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Author Topic: What is HDMI? Larry Myers Master Film Handler Posts: 371 From: Herndon, VA, USA Registered: Jan 2001 posted 12-26-2005 07:45 PM                 I notice that my HDTV has a HDMI input. I also notice that several DVD players advertise HDMI output. How does this work? Is it really that much better then normal DVD progressive scan to HDTV component connection.  |  IP: Logged Frank Dubrois Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 896 From: Cleveland, OH Registered: Mar 2005 posted 12-26-2005 08:04 PM                    It supposed to be better because it need the signal converted to analog in order to tranfer it, like component cables. I've noticed VERY little imporvement. The nice part about HDMI is the fact that it not only transfers a pure digital signal from DVD to TV, but it also carries the digital audio signal. So, in theory, one cable carries all the information needed. HDMI amps are also available now which (if your buying new) would be a great way to go. It really cuts down on cable costs and messy wiring jobs.  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 12-26-2005 09:13 PM                     Copy protection or "digital rights management" is the main purpose of HDMI. Any new HDTV with HDMI inputs supports the "5C" HDCP copy protection flag. You will need such an input if you intend to watch HD-DVD or Blu-Ray movies with HD levels of video quality. Those who spent lots more money on HDTV sets to be "early adopters" will be stuck with sets not featuring those inputs. They will be rewarded with 480p standard DVD quality at best when playing next gen movie disc formats. Now that's some great customer service. What a great way to stick it to the folks that lay the groundwork for a format to get started. HDMI and other components of DRM being worked into new video players will in the end have us paying again and again to watch movies in our libraries. DiVX didn't get far, but that was only because the standard DVD-V format was able to bulldoze it aside. Both HD-DVD and Blu-Ray have the potentital to turn into pay per every view formats. The only way how those schemes will be beaten is if disgusted customers refuse to "upgrade" from standard DVD players to those formats.  |  IP: Logged David Stambaugh Film God Posts: 4021 From: Eugene, Oregon Registered: Jan 2002 posted 12-26-2005 09:21 PM                        quote: Bobby Henderson Those who spent lots more money on HDTV sets to be "early adopters" will be stuck with sets not featuring those inputs. That be me. My HDTV has component and DVI inputs, both supposedly capable of 720p/1080i (and 480p which I use with a progressive-scan DVD player). No HDMI though. I just got an upconverting DVD player but it only upconverts to 720p/1080i on the HDMI output, not on component video. So my only option is an HDMI-to-DVI converter. I'm very curious to see the upconverted video so I may have to buy one. EDIT: I just ordered a HDMI-to-DVI converter cable for $17 with 2-day shipping. Hope it works. Most converter-only devices (no cable) seem to be in the $25-$50 range.  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 12-26-2005 11:15 PM                     I'm even more curious to see how that convertor may or may not work with those new HD movie disc formats. Ultimately, I'm hoping the movie industry comes to their senses and allows the HD signal to travel over standard component video cables. They're going to rob themselves of a huge amount of sales if they do otherwise. The uncompromising adherence to those copy protection standards will only cost them tons of money in lost sales.  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 12-26-2005 11:31 PM                        David's converter should work flawlessly being that HDMI is the same thing as DVI with audio and evilness added. Actually they may be able to transmit the evil through the converter. I'm not sure about that, so I'm going to lean on "no". That means it probably won't work with Blu-Ray and/or HD-DVD. Don't expect to be blown away by the upconversion, David. I have a VGA to component transcoder which was $75 or so. Component has no problems doing 720p/1080i and I'm pretty sure it can handle 1080p without any problems whatsoever as well.  |  IP: Logged Mitchell Dvoskin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1869 From: West Milford, NJ, USA Registered: Jan 2001 posted 12-27-2005 10:05 AM                     Early DVI products do not have HDCP copy protection which was introduced after DVI. If your set's DVI is not HDCP compliant, you will get little benifit as your DVD player will not output high def. Later DVI products are HDCP compliant. All HDMI are HDCP compliant.  |  IP: Logged David Stambaugh Film God Posts: 4021 From: Eugene, Oregon Registered: Jan 2002 posted 12-29-2005 10:13 PM                        I got the HDMI-to-DVI converter cable today. Seems to work fine. The TV correctly detects 480p/720p/1080i through the DVI input (verified in service menu). Also confirmed that my TV is HDCP-compliant. On the Avia resolution test images, the 720p output from the DVD player seems to have fewer artifacts where lines converge than 480p or 1080i. On normal DVDs, it's hard to tell much if any difference. It's definitely not horrible in uprez mode, but not sure yet if it's better either. Need to do more testing. Even if I end up running the player in 480p mode, at least the signal will take an all-digital path to the TV. The $7.00 cable seems well-made. A bargain. Got it from monoprice.com (Greg Mueller recommends them too). They shipped immediately and I got it in 2 days as promised. The cable is probably made in a sweatshop in China, but hey, I got a great deal on it!  |  IP: Logged Michael Schaffer "Where is the Boardwalk Hotel?" Posts: 4143 From: Boston, MA Registered: Apr 2002 posted 12-30-2005 12:42 AM                        The Bravo D2 DVD player upscales to 720p and 1080i and has an HDCP-free DVI output. In case anybody wants to know.  |  IP: Logged Demetris Thoupis Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1240 From: Aradippou, Larnaca, Cyprus Registered: Apr 2001 posted 01-16-2006 07:29 AM                     The Great Confussion it should be called and not HDMI! First of all, HDMI is the highest quality connection anyone could have between a video source and a video projected image (either Plasma, LCD, Projector). This cable is supposed to be the ultimate replacement for the dreaded Scart Connector as well as all the Component, RGB, Coaxial, Optical and all those crap cables that you need to connect in order to have a decent picture. It transfers both Video and Audio signal in one cable. There is a catch though. YOU DON'T SEE THE DIFFERENCE if you don't have an HDMI compatible DVD player, an HDMI compatible Plasma or LCD or Projector, an HDMI connection between the two and the best, an HDMI source(HD DVD) which are very few for the time being. I have seen a true High Definition presentation and it really beats everything I have ever seen in image. If you don't plan in buying High Definition DVD's which are more expensive than the standard DVD'S then stop bragging about having an HDMI Plasma or DVD or anything else!!! My company is also doing custom installations being a CEDIA member as well as cinema installations. Most cypriots really confuse this HDMI issue as everyone portrays it as being the best e.t.c e.t.c and all that crap but IT DOES NOT MAKE A DIFFERENCE if you don't use HDMI in all (plasma, dvd player, connection, dvd disc). You won't understand a thing. Watch a HD DVD on an HDMI TV with HDMI Cable with HDMI DVD player and then we speak again. Well, that's all. D  |  IP: Logged Joel N. Weber II Expert Film Handler Posts: 115 From: Somerville, MA, USA Registered: Dec 2005 posted 01-16-2006 10:54 AM                     Is the HDMI output on the Playstation 3 going to be able to drive a DVI input on a computer monitor that doesn't implement the copy protection stuff? I imagine the answer may well be no for Blu-Ray movies, but is it also going to be no for video games?  |  IP: Logged Bruce Hansen Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 847 From: Stone Mountain, GA, USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 02-06-2006 06:52 PM                     Are these up-res DVD players just a rip-off? 1) DVDs ARE NTSC. They are NOT HD. The extra res. is not there, and you cannot just make it up. 2) An HD monitor will do the up-res, so why do you need to pay for the same capability in a DVD player? Doesn't that just duplicate what you already have in your HD monitor?  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 02-06-2006 07:09 PM                        Bruce. Upscaling DVD players kick more ass than you realize. People who buy Monster Cables definitely are the kind who would buy these upscaling DVD players. They know the score. The way these HDTV upscaling DVD players work is that when you play a DVD, the DVD player analyzes the picture it is currrently decoding in it's 480-line glory. The DVD player then goes BACK IN TIME to when that particular frame was being edited for film in the studio. It then takes the information that is missing and adds it to the HDMI output, giving you the glorious HDTV picture you deserve.  |  IP: Logged David Stambaugh Film God Posts: 4021 From: Eugene, Oregon Registered: Jan 2002 posted 02-06-2006 07:11 PM                        I don't think it's true that an HD monitor always up-res's. When I feed my Sony CRT-based HD RPTV a 480p signal from a progressive-scan DVD player, it's detected and displayed as 480p, no scaling involved at the TV. If the DVD player is outputting 480i, then the TV can convert it to 480p (Sony calls it "Digital Reality Creation"). The way I understand it, the up-res function of this TV only kicks in with a 480i source. Someone can correct me on that if I'm wrong though. A fixed-pixel display (like LCD or DLP) always converts to its native resolution though as far as I know. So in my case, since I don't have a fixed-pixel HDTV, I can tell a difference between 480p and the up-res'd 780p and 1080i from my up-res'ing DVD player.  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 02-06-2006 09:13 PM                        Your Sony HDTV aso upscales 720p to 1080i. It can ONLY do 480p, 960i and 1080i natively.  |  IP: Logged

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