Just incase anyone’s wondering: HDMI is noticeably better quality than component even though they are both HD. I had figured since VGA isn’t noticeably better than DVI, the same would apply to HDMI and component, but this just isn’t the case.
All this came about because my monitor only has one HDMI input which is normally used by my computer, but I wanted to hook up my PS3 as well. So I bought a cheap HDMI switch off Newegg, but my monitor would drop the signal from time to time (I’m guessing loose cable connections on the back of the switch) and that’s just not something that you want in the middle of a video game. So, I decided to use the component inputs on my monitor for my PS3. I got the new cables for my PS3 the other day and finally hooked them up and I can indeed tell the difference. Sure, it’s technically 1080p still, but the fine detail just isn’t there. The screen is also noticeably darker. I guess I’ll go back to my switch or just manually switch out my cables (ugh).
So yeah, incase anyone’s wondering whether to hook something up to their HDTV with either HDMI or component cables, without a doubt use HDMI. Don’t learn the hard way like I did.
Just get an HDMI-to-DVI cable, and hook your PS3 up to the DVI port (assuming you have one…).
Matt on June 30th, 2008 at 11:59 AM wrote:
I don’t which is the whole reason I have my computer plugged into my HDMI port via a DVI-to-HDMI cable. If I had a DVI port, I’d just use it for my computer which would free up the HDMI port.
Viper007Bond on July 1st, 2008 at 4:55 AM wrote:
Oh, I thought you just had a video card with HDMI output…
Just don’t cheap out on the HDMI switch then.
Matt on July 3rd, 2008 at 1:05 AM wrote:
HDMI is just DVI + audio so if that was the case, I could flip around my current HDMI/DVI cable and plug it into the DVI port you thought I had.
Although do they even make video cards with only HDMI out? I have a 8800 GT with two DVI outputs + S-Video/composite/whatever.
Matt on July 3rd, 2008 at 1:05 AM wrote:
It was like $40 as it was. >_<
I’m gonna rip the thing apart and see if I can strengthen the cable connections so they aren’t loose.
Viper007Bond on July 3rd, 2008 at 4:44 AM wrote:
I know that HDMI is just DVI with Audio. They make video cards with DVI and HDMI, not sure about just HDMI.
Viper007Bond on July 3rd, 2008 at 4:44 AM wrote:
For something that involves HDMI, $40 seems cheap to me (since manufacturers always make things with HDMI more expensive, for whatever reason). It’s just one of those things where price = quality.
Matt on July 5th, 2008 at 1:47 PM wrote:
I have this one. There’s tons on Newegg for about the same price and most are well reviewed, so I didn’t think there would be any problems. *shrug*
HDMI isn’t “just dvi + audio”. HDMI supports YUV colorspace in adition to RGB, whereas DVI does not. The new 1.3 spec also defines deep color, also not supported with DVI.
See here: https://www.copperbox.com/kb_results.asp?ID=11
[...] better than DVI, the same would apply to HDMI and component, but this just isn’t the case. — Viper007Bond HDMI provides the best video quality as there are no loss conversions involved, unlike component. [...]