DVD to TV Connection

[jaidel]

I have always connected my DVD direct to the Television, usually with S Video.

Please explain the pro's and cons between DVD video out direct to TV as opposed to video connection through the surround processor.

This is a general HT question, however for your info, I am currently using a Rotel RSP-1068 and a Harman Kardon DVD25 and rear projection TV.

Thankyou

[PewterTA]

As long as your receiver has the bandwidth to push the video image through it... there's really no difference. Though some might say that there is a small degredation in the video quality. But there shouldn't be.

Some older processors (not yours) lacked the bandwidth to push the latest and greatest (like how some DVD players upconvert to 720P). If the bandwidth through the receiver isn't there, your signal can't make it to the TV fast enough, so the quality suffers.

The only other real advantage is a lot of processors have extra inputs for Component/S-Video and the like. So you can attach more things. My friend just bought a new Samsung DLP and it only has 1 HDMI, 1 PC, 2 Component, and an S-Video. connection on it. Well what happens if like in our case, you have more than 2 component connections... You have to go through the processor to get the added connections!

[jim777]

Each time the video signal goes through a transformation, a cable, whatever, it looses quality. So the best video will be with a component cable (well, that's 3 cables) directly from the source to the display.

S-Video takes the 2 "color" signals and modulates them together. In theory nothing is lost, but it is not the case. Composite is worse, because the "intensity" signal must be low-pass filtered to leave enough place for modulating the "color" signals in.

Your Rotel, as good as it is, must switch video sources and probably amplify a bit. These signal alterations, even if minimal, are not necessary.

But some may decide to trade a little bit of quality for the convenience...


But PewterTA is also right. The difference should be very very small to imperceptible.

[aphexist]

Using component video switching on my Rotel 1068 induces noticible and unacceptable signal distortion and interferance. Connecting straight to projector with either of the cables removes interferance.

This may be an isolated case, but I am sharing my experience.