Laptops with HDMI = Audio + Video?

[inincubus]

Sorry if the answer is already posted on this forum, but I couldn't find any yet.

I just went to Best Buy and saw majority of the mid range laptops now have HDMI port.
And I wonder if it could transfer both Audio & Video to my AV receiver through HDMI.

If yes, is video 1080p? and how many channels do they support?


Thanks in advance

[festmaster]

I would give that a qualified yes. The laptops that have HDMI ports must support HDMI specs so all of the data should transfer to your AV receiver. However, there are plenty of forums that deal with the wonkiness of particular brands not sending audio through the cable. Dells in particular has many models where the audio driver just doesn't work over HDMI. The bigger concern is whether the CPU can handle the video. From what I have seen, nearly all modern computers can handle 720p without issue. Full Blu-Ray rips are another issue, though. My Core 2 Duo at 2.6 GH stutters on VC-1 and AVC Blu-Ray rips. MPEG-2 HD plays fine. If your needs are only DVD, the mid range models at Best Buy should work fine.

[edDV]

You need to review the specs to know whether audio or any other spec is supported on HDMI. There is no standard that requires audio to be present. As festmaster implies, 1080p is about desktop display and has no relationship to ability to play Blu-Ray or any other file.

You need to do your homework.