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View Full Version : DVI to HDMI cable - quality?



Xstyle
05-08-2009, 12:50 PM
Hi guys,

My DM8000 will soon be with me, :drool5: and I am keen to get all set-up as soon as possible.

I know the dvi to hdmi cable comes with the item, but is it any good??

Will I be better off getting an upgraded cable (perhaps custom made)? I have come here from the AVForums ... I do like quality!

Feedback would be greatly appreciated.


Many thanks,
Xstyle

passete
05-08-2009, 12:58 PM
You Can allways use a high end hdmi/hdmi cable, with a Dvi/Hdmi adapter.

Cables are like all the rest, you can find from 10€ to 1500€, it will depends on your wallet.

Xstyle
05-08-2009, 01:05 PM
Cheers, I know someone on AVF who makes cables from scratch, I will get one made up then ... (Mark Grant, if I am allowed to say here? has his own website too)

I saw this on a different forum too:
"DVI to HDMI won't affect the the picture quality, but it won't carry digital audio - you'd have to get the audio into your TV via another method (but if you're into HD, you may well be after the best audio quality, too, by using the S/PDIF output to your 5.1 amp anyway). There is also a question about the HDCP 'handshake' - others may know more about this than I do. "

Is S/PDIF the best audio output available for the Dreambox??
_http://www.tech-faq.com/spdif.shtml

simon 2003
05-08-2009, 01:24 PM
the dvi to hdmi cable supplied will carry DD 5.1 audio,and passete is wrong its a specialist cable supplied with the DM for this purpose,although i use optical with my 800,,see here https://www.satpimps.co.uk/showthread.php?t=101911&highlight=hdmi+cable

passete
05-08-2009, 01:29 PM
Cheers, I know someone on AVF who makes cables from scratch, I will get one made up then ... (Mark Grant, if I am allowed to say here? has his own website too)

I saw this on a different forum too:
"DVI to HDMI won't affect the the picture quality, but it won't carry digital audio - you'd have to get the audio into your TV via another method (but if you're into HD, you may well be after the best audio quality, too, by using the S/PDIF output to your 5.1 amp anyway). There is also a question about the HDCP 'handshake' - others may know more about this than I do. "

Is S/PDIF the best audio output available for the Dreambox??
_http://www.tech-faq.com/spdif.shtml

The Dvi connector on the DM800/8000 are not a regular Dvi, Just because they "carry" the digital audio, like the hdmi protocol.

Giga
05-08-2009, 02:12 PM
Under normal conditions all current HDMI will pass signals, If you have a Sony flatscreen some HDMI won't work?
The same cable (Copartner Technology) not passing signal to the Sony did pass the signal to a Samsung LE40B650! Strange? after al the signal is digital: 1 & 0. Either you have signal or you don't. (so i agree not going for the cheapest cables, specialy if al your equipment is Sony)
I now use 5 meter HDMI cables Akustik Premium
Monster-Cable HDMI 850 HD 6mtr Advanced High Speed Kabel (6,68 Gbps) 131,89 €
Monster-Cable HDMI 750 HD 6mtr High Speed Kabel (4,95 Gbps) € 111,32 €
Monster-Cable HDMI 550 HD 6mtr Standard-Speed Kabel (2,23 Gbps) 91,96 €
Goldkabel Profi HDMI-kabel 5,0 m 62,92 €
In-Akustik Premium HDMI 5,0 mtr. wit 33,88 €
specification for this (German) low cost cable:
HDMI 1.3b / Cat 2 certified
- Full HD
- High Speed HDMI
- Blu-ray compatible
- supports X.V Color and Video Deep Color multi-bit
- supports all HD Audio formats: PCM, DVD-Audio, SACD,
- Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio
- 10.2 Gb/S transfer rate
Wow has better specs then the monster cable and it works with 1080i and most likely it will work with the 1080p mode (54.0Mbps)

Xstyle
05-08-2009, 03:58 PM
I have decided to contact Mark Grant and get a BetterCables HDMI to DVI cable for around £55 - ish...

_http://markgrantcables.co.uk/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=38_15&products_id=39

"The new BetterCables Display Magic HDMI Cables offer the highest quality digital picture and sound. Fully HDCP-compliant. High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) is the first industry-supported, uncompressed audio/video interface. HDMI provides an interface between any HDMI-enabled audio/video source, such as a set-top box, DVD player, and A/V receiver and an audio and/or video monitor or projector."

Should be better than the standard cable!

oldfart
05-08-2009, 04:38 PM
For the audio connection - I use the optical output (TOSLINK) into an amp for DTS sound.

simon 2003
05-08-2009, 04:42 PM
Should be better than the standard cable!

No ,not in my veiw,not over 1 or 2 meters .but its your cash m8,ive seen kettle leads for plasmas at 200 quid ok well screened but 200 quid,:smilielol5:

iko
05-08-2009, 04:42 PM
I don't think Cable makes any difference in Real world
So I don't recommend waste of your money
HDMI+Optical is the best solution ;)

paul01609
05-08-2009, 05:27 PM
standerd cables are fine i beleave up to 10m after that i would go the route of hdmi over CAT6 thats what i use from my projecter to amp

Xstyle
05-08-2009, 06:34 PM
Thanks. BetterCables no longer ship that item to the UK so not available.
I will stick to the standard cable ... saved myself £60! lol

cheers.

passete
05-08-2009, 06:44 PM
I don't think Cable makes any difference in Real world
So I don't recommend waste of your money
HDMI+Optical is the best solution ;)

I don't agree with you mate !

When you own "state of the art" material, audio or video, i can assure you that cables can make the diference !

Xstyle
05-08-2009, 07:03 PM
I don't agree with you mate !

When you own "state of the art" material, audio or video, i can assure you that cables can make the diference !

Agreed!! :)


For the audio connection - I use the optical output (TOSLINK) into an amp for DTS sound.

Am I right in thinking the DM8k does not produce HD sound?
5.1 or DTS is the highest possible output?

and DTS only possible via the Optical? (with the HDMI/DVI cable only doing 5.1, or no?)

I clearly don't know enough about this machine yet!! lol


cheers

oldfart
05-08-2009, 08:09 PM
Agreed!! :)

Am I right in thinking the DM8k does not produce HD sound?
5.1 or DTS is the highest possible output?

and DTS only possible via the Optical? (with the HDMI/DVI cable only doing 5.1, or no?)

I clearly don't know enough about this machine yet!! lol

cheers

Dunno what 'HD' sound is?
DTS/5.1 whatever .. the DTS is passthrough on the optical cable. It depends on what amp you will use, a lot of them do not decode HDMI to DTS, you have to input via optical.

passete
05-08-2009, 08:14 PM
Dunno what 'HD' sound is?
DTS/5.1 whatever .. the DTS is passthrough on the optical cable. It depends on what amp you will use, a lot of them do not decode HDMI to DTS, you have to input via optical.

He is talking about Dolby Digital True Hd and Dts Hd "Master Audio" !

Gone_Fishing
05-08-2009, 08:43 PM
the dvi to hdmi cable supplied will carry DD 5.1 audio,and passete is wrong its a specialist cable supplied with the DM for this purpose,although i use optical with my 800,,see here https://www.satpimps.co.uk/showthread.php?t=101911&highlight=hdmi+cable

Afraid that's not true its the DVI output on the box that's wired so it can carry audio dvi has always been capable of this but was never used in the PC market, maybe poeple try the wrong cables because DVI cables come in more than one form like scarts being RGB and fully wired etc

As far as HDMI and DVI cables are concerned the only thing that's important is the build quality as far as not wanting the cable to fall to bits and to maintain a steady connection but as far as picture quality is concerned it wont make any difference at all if a cable costing £1 works then picture quality will be as good as a cable costing £1000

You get problems with cables not performing correctly but picture quality isn't one of them

As you mentioned AVForums check out the video section as there's a three part video done about the people that test and rate HDMI cables using advanced equipment and they say exactly the same picture quality is unaffected :)

simon 2003
05-08-2009, 09:20 PM
thanks m8 for clearing that up a few conflicting posts in that thread i linked

iko
05-08-2009, 09:28 PM
+1
they've tested all cables cheap and the expensive ones, the really expensive ones gave a bit better result on the machine like Oscilloscope but no improvement on the tv screen
so don't waste your money ;)

AJR
05-08-2009, 09:30 PM
Its the modern version of the gold plated aerial connectors debate .. the gain is fantastic but only to the seller :D

dubious
05-08-2009, 09:31 PM
You Can allways use a high end hdmi/hdmi cable, with a Dvi/Hdmi adapter.

Spot on m8, that's exactly how mine is connected.

iko
05-08-2009, 09:39 PM
Its the modern version of the gold plated aerial connectors debate .. the gain is fantastic but only to the seller :D

LOL
dude stop that :D

Gone_Fishing
05-08-2009, 10:04 PM
thanks m8 for clearing that up a few conflicting posts in that thread i linked

Well if I'm wrong I'm sure someone will correct me but I'm pretty sure its not a proprietary cable, but how DVI and HDMI work is pretty complicated

If you see what I mean lol

_http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?p=1031650868

simon 2003
05-08-2009, 10:13 PM
LOL
dude stop that :D
@tnt over my head m8:confused: (The DVI spec. has a physical layer, an electrical layer, and a signal layer)ill get me coat

@AJR & iko its the modern day version like when you buy shoes and they say oh they will scuff unless you buy this super duper scuff resistent whatever,,now if you buy a screen or dvd player they try and sell you supposedly **** hot scart leads ,hdmi leads,they had my father in law 30 quid for an hdmi lead from currys, i laughed me **** off

scimman
06-08-2009, 01:22 AM
The cable supplied with the DM800HD does carry 5.1 sound.

I have it connected to a Denon 4306 Receiver and get 5.1 sound.

Test it with BBC HD.

scimman

passete
06-08-2009, 06:47 AM
Yes, all devices all the same !
A 30€ chinese Dvd player as the same picture quality as a 2000€ dvd player (yes, offcorse). :D
A chinese 300€ 82cm lcd tv il give you the same picture as a 3000€ philips 82cm lcd ( yes,offcorse). :D
A 10€ hdmi cable, will give the same result as 1000€ hdmi cable (yes, offcorse). :D

People are just not very smart, when they buy it ! :D

Giga
06-08-2009, 07:38 AM
most of those are Chines made anyway, just changed the logo on it. Philips no longer makes flatscreens in Bruges, Belgium only has a research department there now, once it was well-known for it's high quality CRTS and Flatscreens build there.

AJR
06-08-2009, 09:03 AM
A long long time ago when dragons still roamed free..

It was discovered that the "standard" manufacturer supplied speaker connecting leads were pretty crap, so a whole new industry was set up to supply the audiophile with super duper high sq cm multi strand oxygen free and plated with something chosen at random from the periodic table cable @ loads of £ per metre.

And indeed it was good ... the common mans ear and the lab tests proved beyond any doubt that there was a vast improvement to the frequency response and power delivery... so it was accepted by all that it was money well spent and the more £ the better

Until it was found that an equivalent sq cm mains cable worked just as well .... long live the roll of twin & earth :D

Xstyle
06-08-2009, 11:20 AM
LOL ... I've opened up a can of worms!!

I still believe that there are differences in quality of output depending on which cables are used, especially in the extremes, and do recognise that most 'standard' cables are fine for the general public.

AJR
06-08-2009, 11:28 AM
LOL ... I've opened up a can of worms!!

I still believe that there are differences in quality of output depending on which cables are used, especially in the extremes, and do recognise that most 'standard' cables are fine for the general public.

Yes your 100% correct

There's no point having connections in the chain of equipment thats more capable than the display or speaker is capable of delivering..

Add to this that the human eye / ear is not that good when compared to lab test equipment then upgrading beyond a certain level only creates a mental upgrade.

Anyway I'm off to listen to some hi-fi on my red and cream vinyl covered Danset record player :D

passete
06-08-2009, 07:11 PM
Yes your 100% correct

There's no point having connections in the chain of equipment thats more capable than the display or speaker is capable of delivering..

Add to this that the human eye / ear is not that good when compared to lab test equipment then upgrading beyond a certain level only creates a mental upgrade.

Anyway I'm off to listen to some hi-fi on my red and cream vinyl covered Danset record player :D

You are some right mate !

If one day, you came in france, let me know !
I will show you the diference, between a cd and a vinyl, you will not beleave yours ears.
All the rest, is the same, it depends of the "range" of the "stuff !

oldfart
06-08-2009, 09:25 PM
Optical = digital = 1 or 0 there are no other options ... it isn't analogue ... so cable either works or it don't!

xanadu
06-08-2009, 09:43 PM
Optical = digital = 1 or 0 there are no other options ... it isn't analogue ... so cable either works or it don't!

Yes, cable may work! Be it optical or HDMI/DVI...

It's the bandwidth of the signal that carries the 1's and 0's that you should take into account.

If the cable does not have proper shielding, or high resistance, then it may cause problems with interference or signal dropouts.

If you are happy with your cable then fine, no need to change unless you want to experiment.

paul01609
06-08-2009, 11:04 PM
if i was going to connect my av system with the best quality cables money could buy i would have to buy the best of every thing or it would be a complete waste of time,the best amp the best tv so on and so on,why spends hunderds on a cable then to use it of a £200amp or a £400 tv

iko
07-08-2009, 03:05 AM
Personal Preferences Some people likes the "best" and afford ;)
So If anyone needs Info : There is no visible difference on the picture
It's like buying Better usb Cable to your printer and expect better picture when Printing :D
Good Luck