HDMI Audio or SPDIF (optical) audio?

[beanbag]

I finally received my lovely new Yamaha RX-V1900 amp and got it hooked up to my Media PC.

Originally I was using a VGA cable to my TV with an SPDIF cable running from the PC to the amp. However a friend came over and suggested I use HDMI as apparently it's not possible to get the full quality sound signal with an optical cable.

Admittedly, the picture quality was much better with the HDMI cable. The colours were more vibrant and much deeper with massively improved blacks but I'm not sure about the audio.

Which one is the better option? I'm only using some cheapy HDMI cables so if I sold the SPDIF cable, I'd buy a nice HDMI cable to replace it.

Suggestions?

[clevharr]

I purchased a top of the range Denon AV Amp not to long I have a SPDIF cable and a HDMI lead I was told by the Technician from Comet the SPDIF and the HDMI worked togethr as the best solution for sound and picture from my Home Entertainment PC Via my Amp To my TV not sure if thhis is accurate but it works! Hope this was useful. Regards

[RedLeicester]

beanbag said:

it's not possible to get the full quality sound signal with an optical cable.

Get a new friend, this one's a fkwit.

[beanbag]

RedLeicester said:

beanbag said:

it's not possible to get the full quality sound signal with an optical cable.

Get a new friend, this one's a fkwit.

Well I won't consider you as a replacement......

[furs307c]

It all depends on whether your streaming HD audio from the pc such as DTS master audio & Dolby True HD etc (usually on Blurays/HD DVD), you will not be able to get HD audio via an optical cable whereas HDMI can transfer these formats. It also depends on whether the hardware on your pc supports HD audio. If your not using the HD formats then Optical is fine

[RedLeicester]

Sorry Beanie, was too tempting to resist.

In a nutshell, there is NOTHING restrictive about an S/PDIF signal, so in that essence, the choice is yours - HDMi carries an embedded digital audio stream alongside the video data, so assuming both end devices support it, it's convenient to be running just one single cable. If on the other hand you want to be running audio into another device from where the HDMI video is going, then use S/PDIF.

I have heard this guff about coaxial / optical S/PDIF somehow being inferior to each other, or one being poo and the other god's gift - well in a home or hi-fi concept, it's utter, utter, utter tosh.

[RedLeicester]

furs307c said:

It all depends on whether your streaming HD audio from the pc such as DTS master audio & Dolby True HD etc (usually on Blurays/HD DVD), you will not be able to get HD audio via an optical cable whereas HDMI can transfer these formats. It also depends on whether the hardware on your pc supports HD audio. If your not using the HD formats then Optical is fine

HD audio will go down S/PDIF if the device supports it. The issue is the device, not the transmission format.

[beanbag]

Apology accepted RL.....

With regards to the equipment, both support the formats in question. I think my friend mentioned something about this Dolby HD format and how it was only possible with HDMI.

My media PC which plays everything (TV, movies, music, the lot), uses an ATI Radeon HD3200 with HDMI and I use the built in audio controller which is a Realtek HD Audio chip. I didn't think it worthwhile to upgrade the audio if the stream is decoded at my amplifier.

On the plus side, there is only one cable leaving my PC now which keeps things tidy.

[headcase]

RedLeicester said:

HD audio will go down S/PDIF if the device supports it. The issue is the device, not the transmission format.

Not True, Dolby True HD and DTS Master audio exceed the licenced badwidth of Toslink and Coaxial digital and are only tranmitted via HDMI, so if you are going to use these formats then HDMI is tho only way to go right now.

Edited by headcase on Monday 3rd May 15:13

[beanbag]

So conclusion.....it's better to use HDMI?

[headcase]

Yup.

[furs307c]

Saves having loads of cables everywhere too

Edited by furs307c on Monday 3rd May 15:27

[furs307c]

For everyones info-

"Compared to SPDIF connections, HDMI has significantly more bandwidth, allowing it to support the latest lossless audio formats such as Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. These formats can not be supported over SPDIF connections due to their very high data rate requirements that exceed the capabilities of SPDIF. "

HDMI.ORG

[beanbag]

Anyone want to buy an Audioquest Optilink G TOSLINK cable?

It's in tip-top condition and only used since January!



I paid €60 for it so I reckon €40 or 35 of her Majesties pound plus a little for postage would be fair?

[AE82GT]

furs307c said:

For everyones info-

"Compared to SPDIF connections, HDMI has significantly more bandwidth, allowing it to support the latest lossless audio formats such as Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. These formats can not be supported over SPDIF connections due to their very high data rate requirements that exceed the capabilities of SPDIF. "

HDMI.ORG

Agreed, however.....
You'll get much better performance from SKY (movies & HD) by using Optical from the Sky+ box to your AVR/AMP, because the audio signal is not HD bandwidth.
But defiantly hook it up via HDMI for BlueRay...it really does sound good.

You could argue non of it matters because humans are analogue!

[Plotloss]

HDMI does have more bandwidth but only because TOSLINK bandwidth is artificially restricted by licence.

Thank Sony.

[headcase]

AE82GT said:

furs307c said:

For everyones info-

"Compared to SPDIF connections, HDMI has significantly more bandwidth, allowing it to support the latest lossless audio formats such as Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. These formats can not be supported over SPDIF connections due to their very high data rate requirements that exceed the capabilities of SPDIF. "

HDMI.ORG

Agreed, however.....
You'll get much better performance from SKY (movies & HD) by using Optical from the Sky+ box to your AVR/AMP, because the audio signal is not HD bandwidth.
But defiantly hook it up via HDMI for BlueRay...it really does sound good.

You could argue non of it matters because humans are analogue!

Its nothing to do with bandwidth, sky chooses to output stereo from the HDMI and 5.1 from the optical, presumably they though it made the boxes more compatable with the masses of different TV's and amps out there.

[RedLeicester]

Plotloss said:

HDMI does have more bandwidth but only because TOSLINK bandwidth is artificially restricted by licence.

Thank Sony.

TOSLINK.


Not Coax.

[Plotloss]

I think but am by no means sure that in consumer applications the SPDIF licence is similar.

[RedLeicester]

Plotloss said:

I think but am by no means sure that in consumer applications the SPDIF licence is similar.

Good call as ever Plotty - semantics on these threads as so often happens, yes consumer coax/tos SPDIF has different licences to pro..... doh. Was sat here feeding HD audio down coax with nary a thought....