HDMI vs Component

msg

Barring simplicity, is HDMI any better than using Component Video (RGB) and Optical?

Msabot1

HDMI supports 1080p resolution...

txcoastal1

RGB is a bit outdated and will not carry your audio signal. Optical is audio/data no video. HDMI carries both both video and audio.

RGB can carry up to 1080i vs HDMI 1080p and above resolutions.

msg

the reason I ask is that I'm looking at earlier gen pre/pros, and, of course, they do not have HDMI. I do the HDMI switching through my tv right now anyway, so it's not a big deal.

out of curiosity though, I sometimes like to have the tv on while listening to music - is this even possible with HDMI switching set up through a receiver?

gimpod

msg wrote: »

Barring simplicity, is HDMI any better than using Component Video (RGB) and Optical?

Read this link from Blue Jeans Cable HDMI versus Component Video--Which is Better?

The bottom line from the above link. "The answer--unsatisfying, perhaps, but true--is that it depends. It depends upon your source and display devices, and there's no good way, in principle, to say in advance whether the digital or the analog connection will render a better picture. You may even find, say, that your DVD player looks better through its HDMI output, while your satellite or cable box looks better through its component output, on the same display. In this case, there's no real substitute for simply plugging it in and giving it a try both ways."

Also remember if your watching blue ray movies that you can't get the full resolution with out using the HDMI connector on the player & display and of course they both have to be compatible with the same version of HDCP which most all newer devices are.

BTW; There is no reason why "Component Video" RGB can't carry 1080/P, It's the limitations of the source & display devices that limit it.

teekay0007

I don't think the optical cable carries all the info of the HD soundtracks either.

pitdogg2

teekay0007 wrote: »

I don't think the optical cable carries all the info of the HD soundtracks either.

Nope sure can't

tonyb

msg wrote: »

Barring simplicity, is HDMI any better than using Component Video (RGB) and Optical?

The simple answer is yes. Only HDMI will be able to carry the newer surround formats too. You could get around that if your bdp has 5.1 analog outputs and your receiver/processor had 5.1 inputs but they don't make too many bdp's with 5.1 analog outputs anymore.

Now for standard dvd, component video and optical is fine. Blu-ray however requires hdmi to take full advantage.

msg

okay. well that answers that.
thanks for the info, guys. some good reading there on BJC.

WLDock

Maybe consider an AVR with preouts plus and amp vs. an older Pre/Pro plus amp? Just matters what is important to you.

tonyb

WLDock wrote: »

Maybe consider an AVR with preouts plus and amp vs. an older Pre/Pro plus amp? Just matters what is important to you.

Bingo....I sent the man a PM with the exact suggestion. He's a tad confused and I'd hate to see him waste a lot of coin. He needs a good baseline before jumping to more expensive gear so I suggested a Pioneer SC receiver or Anthem, coupled with a 2 channel amp fro B&k or Parasound, good cables.....and a sub from Velo, HSU, SVS, and others. This will serve you very well on it's own for RTI speakers. If you want to add a 2 channel pre amp down the road, it's a possibility we'll discuss as you get used to the sound your looking for. Right now your a boat in the river of audio with no oars. lol

Also, you have to decide how much coin you want to commit to this venture. About every 5 years or so gear becomes obsolete. New formats, compatibility issues, etc. Higher end gear will lose value fairly quickly. Pre/pros are no exception. The B&k's we mentioned earlier went for 3500 bucks new, now...a couple hundred. Would you rather have a 3500 buck pre/pro go obsolete, or a 1200 buck receiver ? Amps never become obsolete, only processing and connectivity.

Now if you have the room and wallet to set up separate systems for HT and 2 channel, that's another story. Our suggestions so far have been for one system to serve both masters. Like we said, depends on what you want to accomplish, but please pal, don't just buy stuff to buy stuff. Come here and ask, our members won't steer ya wrong.....well, most of us anyway. LOL

msg

Hey guys, yeah, been thinking about this and trying to find an earlier pre/pro that can produce decent music along with something like a Parasound 2205A amplifier. Was looking specifically at a Halo C2, or the Parasound Model 7100.
I still need to look into the Anthem stuff, Tony, thanks for those recommendations.

btw Tony - I was trying to respond back to you, but you must be popular - your box is full


I'm not huge on HT right now, fellas. I'm slowly (read: lazily) renovating at home, and my listening space is a "great" room now - no more interior walls - and this space is going to be the last addressed, so I'm only going 3.1 right now, and may not even go with surround unless it's just hanging small surrounds on the side walls.

I would like to go with an AVR - that was actually my first path - but I tried the Pioneer SC-75 and a Marantz SR7007, and neither sounded particularly pleasing on the music front with the RTi10's I have. just... empty and lackluster, and that was both straight through and with the B&K EX-442 in the mix (an older 200wpc amp). Granted, I didn't/don't have good cables yet either, so maybe that was it, I don't know. The setup does sound much nicer through the B&K MC-101 preamp, though, so while I know it matters, could the cables have been the issue?

At this point, I think I'm leaning toward just finding an affordable, quality pre/pro to use to get me by for a while with some sort of audio switching, with a priority for music, something better than any of the AVR's I tried, hopefully something warmer and more controllable for music like the B&K MC-101 preamp, instead of just a poor digital -6db to +6db range.

As for AVR's - I thought I was decided on the Pioneer SC-1222-k, which should be similar to the SC-61 in the Elite line, but I'm not sure whether that's good enough - Tony? I think you recommended SC-57 or better (140w/ch), so this would prob be like... I'm not sure... the SC-61? And I'm not sure about this part, but I think the differences between the Elite and standard SC line-up are 2yr warranty vs 1yr, and amber and gold accents?


I don't have a Blu-ray player yet, not sure when I'll get one, but I would connect it directly to the tv and pass audio via optical. Like what sort or data/instruction gets dropped by optical? I'll have to go do some more reading.

I prob need to do some more research, but I need a pre/pro pretty soon since I have an amp on the way. I just can't see spending $1200-$1500 on a "just decent" AVR just for the HDMI capability when the more important piece seems like it's gonna suck for me - cold, empty music. I'm going to take my time on 2ch as a couple of smart guys have recommended. just too many balls up in the air right now. I got completely sucked in and am excited, what can I say.


At this particular stage I'm not looking for a permanent AVR solution, just something that I can use for combo music/tv for a while. doesn't need to be perfect, but it does need to give me some measure of musical warmth, otherwise it's a complete waste and I should just stick with switching out my speakers manually, or buy a sucky baseline Pioneer AVR with preouts for the new-to-me Parasound, right?

msg

tonyb wrote: »

Bingo....I sent the man a PM with the exact suggestion. He's a tad confused and I'd hate to see him waste a lot of coin. He needs a good baseline before jumping to more expensive gear so I suggested a Pioneer SC receiver or Anthem, coupled with a 2 channel amp fro B&k or Parasound, good cables.....and a sub from Velo, HSU, SVS, and others. This will serve you very well on it's own for RTI speakers. If you want to add a 2 channel pre amp down the road, it's a possibility we'll discuss as you get used to the sound your looking for. Right now your a boat in the river of audio with no oars. lol

Also, you have to decide how much coin you want to commit to this venture. About every 5 years or so gear becomes obsolete. New formats, compatibility issues, etc. Higher end gear will lose value fairly quickly. Pre/pros are no exception. The B&k's we mentioned earlier went for 3500 bucks new, now...a couple hundred. Would you rather have a 3500 buck pre/pro go obsolete, or a 1200 buck receiver ? Amps never become obsolete, only processing and connectivity.

Now if you have the room and wallet to set up separate systems for HT and 2 channel, that's another story. Our suggestions so far have been for one system to serve both masters. Like we said, depends on what you want to accomplish, but please pal, don't just buy stuff to buy stuff. Come here and ask, our members won't steer ya wrong.....well, most of us anyway. LOL

btw - lol'ing to boat in the river of audio with no oars, and being steered wrong.
no room, and just modest wallet.

maybe I just need to take a step back for a while, and do nothing. I just don't have anything to use the amp with right now - existing AVR has no preouts. was just trying to figure out which two birds to try to gamble on killing, bc I'm not ready to go all in on anything high end right now.

Hermitism

msg wrote: »

btw Tony - I was trying to respond back to you, but you must be popular - your box is full

Yeah Tony, check your box in the other forum too. I sent you a pm yesterday. Get with it man!!

Loud & Clear

Some blu ray players have two hdmi outputs, where one goes to the tv and the other to the avr/processor. If you don't do hdmi out of the blu ray to the processor, you don't get today's lossless formats unless you want to do multi-channel input via rca.