Playing Your DVD’s on an HDTV
Hi Mark,
I recently purchased an HD TV and am enjoying the better quality of picture.
I have an extensive collection of DVD movies and am wondering what my best
option is for viewing them on the new TV. Is the up converting DVD player
worth the purchase? Will an HD DVD player play the old DVD’s?
Meagan
Hi Meagan
First, you don’t want to invest in an HD DVD player as they lost the battle against Blu-Ray and are going the way of the dinosaur. You really have two options, 1) a Blu-Ray player which will maximize the performance of your TV when connected correctly as Blu-Ray discs offer the highest resolution available. These machines will also play regular DVD’s and most will up-convert the DVD’s lower resolution to 1080p thus enhancing the DVD’s quality. (2) Your other option is a regular DVD player that will up-convert the signal to 1080p, that being said, be careful what you buy. There are low end versions of these on the market that are junk, they are mostly no-name and do not deliver a great picture. The best rule of thumb here is “you get what you pay for”. If you’ve invested in a nice HDTV, don’t spoil the experience with a lousy source. Panasonic, Sony, Marantz or Pioneer Elite are all brands I recommend.
Another note of interest, you will need an HDMI cable in order to take advantage of the Full HD, 1080p experience. A descent quality cable will be required. Don’t let someone “throw in” a cheap one as it will often degrade the signal.
Mark