After 8 months with a home theater system, we just upgraded to HDTV cable. It is a huge improvement but it has raised several questions:

Our local cable company has boxes that do digital video recording (DVR) with component output, but not DVI output (even though there is a DVI connection on the back of the box and I bought a cable to hook it up) and they also have boxes that have DVI output but no video recording capability. We have settled for the current box, but I am wondering how much better the picture is with DVI compared to component (because I can't really imagine the picture getting much better) - in other words will it be worth my time to upgrade when they get a box that will do DVR with DVI output?

It seems on first impression that the picture and sound of HDTV are slightly better than what I get out of my DVD. Is that supposed to be the case or do I need a better DVD player?

If I digitally record an HD broadcast, when I play it back will it be in HD - are the DVRs that good?

Thanks in advance for any input I get on this.

In reply to:

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It seems on first impression that the picture and sound of HDTV are slightly better than what I get out of my DVD. Is that supposed to be the case or do I need a better DVD player?

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If I have my facts correct, current DVDs are not high definition. HD DVD is still a few years off with, as usual, a lot of arguing over what format will be adopted. So it makes perfect sense that HD TV, which is really Hi Def, will look a little better than current DVDs. If the difference is HUGE, you might want to think about a new DVD player, if your current player is an old one.

My current hookup from my cable company is component, not DVI, so I can't tell you if the DVI hookup will be superior. I suspect that it will be, but how much, I cannot say. When hooking up via DVI you avoid a digital - to analog - back to digital conversion, by keeping the signal, in the digital domain. Each conversion has the potential of degrading the signal, so the fewer the better.

I hope I have my facts straight. If not, someone will straighten me out.

"I hope I have my facts straight. If not, someone will straighten me out."

No doubt. Thanks.

If you have a fixed-pixel display (DLP,LCD, etc), you will probably get better results over DVI. I have a Samsung DLP and have tried both. The picture is definitely better over DVI in my case. I have read alot on this issue and the consensus is that DVI is better with the fixed pixel.

Scott

...in other words will it be worth my time to upgrade when they get a box that will do DVR with DVI output?
ANSWER: There isn't a really good answer to this. I have the HD D*Tivo box and it's AWESOME. I feed it to my Panny 42" EDTV plasma via DVI. Component is used for my Gamecube and DVD player. Why DVI? Because I chose to have each source go directly to the plasma, thus limiting my plasma inputs. I did this because of screen settings, each plasma input has it's own setting. Even if I share the component input with DVD and Gamecube and it's switched via an AV receiver, each source needs "different" screen settings and I can't do that on a single input. (Hope that makes sense.) I can say from experience that DVI "can" better than component, but component can be adjusted to be VERY close. W/ the HD Tivo's, the DVI picture can show "blotchiness" in dark areas, but in component you can't see this. But other than that, the pic is incredible, even on a non-HD plasma like mine. Each box (source) is going to be different. I know the Dish HD 921 PVR is out, but it appears to have lots of bugs (HD Tivo has some too) and only ONE tuner. Dual tuner on the tivo is a MUST. Which DVR are you using, Comcast? My understanding is that Comcast is NOT HD. The best use of DVI is for HD, if it's not HD, it may not be worth paying the extra $$ to use it.

Another issue to consider is that TVs/Plasmas/LCDs can limit you to what settings you can do per input. For example, on my plasma component input, I can adjust color, contrast, picture, etc. But on DVI, I can't even touch the color settings (w/o going into the hidden menus which I'm afraid to touch). I have my Gamecube on the RGB/Component input and that has even less settings. YMMV.

It seems on first impression that the picture and sound of HDTV are slightly better than what I get out of my DVD. Is that supposed to be the case or do I need a better DVD player?
ANSWER: Yes, that is the case. HDTV will have higher resolution (720p up to 1080i) than a DVD. HOWEVER, that assumes that the channel you are watching truly outputs in HD. Fox HD, for example, does what it calls "widescreen" which is their version of 480p, they don't take full advantage of HD. Although, their NFL and prime time shows look great, although the stories are pretty horrid...

If I digitally record an HD broadcast, when I play it back will it be in HD - are the DVRs that good?
ANSWER: ABSOLUTELY, but ONLY if you have an HD DVR. If you only have a standard def (SD) DVR, it'll be recorded in SD. Also, an SD DVR can't pick up HD channels. You must have an HD receiver.

If you'd like more HD info, check out the HD areas on AVS forums and the Tivo community for additional info.

HD Tivo

Thanks for the info.
I have Time Warner cable with an Explorer 8000 box that does HD with DVR. They currently offer 15 HD channels (up from 3 when I bought the new system - which is why we didn't feel the need to get the HD going right away). On the HD channels with the component video hookup the picture is incredible - on ESPNHD last night I could make out details on the fans in the stands at the game while they were showing play on the field. Of course, when I got it hooked up and was excited about the quality of the picture, I called my wife to come see it and as soon as she walked in the room a player that was not the main focus of the screen dropped an "f-bomb" and she says "So we got HDTV so we can see THAT?". It was pretty funny. We have had good luck with the Time Warner DVR on our other TV so I'm hoping this one will work out well. I'm still not sure if my box records in HD - I'll try it out soon. Thanks again for the info.

You say that the one box has a DVI connector but it's not turned on? Almost certainly the cable company will eventually download the firmware into your box sometime and enable it. That's what Cox did with the 6200.

DVI is marginally better than a good set of component cables, but just barely. Personally, I wouldn't trade the HD DVR capability for the difference.

Bruce

"Personally, I wouldn't trade the HD DVR capability for the difference." Thanks. That's the kind of useful info I was looking for.

"Almost certainly the cable company will eventually download the firmware into your box sometime and enable it."

So, instead of taking the cable back and getting my money back I should just hook it up and wait for that to be enabled? Interesting - I may do just that.

I have a DVi output on my Bravo D1 dvd player going to my (Analog) Hitachi 51" Rear Projection t.v.

And I'm pretty certain it would NOT be significantly better than Component (on an analog)

The fact is a picture can only good as good as its source. Some DVDs look incredible, some look like [censored] even on DVi.

I agree - a buddy of mine had his 50" DLP hooked up using DVI. It looked like crap on his set - the DVD began showing pixels and distortion. I think that this was a limitation of the DVD (a well mastered one at that - Episode II:AOTC) rather than the connection. I think that the V had something to do with it - but maybe the component helps to "soften" the picture just slightly which makes the pixelation less noticeable. It's like taking a high def LCD projector, and displaying it "just" out of focus - that way, the screen door disappears, and the "digital edges" soften into smoother lines.

I'm not yet sold on DVI either - but I haven't seen a good presentation yet. In theory, it only makes sense that it would look better, but maybe the truest signal, without any compromises tends to highlight the inherent weaknesses in either the source or the video.

Capn,

You are right about the source being a big part of the equation. However, I still believe the DVI connection with a fixed pixel display is the way to go. I have a Sammy DLP (native 720P) and the new upscaling Denon 1910. With the Denon set at 720p feeding the Sammy throught the DVI is incredible. Prior to the new Denon, I had a Denon 910. Very highly rated in the "Secrets" shootout. I ran this through component to the Sammy. Was a great picture, but not quite what it is now through DVI with the Denon 1910. I used my standard test DVD's (Gladiator, Open Range, LOTR) and each looked better with the new setup though DVI over the component. I wanted to keep my Sony HD box ran with DVI, so I bought a Geffen DVI switch. Works perfectly. I agree, the source can play a major part in the quality of the picture, some DVD's are poorly mastered. But my experience has been better with the upscaling DVD player over DVI.

I think I have a pretty good setup and if you are ever in the Ft. Wayne, Indiana area, look me up and I would be happy to show you my system.