computer to hdtv

[Eric998765]

so i built a computer last summer with a Q6600, 8800 GTS, 1.16TB hdd, blah blah, and now i got around to getting some blu ray movies on my computer, and would like to play them on my big screen so i dont have to buy another blu ray player, and i was just wondering if the quality of cables really matters that much. i work at sams club and we have a dvi to hdmi cable that i think is 6ft and only like $20 (made by PureAV), but everywhere else I've looked (circuit city has a monster adapter for $35 and radioshack has a 6ft cable for like $54, so i was wondering, can i be cheap and get the $20 or a $40 from tigerdirect, or should i suck it up and drop 50-60+ on a good cable?

also, since dvi doesn't have audio, do i need to find some rca cables for the audio, and same question as above, is there a particular brand or type that would be better, or will any set i find laying around work?

lastly, before i even get to carried away, i will be able to watch blu ray from my computer to my tv right? i know hdmi and blu ray have all of those annoying protections or whatever, i would hate to spend all that money and not be able to watch anything.

and if it helps (dont see why it would), the tv is a 60" sony dlp tv, connected to 7.1 jvc speakers through a Yamaha receiver.

thanks everyone.

 

[Wuzup101]

You should go to www.monoprice.com to buy cables. Generally speaking, its one of the best places to buy for price/performance ratio. If you can get things cheaper at work, than by all means do so, but don't pay the crazy prices for monster stuff at BB/CC. Same goes for audio.

What type of sound card do you have? If you don't have a digital optical (or coax) out, and are limited to stereo, than you'll just need a 3.5mm miniplug to RCA adapter. If not, than just run the digital connection to the receiver. A stereo miniplug (IE: what many of the typical computer speakers or headphones use) carries the same information as red+white RCA cables. They do make adapters to switch between the two... and monoprice should have you covered there too.

 

[cubby1223]

Buy the cheap cables.

Originally posted by: Eric998765
also, since dvi doesn't have audio, do i need to find some rca cables for the audio, and same question as above, is there a particular brand or type that would be better, or will any set i find laying around work?

Check the documents with your card. Many new cards support sending audio through a dvi > hdmi cable. Sometimes they have a sound processor built into the video card, other times they have a spot to connect a cable from your separate sound card. And if not, then you will use rca audio cables. Most tvs have an hdmi input that also has rca audio inputs, or you can send the audio to a separate receiver. You'll also have a very difficult time differentiating between cheap and expensive audio cables. Buy the cheap stuff, it's a short run.

 

[Eric998765]

oops, forgot to say that my soundcard is just my mobo which is 7.1 built-in (asus p5n-e sli). but i'll check the booklet it came with and that website. thanks yall

so after looking in my book, i realized that i have 6 channel audio. it says, word for word:
Realtek ALC883 6-channel CODEC
1 x Coaxial S/PDIF out port
Supports Audio Sensing and Enumeration Technology
Supports Multi-Streaming Technology"

i've never been good with home theater stuff, so i don't really know what all that means, but there it is. so will that be able to send audio through dvi, or will i definately need to have a separate audio cable?

 

[s44]

Originally posted by: Eric998765
so i was wondering, can i be cheap and get the $20 or a $40 from tigerdirect, or should i suck it up and drop 50-60+ on a good cable?

Suck it up and spend $4 for a good cable... From monoprice.

Then spend another $3.50 for this digital coax audio cable (or a longer/shorter one if you need it) and plug that directly into your receiver's digital in.

Spending >$10 for a regular cable = epic fail.

I believe only 2XXX and 3XXX ATI cards have audio over DVI->HDMI.

 

[Wuzup101]

Stupid question... since this is the first time I've seen it mentioned. I know that there are video cards that exist (or at least I am hearing about them more and more) that have sound built in for the whole TV usage purpose. However, I thought that DVI lacked the physical wires to transmit audio (otherwise it was pin for pin the same as HDMI). So, does a standard DVI cable actually have the wires in it to transmit sound data? Or are these video cards with sound actually not DVI>HDMI but pure HDMI>HDMI.

Note: obviously it would be impossible for a DVI>HDMI adapter to send sound if a DVI cable itself doesn't have the wires. I always thought that this was the case... just wondering if it is otherwise?

 

[s44]

My guess is that the ATI cards route the sound data into the HDMI side of the cable via some unused DVI wires (probably the analog pins) when you have the appropriate adapter plugged in.

 

[Chosonman]

It is absolutely possible to have sound from a DVI port. I have an ATI 3850 and it came with a DVI to HDMI adapter. I get 5.1 surround sound from the Video card via the HDMI connection. You have to disable the onboard sound in order for this to work. Let me know if anyone has questions.