There is a lot of confusion regarding 540p, 1080i, 1080p, De-interlacing, HD-DVD, Blu-Ray, etc.
Shugs1037 made a good point with the statement, “One format, one general connection type compatible with all TVS and all HD channels = happy customers and profits for all.” We are not there yet.
However, “fantastic picture” HD content is here now and available.
Like Shugs1037 mentioned it is important not to get caught up in the hype.
Before a purchase is made it is important to do research. There is a lot of misinformation out there, but there is a lot of good and accurate information as well.
I have learned a lot from reading various reviews, reading the AVS forums, researching information on various related topics and using my HD-A1 player. (In conjunction with my new Axiom Speakers)
It took me a bit to post because I didn’t want to shoot from the hip and this is an interesting topic to learn more about. With that said, here is what I found.
The “fantastic picture” being talked about does
not require a TV or monitor to accept a 1080p signal.
Currently the picture quality of the HD-DVD player is reported to be better than Blu-Ray.
HD-DVD outputs
1080i along with other lower resolutions. If the TV has 3-2 Pulldown detection and good de-interlacing, it will be able to fully recreate the 1080p24 source from 1080i.
The following link is an interesting read. The section in grey is particularly on topic. Keep in mind that HD-DVD and Blu-Ray media are encoded as 1080p24
film, therefore it much easier to de-interlace than
video sources.
http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_7_4/dvd-benchmark-part-5-progressive-10-2000.htmlIf using a 720p projecter/TV make sure that it downscales 1080i to 720p as follows:
1080i->1080p->720p
Not 1080i->540p->720p.
Currently I am using a Panasonic AE900U 720P projector with great results.
