How much better is HDMI over RF?

[RWB]

With a pending HD upgrade I'm trying to decide if I should move my receiver closer to the HDTV. Presently due to no place to hide the receiver, my 522 is upstairs and the LG 50" Plasma HDTV is downstairs. This has worked well for my two TV setup thus far.

Moving the receiver is not a preferred solution unless a substantially better picture will be seen.

I can hear the crying now from the installer... Oh it'll look great just like it is, besides it'll cost extra for me to run new cables. blah, blah, blah.


When I replace the 522 with the 622 I will either have to run a 75' HDMI cable or relocate the receiver downstairs and use HDMI, or use coax or RCA input for the HD.

Simply put is the picture quality substantially better with an HDMI cable?

 

[rcbridge]

Yes!!
But I would relocate the receiver!!

 

[cparker]

You can't get HD from the receiver to the TV through coax, or s-video. To actually see HD that 622 will need to be connected to your TV using either component + audio or HDMI (which handles audio and video). I've used 100' HDMI cables without issues. There is also the option of running component over cat5 (ethernet) but that will require adapters on each end of the run that cost about 80-85 dollars each. I think 75' component cables would be cost prohibitive.

You don't HAVE to have the receiver next to the TV, but you'll have to do a little work to keep things located where they are. If you run the HDMI cable ahead of time this should be a cake walk for the installer. Basically a receiver swap.

And as far as picture quality, holy cow you'll see a difference between what you're watching now and HD programming.

 

[garys]

PQ between HD connections and rf is not even close. Comparison would be riding in a limo to riding a bicycle (rf being the bicycle). I don't think OP ever saw HD.

 

[bhelms]

Yeah - If you're not planning to make the HD connections then you're wasting your money on an HD receiver and programming! Once you see it in action you'll wonder why you didn't make the leap some time ago. To be certain, you'll never want to give HD up!

Definitely locate the 622 close to the TV and just run the sat. coax from the old location to the new one. You can backfeed the RF signal (SD only) from the 622 into your whole house distribution or to another location on that same coax if you can only run the one cable. If possible, pull separate cables while you're at it - minimal extra material cost and the labor is about the same to pull one vs. a bundle. Make sure you're running a good quality RG-6.

Make sure all the settings are correct in both the 622 and TV to get the best HD resolution for your set-up. I believe 480p is the default output of the 622 and that's NOT HD! Set it for 720p or 1080i to best accommodate your TV.

 

[8bitbytes]

Make sure all the settings are correct in both the 622 and TV to get the best HD resolution for your set-up. I believe 480p is the default output of the 622 and that's NOT HD! Set it for 720p or 1080i to best accommodate your TV.

Too funny! I had the opportunity to do that to someone who had Dish HD but was only connecting an s-video to his 65" RPTV!!!

I hooked up component cables and switched the DVR to 1080i and he went crazy jumping up and down yelling for his wife to come see!

 

[Peter Parker]

You can only moce HD video by HDMI or component. If you send out an S video or coax signal it will be SD.

 

[lakebum431]

It's a shame people spend thousands of dollars on a 50" plasma TV and then don't connect HD content to it. What a waste.