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DVD Player Ups Resolution

The Bravo D2 may boost DVD images--depending on your TV.

The Bravo D2 aims to solve an annoying problem: DVDs can't take advantage of HD television sets' higher resolution (because digital video discs provide only standard-definition video).

The $249 Bravo DVD player does two things to boost DVD image quality on a high-definition television. First, it can connect to DVI-equipped high-def sets, which prevents the digital video from being converted into an analog signal and thus losing picture quality. Second, the Bravo can upscale 480i DVD video to any HD resolution your TV supports. (But it doesn't add resolution; it just makes the most of the disc.)

I used the Bravo D2 to watch The Matrix Revolutions, Cold Mountain, and Master and Commander on two HD sets (a 42-inch Sony LCD and a 65-inch JVC rear-projection set). I compared the Bravo's performance to that of three analog DVD players that used component connections to the same TVs. While the Bravo produced sharp images, image quality didn't seem appreciably better than with the other players. However, on a third HD set (a 50-inch Samsung plasma), the Bravo delivered a sharper picture--although the difference wasn't dramatic.

Why the variation in results? According to V Inc., the Bravo's manufacturer, some DVI-equipped HD sets still convert a digital signal to analog. And there's no way to find out whether your TV does this before buying. Great.

The slick-looking Bravo also plays many other digital media formats, including discs containing MP3s and MPEG-4 video. But for boosting your high-definition set's picture quality, it's hit or miss.

Helmut Kobler