Is there a good reason to use HDMI in lieu of Component Video for audioless projector?

Question

I don't see much difference in video quality.

Answer 1

Yes. HDMI does give you a slightly better picture than Component video, but it doesn't really matter which one you use.

Answer 2

There are several good reasons to use an hdmi cable over component video cables.

1) HDMI is a digital interface.  Component video cables only propogate an analog signal, so when the video signal leaves your source(which will be digital, be it a dvd player reciever, tuner, blu-ray, whatever) it is digital and must be coverted from digital to analog.  When that signals enters your projector, it must then be converted back into a digital signal.  That means that from the time your video leaves your source and is displayed on your screen that image was converted twice.  Know that any type of conversion adds a degree of lossiness to your video signal, while your image is good its not as good as it should be.  With HDMI it is not coverted at all.  It merely propagates that existing digital signal.

2) Even if it only replace a video cable, that connector takes the place of 3 seperate cables.

3)  While component cables will push a high-definiton signal, they can only do 720p and 1080i.  HDMI is the only connection that will support full 1080p, so if you find yourself with a blu-ray player, than you will enjoy the image from the HDMI cable more.

4) If you use HDMI for your audio -i.e. from the source to the receiver you can take advantage of the high resolution decoders available on blu-ray such as dolbytruehd and dts-hd master audio, which you can't take advantage with other audio connections like stereo audio cables, fiber optic cables, digital coax cables.

Answer 3

Assuming your projector is HD (don't think it would have an HDMI input if it wasn't) the answer is yes.

Very few displays, projector or otherwise, put out HD over component video. Even fewer sources will supply it.

So if your projector is HD and you want to watch HD material, you probably can't get that material to the projector without HDMI (or DVI, which is identical quality to HDMI but without sound).

Give us the model numbers of your projector and source unit and we can give more specific answers.

Answer 4

Epson has it.

Answer 5

If you can't see a difference, the only reasons to go to HDMI would be (1) to pass a 1080p signal if your projector can handle it, or (2) to run one cable instead of three.