HOW GOOD IS HDMI?????

Question

I just recently bought a Sony DVD player to use with my Bravia 27" TV. It looks very good. However bad luck for me there is no HDMI output on the back. The DVD player tells me I'm getting 480 resolution. Now I read about this HDMI that can improve your output all the way up to 1200. I had one in the cart today until I realized my TV only has the capability of 782. Is it worth it to buy another player and the cables to boost my picture up the 250 or whatever? Will I really notice the difference? I would have not hesitated figuring I could triple the resolution. But for the smaller difference I am wondering now. Plus, my sound goes through my home theater system and I wouldn't be playing sound from the Bravia. Any insight would be appreciated?

Answer 1

The 250 or whatever are pixels. I thought 1080p was the highest they use right now. It used to be 1080i but the i doesnt use progressive scanning, which is what the p stands for in 1080p. The i stands for interlaced. A higher number has a higher resolution (and theoretically a sharper picture) but progressive scanning is better at reproducing fast motion. This made a difference in the past because the best used to be 1080i and 720p. Who knows what the future holds.

Answer 2

HDMI is currently spec'd to handle resolutions up to 1080p, but the bandwidth HDMI can have would allow for even higher resolutions than that.

If you're wanting to upgrade your television, then I'd look into one with HDMI of course as it is the single-most convenient way to transfer your signal, handling 1080p24 duties and 7.1 surround sound up to 24-bit/96kHz resolution or 5.1 24-bit/192kHz resolution.

However your DVD player no doubt will have component outputs, which are red, green and blue. Component cables can also carry a high definition signal up to 1080p where the manfacturer has added 1080p support to the component input. You can get a component cable for less than $4.90 - http://www.monoprice.com/products/produc...

However, keep in mind that you're not "boosting your picture" at all. Your television automatically upconverts your signal from 480i to the native resolution of your television, which it sounds like is a 1366x756 set. You don't need the DVD player to do it, as your TV is going to do it anyway. If you're using the yellow composite cable for video you're getting the lowest quality transport from the DVD to the TV. Try using a component cable and I'm sure you'll immediately be pleased with the difference.

A lot of people get confused about resolutions. DVD will ALWAYS be 480 lines of resolution in North America. There is no upconverter/tv/technology on the market that's going to change that. You either get HD satellite/cable, etc., or if you want the best possible picture experience on the market you buy Blu-ray Disc. Nothing you do will triple, double, quadruple or otherwise the resolution on the DVD. If there is macro-blocking, shadow noise, etc., it merely amplifies it when it upscales.

Answer 3

HDMI will be the best solution for you...but don't spend too much on an HDMI cable as they're all the same pretty much. I bought one of these for my PS3 and it has worked great so far. They had good prices and it shipped really fast:

http://www.inspiretech.com/c-31-hdmi-cab...

Answer 4

I think your resolution statements are somewhat suspect. Why not provide the model numbers of the items? That way the proper hook up with the best interconnect for the resolution you want will be easy to provide.

Answer 5

HDMI will give you the best audio and video possible.