HDMI VS DVI

When I was working as an engineer for home theater installation company, one of the most common questions that I was asked was: What is the difference between HDMI and DVI? So I decided to make a whole blog dedicated to the question!

Answer:
For most applications, DVI and HDMI are both the same picture quality wise. The only difference is the connection type and the fact that HDMI can carry both video and audio.

Get High Speed HDMI Cables Here | Get DVI Cables Here

However, if you plan on using extremely high resolutions (greater than 1080p), new High Speed HDMI Cables can support 4k x 2k resolutions which translates to resolutions of 3840×2160 and 4096×2160. DVI can also support resolutions greater than 1080p, but with a maximum of 2560×1600.

HDMI stands for High-Definition Multimedia Interface and it is a digital audio & video standard that is capable of handling uncompressed digital data. HDMI can transmit both digital video and Dolby Digital and DTS digital audio in a single cable.

DVI to HDMI Cable

DVI stands for Digital Visual Interface and displays very high quality video on digital display devices such as digital LCD monitors and digital projectors. Like HDMI, DVI can also carry uncompressed digital video data from the source to the display. In fact, the image quality is exactly the same as HDMI. The only disadvantage DVI has over HDMI is the fact the it doesn’t carry audio. But you might want to keep reading…

Digital vs Analog
Unlike analog cables, digital cables like HDMI and DVI produce the same quality video across the board no matter what the price or brand is. This is because digital cables transmit 1s and 0s between the source and the TV in order to produce beautiful quality video (video and audio for HDMI). It is very unlikely that the TV will mistake a 0 and a 1 causing some kind of error. So as long as your HDMI or DVI cable is working, you can know that you are getting flawless audio and video.

Also I should let you know that retail store cables are of no higher quality than low priced cables you can find online. They all come from the same factories, but the more expensive cables are marketed at high profit margins.

Click here to see where I get my cables. It will save you a lot of money.

Long HDMI and DVI cables are most commonly needed for in wall installations from the source to the TV. Some people choose to run HDMI cables up to as long as 100 feet. The general rule of thumb is, the longer the cable, the thicker it needs to be to get a signal. Cable thickness is measured by wire gauge (AWG). The lower the AWG value, the thicker the cable is.

Here are the acceptable AWGs for each length of HDMI Cable:

• 1ft-15ft HDMI Cable: 28AWG, 26AWG, 24AWG
• 20ft HDMI Cable: 26AWG, 24AWG, 22AWG
• 25ft-50ft HDMI Cable: 24AWG,22AWG
• 75ft-100ft HDMI Cable: 22AWG

It is always recommended that you test each cable out before making any runs through the wall first. That way you can be sure the signal is reaching before starting your project.

A good place to buy cables is at www.cabletrain.com. Their cables are very affordable and many of thier HDMI cables are rated for in-wall installations.

For my last couple of years working in the computer tech industry, one question that has started to come up a lot is: which is better to use for connecting computers to a high definition display? HDMI cable or DVI? The main reason this question has came up a lot recently is because newer video cards are starting to come with both connection types as options for connecting PCs to Displays. My advice is to use which ever one is most convenient to you. HDMI and DVI transmit a digital video signal in the same exact way. The only difference is the connection types. The picture is going to look exactly the same no matter what type of video cable you use.

Does HDMI Carry Audio from the PC?
We already know that DVI is unable to carry audio no matter what source you use. What about HDMI? It can carry noth audio and video so can it do it with my PC?

Answer: Unless your PC specifically has the ability to carry both audio and video through HDMI, its not going to carry audio. Many people who use HDMI for computers to the display carry the audio with a different cable (stereo).