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<blockquote data-quote="KevinM" data-source="post: 269966" data-attributes="member: 50013">I think this is something that deserves further discussion.I have recently upgraded to a full 1080p 42&quot; LCD and have tried connecting it various ways to my HTPC.I am fortunate because the screen has a native 1920x1080 resolution. I have connected it via DVI-HDMI cable and also by DVI-VGA. The picture is far superior on VGA.If I run the ordinary Windows desktop at the same 1920x1080 resolution, it becomes apparent why this is the case: using the VGA cable, everything looks pin sharp like an ordinary monitor connection. This is especially obvious looking at small text on the screen.However, when I connect via HDMI the edges of the text are indistinct and the colour looks too harsh. My guess is that this is something to do with the negotiation between the TV and the graphics card. The TV is designed to behave in some sort of smart way with the digital signal to cope with all sorts of devices. It features a whole bunch of picture tweaks (sharpness, colour balance, XD etc.) that just aren't available as options when connecting through the PC interface. It's as if the HDMI connection is going through an additional layer of processing whereas the VGA connection is a case of &quot;OK - I'll just display what I'm getting&quot;.My particular TV has an option to optimise the PC VGA screen that appears to work in the same way as an auto-adjust&nbsp; button on an ordinary LCD monitor, so it's possible that this is one reason why the VGA input looks so good.Nevertheless, it seems that what works for my particular setup needn't necessarily be the best for everyone - especially if the native resolution is 1366x768, not 1920x1080.My advice would be to obtain the best picture possible on the Windows desktop, ie. sharpest small text, at the native resolution of the screen. I'd also recommend that people try both types of connection before deciding which one to use, because I really doubt there is any &quot;one-size-fits-all&quot; solution to these connections.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="KevinM, post: 269966, member: 50013"] I think this is something that deserves further discussion. I have recently upgraded to a full 1080p 42" LCD and have tried connecting it various ways to my HTPC. I am fortunate because the screen has a native 1920x1080 resolution. I have connected it via DVI-HDMI cable and also by DVI-VGA. The picture is far superior on VGA. If I run the ordinary Windows desktop at the same 1920x1080 resolution, it becomes apparent why this is the case: using the VGA cable, everything looks pin sharp like an ordinary monitor connection. This is especially obvious looking at small text on the screen. However, when I connect via HDMI the edges of the text are indistinct and the colour looks too harsh. My guess is that this is something to do with the negotiation between the TV and the graphics card. The TV is designed to behave in some sort of smart way with the digital signal to cope with all sorts of devices. It features a whole bunch of picture tweaks (sharpness, colour balance, XD etc.) that just aren't available as options when connecting through the PC interface. It's as if the HDMI connection is going through an additional layer of processing whereas the VGA connection is a case of "OK - I'll just display what I'm getting". My particular TV has an option to optimise the PC VGA screen that appears to work in the same way as an auto-adjust button on an ordinary LCD monitor, so it's possible that this is one reason why the VGA input looks so good. Nevertheless, it seems that what works for my particular setup needn't necessarily be the best for everyone - especially if the native resolution is 1366x768, not 1920x1080. My advice would be to obtain the best picture possible on the Windows desktop, ie. sharpest small text, at the native resolution of the screen. I'd also recommend that people try both types of connection before deciding which one to use, because I really doubt there is any "one-size-fits-all" solution to these connections. [/QUOTE]

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