HDMI- how much better is it?

dinneenp

Hi,
I have NTL MMDS (thininking of changing to SKy +)
I'm looking at buying a dvd recorder.
Sony have the RDR-HX720 on sale for €300.
There's a new version coming out.
The difference is that the new one will have HDMI

Question-
how much better does HDMI make the picture quality?
Will this make my tv picture better as well if watching NTL (or as they're seperate units will it be no help)?

Mossy Monk

Does ntl have a HDMI output?

DigiDec

Only the skyHD box has an HDMI output, sky+ is scart, ntl is scart.

JDxtra

You also need a HD ready TV with a HDMI input.

I don't see any benefit in your situation. If the new DVD recorded supports DVD upscaling, then there might be a marginal improvment when playing pre-recorded DVDs (I'm sure Watty will confirm ).

It will not benefit your NTL in any way (or even Sky+).

zilog_jones

Are you saying this new model has HDMI inputs or HDMI outputs? If it's the former, it should improve the quality as there is less converting involved, though the DVD recorder is still gonna have to downsize things to SD.

watty

HDMI does not increase the quality ever.

If the source is HD you probably have to have HDMI. The only real alternative for HD is component which is a stupid US standard. Much HD content won't output at full resolution on Component, so HDMI needed.

If the source is not HD (Sky+, UPC/NTL, regular DVDs) then HDMI is pointless.

If the TV is really HD and has a decent scaler in it then an upscaling DVD player is pointless. If the HD TV has a not a decent upscaler in it, then it is rubbish and useless for all the non-HD channels compared with a 200 Euro CRT.

HDMI in DVD recorder is pointless. You'd be better off with a Sky HD PVR to record HD. The whole point of HDMI is to block recording of some programs at HD! The SkyHD will record at original quality, the original MPEG2 or MPEG4 signal. HDMI would decrease quality as the signal is uncompressed and then recompressed (assuming it's an HDMI in at all)

GrumPy

dinneenp wrote:

Hi,
I have NTL MMDS (thininking of changing to SKy +)
I'm looking at buying a dvd recorder.
Sony have the RDR-HX720 on sale for €300.
There's a new version coming out.
The difference is that the new one will have HDMI

Question-
how much better does HDMI make the picture quality?
Will this make my tv picture better as well if watching NTL (or as they're seperate units will it be no help)?

319€ if you haggle for the 750 model in Power city. Black finish, usb port for divx playback, and upscaling to 1080p via hdmi.

watty

Except the upscaling is pointless, especially unless the TV is a true native 1920x1080 (many are 1366 x 768, so you will be adding EXTRA scalling reducing picture quality).

Conversion from "i" to "p" only needed in USA/Japan due to 3/2 pull down artifacts on 30fps from film 24fps.

We don't get pull down artifacts.

Wait and see how much UPC's own cable PVR will be, €319 is still a lot of money especially for recording cable quality.

zilog_jones

Looking back at what I said, it made no sense that a DVD recorder would have HDMI unputs...