Do I HAVE to use HDMI?

[CptGreedle]

As EVERYONE else has said... if you want the best audio an video.. get HDMI.

It really is just better. Without HDMI you can not get the surround sounds lossless audio. Still, it is up to you, get whatever floats your boat.
HDMI has made me very happy, I have never had any trouble with it, and it is SUPER easy to set up. One cable and that is it!
But the drawback is that you need all new equipment to run it... new TV, new player, new receiver... or at least new enough.

[Forrestandjen07]

why not?there not that expesnive

[clyon]

Originally Posted by coconutphone

Thanks. My TV does have HDMI connections. I use one for my Tivo and have 1 free.

Just get a HDMI switcher
$40 for 4 to 1
$20 for 2 to 1


http://www.monoprice.com/products/su...01&cp_id=10110

[cembros]

Originally Posted by KingLeerUK

Just for clarity, let's break it down a bit:

You MUST have HDMI to:

• bitstream lossless audio codecs and/or decoded PCM multichannel lossless audio to a receiver
• send 1080p video to a display

not true, you can send 1080p through component, you cannot send 1080/24p though. That is ofcourse if your tv accepts 1080p through component, which just about every tv does these days

[theprophecy247]

bottom line YES

[Kaldaim]

Why would you use 1080p when you can use 1080i? interlaced bests progressive 7 out of 8 times in head to head deathmatches. save that bandwidth!

[musicman1999]

Wow, some response. To those that disagreed, how many hgh end systems have you seen or heard and of those how many had hdmi connections and what were they?
High end systems put the decoding load on the player and use analog outputs. Keep in mind that all signals need to be converted to analog before we hear them.

bill

[quexos]

Originally Posted by coconutphone

Is there a real need instead of a component connection?

I'm on the verge of getting a player (aiming for the Sharp BD-HP20U) and want to know what I should get to get the proper experience.

Yes you must use an HDMI connection. The reason is that it's cool to say that you have an HDMI connection. Another less important reason is a full 1080p signal

[musicman1999]

[QUOTE=CptGreedle;1096295]As EVERYONE else has said... if you want the best audio an video.. get HDMI.

It really is just better. Without HDMI you can not get the surround sounds lossless audio.

Not true, get a player with analog outputs.

bill

[My_Two_Cents]

Originally Posted by Kaldaim

Why would you use 1080p when you can use 1080i? interlaced bests progressive 7 out of 8 times in head to head deathmatches. save that bandwidth!

You forgot the or or at the end of that statement.

[musicman1999]

[QUOTE=MacDaddyOJack;1095991]You dont need to sign your name to the end of each post either.


Sorry, but i think it is just polite to do so.

bill

[musicman1999]

Originally Posted by BluPayne4400

Maybe he is living in a 1999 world

In 1999 i still had a pretty good system, not as good as current system, but still pretty good.

bill

[JJ]

Musicman, I'm with you too, although far be it from me to reiterate what kingofgrills has said - I don't think that those who posted contrary to your point have any idea what they are talking about considering audio equipment.

[musicman1999]

Originally Posted by kingofgrills

With high end dedicated audio gear HDMI is not really part of the equation yet. Analog is still considered top dog, and HDMI isn't part of that equation. Balanced interconnects or good RCA interconnects still lead the way, all powered off the internal DACs from players, or good old vinyl. Keep in mind these are generally connecting to uber high end tube or solid state amps. If you look at most of the high end dedicated specialty audio gear out there, you won't find an HDMI connection in the equation at all.

Just don't shoot the messenger. It wasn't my statement.

A voice of reason.

bill

[MacDaddyOJack]

Originally Posted by JJxiv1215

Musicman, I'm with you too, although far be it from me to reiterate what kingofgrills has said - I don't think that those who posted contrary to your point have any idea what they are talking about considering audio equipment.

I fully agree with you and musicman that the optimal audio setting would reside with player decoding and analog outputs assuming the player has top-notch DAC's. However, there are no such players currently on the market so rather than confuse the OP, most of us opted to just say "yes" when he asked if HDMI was necessary. The fact still remains that for the best theater experience, HDMI is still needed as it is the only way to get a 1080p picture. If the OP had asked purely about 2 channel music sources then most of our responses would be invalid. But since he was referring to hometheater as a whole, an HDMI cable is a must.

Given the simplicity of his question and the player he was looking to buy, I had assumed that the upcoming Denon player with internal decoding and top-notch DAC's was overkill.

[Alaskankaijudude]

Originally Posted by haushausman

I've had multiple cable installers, TV repairmen, etc. all tell me use component over HDMI when it comes to cable television. The reason: Cable providers are not up to speed with 1080P (Comcast has only one channel that broadcasts in 1080P) and component looks better. At first I stuck with my HDMI cable, but then I moved and had to reinstall cable. He hooked everything up using the component and I noticed a big difference in picture. I left it on component and couldn't be happier.

If you don't believe me then see for yourself. It takes 5 minutes to switch connections.

For BD players... HDMI 100%

Just switched from component to HDMI on my cable box and picture is the same. One cable beats five any day.

[Petra_Kalbrain]

Originally Posted by MacDaddyOJack

I fully agree with you and musicman that the optimal audio setting would reside with player decoding and analog outputs assuming the player has top-notch DAC's. However, there are no such players currently on the market so rather than confuse the OP, most of us opted to just say "yes" when he asked if HDMI was necessary. The fact still remains that for the best theater experience, HDMI is still needed as it is the only way to get a 1080p picture. If the OP had asked purely about 2 channel music sources then most of our responses would be invalid. But since he was referring to hometheater as a whole, an HDMI cable is a must.

Given the simplicity of his question and the player he was looking to buy, I had assumed that the upcoming Denon player with internal decoding and top-notch DAC's was overkill.

Thank you! A voice of reason amidst misplaced voices of reason! Sotty musicman1999, but you are correct, just not within the context of this thread.

Originally Posted by Alaskankaijudude

Just switched from component to HDMI on my cable box and picture is the same. One cable beats five any day.

That's because any "over the air" broadcasts are mostly 1080i anyways... even the digital HD channels. So, switching from component to HDMI won't make much of a difference with television programming. But, you are right that 1 cable does the job of multiple when it comes to HDMI. I often find myslef chanting "NO MORE SPAGHETTI!" repeatedly when visiting friends who have their setups with exposed wiring.

[coconutphone]

Well I GOT an HDMI connection. Picked my 1st player and the HDMI cable for $300 total

My 1st BD is the "Mad Men" S1 set. Looks fantastic. Already ordered Planet Earth, pre-ordered Pushing Daisies and Heathers (my fave movie)

[Petra_Kalbrain]

Originally Posted by coconutphone

Well I GOT an HDMI connection. Picked my 1st player and the HDMI cable for $300 total

My 1st BD is the "Mad Men" S1 set. Looks fantastic. Already ordered Planet Earth, pre-ordered Pushing Daisies and Heathers (my fave movie)

Congrats! If you like nature based documentaries I highly recommend 'Galapagos.' The content isn't as extensive, but the picture quality is 100x better than 'Planet Earth.'