Video Upscaler Pros/Cons/Suggestions Please

[Spectral Morn]

Hi Guys

I recently inherited a Panasonic P42G20 (I have retired my 36 in Panasonic CRT TV) and I am faced with a number of questions as to what to do next re ancillary equipment.

My Sky + box (standard def) is acting up, maybe fixable, maybe not. The thing is if I go for an HD box there is no way to hook an S VHS VCR (yep I still use one) up to one so that is not a particularly attractive option. I would prefer to stick with the older style of box.

My DVD player remote is acting up tonight (it could be the player not sure) so I could go Blueray but I don't need all the extra crap they have and I need a coax output for Dolby and DTS 5.1 assuming one can watch a Blueray and get those sound options? I don't want to change my av amplifiers which are pre HDMI but fabulous. Both 6.1 amplifiers.

So I was thinking is there any mileage in looking at video upscalers to hook up to the plasma. I could stick with an older Sky+ box and DVD player feed them via RGB scart and Component to the upscaler and then hook up to the plasma.

Is this worth while or a case of putting lipstick on a pig?

If it is worthwhile can someone suggest a good quality standalone upscaler?

Also is there an online guide as to how to calibrate a Panasonic G20 as I feel that its not set up right yet - I have fiddled around with it but I am not happy.

I am somewhat out of the loop on AV/Home Cinema.



Regards Neil

[sq225917]

Don't all TV's have integrated up-scaling built in to them these days, even ones from 2010? It's a basic part of the video chipset. An external upscaler might be a better option if it's newer tech.

[Macca]

Can't you just connect the VCR to the TV with a scart and run the sound into the amp via RCA phono cable?

[Spectral Morn]

Can't you just connect the VCR to the TV with a scart and run the sound into the amp via RCA phono cable?

Sadly I want to record onto the VCR and that is the problem. Yes I can watch tapes ok but if this Sky + box is not fixable then it becomes more difficult.

I know the first gen of SkyHD box had an sVHS output as the SD Sky+ box did but the next ones didn't and the current one doesn't - HDMI only I believe.

Its a case of current tech not taking into account legacy tech, even a few years seems to be too old these days. Very few current flat TVs, be they LCD, Plasma or LED even have one scart input and many have none just HDMI.

Regards Neil

[Spectral Morn]

Don't all TV's have integrated up-scaling built in to them these days, even ones from 2010? It's a basic part of the video chipset. An external upscaler might be a better option if it's newer tech.

If this one does and it might its not particularly good and there is no obvious way to switch it off or on to see what its doing.

I look at the state of the art in flat panel tech even with HD feeding them and frankly it seems/looks like to me a step backwards re picture quality. Now detail and sharpness does look better, though at times it looks wrong, sort of hyper detailed. Movement is still an issue even with HD. The number of flat panel TVs that suffer from movement drag is quite scary and this is supposed to be an improvement over analogue CRT TVs, well not in my view.


regards Neil

[alcarmichael]

I have a DVDO iScan HD+ for sale if interested?

[Dingdong]

I have a DVDO iScan HD+ for sale if interested?

The composite video upscaling on the dvdo is quite good.

If you really need to upscale the video it would be well worth a try.

[alcarmichael]

I used it with an SDI modded Arcam DV27 which gave me an excellent picture upscaled to 720p on my Sim2 Domino 30H projector.

[Dingdong]

Nice signal is sdi.

I remember when I worked in video a few years ago that the dvdo was highly rated as a composite scaler at an affordable price. All down to the filtering.

For a lot of modern tellies the scaling is half decent for most signals, but not all scale composite video that well.