# PS3: HDMI vs Component
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ps3-hdmi-vs-component/427301
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [November 21, 2007, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ps3-hdmi-vs-component/427301 "2007-11-21T09:43:31Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2007, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ps3-hdmi-vs-component/427301/1 "2007-11-21T09:43:31Z")
What connection is better for the PS3 in particular, HDMI or Component?
I realize that in its broader terms this is a religious matter and that the definitive answer is “it depends”. I want a concrete answer for my particular setup. A PS3 hooked up to a LCD TV (Olevia 437) that does 720p and 1080i but not 1080p.
Are there any practical considerations that will make a connection better than the other one, or is it just a matter of looking at it and choosing the one I like best?
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### Author:  [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2007, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ps3-hdmi-vs-component/427301/2 "2007-11-21T10:07:38Z")
Concrete answer: HDMI is categorically superior. It’s also the only way to provide 1080p to most TVs.
Realistcally though, the difference isn’t significant, and you’d be hard pressed to tell unless in an A-B comparison. Component looks amazing, and you certainly won’t be short-changing the PS3 by using it.
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### Author:  [@joemama24\_98](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joemama24_98)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2007, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ps3-hdmi-vs-component/427301/3 "2007-11-21T12:35:41Z")
If you play copy-protected blue-ray movies through component, I think they get downsampled to lower resolutions. You need the HDMI handshake in order for the system to determine its outputing a protected signal along a digital path.
The cables are often more expensive, but you can get nice ones fairly cheap at [monoprice.com](http://monoprice.com).
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### Author:  [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2007, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ps3-hdmi-vs-component/427301/4 "2007-11-21T13:20:15Z")
Well, sadly 1080p is not my biggest concern as my TV doesn’t have it (maybe with next year’s dollar exchange from my dad). And the component and HDMI cables for the PS3 cost about the same.
I just wanted to know if there was some hard technological difference between the two that would tilt it towards one or the other. (Such as S-video over Composite)