what's a good hd-dvd player?

[robnix]

I have a toshiba 42" rear-projection, not sure of the full model number. It definately does not do 720p, a trait it shares with a lot of older HD sets. If you check the PS3 forums, this seems to be a common complaint. Who wants to watch their awesome new PS3 in 420p?

If only my wife would let me hook it up to the 60" sony wega

If it's three years old, it's most likely the exact TV I had then. Almost RPTV's don't display content in 720p, they crossconvert it to 1080i. I just had a PS3 hooked up to my three year old Sony RPTV, which unfortunately was one of the last RPTV models that doesn't crossconvert 720p to 1080i, it downconverts, and saw this firsthand this past weekend. Talladega Nights looked as good as any HD broadcast I've seen, while Fall of Man was less than impressive.

[WickeDKlowN]

HD-DVD drives for your PC still aren't available, or they weren't last time I checked. You have to either buy a Xbox 360 HD-DVD drive and hook it up to your PC via USB (I haven't seen anybody pull the drive out and install it in a PC, though I would imagine it's possible) or search for one of the Toshiba drives somewhere like eBay.

[Muzikman]

You're the first person I've ever known who did that. I'm going to go out on a limb here, but I'm guessing that for every person like you, there are about 10,000 people putting stuff up, and taking stuff off, bittorrent and the like.

I will be setting up the GF with the ability to copy DVDs for backup reasons. She has a 4yo who knows how to use the DVD player better than her, but he has no idea how to take care of a DVD. A lot of her/his movies are getting ruined because of it. If she has the ability to back them up so he can mess up the backup copy and keep the original it would save her money.

[Steelrat]

If it's three years old, it's most likely the exact TV I had then. Almost RPTV's don't display content in 720p, they crossconvert it to 1080i. I just had a PS3 hooked up to my three year old Sony RPTV, which unfortunately was one of the last RPTV models that doesn't crossconvert 720p to 1080i, it downconverts, and saw this firsthand this past weekend. Talladega Nights looked as good as any HD broadcast I've seen, while Fall of Man was less than impressive.

Mine is a 42H81, and it definately doesn't upconvert. Again, a scaler is a cheap part, and there is no excuse for Sony not providing it. Microsoft doesn't have the history of making consoles for as long as Sony, yet they knew enough to put one in the 360.

And you found the same problem many people find, that the PS3 games in 420 P look pretty bad.

[Steelrat]

I will be setting up the GF with the ability to copy DVDs for backup reasons. She has a 4yo who knows how to use the DVD player better than her, but he has no idea how to take care of a DVD. A lot of her/his movies are getting ruined because of it. If she has the ability to back them up so he can mess up the backup copy and keep the original it would save her money.

Again, there are plenty of people doing it for illegal reasons. In fact, under the DMCA, the mere act of copying a DVD (which requires defeating the encrytion) is illegal, even for personal use.

[robnix]

Mine is a 42H81, and it definately doesn't upconvert. Again, a scaler is a cheap part, and there is no excuse for Sony not providing it. Microsoft doesn't have the history of making consoles for as long as Sony, yet they knew enough to put one in the 360.

And you found the same problem many people find, that the PS3 games in 420 P look pretty bad.

The last number is the year model, Toshiba releases late summer/early fall. 42H81's were released in 2001, and didn't convert. The next year with the 42H82 were the first ones that I think did the converting.

The Sony scaling issue will be hopefully fixed via a firmware update.

[Steelrat]

The last number is the year model, Toshiba releases late summer/early fall. 42H81's were released in 2001, and didn't convert. The next year with the 42H82 were the first ones that I think did the converting.

The Sony scaling issue will be hopefully fixed via a firmware update.

I've read about a possible firmware update. The scalars are usually done with hardware, because any sort of software scaling is going to be a massive drag on the processor. I hope it works out, but it doesn't seem like something that is easily doable.

[don miguel]

the PS3.

[Steelrat]

is neat?

[robnix]

the PS3.

Only plays Blu-Ray. Munchkin.

[gibby]

Biggest problem in the PS3 is the lack of support for 1080i.

Actually, the PS3 does support 1080i. Gran Turismo HD and NBA 07 both displays at 1080i at home. It's just older HDTVs that support 480p and 1080i, but NOT 720p that has the problem of downscaling rather than using the higher resolution. It's just the way the firmware handled the resolution selection. If the older TV didn't have 720p, it would default to 480p instead of using the 1080i resolution. But Sony will release a new firmware update that should fix this problem.

[Steelrat]

Actually, the PS3 does support 1080i. Gran Turismo HD and NBA 07 both displays at 1080i at home. It's just older HDTVs that support 480p and 1080i, but NOT 720p that has the problem of downscaling rather than using the higher resolution. It's just the way the firmware handled the resolution selection. If the older TV didn't have 720p, it would default to 480p instead of using the 1080i resolution. But Sony will release a new firmware update that should fix this problem.

Heh, we actually discussed this on the first page

The problem with a firmware update is that it will require CPU power to handle the scaling (if it can do it at all), wheras a hardware solution (like the xbox 360 has) can scale it without any additional load on the CPU. For the minimal cost of the hardware, it's a major oversight on Sony's part not to have put it on there in the first place. And my TV, like plenty others, does only 1080i and 420p. Sony alienated a lot of users with this decision.

The xbox 360 can handle 420i, 420p, 720p, 1080i, and 1080p. With an extra year to examine the 360, shouldn't the PS3 have been capable of this right out of the box?

[gibby]

If only my wife would let me hook it up to the 60" sony wega

No need to ask...just let her see the results. The PS3 on my 60" Wega looks great! I for one never thought I'd buy into the PS3 so soon. But I must admit, the Blu Ray feature was a big reason why I bought it. But even then, I was skeptical. For me, it was still about the games. I guess after seeing a few games at work, it sold me on the idea even more.

The quality of the console was also a plus! Albeit heavy and HUGE, the look and feel of the hardware screams quality. From the sleek look, to the touch sensitive buttons, the WiFi, and bluetooth connectivity...I think I got a lot for my money. Not to mention it's SUPER QUIET!

But like you said, even if you were to buy it for the movie capabilities, you're still getting a deal. It's just are consumers ready for a new format? Was the race between HD DVD and Blu Ray started prematurely?

[gibby]

With an extra year to examine the 360, shouldn't the PS3 have been capable of this right out of the box?

Trust me, I don't think Sony is blind to the lessons of MS. But with all the hurdles of the new technology, getting it out the door was a challenge in of itself. I'm sure the big wigs and techno geeks at Sony has disected the features of the 360. It's just a matter of allocating time and resources to work out the kinks. Just like the 360, the PS3 will need some time to work things out.

[don miguel]

Only plays Blu-Ray. Munchkin.

wrong munchkin, mine plays dvd's. i watched matrix reloaded (dvd) last night on mine.