Analogue HD or Digital HD, which one's TRUE HD?

[Hi/zuum]

To my knowledge the xbox 360 outputs analogue 480p/720p/1080i signals via component/VGA, but the forthcoming PS3 is expected to connect via the HDMI & output a digital signal of 480p/720p/1080p? Isn't therefore the PS3 going to be TRUE Hi/def ?

[Stephen Neal]

You'll worry yourself into an early grave if you think there is a single "true" hi/def.

Analogue and digital interconnects can both deliver excellent HD pictures, and they can both deliver lousy pictures. There is far more in the source and display that can impact picture quality than just the interconnect device.

Everything else being equal, digital interconnect to a digital display should be as good, if not better, than analogue. However not everything else is always equal.

[Hi/zuum]

Originally Posted by Stephen Neal

You'll worry yourself into an early grave if you think there is a single "true" hi/def.

I'm already talking from the grave, this whole LCD/HI/DEF debating killed me months ago...

[dan1979]

If your seeing a 720p image then it's high def, doesn't matter how it got there.

[Hi/zuum]

Originally Posted by dan1979

If your seeing a 720p image then it's high def, doesn't matter how it got there.

...but isn't a 720p digital signal feed through a HDMI input into a HI/DEF LCD better than a 720p analogue signal through component.

[Melkor]

Originally Posted by Hi/zuum

...but isn't a 720p digital signal feed through a HDMI input into a HI/DEF LCD better than a 720p analogue signal through component.

I thought that it depends on the type of material being played, e.g. VGA only gives a slightly better picture of fast-moving Xbox 360 games.

[TheDoctor]

I output 1080i from a PC using a component cable, which would probably put most DVI/HDMI connections to shame.

As Stephen said, all things being equal, the digital route "should" be superior but in reality this is not the case. Many digital inputs/outputs have restrictions and are not as flexible as their analogue counterparts (except the odd one or two).

Doc

[dan1979]

Originally Posted by Hi/zuum

...but isn't a 720p digital signal feed through a HDMI input into a HI/DEF LCD better than a 720p analogue signal through component.

In theory it should be, I can't see any difference between VGA and DVI on my projector.

[Rimmer]

Originally Posted by Hi/zuum

...but isn't a 720p digital signal feed through a HDMI input into a HI/DEF LCD better than a 720p analogue signal through component.

Not necessarily. Some people have found that the component picture looks better, and that HDMI can even look 'noisy' in comparison. It all depends on how the scaling engine in the TV processes analogue and digital signals.