Optical or HDMI for audio?

[boe]

Forgive my ignorance but I am ignorant about HDMI vs. optical. On my current preamp/processor, I hook my DVD player audio in through an optical cable and my preamp does the processing for DTS or DD. On future ones would I use HDMI instead? If it had both optical and HDMI would there be any audio (just audio) advantage to using one or the other?

I don't like the idea of anything between the DVD player and the video - I'd much rather go direct to eliminate any additional circuits or chance for signal degradation. However, I want to go with whatever makes the most sense.

[nash]

HDMI carries video and audio on the same cable, so it reduces clutter if you use it for both. Both HDMI and optical carry digital audio, so there is no advantage to one of the other when they are carrying the same bits.

That said, HDMI has much higher bandwidth (especially the new HDMI 1.3). Higher resolution codecs and lossless codecs cannot be transported over optical (or coax), and HDMI must be used. HDMI can also carry high resolution PCM audio, which is what people are doing these days with HD-DVD and Blu Ray, until HDMI 1.3 players and preamps come out. At that point, you'll be able to ship lossless audio from your HD DVD player (Dolby TrueHD for instance) directly to your preamp/receiver on an HDMI cable.

There is no signal degradation if your signal is digital. You shouldn't feel uncomfortable going Source -> Preamp -> Display when using digital video and audio.

Bottom line, optical and coax audio are going the way of the dodo bird.

[boe]

Thanks for that detailed response!

[Clepto]

Also keep in mind that the paradigm shift in audio decoding has gone to a much more player focused role (with HD DVD/BD).

Mainly to handle PIP and multiple audio, the player needs to do a lot of the decoding...

If you're watching the movie only though, the processor should be able to handle that...

[2manyremotes]

lossless codecs and 1080i and 1080p can be used with RG6 coax and are.
Optical has to many conversions more chance of error.

[nash]

lossless codecs and 1080i and 1080p can be used with RG6 coax and are

On which player(s)? High def video and audio content is shipped over HDMI because it supports HDCP copy protection. Even if coax/optical have or had the technical capacity/bandwidth to support something like 1080p HD video or Dolby True HD audio, it will not happen due to the lack of copy protection. HDMI is the future for this reason, if not for any other (it has many other benefits).

[Clepto]

For video _today_ you can get 1080p24 over component, but the analog flag loophole will more than likely clsoe in a few years.

Also, keep in mind that for SD DVD, only HDMI and DVI are allowed to do upconversion to 720/1080... While it's technically POSSIBLE to do it over analog (and can be done on older versions of firmware of some upconverting players) anything recent is prevented from doing so.