Which is better? Using HDMI or Component cables?

[techs]

I have an HD cable box with options to use either HDMI or Component for the video.
My hi-def tv has inputs for both.
Is one superior in picture quality?
thanks.

 

[swtethan]

HDMI

 

[akshatp]

HDMI

 

[FoBoT]

what is the difference?
will the picture be smaller with the component cable?

 

[Pepsi90919]

Originally posted by: FoBoT
what is the difference?
will the picture be smaller with the component cable?

HDMI

 

[imported_goku]

Use component, avoid HDMI as it's BAD. HDMI is a spawn from the stupid MPAA, damn copy protection crap...

 

[akshatp]

Originally posted by: FoBoT
what is the difference?
will the picture be smaller with the component cable?

No. The HDMI is a fiber cable I beleive and transmits up to 5gb of data on the single cable using light. It will be a much clearer sharper picture.

 

[montypythizzle]

MPAA FTL

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Try both and see what looks better to you?

 

[MrChad]

Originally posted by: goku
Use component, avoid HDMI as it's BAD. HDMI is a spawn from the stupid MPAA, damn copy protection crap...

HDMI has nothing to do with copy protection. Perhaps you're referring to HDCP?

 

[Gooberlx2]

Originally posted by: MrChad

Originally posted by: goku
Use component, avoid HDMI as it's BAD. HDMI is a spawn from the stupid MPAA, damn copy protection crap...

HDMI has nothing to do with copy protection. Perhaps you're referring to HDCP?

Which requires HDMI on current HDTVs. But yeah, I'm sure they'll incorporate HDCP into plenty of other avenues (DVI on video cards?)....which sucks.

Anyway, HDMI will keep the signal digital, so no loss/degradation due to interference. I wish my TV had more than just one HDMI input on it.

 

[destrekor]

Originally posted by: MrChad

Originally posted by: goku
Use component, avoid HDMI as it's BAD. HDMI is a spawn from the stupid MPAA, damn copy protection crap...

HDMI has nothing to do with copy protection. Perhaps you're referring to HDCP?

i wonder if he is referring to the idea that HDMI is required to be HDCP compliant, whereas component cables are not even compliant.

 

[thomsbrain]

allow me to rephrase your question in a manner that will also provide its answer:

when sending a digital source signal to a digital receiver of that signal, is it better to leave it digital, and have it arrive with 100% accuracy, or is it better to convert it to analog (with quality penalties in the D/A), send it over a cable (with quality penalties from interference and transmission losses), and convert it back into digital (with quality penalties in the A/D)?

obviously, leave it digital. HDMI FTW!

 

[imported_goku]

Originally posted by: destrekor

Originally posted by: MrChad

Originally posted by: goku
Use component, avoid HDMI as it's BAD. HDMI is a spawn from the stupid MPAA, damn copy protection crap...

HDMI has nothing to do with copy protection. Perhaps you're referring to HDCP?

i wonder if he is referring to the idea that HDMI is required to be HDCP compliant, whereas component cables are not even compliant.

exactly

plus, when you get HDMI, you pay a licensing fee which helps the media companies keep track of who has the technology, therefore eventually forcing it upon is which is a BAD thing. I hope some legislation is passed to prevent this sort of thing from being legal, one problem with me being so young is by the time I can physically become a politician, our privacy and our 'rights' will have been severely limited already...

 

[George P Burdell]

Originally posted by: thomsbrain
allow me to rephrase your question in a manner that will also provide its answer:

when sending a digital source signal to a digital receiver of that signal, is it better to leave it digital, and have it arrive with 100% accuracy, or is it better to convert it to analog (with quality penalties in the D/A), send it over a cable (with quality penalties from interference and transmission losses), and convert it back into digital (with quality penalties in the A/D)?

obviously, leave it digital. HDMI FTW!

:thumbsup:

 

[spidey07]

It depends.

Try both.

 

[MrChad]

Originally posted by: Gooberlx2

Originally posted by: MrChad

Originally posted by: goku
Use component, avoid HDMI as it's BAD. HDMI is a spawn from the stupid MPAA, damn copy protection crap...

HDMI has nothing to do with copy protection. Perhaps you're referring to HDCP?

Which requires HDMI on current HDTVs. But yeah, I'm sure they'll incorporate HDCP into plenty of other avenues (DVI on video cards?)....which sucks.

Anyway, HDMI will keep the signal digital, so no loss/degradation due to interference. I wish my TV had more than just one HDMI input on it.

Just because you use an HDMI connection does NOT mean the connection is employing HDCP.

The biggest threats to widely use HDCP were BluRay and HD-DVD, but the movie studios have already stated that HDCP flags on next-gen discs will be disabled for the foreseeable future.

To answer the OP's questions, the difference in PQ between HDMI and component is usually negligible. HDMI should be a bit better because it's a digital signal, but most people have trouble telling the difference. Some cable boxes and/or TVs have slightly buggy HDMI implementations, so you may prefer component for that reason. My recommendation is to try HDMI first (it's more convenient if nothing else), and if that doesn't work out, fall back on component.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: thomsbrain
allow me to rephrase your question in a manner that will also provide its answer:

when sending a digital source signal to a digital receiver of that signal, is it better to leave it digital, and have it arrive with 100% accuracy, or is it better to convert it to analog (with quality penalties in the D/A), send it over a cable (with quality penalties from interference and transmission losses), and convert it back into digital (with quality penalties in the A/D)?

obviously, leave it digital. HDMI FTW!

There can be issues. He should try both. One is not always the right answer.

 

[Rubycon]

How far away is the source and the monitor/projector from each other?

 

[RossMAN]

Try both and see which you prefer. I don't really notice a difference and prefer the simplicity of HDMI.

 

[wazzledoozle]

I would use component on a CRT hdtv, and HDMI for LCD or Plasma. Reason? CRT is native analog, but LCD and Plasma are digital. So its logical...

 

[conehead433]

As previously mentioned HDMI is digital and Component is analog. On my 57" Sony using a DVI(digital) versus Component there is really not much difference. Going to a larger picture such as on a projection screen the difference may be more noticeable.

 

[lokiju]

HDMI usually but on rear projection CRT HDTV's it's sometimes better with Component from my experience.

 

[JasonCoder]

Doesn't HDMI carry both the video and audio over the one cable? So if I were in the OP's boat (which I will be soon) would I have run the audio back out of my TV to my receiver?

 

[AndrewR]

Here's one. Would it be better to go component directly to the TV (Sharp LCD) or go HDMI to a receiver and then to the TV? I only have one HDMI input which will likely be occupied by soon-to-be-installed cable, and I just bought a DVD with HDMI and component output. I was thinking of getting a received with two HDMI inputs and running the signal through it to the TV, or I could just use the one HDMI input for the cable signal and use component for the DVD (but upconversion doesn't work on component thanks to copy protection).