then any bd player Ive seen and also less strain on your bd player as well

http://www.oppodigital.com/

OP wants a one-machine-solution.

Which brings up my next suggestion. Wait for the Oppo BD83 reviews to pop-up. The upconvert on their new BR player should be good.

EWL5 · 12-12-2008, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lobo81865

My Panasonic BD-30 did a horrible job of upconverting, so I picked up a Toshiba XA2 HD-DVD player on Ebay. I will be replacing it with the upcoming Oppo player though since it will apparently be as good as the 983 for standard DVD's.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MoPe

OP wants a one-machine-solution.

Which brings up my next suggestion. Wait for the Oppo BD83 reviews to pop-up. The upconvert on their new BR player should be good.

+1 on getting the upcoming Oppo BDP-83 player. It should be the same reference quality as their DVD player and probably similar magic on the BD side as well.

I believe "upconverting" and "upscaling" mean the same thing.

LeeC22 · 12-12-2008, 08:45 PM

Upconverting is taking an input signal and converting it to a higher grade signal format. For example, the Onkyo 605 will take in an S-VHS signal and then "upconvert" it to HDMI or component.

Upscaling is taking a picture at a certain resolution and then scaling it to a higher resolution. E.g. playing a standard resolution DVD on a 1080p upscaling DVD player, will scale and apply a filtering algorithm to produce a 1080p output.

ozzman · 12-12-2008, 11:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billypoe

The question at hand deals with upconverting DVD's--not compatibility. So, as far as upscaling goes, Samsung is the best.

.

I agree,I looked into this about 8 months ago and for Blu-ray players the Samsung 1200 was the best from the info i got

sharok · 12-13-2008, 06:18 AM

Denon 3800BDCI is the best bluray player for upconverting standard DVDs in the market. The Realta chip (10 bit) in Denon 3800 is far superior to the Reon chip in Samsung 2550. But it is around $2000.00

But worth the money.

GodofBlu · 12-13-2008, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Superecdor

I am getting a blu-ray player in the next 2 weeks and almost went with the ps3. However, in my opinion, standard dvds do not look well on the ps3 (tried fight club dvd). I used to own a toshiba xa2 that made standard dvds look a lot better in pic quality (almost HD) but the ps3 does not do it as well. Is there a blu-ray player I can buy for under say $500 with good upconversion/upscaling for standard dvds and mayber has DTS HD-MA and bd-live too? Or should I just get a separate upconverting/upscaling dvd player altogether?

P.S. What is the difference between upconverting and upscaling?

You didn't mention your TV. Remember BD players will only upconvert over hdmi. If your TV is a little older and your using conponent, then you will need to use a upconverting dvd player.

Superecdor · 12-14-2008, 08:44 AM

oooh ya. I have a samsung 56" dlp. I am using hdmi cables with an onkyo 605 with 5.1 cambridge soundworks satellite speakers.

CrazyFool · 12-15-2008, 05:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fighthefutureofhd

some people actually don't want to have 17,000 players/pieces of equipment all over their house. novel concept i know.

anyway to answer the original poster's question i have a samsung bd-p1200 that isn't so hot on the blu-ray side of things. but it's great on dvd's. the upconverting is really good. i wouldn't get the bdp-1200, but i would check out the newer samsung bd players.

And some (even smarter) people don't feel like waiting forever for a Blu-ray player to load a DVD. The wait might be tolerable for a Blu-ray Disc but not for a DVD.

12-11-2008, 06:43 AM	#1
Superecdor Active Member Member since:Oct 2008 Blu-ray collection:1 DVD collection:1 Trading Score:122	best blu-ray for upconverting standard dvds I am getting a blu-ray player in the next 2 weeks and almost went with the ps3. However, in my opinion, standard dvds do not look well on the ps3 (tried fight club dvd). I used to own a toshiba xa2 that made standard dvds look a lot better in pic quality (almost HD) but the ps3 does not do it as well. Is there a blu-ray player I can buy for under say $500 with good upconversion/upscaling for standard dvds and mayber has DTS HD-MA and bd-live too? Or should I just get a separate upconverting/upscaling dvd player altogether? P.S. What is the difference between upconverting and upscaling?

12-12-2008, 11:28 AM	#5
Cortiz Blu-ray Guru Member since:Jun 2007 Location:Out there, past them trees Trading Score:489	I have owned several Blu-Ray players within the last year or so including the Panny BD30, BD35, Samsung, 1200 and 1500, Sony S300, S350, and the PS3 (which I still have). Of all these players I can honestly say the Samsung with it REON chip has the best upconversion of all. However, the player was full of glitches. Freezing, skiping, audio and video drop outs etc.... and Samsung probably has the worse customer service and they don't support their products properly. Had to wait several months just to get a firmware update to fix some of the problems. Now, Samsung has since replaced the P1200 with the P2500 which has the same REON chip for upconversion. Maybe this player doesn't have as many problems as their older models, but after the experienced I had I'm not willing to find out. So, what is the best upconverting player right now that is reliable? My honest answer is : The Sony S350. Yes, I know some reviewers has said the upconversion is mediocre, however I do not agree. I compared the S350 and the Panny BD35 side by side ( I purchased both) and to my eyes the Sony looked better. More detailed and less noise, ringin. So my advice to you is this: Everyone has a different opinion and taste on what a picture should look like. So just trust your eyes and go with the one you think look best for your taste..... Last edited by Cortiz; 12-12-2008 at 11:32 AM.

12-12-2008, 01:38 PM	#9
lobo81865 Blu-ray Guru Member since:Aug 2008 Home Theater Gallery:1 4K collection:562 Blu-ray collection:3659 DVD collection:3327 MA collection:1323 Digital collection:3018 iTunes collection:1551 Prime collection:950 Blu-ray reviews:1 Trading Score:102	My Panasonic BD-30 did a horrible job of upconverting, so I picked up a Toshiba XA2 HD-DVD player on Ebay. I will be replacing it with the upcoming Oppo player though since it will apparently be as good as the 983 for standard DVD's. Last edited by lobo81865; 12-12-2008 at 01:41 PM.

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12-11-2008, 01:16 PM	#3
fighthefutureofhd Blu-ray Baron Member since:Jun 2008 Location:Dry County	some people actually don't want to have 17,000 players/pieces of equipment all over their house. novel concept i know. anyway to answer the original poster's question i have a samsung bd-p1200 that isn't so hot on the blu-ray side of things. but it's great on dvd's. the upconverting is really good. i wouldn't get the bdp-1200, but i would check out the newer samsung bd players.

12-11-2008, 02:12 PM	#4
callas01 Blu-ray Prince Top contributor Member since:Jun 2008 Location:Riverside, CA Home Theater Gallery:42 Blu-ray collection:230 DVD collection:47	the panasonic bd-35/55 both do great jobs of upscaling. cnet(take it for what it is) said they upscale better then anyother bdp and close to that of the oppo's. I think it does great at upscaling.

12-12-2008, 12:20 PM	#6
SatinKzo Senior Member Member since:Jul 2008 Home Theater Gallery:4 Trading Score:131	I hear ya on the samsung products Cortiz, I got burned by samsung BD players (with their 1500-house burner model, it was almost literal). Won't touch them again based on how they support their products let alone how they build them. As for upconversion of current players, I'd have to say my Panny BD55 is one of the best I've seen. S350 for me was good, but I noticed a few times it had some issues with certain things and how it handled the upconversion/upscaling. Not show stoppers and should not disuade you from one at all.

12-12-2008, 12:31 PM	#7
billypoe Expert Member Member since:Mar 2008 Location:Athens, GA Home Theater Gallery:14 4K collection:197 Blu-ray collection:622 Trading Score:1	Samsung 2500--absolute best. Many reviewers and websites--including this one--can vouch for me on this one.

12-12-2008, 03:06 PM	#11
MoPe Active Member Member since:Nov 2008 Location:Orlando	The Samsung with the Reon chip, would be the best, at least according to those who have DVD's. However with it's reliability questions, I probably wouldn't touch it with a 10-foot pole. And no, I have no bias towards any company, just the ones that make quality products. Samsung hasn't made a quality BR player, yet. I'm sure they'll get it right eventually.

12-12-2008, 03:09 PM	#12
Mr. HiDef Expert Member Member since:Nov 2008 Location:Fox Lake IL Blu-ray collection:89	If you want to have the best up converter it is a oppo although it is not a bd player it is still worth the money because it can upconvert better then any bd player Ive seen and also less strain on your bd player as well http://www.oppodigital.com/

12-12-2008, 08:45 PM	#15
LeeC22 Member Member since:Dec 2008 Blu-ray collection:526 Trading Score:3	Upconverting is taking an input signal and converting it to a higher grade signal format. For example, the Onkyo 605 will take in an S-VHS signal and then "upconvert" it to HDMI or component. Upscaling is taking a picture at a certain resolution and then scaling it to a higher resolution. E.g. playing a standard resolution DVD on a 1080p upscaling DVD player, will scale and apply a filtering algorithm to produce a 1080p output.

12-13-2008, 06:18 AM	#17
sharok Junior Member Member since:Dec 2008	Denon 3800BDCI is the best bluray player for upconverting standard DVDs in the market. The Realta chip (10 bit) in Denon 3800 is far superior to the Reon chip in Samsung 2550. But it is around $2000.00 But worth the money.

12-14-2008, 08:44 AM	#19
Superecdor Active Member Member since:Oct 2008 Blu-ray collection:1 DVD collection:1 Trading Score:122	oooh ya. I have a samsung 56" dlp. I am using hdmi cables with an onkyo 605 with 5.1 cambridge soundworks satellite speakers.

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