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View Full Version : ViP 722k connected using HDMI vs. RCA

jbkusa
09-22-09, 07:57 AM
Just had my 722k installed and the installer used the RCA cables to connect to my Sony LCD. Before I run out and buy a HDMI cable, what benefits/ difference could I expect when spending the $ for the HDMI? What are the advantages of the HDMI over the RCA? I know it would be less cables with HDMI and the audio would be digital (HDMI) instead of stereo (RCA).

Thanks for the insight.
tnsprin
09-22-09, 08:07 AM
If your talking good component (with RCA jacks) then it really depends a lot on the TV. Some cases people can see differences and some cases they can't. The advantage with HDMi is that the video, as well as the audio, stays digital to your TV. And with newer tv's, stays that way pretty much until the Pixels are lit up.
jbkusa
09-22-09, 08:48 AM
Do you think there is any loss in quality from that digital(reciever) to analog(RCA) to digital(TV)?
BattleZone
09-22-09, 09:59 AM
Very, very little difference. However, if you're going to buy an HDMI cable, don't spend more than about $20, and I recommend:

http://www.monoprice.com
quietmouse
09-22-09, 11:29 AM
for 1080i programming, I cannot notice difference on either my Samsung LCD or my Panasonic AE3000 projector
with 133" screen.

I'd stick with the RCA component cables... but a single
HDMI cable does take up less space than 5 RCA cables
(red/blue/gree, plus red/whie for audio)

Why doesn't Dish Network include HDMI cables with the
722k HD DVRs? I used to have DirecTV and they had
HDMI cables included in with the HR20/21/23 HD DVRs.
When I switched to Dish Network this month, the installer
asked if I had any HDMI cables.... I went to the DirecTV
HD DVR boxes and took out those cables...
Kent Taylor
09-22-09, 12:44 PM
Very, very little difference. However, if you're going to buy an HDMI cable, don't spend more than about $20, and I recommend:

http://www.monoprice.com

You might check here (http://www.amazon.com/HDMI-meter-foot-cable-1080P/dp/B00123WZWK/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1253644905&sr=8-7).
jbkusa
09-22-09, 12:46 PM
Let me clarify... the installation guy just used the red/yellow/white cables. If that makes a difference?
sigma1914
09-22-09, 01:02 PM
Let me clarify... the installation guy just used the red/yellow/white cables. If that makes a difference?

It makes a HUGE difference. Those aren't able to carry a HD signal. Use component (red/green/blue)or HDMI. DO NOT BUY OVERPRICED MONSTER CABLES.
jbkusa
09-22-09, 01:07 PM
WOW... and I thought that the picture was pretty good. I am leaning towards the HDMI cable and declutter the cabinet.
sigma1914
09-22-09, 01:10 PM
WOW... and I thought that the picture was pretty good. I am leaning towards the HDMI cable and declutter the cabinet.

As suggested earlier, www.monoprice.com is a great site to get affordable HDMI.
Kent Taylor
09-22-09, 01:22 PM
Amazon.Com (http://www.amazon.com/HDMI-meter-foot-cable-1080P/dp/B00123WZWK/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1253644905&sr=8-7) has cables as well.
BobaBird
09-22-09, 04:54 PM
If your installer hooked you up with composite instead of component which was in the box, he probably also didn't go into the receiver's HDTV setup to change TV1 output from 480i to 1080i. Doing that can wait until you get an HD-capable cable(s) connected.
jbkusa
09-22-09, 08:02 PM
He actually argued with me and said that it was possible to get 1080i with the composite cables. He did switch the receiver to 1080i.

I will have to say that the picture quality is pretty good! Man... I can't wait to get the right cables! It will be awsome!


Thanks to everyone who has responded... this forum is great.
MLBurks
09-23-09, 05:57 AM
If you thought that RCA cables gave you a great picture:eek:, then you will be BLOWN AWAY with either Component or HDMI.
jbkusa
09-23-09, 06:10 AM
MLBurks,

I am looking foward to this weekend's football!
thorrall
09-23-09, 06:29 AM
One of the downsides of using only HDMI connections is that you may not be able to control the aspect ratio adequately. At least some, and maybe most?, display devices automatically switch to 16:9 display if the source material is nominally 16:9, meaning if a widescreen meta-flag is contained within the video signal. That is fine as long as the flag is correctly set, but in more than a few cases it is not. An example is some letterboxed material, which is fairly frequent on some stations.

Another related problem is that the flag may not be correctly recorded even on 16:9 material if you are making recordings on an external optical or D-VHS recorder from the S-video output (or even composite or component in some cases), and then connect the recorder to the display device by HDMI. Since the display device then doesn't see the flag even on 16:9 program material, it may not be possible to get the correct aspect since it is automatically set incorrectly, depending on the scaling capabilities of the display device. Note this doesn't affect the optimum connection between the DVR and display device, just the connections to the display device from the recorder which should include component.

My suggestion would be to use both HDMI and component connections if feasible. That gives the most flexibility and assures any material broadcast with copy protection (set by another meta-flag but only over HDMI), will be viewable. FWIW, I have not seen any difference in display quality between the component and HDMI outputs on a 75" wide front projector.
stol
09-23-09, 10:35 AM
If you're looking to run out and buy cables, Target has much better prices than places like BestBuy for cables.
tnsprin
09-24-09, 08:12 AM
He actually argued with me and said that it was possible to get 1080i with the composite cables. He did switch the receiver to 1080i.

I will have to say that the picture quality is pretty good! Man... I can't wait to get the right cables! It will be awsome!


Thanks to everyone who has responded... this forum is great.

ITs possible, but the cables were not designed for it and will show some degradation. Better to use some cables designed for component or hdmi.
scooper
09-24-09, 08:46 AM
Oh how this reminds me of my last trip home. My oldest brother and sister had just moved into their own house. Brother had a a nice 37inch LCD down in the basement, with his HD cable receiver feeding it via component. Nice picture, but it wasn't HD - we went into the setup routines for the cable box - they had left it set to 480i !!! Changed to 1080i, and he was really blown away ....