Component or HDMI?

[Tygerwoody]

For my HD Cable Box....

Component or HDMI?

All I want to know is if there is a difference in PICTURE quality. Thats it. I don't care for any sound discussions about HDMI.

Right now, I have component hooked up and wanted to know if the picture quality would improve from an HDMI cable. The Cable box does have an HDMI hookup.

[dsessom]

I have a 32" Sharp Aquos in my bedroom. HDMI looks a bit sharper and the color was a tad bit better than component - especially if you are watching something with tons of color, like Star Wars Episode III.

[toxikneedle]

I highly doubt there would be a difference in PQ, but I'd still go with HDMI only because it's digital. You don't need to get crazy-expensive HDMI cables to get the full potential out of your box, but for component cables, the cheaper they are, the more prone to interference they become.

[Tygerwoody]

i think i'm going to go ahead and order an HDMI cable. Where is the best place to get one? Should i just pick one up at Best Buy or is there a website that has good deals on them?

[rudedog]

Like I posted in another thread, check out Home Depot for about $34 bucks (6footer) well built cables.

Don't every buy from BB or the likes. Funny compUSA/RadioShack and every Circuit City all sell cheap (price) HDMI cables on their web sites only. The catch you can't get them in store.

[toxikneedle]

Yeah don't buy from BB, all they carry is $200 Monster or Belkin, etc. gold-plated with every type of gas there is injected cables.

[Marvel_us]

i think i'm going to go ahead and order an HDMI cable. Where is the best place to get one? Should i just pick one up at Best Buy or is there a website that has good deals on them?

If you didn't already order one you can get them for very cheap at newegg or monoprice. I got a HDMI -> DVI cable for around 15 bucks on newegg after shipping, works flawlessly.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16812186013
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10240&cs_id=1024004&p_id=2412&seq=1&format=2&style=

[crainger]

I have a 32" Sharp Aquos in my bedroom. HDMI looks a bit sharper and the color was a tad bit better than component - especially if you are watching something with tons of color, like Star Wars Episode III.

Wait up! Movies are in colour now?! I might have to trade in my aging Panaphonic :afro2:

[Tygerwoody]

If you didn't already order one you can get them for very cheap at newegg or monoprice. I got a HDMI -> DVI cable for around 15 bucks on newegg after shipping, works flawlessly.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16812186013
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10240&cs_id=1024004&p_id=2412&seq=1&format=2&style=
THANK YOU! Just ordered one from newegg. The price is cheaper at monoprice, but I'd rather give newegg my money than anyone else. They treat me right when things go wrong.:afro:

[TiKiMaN1]

I highly doubt there would be a difference in PQ, but I'd still go with HDMI only because it's digital. You don't need to get crazy-expensive HDMI cables to get the full potential out of your box, but for component cables, the cheaper they are, the more prone to interference they become.

Contrary to what my friend Toxi says, I would have to say HDMI all the way. I work with these cables every day at work. And test them on various displays. True enough the difference in quality varies from display to display. But on many if not most displays the difference is noticeable IMO.

Richer color, sharper picture...that sort of thing. Of course this is coming from a guy that will allows insist that there is a distinct difference in quality between VGA and DVI.;)

[Marvel_us]

Contrary to what my friend Toxi says, I would have to say HDMI all the way. I work with these cables every day at work. And test them on various displays. True enough the difference in quality varies from display to display. But on many if not most displays the difference is noticeable IMO.

Richer color, sharper picture...that sort of thing. Of course this is coming from a guy that will allows insist that there is a distinct difference in quality between VGA and DVI.;)

I'd have to agree. After hooking up my PS3 to a digital connection via DVI>HDMI it looked quite a bit sharper and rich than when using the component cables.

[betterdan]

HDMI looks better to me on my upconverting dvd player.

[crainger]

Contrary to what my friend Toxi says, I would have to say HDMI all the way. I work with these cables every day at work. And test them on various displays. True enough the difference in quality varies from display to display. But on many if not most displays the difference is noticeable IMO.

Richer color, sharper picture...that sort of thing. Of course this is coming from a guy that will allows insist that there is a distinct difference in quality between VGA and DVI.;)

I see the difference between DVI and VGA too. On my old 172x it was like night and day.

[walterman]

Analog cables have problems with noise at high frequencies (zones of the image with a lot of changes). Means that you lose sharpness, less accurate color values, ... and all sort of analog artifacts like ghosting, flickering, ... you need very HQ cables for analog.

If you want pixel perfect quality, HDMI.

[einstein_314]

Digital is the way to go for sure (so HDMI).

[rewt]

Analog outputs, such as component, do not support HDCP (High Definition Content Protection). Future (or perhaps even current) high definition content may end up degrading the output signal over analog, or even disabling it altogether. This might apply more to hd-dvd or blu-ray than cable boxes however. But I thought it was worth mentioning.

[toxikneedle]

Tiki, VGA to DVI is like night and day (on a pc monitor). As far as component vs HDMI, I just think that unless you got like 40-50''+ TV, you probably won't notice the difference. Not to mention, like you said you work on the cables every day, so you are much more likely to see the difference than your average user. At the same time, I'm not saying component is better.... HDMI all the way. It's just I wouldn't exactly dread not having an HDMI, but thats my opinion.

[TiKiMaN1]

Tiki, VGA to DVI is like night and day (on a pc monitor). As far as component vs HDMI, I just think that unless you got like 40-50''+ TV, you probably won't notice the difference. Not to mention, like you said you work on the cables every day, so you are much more likely to see the difference than your average user. At the same time, I'm not saying component is better.... HDMI all the way. It's just I wouldn't exactly dread not having an HDMI, but thats my opinion.

I agree.:)

[A101Sugar]

Like I posted in another thread, check out Home Depot for about $34 bucks (6footer) well built cables.

Don't every buy from BB or the likes. Funny compUSA/RadioShack and every Circuit City all sell cheap (price) HDMI cables on their web sites only. The catch you can't get them in store.


Best Buy... lol

we have a pretty big mark-up on hdmi cables I believe...

a BB brand "RocketFish" HDMI cable we sell for $100 ....... employee discount = $15-$20... lmao .... I don't have a HDMI capable tv, but I feel like buying some just because of the discount... lol

[superklye]

Buy 'em with your discount and sell them on eBay. Even if you only get $40 for one, you're still getting twice your money back.

[Tygerwoody]

Tiki, VGA to DVI is like night and day (on a pc monitor). As far as component vs HDMI, I just think that unless you got like 40-50''+ TV, you probably won't notice the difference. Not to mention, like you said you work on the cables every day, so you are much more likely to see the difference than your average user. At the same time, I'm not saying component is better.... HDMI all the way. It's just I wouldn't exactly dread not having an HDMI, but thats my opinion.
57" TV... so hopefully i'll see the difference. :)