HDMI-Enabled Graphics Cards Debut

snkcube · Post by **snkcube** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 6:05 am

http://www.hothardware.com/viewarticle. ... icleid=931

Woo hoo?

Firon · Post by **Firon** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 6:10 am

who cares, use a DVI -> HDMI adapter

PHoNyMiKe · Post by **PHoNyMiKe** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 6:53 am

what's wrong with the old vga stuff I've been using all my life? I run 2 screens with it, and have never seen any problems like color banding and shit.

AntoineWG · Post by **AntoineWG** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 7:14 am

If you're using analog monitors, VGA is perfect. If you're using LCD monitors, however, all-digital DVI connections are superior. Unfortunately Vista will degrade the visual quality of flagged content if you have a non-HDCP digital connection to your monitor. DVI-HDCP gets around this and DVI-HDCP video cards have been around for at least the last few months. DVI and DVI-HDCP use exactly the same signal format as HDMI and are backwards compatible, but don't transmit audio through the same cable. Most of the time this wouldn't be a problem, but many TV's, like mine, only have separate audio inputs on 1 of their HDMI ports, hence the need for a video card that outputs audio through the same cable. Plus it's nice to have a single cable connecting to the TV if you have lots of stuff in your entertainment center.

smkdan · Post by **smkdan** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 7:29 am

I'm using VGA on this LCD and I honestly don't see how a digital connection would improve it. Everything is pixel perfect; no distortion and stuff.

PS: My eyesight is just fine

.

Firon · Post by **Firon** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 7:48 am

DVI is much better on an LCD. It's NOT pixel perfect with VGA, there's some blur, and the pixels aren't positioned perfectly. It looks good, yes, but it's not perfect. It'll also fuck up ClearType (which is <3).

smkdan · Post by **smkdan** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 8:02 am

I probably should've worded 'everything looks pixel perfect'. It may not be absolute perfection you'd achieve with digital but it does look good. At any rate, I have no need to go for the premium for something I won't be able to notice.

Do the faults of VGA become more apparent at higher resolutions or something? I'm only using 1280x1024 on mine.

Nightcrawler · Post by **Nightcrawler** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 1:15 pm

I have a Samsung Syncmaster 710t with both VGA and DVI input. I can certainly tell the difference between the two. VGA still looks GOOD, but DVI looks better. It's a fairly minor difference, but it's certainly visible at 1280x1024.

kevman · Post by **kevman** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 5:28 pm

The best part about DVI is that the resolution changes are much faster and your monitor doesn't have to fiddle with the image. The video card (not the LCD) will also handle the stretching for non-native Rez, and I believe will even allow you to turn it off.

smkdan · Post by **smkdan** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 5:48 am

I guess it's something I'll have to see for myself. I'll have a look around the shops one time.

kevman wrote:The best part about DVI is that the resolution changes are much faster...

I don't like that moment of 'black screen' when switching resolutions but I absolutely hate it when I'm doing something that needs constant switching between them, like following instructions for a full screen game. If I notice the quality or the price is just right my next monitor will probably be DVI.

Cyrus · Post by **Cyrus** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 5:56 am

The X1600 Pro and 7600GT aren't exactly powerful video cards. I would imagine they'd support such things for higher end models such as the upcoming X2800/X2900 series or the current GeForce 8800 series but this is the first time I've heard of it.

AntoineWG · Post by **AntoineWG** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 7:09 am

Cyrus wrote:The X1600 Pro and 7600GT aren't exactly powerful video cards. I would imagine they'd support such things for higher end models such as the upcoming X2800/X2900 series or the current GeForce 8800 series but this is the first time I've heard of it.

The 8800 is already HDCP-compliant. The only thing the cards are lacking to get it up to HDMI is the audio encoder, which just has to transcode audio from the soundcard and shouldn't be difficult to add to new models, or even add externally to any HDCP-compliant card.

Deathlike2 · Post by **Deathlike2** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 4:52 pm

Cyrus wrote:The X1600 Pro and 7600GT aren't exactly powerful video cards. I would imagine they'd support such things for higher end models such as the upcoming X2800/X2900 series or the current GeForce 8800 series but this is the first time I've heard of it.

They are more than adequate at their price points though the latter is generally a better option.