Do any of you only wire with Component. What are the advantages/disadvantages of component and HDMI. Does the customer understand?

It's almost not worth the arguement sometimes because customers are sold that HDMI is the next greatest thing and it would take hours to explain to them intelligently why we choose component. So if they seem sold on it and it will work in the situation, I just run it. If they have no preference, I run component. If they ask, I tell them the truth that the benifit is mainly that it is one cable instead of 4 but that it has a crappy plug and known issues.

Conduit, Conduit, Conduit.

That way you have a back up plan if the HDMI has issues, and the ability to upgrade them to whatever becomes relevant in the future. Don't forget there is additional momentum building behind IEEE1394, DisplayPort 1.1 was ratified a week or so ago, UDI is on the horizon, etc.

There are image quality enhancements with HMDI in most cases. The video portion of it has been around since 1999 and is stable. It was just designed for point to point, source to sink connections, not all the things integrators try to do with it now. It is what it is.

The bigger reason to use it for your customers is HDCP. More and more content is going to come protected and if that flag isn't there you aren't going to get to watch your content. Component doesn't support HDCP.

We have an MCE machine with an HDMI out and we can't force it above VGA via component. We have to go HDMI or DVI (and do some tricky things depending on the display, I'll grant you), but you are going to see more and more of that, i.e. you'll only get the standard definition version of whatever if you run component and will need HDCP compliance through the entire signal path to get HD.

That seems to be the only safe way to 'wire' a display.

I like component because it ALWAYS WORKS!

I run quite a few HDMI cables when requested and most work without a problem lately.

I also remember all of the times it didn't work very well (if at all!).

The handshake is too slow for some people and it cause's frustration with the operation.

That said, conduit is the best 'cable' I've ever ran.

To add on the 'conduit' bandwagon...by all means.

Also, CAT-5 is cheap, and you can always add baluns if you need to later. Mini-RGB/Coax is also a great idea to run.

I sell my customers cable PACKAGES to televisions....package 1 includes RF, Composite + L/R audio, Component + L/R audio, 1 CAT-5 for data, and 1 CAT-5 for future use. Package 2 adds a 2nd Component + L/R audio run and HDMI, plus another CAT-5.

Those are the choices. Period. (Special circumstances not withstanding). Take the initiative and be the pro. Explain the benifits AND drawbacks, and let them decide -- however, don't leave yourself open to failure. My business partner loves quoting our old RM - "Don't ever let it be your fault." By doing this and providing the alternative should it fail, you are the pro, and you always have the fallback position. Let's face it, if someone's gonna hire you to do an install job, are they really gonna NOT hire you over $400(ish) in extra cables when you are putting them in SPECIFICALLY to prevent issues?

If you even have to think about that, you didn't sell yourself properly.

'nuf said.

What does Wesley have to say about this??

2 rg-6, 2 cat5's???

It's been awhile.....who knows.....?

Oh Crap!! Here we go......LOL

I just pulled in a 15m and a 6m Audioquest HDMI, it was the HDMI-3 series
And yes its in conduit...1 1/2" and have a second 1 1/2" right next to it for upgrades.

Most of the components will be connected HDMI as well, Blu Ray/HD-DVD combo, HD cable box, DV player, fed into a VP50 scaler and off to the plasma

I am hoping it all works, so far no real issues on any HDMI connections yet

Make sure you do the firmware update(s) on the VP50.
It is a sweet piece imo. Love the way it delivers a constant sync signal to the projector/plasma.

Do you use IR or RS232, and do you have discretes for the presets? If I remember correctly, the presets store aspect ratios etc. WE have a few clients that are into film noir and old westerns etc. You see the whole gamut of less-common aspect ratios, and subtitle placements etc. so the discretes are sometimes a big tool...but so far we just have to step through them.

Glack / fluid,

Would you guys mind making some comments on the VP series scalers here. I know I'm inquiring about the VP30 but other than the 3:2 pull down for 1080i, I'm unsure of any other operational differences.

I'd appreciate the input.

Thanks.

just say no to hdmi

This is some commonly stated FUD, and the source is the HDMI Licensing Organization. There are many misunderstandings about what HDCP is and isn't. What it isn't is a content limiter or downrezzing flag. That's the Image Constraint Token. HDCP is simply a method of encrypting and "protecting" content during transmission from HDCP compatible sources to HDCP compatible displays. It has nothing to do with the ability to view component video at high resolutions.

The ICT is a software based token, meaning that the creator of HD DVD and Blu-ray software has the choice whether or not to enable it. If it is enabled, then no, you won't have "unprotected" component HD output, just 480p or 540p (depending on who you ask). However, NO ONE has enabled this token yet - all the current HD players will output up to 1080i over component. And even if it is enabled, only the specific disks with the flag will be affected - all previously purchased titles will still play as before, and all future titles without the token will still play in HD over component.

The reason I believe (editorial here) that the ICT will NEVER be enabled is because the copy protection has been cracked (enabling people to make digital copies in their computers) and that no consumer has equipment capable of taking in a real-time baseband HD signal and making a perfect copy of it. Why shut the back door when the front door has already been knocked off its hinges? Also, there's that little pesky truth of the millions of non HDCP compatible HD sets already in the marketplace. Who owns those older sets? Early adopter types - just the battlefield HD DVD and Blu-ray need to win to secure the format war victory.

When integrators ask us, we recommend using component for long runs, and running Cat-5 whenever possible, since most future solutions for HDMI and component revolve around that medium.

we run component and HDMI, w/ HDMI for future use. If they demand to use HDMI we do not guarantee satisfactory performance, it's the cable ma'am.

We run component and raceways for future hdmi cable. If running a raceway is undoable then we run it, connect it and dont use it.

At a minimum we run 3 cat5s for future hdmi solutions over cat5

I have hdmi at my house and it looses connection everytime I hit menu on a dvd, sometimes on guide. what a pia.

But how do you cover your almost-inevitable call-back costs? HDMI is getting better about these things, but the issues still occur.