A question about HDMI cables...?

Question

Okay, so I have a PS3, and I know you can use an HDMI cable to plug it into a tv. But I've heard about different types of HDMI, like 1080p and others. Does the higher number mean a better quality or something?

2nd Q: If I am buying a converter that converts HDMI to DVI-D, well the number associated with the HDMI (i.e. 1080p) determine what type of converter I need to buy? Thanks, hope that made sense.

Answer 1

HDMI is really a document that has a LOT Of options that nobody uses yet. This causes a lot of confusion when the DVD player supports 1.2a, the receiver supports 1.3b and people cannot find a number on their cable.

It gets more confusing because cable companies can pay $15,000 to send their cables to the HDMI company and they will validate the cable matches the current spec. These companies can then print "1.2b validated" and add $50 to the cable.

Many inexpensive cables bypass the last step, but work great.

Note: The 1.0 version of the HDMI spec covers all the TV resolutions to 1080p. So you should not worry about it.

2nd Q: There is no 'converter'. There is just a cable with HDMI plug on one side and DVI-D on the other.

HDMI and DVI use the exact same VIDEO pins and wires. HDMI adds more wires for audio.   But the video is the same.

I spent $38 for a 10 ft HDMI-DVI cable from www.bluejeanscables.com and it works great.  I also bought some ... $8 HDMI cables from MonoPrice to feed a 4 port HDMI switch.

Answer 2

1080p is a HD resolution supported by HDMI connection.

There are 4 HD resolution, 1080p (highest) 1080i, 720p and 720i (lowest). The display is set/supported by your TV and PS3, not the HDMI cable itself.

Make sure your TV can support either 1080p for best picture possible from PS3

HDMI DVI converters should support all resolutions, no problems there.

Answer 3

Hi there. You can use any HDMI cable, and any HDMI > DVI-D cable...it doesn't matter what signal you are sending, it will work fine.

The signal actually includes the quality information that your HDTV uses to know what to display (720, 1080, etc.) and it sends this information no matter which HDMI cable you're using.

And because HDMI is a digital signal, a $10 cable from Ebay gives you the same result as a 'fancy' $100+ one from Best Buy.  

Hope that is helpful!