Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Technical Questions HDMI Connections

Anyone using the DVI or really more specifically the HDMI connections between DVD & TV?? Is there that much of a difference between those and component or optical for video & audio??

I am using HDMI between my DVD and projector. I also have component connections. I get a better picture with the HDMI, but that is because even though my projector has a nice scaler, the one in my DVD player is a little bit better and only send the, dare I say it, upconverted image over HDMI.

No, this is not a discussion about upconversion vs. 480p, but I am just stating that since I, personally, like upconversion for my 104" screen, than the DVD does it a little better.

Non-upconverted images look the same to me regardless of cables.

Since most receivers won't switch HDMI yet how do you handle projector switching from HDMI (for DVDs) to "everything else" (presumably through the receiver via component or something) ?

Right now I only have the DVD player hooked in. The DVD player gets the HDMI, and my receiver switches anything else to component which is also run (including from the DVD player for my tests with upconversion). No VCR, but if I did, it would hook in to the receiver via s-video, and the receiver would switch that to component for me. Same with game consoles. I do not have my satellite connected in to it at this point, but I might have to for the superbowl or something. I am toying with trying out over the air HD, but I haven't gotten that far into researching it, so I don't know what the tuners output the video as.

Probably a basic question but why run the video for a DVD player to the receiver first and then out to the TV? Why not run it straight from DVD to the TV?

I DO run it right from the DVD to the display (actually a projector). The HDMI cable is a direct connect. I also route component through the receiver to the projector for things that do not have HDMI. I figured that if I just ran another 3 foot set of component cables from my DVD player (in addition to the HDMI that goes right to the projector) I could mess around more with finding the best picture quality. It ended up being HDMI that was better, and I never got around to disconnecting the component. It isn't hurting anything to still be there.

One note, though. It may seem obvious that HDMI SHOULD be better, but not always. I have heard of people getting no better increase in picture quality than over component. I didn't know what I was going to end up with in the end, and I knew that I would need component for sure, but didn't want to miss out on HDMI if it was going to be better, so I actually ran both sets of cables when I was finishing my basement, which was before I had the DVD player or projector, so I had nothing to try out first. I am glad I got them both.

Thanks. Good input. I just bought a Samsung DLP with HDMI and will eventually get a new DVD player with the same. For now, I'll just use component cables for video and optic for audio. I'm wondering if the HDMI is that much better since it's a combo AV cable.

I use a Sanyo Z2 WXGA projector with native 720p via component and HDMI/DVI from my Panasonic S97S player. The DCDi Faroudja scaler on the Panny is better than the scaler on my Z2, so I turn my onboard projector scaler off and let the DVD player handle it.

To answer your question based on my experience, I do notice a difference using HDMI at the 720p/1080i modes versus standard 480p over component. Just my 2 cents.

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Thanks. Good input. I just bought a Samsung DLP with HDMI and will eventually get a new DVD player with the same. For now, I'll just use component cables for video and optic for audio. I'm wondering if the HDMI is that much better since it's a combo AV cable.

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Charles if you have an HD set top box connected out to your TV using an HDMI connect and will also connect your DVD player (if it applies) to the TV you may want to take a look at an HDMI Switcher such as this unit from Gefen...providing you only have one HDMI input on your TV.

How about TV sets that do not have a HDMI input? My samsung DLP HDTV does not seem to have one. Will I still be able to use HDMI devices (dvd players, receivers) with my TV set?

I believe all the HDMI players also have component and other outputs as well so you should be fine at least with this generation of players.

I have seen a few recent comments stating that component is only good for 480i which I find hard to believe... certainly I can see HDMI being a bit better but I have to believe component will still work pretty well at 720p or 1080i...

>>even though my projector has a nice scaler, the one in my DVD player is a little bit better and only send the, dare I say it, upconverted image over HDMI

Edit -- I might be wrong already. Are you guys seeing players that will only send upconverted data over HDMI ? I think that's what Nick said, and Randy mentioned he was comparing 720p over HDMI vs. 480p over component, implying again that he could not output 720p over component from the player...

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I have seen a few recent comments stating that component is only good for 480i which I find hard to believe...

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If I understand correctly, you're asking if component will only send a 480i signal? Yes. It has to be synced to NTSC standard sync.

Remember, "real" (standardized) NTSC signal is still 480 lines (well, 486 with overscan and vblank) all this other stuff is still a big mess of smoke and mirrors.

Bren R.

Wow... so are we saying that HD video can ONLY go over one of the digital links ? I never knew that... but I never had HD and all my friends are still running non-progressive DVD players so I have been able to stay blissfully ignorant of all this

Not to nitpick but the coffee hasn't kicked in yet... isn't NTSC 525 lines if you also include vblank ?

Hmm.. apparently there are two players on the market that will do an upconverted signal over component... possibly "stock" possibly only after a firmware update. This gets curiouser and curiouser.

That means the receiving electronics (whether an AVR or a display) would have to recognize and adjust to the signal being sent to it.

A standard... my kingdom for a standard!

Bren R.

I haven't done a thorough study, but at least the usual scheme is that the composite and S-Video outputs will output only 480i, the component outputs will output both 480i and 480p, and the HDMI output(if present)will output 480p(sometimes 480i), 720p and 1080i.

>>the component outputs will output both 480i and 480p

Ahh, that's why I was confused. 480p is just far enough down the road to HD (a road I have not yet travelled) for me to think component handled all resolutions...

I'll have to check what connector the next generation video game consoles are using for video output; pretty sure some of them will do 720p.

HD can be done over component, that his how my Samsung OTA (over the air) HD tuner is hooked up to my Toshiba HD ready television. I watch many primetime, sports, etc...in either 720p or 1080i via component. Once I'm done totally with the basement HT, I will get another HD tuner for my projector.

Thyname, if you DLP tv has a DVI connection, you can get a HDMI to DVI cable for DVD players that upconvert over HDMI. That is what I did for my Sanyo Z2, as it has a DVI port, but my Panny S97S has HDMI. Both DVI and HDMI carry a digital video signal, HDMI just adds the audio, which you really don't need for projectors

So basically HD can be done over component, if you recall, most tv's just a 1-2 yrs ago, only had component, DVI and HDMI didn't exist. The main difference is that when using component the signal from the DVD player has to be converted from Digital to Analog, and then when it gets to the TV/Projector it is converted back from Analog to Digital. With DVI or HDMI, it is digital from point A to B.

Randy

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Thyname, if you DLP tv has a DVI connection, you can get a HDMI to DVI cable for DVD players that upconvert over HDMI. That is what I did for my Sanyo Z2, as it has a DVI port, but my Panny S97S has HDMI. Both DVI and HDMI carry a digital video signal, HDMI just adds the audio, which you really don't need for projectors

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Thank you Randy for the advice. That is what I thought, as my Rotel dealer, during my unfortunate visit for RSX-1056 suggested as well. My DLP has a DVI input, and this is the way to go when the time comes. I only wonder if I would loose some quality on the converter, as the "hybrids" are known for. I currently do HD from my Dish HD receiver through component. I remember I tried DVI connection too (I still have the cable) but I found component (red, green and blue) to be superior in quality. Strange, but that was my impression at that time.