By Oo Gin Lee

IF YOU'VE bought a sleek high-definition TV (HDTV) recently, you are probably wondering if there's a way to make your old DVDs look better on that spanking new HD screen.

There is a simple, though not perfect solution - get a DVD player with "upscaling" capabilities. These are DVD players with extra zing - they can, in theory, make your standard-definition DVDs look like high-definition stars.

Also called HDMI DVD players, they make use of the single HDMI cable instead of the usual three-cable composite (red and white for audio, yellow for video) and five-cable component (red, blue, green for video, red and white for audio) to transmit audio and video from the DVD player to the TV.

These devices are more affordable than Blu-ray players which are more expensive, costing at least $600 upwards compared to $170 to $230 for an upscaler and $80 to $120 for a basic DVD player.

More importantly, Blu-ray HD movies are more than twice the price of DVD movies ($50 to $60 versus $20 to $30) and there is still a shortage of available Blu-ray titles.

So if they work well, these DVD upscalers can also have major cost-savings in the long run.

Unfortunately, this is more hype than reality. Our hands-on tests revealed two things about upscaled DVDs:

1. They are only slightly better in quality compared to the unscaled one.

2. They are not even close to a Blu-ray HD movie.

Electronics superstores here say that DVD upscalers are not popular items. At Audio House, for instance, about 80 per cent of its disc players are your typical DVD player, with the remaining 20 per cent split between DVD upscalers and Blu-ray players.

However, apart from improvements in picture quality, using a HDMI cable is a lot easier because you only need to plug in one port into the TV, as compared to the usual three or five.

Some HDTVs also have problems connecting to a component connection and you often need to read the entire manual or call helpdesk to figure out how to get it to work. With HDMI, it's just plug and play.

Verdict: These mainstream DVD upscalers offers slight improvements in picture quality but is nowhere near Blu-ray HD movies.

However, the affordability and convenience of using a HDMI with a single cable for audio and video may well be worth a purchase.

Drawing a FINE line

HIGH-definition movies have about four times more pixels than standard definition video, but its true quality can only be appreciated when experienced.

Images are crisp and sharp and even minute details like pimples on the face can be seen.

DVD movies have a maximum resolution of 720 x 480, compared to a HD movie which has 1920 x 1080.

The older CRTs could only hit 720 x 576 at best, which is just nice for DVD-quality movies but with HDTVs hitting 1920 x 1080, there is room to improve picture quality.

The best quality comes from 1920 x 1080 HD movies which are shot in its native resolution, like BBC's Planet Earth documentary series. There are older movies which are "re-mastered", which also involves some form of upscaling.

DVD upscalers artificially add pixels to the movie to increase the pixels to match the HDTV's resolution. Having more pixels means better picture quality.

However, not all upscalers are equal because there are different grades of video-processing technology.

This process of upscaling takes place both at the DVD upscaler and at the HDTV. So even when you connect a normal DVD player to the HDTV, the latter also upscales the image so that it can fit the native resolution of the screen.

For most HDTVs however, the upscaling technology is weak, so using a DVD upscaler can better boost the quality.

Upping the stakes

IF YOU own the Xbox 360 or the PlayStation 3 game console, the good news is that these machines can also upscale your DVDs. The PS3 also doubles as an excellent Blu-ray player. But if you don't, here are some upscalers you can pick up from your nearest electronics store.

Philips DVP5986K
>$202

YOU ARE getting a lot more than just a DVD upscaler in this gizmo. A USB 2.0 port on the front panel lets you access your music, video and pictures fuss-free.

Just plug-in your USB stick and press the USB button on the remote control to play.

It can play just about any optical disk: VCD, DVD, DVD rewritable (both + and -), DVD recordable (both + and -) CD-R, CD-RW, music CDs, Super Video CD, MP3 discs and also DivX.

And if you don't like your MP3, go live by plugging in a microphone and karaoke the night away.

The microphone port is easily accessible on the front panel and even has a volume knob at the side.

I was able to play region one, three and six DVDs on this machine, so its multi-region capability works without a hitch.

The 5986 sacrifices the playback and navigation buttons on the front panel, but is half the height of the three rectangular-shaped DVD HDMI players.

FINAL SAY

Has the most bells and whistles at a decent price point

Pioneer DV-410V
>$229

PIONEER has always been strong in its menu interface and, this time, it has done well again. The player is described as a region three machine but I was able to play region one and six DVDs on it as well. It can also play all of the usual disc formats including DivX and dual-layer DVD discs.

It also has a USB port on the front panel for quick access to your video and music files on your USB stick. It is however twice the height of the Philips machine. That's because the DVD playback keys as well as a four-way navigation dial are located on the front panel.

These keys are important because it means you can still operate the machine even if you lose the remote.

This machine also has plenty of outputs at the back, including the less common Optical Out and S-Video.

FINAL SAY

Costs a little more but has plenty of features and a sturdy feel

Sharp DV-SL2200
>$199

THERE'S an uncanny resemblance between the Pioneer DV-410V and the Sharp DV-SL2200 DVD players. The buttons and loading tray on the front and even ports at the back are all located at the same location. Even the menu has a similar navigation function.

But there is one big difference - the Sharp could only playback region three DVDs and my region one Lord Of The Rings and region six The Incredibles were automatically ejected when I put them in.

Features-wise, the Sharp is similar to the Pioneer but it is $30 less.

FINAL SAY

Competitively priced with decent features but only able to play region three DVDs

Samsung DVD-F1080
>$169

WHILE most DVD players are rectangular, the F1080 is squarish and decked out in glossy piano black. Of the four machines, this one is the best-looker. It is also the smallest, half the length and as thin as the Philips.

The secret to its slim body is that it places all the playback buttons on the top of the machine, taking away the need for a front panel.

Since the entire top area is glossy, you can even use it as a mirror to check your hairdo.

It is also the cheapest of the four, but for the lower price, there are no bells and whistles - no USB, no microphone.

FINAL SAY

Best-looker with minimal features, but gets the job done

This article was first published in The Straits Times, Digital Life on 1 July 2008.