Should i get HDMI???

iluvTV

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Original poster
Sep 16, 2008
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Hi my hd dvr is connected trough component cables the image is pretty good, but i was wondering if i buy an hdmi cable would the image be waaay better?? or would it be just a little bit better??
 
Buy a cheap HDMI cable and test it. Only you can judge if what you see from one is better than the other. I tested both and found the component to be a better picture. Also, don't spend more than $10 on a HDMI cable. The cheap ones work just as well as the expensive ones.
 
If you have a choice, choose HDMI. At some point there will be content that is only available in HD using an HDMI connection.
 
Second on the harshness comment. Component is analog. More and more, we will see output on component downrezzed below HD standards. "Copy Protection."
 
As others have said, the only way to know is to borrow a cable or buy a cheap one and check. True, DRM may move (especially with PPV) to requiring a digital, HDMI connection to view content. However, that day is not here yet. And I found that HD looked slightly better over HDMI, but SD was much, much better over component. There's still enough content I watch only available in SD (on Dish, anyway), so that seals the deal for me.

That said, my upconverting DVD player requires an HDMI connection to do its voodoo -- and it does it well enough that I'm staying away from Blu-Ray.
 
It seems to always be about image quality when talking about HDMI vs Component. When I switched to HDMI I noticed a significantly improved sound quality. It was very crisp and clear. However, if there was any change in image quality it was unnoticeable.
 
Hi my hd dvr is connected trough component cables the image is pretty good, but i was wondering if i buy an hdmi cable would the image be waaay better?? or would it be just a little bit better??

It may not be better at all. Most people who I have helped hook up their ViP DVR's prefer component. Besides, HDMI has been shown to be problematic with Dish receivers and even the tiniest movement of the connector can disrupt/disable your connection/viewing.
 
It may not be better at all. Most people who I have helped hook up their ViP DVR's prefer component. Besides, HDMI has been shown to be problematic with Dish receivers and even the tiniest movement of the connector can disrupt/disable your connection/viewing.

True with the early 622 for sure, but I haven't really heard of many problems with the 722
 
If you're considering HDMI, keep this in mind. If you run HDMI to your TV, then digital sound to your stereo, you might not get the right sound. Many TV's do not pass through the sound as they receive it through HDMI, instead downgrading it to digital stereo. If your TV does this, then you'll want to run an optical cable from your Dish to your stereo receiver for the sound, and just use the video portion on your TV.
 
If you're considering HDMI, keep this in mind. If you run HDMI to your TV, then digital sound to your stereo, you might not get the right sound. Many TV's do not pass through the sound as they receive it through HDMI, instead downgrading it to digital stereo. If your TV does this, then you'll want to run an optical cable from your Dish to your stereo receiver for the sound, and just use the video portion on your TV.

Or you could just run everything through your AV receiver then on to your TV (if you have a good enough receiver).
 
Or you could just run everything through your AV receiver then on to your TV (if you have a good enough receiver).
Yeah, sorry, left out that option. I have an Onkyo TX-SR606 receiver with 4 HDMI inputs and one output, and that's exactly what I do, the receiver takes care of switching the inputs (Dish, PS3, Xbox 360, and one that is currently unused).
 
That said, my upconverting DVD player requires an HDMI connection to do its voodoo -- and it does it well enough that I'm staying away from Blu-Ray.

I have the same. The upconvert is good, but I can tell the difference between this and HD. Althought the upconvert picture is clear, it lacks the near three dimensional quality of a true hd picture.

I initially stayed away from Blu-Ray because of the battle with HDDVD. Once that was over, I waited for prices to come down and they are starting to (~$299). Now I find that my 1080i HD tv will not support 1080p input, so I guess I will wait until I get a 1080p tv -- which I hope will be not be for several years!
 
I got a hdmi from monoprice cheep, but you know what I think my component looks better because the hdmi is like too dim and thats on my d-hr21-100,I dont need hdmi anyway because Im hooked up audio to a 5.1 digital receiver w/fiber optic.
 
"...you'll want to run an optical cable from your Dish to your stereo receiver for the sound,..."

No. Optical cable is limited to 5.1, and maybe not even as high a bitrate 5.1 as available elsewhere.
 

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