Do you even know why you want 120Hz? All the content from your cable company is either 60fps, progressive or interlaced. Your game consoles are 30fps, 60fps i/p.

The only reason right now that 120Hz matters is for displaying films at their original fps (24, which goes into 120 evenly) so as to avoid the judder inherent in 3:2 pulldown. This is important, but unless this is the reason you're so dead-set on 120Hz, which I doubt because you didn't mention it,you might want to consider if you were blindly going along with marketing hype.

Yup, but if you're a gamer i don't see the problem with 360+hd-dvd X360PS3AMD05

The problem is that it can't do high-def 5.1 audio.

+2 on the Onkyo 605.

+1 on internet direct speakers such as av123.

TimothyB, if you were going to go "budget" on a sub for $500 why not go with the Hsu VTF-2 MK 3 (I'm probably going to pick this up soon myself). Also, while that is a great price on the PB 12-Plus, I'd also seriously consider the Hsu VTF-3 MK 3 or the VTF-3 HO. They score better than the PB12 line on craigsub's rankings (obviously that's subjective but his rankings are highly regarded, as I'm sure you're aware).

Cheap and good sound system is every where, you just need to look around. Just make sure to look for system that support Optical digital audio input.

Helment

1) Cheap, good: Pick one.

2) To get the most out of a PS3 you'd need a receiver with HDMI inputs, not just optical. This allows high-def sound from both games and Blu-Rays.

You're right; I misspoke. I agree they're oversaturated.

Not trying to get back into it, but just saying that the difference that we now agree is there, is, for me, noticeable and enough to make me prefer HDMI. Also not trying to get back into it, but for future reference, others might consider it personal to be told "you really have some special eyes" when discussing the visual characteristics of something.

I seriously doubt my eyes are special. And by your phrasing, you note that there is a difference. Your point of contention is simply how big the difference is.

I will note that - whether the source be HD televison programming, a 360, or a PS3 - the content is digital. Transmitting it via component cables necessitates a digital->analog->digital conversion of the signal. This degrades it. In my experience, the picture looks softer and the colors are more washed out.

As an aside, differences in cabling and PQ extend even to analog vs. analog. There was a wealth of input from the community at AVSForum as to how the Xbox 360 looked better on their sets over VGA as opposed to component - not counting DVD upscaling, obviously, as DVDs are not upscaled via component. I'm sure they just all had really special eyes as well, though.

Having said this, I don't really care to continue discussing with you whether - as this is what it amounts to - I am a liar for stating that on my personal gear I have observed a difference in PQ between HD and component from the same source. The only reason I have carried on thus far is in the hopes that those who might be utilizing threads here as a source of information are not subjected to inaccuracies.

[QUOTE="virtual-human"]

Not sure what Sony over-hyping has to do with this. However, I own both the PS3 and 360, and I can tell you that the PS3 takes a lot better advantage of it. I wouldn't be getting uncompressed HD audio for both games and movies on my 360 with or without HDMI. The Elite can't even do more than 2 channels of LPCM so no HD sound from an HD-DVD add-on either. I'm also sure you know that - even if it is marginal - there is a difference in PQ between component and HDMI. Otherwise, my eyes are fooling me when I switch between inputs from my Moto 3416 HD-DVR/Comcast feed (on my 720p TV). Certainly, even without touching "audiophile"-level equipment, the bottom-of-the-line of the new models of Onkyo HDMI receivers doesn't constitute the "best equipment". Nor do HTIBs with HDMI.So, I would argue that HDMI is more than a convenience.

cspiffo

I was mostly talking about PQ. There really isn't much of a diff. between component and HDMI. Maybe if you are sitting 3-4ft from the TV you will notice. Anything else will look the same. As far as sound goes. Maybe I overshot by saying "the best" equipment. What I was trying to convey was the fact that you need far more than a standard 720p HDTV and a entry level receiver and speakers to take advantage of HDMI. So if you want to argue semantics go ahead. I think a I made my point though.

Again, I have a 720p TV. It's 37" and I sit 6-7' away. I can see a difference when flipping between inputs. Cut and dry. Where are the semantics? I suppose maybe my estimation of the Onkyo 605 as an entry-level receiver, but that's not about PQ...

still, though, im gonna dispell the rumors and help u out. anything less than 40" means u cannot see the difference between 720p and 1080pBig_T-Mac

I guess you missed the above graph...