New DVD Player Needed with HD Ready TV?

macman

I have just ordered a 32 in Panasonic HD Ready TV (TX32 LXD85). I am thinking of buying a Blu-Ray DVD (Panasonic DMPBD35) player to replace my existing 'standard' DVD player and connecting the two by HDMI.
Will this improve the definition of my existing standard format DVD's? I am being sold this on the basis that the Blu-Ray players can upscale standard definition up to Full HD (1080) quality-but of course my TV will only have 720 anyway. So will I be able to see any real improvement unless I am playing Blu-Ray DVD's?
Upscaling sounds to me like a software bodge-a bit like the digital zooms on digital cameras, which as we know are terrible quality.

ALIBOBSY

We have a 40 inch sony bravia and a ps3 which we use to watch blu-ray dvds and ordinary dvds. The blu- rays are impressive (but pick new films which were filmed in digital format, oldies remastered just aren't the same). The DVDs do seem to be slightly better picture quality and clearer than on the old dvd player, but I can't say if thats due to the age of our old dvd player anyway lol.
Mind you my OH is into technology and insisted on what he says is "proper full HD" so ours is the full 1080, may not be as much of a difference with a 720 tv. Even the non HD tv channels do look better on our tv so think the upscaling does work.
good luck
ali x

aliEnRIK

I have the PS3 which is pretty good

But if you want REAL quality ~ Buy a Pioneer LX50 dvd player (About 220 quid off ebay last I looked). Its upscaled pictures are virtually hidef in quality (720P too as thats what I watch as I have a 768 Pixel Pioneer plasma)
My dads 50" 1080P tv looks incredible using the LX50
I cant see you gaining much between a well upscaled dvd player and a bluray player on a 32" to be honest (And the one you mention wont upscale as well as the Pioneer dvd player)

Your right in what you say though, its down to the tvs scaling ~ my tv has a better scaler than a PS3. But the LX50 has a better scaler than my tv.

macman

Thanks RIK, will look at the LX50. Not convinced it's worth £200 for the Blu-Ray if I can use an upscaling non-Blu-Ray DVD player and still get a similar gain at a much lower price.

aliEnRIK

People wrongly believe an upscaling player is an upscaling player and thats that. SO wrong. The LX50 will destroy most upscaling dvd players. Youd have to spend 800 quid plus to find a better one.
Its sound quality is far superior to most players too

Paddy2eyes

There is so much nonsense talked about upscaling dvd players. If your playback device outputs at a lower resolution, such as a standard dvd player, your TV will upscale it to it's native resolution. In some cases, such as Rik has mentioned, an upscaling player will have a better scaling engine than the TV, so there will be a picture improvment in using it.
What it will not do is produce a level of detail similar to a true HD source from a lower definition source as it cannot put in what was not there in the first place. Bluray contains many times the amount of data that DVD does, you cannot magic the extra content out of thin air.