Hdmi, dvi, wtf?

[s3rv0]

Clever title aside, my question does deal with these two protocols. I know that HDMI includes sound, and DVI does not. I'm getting a new video card (Radeon 2g 4870 X2) with a DVI output, but no HDMI. My monitor, brand spanking new 23" wide screen HD model, has inputs for DVI, HDMI, and VGA. I know I can get DVI to HDMI converters, so if I wanted to do HDMI I could (I'd have to do sound separately, but I intend to anyway). Would quality be reduced to DVI level (if there is even a quality difference, I don't know) if I did this? Or would it essentially be HDMI?

Second part of the question: Do you notice a video quality improvement in windows or in a game like TF2? Those of you with HD monitors, what do you view in HD besides stuff like youtube or bluray movies or other downloadable HD content? Any games or anything else that really supports it or anything like that? I dunno, kind of an HD noob.

Any other thoughts/inputs would be appreciated.

 

[NCA]

From Wikipedia:
"A Digital Visual Interface (DVI) signal is electrically compatible with an HDMI video signal; no signal conversion needs to take place when an adapter is used, and consequently no loss in video quality occurs."

 

[mrcool]

Yeah. I have the ATI 4850 DVI to HDMI to a 24" @ 1900x1080. No problems. Great quality.

 

[RotaryVelocity]

Converting it would not result in any video quality loss so ur covered if u want to use a converter

 

[s3rv0]

So, if it's the same video quality either way, I may as well just use DVI since the card has DVI out and the monitor DVI input, right? Or is there some incentive to go to HDMI?

I cannot believe I checked everywhere but Wikipedia. >_<

 

[s3rv0]

Bump.

A couple questions left unanswered. Summary:

1.) What's the advantage of using HDMI over DVI provided you're not using HDMI's sound anyway? From what I understand here, it's nothing.

2.) How do you all with HD monitors and HD enabled video cards use them to their fullest, besides just watching the odd bluray disk or HD movie on Youtube?

 

[Endiment]

1) there's a video quality difference. the reason that there's no loss is that the HDMI IN on the monitor has different circuitry than the DVI IN so you'll get a better picture.

2) dunno I don't have an HD card/monitor >.>

 

[blizbiggy]

My 4870x2 came with the hdmi adapter (same with my 3870 which is where i started with hdmi) and there is not much of a difference unless your monitor supports 1080p

 

[s3rv0]

My monitor does support 1080p actually. Care to comment further on what the differences are/might be in this situation?

 

[mad pistol]

Bump.

A couple questions left unanswered. Summary:

1.) What's the advantage of using HDMI over DVI provided you're not using HDMI's sound anyway? From what I understand here, it's nothing.

2.) How do you all with HD monitors and HD enabled video cards use them to their fullest, besides just watching the odd bluray disk or HD movie on Youtube?

1. That's the advantage HDMI has to offer: sound integration and video, all rolled up into one small connection. (as opposed to something like 5 different connection inputs).

2. I play TF2 @ 1920x1200 on my 24" LCD monitor, and it looks beautiful. My desktop is also gigantic, which allows me to see more of what I'm doing that with a standard definition monitor. General rule of thumb is that all computer monitors have HD capabilities in one way or another, even though they may not be as streamlined as say LCD TV's.

 

[Mustachio]

Here is the exact answer you are looking for.

DVI and HDMI are the exact same thing... with the exception of a digital audio connection on HDMI and a different plug.

You should have no problems hooking up a DVI connection to a TV. Your only concern then would be whether your TV does 1:1 scaling of its input signal (which I can get into later if you want).

Although if what endiment says is true... well that would depend on the TV/monitor and how it processes each signal. However, The signal you send over DVI will be the same exact signal you send over HDMI, so from that standpoint, they are the same.

Edit: From your original question... Sending a signal from your computer should be EXACTLY the same over DVI or HDMI to just a monitor. The monitor includes HDMI so you can hook up external sources, such as a blu ray player, or ps3... etc. The PC has an HDMI converter in case you want to hook it up to a home theater system. Its all about connectivity. In your case, just go with DVI, it will be easier and more direct and the quality will be exactly the same.

 

[FreakingHell]

HDMI can carry 1080P video longer(as in distance) than a DVI can. Unless you have a ridiculous distance(either 9ft+ I think) from your box to your monitor, there is no downside(except not having audio and video in one cable).

 

[-Jv-]

Bump.

A couple questions left unanswered. Summary:

1.) What's the advantage of using HDMI over DVI provided you're not using HDMI's sound anyway? From what I understand here, it's nothing.

2.) How do you all with HD monitors and HD enabled video cards use them to their fullest, besides just watching the odd bluray disk or HD movie on Youtube?

Some graphic cards support audio over HDMI I dunno about yours.

 

[Blue Stealth]

yeah im using a dvi to hdmi converter on my 4870X2 and i see quite a large difference with hdmi on my 22 inch HP. especially when watching movies or gaming when i have the resolution up high.

-Blue