Can ANYONE offer some info about DVD image quality?

I know that I'm really digging deep starting a topic on this forum, but...

What is it about DVD that allows the image quality and perceived framerate to jump so dramatically when viewed on a HDTV? It seems as if the resolution doubles in both directions, and the framerate seems like it's doubled as well. It looks incredible for a few hundred KB/s.

But why can't this amazing effect be delivered on a computer screen? Perceived framerate stays low, resolution looks OK but not stunning. On a hi-res 1600x1200 LCD screen, the image still has an average resolution. A Radeon 7500 video accelerator can smooth out the edges and remove blockiness, but that's about it.

So what's the obstacle preventing DVD's from looking as hi-res and smooth on a 1600x1200 LCD compared to a properly-equipped HDTV?

Seeing as all DVD:s are compressed with MPEG(-2?) at a low resolution, I can't think of any explanation other than the analogue interpolation of the HDTV itself.

Progressive scan?

And since digital satellite or cable TV is delivered at the same rate of MPEG-2 as DVD, why does this incredible image quality only appear on DVD's but not on standard digital TV (as I believe this is the case)?

heh

And I've tried going through this huge ask-party months ago, asking people why progressive scan can't be delivered through laptop drives and LCD screens... But everyone I inquired said that I AM seeing progressive scan since the laptop LCD screen draws progressively as opposed to TV's interlaced method.

Isle said:

heh

You frad. :P

HDTVs are designed to make television broadcasts look good. Monitors are not.

I'm not too keen on this topic, I would say that DVDs look good on HDTVs because there is no digital to analog conversion.

Also check out How Stuff Works: HDTV

And yes, Digital cable and such are done in MPEG2. You can find the equipment for it on Cisco. Why DVDs still look better, I'm not totally sure. I would guess that, with the broadcast networks, they're having to squeeze bandwidth already, so quality will have to suffer some. They're having to put the higher-quality pictures into the same 6mHz that are used by the analog equipment. Normal TVs, which use the 6mHz, have about 210,000 pixels. On HDTVs, that increases to about 2 million. But since broadcasters can't really send that much info (bandwidth and compatability), they have to down it a little. DVDs, however, will be converted into an analog signal, if necessary, and don't have to worry about the bandwidth.

And, one last thing, computer monitors and LCDs are progressive scan. If they were interlaced, like TVs and arcade monitors, we would see flickering on the larger monitors. Interlacing video will draw the odd lines on the screen in one scan, and on the next scan draw the even lines.

I'm not 100% sure on any of this, though.