HDMI DVD Players

Common HDMI terminology 1080p=1920x1080, 720p=1280x720, HD=High Definition, SD=Single Definition.

HDMI DVD players use Upscaling or Upconverting to generate HD images from SD sources.

European Standard PAL 625 lines, American Standard NTSC 525 lines.

Most HD Plasma or LCD Televisions will already have their own Upconverters.

Samsung High Definition Blu-Ray DVD Player BD-P1000! Updated 28th October 2006

October 2006, Samsung have released the first Blu-Ray high definition DVD player in the UK. The BD-P1000 is Samsungs's first Blu-ray player that is a sleek unit that outwardly resembles an oridinary dvd player.

What is an HDMI DVD Player?

An HDMI DVD player is like a standard DVD player but has an extra HDMI output. It can play normal SD ( Single Definition ) DVDs, but Upscales or Upconverts the ouput to simulate a higher resolution.

What is UpConverting or Upscaling ?

For dvd player to output at 1080p(1920x1080) or 720p(1280x720) when the source is for example a standard DVD movie, an Upscaling or Upconverting process is required. Essentially this technique involves a piece of electronics in the DVD player which interpolates ( makes 1 scan line into 2 or more extra lines), simulating higher definition. This is necessary because standard DVDs are designed to play on televisions with 525 lines for the American NTSC standard and 625 lines for the European PAL system.

Is the System any good ?

Of course because because the Player is 'creating' vertical resolution lines from surrounding lines, the effect, which can be ok, is not as good as viewing a native HD ( High Definition ) signal.

One thing to bear in mind is that most HD Plasma or LCD Televsions will already have their own Upconverters in them already so that they can show standard TV signals on their High Resolution displays, so by buying a specialized DVD player you may find that the result is no better that plugging in you old DVD player into the SCART or s-video of the television. So the answer to this one is; it depends on the DVD player and whether the television has a good upscaler.

Since these devices are being developed all the time, with new models being released every few months, it can be difficult to keep track with whats better than what.

A Selection of DVD Players which have HDMI Outputs: