While Toshiba's latest HD DVD player, the
HD-XA2, should
finally be shipping today, Silicon Optix has dropped more details on its Reon-VX chip that enables 1080p output. As
mentioned previously, instead of outputting 1080i, the HQV chip deinterlaces the 1080i signal within the player itself using per-pixel
motion-adaptive deinterlacing to ensure that what gets to the screen is free of jaggies and artifacting. A digital 1080i signal to a 1080p display should be able to be deinterlaced within the TV with no loss of picture quality, but since
not all TVs are capable of the task without losing some visual information in the process, this solution should provide the highest, most consistent picture quality available. This same
deinterlacing technology -- combined with the enhanced 297MHz video DAC and additional picture quality settings -- is used to enhance SD material, such as SD extras and regular DVDs. All this sounds great in theory, but we have to get the actual hardware in our hands to see if it stands up to the
1080p24 capable
Sony BDP-S1 and
Pioneer BDP-HD1.
Not to be outdone by Samsung or LG, JVC has announced its own implementation of 120Hz refresh rate on 1080p LCDs just prior to CES 2007. JVC's 120Hz Clear Motion Drive utilizes frame doubling and motion interpolation in a way that they claim is at least theoretically superior to a traditional 60Hz LCD with a 0ms refresh rate. The company has decided it is time to create a new way to measure the rate of image blurring, in order to show the difference between newer motion drive-equipped HDTVs and traditional panels. Called Motion Picture Response Time, these LCDs will rate 10.5ms, while previous models could not possibly rate higher than 13.3ms. However you count it, it will be interesting to see how much of a difference this new technology makes, and if people who already own conventional 1080p LCDs will consider upgrading for it when they become available in the second half of this year.
