HDMI, important to have ?

[mis3]

I use component video to connect my DVD player (Philips 642) to my TV (Sony 32-inch HD).

I am now shopping for a new DVD player and I came across this HDMI. I am not familiar with HDMI. I did some research and found that the HDMI connector is 19-pin. I checked the back of my TV and I did not see any such connector.

So, my TV (2 yeards old) probably does not support HDMI. Is HDMI important to have? Dies all new TV support HDMI now?

[Baldrick]

Most new digital lcd and plasma TVs and projectors has hdmi support....so if you are planning to get a such then might hdmi be a good idea.

[lumis]

You probably won't notice much of a difference between an HDMI & component connection on a 32 inch television. Even if you had a Blu-Ray or HD-DVD player, you probably wouldn't notice a difference (cable-wise).

The content producers for next-gen DVD formats will have the option to restrict the resolution outputted if it is connected by anything other than HDMI, but with a 32 inch television, you probably won't be able to tell a differnce.

If you purchase a new (larger) television or next-gen dvd player, then it's probably a good idea to go wth HDMI.

[waheed]

HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) was designed mainly for next generation High Definiton DVD Players and supports a copy protection scheme known as HDCP (High bandwidth Digital Content Protection). TVs without HDMI (or HDCP) will result in downsampled resolutions for HD DVD and Blu Ray.

[lumis]

TVs without HDMI (or HDCP) will result in downsampled resolutions for HD DVD and Blu Ray.

At the option of the content distributor.

[FulciLives]

If you buy a new TV today or at any point in the future then you definately want the TV to have a HDCP compliant HDMI input.

This is because future video formats (such as HD-DVD and Blu-Ray) will not give you full quality unless you use that type of connection.

However for a regular DVD player ... as has been mentioned ... you would be hard pressed to see a difference between a component connection vs. a HDMI (or DVI) connection.

Now some regular DVD players have an "up conversion" feature which will upconvert to an HDTV resolution such as 720p or 1080i and such DVD players will have either a DVI or HDMI output since usually the "up conversion" will only happen on that type of output. So if you buy such a DVD player you cannot enjoy the "up conversion" unless you use the DVI/HDMI output which of course means the TV will need a DVI/HDMI input. This restriction of "up conversion" on DVI/HDMI only is due to copy protection. Some "up conversion" players will do the "up conversion" over component video but even then it will only work on non copy protected DVD discs.

Even if your TV has no DVI/HDMI input you can still buy an "up conversion" DVD player today and use the component connection for regular 480i/480p but at least if you get a HDTV in the future with HDMI then you have a "capable" DVD player.

Hope that all makes sense

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[mis3]

Thanks for all your responses. I alos learned what "up conversion" means.

I can see that HDMI offers higher resolution with less cabling. What is copy protection has to do with it?

[FulciLives]

Thanks for all your responses. I alos learned what "up conversion" means.

I can see that HDMI offers higher resolution with less cabling. What is copy protection has to do with it?

The maker's of Televisions and DVD players etc. have decided to only allow HDTV resolution to be used via HDCP HDMI connectors.

This is at least true for HD-DVD and Blu-Ray ... at least "officially". I think the two Toshiba HD-DVD players out now will provide HDTV resolution via component but as newer models/makes come out this will go away.

My understanding is that standard DVD players with "up conversion" to HDTV resolutions also work the same way in that they will only "up convert" via HDMI or sometimes DVI but not via component. At least for DVD discs with copy protection. Some will allow "up conversion" via component if the original DVD has no copy protection.

The reason behind all this?

There is no real way to make a copy from a DVI or HDMI output.

The powers that be want to restrict high quality analog copying methods.

That pretty much sums up why they are restricting the higher resolutions to HDMI and/or DVI with HDCP HDMI to become "the standard".

When it is all said and done there is nothing "bad" quality wise with HDTV resolutions over component but that makes it easy (or at least easier) to copy than if you only allow HDTV resolutions over HDMI/DVI.

So in the end it's all about trying to restrict analog copying of high resolution video.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman