HDMI not necessary for HDTV output?

I read that you can get away without using HDMI for linking your laptop to a HDTV as long as you don't go to very high resolutions. HD output limits my choices significantly so this would be good news to me...

Is it true?

 

There are alot of ways to hook up to a video display device, what matters is what ways you notebook has as an output and what ways your device has as an input.

HDMI and DVI are equal and at the top of the foodchain.

Then VGA

Then Component

Then Composit/Svideo.

You really dont want anything lower than Component for a HDTV,

Also it really depends on the quality of your TV, as some models/brands have much worse quality under certian input types.

For reference my computer is hooked up to my hdtv via DVI, and my xbox is thru component.

component will support full 1080 but svideo and composite wont.

HDMI is good for notebooks because unlike dvi wich is only video, it carries audio too, so you can use the monitors speakers instead of the crappy laptop ones (but monitors usually have bad speakers too )

 

I have a question?
The HDTV I am planning to buy has HDMI in as well as PC VGA in. I have read in the manual that the resolutions supprted by the PC-VGA Input are 1360x768 and same for HDMI. So in effect if I connect the laptop through the VGA input, them do I get a good HD quality output???

 

Yeah, hdmi will be fine. that resolution is known as 720, its not nearly as big as 1080 and not good for a computer at all.

Its ok to watch a movie on, but not for a desktop or other computer purposes. If you want to use a hdtv as a main pc monitor it really needs to be 1080

I use a 37" 1080 display as my monitor and its great, but already even @ 1920x1080 your 140 vertical pixels behind a computer monitor of 1920x1200, so only 738 vert pixels is a no-no.

even your average 15" LVD computer monitor has more than that. Usually 1280x1024

 

Can I output sound without a HDMI cable? Maybe a dock would be a good idea if I need to keep plugging cables...

So if I get a VGA or Component laptop, would I be able to find a HDTV that supports that in 1080?

Thnks

 

Im sure you can, My hdtv has everything.

Westinghouse LVM37W3 look it up, best buy out there.

 

All you need is a DVI port and a DVI to HDMI cable and you won't have to worry about using VGA.

 

Most laptop HDMI port does not carry audio anyway and DVI definately don't. It would be tough to get sound to the TV unless your TV have provision for optional RCA audio input attached to some fo the HDMI ports (Sharp is one of the few manufacturer that does). If you want 5.1 surround sound, make sure your laptop have some form of spdif output so you can use it with an external srround sound receiver or speaker set with built-in decoder (like the Logitech Z5500).

Avoid using VGA or component for HD output as those are analog signals. Using a DVI to HDMI cable will be much better.

 

Make sure your TV have an option to turn off Overscan on the HDMI input, otherwise you'll be missing part of the desktop while running at 1366x768.