Microsoft prepping component to HDMI adapter? Options

[Xbox-Scene]

Microsoft prepping component to HDMI adapter? Posted by XanTium | March 29 12:25 EST | News Category: Xbox360

From engadget.com: [QUOTE] Friendly tipster Evan M wasn't too stoked to see an Xbox 360 Elite headed for store shelves after he'd just purchased a Premium 360, especially considering the fact that his TV has a whole HDMI port twiddling its thumbs, just waiting to get its game on. After informing Microsoft of his displeasure through what we're sure was a politely worded email, Evan claims to have received a slightly encouraging response from a Microsoft support person, promising an upcoming HDMI to component adapter for the 'box to make his situation perhaps a bit more bearable. Unfortunately, the support person also mentioned that "we do not have information as of the moment if the cable will be sold separately,". [/QUOTE] Full Story: engadget.com Thx to leftyfb for news/link.

[bhazard]

How would a component cable pass a digital signal????????? I doubt it would provide one, it would be more like a vga to dvi adapter.

[lostboyz]

thats why its an adapter

I don't say its impossible, but I somehow doubt it

[EMoNey1]

Did anyone elese notice that it says component to HDMI in the title and HDMI to component in the body. Obviously, it is HDMI to component which will do this guy no good. I don't see a point of a component to HDMI as you are only as good as your weakest interface. Someone please correct me if I am wrong here.

[feflicker]

I wouldn't get hung up on verbiage, we are talking about a support employee here! The point is that someone at MS$ mentioned that another option, an adapter cable, might be coming. Im sure MS$ will deny it, because they aren't formally ready to announce it. Then in 3 months when it comes out everyone can cry about how MS$ "lied" to them by not telling them earlier.

[Mega_mil]

Maybe someone can explain to me what the big deal is about I thought the component cable was already good enough to supply a nice 1080p signal? Are people upset because they watch full HD sound too or is it something else. And please don't fmale me, this is a legit question as i'm no video guru and my cable on my HD looks perfectly fine to me even though I also have a open HDMI port.

[BigSteel]

Im sure MS$ will deny it, because they aren't formally ready to announce it. Then in 3 months when it comes out everyone can cry about how MS$ "lied" to them by not telling them earlier.

Here's how it will go:

1) Rumor starts (we have that now)
2) A photoshopped image appears
3) Everyone calls fake on the image
4) A real image will appear
5) Everyone calls that fake too
6) M$ sends a msg that they can neither confirm nor deny the rumor
7) The adapter is confirmed real in the xbox community
8) M$ offically annouces the adapter at some ridiculous price
9) Everyone bitches about the price and everything else

That is pretty much how all things seem to go lately

[picopir8]

First, HDMI is not better than component. If you use good cables, component will look just as good. People somehow think that HDMI will look better because its all digital, and while it reduces the odds of signal noise, the picture itself is no better than a component signal on a good cable which is more resistant to noise.

That said, Component to HDMI, possible.
HDMI to component, no way in hell!. HDMI signals carry digital copy protection which only allows the signal to pass when connected to an approve device when the copy protection flag is set. Otherwise, the signal is blocked to prevent someone from recording the signal. Such a converter would either filter out the copy protection which would be illegal in the USA under the DMCA, or the thing would block the signal when the copy protection flag is set. If that flag is ever set on HD-DVDs, then this device would block those DVDs from being viewed on your xbox-360.

[feflicker]

@BigSteel: Spot on.

I have no real substantive opinion on HDMI vs. Component. I use component, and I have my TV at 480p. My TV supports 1080i, but I can barely read small text (in games like Tiger Woods 2007) from 5 feet away when it is in 1080i so I don't bother. Bottom line, my friends with PS2's and Xbox 1's are in awe when they see my 360 on 480p. I wish my TV did 720p, I hear that is better in most cases than 1080i, I'd like to try that option but I'd probably have the same result (small text unreadable).

Let's put this into perspective. How much better is an HDMI signal over a component signal, REALLY? 5%? Seems like much ado about nothing to me...

[nectar12]

would an adapter even have an advantage? the hdmi adapter would receive an analog signal and convert to digital, but the source is still analog. seems like converting a mono audio source to stereo.. its still gonna be mono.
maybe im wrong.
the only advantage i can see is if a component input isnt available, but any tv with hdmi is going to have component anyway.

[wans]

Not to mention the fact the the "elite" uses a new upscalling chip called the HANA chip, current gen boxes have the analouge equivelent called ANA.

Component picture sucks, i used VGA for months untill my amp brok and i havent bothered to find an adaptor to use stereo sound with my cable. Ive never used anything other than an upscalling DVD player through HDMI, and trust me, it beat the component cables that were also supplied with the unit.

I still dont understand why anyone would claim that component matches VGA or HDMI, i can only presume that these people have either never tried such cables or dont have a TV thats capable of showing you the difference.

[eatshitanddie]

Don't Bitch, Live with it.

[Jothie]

I hope this is true. I'm not sure why there hasn't been one made yet. I'd use it for my original xbox as I can only get 480p on the component on my crt hdtv. True hi-def is reserved for the hdmi port only.

[tabsaid]

I'm thinkin this is very unlikely simply since the scaler chip "HANA" is different in the elite. It isnt just a cable we need guys it's an HD scaler. Taking an analog signal and making it HDMI or DVI-D isn't as simple as sticking a HDMI connector on the cable. HD scalers cost like 300$. It'd be cool but don't get your hopes up.

This post has been edited by tabsaid: Mar 29 2007, 07:12 PM

[mister.shine]

Not to mention the fact the the "elite" uses a new upscalling chip called the HANA chip, current gen boxes have the analouge equivelent called ANA.

Component picture sucks, i used VGA for months untill my amp brok and i havent bothered to find an adaptor to use stereo sound with my cable. Ive never used anything other than an upscalling DVD player through HDMI, and trust me, it beat the component cables that were also supplied with the unit.

I still dont understand why anyone would claim that component matches VGA or HDMI, i can only presume that these people have either never tried such cables or dont have a TV thats capable of showing you the difference.

I thought upscaling over component wasn't allowed, thereby giving HDMI an unfair advantage.
Alot of people dont think there is a real world diference between the two.
http://forum.ecoustics.com/bbs/messages/34579/122868.html
First google result for component v hdmi.