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A lot of new DVD players have emerged lately that “upconvert” a standard DVD image — creating more clarity, and looking a whole lot better on modern HD TVs.

So, isn’t upconverted DVD just as good as Blu-ray Disc — the new HD standard for optical disc home entertainment? Well, there’s high-def and there’s true high-def. Let me explain.

An upconverting DVD player (and, by extension, the DVD-upconversion capability of better Blu-ray players) is a great way to extend the life of a standard-definition DVD collection, significantly improving the image quality of the DVD format. But no, an upconverted DVD image should not be confused with true high-definition.

The process of upconverting a DVD involves employing sophisticated video processing to expand the format’s native resolution (720×480; 345,600 pixels total) up to the resolution of the best modern HDTVs (1920×1080; 2,073,600 pixels). Better upconverting players smooth out the rough edges and fill in the gaps created by expanding the picture to this degree, resulting in an image that’s a marked improvement over unenhanced DVD.

But upconversion cannot create detail out of whole cloth. When film is transferred to standard-definition DVD, any details too fine to be captured in 345,600 pixels are lost forever. Even the most advanced video processors in the world can’t bring those lost details back from their digital afterlife.

Blu-ray, on the other hand, boasts six times as many pixels as DVD, and as such comes much closer to the resolution of film and modern digital cinema sources. What’s more, many viewers feel that the superior colors and contrast afforded by Blu-ray’s more advanced video codecs are just as significant, if not more so, than the increase in real picture detail.

So, if you are thinking of purchasing a new disc player, you should be focused on either an upconverting DVD player or a Blu-ray Disc player. If you’re Ok spending a little more, you can get a double benefit by purchasing a Blue-ray Disc player — as most Blu-ray players will upconvert your standard definition DVDs as well as play Blu-ray Discs. If you want to get an upscaling DVD player, the best one on the market is the Sony DVP-NS708H. It’s new, and does a very nice job.

And, if you are wondering, your original home movies shot on either film or analog videotape will look really nice once converted (by iMemories) to a modern digital format and played on either an upconverting DVD player or a Blu-ray Disc player. That’s the good news!