Some of you might Have seen this post before. I posted it in the wrong section and I moved it here.
Right now I have a Vizio VX32L (Which btw I completely recommend! Best TV for the price!) and I have my Xbox 360 hooked up with VGA. I have chosen to use this connection because it allows me to select the proper native resolution for my TV which is 1366 x 768. I prefer the Xbox to output in my TV's native resolution because there are no "upscaling" problems and the picture fits the screen perfectly, unlike my brothers CRT HDTV. He uses component and it seem like the picture is stretched horizontally because a very small part of the picture is visibly cut off on the left side. I have observed this to be a problem of component as I have seen it on other TV's as well.

I'm planning on getting the new Xbox 360 Elite SKU and passing on my current 360 to my mother (She loves Halo so I'm giving her mine for her birthday so she'll be ready for Halo 3) The Elite supports HDMI, however I have no experience with this connection, every thing I use currently only supports component or VGA. My question is this, will HDMI out put the picture in 1366 x 768 or will it out put in standard 1280 x 720? I understand that HDMI is supposed to select the proper resolution for your set but I've never used it before and I figured I would ask before switching to it.

It will upconvert (create non-existing pixels) or downconvert (get rid of some).

Here is a list of all resolutions supported by HDMI:

"6.3.1 Primary Video Format Timings
• 640x480p @ 59.94/60Hz
• 1280x720p @ 59.94/60Hz
• 1920x1080i @ 59.94/60Hz
• 720x480p @ 59.94/60Hz
• 720(1440)x480i @ 59.94/60Hz
• 1280x720p @ 50Hz
• 1920x1080i @ 50Hz
• 720x576p @ 50Hz
• 720(1440)x576i @ 50Hz
6.3.2 Secondary Video Format Timings
• 720(1440)x240p @ 59.94/60Hz
• 2880x480i @ 59.94/60Hz
• 2880x240p @ 59.94/60Hz
• 1440x480p @ 59.94/60Hz
• 1920x1080p @ 59.94/60Hz
• 720(1440)x288p @ 50Hz
• 2880x576i @ 50Hz
• 2880x288p @ 50Hz
• 1440x576p @ 50Hz
• 1920x1080p @ 50Hz
• 1920x1080p @ 23.98/24Hz
• 1920x1080p @ 25Hz
• 1920x1080p @ 29.97/30Hz
• 2880x480p @ 59.94/60Hz
• 2880x576p @ 50Hz
• 1920x1080i (1250 total) @ 50Hz
• 720(1440)x480i @ 119.88/120Hz
• 720x480p @ 119.88/120Hz
• 1920x1080i @ 119.88/120Hz
• 1280x720p @ 119.88/120Hz
• 720(1440)x480i @ 239.76/240Hz
• 720x480p @ 239.76/240Hz
• 720(1440)x576i @ 100Hz
• 720x576p @ 100Hz
• 1920x1080i @ 100Hz
• 1280x720p @ 100Hz
• 720(1440)x576i @ 200Hz
• 720X576p @ 200Hz"

So i guess thats a no. I may be sticking with VGA. I'll have to compare the look and judge accordingly.

HDMI will carry whatever video timings (resolution) that the source device sends within the physical limitations of HDMI chip. Whether or not the target device can synch on any particular resolution or a source can device can send a particular resolution depends on the devices being used. HDMI can carry 1366x768 no problem, but finding a device besides a video processor (external scaler) may be a problem.

larry

HDMI can carry 1366x768 no problem
This is not what HDMI 1.3a Spec says, excerpt defining supported resolutions provided above.

That may be the mininum resolutions that should be supported. I can send 1366x768 via HDMI to my plasma with no problems. The "transport" part of HDMI is just a pipe, it's up to either end to cooperate wrt video timings going into or coming out of the pipe.

larry

List provided is not the minimum nor the maximum. HDMI is not "transport" nor pipe. It's an interface, protocol, language to be spoken by both Source and Sink. Just because one can speak Polish and Swahili does not make Swahili part of Polish.

HDMI Spec 1.3a p.86:

"6.3 Video Format Timing Specifications
All specified video line pixel counts and video field line counts (both active and total) and HSYNC
and VSYNC positions, polarities, and durations shall be adhered to when transmitting a specified
video format timing.
For example, if a Source is processing material with fewer active pixels per line than required (i.e.
704 pixels vs. 720 pixels for standard definition MPEG2 material), it may add pixels to the left and
right of the supplied material before transmitting across HDMI. AVI bar info may need to be
adjusted to account for these added pixels."

You neglected to read the first paragraph under section 6 of the HDMI spec:

"HDMI allows any video format timing to be transmitted and displayed. To maximize
interoperability between products, common DTV formats have been defined. These video format timings define the pixel and line counts and timing, synchronization pulse position and duration, and whether the format is interlaced or progressive. HDMI also allows vendor-specific formats to be used."

The primary video timings (listed in post above) are the CE timings that are spelled out in the CEA-861 spec, and mentioned to list out timings that manufacturers are suggested to use, but not limited to exclusively use.

There are 2 key things needed to be able to drive a TV at its native resolution:
1) the source device must be capable of supporting the TV's native resolution (such as 1366x768). Many PCs can do this (due to their nature of being highly programmability and availability of tools like Powerstrip where video timings can be customized), whereas many CE devices do not do this since it's not a mode that TVs will usually support, and because CE devices tend to shoot for making the experience simple & reliable. Could a mode like this be added to a CE source? Yes, probably quite easily, but engineers won't add this until TV's supported it, which leads to...

2) the TV must report its true native resolution, and be able to set its video processor into a bypass mode so that no scaling occurs. In other words, the TV has the ability to act like a (dumb) monitor. This is very uncommon in TVs today because the usage PCs with a TV is not too common (although certainly changing), and we have things like overscan to live with. But again, this capability for a TV to be driven like a monitor is something that could be done- in fact, some TVs do support this mode with their VGA inputs. Some TV manufacturers see PC connectivity as a differentiating feature, so they support it with this mode. Others do not see this as a desired feature, so they don't support it. Fortunately, the market is big enough to give consumers a choice.

It's very possible that both these 2 conditions above will change going forward given that PC connectivity is a trend that is growing.

HDMI_Org

God, aren't you getting tired of this?

Are you the official oppologist for HDMI?

So I guess my main question is, using HDMI, can I compensate for overscan or do away with it all together? Using VGA with my TV allows me to completely get rid of any overscan my TV may have. Is there any way to do this using HDMI?

You neglected to read the first paragraph under section 6 of the HDMI spec:

"HDMI allows any video format timing to be transmitted and displayed. To maximize
interoperability between products, common DTV formats have been defined. These video format timings define the pixel and line counts and timing, synchronization pulse position and duration, and whether the format is interlaced or progressive. HDMI also allows vendor-specific formats to be used."You neglected to mention that the first paragraph under section 6 titled Overview. OVERVIEW? You define the standard in an overview? Overview is a short description and not detailed definition. Overview is what written on a dust cover: you read it once and throw away, unless you like its art. In any case you never read it again. I always was taught "The devil is in the details."

So I guess my main question is, using HDMI, can I compensate for overscan or do away with it all together? Using VGA with my TV allows me to completely get rid of any overscan my TV may have. Is there any way to do this using HDMI?

It's more a matter of whether the TV allows itself to broadcast its native resolution, and allows its video processing (namely overscan) to be bypassed. There's nothing HDMI can inherently do to force a TV to do this- it's manufacturer's choice.

Good news is some TVs are beginning to support such a mode. I've seen some that will make it behave more as a monitor when the user selects the "Game Mode."