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Upconvert vs Std -- Read This!!!

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Upconvert vs Std -- Read This!!!

Old 08-30-08, 11:21 AM
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Upconvert vs Std -- Read This!!!

I was so excited, and now I'm dissappointed.

First off that HDMI cable is too damn thick. Had there been a big advantage I was going to have a hell of a time tucking this cable under the carpet and passing it thru the walls cable hide. But before going down that road I hooked everthing up.

*** 1st *** Std JVC with component video vs Upconvert Sony with HDMI cable. I put a Sopranos disk into each player and let the starting menu scene play endlessly. It was hard to tell any difference at all. Along the "Sopranos" title lettering I noticed some fuzz at the letters edge on the component. With the remote I could switch between HDMI vs Component while keeping and eye on the letter. The fuzz was gone with Upconvert HDMI. I'm thinking Okay, there is an improvement. Good!!!!

*** 2nd *** Upconvert Sony with Component connected and HDMI connected. Switching between HDMI and Component, the fuzz was gone in both pictures.

I conclude
1. I was ready for a new DVD player.
2. The HDMI signal is not an improvement over Component.

Now I have 50 ft of Mono HDMI cable to either return or sell on Ebay of just tuck into the junk shelf.
Old 08-30-08, 02:28 PM
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HDMI is just digital and removes some variables. A good analog cable with a device with good analog output = just as good.

Your JVC probably just had iffy component video output. My Zenith DVB318 sucked at component output @ 480p but was good at 1080i.
Old 08-31-08, 10:17 AM
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Yeah, the difference between HDMI and component just a difference between digital and analog transmission. If the cable/devices are of good enough quality, there won't really be a visible difference.

However, did you used a 50ft component cable in your comparison? Analog is potentially more susceptible to interference, especially at longer lengths. You may want to check how it will play at the proper difference before deciding between the two.

Also, most DVD players won't upconvert copy-protected DVDs through the component output, only via a HDCP protected digitial output. So if you want to use your DVD player's upconversion, you'll probably need to use the HDMI connection.
Old 08-31-08, 10:35 AM
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Actually, odd as it is, component video is rated for runs that are like a hundred plus feet without problem. HDMI tends to develop the sparklies at very long distances.
Old 08-31-08, 03:33 PM
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I have a 40 foot Blue Jeans cable HDMI run from my receiver to my Sony projector via a pre-built wire conduit in my wall/ceiling. I'm happy with my choice.
Old 08-31-08, 04:10 PM
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Originally Posted by GreenMonkey
Actually, odd as it is, component video is rated for runs that are like a hundred plus feet without problem. HDMI tends to develop the sparklies at very long distances.
Well, it depends on the setup and the quality of the cables. A good HDMI cable can beat out a bad component cable. Also, an HDMI cable that's "sparkly" on one setup may work fine on another,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDMI#Cable_length
http://forum.ecoustics.com/bbs/messa...79/122868.html
Old 08-31-08, 05:45 PM
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Hundred plus for analog component video would be pushing it, unless maybe you upgraded to RG-11. Or amped it, somehow. Hundred is just about the limit for satellite signals on standard coax, and those are digital and easier to maintain over long distances.
Old 09-01-08, 06:46 AM
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Blue Jeans also has some HDMI cables rated for 1080p at 120 feet without extenders! That's just insane.

I can just echo what's been said about picture quality of HDMI vs. Component. Hooking both up will see marginal (if that) difference, unless you have a big screen. The big advantage of HDMI is that it carries both picture and sound, which makes cable management a LOT easier.
Old 09-01-08, 12:22 PM
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Component and HDMI cables were of comparable length.

Monoprice.com just sent me a return RMA number, so this test is being concluded with minimal expense to me.
Old 09-01-08, 12:27 PM
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Originally Posted by Jay G.
Yeah, the difference between HDMI and component just a difference between digital and analog transmission. If the cable/devices are of good enough quality, there won't really be a visible difference.

However, did you used a 50ft component cable in your comparison? Analog is potentially more susceptible to interference, especially at longer lengths. You may want to check how it will play at the proper difference before deciding between the two.

Also, most DVD players won't upconvert copy-protected DVDs through the component output, only via a HDCP protected digitial output. So if you want to use your DVD player's upconversion, you'll probably need to use the HDMI connection.

I thought of that, and read the manual carefully, and played with all the menu settings, so I believe that upconvert is default thru the HCMI cable, right? And I believe, that it's standard definition signal thru the component, right. My testing make me question everything. The only thing I know for certain it there was no difference that I could see, thru HDMI/Component thru the same Sony upconvert player.
Old 09-01-08, 12:28 PM
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Originally Posted by pat00139
Blue Jeans also has some HDMI cables rated for 1080p at 120 feet without extenders! That's just insane.

I can just echo what's been said about picture quality of HDMI vs. Component. Hooking both up will see marginal (if that) difference, unless you have a big screen. The big advantage of HDMI is that it carries both picture and sound, which makes cable management a LOT easier.
110 inche screen (big enough? ), thru a Mitsubishi HC3000 Projector.
Old 09-01-08, 02:18 PM
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Originally Posted by MrVette99
I thought of that, and read the manual carefully, and played with all the menu settings, so I believe that upconvert is default thru the HCMI cable, right?
Not necessarily, since HDMI can carry SD signals too. Check to see if the projector tells you it's getting an HD signal when using HDMI.

That said, upconversion is just scaling the image, and if the scaling in your display is as good as or better than the player, you won't need it. It's when the display has bad quality scaling that upconversion is good.
Old 09-02-08, 02:26 AM
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Originally Posted by MrVette99
I thought of that, and read the manual carefully, and played with all the menu settings, so I believe that upconvert is default thru the HCMI cable, right? And I believe, that it's standard definition signal thru the component, right. My testing make me question everything. The only thing I know for certain it there was no difference that I could see, thru HDMI/Component thru the same Sony upconvert player.
All HDMI is, is a way to control the consumer's hardware viewing choices. Component is the same as HDMI in terms of quality. Maybe even better, because you're not being limited digitally by a chip that randomly decides your retail-purchased movie is a bootleg, and won't upconvert.

In my experience, HDMI provides a smaller cable path/footprint, but I've noticed dropouts from time to time. And I don't like that.
Old 09-02-08, 07:07 AM
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Originally Posted by DVD Polizei
All HDMI is, is a way to control the consumer's hardware viewing choices. Component is the same as HDMI in terms of quality. Maybe even better, because you're not being limited digitally by a chip that randomly decides your retail-purchased movie is a bootleg, and won't upconvert.
Bootlegs will always upconvert, because they never have copy protection enabled. And component is worse in this regard, because DVD players are manufactured to not upconvert on component for copy-protected DVDs, while HDMI will always upconvert.

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