btw, when you get the time, comment naman sa HD player mo and new yamaha speakers - I'm interested in the 333 version kasi terno sa piano gloss finish ng tv ko.
1) big improvement ba yung HD player?
2) how far are you from your display?
Thanks sanmig & mike
Yes the Yamaha NS series with Black Piano Gloss Finish is attractive & will be a matching set esp for your HT that has black color. I will upgrade slowly once budget permits. The next one will be NS 444 & finally NS 333.
To answer the above questions:
1. Oh yeah esp with my HDTV 720p, the clarity is obvious in view of its 3 times the resolution of standard DVD.
Though the improvement won't be like day & night but if your eyes know where to scan the PQ, yep you can discern the pic has more details. Color is vivid & certain scenes- object is floating in 3D or you feel you can touch it na.
However, each HD movie PQ depends on its video transfer. Some movies have astounding PQ while others may only seem mediocre.
Also, at 1080p resolution, no doubt viewing at a bigger HD display, the clarity & effect will be more apparent.
2. The general rule of thumb of a comfortable viewing distance is about twice the diagonal screen size (1.5 times if you're using front projector). In my case, my HDTV is 42" so my viewing distance should be at least 84" or 7 feet. However, for general DVD viewing I usually sit about 8.5 feet from the display (depending on your preference & comfort level).