I guess I should clarify one thing about my post. I don't know of any other method to transmit 1080i to or from a receiver other than through a HDMI connection. Since HDMI handles both audio and video, I guess you could say the inclusion of a 1080i pass through includes something that is generically related to audio. Some low end home theater receivers do not have the ability to combine audio and video transmission in one cable or for digital transmission of audio signals. Therefore, in very broad terms I assume you could say a 1080i "capable" receiver has a small bit to do with audio. But the fact the receiver can pass 1080i video signals has no effect on the audio quality unless you get specific about the differences between transmission in the digital format vs. carrying the same signal as an analogue transmission. To some people that might be an important distinction.
1080i can be transmit through both Component or HDMI, 1080p can only be used with a HDMI cable. Either way Bill, Thats lines of resolution your talking about. Nothing to do with audio. And you mean 6.1 sound bud.Cheers.
. Probably not. If you have a player/source capable 1080p, you might consider this useful or valuable. Otherwise, by the time this feature becomes available on a sufficient number of sources, you'll probably have discarded this receiver. Most of the members of this portion of the forum believe it is better to run video sources directly from player to monitor without receiver interruption. If you believe this feature might become useful in the near future, then you might consider it as "necessary". If I were you, I would think about how I intend to wire this system before I made a decision. As of now, video processing on a receiver is less that useful.
You need HDMI 1.3 to transmit hi-res digital sound. 1080i and 1080p is the video resolution - the "i" being interlaced and the "p" being progressive. Interlace scanning refreshes every second vertical line every 60th of a second while progressive scanning refreshes all lines at once every 60th of a second. HDMI and component will carry hd video, but only HDMI can carry both audio and video with HDMI 1.3 the only version to carry both video and hi-res audio signals.
The 1080i or 1080p source will only be a "gotta have feature" if you have a 1080i or 1080p display. And 1920x1080p is the only true full hd resolution. Others claiming HD means just that - high resolution, but that won't mean 'full' high resolution - there are varying degrees of HD resolution.
If you wish to have the full 7.1 (or 5.1, 6.1) hi-res sound experience, either a player with the appropriate inboard decoders is necessary with analogue outputs or a receiver with inboard decoders using HDMI V1.3 capable inputs and outputs to receive and transfer to the display.
" ... there are varying degrees of HD resolution."
Ya gotta love it! That and an upgrade to HDMI 1.3 and you still might not have what you wanted. And it will all be outdated next year. What an industry!
lol yup, until HDMI becomes a industry standard, fixed on one version, and that version actually working to its full capability. I won't care much about HDMI. I use an HDMI cable from my blu ray player to my tv, but only for video. I'm a believer in keeping the video and audio separate.
720p and 1080i are the original HD specifications for video which were adopted for HD broadcasting worldwide (except China which has its own in-between standard).
1080p is also known as 'Full HD' and is the (video) standard for BluRay and HD-DVD discs. There are no plans to go to 1080p in broadcasting yet as far as I know. 1080p pictures can only be transmitted via an HDMI or DVI interface. Quite apart from the physical connection, the interface also prescribes that the signals are transferred in an encrypted form so they can't be copied easily.
The HDMI interface allows for both video and audio signals to br transmitted. DVI is video only. However, only the later HDMI 1.3a allows the transmission of the highest resolution uncompressed audio signals that you can get with BluRay and HD-DVD (called DTS Master Audio and Dolby trueHD). The reason why HDMI 1.3a is required is because once again, the signals are encrypted in transit to avoid piracy issues.
Now this is where things have changed slightly in the last year. As Jan says, up 'til now most of us would have said that the best way to connect is to go directly from the disc player to the display for video and use an alternative digital connection for audio to the receiver. Since the full uncompressed audio channels can ONLY be delivered using HDMI 1.3a, it now becomes necessary to connect your disc player to a HDMI1.3a capable AV receiver to split the audio from the video, then the receiver relays the video to the display (this is the passthrough) and decodes the audio for you.
I have not heard of any newer developments that extend on the DTS Master Audio/Dolby TrueHD codecs at this point so these are likely to remain relatively stable for the foreseeable future. I also haven't heard anything about higher resolution pictures than 1080p, although there are standards going to 2k, 4k and 8k in the projection field.
4k and 8k projectors are used in the pro-field for mastering and in theatres such as your typical 3-D IMAX which has to throw a picture 6 storeys high! In reality 1080p is a very respectable resolution which you'd be hard pressed to see beyond on a normal 7 foot screen. The limiting factor here will be the quality of the passthrough feature on the AV receiver.
If you're wondering about 1080p on a 42" plasma, the fact is that unless you're sitting up close and personal to it, you're unlikely to see the difference between a 720p and 1080p picture simply because you're reaching the limits of your eyes' resolution at the usual 3-4m distance.
So in practical terms, if you want to be as future-proof is it's possible to be at this point in time, you need an AV receiver that has full HDMI 1.3a capability, but also check that BOTH Dolby TrueHD and DTS Master Audio codecs are handled!
Also, if you buy yourself a BluRay or HD-DVD player, ensure they do both the codecs. Some machines reduce their licensing costs and only support one of the two (usually Dolby since that is the de facto standard I believe). Also, in terms of the disc players, ensure they do the full 1080p since there are some out there which don't do this!! The players are far naughtier than the receivers from what I can tell.
On the subject of BluRay vs HD-DVD, I am beginning to believe that BluRay is winning the war and that HD-DVD will remain the also-ran and will die eventually. Paramount hgave pulled out of BluRay support (in league with the Microsoft devil) but Warner Bros have pulled out of HD-DVD. Also there are more BluRay titels available now than HD-DVD apparently (surprise). Sales of HD-DVD eclipse those of BluRay in the US (partly because of heavy discounting and package deals with multiple movies), but in Europe BluRay is outselling HD-DVD, partly thanks to the PS3.
Frank is right, Blu-Ray will win. Blu-Ray not only have Warner, but also Disney,Sony,Fox,MGM and Lions Gate. Leaving HD-DVD with only Paramount. And once Paramount's year contract is up with Toshiba, they will be on to Blu-Ray as well. Leaving HD-DVD waving the white flag.
Frank- I was reading in this months Hi-Fi Choice magazine a chart they had that compared uncompressed PCM to Dolby TrueHD and DTS Master Audio. I think you will be surprised. I have a question for you actually. My Blu-Ray player decodes both new HD audio formats, but my A/V receiver does not. Its a NAD T763. I have the Blu-Ray player hooked up via the 7.1 Analog out to my A/V receivers 7.1 analog In. This way I get the Blu-Ray's most common audio format "uncompressed PCM audio". When I select DTS Master Audio or Dolby True HD on the Movie, the sound I get through the 7.1 external setting on my receiver is the exact same if the movie was in Uncompressed PCM. Is this because my receiver is just converting those HD audio formats to PCM? It appears from the chart in Hi Fi choice, that Uncompressed PCM(only on Blu Ray) and DTS Master Audio is almost Identical in sound quality, size, and is not compressed at all. Where the Dolby True HD is slightly compressed still, smaller in size, and lacking in Sound Quality compared to Uncompressed PCM and DTS Master Audio.
Mike, to me that just proves that HD-DVD isn't selling and they're desperate!
Nick, your receiver is converting nothing. It is simply receiving analogue signals and amplifying them. Both DTS Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD are high quality codecs. It appears that your player is just as good at decoding either of them. I am a little surprised that you perceive no difference to the uncompressed PCM since if by that you mean you are decoding in the AV receiver you should be limited to 24/96 rather than the higher quality equivalent of the other codecs which is 24/192. However, it's my understanding (which may be completely incorrect) that BluRay players decode the DTS Master Audio stream to produce the uncompressed PCM stream.
Thanks Frank. Yes it appears that you are right. My Blu Ray player did decode the DTS Master Audio on Live Free Die Hard last night. Thanks for the input.
"Mike, to me that just proves that HD-DVD isn't selling and they're desperate!"
I totally agree. HD DVD is dead. To me, the war was over a few months ago, but with Warner Brothers going Blu Ray, everyone else can agree with me.