John wants to play stuff from his computer to his TV, but it doesn't have HDMI out. Leo says that if you have DVI Out on your computer, you can buy an adapter that will allow you to connect it to your TV. Other options include
John would like to connect his computer to an HDTV and he's not really interested in 4K. What's the best TV? Leo says that there's not much content for 4K and even if there was, computers can't take advantage of it. A 1080p HDTV with HDMI will work just fine. And for gaming, a 60hz set will be sufficient.
Scott attended a webinar this week on HDMI 2.0, a new home video connection cable standard. He said it's a bit confusing. You can use the same cables you have now, which is a nice thing, and HDMI's category 2 cables have a bandwidth of 10.1 gigabits per second. Even though HDMI 2 is 18GBps, they can still work. It's not necessarily about the version number, it's the list of features it brings to the party. It depends on what the manufacturer decides to support, though.
Jim wants to run both DirecTV and Time Warner Cable off the same TV. Leo says he can do it via the HDMI ports on the back of the TV. Then he can just switch from one source to the other. But he'll need a separate cable for it. Can he do it wirelessly? Leo says that wireless HDTV is a difficult thing. It's always best to go wired through HDMI.
Derek runs fiber optic cable from his receiver to his TV, and he's wondering if that's better than HDMI? Leo says they're identical in terms of quality over a short throw. Receivers have a delay capability for audio which can sync with the video. He just has to look in the settings of his receiver.
Scott Wilkinson joins us right after the talk about cat6 Ethernet to talk home theater. Scott says that as we get more and more into 4K, and as ultra high definition gets into the home, the need for high quality compression and high speed routing is very important. Not only is resolution important, but color gamut is as well, since it provides a smooth gradient of color. We're already running into the limits of HDMI 2.1 with those specs. Leo says that HDMI over Ethernet can be done with baluns on either end to convert from HDMI to Ethernet and back.
Bob is replacing a PC laptop and docking station with a 13" Mac Pro with Retina. He needs docking stations on both ends with external monitors and network connections. Leo says that Apple doesn't do docking stations anymore. Thunderbolt monitors will handle the external part with connectors for keyboards and monitors. All he'll need to do is plug it in. He won't even have to open the MacBook Pro.
Bob is retired and bought a Vizio TV, but he's a bit confused by all the ports in the back. Leo says that there's an Internet port for accessing the smart functionality, but he can also connect via Wi-Fi. The HDMI port is the port he'll want to use to connect the TV to his cable box. That's really all he needs!
Matt just bought a new Samsung Plasma 3D TV with surround sound. The TV isn't working with the surround sound, though. Leo says Matt has to have the ARC Audio return channel. It'll be designated on the side of the TV, and it may not be on HDMI input 1. It probably is input 2. He doesn't really need a special cable, he just needs to enable it. He should look for ARC on the TV itself. Another way is to connect the speakers with optical cables.
John wants to show video on two separate screens using an HDMI splitter, but it won't work. Leo says HDMI splitters are frustrating. Leo says that they often don't work and when they do, they likely only work with one screen, rendering it pointless. Leo suspects his problem is due to copy protection called HDCP, and if it's not HDCP compliant, it won't work.
