[SithLord]

I have a Yamaha HTR-6290 that does video up-conversion, a Motorola DVR (DCT 6412), and a Sony KD-34XS955 HDTV. This might be a stupid question but I have not been able to figure out an easy, direct answer

There is an HDMI connection going from the Yamaha to the TV (PS3 is currently the only HDMI source feeding into the AVR). The DVR is hooked up to the Yamaha via component, which I assume is being spit-shined and polished before being output to the TV. There is no question the SD picture is improved since we bought this AVR, but I'm not sure when/where/how the signals flow and take precedence. Maybe it is the HDMI out, or the up-conversion by the AVR, or maybe the TV is in the mix there somewhere, too. Dunno.


Should I switch the DVR to HDMI? Or is the up-conversion only a benefit if the signal is coming from component? I don't really want to spend the $$ on another HDMI cable if the picture is not going to see much improvement.


Thanks!

 

[afrogt]

You probably wont see any improvement since HD broadcast are only in 720p and 1080i which component video can handle. And cable boxes are notorious for having issues with receivers when connected via HDMI. Its usually due to the firmware on the cable box.


As far as not wanting to spend the $$ on the HDMI cable, where are you buying from? They only cost $4.
http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...seq=1&format=2



I bought a 3 pack for $9.99 last month from my local Fry's.


The easiest thing for you to do is try the HDMI cable that you currently have connected to your PS3. If it looks better with HDMI and have no issues, buy another cable.

 

[MichaelJHuman]

Only you can determine the best option.


Component video has to be converted to digital at some point. The quality of that conversion depends on the chip used etc.


When converting from one resolution to another and/or dealing with interlaced video, again, the quality of the chips used matters.


There are three steps -


* Analog to digital conversion

* Deinterlacing (if needed)

* Scaling


The AVR FAQ explains some complexities to this, such as overscan, which make it potentially desirable to only scale at your TV. Deinterlacing is important, and I suggest trying out a few options to determine which looks best.


DVRs may use a crappy deinterlacer or scaler. My Tivo, for example, has a bad looking zoom feature (needed for letterboxed movies.) So you might find your TV is the best processor, and you should feed it unprocessed signals (no scaling, and if possible, no deinterlacing.)


By the way, HDMI avoids a digital to analog conversion in your DVR if it has a digital tuner, like my Tivo, so it's worth trying out HDMI. I have not noticed a big difference between using component and HDMI though.


p.s. As someone mentioned above, HDMI is often a source of problems with DVRs, so component may be preferable in this case.