How to Convert/Upscale DVD to 1080P HD without Quality Loss?

A powerful DVD ripping software is indispensable to convert your DVD discs to digital videos without any hassle. WonderFox DVD Ripper Pro is not only a powerful DVD decryption program but also a powerful DVD converter that can convert homemade DVDs and even protected DVDs to 600+ output presets, like MP4, MKV, etc. In addition to ripping DVDs to digital video formats, you can also use it to extract soundtracks from DVD movies for audio enjoyment.

Without further ado, in this tutorial, I will show you the step-by-step guidance of DVD to 1080P conversion with the help of WonderFox DVD Ripper Pro. Just download this DVD upscaler to upscale DVD to 1080p video now!

I’d like to correct a common misunderstanding. Many people take it for granted that converting DVD to FHD 1080P means converting DVD to HD quality as well. Actually, such viewpoint is totally wrong. A normal DVD is in Standard Definition (720x480 for NTSC DVD, 720x576 for PAL DVD). Ripping DVD discs to 1080P doesn’t mean to improve DVD to HD quality! Just like a blurred picture, though you have upscaled the resolution, you will find that it is still a blurred picture. Therefore, you have to know the fact that even if you have upscaled the DVD resolution to 1080P, the video quality can’t be improved.

As stated previously, common DVD resolutions are 720×480 pixels (NTSC) or 720×540 pixels (PAL). When you play a DVD on HDTVs and DVD players, it usually uses an algorithm called 'nearest neighbor' to upscale the DVD video. This algorithm looks at the four neighboring pixels of each blank pixel and guesses what color value it should be and add pixels to the image. However, this process may lower the optical resolution of the image and produce a blurry effect. Surely, TV or DVD player upscaling does more than that. It uses bicubic interpolation and bilinear interpolation to smooth and sharpen the nearest neighbor expanded image to enhance the DVD video quality.

But note that the quality of DVD upscaling cannot be compared to that of a native Blu-ray disc or HD DVD. This is because the scaling algorithm, whether it is applied by an HDTV or an upscaling DVD player, cannot add more detail than what is already present. In comparison to Blu-ray, upscaled DVDs may appear flatter and softer in the background, with less vibrant reds and blues.

Q1. How to use Handbrake to upscale DVDs to 1080P?

Handbrake V1.4 supports upscaling videos. But note that it cannot be used to upscale protected DVDs.

1. Insert your DVD and open the Handbrake.

2. Click "File" to load the disc.

3. Select an encoding preset and choose an output format.

4. Go to the "Dimensions" tab. Under the "Resolution and Scaling" section, select a higher resolution, uncheck "Optimal Size" and check "Allow Upscaling".

5. Then click "Start Encode".

Q2. What is the highest resolution a DVD can have?

A DVD typically has a resolution of 720 x 480 pixels per frame for NTSC (or 720 x 576 pixels per frame for PAL). However, you can upscale the DVD resolution to 1080P to improve the viewing experience on an HDTV.

Q3. Can I upscale a DVD to 4K?

Yes. There are DVD upscaling software and players available to upscale a standard DVD to 1080P. However, upscaling a DVD from 480p to 4K is not recommended as it may result in poor quality.