Component or HMDI to DVI conversion cable (1 Viewer)

[Gerard Martin]

Considering purchase of new DVD player with HMDI out, my TV has inputs for DVI and component. Will HMDI/DVI conversion cable offer any better video than component Understand with a conversion cable I will need a audio coax or optial cable is this correct? Early reply sincerely appreciatged. Thanks

 

[Gerard Martin]

So much for early reply. Lets change that to HDMI/DVI and see if we can get a better response time. Thanks

 

[Bob McElfresh]

Hi Gerard.

The video signal is identical from both DVI and HDMI.

In general either of these connections will be better than component because component will be converted back to digital in the TV and cause some loss/artifacts.

Here is a problem: up-converting DVD players tend to only produce the higher-resolution from the HDMI output. It will not work with a HDMI->DVI cable. The HDMI spec has some additional copy-protection features that wont be satisified with a conversion cable. (Hollywood does not want people creating better-than-DVD copies of their movies).

So we are both in the same boat: Televisions with DVI inputs that cannot take advantage of HDMI sources.

 

[Gerard Martin]

Bob
The DVD Player I purchased Yamaha C950 is up converting, using a HDMI/DVI cable what sort of resolution may I expect to obtain. Early reply sincerely appreciated. Thanks again

 

[Gerard Martin]

Anyone?

 

[Stephen Tu]

The above statement is false. The copy-protection features are called "HDCP". Any TV that has "DVI/HDCP" support will work absolutely fine with an HDMI->DVI cable. This includes practically every consumer HDTV & HDTV monitor (aka "HD ready") with DVI input ever produced. Where you run into problems is when you have a DVI input without HDCP support. Normally you only run into this with older front projectors & flat-panels targeted as computer displays.

An accurate statement would be:
"Televisions with DVI/HDCP input, which include most every HDTV with a DVI input, can take advantage of HDMI sources. Projectors/displays with DVI input only, without HDCP support, cannot."

There are plenty of people using upconverting DVD players and the new Toshiba HD-DVD players with HDMI->DVI cables with their DVI/HDCP input TVs with absolutely no problem.

 

[Stephen Tu]

You get either 1080i or 720p depending on what you set it to. But this isn't a true resolution gain, as it is just doing upconversion, much as your TV itself might do. At best marginally better picture quality if the scaler in the player is better than the one in the TV + bypassing some A->D processing in your TV particularly on digital based displays (LCD/DLP/LCos/plasma).

With HD-DVD already out, & Blu-ray coming, giving true HD resolution, I don't see much point in std-def upconverting-only players anymore.

 

[Gerard Martin]

Thanks to all for your very informative replies. One question how does the new HD DVD players handle current non-HD discs.

 

[Chris Gerhard]

The current Toshiba players can output upscaled DVD at 1080i or 720p over HDMI. I have not read of any problem with HDMI>DVI using the Toshiba HD DVD players. Despite what others have told you, there is a problem with some HDMI>DVI connections, although it is rare. It can occur even if the display is allegedly HDCP compliant. The Sanyo PLV-Z2 was one display that had problems with some HDMI sources and there have been several others with HDMI>DVI problems. If you mention your display make and model number, a good chance exists that somebody has used it with an HDMI>DVI cable.

Chris

 

[Gerard Martin]

Chris
Good idea, I tryed to patch a Yamaha DV-C950 DVD changer into a Samsung TX-P3064W using a Philips HDMI > DVI cable with no luck or rather no picture. If anyone has been sucessful doing this please tell me how, I spent a day changing cable, checking tightness everything I could think of with no luck. Thanks

 

[Doug Pyle]

I am in a similar boat with Gerard, in need of info on HDMI > DVI cable. I have a DVI HDCP display (Sony 34" XBR910), and would like to know how well it is handling HDMI > DVI cables with either upconverted or HD content, in light of Chris' comments above. Anyone experienced with the Sony XBR 910?

Thanks!