Component or HDMI?

[bens0472]

Hi Everyone,

I'm finally stepping into the world of HDTV w/ a new Panasonic 50" plasma (TC-P50U1) and blu-ray player and I'm wondering about the range of connections available to me and their respective max HD resolution. Because my receiver (Yamaha RX-V659) does not have HDMI in/out, I will definitely being running HDMI to the TV directly from the blu-ray, but lonly for the video. I'll be running TOSLink from BR to Receiver for BR audio.

However...there's also the ATT Uverse STB. From it, which should I run:

• HDMI to TV for video and TOSLink to Receiver for Audio
• Component Vid from STB to Recv and Component Vid from Recv to TV and TOSLink from STB - Recv for Audio

I think ATT Uverse max HD format output is 1080i, so what I'm really wondering is whether the second solution (all component connections for video from the ATT STB instead of HDMI) can still get me 1080i to the TV? What's the max HD resolution I can get using component connections?

Thanks,
Ben

 

[skizzerflake]

Hi Everyone,

I'm finally stepping into the world of HDTV w/ a new Panasonic 50" plasma (TC-P50U1) and blu-ray player and I'm wondering about the range of connections available to me and their respective max HD resolution. Because my receiver (Yamaha RX-V659) does not have HDMI in/out, I will definitely being running HDMI to the TV directly from the blu-ray, but lonly for the video. I'll be running TOSLink from BR to Receiver for BR audio.

However...there's also the ATT Uverse STB. From it, which should I run:

• HDMI to TV for video and TOSLink to Receiver for Audio
• Component Vid from STB to Recv and Component Vid from Recv to TV and TOSLink from STB - Recv for Audio

I think ATT Uverse max HD format output is 1080i, so what I'm really wondering is whether the second solution (all component connections for video from the ATT STB instead of HDMI) can still get me 1080i to the TV? What's the max HD resolution I can get using component connections?

Thanks,
Ben

Go for the HDMI to the TV and TOSlink or digital cable to the Receiver. You will get the 1080P blue ray resolution from the TV; you will get 1080I from component cables. You take a minor hit in the audio due to having lossy audio, but until you decide to upgrade the receiver, it will work just fine. I did exactly that (to a several year old Yamaha) and was worried about synchronization of video and audio, but it turned out OK.

 

[highfigh]

Hi Everyone,

I'm finally stepping into the world of HDTV w/ a new Panasonic 50" plasma (TC-P50U1) and blu-ray player and I'm wondering about the range of connections available to me and their respective max HD resolution. Because my receiver (Yamaha RX-V659) does not have HDMI in/out, I will definitely being running HDMI to the TV directly from the blu-ray, but lonly for the video. I'll be running TOSLink from BR to Receiver for BR audio.

However...there's also the ATT Uverse STB. From it, which should I run:

• HDMI to TV for video and TOSLink to Receiver for Audio
• Component Vid from STB to Recv and Component Vid from Recv to TV and TOSLink from STB - Recv for Audio

I think ATT Uverse max HD format output is 1080i, so what I'm really wondering is whether the second solution (all component connections for video from the ATT STB instead of HDMI) can still get me 1080i to the TV? What's the max HD resolution I can get using component connections?

Thanks,
Ben

You should be able to get 1080i through component video cables and you probably wouldn't see any difference with most discs or channels.

 

[Kai]

I was using a 659 up until several weeks ago when I replaced it with a Pioneer Elite 21.
I ran hdmi directly from my BD player to the TV and optical from the BD to the 659 and used a Dolby Surround mode from the receiver.
From the cable box I ran component to the 659 and out to the TV and also used optical to the receiver. The TV displayed whatever the network provided for video and I let the signal pass through. For audio I also generally let whatever signal pass through but when only stereo was passed the receiver converted it to surround.
It worked really well and sounded great.
But not as great as Dolby True HD and DTS Master HD sound. Wow, depending on how good the BD audio track is the sound is much better for movies using the HD formats.

My son has the 659 and he is thrilled...he was using his tv's speakers for sound hehehe. Matched with an old pair of Paradigm Monitor 3's and old Klipsch sub I had stored away he is loving it hehehe.

 

[JerryLove]

With multiple sources to a TV, and no HDMI switch available, I've run component. Where HDMI is available: I mostly run HDMI (my cable boxes are all hooked up component because, bluntly, the box puts out a better picture through the component outs).

 

[BMXTRIX]

With multiple sources to a TV, and no HDMI switch available, I've run component. Where HDMI is available: I mostly run HDMI (my cable boxes are all hooked up component because, bluntly, the box puts out a better picture through the component outs).

This is the reality of the world... Component video is capable of carrying signals of up to 1080p without issue, but most A/V gear doesn't output video above 1080i over component video.

So, which is better HDMI or component if all you are dealing with is 1080i?

IT DEPENDS!

Yep, that rock solid answer which doesn't help you at all.

Because most video has a fair bit of processing involved with it, you get mixed results from device to device and from TV to TV as to how well it handles component video vs. HDMI video.

A game system could output great 1080i over HDMI, while your cable box may output better video over component.

The resolution, despite being the same, still needs to run through digital to analog coverters, scalers, and more before being output to your TV.

So, you really have to try both component video and HDMI to see which truly looks better.

Don't mess yourself up by spending cash on some overpriced cables though - go hit up www.monoprice.com and pick up plenty of decent cables for fifty bucks or so and give it all a try, then decide for yourself which version is best. It really is the ONLY way to know for sure.

In my experience:
HDMI looks better than component about 45% of the time (marginally)
They look the same about 45% of the time.
Component video looks better about 10% of the time. (marginally)