ReplayTV & Progressive Output (1 Viewer)

Is there any benefit to using the component video out feature found on some ReplayTV models? (I'm using standard cable service as my source)

My gut tells me there wouldn't be much/any benefit as the signal is derrived from the normal coax coming into the house.

Just curious.

I can't imagine that there would be.

I think it depends on your monitor. On mine, the 480p is noticably better.

Yea, I know 480p is better...the question here is is there any difference when the source is regular cable TV via coax.

It's not that the component out would make the output better than the input, but using the component out means that your ReplayTV doesn't have to do another digital to analog conversion.

If you go coax, av, or svideo out, the box has to convert the digital file back to analog where you may lose additional quality.

So, there can be benefits.

Component is still analog, though. Isn't it?

Huh?
That's not right. Component video is analog just like svideo and svideo.

Maybe, I'm confused. If so, please educate me.
I always thought the 480p(YPbPr) was a digital out for video. If not, then I've been laboring under the wrong impressing for some time. Can someone explain?

What about HDTV tuners that have the component output that's used for the HD content? I thought that was a digital out. Is it nothing more than an analog out with better resolution? Like, Svideo over composite?


Lyndon

Ok, so bear with me little...
Not knowing my original assumption was incorrect, I never actually took time to dig deeper...

When reading about the different video formats, I keep seeing comments about how there are fewer "format conversions" when using analog component ouput or how using component reduces "unncessary format conversions".

What are the format conversions being referred to?

It makes the menus look better, but it's not a progressive out for recorded material. The fact that your signal comes in through coax has nothing to do with it.

DJ

Allan Jayne has a really good set of pages explaining some of the differences, terminology, etc. involved:

Allan Jayne's Video Hints

I think it will answer most of your questions - and then some.

Let's just say that there is no real simple explanation. In a nutshell, it involves the normalization, reranging, rephasing, and superposition of video and audio signals prior to sending out and their reconversion back to the original at the TV. Of the connector types, F-type connectors contain not just the video but also the audio, YRW connectors contain all of the video on the yellow connection and separate the audio on the Red/White connectors, S-Video has the same except the "Y" signal no longer contains the luminance (S) portion but sends it separately (hence the name), component goes a step further and retains the CB/Pb and Cr/Pr signals separate from the rest of what is "Y". We still have to go from there to the raw data sent to the color tubes... so it still converts quite a bit even with a "component progressive" connection - but a lot of the reasons why F-type, Y, and to a much lesser extent S-Video connections have artifacts in them is eliminated through separate signals.

This is where comb filters play a major role, too. They do the separating of a Y signal into its components.

HTH. Mike

>>It makes the menus look better, but it's not a progressive out for
>>recorded material.

Not true. The output is 480p, whether it is a menu or recorded content. The original recording was from a 480i signal, but the output is 480p.

Ok...so is it fair to say the Replay unit upconverts 480i to 480p?

It sounds like going the component video route will be worth my while after all.

>> is it fair to say the Replay unit upconverts 480i to 480p?

Yes. Whether that will look better on your TV or not depends on your equipment. On mine, it is noticably better than s-video. Other have reported better results with s-video.

Right, it boils down to whether line doubler in the TV is better than the one in the Replay or vice versa.

Camp,

My roommate has a ReplayTV unit hooked up to a Samsung 43" DLP RPTV and we use DirecTV, and I must say that the ReplayTV picture SUCKS. I have 2 DirecTiVos and their S-Video picture blows away the quality on the Replay unit, including the Component 480p out. He has said that if it wasn't for the download feature on the Replay he'd switch over to DirecTiVo.

For DirecTV, there's no way a device that reencodes the analog output of a STB (Replay or standalone Tivo) is going to match the video quality of a box that just stores the bitstream directly (DirecTivo). Same for DishPVRs vs. standalone PVR + separate STB.

Well, maybe if the input is down-converted HD. I use my Replay to record HD material (downconverted over s-video), and the picture quality is very good. Of course, if you record a bad source (locals over DirecTV are the worst), the picture can be pretty bad.