Upconverting DVD file to play on TivoHD

[jkalnin]

I was wondering if this is possible and if the file output would look better then just playing a regular DVD on an HDTV?

Take a DVD - rip it to your PC using standard tools. Convert the vob to mpeg (change file extension) then use Videora or some other conversion tool to re-encode the mpeg file to 1920×1080 pixels. Then transfer the file output from the conversion to the TivoHD.

The DVD mpeg is now in fake HD, but of course you really just added in non-existent pixels. Has anyone tried this, is it possible, and will it make a difference vs playing the DVD on a regular DVD player on an HD set.

It is an odd question, I know. It is cheaper then buying an upconverting DVD player.

[Puppy76]

It shouldn't really look much better-and in fact an upconverting DVD player shouldn't look ANY better if you have a quality HDTV. All that's doing is doing the scaling on the DVD player rather than on the TV.

[Dan203]

Have you tried simply sending the DVD file over to the TiVoHD and see if it looks any better. If you have the TiVoHD to force 720p or 1080i output then it would accomplish the same effect as an upconverting DVD player without all the extra steps.

Although like Puppy76 said it probably wont look a whole lot better, if any better at all.

Dan

[jkalnin]

Thats not how I understand it, but my HDTV will not be here until next week so I don't have any first hand knowledge. From what I've read most HDTV's do a pretty bad job of upconverting, and upconverting DVD players (like OPPO) really make a normal DVD look a lot better on an HDTV.

[Dan203]

Like I said if you set the TiVoHD to force 720p or 1080i then you'll be accomplishing the same basic effect as an upconverting DVD player, at least to the best ability of the TiVoHDs hardware. Meaning you'll force the TiVoHDs hardware to do the upconversion rather then your TV.

Although I wouldn't write off your TVs scaler until you try it. If you bought a high end HDTV then it probably has a better scaler chip then the $300 TiVo.

If neither work to your satisfaction then I'd recommend getting a Blu-Ray player with a good upconversion chip. That way you can play all your current DVDs upconverted while purchasing new DVDs in a native HD format that will look 100x better on your new TV. :)

Dan

[jkalnin]

I guess I am not explaining the question correctly. In my scenario the PC is doing the upconverting during the file re-encoding process. You start with a normal DVD file and convert it for Tivo while upping the pixel count. This way the PC does all the hard work, not the TV or the Tivo. But, as Dan said, until I just try a DVD on my HDTV it may not even be necessary to try an upconvert movies.

And I'd get a PS3 but I just spent a fortune on the TV+TivoHD, and I already own a 360. I don't see my wife buying the blu ray player argument right now!

[Dan203]

What you're describing is not how upconverting DVD players work. Up converting DVD players increase the resolution of the video after it has been decompressed using several techniques that work well in the uncompressed space. What you're describing is taking an MPEG-2 video and then reencoding it at a higher resolution. In most cases reencoding will result in lower video quality, not higher. You might be able to use some special filters then reencode at a super high bitrate to increase the playback quality a little, but it would probably take 3-4 hours for ever 1 hour of video for the preprocessing and reencode. Not worth the effort at all.

Like I said before. The TiVo itself has an upconverting chip in it, so if the TV doesn't work well with your DVD player then try transferring the DVD files directly to the TiVo and see if that looks any better. If not invest in a real upconverting DVD player, because the PC method is not going to work well at all.

Dan

[jkalnin]

Thanks for saving me many hours of wasted time!

[Puppy76]

Thats not how I understand it, but my HDTV will not be here until next week so I don't have any first hand knowledge. From what I've read most HDTV's do a pretty bad job of upconverting, and upconverting DVD players (like OPPO) really make a normal DVD look a lot better on an HDTV.

"Most" might unfortunately be true, but a good TV does a good job. My Sony displays SD content that looks generally better than on my old SDTV (with the exception that flaws are more obvious). Otherwise there's nothing particularly magical about an upscaling DVD player. Either way you've got a lower resolution image being scaled (with no new visual info added) to the native resolution of the display. The difference is mostly whether the chip in the DVD player (or whatever device) or the chip in the TV does it.

Semi-related, especially since it sounds like you've got an interest in games, I'd go for a Playstation 3 when you do get a Blu Ray player. Both because it's a quality player at a decent price (that also...plays games) but also because to date it's the only player that's future proof, since Sony can keep updating the software. For some unknown reason all the stand alone Blu Ray players launched without support for all of Blu Ray's features (which is...weird). (I've got an early DVD player that has trouble with some new DVDs for that matter...)

[jcthorne]

Of course the other option is to get a Blu-Ray drive for your PC and rip the movies from the disk to the Tivo in HD format....Let the TivoHD be your full serivce media presenter. TV, Movies, Photos, Music...all on one menu system and everywhere in the house.

We had a HTPC for years and the wife not-so-secretly hated it. She LOVES the the Tivo. If Amazon ever got off thier duff and offered HD moves, she would never rent a flic elsewhere again. We never use any other media drive any more at all.

[jkalnin]

If Blu-Ray comes into the picture it will be in the form of a PS3!
My guess is that by Xmas there will be a stand-alone Blu-Ray player for under $200.