Cable Sense
Cables are one thing that, in the digital arena, get discounted as being binary in function. The cables either work or they don’t.
An article from Tom’s Hardware Guide explains, why, in the case of HDMI, is not so.
The assumption that newer is better, and digital is always better than analog, can get a person into trouble in many places. This is one.
Component video + audio
The HDMI cable pin arrangement, 19 pins, in a very small space
While the signal carried by HDMI is digital, the number of analog to digital conversions can be the same as with component cables, and the quality of long HDMI cables is questionable in many cases.
Because of its universality with one single input for audio and sound, HDMI has become the much preferred standard for HDTV hook-ups. That doesn’t mean it necessarily has a huge leaps-and-bounds advantage over component, though. Component video provides a more reliable picture, carries a more robust set of standards and generally works better for long-range professional-type set-ups.
So, don’t throw out those component cables just yet, or eschew a component switcher, simply because of some incorrect notion that all digital is best!
Conversion cables of high quality are available, and may make certain systems easier to set up and manage.
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May 16th, 2008 at 5:57 pm
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