It has to be tempting for those with a
decent HDTV and even a modest library of DVDs to shell out for an upscaling
player. Blu-ray players are still pretty pricy these days and even then you’d
have to embark on a journey of rebuilding your library with expensive upgrades
of those classic films you still haven’t unwrapped in DVD format (although if
your looking for X-mas, B-day, Father’s Day presents for the next few years…)
There’s also that looming and ominous ‘third format’ that was currently kept
out of the purview of those observing the format war. I’m speaking about the
online format, as in digital downloads. Services like iTunes and on-demand HD
viewing from Netflix are becoming more and more enticing these days. Consider
the average cost of a Blu-ray player and then imagine the number of HD
downloads that would get you. You could either buy a player or get a jump start
on your HD library collection. But one thing you definitely don’t want to do,
says HD Guru, is purchase an upscaling DVD player. Why?
According to the gurus, most modern HDTVs
are already well equipped with circuitry for upconverting from ye olde 480i to
the resolution of your flat-screen wonder. What’s more, those circuits in the
most 2008 models have even better upscaling performance in comparison with standalone
upscaling DVD players! I wonder how many individuals have actually bought into a upscaling without realizing their television is actually doing all the work?
After factoring in the performance, and the
cost, the folks over HD Guru conclude that you should get your HD fix from a
Blu-ray player, which may be seen as low as $150 in the near future. My two
cents (in case you didn’t get the hint in my rant above); if feasible, you should give
a strong consideration to digital movie purchases.
If it's Blu-ray or bust though follow the source for HD Guru’s tips on Blu-ray
version numbers and HDMI cables.
Source
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