VIP622 to VIP722 Upgrade???

[CJ5]

Hello All -- I'm new to this forum; just registered today. I spent some time reading many of the threads her and realize this place is a great resource with many wise folks posting regularly. I apologize if this question is posted in the wrong place but I saw no other applicable thread.

I currently have a VIP 622 and thought I might like to upgrade to the 722. I'm attracted to the larger hard drive and the black color which better matches my other equipment. These features are obvious from the specs.

What I can't tell for certain about the 722 is if there is any difference in the up-converting capability for TV1 output. In some literature I've seen the 622 makes the same claim of upconverting SD content to HD, yet in other literature this feature is not listed for the 622. My question is -- do the 622 and 722 offer the same SD-to-HD upconverting or is there some addiitonal improvement with the 722?

My 622 does send SD content out the HDMI port to my HDTV but it reamains in 4:3 aspect ratio and the quality is not comparable to original HD content. Should I expect the same functionality from the 722 or does it actually upconvert SD content to a 16:9 aspect ratio?

Thanks for any/all responses.

~CJ5

 

[jerryez]

You can use the format button on the 622 or 722 remote to upconvert the 4:3 to 16:9 format very easily.

 

[adavis720]

What I can't tell for certain about the 722 is if there is any difference in the up-converting capability for TV1 output. In some literature I've seen the 622 makes the same claim of upconverting SD content to HD, yet in other literature this feature is not listed for the 622. My question is -- do the 622 and 722 offer the same SD-to-HD upconverting or is there some addiitonal improvement with the 722?
~CJ5

If you set the output of the 622 to 1080i or 720p (depending on your TV) it will match the resolution, but it is not going to change the resolution of the broadcast, you can't add resolution that is not there. It will still be an SD broadcast.

My 622 does send SD content out the HDMI port to my HDTV but it reamains in 4:3 aspect ratio and the quality is not comparable to original HD content. Should I expect the same functionality from the 722 or does it actually upconvert SD content to a 16:9 aspect ratio?

~CJ5

The quality is not comparable to HD because it is not HD.

You can *Stretch* the picture to fill your 16:9 screen, but just because the picture is filling your screen that doesn't make it HD. Actually using the stretch, to some people, makes it look worse. Stretching the 4:3 picture to fit your 16:9 screen is not "upconverting" or even "upscaling". It is just stretching and zooming and cropping.

You can't turn a Big Mac into Top choice sirloin.

 

[CJ5]

You can use the format button on the 622 or 722 remote to upconvert the 4:3 to 16:9 format very easily.

I'm not sure I completely understand what you mean. I know the "Format" button offers "Full Screen" and "Partial Zoom" modes but neither is actually what I appreciated upconverting to be. The "Full Screen" mode destroys the aspect ratio and makes objects apear too wide. The "Partial Zoom" mode preserves the aspect ratio but crops a lot of the content. Are this the only way SD can be converted to HD or are there superior methods? I know that many DVD players now upconvert standard DVD content to HD -- how are the aspect ratio issues handled with these systems?

~CJ5

 

[adavis720]

I'm not sure I completely understand what you mean. I know the "Format" button offers "Full Screen" and "Partial Zoom" modes but neither is actually what I appreciated upconverting to be. The "Full Screen" mode destroys the aspect ratio and makes objects apear too wide. The "Partial Zoom" mode preserves the aspect ratio but crops a lot of the content. Are this the only way SD can be converted to HD or are there superior methods? I know that many DVD players now upconvert standard DVD content to HD -- how are the aspect ratio issues handled with these systems?

~CJ5

They don't. All the "upconverting" DVD players do is match the output resolution to your TV's input, so the player does the scaling instead of the TV. Some people like the way that looks better than using a regular DVD player and letting the TV do the scaling.

As I said, you cannot add lines that aren't there on the source material.

That being said, I have an Up-Scaling player and prefer letting it do the scaling as opposed to my TV.

 

[CJ5]

Stretching the 4:3 picture to fit your 16:9 screen is not "upconverting" or even "upscaling". It is just stretching and zooming and cropping.

OK. Thanks. This makes perfect sense to me.

So in the VIP622/722 literature, when they claim "SD content is upconverted for use with HD outputs" are they are using the term upconvert inappropriately? What do they actually mean, or what is actually happening with the content?

~CJ5

 

[DishInSD]

They don't. All the "upconverting" DVD players do is match the output resolution to your TV's input, so the player does the scaling instead of the TV. Some people like the way that looks better than using a regular DVD player and letting the TV do the scaling.

As I said, you cannot add lines that aren't there on the source material.

That being said, I have an Up-Scaling player and prefer letting it do the scaling as opposed to my TV.

I thought upscalers do add lines that weren't there in the before by using the existing source material and approximating what the extra detail would be to create the extra resolution.

 

[Minsk1]

As I said, you cannot add lines that aren't there on the source material.

That being said, I have an Up-Scaling player and prefer letting it do the scaling as opposed to my TV.

Actually upconverting IS adding lines. New lines are approximated by the unit using the content of existing lines. It is based on well known mathematical algorithms. The player using the better algoriuthm will deliver a better picture. That is whu you like better your player then upconverting (if any exist) iunit of your TV.

 

[adavis720]

Actually upconverting IS adding lines. New lines are approximated by the unit using the content of existing lines. It is based on well known mathematical algorithms. The player using the better algoriuthm will deliver a better picture. That is whu you like better your player then upconverting (if any exist) iunit of your TV.

But as you said it is approximating, not adding resolution. My point is that if there were not 1080 lines of vertical resolution to begin with there still isn't. It is doubling lines, sure it is doing that based on math, but "up-converted" SD is NOT HD. No matter how many lines a DVD player adds to the picture, it doesn't make the content on your 720×480 DVD 1920 × 1080.

I think a lot of people go out and buy an "Up-Converting" dvd player, hoping to go home, hook it up and have their DVD's look as good as thier HDTV looks, and a lot of those people are disappointed.

It is not the extra lines being added by the DVD player that makes me think the picture is better on the "up-conventing' player it is the fact that my TV, which has a mediocre scaler at best, is not doing the scaling up to 1080i.

 

[adavis720]

That is whu you like better your player then upconverting (if any exist) iunit of your TV.

I am not sure what you mean by this.

Don't all TV's have to have a scaler? Otherwise your TV wouldn't display any signal except for it's native resolution.