upscaling 101 for my home theater.?

Scott y

First a little background: I have a home theater that I put together myself on a mid-priced budget. I was very fortunate to find Sharp Vision VX-Z20000 projector and a 120in Stewart firehawk screen at a steal. I have been using an older Yamaha RX-663 7.2 receiver which still sounds amazing but only upscales to 480. I have off the shelf 150ish dollar Sony bluray player and everything is connected via HDMI. I purchased a Denon awhile back but ended up not liking the way it sounded and returned it to the store. My wife just bought me the Yamaha RX-A720 for Christmas but I havenât plugged in yet because Iâm not sure itâs the right one for me.

Here are my questions: When I play blu-rays is looks amazing and I get compliments from others however when I play regular DVDs I have never been impressed. So what I would like is someone to give me a little upscaling 101. Do I need a receiver that upscales to 1080p? do I need a Blu-ray that upscales to 1080p? will either or both of these give me a noticeably better picture? Am I off base with what I think upscaling even is ?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Answer
An audio/video receiver is not typically the best choice if one wishes to obtain the highest level of video upscaling performanceâ¦or for that matter video processing performance in general. On the other hand an AVR that is capable of upscaling video, as well as disc players that upconvert, will often satisfy all but the most demanding users. However it should come as no surprise that consumers who use high-performance, large screen video (projection) systems (e.g. above 70-inches) make up a small segment of home theater owners most likely to notice visible differences in video and image processing.

To obtain the highest level of video processing performance a consumer would be best served by using a preamplifier/processor, aka âpre-pro,â with an internal high-performance video processor or better yet a dedicated external standalone video processor. Some of the better known brands of video processors are: Lumagen, DVDO, Calibre UK, Pixel Magic, Snell (& Wilcox), Blackmagic Design (Teranex), Flexible Picture Systems, VITEC Multimedia, etc. Currently a consumer can also obtain video upscaling performance that comes close to that provided by a high-performance dedicated standalone video processor by carefully choosing a high-performance universal (or Blu-ray) disc player; the OPPO Digital universal 3D Blu-ray Disc players are the first that come to mind.

All said, Yamaha AVRâs that are equipped with the (Qualcomm/IDT) HQV® Vida⢠Video Processor could well offer the best bang-for-your-buck in your specific situation; it would definitely be worth a look at your local authorized Yamaha dealer. (The only less expensive option is to purchase an OPPO Digital universal 3D Blu-ray Disc player.)
 

RESOURCES

HQV Vida Video Processor (equipped AVRâs) - Yamaha United States
http://usa.yamaha.com/products/audio-visual/aventage/?selected=384538_384537_239659_239656_&mode=compare

IDT Introduces Next-Generation HQV Video Technology with the Vida Processor
http://www.idt.com/about/press-room/idt-introduces-next-generation-hqv-video-technology-vida-processor

âGetting the Most out of DVD on an HDTV Displayâ
http://www.oppodigital.com/Getting-Most-out-of-DVD-on-HDTV-Display.asp

âVideo Upconversion Facts and Fallaciesâ
http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/article/video-upconversion-facts-and-fallacies

âScaling Size Mattersâ
http://www.hometheatermag.com/gearworks/1105gearworks/

Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity
â The Value of Using an Outboard Video Processor with All Home Theater Video Displays
http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_13_3/feature-article-video-processors-9-2006-part-1.html
â Lumagen Radiance XS-3D Video Processor Review
http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/video-processors/video-processors-reviews/lumagen-radiance-xs-3d-video-processor/all-pages.html

AVS Forum: Video Processors
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=37
 

Hows the B&W MT-30 home theatre system?

Shubham

I want to buy a home THEATRE system.Is that the right choice.I choose this because its very small.Is their any other better speakers.And which company should I buy for an amplifier or reciever.Thanks

Answer
Hi again...
Thanks for the "best answer", glad you're not going with any Bose products.

For Receivers, Yamaha, Onkyo and Pioneer are my top recommendations - especially if you want the best available options, quality build, for a reasonable price.
I personally have a Pioneer 7.1 receiver.

The B&W MT-10 is a great speaker package. I know you are looking for compact* and great performing speakers, as many consumers do. I'd like to bring up the point that speaker cabinets need to be a certain size in order to be able to give the speaker drivers the right amount of resonating characteristics... only a few brands are able to truly get over the size limatations [of both drivers and cabinets] and achieve decent sound quality and characteristics.
B&W is one of them.

I've looked at these speakers after I got my Klipsch reference series speakers... and was quite impressed with the specifications, beauty of design, and overall performance of the MT30. I believe you'll be very happy with them... as I'm also happy with my Klipsch Reference series speakers.
Both companies use high quality drivers and designs. Your MT30 speakers use dedicated Nautilus Tube Tweeters... and Kevlar woofers. This combination will give you excellent results. fyi, the Klipsch uses Titanium horn loaded tweeters with Anodized Aluminum woofers.

Anyways... B&W MT-30 is a great bet. I'd suggest buying from a place with a 30day return policy though. JUST in case.
B&W is one of the most respected companies in audio and have one of the best available "HIGH end" speakers available to to general public... But are still very scarce in stores to audition. My other caution would be that although the B&W name is amongst the best, you are paying for the name too.

If you are in USA, then keep in mind that these are UK based company - and "bang for buck" may not be great. .. but then again, who knows, you may be rich and don't mind paying for it.

Hope this helps your decision.
I'd also suggest looking at the AudioEngine AP4 passive speakers.
While the MT30 uses ABS plastic [multilayer-which is ok]... Audioengine uses 3/4" MDF [medium density fiberboard] cabinets. MDF is the standard for speaker cabinets.
They have silk dome tweeters with Neodynium magnets, Kevlar woofers... and have a frequency response even better than the MT-30. They are priced at a very reasonable $250/pair. They also make an excellent subwoofer: S8 that easily matches the performance of the B&Ws.

The reason why I know so much about them is NOT cuz I work for them, or affiliated with them... it is cuz I would have purchased these speakers had they been introduced a little sooner [not that my Klipsch speakers are bad - it is just that these are that good!] ... I would have gotten these instead.

They offer 3 colours... and are wonderfully tiny for their perfornance.
These will be much more suitable fo rmusic as compared to the MT30s. They have a freq. response all the way down to 58hz which is amazing. They are front ported: so you can mount them flush to the wall and will not affect sound quality. Audioengine gives 30day return policy, and free shipping to the USA.

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