HDMI

Just bought a new 50" panasonic TH-50PZ850 T.V. Supposedly their top of the line for 2008. Got a pretty good deal as they had a lot of this model remaining. Probably because of it's original retail of 3300. Anyway it has 3 HDMI inputs. My TGP-5 has 3 HDMI terminals also. 2 inputs for satellite and DVD and one HDMI outlet. Should I bother using any of these or go directly from my satellite box and DVD player to my T.V. My main reason for going through the processor would be to improve either picture or sound. If not would there be any other good reason to bother. Art

I was told to run all the HDMO stuff to the TV and let it do the switching. Works fine for me

I let my receiver take all the HDMI's then send the output HDMI from receiver to TV.

Art, I go direct to my TV......I bypass my TGP-5

Perry

I'll 2nd that one!!!! Run them right to the TV!

In that my Sunfire TGP-III has no HDMI, I go directly to the TV with HDMI. But, IIRC, none of these Sunfires process audio over HDMI, so there is no need to go there anyway.

I would go direct to TV, the shortest signal path with cables the better.

I'll 2nd that one!!!! Run them right to the TV!

with out question , straight to TV....I have a TGP II.............

I kind of wonder why they put those things on there anyway. They must have had something in mind. Art

I kind of wonder why they put those things on there anyway. They must have had something in mind. Art

If you run the HDMI through the Sunfire, it will switch your processor sound to the appropriate input without having to manual switch them each time. That's the only real advantage. I use mine with component video cables through my Sunfire for the same exact effect. I think HDMI was a really good way to sell more/different cables. Just watch, they'll come out with ANOTHER cable in the next couple of years, rendering HDMI obsolete...

Actually Rabbit, there is already movement to develop a Firewire standard for digital video/audio and use that to replace HDMI. This would help standardize home computer/Home AV interfaces, and make integrating these two incompatible formats MUCH more realistic.

HDMI is just a "placeholder" interface, to get people in the audio world used to the concept of high-quality single-cable interfaces. Eventually, all home electronics will use the same set of interfaces, like Firewire Toslink, and USB-2. RCAs and analog stereo cables will be entirely phased out with in the next two decades, if not sooner...

Not for us that have vintage gear! We'll always need quality RCAs

I find it difficult to see those RCA's going anywhere soon. The single digital cable running from the DVD player to the preamp or receiver has been around forever and never seems to have really caught on. All thoses high end companies like MIT, Transparent, and Nordost seem to be concentrating on the analogue style cable. Not that it would be a lot less hastle to have one cable instead of two. For me ,though, it's still what cables sound the best or produce the best pictures that determine where I would spend my money. I guess the only place you need an HDMI cable is from your Blu Ray DVD player to your T.V. I still wonder how good the sound would be running through that cable??? Art

Actually, you do need HDMI to get enough bandwidth for Dolby TrueHD and DTS True-HD. They are lossless with very high sample rates and 24-bit width.

A definition from Google:
The Best Way to Connect HD

The HDMI interface is the uncompressed, all-digital, global connectivity standard that delivers true HD quality for consumer electronics and PC products via a single cable.

HDMI technology was specifically designed to meet the needs of today’s – and tomorrow’s – HD entertainment systems. It transmits digital video, multi-channel surround sound, and advanced control data through a single cable, replacing up to eleven older cables with a single connection. Its simplicity is matched only by its extraordinary performance. High-bandwidth, all-digital, and never compressed, HDMI provides the highest possible signal quality.

More than 800 manufacturers have adopted the HDMI standard since 2003. With 229 million HDMI-enabled devices shipping in 2008, and 300 million more projected in 2009, analysts expect to see over a billion HDMI devices in the market by 2010, when every new digital TV will feature at least one HDMI port. HDMI connectivity is already standard on a wide range of products, from HDTVs and Blu-ray Disc players to multimedia PCs, gaming systems, digital camcorders, and more.

With HDMI connectivity, you get it all. The convenience of a one-cable solution, plus the power and performance of a high-speed digital link. Now and in the future, it’s the best way to connect HD.