HDMI or DisplayPort? I'm confused ?_?

[purifier]

So, in 10 days I should get a Samsung UE32EH6030 to hook up to my ATI-7970 equipped pc, but someone has told me that
if I use a normal HDMI 1.4 to stream the 1080p 3D signal, I'll get low framerates in games (Blu-ray and videos should be ok), while
there should be no problem with DisplayPort. Now I should point out that I must use the HDMI for the audio part, is there a way of
getting around this issue? (if I connect the Denon receiver to the port without a display it doesn't get the audio either).
But most of all, is it true that HDMI can't support good framerates for 3D gaming or it's just an urban legend?
Thanks!

[Fredz]

Current HDMI transmission chips have a limited bandwidth, so current gen TVs that support HDMI 1.4a are limited to either 1280x720@60Hz or 1920x1080p@24Hz (30Hz for some models, including yours it seems by looking at the manual).

There shouldn't be such problems with DisplayPort (or dual-link DVI), but your TV doesn't seem to support it by reading the manual. And it does seem to support only 60Hz modes, when 120Hz would be needed for full HD 3D.

In fact I don't know any TV that supports DisplayPort either, where did you get that info ?

[purifier]

I've been told by an IT guy about the Displayport, I hadn't checked if the Samsung TV set had it yet...

So the fact that my 7970 supports 1080@60p in 3D over HDMI 1.4a doesn't matter in the end? :°( (source: http://www.avsforum.com/t/1341547/1080p ... le-in-2012 )



Ps:another question, is that possible that I can't find a proper pc monitor for the same price range of this TV? (less than €400 for a 32" active shutter 3D, the monitors I've seen so far cost more than double that price!!!)

[purifier]

According to your experience, are these 30p (opposed to 60p) really as annoying as they tell me when playing games?
And last tech question, since the system has to render double the frames in 3D, will my system hold up?
I currently can play Crysis 2 Directx 11 at maximum with high res texture pack and all, this is my configuration:
i7 920 clocked at 3.8Ghz, 6GB ram (3x2GB in triple channel), a single ATI 7970 and a Velociraptor hard disk
Almost forgotten to mention, right now I'm playing on an Optoma Hd20 projector at 1080/60p, so I'm really concerned
about the loss of fluidity of this 30p

[cybereality]

Well the latest high-end AMD cards do have the new HDMI chips (to do 1080P60 3D) but no displays support this yet so it makes no difference.

I've heard some people say playing at 30Hz (or even 24Hz) is acceptable. Honestly, I did try at 24Hz and I found it way too choppy. Especially after playing 2D games at 120Hz, 24Hz is a joke. That said, certain games hold up better than others. For example, Crysis has really good motion blur and that makes 24Hz look smoother and more acceptable. For most games, though, its not enough. I imagine 30Hz is better, but still a major step down from 60Hz. Though you do have the option to play at 720P at the full 60Hz, and this will probably be the better choice.

PC monitors are generally more expensive than TVs, but you can find deals if you look. It really depends what size you are going for. The 22-24" 3D monitors are reasonably priced, but as you get bigger they get a lot more expensive. Still, you can probably get a larger TV for the same money.

[purifier]

Just snapped this from the Samsung TV pdf manual, it seems it supports 1080p 30hz in frame packing,
but the other option (it's called side by side, right?) reaches 60Hz, what does it mean? Can it be used by the pc?

[Fredz]

It's probable that it can be used, but the resolution is divided by 2 in this mode so you'll only get 960x1080 pixels per eye at 60Hz.

Compared to 1280x720 the gain is not really impressive, from 921600 to 1036800 pixels per image that's only a +12.5% improvement. Not really much compared to 1920x1080 (+125%). The horizontal resolution will also be lower and you'll no longer have square pixels.

I didn't compared those modes, but people posted feedback about that some months ago and the consensus was that 720p at 60HZ looked better IIRC.

[purifier]

So I guess I'll post my impressions when I buy it, for now I hope the 30p is not too frame limiting for games because I'd like to keep the 1080p

[cybereality]

Yeah, you can use side-by-side on the PC with software like the DDD driver or stereoscopic player. Its not going to look any better than 720P though (maybe worse).

[purifier]

About the monitor instead, if I bought one and used the Displayport, how would I be able to keep the audio?

[Fredz]

I'm not sure there are a lot of 3D monitors supporting DisplayPort either, generally they are used with dual-link DVI. In this case the audio would be handled independently, by connecting your PC directly to your external speakers/headphones with a jack.

[purifier]

I had a Dell 30" in the past, the fact that it worked at 2560x1600 required a dual link DVI, but I don't rememebr it was capable of transporting audio, about Displayport I'm completely clueless since I've never used it, but if it doesn't then I'll have to go back to the TV choice, since I've tried to send only the audio via HDMI to my Denon and it doesn't work if there isn't any display connected (and by using optical/coaxial I can't have multichannel audio in games or HD audio from Blu-ray discs)

[purifier]

It seems I won't be able to buy a new AV receiver soon, so for the moment I'm stuck with my old one that doesn't support HDMI 1.4.
This means no frame packing for sure, right? But what about side by side? I mean if I try watching some 3D videos from youtube, will it work?

[cybereality]

SBS will work with anything, its just a normal 2D signal. You just need a display that supports it (any modern 3D TV will).

[purifier]

So basically I could play games too with this method? Do "native" 3D games like Crysis 2 and Deus Ex support this method?
And what about the normal ones, should I buy a DDD driver for them and configure it with this option if present?
And last one, do Blu-ray only output in frame packing? Would it be illegal for me to download a side by side mkv rip if I possess the original disc?

[cybereality]

Yeah, you can play games in SBS using the DDD TriDef driver. You do lose some picture quality, but it will work.