HDMI vs. Component Video w/optical Cables (1 Viewer)

[pdog]

I'm currently using Compnent Video w/optical cable for my DVD and HD Cable Box. If I was to get HDMI Cables would I notice and difference in picture quality or sound quality or would I just be elminated all the extra wiring?

 

[Al.Anderson]

I'll start you off with a reply based only on reading other threads -

- the video upscalers only work over HDMI, so if you have one of those you'll see an improvement. Otherwise, it depends on your equipment - in general the connections are comparable, but your equipment might handle one or the other better.

 

[Bob McElfresh]

You wont see or hear any difference because of the cable. You might have to re-calibrate your TV for the HDMI input instead of the component input, but thats about it.

Actually - let me correct this a bit.

Most televisions convert the analog signal to digital so it can scale it to it's internal format. Using component cables, the TV has to do an analog-to-digital conversion. There can be some artifacts, issues with this. Sending the signal with HDMI, the TV can likely do a better job with it's internal processing.

So HDMI could be better depending on the TV and how well (or poorly) it processes the component signals.

 

[pdog]

Equip:
Samsung LN-S4692D LCD
Yamaha RX-V740

One more quick question I'm thinging about upgrading my whole HTS and getting a HD DVD player. If I was to do this would I need to use HDMI in order to get a 1080P display with the HD DVD?

 

[homthtr]

Bob's answer above still remains the same....

 

[Mike Mace]

I was holding out on HDMI cables......but after I got a new avr 247 receiver I figured I'd give em a try....wow, they are much more convenient. If you need cables, go to Blue Jeans Cables....they got some quaility hdmi cables there for a fraction of the price of retail stores.

 

[Echo42987]

I agree with Bob's answer as well. They only difference is that you'll be able to run different audio formats like TrueHD. If you not doing it for that purpose then your current setup is great!

-Nick-

 

[ChrisWiggles]

Not for these formats no.

However, for HD-DVD/BRD, yes there most certainly would be a difference, since it requires HDCP for video, which analog does not provide at all. And HDMI is required for high-res audio from those formats.

 

[Scooter]

On the audio side...if a player has discrete 8.1 audio outs, wouldn't the audio be full HD and not something less than that.

 

[ChrisWiggles]

If the player has onboard decoding, yes. But you would need to run 8 analog cables for that. You couldn't get that with SPDIF, which is what the OP asked about.

 

[Chiiinese Spareribs]

So if you're hooking up a BRD player to a receiver w/ HDMI inputs, what's the setup so you have true HD sound and HD video?
If you go directly from BRD to TV, you have HD Vid but no surround sound b/c nothing is hooked up to the receiver. If you go from BRD to rec. HDMI in and rec. HDMI out to TV, will that get you both HD audio and video?

 

[Jeff Gatie]

For HD audio and HD video (including upconversion of SD DVD), you can go four ways(depending on player/receiver combo):

1) Non-HDMI receiver: For Video - BRD HDMI straight to TV. For Audio - BRD Optical/Coax to receiver.

2) HDMI receiver with video "pass through" (thus no HDMI audio): For Video - BRD HDMI to receiver and receiver HDMI to TV. For Audio - BRD Optical/Coax to receiver.

3) HDMI receiver with HDMI audio, receiver has no decoding of HD audio or BRD player has no bitstream of HD audio: BRD HDMI to receiver and receiver HDMI to TV. This means the HD audio is decoded in the player, then is sent in LPCM form from player to receiver.

4) HDMI receiver with HDMI audio and HD audio decoding, BRD player can bitstream HD audio: BRD HDMI to receiver and receiver HDMI to TV. This gives HD audio in bitstream from player to receiver, receiver then decodes.

 

[Chiiinese Spareribs]

I think i've got my question answered. So if it's a PS3 BRD player and Denon AVR-3808, the answer is either #3 or #4. Thanks for the info!