How Many HDMI Ports Does Your HDTV Have? 143
harryk asks: "Ok, this is a serious question and one I don't think has been covered, at least not with a quick glance in Google's direction. With all of the media center components that we'll all have in our entertainment racks, the biggest question that I have (actually my wife prompted me on this) is how many HDMI ports does your TV have? With the PS3, my HD-DVD player or up-convert DVD player, and my fancy schmancy new cable box or satellite receiver, how on earth will I connect all of them?"
My HDMI Count = 0 (Score:3, Interesting)
Its going to be a good and successful format but I don't want to purchase devices now and find out in 2 years I have to replace my reciever just because some movie studio's aren't happy with its Encryption and decide to use something else.
Im going to wait until this technology is well and truley adopted before I change. Thats why I have been holding out on getting a new TV/Reciever and will not worry about the PS3 as I will be getting a Nintendo Wii
Two on TV, but devices can daisy chain (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Two on TV, but devices can daisy chain (Score:3, Interesting)
That sounds suspiciously like how USB was originally sold. "Yeah, the computer only has two ports, but practically every USB device will allow another device to daisy-chain onto it, so that won't be a problem at all." I'll be interested to see if that pans out at any better.
Re:zero (Score:5, Interesting)
Use component. HDMI enables HDCP and *that* isn't something you want to do.
HDMI doesn't give you anything hugely useful. It can incorporate audio into the same cable with the video, however, for most people who have separate surround systems, this is an inconvenience, rather than a feature. Digital audio needs to go to the surround system, while video, component preferably, goes to the display device. If you're using your display's built-in audio, you're almost certainly involved in a sub-par overall experience
Component, thus far, is the best of the best. Good (by which I mean just good... not stupidity like monster overkill) cables will give you excellent results. How do I know? Because I have a 22-foot diagonal display sourced from a 1080/1920 projection system. Component gives single pixel resolution without any trouble; that's awesome at that amount of detail.
Remember: HDMI is bad and supporting it is the last thing you would want to do. HDMI enables HDCP, and HDCP is a pond-scum mechanism for DRM / copy protection.
Re:Two on TV, but devices can daisy chain (Score:3, Interesting)
I can tell you now, MOST homes in the UK are currently daisy chaining their Cable/Sky box through their DVD player/recorder into their TVs via several SCART cables.
So, no, HDMI chaining isn't silly, it's a damn good idea.
On a personal note, I have a very large and powerful A/V Amp - all my devices connect to that with one cable going from it to my output device (a Panasonic Projector). The Amp does all the video/audio switching for me ( as well as providing 7.1 DD/DTS kick ass sound
-Jar.
Re:zero (Score:3, Interesting)
Is capturing a DVI signal and then recording it something you want to do? I don't think so.
HDCP protects a DVI signal. That has a very high bitrate and it takes quite some effort to compress it back into the recorded material.
When you want to record something, you record the MPEG2 (or whatever compression standard) material, not the decoded output.
So, HDCP is not really a problem.
Component, thus far, is the best of the best.
Why do you consider Component the best? What was wrong with RGB that it needed to be replaced?
Re:zero (Score:3, Interesting)
No. Not personally. Though I see no reason why I should be prevented from doing so; copyright wasn't designed to support such restrictions. Capturing a component signal is something I hope to do, though.
No. HDCP doesn't "protect" the signal. It was never at risk. Saying it "protects" it is misdirection and hyperbole. What HDCP actually does is prevents the end user from (for instance) time shifting, recording for personal archival recovery, capturing the news on one's wedding day, you name it, it is in the way. DRM is not "protection", it is an insult to the consumer. It says "we assume you are a lawbreaker, and that you will violate copyright." It is presumption of guilt by fiat, the condemnation of one individual because of the acts of another (if it is even that), and nothing you can say will lift it one centimeter above those miserable goals.
It is the best generally available to the consumer. As far as RGB goes, one thing wrong with it is that the color gamut available isn't realistically broad with RGB or any other three-axis system you can name (and of course, that includes component.) Another is that RGB isn't generally available, so it's not really relevant to the issue at hand. Likewise, no 4 or greater axis system is generally available, and so that (again) leaves us with component. Component has the agreeable characterisic of being recordable with three high-speed A/D convertors, or as a triple analog stream if media were to become available that could accept three channels of such dense data. Good analog recordings have many merits. Digital have some too, of course, but unfortunately the industry is mostly using digital to screw the consumer, so I'm inclined to bypass them at this time as best I can, and suggest the same to others. At the moment, HD 1920 by 1080 is the top end, and component works just fine for that. So there is no need whatsoever for HDMI or DVI in the HDTV space. The industry can (and probably will) make an artificial need by intentionally degrading the component signal; such plans are, I hear, in the works. I have one word for that: Despicable.
Re:zero (Score:1, Interesting)
Most can't see the waves that are introduced when you use component, but if you look for them you'll see them.
Re:Two on TV, but devices can daisy chain (Score:3, Interesting)