[CoconutPete]

I put my TV on the wall, so the wires are going into the wall.

I need to connect:
Cable box
PS3
Apple TV

My TV only has 2 HDMI inputs, so right now I'm running component video to the cable box, but the cable is bulky and the connectors don't interact well with the back of the cable box.

Apple TV only takes HDMI, so there one.
I want to go back to HDMI for the cable box for reasons mentioned above

That leaves the PS3 ....... there's a PS3 specific cable which is HDMI on the Playstation end and Component video on the TV end. Has anyone used this? Is there any quality loss with this?

If I added this cable which is only about the size of an HDMI cable then I would have a much easier time running this through the wall.

 

[ddawg16]

HDMI is totally digital....component video is analog.....so any conversion from HDMI to component will require a physical digital to analog converter....

They do make HDMI switches....I think that would be a better way to go...

 

[Chokingdogs]

Yes, there will be an amount of image quality reduction. How much ( if any ) you notice will depend on a lot of things. First and foremost, you're own eyes. Some notice differences, others like me see no difference between component and HDMI/DVI. Between component/HDMI and say single composite video ( the yellow plugs/cables )? Oh yeah, the image loss is clearly visible to all but Helen Keller.

If your TV is 1080P and you're using the PS3 as a blueray player, odds are greater you might. If TV is 720P and you don't use the PS3 as a blueray....probably not.

You don't say if you have a receiver with switchable HDMI inputs, if you do, and it has at least 3 inputs, you could go that route. Bear in mind that will also degrade the signal a bit, as anything between the source video and display device affects image quality. In other words, if you use a standalone HDMI switcher, that will affect quality. Unless one is using bottom of the barrel junk products, the amount of image loss in these scenarios is measured in microscopic detail, so you probably wont notice anything no matter which way you go.

 

[gregzoll]

If it was me, I would pull 1 run Cat-6 for HDMI over Cat-6, then have everything go through a AV Receiver. That is the cleanest and best way to do it.

If you are going to use a Sound bar for sound, no AV receiver, then you are talking a mess of cables going up to the tv, then the tv feeding the sound bar.

 

[CoconutPete]

HDMI is totally digital....component video is analog.....so any conversion from HDMI to component will require a physical digital to analog converter....

They do make HDMI switches....I think that would be a better way to go...

I was wondering about that? Some of those cords they advertise definitely seems to be "fake" but with the PS3 I was wondering if there was some validity to it because EVERYONE seems to make a PS3 cable. Does the PS3 have the ability to transmit an analog signal through the HDMI port?

 

[gregzoll]

No, because it is digital all the way.

 

[1950home]

I use HDMI for everything, but my cable box I use component. I do not like the second lag for the HDMI hand shake to happen every time I switch channels.

Some of the new DVD's and Blue-rays will only play if HDMI I used.

 

[gregzoll]

I have no lag with hdmi on my provider, but every is different with their boxes. I know that Direct is real bad for lag on hdmi.

 

[1950home]

I have an early COX cable DVR box. Every time you change the channel it resets the HDMI hand shake.
I have been told that there new boxes only need to reset the HDMI hand shake when you switch between a high definition channel and low definition channels.

 

[gregzoll]

If your box has a Native resolution setting, place it in either 720p or 1080i, depending on how old your hdset is. Most that are 720p native, use the same board as the 1080p sets, and will do 1080i.

I know that with the motorola 6412 phase 3, swithcing from SD to Hd, when we had Comcast, it was not like that, due to you only had 720p or 1080i for hd resolutions.

 

[ktkelly]

Monoprice 8202 for under $20.00 and you're good to go...:thumbsup: