4K Upscaling - source or destination or both

pannags

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Hello folks,

It all started with researching a replacement for my ageing DVD player and I got into this act of familiarising myself with 4K upscaling.

While there are tens of very informative articles around 4K, there are a few (call it silly) doubts that crept in my mind. Would appreciate if someone can comment on or clarify the following:

Scenario 1: Having 4K upscaling on your BD/DVD player (source) will be useless if your TV/display (destination) is not 4K capable - fairly straightforward, right?

Scenario 2: If your source cannot upscale to 4K, but your destination can, then will you still be able to view in 4K (albeit with the drawbacks of upscaling)?

Scenario 3: If your source and destination are both 4K capable, then does the source take precedence (just like the DAC on your source precedes the DAC on your Amp)?

Scenario 4: If the content itself is in 4K, will it even be able to be played on a source not capable of upscaling or native 4K support? Also, does 4K upscaling itself imply native support as well?

Anticipating light at the end of the tunnel.

Cheers,
Pannaga
 
Destination devices (TV or projector) do NOT upscale. They just adjust the low resolution pic to native (higher) resolution by zooming the picture.

If TVs and Projectors were featuring upscaling, they would mention that. They don't do that and hence it is no where mentioned. On the other hand, many BDPs, DVDPs, AVRs, media players have the upscaling feature and hence mentioned.
 
In extension to my reply above ...

Scenario 1: Having 4K upscaling on your BD/DVD player (source) will be useless if your TV/display (destination) is not 4K capable - fairly straightforward, right?
True enough. In fact the source will recognize that destination is not 4K capable and hence will not automatically upscale. If selected manually, the video will not be seen - just snow.

Scenario 2: If your source cannot upscale to 4K, but your destination can, then will you still be able to view in 4K (albeit with the drawbacks of upscaling)?
See above. TVs and projectors do not upscale. What you will see is a zoomed frame.

Scenario 3: If your source and destination are both 4K capable, then does the source take precedence (just like the DAC on your source precedes the DAC on your Amp)?
See earlier reply. This does not apply. Source to target video resolution settings will have to be set and if upscaling is selected, it will upscale. Destination plays no part. If the incoming video is lower resolution then it will zoom the picture to suit native resolution.

Scenario 4: If the content itself is in 4K, will it even be able to be played on a source not capable of upscaling or native 4K support? Also, does 4K upscaling itself imply native support as well?
To play TRUE 4K content, both the source and destination have to be 4K capable. 4K upscaling does not mean that it is true 4K device. For example, there are some BDPs that can upscale to 4K but will not be able to play 4K discs when they are released.
 
4K sucks .. its similar to HD. Nothing new.
That is not exactly true. 4K looks good from close distance (6 feet our less on 55" TV) when viewing true 4K stuff. But from longer distance, it does not make much difference.
 
Destination devices (TV or projector) do NOT upscale. They just adjust the low resolution pic to native (higher) resolution by zooming the picture.

If TVs and Projectors were featuring upscaling, they would mention that. They don't do that and hence it is no where mentioned. On the other hand, many BDPs, DVDPs, AVRs, media players have the upscaling feature and hence mentioned.

Thanks for the detailed answers. The link I sent in an earlier post had posts that mentioned the opposite (that display upscaling is sufficient).

Anyway, it is now evident that it makes sense to buy a BD player that is capable of 4K (upscaling) if one is looking to upgrade the display (TV or projector) in the not-so-far future.
 
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