HDMI --Why you will need it!

[JoeSp]

If you plan on using your XBOX360 or your PS3 for HD-DVD viewing you will need an HDMI port. And it needs to be the 1.3 version. For your reading pleasure

:http://www.hdtvmagazine.com/articles/2006/04/multi-channel_a.php

I hope that this works. This is basically a through article on HD-DVD Audio specs and what you would need to be able to hear those new HD-Audio sound tracks.

Unless there is 5.1 or 7.1 analog out on the back of the XBOX360 HD-DVD drive or the back of the PS3 the only way you will be able to hear HD-Dobly Digital Plus, DTS ++ or DTS-HD is thru a HDMI 1.3 port into a HDMI 1.3 capable receiver.

Those of us who own a HD-Home Theater will look at the sound capabilites of the new HD-DVD drive from Microsoft and the PS3's HDMI output.

If I can get the newer Audio codecs from one of these systems then it will save much money over buying a HD-DVD or Blu-Ray player that has the ability to output those new HD Audio Codecs to my home theater system.

 

[Purogamer]

Do you realize, that somewhere in this country, people are still using RF adapters??

 

[ShadowEKU]

the 5.1 out on the 360 will be fine for me... I want a HDMI port for the 360 so that I can play HD DVD later on... my DVI input accepts HDCP so a HDMI-DVI cable will be fine... I just hope MS (if they release a HDMI port) will allow for Optical out on sound as well.

 

[Kevinw]

Us Early adopters are screwed- No DVI/HDMI on my TV.
Also Sony sez you may not need HDMI for PS3 and Blu-Ray

Sony continues to play defense over PS3 pricing, HDMI
Posted May 11th 2006 11:02AM by Marc Perton
Somehow, we suspect Sony's brass are not very happy right now. Instead of spending their time at E3 fielding softball questions about the Playstation 3's graphics, they're playing defense, as they continue to face queries about the new console's pricing and the missing features on the lower-priced version. In an interview with CNN, Sony's Kaz Hirai said the pricing -- $499 for the 20GB PS3 and $599 for the 60GB version -- was justified by the inclusion of technologies like the Cell processor and Blu-ray, and added that the "totality" of the product is a "good value for consumers." Hirai also defended the lack of HDMI on the 20GB PS3, commenting that "there's not a discernible difference between what you get between HDMI and other forms of high definition." While that might be the case with current Blu-ray flicks, all movie studios (including Sony Pictures) have reserved the right to implement the Image Constraint Token in future discs, which could force anyone using analog outputs -- including owners of the 20GB PS3 -- to watch downgraded video. We assume Hirai's familiar with the issue, so we have to wonder whether his claim that the PS3 is "future-proofed" is just a little bit disingenuous. All it would take is one Blu-ray disc with ICT for owners of 20GB PS3s to realize they've been locked out of the future.

http://www.engadget.com/2006/05/11/sony-continues-to-play-defense-over-ps3-pricing-hdmi/

 

[JoeSp]

Kevinw, 20gb PS3 owners will not be locked out. Just like with the lower XBOX360 unit these PS3 owners will be able to purchase upgrades. Now how do you purchase a HDMI output where there is none? My guess is because they are the very same boards that there will be a plug-in much like adding on a card in your computer.

 

[T2k]

Kevinw, 20gb PS3 owners will not be locked out. Just like with the lower XBOX360 unit these PS3 owners will be able to purchase upgrades. Now how do you purchase a HDMI output where there is none? My guess is because they are the very same boards that there will be a plug-in much like adding on a card in your computer.

And your source is...?

 

[Purogamer]

Where would you plug it in?

360 HD-DVD add-on will not have HDMI according to what I read yesterday.

You should realize that a lot of people watch HD on really low-end tv's (walmart anyone?) and are more than happy with the rampant HD-Lite that is given to them on tv. I think these guys see that they can get away with lower-quality images this round and save money because the world isn't quite ready for Full HD, we just need a taste. Enough to lure people in and keep the early adopters from full-on bitching without driving costs up.

 

[T2k]

How do you mean? MS can quite easily add an HDMI port to the player - if they don't do it, that's cost saving decision, nothing else. Same goes for Sony: PS3 is already ridiculously expensive, despite they already dropped one-third of their originally hyped features.

 

[Purogamer]

The HD-DVD add-on will use the systems video-out, which means no HDMI/DVI. MS may give a HDMI cable pack at some point, but as of now, you're stuck...

 

[T2k]

Care to elaborate? I haven't seen any solid fact on the lack of HDMI... got linky?

 

[Purogamer]

http://www.xbox-scene.com/xbox1data/sep/EEulFuFlkZfMXYQhXB.php

 

[T2k]

Thanks. So far nothing new has emerged: rumors only, no solid fact WRT HDMI.

 

[Purogamer]

How do you figure it's a rumor? It uses the consoles video-out, as it really has to if you think about it. You can't expect people to hook up two seperate outs (and buy 2 cables) for one console. You want people to buy the add-on and be able to use it out of the box with whatever setup they've chosen.

They COULD release an HDMI cable in the future, but they could not as well. It's not a rumor, the thing doesn't support HDMI until they change their minds and release a cable...

 

[T2k]

think the question is really, "hey, is there gonna be a HDMI pack?" ... You know, we continue to look at that stuff. Today, component is great for HD; lets you get all the signal that you want out on all the TVs that are really out there. We continue to look at this from a market perspective. I think our competitors are doing the same thing, and we'll keep investigating that in the future. Don't really have anything..." (trails off)

It pretty much sums up for me. Anything else - including 'there won't be HDMI and 'there will be HDMI' - is a rumor only.

When they have already released it with or without HDMI, then we have a fact. Until then everything is a rumor unless they release a statement saying "no HDMI" or "HDMI is there".

 

[Purogamer]

But they have, they've said it will use the system's video-out, and the system cannot currently deliver HDMI out. There is no HDMI cable scheduled to come out (we would know...), so it's no HDMI until you hear them say otherwise.

 

[JoeSp]

Latest info on PS3 HDMI port. Apparently HDMI 1.1 only support hi-rez sound 96x192 on two channels only. In these units you can only get the 96x192 5.1 or 7.1 channel sound thru the analog ports if your receiver can pass the HD audio thru without having to decipher. That means that you will have to have the HDMI 1.3 solution in order to hear the higher rez (HD audio). Currently there will be no HDMI on the $499 PS3 and no upgrade. Everthing else you can get with the 'full version' you will be able to upgrade to.

Rumor: A source in Japan has stated that not only is the PS3 being held up for the HDMI 1.3 but is also being held up because Sony has decided that they want the video chip to match the abilities of Nividea's 7800 chipset!! Wow, if that is the case the PS3 will definately rock!! However, the same source does not believe that Sony will make November!!!

 

[T2k]

NV7800: It's actually old news - I mentioned it in the other topic. And if you think NV 7800 is something great then you should check the facts again - it's certainly behind the ATI chip in X360.

 

[JoeSp]

I have plenty of experiance with both ATI chip sets and NVIDEA chip sets over the last 10 years. I have built plenty of systems using the top cards from both companies. What I have learned is this. ATI chips use more power, create more heat with fewer transistors then comparable performing NVIDEA chips. ATI used to be the top dog around 1998 but since then have been looking up the backside of NVIDEA 's new product lines every year. ATI's cards use more power and create more heat while NVIDEA seems to jack up the ante without the crazy power requirements or the overheating problems.

Real world use would say that the NV7800 chip that came out almost a year after the ATI chip in the XBOX360. Common sense says that if ATI has been lagging behind NVidea since 1998 how in the world did they jump two generations ahead (given in the graphics world a new generation is launched every 6 to 9 months)?

Simple answer is that ATI didn't! While the XBOX360 is a great console with very nice graphics there is no way in any aspect hardwarewise that the XBOX360 is the equal of the PS3. Not in the CPU area, not in the Graphics area, and not in the content delivery area. More memory on the board - less in the CPU (3x512 does not equal 7 times 256).

Just as I had to admit that the XBOX had better graphics then the PS2 -- why -- because it came out a year later with newer chipsets and a hard drive, why can not you XBOX360 fanboys see the writing on the wall. In about a year when the PS3 2 gen titles are showing considerably better graphics then the XBOX360 3rd gen titles will be showing I hope someone remembers this small statement.

In electronics - being first just means being first -- not the best - not the worst- just first. Congrats to Microsoft for getting the XBOX360 out as fast as they could. But when you want to grab that new HD-DVD drive and it costs $299 what will you say then?

My Pioneer Elite 58" HD is beggin for some true HD movies. I will be buying a Blu-Ray HD player for $599 and guess what -- I will be getting a PS3 for free!! I will save $400 over the Blu-Ray drives that will be out this Xmas and I guess that will buy me a few movies and games! If you haven't guess -- I support Blu-Ray. I look for new tech for future investment -- not rehashed old tech. This article started with a discussion over the new HD-Audio requirements and HDMI 1.3. Maybe someone should do the number thing and see if HD-DVD will be able to support both HD-Dobly Digital and HD-DTS on one disk. Rumor has it that it will not - why - because of the lack of space. Heck, untill we get into it, no one is sure a BLU-RAY DVD will be able to hold both audio specs. One thing is for sure -- no HDMI 1.3 NO HD AUDIO 5.1, 7.1 or HD DTS!

 

[Purogamer]

PS2 games looked like sh*t, but it wasn't because the console couldn't handle it, it's because it's too hard to program for. Some companies can do much better looking games than others. It's the same on ps3. PS3 won't succeed because it's a beast under the hood, it'll succeed because they have more well-known franchises to pimp out every other year. The fact that sony games will finally look as good as every other console is just the icing on the cake.

How can anyone support Blu-Ray over HD-DVD? I realize there's another forum for such a discussion, but it's really puzzling to me how you can support blu-ray so much at this point...

 

[JoeSp]

Not so for the PS3. The PS3 will use machine language. The language of super computers. Learning all the nuances of the CELL chip might take awhile but programming will be alot simpler then the PS2 was. Also incorporating the Nvidea RSX chipset will make it alot easier on the graphics programmer - definately more so then the custom graphics chip set the PS2 used. This might explain why there are going to be alot of new titles coming out on the PC that have also been anounced for the PS3. Crysis will be coming for the PS3 and that is one title I am really jonesing for!!