Social Feed

First let me say that I consider myself a high-end abuser of HD product. So, please take the following with a grain of salt and if you disagree please feel free to do your own research as I have for the last 5 years.

The main differance between using Componet cables for viewing HD material and using DVI or HDMI (henceforth to be refered to as Digital Cables) is that when you use your DVI or HDMI port you bypass the video processor in your HDTV. That was the main purpose of a Digital cable system to begin with. To provide the picture and sound that the director and producer of movies and High Def material wanted you to see. Soon after the introduction the MPAA jumped on board and started requiring security be hardwired into the Digital system in order to copy protect High Def material.

In addition to this, both E*, D* and other manufacturers of High Def equipment have meantioned that their products will downrez High Def signals to protect the High Def enviroment when sending out a signal over componet. Settop manufacturer's have introduced a feature into all setop boxes that will allow downrezzing to happen at the throw of a switch. No one to my knowledge has started downrezzing yet. However, this is why you will only see DVD players capable of uprezing a picture to a 720p or 1080i enviroment or HD-VHS players only producing those higher resolutions thru their digital port and not over componet.

Before anyone jumps in here, only the HD-VHS output can be considered High Def. Any upconverting processes do not produce a true High Def picture. But lets move on.

Another differance is the original signal to begin with. No $300 or for that fact $1000 settop will process a video signal better than your HDTV's own video processor. Especially when that signal is not a true High Def signal. There are not many High Def signals out there. Even High Def OTA channels are being downrezed because of limited bandwith by everyone including OTA digital stations. There is a very good article on this in the latest Digital TV and Sound magazine.

What this means is that you will probably not notice any differance between using Componet or Digital inputs unless that signal is indeed a full bandwith High Def signal delivering to you a filmed based converted to High Definition or High Def recorded on a High Def Camera product. Notice that I stated a filmed based converted and not upconverted to High Def. Some astute video buffs believe that film will always be superior to digital conversion. Some folks believe that about analog and digital music. I am in the group that digital can not yet acheive the same as film and analog for video and music. We are not there yet -- but we are getting close.

Last thing I want to talk about is cables. We all will agree about the huge differance in the analog world between okay cables and really good ones. What are the differances? Shielding, copper content, size, connector stablility and composistion. I once had silver cables that I used for stereo back in the 70's that I got when the military was tearing down a communication site - another story another time - but man, did those cables deliver!!

I have read where some of you say that a digital signal makes purchasing a high quality cable moot. Well, you are wrong again. Improper sheilding, low sheilding, bad connector stablity will bring you to a new level of problems. One is macroblocking. For those who do not know, this is when parts of your video go missing. Another is poor sound reproduction. A dull reproduction of the sound field. Some of you blame bad signals -- oh sure, this is not from a bad cable. In digital cable you have complete seperation of the video signal (and audio with HDMI). Interuption of that signal will cause poor video and audio response from your equipment.

These new products we are buying do a very good job of reproducing the video and audio we are trying to send them. However, there are times when we see a poor picture or hear sound that sounds dead and sometimes that is the signal, sometimes the end product conversion, and sometimes it is the cable. New HDTVs are giving you more control over the Digital input to adjust for your viewing pleasure but as I have stated there are many reasons why you might not be viewing the best your HDTV can produce.

If you feed your High Def tv a diet of low rez (Standard Def Content) or HD-Lite (low bandwith) signals then you will probably not notice very much differance between Componet or Digital cables. I would even say that using Componet and allowing the entire video signal to be processed by your HDTV's video circuitry will probably look better than using the Digital cables. But, given a true High Def product both in the video and audio , a Digital cable will give you the better end product. Better picture and better sound will result from the Digital input. Now if you have a high end DVD that allows for Analog Audio transfer from the DVD you will get better seperation of the sound environment. Otherwise your best result will be from Digital. Eventually that Digital Output (DVI/HDMI) will be the only way to get your High Def fix.

As for the cables, how many of you can see purchansing a $40,000 auto and putting $50 tires on it when it comes time to replace them? Think you will be able to get the same performance then? You do not have to buy Monster Cables but 'any cable will do' is a poor way to treat your new HD equipment. If you are going to view High Def and you want to get the most your new HDTV investment can give you then always buy good cables! And sooner than later those cables will be Digital (DVI and/or HDMI)

ps: My HDTV setup -- Pioneer Elite 630HD 58" - calibrated, Denon 3910 DVD player using DVI out for upconverting and Analog out for complete seperation of sound field to speakers--DVD player does 32bit sound processing, E* 811 settop using DVI soon to be replaced by a VIP622. Yamaha 5.1 matched speakers with matched Yamaha Power sub-woofer- plus PolkAudio surround sound rear speakers, Denon 989 audio/video receiver (weakest link -- looking to replace). All my cables are Accoustical Reseach and Monster. I have three Monster cables -- 2 componet cables for my Playstation 2 and Xbox systems and one SVHS for the 811 just for grins!:devil: