HDMI and home theater

My situation: I plan on purchasing a latop soon, but I have a question that you guys can probably answer, the search function did not offer a clear cut answer.

I have a home theater system set up and I currently have my pc connected to it. Video output is through vga, audio is through a coxial cable via digital output and the standard stereo connection on the a/v receiver.

Is the above setup possible for any of the laptops out today? Its the digital output that bugs me, because i have only seen laptops with stereo outputs (headphone jack). I have read about HDMI accepting both video and audio signals, but Im kind of confused on how that works exactly. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Please correct if Im wrong, but if no laptops out today can be connected to a home theater efficiently, then its unclear to me on why the newer laptops have HDMI. Watching hidef movies is pointless if your home theater doesnt produce good audio.

 

HDMI is an all-digital video and audio interface. The stream is uncompressed so there is no loss of video/audio quality. Unless you have an HDTV, HDMI is way over the top for you. And you are right about the fact that not many notebooks have the digital out your looking for.

Follow this link to view the Wikipedia page on HDMI.

I have an HDMI receiver for my Home Theater. So what happens is the a/v receiver takes in both audio and video from my laptop or my cable box, separates them, outputs the video to the HDTV, decodes the audio (Dolby, DTS, etc), and outputs that to the 5.1 speaker system that is connected to the receiver.

In a really short summery, HDMI is a one cable solution to the entire Home Theater system, responsible for both audio and video.

 

Thank you for the clear cut answer, and yes, I do have an HDTV. Just don't an hd player, blue ray, or hd tv service yet.

Sounds like I just need a laptop with an HDMI port and I'm set. Thanks a bunch!

 

I think you will be very hard pressed to find a laptop with HDMI. Possible alternatives are to use a DVI+3.5mm jack to HDMI converter, which will give you the same picture quality and pretty good quality sound depending on your sound card.

 

I believe the new hp pavilion line, and the higher end santa rosa asus laptops have them.

 

The Asus G1S has HDMI. Some high-end Sony models also do.

 

The ASUS W2 has an HDDVD drive and HDMI as well as the V1j, G1s, G2s, W2 and the Z84j.

 

I have the Asus A8JP and it has a DVI output and also a mini-toslink output.

 

Look under the laptop spec. If it has SPDIF out, then you'll be ok since that usually mean it has an optical digital output (usually hidden in the 3.5mm stereo out jack) and all you need is a toshlink to 3.5mm optical cable to get 5.1 digital to you audio system. I wouldn't worry too much about HDMI on laptop right now (I'm using DVI to HDMI cable and optical audio out currently). The only reason you would want HDMI is for HDCP and that won't be necessary till at least 2010 so I figure I'll only need it a few laptop down the road (I replace laptop every 18 months max).

 

The new HP dv2500, 6500, 9500 all have HDMI. The laptops are all very similar in terms of features, power, and capability but range in sizes: 14.1", 15.4", 17" respectively and therefore range in price and are a great place to start looking.

And of course the G1S (the laptop I just ordered).