[Closed] Question re: HD

Can't answer your question properly but all normal DVDs are standard definition so I'm not really sure what a high definition dvd player would do, unless it's actually for the now defunct proper HD-DVDs? In which case I wouldn't bother and get a Bluray player instead as afaik no hd-dvds are made any more?

Also if it's a hd device it will probably have a hdmi output, which your non-hd tv won't have.

Shows how far behind the game I am... So, would a Bluray player still give me a picture on my old TV, or do I need to buy the "compatible" TV at the same time?

New telly I'm afraid, unless its got a HDMI socket round the back?

Bugger. Thanks anyway, now I know....

A "high def" DVD player could be a normal DVD with upscaling to make it (near) HD quality. You'd have to check the connections on the back, since they may have a SCART as well as HDMI.

If you do plump for a new telly, there are some good deals that come with a free Blu Ray player. Some of the Blu Ray players can be hooked up to your home network to stream movies/music/photos from your PC as well as internet content such a iPlayer.

some blu ray players have composite conections so it might work with your tv? theres some really good deals on blu ray players, can get a sony s370 for under £100 which gives internet content too like iplayer love film etc

+1 for the Sony s370. It is ace

can get a sony s370 for under £100

Where from? That's on my shortlist, and I've not seen it that cheap (though TBF I was looking at a multiregion (DVD) one.)

would a Bluray player still give me a picture on my old TV,

Assuming for a moment that the answer is 'yes', there wouldn't be much point. DVD and Blu-Ray are going to look as close to identical as makes no odds on a standard def telly. The only reason to get a BD player over DVD would be for future-proofing if you're planning to upgrade your TV soon.

If you're going to be changing your TV but not for a while, you might as well spend 20 quid on a Tesco Value DVD player to tide you over, then buy a BD player when you replace the TV and get the latest features at half the price they are now.

All that said, I'm struggling to think of a BD player with a SCART block. The PS3, maybe? If you were to hook up a BD player to a conventional telly, your best bet is probably S-video.

The only reason to get a BD player over DVD would be for future-proofing if you're planning to upgrade your TV soon.

Disagree completely

A Blu Ray player can act as a media client to stream media from your PC, play Internet apps such as iPlayer, You Tube and Love Film amongst others and many will have a USB port on the front so you can view pics/movies/music etc. A BD player gives you a LOT more for you money even forgetting the HD bit, so provided it will work with your telly I would give you the total opposite advice to Cougar and say get a BD player.

As for the original question,

HD-DVD and 'high def' upscaling DVD players are two different things.

HD-DVD was a competing format to Blu-ray which was ultimately Betamaxed, it's a dead format now. Modern DVD players can 'upscale', which is probably what you mean when you say "high def DVD" - it performs some magic trickery to make a SD image look better on a HD TV. I've never particularly seen the point myself(*) as a HD TV will upscale itself anyway, I suppose it boils down to which device contains the better technology as to which is ultimately better at it.

With an SD TV, it's utterly a non-issue. A DVD player is still a DVD player, the upscaling is an option which you can disable (and I'd hazard a guess that it might even disable automatically on an SD TV?)

(* - other than "to sell more DVD players" anyway)

Disagree completely

You make a good point, but that wasn't really what I was getting at.

Solely [i]for the purpose of playing back discs, [/i]I stand by what I said. You're right though that you get a lot of other toys with a BD player which may or may not be of interest.

But Cougar, the phrase "solely for the purpose of playing back discs" only appeared in your last post. With that late-to-the-party caveat I'd agree with you BUT I'd hazard a guess that most people - even those who already own one - have no idea what a BD player can do above and beyond playing discs. It is my personal mission as a pleased Sony S370 owner to educate 😀

I saw the Sony mentioned above in Blockbuster - £109 with 3 Discs (Iron Man, Robin Hood and 1 more TBC)

Alaric.

Well i'll be damned, the s370 has gone up again! it was on amazon and a few places for £99 but seems to be about £135 at the moment. might still get it elsewhere cheaper. i remember i bought mine for more than £100 and was a bit miffed, feel better about it now 🙂