Question about cable box hook up

[M73]

If i hookup my cable box to a receiver using HDMI, does that give me better picture and audio or just audio? Currently i have an optical from cable box to receiver.

[Big Daddy]

To the best of my knowledge, broadcast TV's in the U.S. use Dolby Digital. You will not get better audio with HDMI. As far as picture is concerned, you will get better quality than S video. On a small TV, you won't be able to tell the difference between HDMI and component. If you already have an HDMI cable, there is no risk. Try it.

[M73]

hmm ok, the cable box i have didnt come with HDMI connection, so i was wondering if its worth trying to get a different one with it

[Footloose301]

It makes no difference since the cable box can only produce 720P/1080i.

The only difference it would make is that the HDMI would be giving you a digital signal from the box to the tv, as the component is an analog signal.

But you won't notice a difference in picture quality.

And yes, Dolby Digital 5.1 is the most that box can provide besides 2.0 PCM.

[TENSE]

i have a time warner cable hd dvr hooked up with an hdmi cable!

[General Salty]

Originally Posted by TENSE

i have a time warner cable hd dvr hooked up with an hdmi cable!

So do I and there's a difference in PQ. Not huge but bigger than a minor difference

[kingofgrills]

Originally Posted by General Salty

So do I and there's a difference in PQ. Not huge but bigger than a minor difference

Generally, there will be a slight difference in picture quality, but it can vary from unit to unit. Also, the picture quality can be affected by the TV or cable box, as well as the connection type used in the combination. Some TVs seem to handle video quality signals better with component cables, while others handle HDMI signals better. I don't know if it's just differences in component input gain variances or what, but it seems to vary unit to unit.