PS3, 360, HD TV, & HDMI Question

[hl0m4n]

my tv, 52" sony bravia xbr3, only has one hdmi port which is currently being used for my hdmi cable box. would you say it is worth it to upgrade both 360 and ps3 hd cables to hdmi ones and buy a hdmi switcher like this below?

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1174694369279

my thought is if you add a switcher, the signal from the game console has to go through it to the tv thus having it not direct to the tv the quality be the same as just the hd cable wires that hook up to the back of the tv. it is obvious that the more things a signals have to go through such as switchers, boxes, etc the less of quality you will get then having it directly hooked up noticable or not.

so my question is is it worth it to buy the hdmi switch and use hmdi on game consoles? i am also using the ps3 for blu-ray player.

[Brunotheboxer]

go out and buy a new receiver. if you have all that gear get yourself a high quality receiver with at least 3 to 4 hdmi switches.

[hl0m4n]

Originally Posted by Brunotheboxer

go out and buy a new receiver. if you have all that gear get yourself a high quality receiver with at least 3 to 4 hdmi switches.

the hd recievers are sure hell expensive $500-$1000. right now i just don't want to spend much more money on my downstairs entertainment setup.

but will the hdmi switch still be better then the hdmi cables for the game consoles?

thanks for the advice though. you always answer my threads. are you stalking me all fun and games

[Nyulak]

An HDMI switch shouldn't introduce any error. The signal is digital and as long as the digital repeater doesn't do anything dumb no loss in signal quality should occur. That being said, some switchers don't always allow proper negotiating of the HDMI enabled equipment, thereby preventing or reducing HDMI specific features.

I would think to just save your money for a better receiver. Don't spend your money on a switcher if you anticipate a new receiver purchase in the next year. The Onkyo TX-SR605S Silver at OneCall is currently $399. It has received great reviews and has HDMI 1.3 capability.

[hl0m4n]

Originally Posted by Nyulak

An HDMI switch shouldn't introduce any error. The signal is digital and as long as the digital repeater doesn't do anything dumb no loss in signal quality should occur. That being said, some switchers don't always allow proper negotiating of the HDMI enabled equipment, thereby preventing or reducing HDMI specific features.

I would think to just save your money for a better receiver. Don't spend your money on a switcher if you anticipate a new receiver purchase in the next year. The Onkyo TX-SR605S Silver at OneCall is currently $399. It has received great reviews and has HDMI 1.3 capability.

looking at the onkyo revieer it looks like i have one already. too bad its the old school one with 5.1 digital surround from sony lol. didn't realize these new recievers had hdmis now.

may i ask how a reciever difers from just a hdmi switch? does it enchance the signal or something? my reciever is used for extra ports, kareokee maching, speakers, etc.

[OnOn]

I've got the same TV in a 46'' that I picked up last fall.....it has at least 4 HDMI inputs; 1 on the side, 3 or so on the back. I would be surprised if your was different....

[Ninjaneer]

Originally Posted by OnOn

I've got the same TV in a 46'' that I picked up last fall.....it has at least 4 HDMI inputs; 1 on the side, 3 or so on the back. I would be surprised if your was different....

+1

I got a 46" XBR2, got 3 hdmi slots. Product info on Amazon says 3 hdmi ports on the 52" XBR3: http://www.amazon.com/Sony-Bravia-XB.../dp/B000O5NDBE

[Nyulak]

A receiver integrates the component selector (your audio and video ins/outs), the preamp, and amplifier. You can go components, but I honestly don't see the benefit of going separate for an amplifier. An HDMI switch does not (should not) alter the digital signal. It merely routes the signal to the output selected by the user. A receiver will receive the signal and decode as necessary and output as necessary to other components and speakers.

I have a 56" Samsung DLP TV with two HDMI inputs, so I am surprised that a Sony would only have one input. A switcher may do well, but I don't ever use the TV speakers, because they all sound like garbage. Regardless of source or content, I send all of my audio through my receiver and enjoy a much better sound.

I recommend just saving your money and doing it right the first time. Your current setup doesn't sound terrible, but there is no sense in trying to buy pieces that you won't be able to sell for a good price later.

[fobunited]

I also recommend saving for a new receiver, however for a temporary solution, you can buy an HDMI switch. But don't buy it from Best Buy, you'll get ripped off. You can easily get a 3-port HDMI switch for sub 100.

[hl0m4n]

OMG YOU GUYS. i do have more hdmi ports. they were friggin like hidden at the back of the tv. the only im using right now is the one on the side. damn the hdmi port is on the back but is also on a angled piece LOL. thanks so much. now i got a total of 4 i think...

[Nyulak]

You know, it's not necessarily unmanly to read the manual.

I'm just saying...

[hl0m4n]

i know the ps3 has hdmi port. any idea on how to hook up the 360 to hdmi? the microsoft hdmi for 360 consist of two cables, two seperate hdmi audio and video. i dont see the point. any other solution?

[Nyulak]

I haven't seen a 360 cable. Could you post a picture?

[Ninjaneer]

Originally Posted by hl0m4n

i know the ps3 has hdmi port. any idea on how to hook up the 360 to hdmi? the microsoft hdmi for 360 consist of two cables, two seperate hdmi audio and video. i dont see the point. any other solution?

The Elite comes with 2 extra cables different from the standard component cables. One is the HDMI, the other... not so sure, I think it's to hook up to an audio system? I'd have to go back home and check it out. Nonetheless, it wasn't needed to get the system up and running - all you need is the HDMI cable and it supports audio/video, they're not 2 separate cables.

If any1 can figure it out from the pictures, go here: http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/view...eId=1&shotId=1

3rd cable from left = HDMI cable I used.
2nd cable from left = ? (did not use)

*edit: the product description doesn't seem to mention that 2nd cable. And for the HDMI cable description it just says: Xbox 360 HDMI cable: New to Xbox 360, HDMI lets you get HD video (up to 1080p) and multichannel surround sound, all from one cable.

[hl0m4n]

im speaking of http://www.gamestop.com/product.asp?product%5Fid=802758
or http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1179876309204 (but i don't know where it would hook up to)

[Nyulak]

From the dexcription, the Xbox cable hl0m4n posted is has an HDMI end that plugs into the HDMI port of the Xbox and an HDMI end that plugs into the TV with an adapter that allows audio to route to your receiver/preamp. HDMI carries both audio and video signals, but if your receiver doesn't have an HDMI input, then the HDMI cable is worthless for transporting sound to the best audio output. Using the adapter, the sound is split from the HDMI cable and converted to a 5.1 output that many receivers are capable of decoding.

I use a similar methodology at home. My HDMI-too-HDMI cable goes from my PS3 to my HDTV. I also have an optical audio cable running from my PS3 to my receiver, since my receiver lacks HDMI inputs. The net effect is that I still get a digital audio and video signal. The downside is the inability to play SACDs through the optical output, since they have DRM like Blu-Ray movies that will only allow digital transmission via HDMI. This isn't too terrible as I have yet to purchase any SACD material.

If you have a receiver or preamp that accepts an alternate digital input and your Xbox (I don't have one, so I don't know) can output a digital signal via a different standard, you can purchase the cable displayed on the Best Buy link and another digital cable that matches the Xbox. I would personally recommend buying a cheap HDMI cable from Amazon, since the wire in that cable is more likely no different than the wire in a cable that only costs $1.

[hl0m4n]

looks like only the xbox 360 elite has the hdmi port built in. so for the other 360s core/premium there is no hdmi solution as of yet. i guess they are in the process of making the video connector with an hdmi port behind instead of the 5 wires?