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mariod
join:2009-06-16

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mariod to 29393955

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Re: Trying to get an HDMI DVR...insanity realized

said by newview:

Regardless of what YOU think ... three other people in the room (besides myself) viewing the resulting picture said the same thing.

said by 29393955:

You can rest assured that a DVI (Digital Video Interface) connection is FAR superior to a component (analog) connection, assuming a relatively new digital TV. To state otherwise "defies science and logic".

100% better may not be technically 'correct', but it is a common expression and conveys the poster's perception of the degree of improvement.

That may be the perception, but its wrong.

The ONLY non-3d (because that utilizes two way communication) benefit of HDMI is simplification of wires. It turns four cords (3 component and an audio) into one cord. HDMI provides ABSOLUTELY ZERO improvement on audio or video quality over component and optical cables.

The only real world possibly is that the component jack out of the STB, or into the TV/Receiver, is degraded/dirty while the DVI/HDMI jack is not.

Barring that, your 100% improvement is pure placebo effect.
29393955 (banned)
Always the green wire
join:2011-09-11
Mount Juliet, TN

1 recommendation

29393955 (banned)

Member

said by mariod:

The ONLY non-3d benefit of HDMI is simplification of wires. It turns four cords (3 component and an audio) into one cord. HDMI provides ABSOLUTELY ZERO improvement on audio or video quality over component and optical cables.

The only real world possibly is that the component jack out of the STB, or into the TV/Receiver, is degraded/dirty while the DVI/HDMI jack is not.

Barring that, your 100% improvement is pure placebo effect.

A Digital connection provides many benefits in addition to the reduction of cables - an analog signal is subject to noise, electrical interference, phase degradation, capacitance of the cable causing high frequency distortion/loss, etc. while a digital connection is virtually immune to all but the strongest of electrical interference and suffers no phase or capacitance anomalies. It's not about the cable, it's the format of the signal. The results are scientifically demonstrable.

Now perception is a personal matter, as I still prefer a quality analog audio recording over a typical digital one, but it can be shown on an oscilloscope or spectrum analyzer that the digital recording is much more accurate when compared to the original. Whether recording medium or transmission medium, digital is more 'accurate' than analog. You may see "ABSOLUTELY ZERO improvement" with HDMI or DVI, but the reality is that a digital connection conveys the HD video signal far more accurately than ANY analog connection is capable of. It's not my opinion, it is a fact - which any electrical engineer with experience in both mediums will gladly confirm. As a veteran of the broadcast industry of OVER 30 YEARS, I can assure you I've dealt with multitudes of both analog and digital connections, and digital is ALWAYS the most accurate connection/transport method.
I can also add that I too started with a component connection from my STB to my HDTV - swapping the box for a different model with HDMI improved MY picture "100%" -

It's not rocket science, but it IS science...
CTMustang
Premium Member
join:2007-09-10
New Canaan, CT

CTMustang to mariod

Premium Member

to mariod
said by mariod:

said by newview:

Regardless of what YOU think ... three other people in the room (besides myself) viewing the resulting picture said the same thing.

said by 29393955:

You can rest assured that a DVI (Digital Video Interface) connection is FAR superior to a component (analog) connection, assuming a relatively new digital TV. To state otherwise "defies science and logic".

100% better may not be technically 'correct', but it is a common expression and conveys the poster's perception of the degree of improvement.

That may be the perception, but its wrong.

The ONLY non-3d (because that utilizes two way communication) benefit of HDMI is simplification of wires. It turns four cords (3 component and an audio) into one cord. HDMI provides ABSOLUTELY ZERO improvement on audio or video quality over component and optical cables.

The only real world possibly is that the component jack out of the STB, or into the TV/Receiver, is degraded/dirty while the DVI/HDMI jack is not.

Barring that, your 100% improvement is pure placebo effect.

HDMI VS Component, you can clearly see a difference in my home. I have no idea if the cause is because the wires run real close to two subwoofers, or through the closet that houses all my security/internet/audio stuff but there is a CLEAR difference and HDMI is the winner.

GDouglas2
@hydroone.com

GDouglas2 to mariod

Anon

to mariod
Hello,
said by mariod:

The ONLY non-3d (because that utilizes two way communication) benefit of HDMI is simplification of wires. It turns four cords (3 component and an audio) into one cord. HDMI provides ABSOLUTELY ZERO improvement on audio or video quality over component and optical cables.

With well-tuned equipment, this may sometimes be the case that HDMI and Component is indistinguishable. Good calibration, good tracking/phase, and regular video material, and good electronics for both outputs, the use of the same deinterlacer/video processing, the same format (i.e. 1080i), then the visual perception difference of HDMI versus Copmonent, may very well be indistinguishable.

BUT.... Unfortunately, many displays often use separate electronics for the HDMI and for the component, and some boxes output a different color settings (i.e. worse picture adjustment settings, bad sharpness setting, bad contrast setting) for Component output versus HDMI output. In fact, sometimes it's vice versa -- a well-calibrated Component will look better than poor-misadjusted HDMI.

However, more often than not, it is the case that HDMI blows away Component. It has often been the observation, that this specific case, indeed happens on several Comcast boxes.

Both of you are correct in very certain situations, even though you are disagreeing.