Anchor Bay Technologies announced the availability of DVDO’s most ambitious video processor yet, the iScan VP50. In addition to offering the ability to scale 480i/p, 720p and 1080i to 1080p, the new model can properly deinterlace 1080i to 1080p using Anchor Bay’s new HD Precision Deinterlacing algorithm. It features several HDMI inputs and can also accept and process 1080p signals and uses 10-bit processing throughout.

Also fascinating in the VP50 is a feature called Progressive Reprocessing, or PreP. As many of us are aware many cable and satellite HD Set-Top Boxes output only progressive signals when displaying standard def material. And so you’re stuck with the 25-cent deinterlacer that’s in the box, which usually isn’t very good.

But with PreP, the VP50 can reinterlace the signal, reconstruct the original video cadence and then deinterlace again properly, ostensibly restoring the lost image quality. The DVDO iScan VP is shipping now at $2,999.

Anchor Bay’s VRS (Video Reference Series) branch is now handling OEM relationships for manufacturers of source components and displays who want to use these video processing technologies. The new chips offer the HD Precision Deinterlacing, PreP, and Precision AV Lip Sync. According to Anchor Bay, Arcam, Denon, Marantz, Toshiba and Yamaha will soon introduce new products incorporating VRS processing.