Component video on HD-DVD/Blu-Ray vs. HDMI (1 Viewer)

[Seth=L]

Has there been a change with component video on the HD-DVD or Blu-Ray. I heard initially they were only allowing component video to pass up to 480p. Now I am not sure because I hear people are getting better picture using Component.

Also would HD-DVD look better than DVD on a SDTV. I played some WMV-HD material on a DVD-ROM outputed via component from a desktop on my SDTV and it looked awesome. When I played the same show, Storm Chasers IMAX, on my regular DVD player and in the computer we used to play the WMV-HD and noticed it didn't look as nice.

 

[Allan Jayne]

I think the limit is 540p (960 pixels across). Still, that is only standard definition so if you are relying on component video or if you don't have HDCP compliance on your TV, an HDDVD or BluRay player is not worth buying.

Video hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/video.htm

 

[Seth=L]

Well I do plan to buy one when the war is over. I would imagine the players and discs will be many times cheaper once the winner rises from the ashes. I don't buy DVDs anymore because I don't want to end up replacing them when I finally decide to buy into a HD-format.

Being worth it is a matter of opinion. Some folks will spend thousands more on a car with a little more horsepower or prestige. I have seen people make seemingly modest upgrades at very high cost with audio/video things.

Now about HDCP, what does that do if my tv is not compatible?

 

[Allan Jayne]

Without HDCP on your TV, HDDVD and BluRay players won't deliver output from HDCP disks in high definition. So you will get only regular DVD quality (maybe a smidgen more) from the hidef DVD's yhou buy today until you upgrade your TV.

At least you could wait until the hidef movie disks themselves come down in price befor buying them. Or only buy the non-HDCP titles.

 

[Edwin-S]

At the present time HD material can be transmitted over the component connection to HDTVs. Originally, it was thought that the component outputs would be disabled for disc-based HD material; however, the companies involved finally wised up and realized that restricting HD to the HDMI connector would have been a death blow for HD DVD and Bluray. That being said, there is a provision to disable the component outputs to no higher than 480p using a flag called ICT (image control token). The flag could conceivably be used in the future, but at this time it is not being invoked so HD content can be viewed over component.

This stuff has been discussed in a lot of threads, so it is amazing that there still appears to be a lot of people who are unaware of these developments.

 

[Lee H]

hey....take it easy on us newbs......i've been browsing this site for a while now.....enough to know that it proves the old proverb: the more you learn, the more you realize is left to learn.....

it's a tough row to hoe, getting all the basics learned, deciphering the abbreviations, getting the jargon down.....let alone getting a broad enough base to allow one to participate intelligently on this side......

all in a subject arena that is anything but static.......

i have $10K to put into a system but, after getting my feet wet here, i'm scared to death to order one up........seems like every day i check in there's another video land mine i learn about.....but it's only fragmentary knowledge....as 99% of the posts carry such a vast array of assumptions with them.......

short of taking a night class.....or talking to one of you experts on a long distance consultation call.....i'm thinking that i won't feel safe spending my money for another year or so....

it's overwhelming.......

 

[Edwin-S]

Sorry, I'm not trying to be hard on anyone new to this stuff. I just found it surprising that people are still a little confused about the component/HDMI issue.

An expert? I wish. I have been involved in this hobby for a few years.....off and on....but a lot of the people on this board run rings around me when it comes to this subject.

 

[jeff peterson]

My question is slightly different. On the Tosh HD-A1, will SD DVDs be upconverted to 1080i over component or just over HDMI? Or are they NEVER upconverted?

If they are upconverted over HDMI ONLY; and I pass the HDMI signal through a Pioneer ELITE receiver as input, then take the output component signal from the receiver to my HDTV - will it be at 1080i? In other words, will the receiver allow passthrough of the 1080i signal from HDMI to component?

 

[Mary M S]

Personally if price becomes right for you I’m a believer of those kinds of lateral upgrades in anticipation (or not!) of an upward. If the studios put in writing they would never implement the ITC via component and if the current crop of players demoed for me as capable upconverters, I would be rethinking my wait position.

I have HDCP DVI on my display could use the HDMI > but don’t wish to be dependent upon it as I have had trouble with it twice.

I purchased my first HD STB before having a HD capable triple LNB dish; I jumped on it because I wanted the Digital multi-channel passthrough it included.

I was shocked in the improvement on SD channels via the new (not fully utilized) STB, (it was vast) purchase would have been worth it for that capability alone. Anything which improves the marginal quality of SD levels of source, whatever the primary function, - gets a look from me.

Since you saw an improvement on your particular display with the WMV-HD material, I would think you would pick up some increased PQ if you purchased some of the HD discs, additionally your SD discs might improve due to the higher quality of the internals in the HD player.

 

[Edwin-S]

The Toshiba HD-A1 will upconvert SD-DVD to 1080i over the HDMI connector. Upconversion over component is disabled if the disc being upconverted has analog protection (ie: macrovision). If the disc does not have analog protection or the protection is stripped from the disc then the disc will upconvert over component. In other words, people with pirated movies could watch them upconverted to 1080i with the HD-A1 while people with legitimately purchased copies cannot.

I cannot answer your last question definitively, but I do not believe that hooking up to an HDMI connector on the receiver would allow pass-through of upconverted video through the component outputs. In order to upconvert the video path has to be completely protected......HDMI-->HDMI. Using a receiver, I suspect the path has to be player HDMI-->receiver HDMI-->TV HDMI.

 

[Mary M S]

Edwin I laughed aloud reading your sentence for that statement exemplifies what is wrong with current copy protection schemes.

I’m penalized for my legitimate purchases and I cannot.
“They” can.

 

[Seth=L]

This really doesn't change the fact that it did look better than the standard DVD. We also have downloaded Mariposa HD episodes that also look excellent in comparison to standard DVD's

New question, How is it possible for it to look better than regular DVD's?