HDMI Question on new 9800GT card

[thatsright]

I will be buying the PNY XLR8 VCG98GTEE1XEB GeForce 9800 GT 1GB. It comes with a DVI port > HDMI adapter.

1. In general, is there a loss of video quality when using the adapter?

2. My HP LCD has a HDMI port. Can it be used as the main video connection instead of the DVI cable I use now? Or is the HDMI connection really just for watching video and not general PC usage?

 

[dug777]

I shouldn't imagine there would be any loss of image quality, unless the cable is too long/not rated for the resolution/refresh rate maybe?

If it's like my 4850, it doesn't have a HDMI 'out' but the pinout for the DVI adapter should give you exactly the same output as a proper HDMI 'out'...

Yes, I use my 4850 and DVI-HDMI adapter to connect to my LCD and it would appear to work flawlessly. It even does sound over the HDMI cable which means I can plug my headphones into my LCD monitor 3.5mm jack if I so desire

 

[thatsright]

Really......

Awesome (I think). Have others seen better video quality (DVD's/mpg's etc) and 2D Windows/Applications quality when using HDMI connection vs. DVI?

 

[dug777]

As far as I understand it, DVI and HDMI should give you an identical output, given the same cable and resolution/refresh rate. They are both digital rather than analogue.

 

[nenforcer]

Are you set on the PNY version of the 9800GT? There are other models which have a native HDMI interface.

HDMI is the newer standard of which 1.3b is the latest and supports the most bandwidth for full HD 1080P panels.

I doubt there is much if any picture quality difference but if you can go straight HDMI to HDMI that is obviously the better option.

Especially if you want to watch Bluray movies on your display. That PNY card supports HDCP which Bluray requires but sometimes you run into problems using those DVI to HDMI adapters.

 

[thatsright]

Are you set on the PNY version of the 9800GT? There are other models which have a native HDMI interface.

HDMI is the newer standard of which 1.3b is the latest and supports the most bandwidth for full HD 1080P panels.

I doubt there is much if any picture quality difference but if you can go straight HDMI to HDMI that is obviously the better option.

Especially if you want to watch Bluray movies on your display. That PNY card supports HDCP which Bluray requires but sometimes you run into problems using those DVI to HDMI adapters.

Are there any $100 or less Nvida cards that have native HDMI support?

Also what is the advantage to using HDMI as your sole video connection, compared to a DVI connection?

 

[veri745]

The only difference between HDMI and DVI->HDMI is the lack of audio output when using the converter.

 

[nenforcer]

Yes just on NewEgg there are 9 different models of 9800GT cards which support a native HDMI output.

I would buy this one myself

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814121352

its $79.99 after rebate. The 1GB versions start at about $135.99 and go down to $99 the 512MB versions start at $99 and go down to $79.

I would buy one of these specifically for the native HDMI interface. Its a newer digital interface than DVI and will give you the best compatibility especially if you want to attach your computer to the television.

 

[dug777]

The only difference between HDMI and DVI->HDMI is the lack of audio output when using the converter.

Nonsense.

I'm using a 4850 with a DV-HDMI adapter (the one that came with the card), and it does sound over HDMI no worries.

In fact, when I install new Cats, it defaults to the graphics card HDMI out, which was very confusing the first time it happened to say the least!

 

[Modelworks]

Nonsense.

I'm using a 4850 with a DV-HDMI adapter (the one that came with the card), and it does sound over HDMI no worries.

It isn't nonsense. You need to research the video card carefully if you plan on using it with HDMI and having the audio included. It requires extra circuitry on the video card , it is not something that HDMI on pc always does. To make it worse a video card from one company may support audio while the same card from another may not.

The ATI cards that use a DV-HDMI adapter also require a specific ATI adapter. DVI connectors do not have pins for audio . ATI uses a custom layout on the connector.

 

[nenforcer]

Nonsense.

I'm using a 4850 with a DV-HDMI adapter (the one that came with the card), and it does sound over HDMI no worries.

In fact, when I install new Cats, it defaults to the graphics card HDMI out, which was very confusing the first time it happened to say the least!

This is absolutely false. DVI does not, never has and never will carry audio. If you are using a DVI->HDMI adapter from the PC then you must also have another form of audio cable to carry the audio signal to either the monitor, speaker or receivers.

That was the benefit of later HDMI specs, the ability to carry Video+Audio on one cable.

 

[sawtx]

This is absolutely false. DVI does not, never has and never will carry audio. If you are using a DVI->HDMI adapter from the PC then you must also have another form of audio cable to carry the audio signal to either the monitor, speaker or receivers.

That was the benefit of later HDMI specs, the ability to carry Video+Audio on one cable.

ATI has DVI to HDMI adapters that allow the HDMI cable to carry sound, I've used it on multiple cards with success every time. You plug in the adapter to the DVI port and can then use an HDMI cable to carry video and sound, no other cable needed.

 

[Absolution75]

ATI has DVI to HDMI adapters that allow the HDMI cable to carry sound, I've used it on multiple cards with success every time. You plug in the adapter to the DVI port and can then use an HDMI cable to carry video and sound, no other cable needed.

I'm just posting to backup what he says is true.

 

[dug777]

This is absolutely false. DVI does not, never has and never will carry audio. If you are using a DVI->HDMI adapter from the PC then you must also have another form of audio cable to carry the audio signal to either the monitor, speaker or receivers.

That was the benefit of later HDMI specs, the ability to carry Video+Audio on one cable.

While I apologise for confusing the issue, it clearly isn't absolutely false if ATI makes and sells such a thing, and indeed I have an example of it working in front of me!

As a factual statement, it's nonsense to state that you can't have audio over a DVI-HDMI adapter, although in practice modelworks makes some excellent points.

 

[nenforcer]

I stand corrected, it looks like ATI is able to squeeze the audio into the DVI->HDMI conversion process.

Learn something new every day!

 

[dug777]

I stand corrected, it looks like ATI is able to squeeze the audio into the DVI->HDMI conversion process.

Learn something new every day!

Well, I was pretty unhelpful in my statement, so I have learnt quite a lot too

 

[cubeless]

ATI has DVI to HDMI adapters that allow the HDMI cable to carry sound, I've used it on multiple cards with success every time. You plug in the adapter to the DVI port and can then use an HDMI cable to carry video and sound, no other cable needed.

it's not a 'special' adapter... ati puts out audio on hdmi with circuitry on the card... some nvidia cards (like my 8600gts) have an adapter that takes spdif from the mobo and runs it into the card to output on the hdmi adapter... i think nvidia now does direct hdmi sound without the spdif connector (but i haven't bought a nvidia card for a few years)...

when going dvi to hdmi they just push the audio out a couple pins on the dvi output...