icthys
03-14-2007, 01:40 PM
All three are video cable formats. Two are digital, one is analog, and one carries audio as well as video. Do you know the differences?
Component - This is the cable that carries an analog signal. The signal is divided up into three signals. They can be labeled as RGB, YCrCb, YPrPb, and some others but those are the most common. Each signal is carried on it's own seperate cable thus a component signal has three seperate cables. Component can carry every video resolution. Because component video is an analog signal it can be run for very long distances.
DVI - DVI is one of the two digital video cables. It can also carry all video resolutions. It is only one cable and has a large connector which there are several different types of connectors. The shape of the connector is the same for all, the difference is in the number of pins in the connector. DVI can be converted to HDMI with only a simple DVI to HDMI converter. Since it is a digital signal it is recommend that cable lengths do not exceed 50'. If you need more length that that there are expensive converters that convert the signal so that it can be carried over cat5.
HDMI - This is the second type of digital video cable, it is also the one that can carry and audio signal. It was developed to simplify the connections necessary for video and audio. It will carry all video resolutions and once HDMI 1.3 is available on consumer equipment it will also carry HD audio signals which is a full 8 channels of audio at a high resolution signal, it currently will only carry 5.1 and I believe 6.1 signals as well. Once again it's only recommended up to 50' and is interchangeable with DVI however the audio will not be transmitted once converted to DVI.
It appears that HDMI is the true winner between the 3 formats. Once one digs a little deeper it is apparent that there are some problems with HDMI. Digital signals are equipped with a protection called HDCP. All displayed that have an HDMI input are required to accept and HDCP encrypted signal, however that does not mean every signal can be displayed on a HDMI display. There are instances where HDCP prevents some material from being veiwed. There is also another problem with HDMI. There is another protection that comes with 1080p material which will prevent recording the material. All this protection crap also applies to DVI. For the most part all this won't be much of an issue.
With component however there is no protection crap associated with it. You can do whatever you want with a component signal with two exeptions. The first one is this. Even though component is able to carry a 1080p signal all HD DVD and Blue Ray material can only be veiwed through HDMI. No biggie if you ask me, 1080p is overrated anyway, so just watch everything in 1080i or 720p over component. That's what I'd do, at least for now. The second draw back is audio cannont be carried over component. Once again no biggie for me, it's only one more cable to carry a digital audio signal.
As for know I run everything over component, that is until HDMI can get it together and clean up all the bugs.
Component - This is the cable that carries an analog signal. The signal is divided up into three signals. They can be labeled as RGB, YCrCb, YPrPb, and some others but those are the most common. Each signal is carried on it's own seperate cable thus a component signal has three seperate cables. Component can carry every video resolution. Because component video is an analog signal it can be run for very long distances.
DVI - DVI is one of the two digital video cables. It can also carry all video resolutions. It is only one cable and has a large connector which there are several different types of connectors. The shape of the connector is the same for all, the difference is in the number of pins in the connector. DVI can be converted to HDMI with only a simple DVI to HDMI converter. Since it is a digital signal it is recommend that cable lengths do not exceed 50'. If you need more length that that there are expensive converters that convert the signal so that it can be carried over cat5.
HDMI - This is the second type of digital video cable, it is also the one that can carry and audio signal. It was developed to simplify the connections necessary for video and audio. It will carry all video resolutions and once HDMI 1.3 is available on consumer equipment it will also carry HD audio signals which is a full 8 channels of audio at a high resolution signal, it currently will only carry 5.1 and I believe 6.1 signals as well. Once again it's only recommended up to 50' and is interchangeable with DVI however the audio will not be transmitted once converted to DVI.
It appears that HDMI is the true winner between the 3 formats. Once one digs a little deeper it is apparent that there are some problems with HDMI. Digital signals are equipped with a protection called HDCP. All displayed that have an HDMI input are required to accept and HDCP encrypted signal, however that does not mean every signal can be displayed on a HDMI display. There are instances where HDCP prevents some material from being veiwed. There is also another problem with HDMI. There is another protection that comes with 1080p material which will prevent recording the material. All this protection crap also applies to DVI. For the most part all this won't be much of an issue.
With component however there is no protection crap associated with it. You can do whatever you want with a component signal with two exeptions. The first one is this. Even though component is able to carry a 1080p signal all HD DVD and Blue Ray material can only be veiwed through HDMI. No biggie if you ask me, 1080p is overrated anyway, so just watch everything in 1080i or 720p over component. That's what I'd do, at least for now. The second draw back is audio cannont be carried over component. Once again no biggie for me, it's only one more cable to carry a digital audio signal.
As for know I run everything over component, that is until HDMI can get it together and clean up all the bugs.