Anything wrong with connecting an S3 with component cables?

[gwsat]

For reasons explained in other posts, it appears that I am not going to be able to get my old RCA HDLP50W151 HDTV’s DVI connection to work with more modern HDMI equipped devices, such as the S3. Thus, I am going to have to connect my S3 to my TV via component cables. Has anybody here had any problems with connecting their S3 that way? One of my current DVRs, a Scientific Atlanta 8300HD, is connected via component and its PQ is at least as good as that of my other 8300HD, which is connected via HDMI to a much newer HDTV in another room.

[ionblue]

For reasons explained in other posts, it appears that I am not going to be able to get my old RCA HDLP50W151 HDTV’s DVI connection to work with more modern HDMI equipped devices, such as the S3. Thus, I am going to have to connect my S3 to my TV via component cables. Has anybody here had any problems with connecting their S3 that way? One of my current DVRs, a Scientific Atlanta 8300HD, is connected via component and its PQ is at least as good as that of my other 8300HD, which is connected via HDMI to a much newer HDTV in another room.

There are no problems hooking it up this way. In fact, I was forced to do so due to some strange synch problem with the S3's HDMI connection and my Pioneer TV. Picture is fine.

[astrohip]

Absolutely no problem at all. A great majority of people who have tried both have said they can't see any PQ difference between component versus HDMI input. Both here and in the AVS forums.

Have at it! :up:

[CrispyCritter]

The consensus in the avsforums seems to be that picture quality is the same. HDMI offers convenience and offers better possibilities in some unusual setups (eg boosting the signal works better if you need 100+ foot cables.) The drawback is that HDMI is young and there are still lots of incompatibility problems. It also offers more DRM control, which is a plus for content producers but probably a minus for the rest of us. Because of DRM, HDMI is the cable of the future, but there's no particular reason to use it now.

[jbowden]

My av tech indicated that current technology would not cause issues and users would likely not be able to notice the difference, but that as 1080p may drive HMDI vs. component in the future.

[mikedow]

I added component video yesterday in order to run the Tivo through my receiver. I actually noticed an improvement with component video. I have both connections running now. I also like the fact that component video connects immediately.

[cgould]

Component looks great on my 55" CRT-RPTV. I'm fully pleased that with analog component, there are no HDCP handshake/protocol/switching bug issues :)
Give me (good) analog any day over buggy DRM'd crap...

[gwsat]

Thanks to all for your responses. I was fairly optimistic going in that component would work well with an S3 because it works well with the Scientific Atlanta 8300HD DVR I am using now. It’s nonetheless reassuring to have had it confirmed.

I discovered as a result of some experiments I ran, that the DVI port on my three year old RCA HDLP50W151 HDTV is incompatible with HDMI devices. I guess it’s a good thing I didn’t buy an HD DVD player because they won’t upconvert standard DVDs to 1080i without an HDMI connection.

[RandyDtg]

I added component video yesterday in order to run the Tivo through my receiver. I actually noticed an improvement with component video. I have both connections running now. I also like the fact that component video connects immediately.

Whoa, when changing source on my HDTV, there is about a one second delay before the S3 comes up, would this go away if I was on component instead of HDMI ?

Would channel changing be faster too ?

[Anchorman]

My son just setup a Pioneer PDP-5071HD with a Tivo S3 and also the Comcast HD DVR. We were not able to play much with the S3 because he doesn't have cable cards for it yet. (Comcast in Ft Wayne thinks they should be charging $11.95 per month for EACH cable card and he is still fighting with them about that). So, he figured he might as well pay $5 per month for their DVR so he could at least have some HD recording capability.

Anyway, he originally hooked up the Comcast DVR to the Pioneer using component out, and then we decided to try the HDMI cable to see if there was any difference. Both connections remained hooked up and can easily be compared just by switching inputs on the TV. As far as PQ goes we couldn't see any difference at all, but there is a tremendous difference in sound quality.

On the input with component cables, the sound coming from the TV's speakers sounds very one dimensional, not even like stereo. But switch the the HDMI input, and whoa!!! :eek: you would swear you were in a theater with Dolby surround sound. The difference was un-believeable, and this again was just using TV speakers.

I would be interested to hear if anyone else can confirm our findings on this.

[Arcady]

Um, the HDMI cable is providing surround sound...

[c3]

One HDMI cable instead of 5 component+audio cables makes the hookup a lot cleaner.

[dnorth12]

I use component on my Hitachi 42" plasma. The picture quality is noticably better than the dvi input (doesn't have an hdmi input). Know it shouldn't be that way, but it is.

With component I get video dropouts on scenes that are bright white or sometimes when screens go from one graphic to another such as during news programs. It will take a second or two for the Hitachi to reaquire the image.

I don't have the dropout problem with the dvi input, but the image is fuzzier, so I stick with component because of the overall picture quality.

And I use the optical sound through a dolby amp.

[Krenath]

Since my S3 came with an HDMI cable right in the box and my television has the input for it, I prefer the HDMI cable just for the ability to reduce cable clutter by about a half-dozen cables or so, it seems.

If I lacked an HDMI cable, I can't say I'd have been motivated to run out and spend the $50-ish that most stores seem to feel compelled to charge for these cables. Some I've seen run as high as $200 depending on length (and, I suppose, how many karats worth of diamonds and gold are hidden away in the connectors or something)

[c3]

Don't buy cables from stores. monoprice.com is a good source. Around $6 for 3ft/6ft HDMI.

[tazzmission]

Since my S3 came with an HDMI cable right in the box and my television has the input for it, I prefer the HDMI cable just for the ability to reduce cable clutter by about a half-dozen cables or so, it seems.

If I lacked an HDMI cable, I can't say I'd have been motivated to run out and spend the $50-ish that most stores seem to feel compelled to charge for these cables. Some I've seen run as high as $200 depending on length (and, I suppose, how many karats worth of diamonds and gold are hidden away in the connectors or something)

My (2) S3's did not come with an HDMI cable. How come you got an HDMI cable???

[c3]

My (2) S3's did not come with an HDMI cable. How come you got an HDMI cable???

How is that possible? Did you get ANY cables?

[dswallow]

My (2) S3's did not come with an HDMI cable. How come you got an HDMI cable???
As I recall the cables came in 2 separate sections of a single plastic bag... one side had the HDMI and maybe one other cable; the other side had the other cables.

[Shawn95GT]

gwsat,

I have the HDLP50W42 which is nearly identical to your set. I have two S3s connected on the two component inputs. It works just fine. My only complaint is that my set is a 720p native set and it doesn't accept a 720p input :mad: .

1080i fixed ended up working out best for me.

[Maeglin]

Um, the HDMI cable is providing surround sound...
Um, so does an optical audio cable if you have that available on your receiver...

That's actually the hookup that I have right now... component video and optical audio between the S3 and receiver. The fact that I don't have an HDMI-capable TV yet has a lot to do with that, but I'll probably leave that connection in place even when I get one (I'm not a fan of overdone DRM either).

[tazzmission]

How is that possible? Did you get ANY cables?

Yes, I got a cable pack. It is marked HD cables and SD cables the HD cables that I got are component cables.

[dtphonehome]

Yes, I got a cable pack. It is marked HD cables and SD cables the HD cables that I got are component cables.

That's what I got too...I would love a free HDMI cable...I don't plan to use HDMI, but hey, free cable!

...Some I've seen run as high as $200 depending on length (and, I suppose, how many karats worth of diamonds and gold are hidden away in the connectors or something)

LOL, so true! Monster has LOTS of diamonds hidden away!

[raeiken]

I didn't see my HDMI cable at first, bit it was included in the standard side along with the RCA and phone cables.

There should definitely have been an HDMI included.

[gwsat]

Although my CableCARDs won’t be installed until tomorrow, today I got my S3 up and operating via component cables for video and an optical connection for audio. It seems to work well.

I have my display set for 1080i Fixed. Although I had at first used 1080i Hybrid, I can’t see much if any difference between them.

By the way, my S3, which arrived last night, DID come with an HDMI cable – for all the good that it did for me.

[tazzmission]

I just verified that I did not get an HDMI cable with either one of my S3's. I might call TiVo and ask them to send me two.