sky and HDMI connection,

[ijd]

Ok this may be old news,but i have just heard on the gadget show that the standered for HD with sky will be via HDMI (high definition multi-media interface)the very high percentage of HD ready tvs on sale are dvi,oh dear, what a shame, the final format was always in question, one reason i bought my Sharp aquos ga5e.
in my opinion the best quality picture within my price range,along side were HD ready tvs but the picture did not manage the same quality as my aquos.After hearing this news i am so glad i did not get sucked into the "must buy HD ready",HDMI seems only available on sets costing thousands as opposed to a thousand,and anything with a 3figure sum has no chance,the DVI socket will work but as you can imagine will be a heath robinson way of doing things.

[HSC]

please catch up on some of the forums

this is old news
a component output will be available on the first range of boxes
you can buy DVI to HDMI converters
and I bought a Toshiba 32" HD-Ready LCD 2 months ago for £810.....

[scarty16]

This has known about this for months.

DVI and HDMI interchangable with a small interconnect, so no problems there.

HDMI carries the sound as well DVI doesn't.

[ijd]

Originally Posted by HSC

please catch up on some of the forums

this is old news
a component output will be available on the first range of boxes
you can buy DVI to HDMI converters
and I bought a Toshiba 32" HD-Ready LCD 2 months ago for £810.....

Derr..my opening line was this may be old news,try to keep up..just think anyone thinking about buying a new set should consider this, i did try to search using the SEARCH BUTTON and nothing came to the forfront so it may be old news but should not be forgotten news,it is the first i have heard as it only became an issue for me when i bought my set about 3 months ago,
ok you can use an adapter but like i said "Heath "Robinson" or if you like "a bit mickey mouse" any connector or adapter will only serve to deplete a quality signal, in my opinion.

[ijd]

Originally Posted by scarty16

This has known about this for months.

DVI and HDMI interchangable with a small interconnect, so no problems there.

HDMI carries the sound as well DVI doesn't.

so what happens to the sound once the adapter is in place??

[scarty16]

Adapter won't affect quality as it is a digital signal with error correcting codes built in.

Sound will have to go via optical for DD or analogue stereo output if you have a DVI equiped TV

[ijd]

ok thats reassuring about the picture quality .
but the sound is a bit of an issue,what if you dont have an optical link, and lets be fair not many sets do,and if there is no rca input and you dont have an amp and speaker set up your going to be stuffed.or do all sets have rca input,
the other reason i went for the aquos was despite no having a dvi input,it did have, rca in and out as well as component scart s video, pc link,all of which i use,whereas the others did not, just two scarts, dvi and composite,

[scarty16]

No optical link = No Dolby Digital

No RCA (red and white) audio inputs = need to use Scart (if one is available on the Sky HD box) to send picture and sound

But then you have to ask yourself why go to all that trouble and expence to have a Sky HD box and then get a SD Interlaced picture out of it??

HD really is an all or nothing area, to get the real advantages you need the TV to be "HD Ready" and an amp/receiver and speakers to make the most of the sound.

[ijd]

ouch so really having to use an adapter for the picture and using RCA to scart,as far as sky is concerned these sets are not HD ready.
if i had bought one i would feel somewhat cheated now,especially as i believe a scart should stay a scart an RCA should remain an RCA and adapters are just not to my liking, thats why once i bought the set i bought a graphics card with two display outs and did away with the composite

[Nick_UK]

So, where does HDCP fit into all this ? Won't Sky be using HDCP ?

[ianh64]

I think you are worrying about nothing. There is no conversion going on in an HDMI->DVI lead - they are simply different connectors on each end like say a SCART to RCA lead would have. Certainly not a Heath Robinson affair. Having no sound on DVI is generally not an issue either - think of it as having a RGB only SCART cable which carries no sound either. You simply connect via another route, be it via digitally in an AV amp to get the best out of things or in the TV via analogue RCA. Infact, having audio in HDMI can be a hinderence on some displays since if you want to hear the sound via an external amp you need to mute the sound down on the TV not to hear the output on the TV too - and you still need a seperate audio lead to your Amp.

It is only when AV amps with HDMI input and video passthrough become common place will HDMI come into its own and even then, the final link to the display is likely to be video only. If you don't have an AV amp, you really are not going to hear much difference between digital and analogue on a standard TV unless your TV can decode DD.

[scarty16]

HDCP can only be used on the HDMI connection at teh content providers discression (not Sky - unless it is their content)

Analogue ie: component and scart (if it is on the box) do not support HDCP

[Nick_UK]

I'm sure I remember reading somewhere that HDCP was going to be on the SKY HD box, because the movie companies had insisted upon it. Was I dreaming ?

[scarty16]

Not dreaming it is the content providers requirement that HDCP be available for use at their discretion on the HDMI output

[jimg]

the final format was always in question, one reason i bought my Sharp aquos ga5e

.

You have lost me! The GA5E is not HD ready, but the GA3E and GA4E are HD ready.

Are you saying you were not interested in HD and bought the GA5E because of picture quality?

Bye the way I have a 37GA4E and it is very good AND will work with SKY HD when it arrives.