September 2006
HDMI: the new jack on the box
It's already hard to decide which HDTV input to use, and now there's another to consider: HDMI. Here's what you need to know.
It's digital, and that's good. Video signals are increasingly digital, as are the LCD, plasma, and microdisplay TVs receiving them. But if you hook up a digital device to a digital TV using the best analog input, a component-video input, the signal has to be translated from digital to analog and back again. The back-and-forth conversion can affect quality-and not for the better.
HDMI inputs are digital, so the signal doesn't have to undergo such gyrations. Potentially, they can provide better HD picture quality. Note we say "potentially." The best TVs preserve the integrity of a digital signal, but the circuitry in some TVs can substantially degrade the image quality.
Small but capable. HDMI is a slim, single-cable connection that carries both video and audio. It appears to be taking over from DVI, another digital input that has been around for a few years. DVI connections carry only video, so you need separate audio cables, and they're bulkier than HDMI. You would use DVI primarily to connect a PC to your TV for use as a monitor. If your TV has no DVI inputs, you can also use an HDMI input to hook up a computer with the help of an adapter that costs about $20 to $30.
Look for one or two HDMI inputs. Most new TVs have one HDMI input; some have two, which gives you more connectivity options for devices such as DVD players and cable boxes, which increasingly have HDMI outputs. HDMI version 1.3 is expected soon. It's designed to support multichannel audio (with lossless compression) and more accurate color--nice touches but not worth waiting for. Like other inputs, HDMI requires a specific cable. Don't pay hundreds of dollars for "premium-grade" cables, though. Inexpensive cables at Best Buy, RadioShack, and other stores should be fine, and they cost less. A 6-foot cable is adequate for most setups and won't leave a tangle of extra wiring.
It's digital, and that's good. Video signals are increasingly digital, as are the LCD, plasma, and microdisplay TVs receiving them. But if you hook up a digital device to a digital TV using the best analog input, a component-video input, the signal has to be translated from digital to analog and back again. The back-and-forth conversion can affect quality-and not for the better.
HDMI inputs are digital, so the signal doesn't have to undergo such gyrations. Potentially, they can provide better HD picture quality. Note we say "potentially." The best TVs preserve the integrity of a digital signal, but the circuitry in some TVs can substantially degrade the image quality.
Small but capable. HDMI is a slim, single-cable connection that carries both video and audio. It appears to be taking over from DVI, another digital input that has been around for a few years. DVI connections carry only video, so you need separate audio cables, and they're bulkier than HDMI. You would use DVI primarily to connect a PC to your TV for use as a monitor. If your TV has no DVI inputs, you can also use an HDMI input to hook up a computer with the help of an adapter that costs about $20 to $30.
Look for one or two HDMI inputs. Most new TVs have one HDMI input; some have two, which gives you more connectivity options for devices such as DVD players and cable boxes, which increasingly have HDMI outputs. HDMI version 1.3 is expected soon. It's designed to support multichannel audio (with lossless compression) and more accurate color--nice touches but not worth waiting for. Like other inputs, HDMI requires a specific cable. Don't pay hundreds of dollars for "premium-grade" cables, though. Inexpensive cables at Best Buy, RadioShack, and other stores should be fine, and they cost less. A 6-foot cable is adequate for most setups and won't leave a tangle of extra wiring.
