After not finding any good analysis on the matter, neither from Google, from Engadget, nor any other source, I did my own test.
I have a 23 inch HDTV (model# LN-R239W) by Samsung. (Note: after research on Google, I conclude that it supports 720p. Samsung does not seem to present that information in any official literature.)
The game is: Gears of War.
The Place: the opening 4 rooms
The Results follow. First, immediately I saw a higher clarity in most objects, like in Marcus' armor, the cafeteria sign (standing 4 tiles away from the sign in the game was the measurement. 4 tiles away and the sign is noticeably clearer), the computer, the desk, to the clouds outside. Most objects are clearer. Second, while the images are sharper overall, the clarity seems to diminish the colors. For example, there is a little blue thing on the back of Marcus' armor. While the blue color of the thing is still discernable, it is noticeably muted; it is not as bright. The same color town-down appears everywhere.
The HDMI does have some other unwelcome side effects. The letters of the words that are used to describe the titles to the scene are now harder to read, just as are the function letter buttons of the controller that appear on the screen. The sharpness makes them smaller and thus harder to read. The color of the function buttons is also muted.
Conclusion. While I like the enhanced clarity, for some reason it seems to bother my eyes. Also, I don't welcome the color degradation. So, it seems as if there is a trade off, at least using my parameters. Lastly, the HDMI connection even makes the opening Xbox logo clearer.
I welcome your constructive comments.
Note: If I can manage I will try to put up pictures, but I doubt my Sony Snapshot will show the difference. Also, all conclusions are only based off of empirical evidence that my eyes have given me.
Engadget's review was not adequate to me because they used a 1080p monitor, a device that most people do not have. Component's high is at 1080i, so why use a 1080p tv? All, if not most, games, including Gears of War, do not support 1080p, and the difference in the 2 connections is much more than just black colors. (http://www.engadget.com/2007/04/26/xbox-360-elite-vs-classic-the-test/).
Closing Comments. Technology is very complex. I believe that only the engineers who create it can truly understand every nuance, and even then, there are good and better engineers. This kind of information, being that it is so complex, must have a great number of variables to consider, and in summarizing the effects, part of the complexity is lost; ergo, while someone can say, "this is that output and that is not," the details are lost, which is what I believe my review may have shown. HDMI, while being superior, obviously has some consequences, consequences that are the reduced color and slimmed letters. Moreover, while authors create for 720p, HDMI is not useless, but it is not the cure either. My point is: be careful of saying "this is better or this is worse." HDMI is neither exclusively 1080p nor 720p. The issues are complex, and the games are built for 720p.
Thank you.
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