Ask AVRant #6: HDMI and Video Processing

[admin]

J and Tom discuss the most confusing of all topics - HDMI. 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.3a… wow, all those different standards in just a few years? Which is the best? Should you upgrade? Should you let your receiver, the display, or the transport do the processing? Some combination of those three? Do cables really matter? Confused? You won’t be (we hope). Keep those questions coming and we'll keep putting out the episodes. Tom and Dina return next week but for now, Tom is basking on the beach in Antalya.


Discuss "Ask AVRant #6: HDMI and Video Processing" here. Listen to the podcast.

[Omega Supreme]

Did I hear correctly when Tom said that componet cables would only pass a 480p signal? Is this correct? I only have 1 HDMI port on my tv and I am using it for my HD 622 Dish Network receiver. I just bought a laptop with a HD-DVD drive and i have been plugging & unplugging my hdmi between the two. This is a big hassle so i was about to go and get a componet cable to use for my sat. receiver and just use the HDMI for my laptop. But if it will only pass a 480p signal and not the 720p or 1080i I dont want to do this. Could someone let me know if this is correct. Hopefully I just didnt here it correctly. Thanks for your help.

[Clint DeBoer]

Can't remember exactly what he said, but what he meant was that many manufacturers limit the outputs of component to 480p/720p/1080i (anything but 1080p) in order to make the DRM-people happy. HDMI has HDCP, while component does not and the fiasco that is DRM means that many of your component video outputs are going to be as low as 480p. Now, with that said the only hard and fast rule is that almost (ALMOST) no one allows 1080p output via component.

There are a couple of companies that break the rule, but their video processing is so bad it hardly matters.

[Omega Supreme]

Thanks for the reply Clint. Any idea if the Dish Network 622 receiver outputs 720p or 1080i via componet?

[Clint DeBoer]

Most of the HD Dish and CableTV receivers output up to 720p/1080i via component.

[Omega Supreme]

Good Deal. Thanks.

[FoolintheRain]

Just listened to the podcast and they were just completely wrong about component cable. They specifically said that component can't pass 1080i/p at all and that very few pass 720p. If that were the case then all of us watching HDTV before hdmi came out via cable boxes, set-top boxes, and satellite boxes have not been seeing HDTV? All those HDTVs and projectors without HDMI inputs aren't really displaying HDTV? Not to mention all the BD and HD DVD people who have been watching these discs via componant cables.

Component can easily pass 1080i and 720p. And it can actually pass 1080p, however, not legally I would venture to say that the majority or displays and boxes out there only have component only. HDMI has only been around a few years. HDTV has been around longer. They could maybe watch DVE for an explanation or maybe they should wikipedia component cables next time.

I think what they meant was that upscaling/upconverting can't be done over component cable. That makes a little more sense doesn't it?

[MDS]

I think what they meant was that upscaling/upconverting can't be done over component cable. That makes a little more sense doesn't it?

See Clint's explanation above. A component cable is a wire and there is nothing inherent to the cable that imits the bandwidth it can pass. Component cables can carry 1080p and far beyond.

The manufacturers however don't implement the functionality of passing 1080p or upscaling lower resolution signals to 1080p due to the DRM crap. If they did we'd have mass hysteria, rampant piracy, dogs and cats living together...