What About 1080p HD Output?
Dear Gary:
Thank you for your great magazine, which I receive in France and truly enjoy every month. Your coverage of the coming high-definition DVDs is truly exceptional and cannot be found in any other magazines.
While the sound format of the HD DVD and BD will be transformed by using Dolby® Digital Plus, DTS®-HD, and MPL lossless, there is no information concerning the video format. The only format which would make a real difference and what all early adopters want is 1980 x 1080p. Can you tell us what to expect (who is making the decision, what is the position of the studios, of the DVD Forum and BD Association, what is the latest information on that topic)?
Hervé Girsault
mailto:herve.girsault@wanadoo.fr
Editor-In-Chief and Publisher Gary Reber Comments:
Unfortunately, first generation HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc (BD) players are not expected to support a 1080p output. This decision represents yet another mistake being made by the format architects, who will expect the early adopters to buy a second player when they decide to provide a 1080p output.
A mixed situation has developed with respect to the input side of display devices that will support 1080p resolution. A few 1080p native front projectors support 1080p (progressive) input signals, including the Faroudja DILA1080pHD (reviewed by Greg Rogers in this issue) and the JVC HD2K (reviewed by Greg in Issue 91, December 2004). The Sony Qualia 004 front projector has recently been updated to add 1080p input support, although the initial version reviewed by Greg in Issue 86, July 2004, did not support 1080p. (Be sure to verify which version you will receive when ordering.) An expensive modification is expected to be available for the first generation Qualia 004. The Qualia 006 rear projector (reviewed by Mike Marks in Issue 96, May 2005), does not support 1080p input signals. The Sharp LC-45GX6U LCD Television (reviewed by Greg in Issue 98, July 2005) does not support 1080p input signals through its proprietary external video processor, even though the processor is coupled to the 1080p native LCD panel using a 1080p DVI connection. So, it seems that we will have to wait at least another full product cycle before display manufacturers will consistently support native 1080p inputs.
Hopefully, both the source player manufacturers and the display component manufacturers will be in sync and simultaneously introduce 1080p output and input capability, respectively. Then there are the studios and content providers who will need to supply their material in the 1080p 24 Hz format for release on the respective HD DVD and Blu-ray Discs formats. In the case of players that will only support 1080i output, the DVD player will have to convert to the 1080i 60 (59.94) Hz format, and probably also to 720p60 to support projectors with a 720p native format
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