Anyone Else Use A DVD-Recorder To Input Composite/S-Video Systems and Output Component?

[The Clonus Horror]

I've been using a cheap Philips DVD-Recorder for years to hook up my classic systems and then output in component. I'm not sure if it "actually" upconverts the signals (nor do I care), but I can definitely tell you that the image is much more crisp. I was just curious if anyone else has been doing this?

[Jack_Burton_BYOAC]

Well, most upscaling DVD players advertise that as a feature, so I think you should just be able to look at the top of the set to see if it has it. Otherwise, look up the model number.

It's possible the player is also cleaning up the image a bit by running it through its own video processor before output.

However, you often have to be kind of careful about these kinds of comparisons. What is "much more crisp"?

Brighter? Sharper? More colorful?

All of these can appear to be beneficiary at first, but in the end you may just be overdriving the signal.

It may be that the composite video decoder in your set is not very good, and the DVD player is doing a better job of it.

As for myself, no I do not use any devices between my systems and displays. Everything I've seen has only degraded image quality. So yeah, I actually regularly disconnect and reconnect 8 different systems from the back of my JVC color video monitor and its one input.

[Ed Oscuro]

I've seen DVRs used to record gameplay footage. For playing, I'd expect lag. As we all know, that may or may not be an issue for you.

A DVR seems like a reasonable all-around solution with flexibility in that it can output, upscale, and record. However, unless you need the recording specifically, I would pass it by (at least if money was no object) for some other method of connecting up systems.

[BlastProcessing402]

I've never done this (never had a DVD recorder other than in a PC) but it sounds like I should look into it if it can convert S-Video to component, since newer TV's don't even put S-Video inputs on anymore (the bastards).

[The Clonus Horror]

What I was saying is that I HAVE been doing this for nearly ten years successfully and was just wondering if anyone else was trying or had tried it with the same results. As for the picture being improved, I would say that it is brighter, sharper, and with deeper colors. As previously mentioned, it's on an old, cheap (even back then) Philips DVD-Recorder. As for lag, I have not once noticed any. I used to use my JVC S-VHS VCR to hook up my NES and Genesis to via composite and then output S-video back in the late 90's/early 00's, so this was the next logical jump up for me. I also should mention that I only have CRT TV's. I find it works just as well on my 26" Samsung HD CRT in 480p as it does in 480i on my Sony CRTs. I'm not certain how it would perform on an LCD/Plasma/LED, etc. Anyway, just curious and wanted to share and was wondering if what I've been doing is "peculiar" or-not.