Understanding Scalers

Scalers and Upconverters were typically designed to match a video signal to the display, or to improve the picture quality to a – LCD, Plasma or Projector – this is normally done by changing an interlaced video signal into a de-interlaced signal – but they can also increase the resolution.

When a standard television signal is displayed on a large, high resolution projection system, the image becomes over expanded and the individual scan lines are visible. Scalers and upconverters can eliminate these scan lines and create a clearer, smoother, and brighter image.

If a Plasma, LCD or Projector offers standard Audio/Video inter-connects (i.e. phono’s, BNC’s or scarts) these display units will already have a built in scaler for this conversion.

However, the chips used on these built in scalers are normally very basic and therefore picture quality can still be improved by using a further external scaler box that has a far superior quality of scaling chip.

Cheap scaler boxes (under £200.00) are great for the smaller screens (under 32”) which do not have video inputs (i.e. no built-in scaler) but are not suitable for the larger LCD, Plasma or Projector Screens as the chips used will be mostly similar to those already in-built. Therefore, there will be no real visible change to the picture quality.

To improve the picture quality or resolution on the larger screens, an external scaler using a high-grade scaler chip, would cost anything from £350 - £1000 ++.

It is wise to ensure that when buying an external scaler that you check the maximum resolution of your screen – i.e. you cannot input a UXGA signal to a screen that is limited to a lower SXGA resolution.


Lektropacks has a wide range of Converters & Scalers.