Just ordered digital cable, what connection should I use?

[GlocksRock]

Should I hook up my HD DVR to my RX-V1800 with HDMI, or should I use component video and toslink? I know HDMI would be the simplest, but I figure for all the channels that aren't in HD, I could let the receiver scale the image to 1080p. I'm not sure what model the HD DVR is, but it's with Time Warner if that helps.

 

[markw]

Unless you've got somethng I didn't know existed, component is capable of handling whatever signal your STB can put out. As far as I know cable doesn't send out any higher than 1080i. But, many HD stations themselves only send out 720 to begin with.

In any case, TV's themselves upscale to their own best internal resolution.

 

[skers_54]

I just got Time Warner with the HD DVR and it seems a bit touchy with the HDMI connection. When I turn the box off, I lose sound when I turn it back on until I reset it. Mine's probably a bad box but the company rep said that they had been having issues with HDMI. So you might want to go with component to ward off any potential hassles (especially since Time Warner doesn't do 1080p).

 

[GlocksRock]

I just got Time Warner with the HD DVR and it seems a bit touchy with the HDMI connection. When I turn the box off, I lose sound when I turn it back on until I reset it. Mine's probably a bad box but the company rep said that they had been having issues with HDMI. So you might want to go with component to ward off any potential hassles (especially since Time Warner doesn't do 1080p).

That's kinda what I was thinking too... If it uses the Scientific Atlanta 8300 box, or whatever it is, I do recall it having some HDMI issues. I don't really want to mess with running more cables since I already have HDMI ran where the box is going. Maybe I'll just do HDMI first, and if I have issues I'll do component.

 

[Midcow2]

Hdmi

Should I hook up my HD DVR to my RX-V1800 with HDMI, or should I use component video and toslink? I know HDMI would be the simplest, but I figure for all the channels that aren't in HD, I could let the receiver scale the image to 1080p. I'm not sure what model the HD DVR is, but it's with Time Warner if that helps.

Hey GlocksRock, can you possibly get satellite (DishNetowrk or DirecTv? The PQ seems much better than any cable I have seen, even the HD. No offense meant, just asking.

I would hook it all up via HDMI if it were me. I have DishNetwork satellite through 722 DVR and it is awesome. They are upping the resolution to 1080p calling it turbo HD sometime this month and upping the HD channels to over 100 with 150 by year end.

My current TV is a Vizio LCD that only supports 1080i. Replacement will be 1080p, but that is in the future.

 

[GlocksRock]

I can get satelllite, but I think for right now I can get digital cable for less money. I don't watch much tv anyways, and I'm mainly getting ot because my room mate wants it. I've used DirecTV before at my parents house, and at the place where I used to live, and I really liked it, but for now I'll give Time Warner a chance. It's costing me a bit less since I can bundle it with my road runner, and with cable I have no contract to worry about, so if I don't like it I'm not stuck with it for a year and I can switch over to satellite. I'll see how things pan out with all this upcoming 1080p stuff, and I think I heard something about a Dish and DirecTv merger, I also want to see what happens with that.

 

[bandphan]

I set the hd output to match the displays native resolution as close as possible, and set the 4:3 override to off, and the converstion to off in my receiver and allow my display to handle the conversion. You have to deceide if conversion is better thru your receiver or display.

 

[skers_54]

That's kinda what I was thinking too... If it uses the Scientific Atlanta 8300 box, or whatever it is, I do recall it having some HDMI issues. I don't really want to mess with running more cables since I already have HDMI ran where the box is going. Maybe I'll just do HDMI first, and if I have issues I'll do component.

That's basically what I did since I had an extra HDMI cable. I just try to remember not to shut the box off . The PQ is pretty good for the HD channels. TBS and such seem to be poorer quality than the others but the locals, ESPN, History, etc. don't seem to be too compressed.

BTW, what part of Charlotte are you from? I used to live in the Weddington area.

 

[Midcow2]

good plan bandphan

I set the hd output to match the displays native resolution as close as possible, and set the 4:3 override to off, and the converstion to off in my receiver and allow my display to handle the conversion. You have to deceide if conversion is better thru your receiver or display.

Bandphan has a good plan!

Glocksrock, I understand now about getting cable less $$.

I really like the DVR automatically recording what you are watch to pause for phone or whatever. I assume the cable box has that also

Good luck.

 

[GlocksRock]

I set the hd output to match the displays native resolution as close as possible, and set the 4:3 override to off, and the converstion to off in my receiver and allow my display to handle the conversion. You have to deceide if conversion is better thru your receiver or display.

If I use HDMI, my receiver will just pass through what the cable box outputs, it won't alter it at all due to HDCP. But the 1800 uses a anchor bay scaler, not sure if that would be better than the scaler in my WD-73733.

 

[GlocksRock]

Bandphan has a good plan!

Glocksrock, I understand now about getting cable less $$.

I really like the DVR automatically recording what you are watch to pause for phone or whatever. I assume the cable box has that also

Good luck.

Yeah, the dvr/cable box is all one unit... I currently just get all my tv in HD over the air, and I use my media pc with Vista's media center for my dvr currently, and it works really well, but I don't watch or record much tv... probably becuase I don't have but like 5 channels. But yes, it is nice to be able to pause and rewind live tv. I will definitely not have the cable box or tv strecth the image, I just leave stuff to display natively if at all possible.

I think I'm gonna just use HDMI to begin with, and if that isn't working well, I'll switch to component/toslink when I put my APC power conditioner in, seeing as how I'll have to move stuff around anyway to do that. It's just a big hassle getting to the back of my receiver since I have to move my 130 lb. def tech tower to do so, and it's not easy, especially since it has those grill sock cloths on it.

 

[GlocksRock]

That's basically what I did since I had an extra HDMI cable. I just try to remember not to shut the box off . The PQ is pretty good for the HD channels. TBS and such seem to be poorer quality than the others but the locals, ESPN, History, etc. don't seem to be too compressed.

BTW, what part of Charlotte are you from? I used to live in the Weddington area.

I live in North Charlotte, I'm very close to both I-85, and I-77.

 

[GlocksRock]

After looking at the yamaha site again, it seems that the receiver will only scale images that are 480i or 480p (coming from an analog input), not anything that is already in HD. But I'm pretty sure the cable box also has the ability to scale images so they are output in 720p or 1080i. Either way, I don't think anything I'm getting from cable will look that much better regardless of which of my components I use to do the scaling.