If I recall, the InFocus used Faroudja processing for 480i/480p video signals which likely gave you a bit more quality when the image was upconverted to fit.
The Mits. likely doesn't have solid upconverting, and if you don't have one of the better Blu-ray players, you may not have the best upconversion out of that either.
Hey BMXTRIX, I am curious about what you said above. I thought the Mitz would be a step up in clarity, not just for Blu rays, but for standard dvds as well. I am not too concerned with upconverting the sd dvd quality, I would just like to have it as nice as it looked on the Infocus X2. It is possible that will never happen? I still dont know the differences between Faroudja's and things like that.
also, i asked this question before. Is there a distinct difference in image resolution (quality) using component vs hdmi when going to and from two 1080P sources?
thank you
I don't know anything about the specific models of projectors you have (which is why I did not respond earlier), but it seems you could use some general information.
With all TVs and monitors, for them to display a picture, the format of the signal must be converted to the native format of the display (unless it is already in the native format). This can be done in the TV/monitor, or in the source, or in a video processor in between. How well the conversion is done will very significantly affect picture quality. Thus, regular DVDs might actually look worse on a new 1080p TV than they did on a 480i or 480p TV, if the conversion to 1080p is poorly done. Also, the difference between a converted picture and a native 1080p will be significant (unless one is looking at it from far away), so it may make one less satisfied with a 480 source than one was previously.
Now, to get DVDs to look their best, if your current projector is not doing a good enough job with the conversion, you can buy an expensive video processor, or a receiver with a great one built in (which will be expensive), or you can buy a better DVD player, which, ironically, might be the more cost effective solution. The Oppo DV-983H is a great DVD player with a superb upconverter, and costs about $400:
http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/cd-dvd-player-product-reviews/dvd-players/oppo-digital-dv-983h-dvd-player---a-secrets-dvd-benchmark-review.html
But don't expect miracles: Nothing will make a DVD look as good as a decently mastered Blu-Ray disc.
But don't run out and buy anything until you try connecting your player directly to the set, etc.
From rereading an earlier post of yours, I see you have the PS3. If you have the latest firmware, it is supposed to be pretty good at upconversion, though I have not personally seen it in action. So you might not be able to get a significant improvement with a new player or processor.
As for HDMI versus component, there shouldn't be any visible difference between them, but sometimes things don't work as they should. In most cases, I would advise that you use HDMI whenever possible. Not only do you avoid unnecessary conversion to analog, you also avoid the possibility that your source is some copy protected thing that will refuse to output via component at full resolution (which can make a significant difference in quality).
