The infamous CRT rear projector, whether NTSC or HDTV, remains one of the greatest display products to have hit the consumer market. They lasted over two decades until the flat panel display phenomenon wiped them out. The same can be said of CRT direct view, the TVs we all grew up on. While big, bulky and heavy, these displays could deliver some great imaging, producing bright dynamic pictures and inky blacks in medium to dark ambient light environments. For rear projection, smaller sizes (below 50") could even perform well in brighter environments. CRT rear projection and direct view technology was used to drive the HDTV revolution out of the gate and along the way there were some really stellar videophile performers meeting most of the imaging science aspects of video standards. These products have a typical 10-15 year life span based on normal usage and CRT wear and tear. Before deciding to throw out this technology, you should reflect on the imaging performance you will be losing, the less expensive service costs and how you use a display in your application.

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This is great info. I have pondered this very question for a long time now. How do I keep using my Mitsubishi 48" widescreen HDTV with HDMI? My HD DVD player was the first warning when I got the dreaded "High Resolution Output Disabled" message when playing DVD's over component. My HDTV is still working great so getting rid of it because of a limited number of HD inputs and no HDMI was not a good option. I was very glad to see your article on the HDFury and Box 1020. It is still an expensive option, but it is less expensive than a new HDTV. Thanks for the tip.

My PS3 outputs 1080i over component video for games and BD discs. However it won't upconvert standard DVDs. But since you have a native 480p display just like mine (55" Mits) it doesn't matter that much - 480p looks fantastic.

Akirby answered the DVD side... The main advantage of the HDfury is completing the HDMI loop for HD audio and/or convenience issues related to individual operational quirks of a specific product. This is covered in the audio section of my Blu-ray and HD DVD player reviews for legacy HDTVs such as yours.

http://www.hdtvmagazine.com/author.php?author=Richard+Fisher&id=20

I understand. The biggest reason for doing this for me is upscaling DVD. I was aware of this limitation for a long time. As more media becomes HD it is less of an issue. Frankly, $300 to make my current DVD's look better is not a great deal, and it will not measure up to HD DVD and Blu-Ray.

Is your MITS a CRT? If so then you're watching native 480p on a native 480p CRT. It doesn't get a LOT better than that.

Frankly, $300 to make my current DVD's look better is not a great deal

You missed the point, it won't make it better... Your TV provides native 480p so all you need is a good 480p player.

Scaling remains a very misunderstood aspect of performance and disregard all the hype from manufacturers that would make you think that just by using their scaler everything will have the same properties of HD - isn't so. On top of that your display is limited in resolving power anyway along with the fact any improvement would require a 3-4 screen height viewing distance.

As noted at the end of the article, you would gain far more in performance keeping the display maintained. I'll also add getting ISF calibrated. Either would be a far better performance investment than throwing money and technology at it.

The ONLY concern with legacy displays besides HD audio sources are video sources that may force digital video, down converting HD content with analog video, but we are not there quite yet and HDfury has you covered.

My Mits is a rear projection widescreen. I already have a 480p DVD player, in fact I have 3.

Get Digital Video Essentials, run the test patterns and find out which one is better!

I have a background in computer graphics so I know all about the downside of upscaling. It isn't the manuafacturers that are hyping upscaling. I see in one forum after another owners proclaiming how superior their upscaling player is to the current 480p DVD players. I have seen it over and over again on this site and many others.

I have been meaning to buy DVE for a while. DVE is probably a better benefit for my current system than some expensive hardware upgrade. Thanks for the info.

I see in one forum after another owners proclaiming how superior their upscaling player is to the current 480p DVD players.

Oh, I have no doubt you have read this on other sites!!!

Where on this site? If so the display did not provide a native 480p scan rate. These days all displays are digital fixed pixel and the scan rate is the native pixel matrix of the display in which case a 480p player requires the display scale/upconvert it to what ever the display is. There are some CRT RPs that were 1080i only and in that case you would benefit from an upconverting player. That is another reason why we tell folks to avoid native pixel matrixes that are not native to common HDTV scan rates, 1280X720 and 1920X1080. We never go by the CEA expression of 720p or 1080p because manufacturers have played fast and loose with it.

Waveform 10 CEA/FCC HDTV Definitions
http://www.hdtvmagazine.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5518

Go to CES and tell me scaling manufacturers aren't hyping their products... who doesn't? Not only hyping but using the typical fear mongering drive by media tactics of "what if's" to create concern where far more often than not there is none.

External scaling still serves a useful function but is one of the most application intensive decisions in HT (as well as more expensive)- read special needs... I have not used my scaler in a very long time and everyday scaling has vastly improved over the early days of HDTV taking us right back to, special needs.

If you follow our rules and buy good source products you will get the correct response for the least amount of money provided you bought a properly operating display to begin with that can be ISF calibrated to video standards.

DVE will help you with your player evaluation. I still recommend maintenance or calibration for the display!

My Mits does 480p and 1080i. I use "native" 1080i as much as possible.

I am sure you see a lot of hype at CES. I don't pay much attention to hype unless I am actively shopping. I can say that I have never seen a commercial for "upscaling" DVD players so I would say that is limited hype. DVD players are so common it is hard to say they are hyped. DVD is a commodity today. The real hype is coming from Blu-Ray which also does "upscaling" now that is hype.

If you look hard enough on your site I am sure you will find many instances in your forums where "upscaling" was hyped by either a next gen DVD fan, or someone trying to justify against a next gen purchase because "upscaled" DVD is good enough. I know it wasn't you Richard, but you know it is true.

It would seem you were baited by scaling hype...

My HD DVD player was the first warning when I got the dreaded "High Resolution Output Disabled" message when playing DVD's over component.

Yet there was nothing to dread. Converting 480i to 480p is all about proper de-interlacing, not scaling, and it doesn't get any simpler than that when you have a native 480p display. Scaling to an HD scan rate is easier than de-interlacing but it could actually make things worse if not done properly...

Panasonic DMP-BD10A Blu-ray and SD DVD player
http://www.hdtvmagazine.com/reviews/2007/08/panasonic_dmp-bd10a_blu-ray_and_sd_dvd_player.php

The real hype is coming from Blu-Ray which also does "upscaling" now that is hype.

Blu-ray doesn't upscale or convert anything (it's an optical disc format for HD content) ... players do and with current displays highly recommended if not expected just on the basis of convenience so I'm not sure what hype you are referring to?

Sure, folks have come here and posted scaling hype just like you did and like the others somebody came along to provide help in sorting it out for the poster and future readers just like Akirby and I have done on this thread. That is what makes HD Library different.

Performance is always about application, application and... application.

you will find many instances in your forums where "upscaling" was hyped by either a next gen DVD fan,

It would be great if you would provide an example here...

or someone trying to justify against a next gen purchase because "upscaled" DVD is good enough.

That could be a valid stance depending on the application and we have sorted that out here as well.