The Microsoft HDTV lead.

LiamC

LiamC

LiamC

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My Xbox is connected to the TV using the Microsoft HDTV lead, Im just wondering if this is HDMI or if i should buy a HDMI cable?
 
Thats what im going to do, but im not sure if the HDMI cable gives more quality over the HDTV cable. ( Im guessing it does though )
 
Just go for HDMI if you can.

What people prefer is down to their preference, just get a £3-£5 HDMI cable off Ebay and decide for yourself, since it's not like £5 is going to break the bank and you could always keep the cable as a spare for something else if you prefer the component connection you already have. Also your Xbox won't really output 1080p anyway since like 99% of games released run at 720p or lower.
 
LiamC said:
Thats what im going to do, but im not sure if the HDMI cable gives more quality over the HDTV cable. ( Im guessing it does though )
Click to expand...

No, not that you would tell.

When you say HDTV lead, you are referring to the Component cable, made up of individual RGB plugs and stereo sound. That's mainly the downside, the component cable alone doesnt give decent sound output. You'd need an optical cable to go with that.
 
I had to buy the official HDMI canle as it comes with the SPDIF dongle, my reciever doesnt have HDMI. I understand that the xbox can only do stereo over hdmi anyway.
 
gord said:
No, not that you would tell.

When you say HDTV lead, you are referring to the Component cable, made up of individual RGB plugs and stereo sound. That's mainly the downside, the component cable alone doesnt give decent sound output. You'd need an optical cable to go with that.
Click to expand...

While they're coloured Red, Green and Blue, component isn't a lossless transmission method like VGA RGB signals.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Component_video
 
Kreeeee said:
While they're coloured Red, Green and Blue, component isn't a lossless transmission method like VGA RGB signals.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Component_video
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Kree I am not quite sure what you mean by lossless, as it normally refers to digital compression methods. Component is an anologue transmission method and does not rely on compression techniques. As for the XBox component will provide an equivalent of a 1080i signal whereas HDMI can output upto 1080p. Personally I find the interlacing provides a slightly softer image (using component) but it would be hard to tell in a double blind test. Go into most Stores like Currys and they wire up all of their plasmas / lcds using component not HDMI.
 
Personally if it was my setup. I'd be running VGA or HDMI.

I am currently running VGA on my 360 and HDMI on my PC.
Both are optimum picture quality on my 32" LG
 
SimonR said:
Kree I am not quite sure what you mean by lossless, as it normally refers to digital compression methods. Component is an anologue transmission method and does not rely on compression techniques. As for the XBox component will provide an equivalent of a 1080i signal whereas HDMI can output upto 1080p. Personally I find the interlacing provides a slightly softer image (using component) but it would be hard to tell in a double blind test. Go into most Stores like Currys and they wire up all of their plasmas / lcds using component not HDMI.
Click to expand...

Just making sure that people don't read into gord's comment in the wrong way. The 3 coloured cables don't represent separate red, green and blue channels.

Component does use compression (which is definitely not limited to digital signals, S-Video and composite are compressions of component which is a compression of RGB signals), but the losses are minimal.
 
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HDMI & DVI = Digital

Component & VGA = Analogue

My understanding is that generally speaking, a digital connection is better.
I'm sure many displays look better with an analogue connection though.
 
Kreeeee said:
Just making sure that people don't read into gord's comment in the wrong way. The 3 coloured cables don't represent separate red, green and blue channels.

Component does use compression (which is definitely not limited to digital signals, S-Video and composite are compressions of component which is a compression of RGB signals), but the losses are minimal.
Click to expand...

Kree I think that you are confusing multiplexing with compression. Multiplexing is where the analogue RGB channels are split into a brightness channel and 2 channels which are the difference between the Blue and the Brightness and the Red and the Brightness. There is no compression of the signal.

Compression is where the digital signal has information removed from it so that it requires less bandwidth to transmit. MPEG4 is such a compression technique. More commonly H.264 is a lossy compression format which is used for encoding BluRay disks and for transmitting digital satellite signals

HDMI is a digital method of connecting devices that transmits uncompressed digital data.

So using either component or hdmi out of your XBox360 the signal data is uncompressed. In theory component can support 1080p but on an XBox 360 it is normally limited to 1080i whereas the the HDMI supports 1080p. Hence the HDMI image should (in theory) be better than the component one. In reality most games are only encoded in 720p so the point is moot.

Sorry to be a pedant

Mushii
 
I understand your points.

The colour components are compressed in component video for the explicit purpose of reducing bandwidth (Ypbbr is the colour space the 360 outputs via component). A high resolution Luma signal is used which allows for a great looking image with good bandwidth savings but some IQ is lost, although as I stated, it's not easily perceived.

If you are referring to the digital Ycbcr colour space then I'd agree with you but that is not what the 360 outputs via component (I believe it is an option via HDMI).

No need to apologise for trying to expand someone's knowledge :)
 
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