quick question regarding htpc connections

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hello noob here. Is it safe to assume that if i connect my (currently being built) htpc via its vga output (geforce 7700gt) into my 26" hdtv vga input i should be able to watch hd (720p/1080i) quality videos that i have downloaded with no problems with quality and run MCE2005 fine and dandy? cheers for the help!
 
Rami said:
hello noob here. Is it safe to assume that if i connect my (currently being built) htpc via its vga output (geforce 7700gt) into my 26" hdtv vga input i should be able to watch hd (720p/1080i) quality videos that i have downloaded with no problems with quality and run MCE2005 fine and dandy? cheers for the help!
hi you will be able to watch them but you won't get the full effect. you will need either a hdtv composite cable or a hdmi cable to get the full hd resoloution :)
 
caithomas44 said:
hi you will be able to watch them but you won't get the full effect. you will need either a hdtv composite cable or a hdmi cable to get the full hd resoloution :)

This is wrong. Composite isn't the same thing as component, and VGA is better than component anyway.

The 26" HDTV is probably 1366x768, and (TV dependant) VGA should let you run at a higher resolution than HDMI (which tends to limit you to standard HDTV formats). I'm running a HTPC with MCE into a 32" HDTV through VGA, with the Samsung R7's it's the best connection. HDMI is the superior standard in theory, but with these non-standard native resolution HDTV's it's a bit compromised.
 
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hi sorry i used the wrong word, composite/component. but a hdmi will still produce a lot better quality than vga. vga is old hat. even dvi will produce a better quality picture :)

for the pure readon, hdmi is digital, dvi can be analogue or digital but vga is purely anaglogue. no matter what the resoloution the digital format will present a better quality image,
 
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Last three TFT monitors I've owned have all had both DVI and VGA and I literally couldn't tell the difference between the two (which I tested with both leads connected at the same time so windows thought I had dual screens and then swapping back and forth between them using the monitor input controls). Also my LG LCDTV has a fantastic picture through VGA, every bit as good as through HDMI.

Of course if the content is protected (for instance a retail blu-ray film playing from a blu-ray drive) and your video card and screen both have HDCP then you will need to use HDMI/DVI, but otherwise the difference between analogue and digital is very small if not negligible. You might see a noticeable difference if you go right down to the bargain basement end of the scale, but any vaguely decent screen should have a capable VGA.
 
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