Does HDMI have a different picture quality than DVI?

[AdamantPearce]

I got my 2nd monitor today and I hook it up with via HDMI cable. My first monitor is hook up to a DVI cable. When I move windows between monitors I notice that the HDMI quality is not sharp/crisp. It is quite annoying and I don't really know how to fix this. Am I able to buy a HDMI to DVI adapter to fix the quality or something?

 

[ThatVietGuy]

No, there is no difference in quality between HDMI and DVI.

The difference you're seeing could be from the inherent differences between the monitors.

 

[AdamantPearce]

They are the same monitors though.

 

[ThatVietGuy]

Try switching inputs then and see if you're getting the same problem.

If you do see a difference then you just broke common convention or something else is at play here.

http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-1665093/dvi-display-port-hdmi-quality.html

 

[AdamantPearce]

There is still a difference.

 

[makkem]

Hi
Even the same model of monitor if bought from a different manufacturing batch can have some differences.
You will need to play with the adjustments on both monitors Like contrast, brightness and sharpness to make them look as close as possible.

 

[makkem]

Try plugging both the HDMI And the DVI into that same monitor then use the monitor on screen menu to switch between them
if there is a difference then you have a problem with the monitor or the HDMI cable.

 

[AdamantPearce]

They are the exact same monitors. Same manufacturer, same model number etc.

 

[ThatVietGuy]

Doesn't matter - makkem is right, there will still be inherent differences between two monitors, even if they're from the same manufacturer, etc, etc.

You'll probably have to go into the settings of the monitor and PC and play around with the quality settings to get the two to match.

 

[AdamantPearce]

I've done all of that already.

 

[makkem]

Yeah but you got it at a different time so it could have slight differences ,also it could have been set up by a different person at the plant ,check the adjustments on both monitors.
Also try plugging both cables into that monitor for comparison.
If the HDMI is poor on both monitors it could be due to a poorly shielded cable picking up interference.If possible try a different HDMI cable.

 

[AdamantPearce]

Just did everything you said Makkem and it is still poor on both. I've even replaced the HDMI.

 

[Solandri]

I got my 2nd monitor today and I hook it up with via HDMI cable. My first monitor is hook up to a DVI cable. When I move windows between monitors I notice that the HDMI quality is not sharp/crisp. It is quite annoying and I don't really know how to fix this.

In theory there's no difference between DVI and HDMI. They're both identical digital signals.

In practice, most TVs and monitors assume DVI is a computer source, while HDMI is a video source. This makes a difference because video is designed to be overscanned. The 1920x1080 image your blu-ray player produces is designed to be enlarged slightly before it's displayed on your TV/monitor (so there is no 1:1 pixel mapping). The borders usually contain dots used to encode things like closed captioning, and overscanning hides the dots.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/27/hd-101-overscan-and-why-all-tvs-do-it/

This overscanning is probably what's making your HDMI image look not-so-sharp. You'll have to dig through your monitor's settings to find some sort of 1:1 or "direct" or "computer" mode for the HDMI input. That'll turn off overscanning. If your monitor has sharpening or other video-enhancing settings too, make sure they're off. Sometimes the nVidia drivers on your computer add overscan to HDMI output too, so check there as well.

 

[AdamantPearce]

Thank you so much for helping me sort this out!

- Charlie

 

[cstropz]

Solandri got it right! This must be the 1st item in everyone's checklist:

"If using a TV, in order not to compromise the truly digital image, i.e. from a PC, tablet etc., turn the TV sharpness setting off (0%)."

That also worked for me. Ty very much, @Solandri!