HDMI vs. DVI cables (1 Viewer)

[SQMonte]

Everyone is talking about HDMI cables now, and damn they're expensive. I am a noob to HD and all that goes along with it so I was wondering if someone could tell me a little bit about the difference between the two cables listed above. Is HDMI that much better than DVI that DVI shouldn't even be a consideration? Are there certain applications where HDMI is overkill? Thanks in advance for any light you can shed on this for me.

 

[Mike_NW]

HDMI carries audio and video. DVI carries video only, forcing you to run separate audio cables. My experience is that picture quality should be the same. I use a DVI-to-HDMI adapter cable so that my Comcast HD box (featuring DVI output but no HDMI output) can work with my HDMI-input TV.

 

[SQMonte]

Thanks for the info. For mainly wire management and cosmetic issues, it seems HDMI would be the way to go, however i'm in the same boat as you. I too have a Comcast HD box with only DVI output so I'll have to do that same as you did, get an adapter. I have found that MonoPrice would be the way to go as far as the HDMI cable and adapter, low cost, exceptional performance, that's my kind of combo

So now I'll have to run audio cables seperately, I think I'll use digital coax for that.

 

[Bob McElfresh]

Using DVI is not that bad. One cable straight to the TV with DVI for the video. One cable straight to the receiver for the audio.

The one advantage to HDMI is a "daisy chain" of signals to the TV, then to the receiver. So your TV speakers work for casual watching, but you fire up the receiver for more serious sound.

Hope this helps.

 

[SQMonte]

I wish I could just run HDMI, but my Comcast Digital cable box only has DVI and my TV only has HDMI so i'm stuck running a DVI to HDMI converter, HDMI cable and probably an optical digital cable for the audio if possible.

Digital coax and optical digital cables will give me the same sq, correct?

 

[Bob McElfresh]

Yes - same information in both.

I prefer the coaxial-digital option. Just use a video cable (with yellow markings on the RCA plug). This is what they had in mind when they wrote the spec for the coaxial-digital connection.

 

[SQMonte]

Cool, thanks for the tip.

Like I said earlier, i'm a noob to HD HT so I have been pondering how I'm gonna connect everything so I know what cables I need to buy. This diagram is identical to my setup, minus the vcr, so would you agree that this is the way I should hook everything up?

http://www.triadtwcable.com/custserv...er_HDTVDVD.pdf

The only thing I'll be doing differently is instead of using the component cables for the Cable box to TV connection, I'll be using the DVI/HDMI connection there. Does it look good?

 

[Mike_NW]

SQMonte: Could you re-explain how you would run the audio in this situation? I'm running the DVI-to-HDMI adapter cable for the video from my Comcast HD box to the TV. I am then running a couple of RCA-style cables to carry the audio. Is there a more efficient, or superior, way to carry the audio from this box to my receiver?

 

[Jeff Gatie]

Your Comcast box should have an optical or digital coax out. Connect this to the receiver and you will be able to take advantage of the HD shows that are broadcast in Dolby Digital. If you only use the analog connections, you will get Dolby Pro-Logic at best.

 

[Mike_NW]

What brand of cable would you recommend for such a connection, or does it matter? And should I be doing the same thing with audio connections from other accessories?

 

[Jeff Gatie]

If it is optical, just get a basic optical cable (should cost $10-20). For coax, just use a regular yellow ended RCA video cable. That's all the specification requires, even though manufacturers make millions off $100+ "digital coax" cables they say are specifically made for digital connections. A basic video cable will be more than enough for that connection.

Any device that has a digital audio out should be taking advantage of that connection to your A/V receiver. Without a digital connection (or a 5.1 analog connection - i.e. 6 analog cables going to the individual analog ins on the receiver), you can't get DD or DTS.

 

[JKL1960]

A word about DVI - HDMI adapters. This is from my own personal experience with these. Be careful using a DVI to HDMI adapter. The problem with HDMI is that it is a small light plug with no retainers of any kind. If you adapt DVI to HDMI you can have problems with the physical plugs. The DVI plug is pretty big and heavy, then it gets plugged into a big heavy adapter and all of this gets plugged into the little fragile HDMI jack. Don't do it.

If your cable box (or whatever) has DVI out using an adapter from DVI to HDMI works fine. Usually the adapter has the screw retainers of the DVI plug. Then you can go HDMI to HDMI cable no problem.

So adapting a DVI cable to HDMI is not a good idea (in my opinion) but adapting an HDMI cable to a DVI is fine.

It's really just common sense.

 

[SQMonte]

I used all monoprice cables, they are high quality, low cost cables, the order processing is virtually immediate. Every single cabling need I had was filled by them, from speaker wire to HDMI cables. You can see for yourself at www.monoprice.com

Any component you have that has a digital audio connection, you should run it.

 

[Mike_NW]

Thanks very much on the cable recommendations. ...

As for the DVI-to-HDMI "adapter" it's really just a cable that has DVI on one end and HDMI on the other end. I've been very happy with the picture on my 46-inch Toshiba TheatreWide. ...

I also run a second DVR with DVD burner, but one issue has been running audio from the Comcast box to this second DVR (because I had been running analog from the Comcast box to the receiver, which would have required unplugging those RCA jacks from the Comcast box and plugging them into the other DVR every time I wanted to record something to that DVR).

I'm still not 100 percent sure how to hook up everything most efficiently, as far as which components should run directly to the TV and which ones should go through the receiver. I'd really like to run everything through the receiver. I'd appreciate any recommendations based on the following criteria:

Receiver is Sony STR-DG800. Has two HDMI inputs passing through to one HDMI output.

Toshiba DVD player has HDMI output.

Comcast box has DVI output (using DVI-to-HDMI cable).

Two Sony VCRs, one old and one new, have composite outputs.

Panasonic DVR has component input and output.

According to CNET review, my receiver has the following:

S-Video to component video conversion, Composite video to component video conversion

3 x S-Video input (4 pin mini-DIN) - Rear, 1 x S-Video output (4 pin mini-DIN) - Rear, 4 x Composite video input (RCA phono) - Rear, 1 x Composite video input (RCA phono) - Front, 2 x Composite video output (RCA phono) - Rear, 1 x Monitor output (RCA phono) - Rear, 3 x SPDIF input (TOS Link) - Rear, 1 x SPDIF input (TOS Link) - Front, 1 x SPDIF output (TOS Link) - Rear, 2 x SPDIF input (RCA phono) - Rear, 8 x Audio line-in (RCA phono x 2) - Rear, 3 x Audio line-out (RCA phono x 2) - Rear, 8 x Speakers output (Banana/spade x 2) - Rear, 1 x Subwoofer speaker output (RCA phono) - Rear, 1 x AM antenna - Rear, 1 x FM antenna - Rear, 1 x Headphones (Phone stereo 6.25 mm) - Front, 2 x HDMI input (19 pin HDMI Type A) - Rear, 1 x HDMI output (19 pin HDMI Type A) - Rear

 

[joseph westcott]

For most, DVI is pretty much the same as HDMI.

But, if you have a newer display or vidoe processor, HDMI can produce a better video signal. DVI is limited to 8 bit RGB color depth signals. HDMI is capable of 12 bit RGB color depth signals which can eliminate contouring artifacts in some digital displays.

Are they compatible? yes. Are they the same? no.

HDMI is becoming the new standard.