Can Our Non-HD Projector Access HD Cable Signals? (1 Viewer)

[Bill_Br]

Hi,

The TV we use for informal viewing is hooked up to Comcast cable, but because the TV isn’t HD, I currently don’t subscribe to Comcast’s HD service.

The projector we use for the home theater that we recently set up can show either DVD movies or the cable TV channels. The picture from DVDs looks great—sharp and clear—but the picture when accessing the cable channels is noticeably fuzzier.

Our projector is a Toshiba TDP-T91 DLP projector, which has a picture definition of 1024 x 768 pixels. The highest quality video input is via S-Video; component input is not an option.

My question is this: Although the projector isn’t an HD unit, is there any way to use the HD capabilities of Comcast cable to improve the quality of the cable pictures so that they equal (or at least come closer to) those of a DVD movie? If there were a way, I would certainly be willing to pay any additional fees to activate that service.

P.S. It’s just a coincidence that I’m asking this question right before the Super Bowl!

Thanks,
Bill

 

[SethH]

Your projector actually is HD -- 1024x768 is basically the computer equivalent of 720p. You do not have component inputs, but you do have a computer input. Your best bet would be to grab a tv tuner card for your computer and hook it up to the projector through your computer.

 

[SethH]

Another option -- which I've never done personally -- would be to get a HD15-to-Component cable. You can purchase these from BlueJeans at http://www.bluejeanscable.com/store/rgbhv/index.htm or from several other places.

 

[JeremyErwin]

The problem is that the two signals are different. Component is YPbPr, VGA is RGBHV. Simple adapter dongles are available for some PC Video cards, but in those cases, the dongle tells the video card to emit a different signal.

what you need is a component to VGA transcoder, such as this. Cheaper, noiser converters are also available, mostly to support video consoles.

There are DVI to VGA converters, but most of them don't decode HDCP, and those that do are theoretically vulnerable to key revocation. Since it is likely that any DVI outputs from a cable box will be encrypted, this is a bit of a gamble.

 

[Bill_Br]

Thanks, folks! Great info for an HD newbie like me. I have just a couple of questions based on the info that you've given me so far.

First, is it true, then, that the HD signal from a provider like Comcast is component only; that they do not provide an HD S-video option? (Are all HD signals component signals?) (At some point, I'll talk to a Comcast tech rep, but I'd like to have as much info as possible beforehand to make that communication smoother.)

Secondly, am I correct in concluding that any solution I use with this projector will require a computer interface? If so, it sounds like I would have to purchase an additional computer dedicated to the projector, since the home theater is in our finished basement and all our comptuers are upstairs. Am I correct in that assumption?

Thanks!
Bill

 

[JeremyErwin]

s-video and composite aren't HD. You'll need at least component. The transcoder is a little box that converts component video into VGA, which then can be plugged into the projector-- no computer required.

 

[Bill_Br]

With everyone's help, I now have a better idea of the capabilities of the projector. I see that component video may be an option after all.

I've attached a portion of a diagram from the Toshiba projector user manual. I erased some parts for clarity and added my notes in red.

Does it appear from this diagram that a simple component video to VGA adapter cable will do the job, instead of needing some kind of signal converter?

See my red question mark where I find the diagram somewhat confusing. If someone could clarify what kind of attachments they are trying to show there, it would be helpful.

Thanks,
Bill

 

[JeremyErwin]

I was wrong-- looks like the projector supports component natively. There's a pinout in the manual. You should be able to get a cable manufactured to those specs.

 

[Bill_Br]

Thanks for the info. As the saying goes, when all else fails, read the manual. When I finally drilled down into the details of the user manual, I found that one of the projector's 15-pin inputs is dual purpose RGB and component signal. I've ordered a 25 foot RCA-component-plugs-to-15-pin cable to meet my needs. (Won't have it in time for the Super Bowl though. Sigh.)

Bill