DVD -- TV -- cable box help
2011-10-31
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HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) - passes a DIGITAL signal. Has both video and audio signal. With HDMI, signals are encrypted with HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection) to prevent recording. All modern devices that use HDMI interfaces use HDMI version1.3. Devices or cables that are not 1.3 compliant will not work with Hollywood movies because Hollywood doesn't want you to steal their movies.
DVI (digital visual interface) - a standard for passing a digital signal between a picture source such as a computer and a display. DVI passes ONLY picture (video) but uses same encoding as HDMI so is compatible without any converting. There were originally 3 types of DVI: DVI-d DVI-a DVI-i (digital, analog, and integrated).
With DVI, signals are encrypted with HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection) to prevent recording.
RF coaxial cable -
RCA plugs -
RED - right audio channel
WHITE - left audio channel
YELLOW - Composite video.
Composite video is the format of an analog television (picture only) signal before it is combined with a sound signal and modulated onto an RF carrier (such as coax). It is called composite because it combines on one wire the 3 red blue green color info as well as the frame syncing signal. In other words, this one yellow cable gives you all the visual signal. So using a composite connection, you would normally have a total of 3 cables: composite cable (yellow), left channel sound (white) and right channel sound (red).
Below is a composite video jack.
S-video (the s is for “separate” channels) is an extension to the Composite standard. It uses 2 parallel signals, one for luminance and one for chrominance (color).
Below is an S-video connector:
Below shows pinouts for s-video
Component video - one RCA plug each for red yellow blue. This is an ANALOG standard. This type of connection does not have sound, so you must also have audio cables. If you have left and right audio cables, then you would have a total of 5 cables with this type of connection. Component video provide excellent video signal, even at 720p resolution. If you want 1080p resolution, then you must use an HDMI connector because 1080p devices are not made with anything but HDMI ver 1.3 due to piracy worries. Supposedly if you don't use HDMI 1.3 (I guess you would have some type of converter to get to another type of connection) then you will only get 480i (interlaced) quality signal.
Fixed pixel display - a display with a set number of pixels like an LCD or plasma display.
DVI outputs are below:
From Wikipedia: A channel 3/4 output was a common output selection for most audiovisual devices sold in North America, that are intended to be connected to a TV using a Radio frequency (RF) signal. This channel option was provided because it was rare to have broadcast channels 3 and 4 used in the same market. The choice allowed the user to select the unused channel in their area so that the connected device would be able to provide video and audio on an RF feed to the television without excessive interference from a broadcast signal.
