Please note: If you're a current Engadget commenter, you do not need to re-register. Simply login and you will be prompted to select a username.
Now that we've thrown 'em off the trail, use the form below to get in touch with the people at Engadget. Please fill in all of the required fields because they're required.
The Samsung upconverting DVD players suck. They have all sorts of problems. And they are NOT the only ones that offer resolutions outside of 720p and 1080i. There are many others, most of which allow you to set any resolution you want (e.g. 1400x788.
As for upconverting players being a gimmick in general, sorry - you're wrong, but not for the reason you may think. They do - DEFINITELY - provide better picture quality in general. Why? Because they send the video signal out in digital form (DVI or HDMI). With a fixed pixel digital display (e.g. DLP, LCD, etc) with a digital video input, the improvement in quality is easily noticeable. The bigger the screen, the more noticeable the improvement.
But it has little to do with upconverting to 720p (or 1080i or whatever resolution). After all - your 720p display HAS TO DO THIS ANYWAY with any incoming signal. The key is that these upconverting players send the signal digitally.
For more info visit the AVS forums.