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Paul Huang · 10:52 PM

Could there be HDMI connection? VGA, S-video, component, and DVI of any kind are not fully compatible or unavailable on all HDTV sets.

Who is going to be the first ever to include HDMI in a computer? Hmmm, I checked and it sure does exist. I wonder how well it works.

betasp · Feb 19, 2006, 09:52 PM

Why not buy a DVI to HDMI?

Maflynn · Feb 19, 2006, 10:08 PM

Excuse my ignorance but what is hdmi and why should we have it on our computers?

Paul Huang · Feb 19, 2006, 10:50 PM

HDMI is the connection method in all modern HDTV (LCD/Plasma) monitors.

betasp: Please complete your sentence. If you are thinking that there is a DVI-to-HDMI adapter, please share it with us.

popstand · Feb 19, 2006, 11:04 PM

DVI and HDMI carry the exact same digital video signal. There is no analog-digital conversion, so you get a better data stream. The only difference between the two is that HDMI carries audio too, while DVI doesn't. Therefore it is very easy to find a DVI/HDMI adapter for transmitting to an HDTV or other monitor. Check monoprice.com for many very affordable options...A

betasp · Feb 19, 2006, 11:43 PM

http://www.ramelectronics.net/html/DVI-hdmi_cables.html

For the Google Impaired...

First link, one click..

inkhead · Feb 20, 2006, 02:14 AM

HDMI sucks. it can't even carry 1080p. You have to use standard vga for that. Hopefully they will fix that soon. but HDMI is a dumb format. I have a 67" HDTV ;-) and a 52" HDTV, and a 42" HDTV

Drakino · Feb 20, 2006, 06:49 AM

Originally Posted by inkhead

HDMI sucks. it can't even carry 1080p. You have to use standard vga for that. Hopefully they will fix that soon. but HDMI is a dumb format. I have a 67" HDTV ;-) and a 52" HDTV, and a 42" HDTV

Pure Single Link DVI can't do 1080p either. Computers got around this by slowing down the data rate over the cable to get all the pixel data sent.

HDMI has a dual link standard capable of 1080p. The problem is that no device supports it that I have seen yet.

As far as seeing HDMI in a computer, I doubt it. DVI has two big advantages. Sending VGA out a DVI cable is part of the standard (hence an Apple DVI->VGA adapter works on a stock ATI card and so on) while HDMI is digital only. Also, HDMI has audio data alongside the video. In computers, the audio and video paths are completely separate and would be a pain to integrate. Remember the ADC video connector? ATI and NVidia do, and they hated it, as they had to route USB and power from the monitor through their graphics cards.

Since DVI can also send HDCP over it, HDMI has no advantage in a computer. Sure, it's a smaller connector and would save space on a laptop, but then the laptop can't plug into a VGA monitor without a separate VGA plug that just ends up wasting more space.

popstand · Feb 20, 2006, 10:45 AM

Originally Posted by inkhead

HDMI sucks. it can't even carry 1080p. You have to use standard vga for that. Hopefully they will fix that soon. but HDMI is a dumb format. I have a 67" HDTV ;-) and a 52" HDTV, and a 42" HDTV

...and none of those are capable of 1080p anyway. Not unless you spent $20,000 on television sets. If you did, I'm sorry.

Aykew · Feb 20, 2006, 11:41 AM

While it would be nice to be able to reclaim the space taken up by the DVI port (an HDMI connector is less than half the width and height), HDMI doesn't make sense for a computer as the spec only officially supports the 16:9 resolutions used on HDTVs.

That isn't to say Apple couldn't output unsupported resolutions and include an HDMI to DVI connector, but it seems like a lot of workarounds for something that really isn't broken.

Higuchem · Feb 20, 2006, 12:48 PM

So if you do get a DVI/HDMI cable will work with the MBP and TV?

popstand · Feb 20, 2006, 01:48 PM

Originally Posted by Higuchem

So if you do get a DVI/HDMI cable will work with the MBP and TV?

Yes. I'm currently able to use my PB with a 720p HD projector. Just remember, CRT and Plasma HDTVs can get monitor burn in, which is bad news if you're using them with a computer (many static images).