Which is better for gaming/movies hdmi or dvi

Hippy007

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Jun 2, 2012
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Hello,
I have a 46" 120Hz Insignia lcd tv hooked up to my nvidia geforce 550Ti OC card and my 19" pc lcd. Both on its own DVi. My computer is my entertainment.
I use my tv almost all the time for movies like netflix, blu-ray(PC) and external hd at hi-res(some at 720p & 1080p). Very rarely use for gaming. Netflix is set to better quality. Would HDMI make a different?
Thank you all for the help. Much appreciated.
 
HDMI can carry audio signals as well as video signals. HDMI 1.4 can even carry ethernet.

DVI-I connectors (the most common) can carry analog as well as digital video signals (DVI-A and DVI-D combined) and can drive higher resolution displays than HDMI but cannot carry audio

For home theaters, HDMI is preferable from a cable management perspective because HDMI cables are easily acquired in lengths up to 50 feet

Quick edit: One of the big advantages to DVI-I is it can be fanned out to HDMI (without audio), DisplayPort (without audio) and DE15-F for VGA/SVGA/XGA, making it a compatible source for almost every single display. The same is not true for HDMI/DP because they cannot be fanned out to analog displays without an active analog converter
 

Hippy007

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Jun 2, 2012
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That's what I've read about the sound. I forgot to mention that I have it set up to my home theatre. That's great to know about no different in quality. Thank you for the quick reply!
 

Hippy007

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Jun 2, 2012
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Wow, didn't know that. You sure know your stuff. Thanks for this info, good to know that HDMI cables can acquire up to 50 feet in length.
 


Yup. DisplayPort and DVI are significantly more limited in length which makes them unsuitable for home theater applications. HDMI can go upwards of 100 feet but may require a powered repeater in the middle. One drawback of lengthy HDMI cables is that they are quite thick and heavy due to all the insulation, but they work great.
 

Hippy007

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Jun 2, 2012
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So, should I use HDMI for my movies or DVI? My DVI is hooked up to my computer then HDMI to the tv. The DVI cable I have is 10 feet long. When I watch a blu-ray, the quality is superb. Would HDMI be better? I need at least 8 feet of cable.
 


There will be no difference between the two, they both carry the same digital signal