I'm a bit of a dummy on HT subjects, being fairly new to the game, but I can tell you that using the component video on an Oppo I won't be in any hurry to move to HD. Color is rich and satisfying, with deep blacks and reds, adjustable if it's too much. The highly-touted DVI connection looks washed-out in comparison (it may be a poor match with my NEC HT-1100 projector). I previously used a Denon 3910, but it wasn't even a close contest! Not the definition I get when watching HDTV signals, obviously, but nearly as satisfying--the Oppo (on component video) really brings the picture to life, at least for me. Of course, YMMV.
HDTV & current DVD players - What do WE do?
It's clear that DVD is going to be around for quite a while. So the dilemma now is how to get the most out of our standard-definition discs on the HDTVs we watch them on? Part of the answer involves video scaling, which is the process of filling in the spaces between pixels by borrowing parts of the existing pixels encoded in the DVD video. Many HDTV sets have scaling equipment built in to do this already, but oftentimes the cheap chips installed by the manufacturer are not up to the task, and leave the image looking blocky and pixelated. A good video processor can clean this up, but traditionally the decent ones cost thousands of dollars. A recent trend has seen the introduction of scaling properties into the DVD players themselves. Again, usually the better players with these features have been the most expensive, while the reasonably priced models have had a host of quality problems, especially in the area of progressive scan deinterlacing, that make them unsuitable for many discerning videophiles.
Given the above realities and impending technology shift, what do we do NOW? It doesn't appear to make sense to spend $500+ for a DVD player when HDDVD is around the corner and yet it's unacceptable to live with poor PQ on our HDTV's. Besides Oppo (good & bad reviews), who makes a high quality DVD player for under $500 that utilizes Component video? Some here have mentioned LG's most recent offering - what makes it and others better than Oppo?
Thanks,
DB
Given the above realities and impending technology shift, what do we do NOW? It doesn't appear to make sense to spend $500+ for a DVD player when HDDVD is around the corner and yet it's unacceptable to live with poor PQ on our HDTV's. Besides Oppo (good & bad reviews), who makes a high quality DVD player for under $500 that utilizes Component video? Some here have mentioned LG's most recent offering - what makes it and others better than Oppo?
Thanks,
DB