Is it worth it to buy a blu ray dvd player without hdmi input on tv.

I have an older hdtv from 2002. It's a sony 51 inch rear projection HDTV. 1080i.

Is it worth buying the blu ray dvd player for this older tv? I have component video inputs but not HDMI.
Plus i don't have a surround system or anything. I just use my tv speakers. Is the picture quality going to be that noticeable if i don't have a 720p or 1080p resolution tv?

Thanks in advance for any feedback you guys can give me.

[Post edited by ellisar on Mar 14, 2008]

There will still be a noticeable improvement thru component. You will not be able to upvert regular DVD's thru the component video inputs however.

[Post edited by Movielover316 on Mar 14, 2008]

I would have to say no, HDMI is HDMI. But I am far from being an expert. I have a Panasonic 42 inch LCD rear projection, but i have HDMI.

I think component video is down converted to 1080i anyway isn't it? It also depends on how close you sit to your screen. If you sit ten or more feet away from the screen you won't nitice any differance between 1080p and 1080i anyway.

at 1080i I'd say the difference between Component and HDMI is negligible at best. I doubt most people could tell the difference between component 1080I and HDMI 1080i.

Personally, I wouldn't if I were you. Not now anyway. With that being said, please keep in mind that if you have a HDTV, you should. There is a BIG difference in video quality when you go High Def.

I would wait until you get a HD-TV with HDMI inputs and if that is in a few months, the prices will be better and then they will have the version 2.0 profiles out.

Maybe i'll just go with a new sound system at this stage instead.

Since I assume you already have a DVD collection. That might be the way to go right now. A good sound system will improve your experience with your entire collection as there is no comparison to listening to your DVD's thru TV speakers and a 5.1 surround sound system. Plus you have the added benefit of picking up a receiver that's future proof for when you do buy a Blu-Ray player.

I have a 5+ year old Mitsubishi Diamond WS with component inputs. The TV is HD-Ready, just like yours. When I watch HD DVD or Blu-Ray, the picture is outstanding. The best way to go is definitely HDMI, but don't forget current BD players output up to 1080i via component video. You will see a difference with HD material. Unfortunately, you won't be able to upconvert standard DVD.

That said, if you haven't entered the world of surround sound, I would probably enter that route first. Adding mult-channel sound to your HT environment adds a new dimension to your movie watching experience. You may want to consider the newer receivers with HDMI input (v1.3) and the newer Dolby and DTS codecs (DD+, True HD, DTS HD, DTS MA). Or look for 5.1 analog inputs on the receiver and a compatible BD Player has internal decoding.

Either way, your next step will improve your movie-watching experience. Sit back and enjoy!

Geo

Geo

On this subject, HD TVs with RGB input will still yield a pretty good picture if you use an HDMI/DVI converter, which is a little plug that serves as an adapter.