DVI vs. HDMI vs. Component Video -- Which is Better?

[ICEBERG]

Yes... I finally broke down and got a Pioneer BlueRay Player.. After hooking it up to my Sony Grand Wega in the family room with HDMI cables i noticed that the picture was little fuzzy and not clear.. The Black levels where awsome though..

Anyways, after changing the HDMI to Component i noticed that the picture quality was better, the fuzzy stuff was gone and the picture was much more sharper than the HDMI cable, but the Black level was not rich as before..

I have always used HDMI with my Video equipment but now wonder if Component was better. Digital over Analog..Hmmmmmm..... This now led me to believe that Digital signal is not always perfect.

So than i switched my DVI connection from my Motorola HD box to Component and guess what, SD channels are now better and you can't see no difference with HD channels. As DVI and HDMI connections become more and more widely used, we are often asked: which is better, DVI (or HDMI) or component?

Any input?


Edit: This is the TV in my Family Room, it is Calibrated Professionaly. It is 60" model.

[GQBalla]

well it really depends on the cable.

for me i use component cable for my hd receiver to the tv because i also noticed the fuzzyness that i had with the dvi. but the components were much sharper.

the thing is im not sure if it made a difference was that the dvi was just a cable that came with my receiver.

i guess its personal choice - some people claim dvi some people claim component.

i work in a call center and its always just personal perference.

compared to hdmi and dvi they are supposedly the same for picture quality just hdmi supports audio and is a smaller cable so better cable management.

[A790]

There are different grades of HDMI apparently. Perhaps the more expensive variations yield better quality?

[ICEBERG]

I use the Monster HDMI cables. I know they are over priced but i get a deal on them. So i don't think it should be the cable quality.

[GQBalla]

monster is just rebadged generic cables

[toomuchb00st]

Originally posted by GQBalla
monster is just rebadged generic cables

haha your kidding right? dont talk if you dont know what your talking about.

anyway as for your fuzziness ive never heard of such an issue. we (at work, futureshop) have a pionner hooked up through hdmi and through component on a pionner plasma, HDMI blows component away with no fuziness issue. we also have the same set up using an HD-DVD player on two LG tv's and again HDMI blows component away. i have a sony bdp-500 hooked up to my SXRD through HDMI and no issues as well. maybe its your TV?!?

[Eclipse_Spyder]

hdmi is the better ones guys, because it takes all of those video and sound cords and puts it into one wire, so its en easy hook up and more convineient, also provides great quaility sound and picture'

Components is also very good it just doesnt come in 1 single wire thast the only bad thing about it

[Alterac]

From AVSForum/Digital Forum:

HDMI is digital. It is capable of higher resolution and color sampling compared to Component and RGB. The data in the HDMI signal can be either RGB or Component.

HDMI output from tape or from data that has already been compressed does not add any quality to the output and you would be better off getting the compressed data directly via FireWire, USB, or whatever digital transfer method the camera supports.


Component is analog. Usually "component video" refers to YPbPr component video, though in some cases it can refer to RGB, RGBS, or RGBHV signals instead.

RGB usually is analog (except for DVI), sometimes having separate sync signals (S in RGBS, or H & V in RGBHV). RGB often refers to computer-type signals, though it is perfectly legal to have a (television) video-type signal as RGB as well. Sony equipment usually calls this "Video GBR."

Some fuzzyness issues usualy mean differing HDMI Specs or poor connectors, or a sync issue.

Differing Versions are explained here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDMI

Quite a few devices will also only output 1080p over hdmi and not the component/dvi interface.

Only the cable side, the digital datastream is immune to interference, the picture quality is identical on all properly functioning cables, regardless of price. This is also true for the coaxial digital sound.

Their is a decent source here: http://www.hometoys.com/article.php4?displayid=850 about the myths of the new digital cables, and what you can do to protect yourself.

SD Signal, really, its crap. But it will look better over analog (less conversions from digital to analog and back the better the signal will look)

[Mibz]

While component isn't technically as accurate as a digital signal, it's more visually pleasing from SD sources. When I go high-def I tend to prefer digital but I will never again use HDMI/DVI on SD.

[nos_efx]

Sorry to hijack the thread but I have a Nvidia 8600GT card with dual DVI output. I bought a DVI to HDMi cable from ACC but when I plug it in and switch my TV to HDMI output I don't get a picture.

Ideas?

[GQBalla]

Originally posted by toomuchb00st


haha your kidding right? dont talk if you dont know what your talking about.

anyway as for your fuzziness ive never heard of such an issue. we (at work, futureshop) have a pionner hooked up through hdmi and through component on a pionner plasma, HDMI blows component away with no fuziness issue. we also have the same set up using an HD-DVD player on two LG tv's and again HDMI blows component away. i have a sony bdp-500 hooked up to my SXRD through HDMI and no issues as well. maybe its your TV?!?

spoken from truely someone that works at futureshop - eveyone knows monster is marked up like crazy when you can buy the exact quality thru the internet

[Ashers]

Originally posted by nos_efx
Sorry to hijack the thread but I have a Nvidia 8600GT card with dual DVI output. I bought a DVI to HDMi cable from ACC but when I plug it in and switch my TV to HDMI output I don't get a picture.

Ideas?

You have to go into the nVidia control panel and go down to HDTV. Then you have to select the correct resolution in there before the videocard will output the correct signal.

[em2ab]

Originally posted by toomuchb00st


haha your kidding right? dont talk if you dont know what your talking about.

anyway as for your fuzziness ive never heard of such an issue. we (at work, futureshop) have a pionner hooked up through hdmi and through component on a pionner plasma, HDMI blows component away with no fuziness issue. we also have the same set up using an HD-DVD player on two LG tv's and again HDMI blows component away. i have a sony bdp-500 hooked up to my SXRD through HDMI and no issues as well. maybe its your TV?!?

It's true, Alberta Computer Cable can put together a cable of the same quality for half the price but once you slap the Monster brand name on it they jack up the price. It's no better.
HDMI, from what I've read, has a higher bandwidth capability over DVI and certainly over component. So as the audio/video technology increases, the HDMI cables will keep up with them.

[cdnsir]

For HDMI/DVI, either the cable works or it doesn't. Unlike analog, digital signals are either on or off. If you don't know what I mean, go read up on it. Brand doesn't matter here. With these $100 cables, you're mostly paying for brand and warranty, which can be worth it if you want to save the hassle. But personally, I'll take my chances on $10 cables... I mean with $100, I can try up to 10 times to find one that works if I need.

For components, since it's analog, that's a different story. Quality might make a difference because analog signals are prone to interference and attenuation if it's made by crappy materials.

But back to the OP, colors are really subjective, so it's your preference that makes all the difference here man. I personally like hdmi over components not only for its picture quality, but also for the fact that it keeps all the wiring tidy.

[Xtrema]

Originally posted by toomuchb00st


haha your kidding right? dont talk if you dont know what your talking about.

anyway as for your fuzziness ive never heard of such an issue. we (at work, futureshop) have a pionner hooked up through hdmi and through component on a pionner plasma, HDMI blows component away with no fuziness issue. we also have the same set up using an HD-DVD player on two LG tv's and again HDMI blows component away. i have a sony bdp-500 hooked up to my SXRD through HDMI and no issues as well. maybe its your TV?!?

Please, don't defend Monster for digital cables. You'll sound like an idiot.

[De Dutch]

Ive noticed the same thing with my shitty little upconverting DVD player. The HDMI looks might pixelated, where as DVDs through component are much sharper? Hmmm ...

I had a stint at Futureshop a few years ago, and if I remember correctly the Monster Cable had their own sales section because the markup was so high. They always encouraged us to push hard on the monster cables.

[HondaRice]

Originally posted by toomuchb00st


haha your kidding right? dont talk if you dont know what your talking about.

anyway as for your fuzziness ive never heard of such an issue. we (at work, futureshop) have a pionner hooked up through hdmi and through component on a pionner plasma, HDMI blows component away with no fuziness issue. we also have the same set up using an HD-DVD player on two LG tv's and again HDMI blows component away. i have a sony bdp-500 hooked up to my SXRD through HDMI and no issues as well. maybe its your TV?!?

hes actually right, a lot of monster cables and generic cables at the dollar store just as good. monster cables is for retail when someone coming into with a lot of money buys at tv and the sales man says you need these 100 dollar monster cables

Where at dollar stores or just other retail stores with resonably priced inventory sell it at the tenth of the price.

no , i am not talking about the dollar store coax cable , but even today the quality is much better just as good or not better then stuff you get at professional grade.


Me I use component video, with HDMI and DVI I get grainly pixel picture.

[nos_efx]

Yeah I've done that, made it 1366X768 but still no output. I'm beginning to think the $25 I spent on that cable just went down the drain

Originally posted by Ashers


You have to go into the nVidia control panel and go down to HDTV. Then you have to select the correct resolution in there before the videocard will output the correct signal.

[Impreza]

all I have to say is monoprice.com

[Alterac]

Originally posted by nos_efx
Yeah I've done that, made it 1366X768 but still no output. I'm beginning to think the $25 I spent on that cable just went down the drain

Is the 2nd monitor enabled on in the display properties? (assuming you have the computer to output 1, and tv to output 2)