Gaming - HDMI or DVI cable

[pepperpig]

Briefly:

I have
1) a Radeon HD 5870 1Gb card with HDMI & DVI output
2) a monitor with HDMI & DVI input (either 1920x1080 or 1920x1200)

Playing games like FPS and RPG etc etc, with which cable connection will the picture quality be better?

Thanks!

 

[sirkillalot]

in short...
First, to clear away one element that can be confusing: DVI and HDMI are exactly the same as one another, image-quality-wise. The principal differences are that HDMI carries audio as well as video, and uses a different type of connector, but both use the same encoding scheme, and that's why a DVI source can be connected to an HDMI monitor, or vice versa, with a DVI/HDMI cable, with no intervening converter box.

 

[pepperpig]

forgive my noobness. But does this apply to HDMI 1.3?

And if they're the same, then there is no point for me to get a HDMI capable monitor?

 

[sirkillalot]

there is no difference between HDMI version 1.3 and 1.3a or 1.3b. These minor revisions to the specification typically relate to manufacturing or testing issues and do not impact features or functionality.

heres some stuff about it ...
http://www.hdmi.org/learningcenter/faq.aspx#112

 

[outlw6669]

HDMI is a supperset of the DVI protocol that allows audio to be transferred along with the video.
They both transfer the exact same digital video signal and have identical picture quality.
The only real reason I could see to have a HDMI on the monitor is if you also want to connect a PS3, Xbox or some other dedicated HDMI component (even then, there are HDMI => DVI adaptors).

 

[myriad46]

I think that HDMI 1.4 or one of the new ones, actually will carry an internet channel beside the video and audio. I believe the idea is to support new TVs that may have rudimentary web browsers, or for firmware purposes. We are getting closer to that illusive "one cable" solution.

Maybe in the future, power for your monitor can be sent through the signal cable, and you WiMax adapter can be integrated into the monitor and transmit back to the computer. Combine that with bluetooth or wireless USB and that'd be pretty neat installation.