HDMI from PC to 1080P TV--much better than DVD?

hackazoid wrote on 1/11/2010, 8:54 AM
Amateur using 8.0c. I'm presenting a golf trip video to folks who were there. Have some decent pics & AVCHD lite vids from my new Pany ZS3 so thought I'd try to show this off.

Not ready for Blue Ray, but I could render with the widescreen 6 mb 720 HD setting and transfer to a laptop.

Then, if I connect to a 1080P big screen TV via HDMI, would the qualtity be visibly better than burning a DVD?

I've seen posts on the soft DVD quality and am aware that bigger screens don't look as good as my 21" monitor.

But, if this would be better, it makes the efforts to borrow a newer laptop worthwhile.

Thanks.

Comments

busterkeaton wrote on 1/11/2010, 9:48 AM
HDMI should display whatever resolution the laptop is capable of, up to 1920 x 1080
TheHappyFriar wrote on 1/11/2010, 10:39 AM
hooking up via HDMI, DVI or VGA adapter should give a very good picture quality. From ATI's website, DVI res is limited to HD but VGA is limited to 2048x15363 in a single display. Wow! :D
Coursedesign wrote on 1/11/2010, 10:54 AM
In practice, HDMI/DVi gives great quality while any of the analog signal choices get hosed by cheap converters.

I have done what you are proposing for many years, and always found that a clean HDM/DVI signal looked great when output to a 1080P TV.

720P is a better choice for many laptops, and it has been upscaled very well in the 1080P TVs I have used (because 720P is common for broadcast).
Coursedesign wrote on 1/11/2010, 11:02 AM
Hollywood DVD upscale very well, because of the high quality of the source footage (and a few other things).

That is not easy to match with a consumer/prosumer camera, and the upscaled result tends to look more modest, compared to showing your source HD footage directly.


TheHappyFriar wrote on 1/11/2010, 6:38 PM
what out on the laptop to TV hookup. All laptop's I've used need the same resolution on both, or the same AR at least. You get weird results on your laptop if you start messing with things.
craftech wrote on 1/12/2010, 6:22 AM
I have never been able to get that kind of setup to work. I have the DVI out from my ATI video card hooked up to the HDMI my plasma. Using Power DVD 7.1 and my Blu-Ray / DVD drive, it won't allow it to play because of HDCP (Microsoft's hardware copyright block). Says I have to use VGA in order to play it negating the HD advantage.

Haven't any of you run into this nonsense?

John
JohnnyRoy wrote on 1/12/2010, 6:55 AM
> Using Power DVD 7.1 and my Blu-Ray / DVD drive, it won't allow it to play because of HDCP (Microsoft's hardware copyright block).

HDCP has nothing to do with Microsoft. It was actually developed by Intel but it's really "Hollywood's" copy protection. The funny thing is, my cable company (Comcast) is a bit backward and doesn't have enough HDMI cable boxes to go around so my HD box has Component outputs which allow me to record 1080 HD content with no restrictions! (lol)

> Says I have to use VGA in order to play it negating the HD advantage. Haven't any of you run into this nonsense?

No, because I always buy HDCP compliant graphics cards. ;-) They are clearly labeled now as "HDCP Ready". If you have a Blu-ray drive in your PC, it's important to make sure that all of the graphics components that you buy are HDCP compliant. There is even a little program somewhere that will test this for you and tell you if all the components check out. It sounds like your ATI is not compliant.

~jr
TimTyler wrote on 1/12/2010, 7:15 AM
How about feeding an HDMI display with the graphics card's DVI output and a DVI-to-HDMI adapter?
Coursedesign wrote on 1/12/2010, 9:36 AM
No problem.

Just don't go to Best Buy and pay $125.00 for an HDMI cable or adapter+cable.
TheHappyFriar wrote on 1/12/2010, 10:19 AM
the protection only applies to BD & other copyprotected content, not to stuff we make. :)

i think all vid cards starting sold ~2 years ago are HDCP compliant. IMHO, BD players now cost ~$130, not worth the effort to get it to play on your PC.
Terry Esslinger wrote on 1/12/2010, 1:08 PM
Say, maybe you guys can help me!

I have what I believe you would call a legacy HD television. It is a 65inch rear projection CRT Mitsubishi that still yields a GREAT picture but is limited to 1080i ( no p) unless its 720p or 480p. The problem is that it does not have an HDMI connector or even an SDI, its component. and only one HD connection besides the OTA. That was fine as long as I just wanted my Comcast HD box connected. I could watch HD via the component from the Comcast box and the even better HD from the OTA reception. However though I would get smart and bought a PS3 so I could watch BluRay movies. Well how to connect it? It apparently only puts out the 1080 over the HDMI. So while I could disconnect the Comcast from the TV and connect the PS3 with Component, I would not get the BRHD. And I would have no cable HD. SOOO I bought an HDMI switcher. I can now come out of the PS3 with HDMI to the switcher and to the TV via component form the switcher. I have the cable box, the PS3 and a Toshiba HD DVD player hooked up to the switcher (the only real use for this last piece is that it makes a good upconverting DVD player). I get the Cable in HD and the Toshiba in HD but I cannot get the PS3 to play in HD> I cannot watch BR movies in all their glory.
Any solutions from you guys - besides buying a new television set?
TimTyler wrote on 1/13/2010, 10:08 AM
Terry - What about this:

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=104&cp_id=10419&cs_id=1041901&p_id=2398&seq=1&format=2

Maybe combined with DVI-to-HDMI adapter...
craftech wrote on 1/13/2010, 1:08 PM
From the monoprice description of that adapter:

Note: This adapter only work with the following ATI Video Cards.

Not all DVI connectors have the same pins so be careful because it might not fit.

John
TheHappyFriar wrote on 1/13/2010, 6:06 PM
if you buy an ATI card in a retail box it should come with that kind of adapter.