Difference between dvi and hdmi?

Question

I understand that dvi and hdmi are both digital signals but whats the difference. h**l whats the difference between analog composite and component while your at it?

Answer 1

DVI and HDMI are different connectors that can carry the same digital signals.  The DVI connector is bigger, and it also has pins for optional analog signals.  The HDMI connector is smaller, and it has no provisions for carrying analog signals.  You can get adapters that change from one to the other.  HDMI can also include audio, while DVI doesn't.

Component video uses 3 signals to carry picture information.  It uses 3 RCA-type connectors.  Component can carry all kinds of video, from 480i to 1080p.

Composite video scrunches the picture information down to a single signal, and it can only carry 480i.

Composite is nearly the worst way to transfer video, while component is the best way using analog signals.  Component video can be as good as using DVI or HDMI.

Answer 2

DVI and HDMI carry the same digital video signal, but use different connectors (DVI uses a white D-shell connector with a large pin count, while HDMI uses something that looks similar to an USB connector). The major difference is that HDMI also carries audio within the same cable, should you enable this feature, while DVI does not.

Another connector standard coming along is called DisplayPort. It's backward compatible with HDMI and DVI, but displays that exclusively use this technology for digital video connectivity won't work with HDMI or DVI video connections. Currently, a few manufacturers support this standard (Samsung and Dell are the major players currently).

As for the analog connections -

Composite combines both the luminance and color signals into one wire. It makes it less hassle to connect, but leads to severe Moire pattern with any device using this connection. This is capable of 480i only. Most commonly a yellow RCA/phono connector.

S-Video separates the luminance and color signals, which leads to a much more colorful and cleaner picture than what's possible with composite video. S-video uses a mini-DIN connector with 5 pins (2 pair, 1 key) and combines the wires within one cable. This is also known as the original form of component video, since the Y (luminance) and C (color) portions of the signal are separated. This is also 480i capable only, mostly due to the fact that component video was being released to mainstream TV sets around the same time progressive-scan and HDTV devices were being released, and S-Video cables typically being more prone to interference than component video cables..

Component video takes the concept of S-Video one step further, most commonly using the method of Y/Pb/Pr to split the video up. It uses 3 cables to do this, for the video information itself. The green connector is Y - it carries the video luminance information, and when connected by itself, produces a black and white picture. Pb (blue connector) and Pr (red connector) carry the color information with blues on one cable and reds on the other, which allows for component video to have a much deeper color depth than S-Video is capable of. This connector is capable of any resolution from 480i through 1080p, although 1080p is usually only supported by video game systems, some computer video cards, and high-end TV sets.

SCART is a European connector standard that never caught on in the states and had limited success in Japan. Basically, it's a 21-pin connector that carried an RGB video signal with 2 additional sync signals, along with the audio, from device to device. Because of this, HDMI is often referred to as DigitalSCART in Europe.

Finally, VGA is the final common connector with HDTV units.  While generally discounted as a computer connection, VGA is actually capable of carrying screen resolutions going up to 2560x2048, though the most common top-end resolution of this connector was 2048x1536. This connection doesn't carry 480i, but does carry every other HDTV resolution very well.

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As for how to connect what, I prefer HDMI or DVI for PC, PS3 and 360, and 1080p upconvert DVD/Blu-Ray/HD-DVD player connections since these are the only devices that output 1080p right now; I use component video for game systems that support 480p, high-def cable/iptv/satellite set-top boxes (since they only support 720p and 1080i but not 1080p and sometimes have issues with HDMI and DVI), and DVD players that don't upconvert video; I'll use whatever the best connection is on anything else.

As for audio, I'll use HDMI audio if it's just the TV set and an optical or coaxial digital connection, if available, if there's a surround sound system involved that doesn't support HDMI. For sound systems that do fully support HDMI, I run the HDMI cables through the receiver instead of through the TV as HDMI can carry 7.1 surround sound, while optical or coax digital only carries 5.1 at this time.

Answer 3

HDMI is the best available.. provides HD picture and audio

DVI is next best.. able to provide HD picture no audio..

Component is up there.. but not that crisp as the others.. no audio..

S-Video is standard definition.. provides better picture than composite..

composite is your basic yellow colored connector..

Answer 4

HDMI: is the tidyest cable for it carries video and audio singals. It carries all available resolutions (480i-480p-720p-1080i-1080p)

DVI: the same as HDMI but it doesn't carry audio singals

Component: carries signals in 3 video plugs and 2 audio plugs. The video quality isn't as good as DVI/HDMI but can still do 480i-1080i. I'm not sure about 1080p though.

Composite: Is the standard cord that uses one video plug and the other two are audio. Video quality is lower then the above at 480i