HDMI to DVI - Can it display 3D?

[BobLoblaw]

Hey guys,

I recently purchased a 3D plasma TV and a 3D capable receiver. I want to connect my computer to my receiver so that I can watch movie/listen to music off my PC on my TV and surround sound. I already have connected my SPDIF output on my computer to my receiver to get sound working.....now it's time for the video.

I fairly new to this home theater stuff so I thought I'd ask a question here. Can a HDMI to DVI cable carry a 3D video signal from a downloaded/streaming movie? Does the video card in my PC have to be "3D capable"? I have a nVidia 8800 GTS 320mb video card.

I already have a HDMI cable and HDMI to DVI adapter that I paid almost $70 for, but I have seen 25" DVI to HDMI cables on ebay that look good for $15.......If they can do what I need, obviously I'd return the $70 stuff and buy the cheap ebay stuff. I basically need to know what the limitations are for the cables.

Here's the ebay cable:
http://cgi.ebay.ca/140550431488?ru=http%3A%2F%2Fshop.ebay.ca%3A80%2Fi.html%3F_from%3DR...fvi%3D1&_rdc=1

[Cornucopia]

I'm not going to comment on the DVI-to-HDMI cables, except to say that YES they are overpriced, but YES you do get what you pay for. $70 is high but not totally unreasonable.


You didn't say what TV model you had, but from what you've mentioned I'm assuming it has HDMI inputs. With your DVI-I-out port on your GTS8800 card, using a DVI-to-HDMI adapter cable (BTW, say it in this manner, as it goes from Source Output-to-Destination Input), you can get good HD material from a capable enough PC.

You want 3D through that? Well, that depends on WHAT KIND of 3D you're thinking of...

If you want Automatically Adaptive FullHD3D HDMI from a BluRay3D player software, it won't work, as the Source output isn't HDMI 1.4a. DVI may have compatible connections, but the PROTOCOL hasn't kept up with the changes in HDMI versions. That Automatically Adaptive stuff REQUIRES HDMI 1.4a. Of course, I don't even know if you've got a 1.4a-era TV (although it sounds like it since you mention "recently") - without it on both ends, you'd be out of luck.

But that's just the Automatically adaptive FullHD3D. You can still EASILY output Side-by-Side, Over/Under, Checkerboard, maybe even Interlaced, and certainly Anaglyph material from your card, and these should be acceptable to the TV (well, SbS, O/U in "3D mode" at least, and Anaglyph in "2D" mode).
You'd just have to set one of those as the type of output in your Software Player (I suggest Stereoscopic Player), and then MANUALLY switch on 3D mode on your TV and choose the corresponding method in the 3D input menu.

This is pretty much what you'd have to do with your 3D-capable reciever as well. Unless I'm mistaken, current model "3D-ready" recievers don't yet really have any special provision for either MVC (or other dual-stream codec/mux material) nor for HDMI 1.4a output, and their internal "stereo3D awareness" is actually very little. They probably DON'T have any internal compositor to re-format the incoming signal, so whichever format the 3D signal is in when it arrives (Sbs, O/U) is what goes out.

Ok, so you have to do a little manual switching on a few boxes, and you'll be seeing 1/2 rez 3D much of the time, but otherwise, your 3D experience should work very well indeed.

Scott

[jagabo]

I've never paid over US$10 for 6 to 10 foot DVI to HDMI cables. They all work fine for 1080p60. US$70 is a ripoff at that length.

http://news.cnet.com/why-all-hdmi-cables-are-the-same/8301-17938_105-20056502-1.html?tag=mncol;1n
http://gizmodo.com/282725/the-truth-about-monster-cable-+-grand-finale-part-iii
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2385346,00.asp

In any case, the failure mode for HDMI is obvious, not subtle, so if a $10 cable isn't working you'll know right away.

At 25 feet quality is becoming important but price doesn't always reflect quality. Buy from a reputable dealer like Monoprice.com. If you are running the cable through the walls, where it will cost a lot to replace later on, it may make sense to use cables that are over engineered for current hardware.

HDMI 1.3 (same as DVI) has the same bandwith as HDMI 1.4. So there's not a bandwidth issue. But I don't know if DVI supports the additional HDMI 1.4 EDID communication protocal wherein the TV tells the source that it supports 3D. You may have to manually switch to 3d mode on the TV. And in some cases the source, not seeing 3D capability in the TV, will refuse to send a 3d picture.

[BobLoblaw]

Thanks guys for all the detailed help! I really appreciate it. The TV is a Samsung pn59d550 if that changes anything. I think I'm going to get the $15 cable and try it. I can always go back and buy the $70 ones if I need to. I'll post how it goes when it's all installed tomorrow.

[jagabo]

What are you doing for audio? A DVI->HDMI cable won't carry audio. CL2 cable is rated for in-wall use. It's pretty stiff.

[edDV]

Thanks guys for all the detailed help! I really appreciate it. The TV is a Samsung pn59d550 if that changes anything. I think I'm going to get the $15 cable and try it. I can always go back and buy the $70 ones if I need to. I'll post how it goes when it's all installed tomorrow.

Put the rest of the money toward a matching Samsung 3D Blu-Ray player. That will require a v1.4 HDMI to HDMI cable.

Probably comes with one.

[BobLoblaw]

I bought a digital coax cable to go from my PC to my receiver.....I already hooked it up and it works great. I'm so happy I bought the motherboard I did....I never used the SPDIF output before but now I'm loving it! My main concern now is just for the video.

I saw that it said CL2, so I decided to get a different cable. Based on what you guys have told me, it should be great!

[edDV]

Any reasonable quality 75 ohm coax (RG-59u or RG-8u) will work for S/PDIF. Nothing special about "digital".