Does a DVI connection provide 1080i?

[RiseDarthVader]

So I'm getting a Dell XPS 630 with a Blu Ray drive and I want to know if a DVI cable is good enough? I'm getting a 24" Dell monitor 1920x1200. Do I need a HDMI cable for 1080i?

[arush5268d]

DVI certainly can do that resolution - and much higher.

What many people do with their HTPCs is a DVI-HDMI cable

[Blown Interceptor]

Originally Posted by arush5268d

DVI certainly can do that resolution - and much higher.

What many people do with their HTPCs is a DVI-HDMI cable

That's what I am doing with my 28" viewsonic LCD, looks pretty good too me.

[ricky tee78]

DVI and HDMI are pretty much the same thing, biggest difference is DVI does not do sound as well.

[akadkins]

It is exactly the same thing - without the audio...

[drago3451]

Originally Posted by akadkins

It is exactly the same thing - without the audio...

+1

[LORDs_angellos]

Originally Posted by akadkins

It is exactly the same thing - without the audio...

+2

HDMI = DVI - Audio

[gvortex7]

Originally Posted by LORDs_angellos

+2

HDMI = DVI - Audio

To be technical, it's actually this way: DVI = HDMI - AUDIO

[welwynnick]

For the record, HDMI officially supports YCbCr digital component video, as well as RGB. Being a computer-oriented interface, DVI only supports RGB.

Why we ever had to leave DVI behind I will never understand.

Nick

[LORDs_angellos]

Originally Posted by gvortex7

To be technical, it's actually this way: DVI = HDMI - AUDIO

Yeah, that’s what I meant.

[CyberVisions]

Originally Posted by RiseDarthVader

So I'm getting a Dell XPS 630 with a Blu Ray drive and I want to know if a DVI cable is good enough? I'm getting a 24" Dell monitor 1920x1200. Do I need a HDMI cable for 1080i?

Actually, you're all wrong - and right at the same time.

Not all HDMI-DVI cables are 1080i. It totally depends on the HDMI / DVI connector types involved with the cable and PC, and whether or not they're HDCP compliant. Older connector / cable types (pre-2005) that aren't HDCP compliant will automatically downgrade the incoming 1080i signal to 480i, and in some cases you might not see a video signal at all.

Having said that, the question is about a new system, so that probably won't be a problem unless you get your cable from Joe's discount cables or from Ebay. If your system has an HDMI port, use it rather than the DVI. As the others have noted, DVI doesn't carry audio, so you have to make allowances for how you're going to get your sound to an external display. Of course if you're just going to a PC HD monitor, then it's no big deal as you'll get the audio right there anyway.

If you do use HDMI-HDMI, you still need to redirect the PC audio to the HDMI connection,as the default setting is normally for the PC speakers.