Box as a DVD player

[DkN]

Since the XBox can do HD, I have been wondering if its DVD player is of the progressive scan type allowing for higher resolution DVDmovies. Anyone knowing the technicals of this able to shed light on this?

DkN

[LynxFX]

No, progressive scan (480p) was dropped at the last minute do to legal problems with macrovision. So the xbox only plays in 480i for dvd playback, just like the PS2.

Would have been a great feature though.

[l Maximus l]

Not to sound like a complete idiot, but, being the novice I am with DVD players since I never bought one because I knew I would get one with the XBox, but, what is the main purpose and advantage with Progressive Scan technology?

[DkN]

Its a question about how certain types of images are 'drawn' onto the video monitor. This link is a good one describing what the difference between 480i (interlaced) and 480p (progressive.) The 480 indicates the number of scan lines. But hit this link and read down in the GREYED area for the information.

http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volum...e-10-2000.html

[FpS_PhReeK]

The most important thing that you all should know about this issue is that Progressive Scan is only an advantage if you have your Xbox or DVD player hooked up to a High Definition Television...


So if your like me and you do not have a HDTV it is really not a big deal.... Another important fact is that the Xbox does have the capability to play movies in Progressive scan but the feature has been turned off do to licensing issues with Macrovision.... Microsoft did not want to pay for it..... however Progressive Scan is supported in games... but again it does not matter because I do not have a HDTV.

PhReeK out!

[Hugh_Jass]

We're all hoping for a hack to enable this feature (assuming it actually made it to silicon).

You never know...

[LynxFX]

Originally posted by FpS_PhReeK
The most important thing that you all should know about this issue is that Progressive Scan is only an advantage if you have your Xbox or DVD player hooked up to a High Definition Television...

Actually that isn't true.

Progressive DVD playing has nothing to do with HDTV other than the fact that a HDTV is a digital set. When you watch a DVD on a progressive player and it is hooked up to a progressive set (read: digital), you are watching a 480p image. 480p actually falls in-line with ATSC's SDTV standard.

ATSC -Broadcast- Standard:

SDTV- 480i and 480p (4X3 AR)

EDTV- 480p (4x3, 16x9 AR)

HDTV- 720i, 720p, and 1080i (16X9 AR)

-ALL- DVD's can be played in progressive mode (provided you have a progressive player, and a digital set that accepts progressive signal on the Component input [in the US, other regions use RGB inputs/outputs sometimes]).

The benefit of progressive scan isn't just that it is displayed different than interlaced but you are doubling the affective resolution. SDTV has an affective res of 640x240. EDTV (progressive scan) doubles the affective vertical resolution to 480 hence 480p. (720x480)

To really see the difference, which is like night and day, you need to watch a 480i signal and a 480p signal on a tv larger than 36". The bigger you go the easier it is to see the scan lines of a 480i signal and this becomes very very annoying and practically unwatchable.

So again I must state You do not need an HDTV set to take advantage of the progressive output of the xbox. You need a digital set.

[FpS_PhReeK]

The most important thing that you all should know about this issue is that Progressive Scan is only an advantage if you have your Xbox or DVD player hooked up to a High Definition Television or a Digital box top set (converter) hooked to a High Definition Ready Television or some other digital display...... the point is that most people at this point are not able to gain any benifit from Progressive Scan.

Is not going to look much better if better at all on that dusty old television that was given to you by your parents 6 years ago.

I myself recently purchased a Sony DVD player for my home theatre... I was going to get the NS-700P, with progressive scan, but opted to get the 670-D without progressive scan because it is a 5 disk changer and it was a few bucks cheaper. There is just litle benifit to me at this point,,,,,, now in two years I will be upgrading my equipment to High Definition and Denon instead of Sony... then the fun begins.


PhReeK out!

[smack119]

is the xbox progressive or not?? i thought it wasnt

[LynxFX]

DVD playback NO(480i)
All Games, YES (480p)

[smack119]

so that does mean that it could be possible to have it hacked to do it?? i wouldnt try it but people somewhere will

[LynxFX]

Yes I think that is one thing that could be hacked. It might just be something to get past the macrovision protection. It is obviously built into the hardware so I'm guessing they just need to crack the software. Won't be an easy task.

I won't bother though. Already got a progressive scan player.

[smack119]

does in make that much difference?? is ps that much better? and do you need a hdtv for it

[LynxFX]

No you do not need an HDTV set to use progessive scan that the xbox offers. You do need a digital set with component inputs. There is a major difference but mostly when you up the size of the screen. Would you notice the difference on a 27" tv? Probably not. Would you on a 60" screen? Yes. My image is on a 110" screen. I can't watch a non progressive image. Fortunately I don't have to.

[smack119]

**** thats big.....

[LynxFX]

I just took some pictures and was creating a website. I should have them up over the weekend. I didn't get any with the xbox though so will try and take a few of those as well and again put those on the site so no one thinks I'm just talking out of my arse.

Don't want another fiasco like that guy talking about the lotto and some 65" sony. LOL

[smack119]

haha it was me that ripped him apart for it....so you better have some real pics or else

[LynxFX]

LOL, umm yeah I have pics but they aren't of my screen per say but they are of one that looks almost not quite like it. Yeah that's it. Besides I only won the 3.9 million not the 4 million lotto so I can't afford a digital camera that doesn't take blurry out of focus pictures of someone elses stuff.