Does HDMI connection from PC to widescreen work well?

[darsunt]

I am planning to build a PC media center with a video card with a HDMI port, so I can connect with the HDMI port on our widescreen television.

Has anyone done this, and how well does it work? I hear the HDMI port is much better than even a DVI connection, the only bad thing I hear is HDMI was not designed with the PC in mind.

Right off the bat I'm hoping to play DivX, MPEG2 and MPEG4 videos.

 

[zedman3d]

HDMI and DVI outputs the same video quality. HDMI includes sound as well though and thats why it is better for media use.
HDMI works fine from PC to TV.

 

[darsunt]

Can most video cards process audio and send it thru the HDMI port? I'm thinking most video cards process images only and aren't designed to process the audio part of a video file. But I'm hoping that I am wrong.

 

[Yami]

Most modern video cards, yes. I know any cards from the nVidia 8*** series can.

And they don't process the audio, the CPU does, it is simply transferred through the GPU.

 

[EricB]

my computer video card (Nvidia 9500) has a slot where you can hook the computer spdif up to the card

 

[acerinpa]

I have a nvidia 9800gtx and only use the DVI to process video only ( via HDMI) to the plasma 50" TV- looks great. BUT just purchased a new sony (avrhd800) receiver with 4 HDMI inputs- so if it will work I will now will put the DVI/HDMI out of the PC to the receiver and then take video via HDMI from the receiver to the TV. That way the audio will process thru the receiver= full 5.1 surround sound at 110 watts per channel. Does anybody know if the 9800gtx processes both audio and video to the DVI output?

 

[EricB]

I have a nvidia 9800gtx and only use the DVI to process video only ( via HDMI) to the plasma 50" TV- looks great. BUT just purchased a new sony (avrhd800) receiver with 4 HDMI inputs- so if it will work I will now will put the DVI/HDMI out of the PC to the receiver and then take video via HDMI from the receiver to the TV. That way the audio will process thru the receiver= full 5.1 surround sound at 110 watts per channel. Does anybody know if the 9800gtx processes both audio and video to the DVI output?

no for the above reasons.

 

[acerinpa]

As expected ,but wanted confirmation. What new pc setup ( video card) does utilize HDMI outputs for both audio and video? Should I start a new thread fro this quesiton? Sorry for the hijack Darsunt. Thanks for the quick confirmation EricB

 

[EricB]

I have a video card that has an input on it to let me run the sound through the hdmi part. but I can't find a card like that at the store. I got this one off of an hp computer

 

[acerinpa]

Yes - just visited EVGA website looking fro this specific stat on their cards and I could not find one that spoke of getting audio and video thru the HDMI/DVI output. Will have to start a thread on this to get attention of other Teckies. Just want to hook up one HDMI cable to the PC go to the receiver with that and then have the receiver play to audio and send the video to the plasma TV via a HDMI to HDMI cable. This way I hook up the new PS3 into the Receiver the same way, and cable TV the same way. So, use all HDMI cables to go from cable box, PC, and PS3 ( games + blue ray) and one HDMI to go from receiver to TV. Use the Receivers remote and waa-laa digital signal to 5.1 speakers via high def from all 3 sources and one remote to control all video and audio .