TechWine - Technology | Computers | Gadgets

It’s been a blue year for Toshiba. The company threw in the towel to end the so-called format wars last March, making the HD DVD (high-definition digital video disc) obsolete overnight. As of press time, the company hasn’t jumped on the blue bandwagon with its own BD (Blu-ray Disc) players, which play the “winning” high-def format from its erstwhile rival, Sony.

Instead, Toshiba is still swinging at Blu-ray, just with the other fist. Its new $149 DVD player can upconvert existing movie collections to HDTV resolutions so well, the company doesn’t quite say, that it makes BD irrelevant. The new player is totally unrelated to HD DVD’s downfall, wink wink.

The “XDE” in the XD-E500’s name stands for “eXtended Detail Enhancement” (www.toshibaxde.com). When it’s connected to an HDTV using an HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) cable, the player can upconvert DVDs to 720p, 1080i, and 1080p resolutions.In addition, the XD-E500 offers three optional picture modes (only available in 1080 resolution over an HDMI connection). Sharp is self-explanatory, adding definition to object edges. Color boosts blue and green hues.

Contrast improves the level of detail in black and dark parts of the picture. The Color and Contrast modes both include Sharp mode. I preferred the Contrast setting, and that’s the mode I used to compare the XD-E500 to an Oppo DV-981HD ($229; www.oppodigital.com). This respected DVD upconverter is based on Faroudja’s DCDi (Directional Correlation Deinterlacing) technology.

To compare picture quality, I needed a calibrated HDTV with a quality picture. Enter the Samsung LN-T4681F ($2,799.99; www.samsung.com), a 46-inch LED-backlit LCD with a gorgeous image . A few true 1080i network TV channels supplied the high-def content.

So is the XD-E500 a BD killer? Not really, but it comes as close as I’ve seen. There’s no substitute for more pixels than DVD, which BD delivers (along with DVD upconversion, usually), but the player does supply picture quality that’s hard to tell from true HD.  From “Lord of the Rings: Return of the King” to fine details in a calibration disc to the landscapes in a Toshiba demo DVD, the XDE500 produced noticeably crisper detail than the Oppo. Fabric textures, tiled roofs, etc.

looked very close to high-def. You would need true HD video to get any sharper.  Then again, the Toshiba pales next to the Oppo in several ways. It can’t automatically letterbox 4:3 full-screen video, so it only plays it in screen-filling stretch mode-a pet peeve of mine. I had to manually adjust the TV’s aspect ratio every time I switched between fullscreen and widescreen DVDs. Also, the XD-E500 exhibited video artifacts during playback of SVCDs (Super Video CDs).

The audio situation was disappointing, too.The Toshiba’s analog audio outputs are limited to stereo (2-channel audio) Dolby Digital, albeit with an optional E.A.M. (Enhanced Audio Mode) 3D sound setting. If you want to listen to 5.1-channel surround sound and/or DTS (Digital Theater Systems) soundtracks, you have to hook up a suitable audio receiver to the XD-E500’s HDMI or coaxial or optical digital outputs. Finally, the Oppo’s more comprehensive settings lets you adjust “lip sync,” among other things.

Really, a tie for the Toshiba would have been as good as a win, as it costs $80 less than the Oppo. The XD-E500’s video upconversion technology is great, but minor quibbles keep the player from getting my full endorsement.

Should you consider a DVD upconverter? With prices just over $200, BD players that upconvert DVDs don’t cost much more than the XD-E500. Then again, those are low-end players with limited audio format support, average DVD upscaling, and no Bonus View or BD-Live features. While relatively advanced BD players still cost $399 and up, a good $149 DVD upconverter makes sense.

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