Stuck between two upconverting DVD players, and no idea what I'm doing --...

[PrivateT]

...please help compare? I have an older (2003?) widescreen HDTV whose manual reports that it has "480i, 480p, and 1080i wide-screen picture formats/signals". I understand that a higher number's better than a lower number, and that "p" is better than "i". I also currently have a regular (older ~ lol) progressive scan DVD player (with no HDMI connection).

My goal is to go one step up from a "regular" progressive scan player, but NOT all the way to Blu-Ray. How it appears is that "the next step up" would technically mean that I'm getting either an "upconverting" player --OR-- an "HD-DVD" player (with an HDMI connection). However... I don't know the difference between an "HD-DVD" player and an "upconverting" player, because as I understand it, an "HD-DVD" player still "upconverts"...!? (As does Blu-Ray, when needed.)


The two players I'm fretting over are:

(A) "HD-DVD": Samsung's DVD-HD850 single-disc, progressive scan DVD player enhances video performance by increasing the video resolution of ordinary DVD titles and up-converting them to HDTV compliant formats (720p/768p/1080i), enabling you to enjoy an HDTV compliant picture-roughly twice the resolution of progressive scan DVD players.

vs.

(B) "UPCONVERTING": The Samsung DVD-1080P9 DVD Player brings your home theater experience to a whole new level with superb HD DVD imagery and exquisite digital audio sound. Your current DVD library will look and sound better than ever before, because this is a progressive scan DVD player, capable of upconverting your DVDs to a 720p/1080i and 1080p Full HD experience.



Wha!? My question is...: Can someone please explain the difference between an "HD-DVD" player and an "upconverting" player? Which is better, and why? And does my current progressive scan player just not have that quality of a picture solely because I lack HDMI connections?

Thank you!

[UgjhkjghF]

According to cnet and other websites up converting dvds make them look more hd'ish. But not really hd. What it does is it up converts the dvds resolution which i think is 720x480 to what your tvs can support 1080i.

DONT get HD-TV as is got killed in the hd war to bluray so get the up converting one.

A big Difference - no not really.

Worth it - because of your tv not capable of 720p and 1080p - no

[Rod]

If I was you, I,d skip the DVD and just get something like the Sony
BDP-S360 blu-ray, I have the BDP-S350, and the BDP-S550, and PS3,
all 3 are great machines, that way your ready for blu,s to buy or rent.

I bought a upscale Sony HDMI dvd player and wish I hadn,t. Never use it.