Digital Devices (DVI/HDMI)

DVI / HDMI to RGBHV Conversion

The claim that analog displays (and CRT projectors) are obsolete because they cannot accept digital signals is now…obsolete!  :)

There are a number of internal DVI/HDMI cards by Moome for Marquee, Sony, and NEC XG projectors.  Using these devices is by far the simplest way to enjoy the best possible image quality from digital sources with HDMI outputs such a Blu-ray, HD-DVD, or satellite.

Each of these products has their own FAQs and support sub-forum as part of our discussion forum. Tons of hints and tips are provided to show you how to get the most out of your setup.

Some direct links to the various FAQs:

Marquee VIM-HD: HDMI/Component Input Card
Sony IFB-FULLHD: HDMI 1.3 Input Card
NEC XG-FULLHD: HDMI 1.3 Input Card

More products are announced by these companies frequently so make sure to check back often or subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed!

Generally speaking, while the digital signals are of better quality than any of the analog formats described on previous pages, they can be flaky when it comes to working 100% all the time. Signal dropouts can occur, and many issues can be traced back to the signal source itself as the whole digital signal platform is a ‘work in progress’. As of this writing (January 2008), the local cable provider here doesn’t guarantee that the HDMI output on their cable box will work reliably, and HD-DVD and Blu-ray players have had lots of software updates to bring better reliability to the signal.

Things get worse when you try and switch multiple sources in the digital realm. Some of the very high end current A/V receivers with internal HDMI switching and scaling won’t pass a signal at all (the manufacturers are aware and are ‘working on the problem’, while other cheaper (<$100) external HDMI switchers seem to work fine for some people. This unfortunately is where you the end user needs to experiment with switchers and processors to see what will work with your specific application. Read the various posts and FAQs in the forum regarding issues with each of the HDMI signal switching/processing methods, and feel free to post to see if a specific cable run/switcher hardware has been used by others successfully. There are hundreds of users online every day willing to help you out, along with the respective manufacturers.

Below are some of the typical setups that people will use when connecting newer digital devices to CRT projectors.

While an HDMI Switching A/V Receiver is convenient, some users may choose to use a inexpensive HDMI switcher instead of upgrading their receiver.

The last "all analog" setup also has the following limitations that users need to be made aware of:

• Blu-ray, HD DVD, and DVD players (as well as the Xbox360 and PS3) will not upscale standard DVDs past 480p over component. To avoid this limitation HDMI must be used.

• If the Image Constraint Token is ever enabled on Blu-ray or HD DVD discs, all content will reduced from 1080p to 540p (1/5th the resolution) through component. To avoid this limitation HDMI must be used.

• And most importantly: The image quality when using component is typically significantly worse. To avoid this limitation HDMI must be used.