Video cards with HDTV

[ddasilva99]

Hello everyone,

What is the difference between purchasing a video card with HDTV out and purchasing a video card without the HDTV out BUT I use a DVI to component video cable to connect to my 43" HDTV?

Thanks,
Derek

 

[SynthDude2001]

What kind of DVI to Component cable are you talking about? Unless the video card can specifically output a Component signal over analog (including the analog signal pins in the DVI-I connection), a simple cable won't work and you'll have to get a transcoder, which isn't terribly expensive but isn't cheap either.

So...functionally, there's no difference between the two, it's just a matter of cost basically.

 

[aidanjm]

don't some HDTVs have a DVI port? What would be the difference between running the output into the DVI port on the HDTV, vs running the output into the component inputs on the HDTV?

 

[SynthDude2001]

Originally posted by: aidanjm
don't some HDTVs have a DVI port? What would be the difference between running the output into the DVI port on the HDTV, vs running the output into the component inputs on the HDTV?

Yes, some do have DVI ports (or HDMI), and there wouldn't be a whole lot of difference except it would be a lot more straightforward to make such a connection. I've connected my 6800GT to a LCD rear projection HDTV over DVI before and it was very easy.

As long as the HDTV is a digital type of display (LCD, DLP, Plasma, etc.) and the input path is all digital (no conversions to analog and back, which I've heard that some HDTV's do with digital inputs for some reason), then the DVI connection would be better, at least in theory. However, given that Component supports the same resolutions as DVI (at least up to 1080i anyway), the difference that you may see with your eyes might be very small or nonexistent. But, just as with PC LCD monitors, if the display supports a digital input and it goes through less D<->A conversions, I'd recommend that in general over the Component inputs if it's available to you.

 

[Todd33]

I used DVI to DVI on my last TV, now I use DVI to HDMI.