That's great, now go back and try to buy a TV from that same employee and watch him upsell you on the HDMI cable over the component for it's better picture.

I vote incompetence. You'd have to be a moron not to realize that there is a difference in the cables.

The employee probably heard the explanation from a higher-up and just passes it on as "the way it is."

An interesting analysis of HDMI versus Component Video from my new favorite a/v cable company.

The short version: HDMI does not automatically mean better picture.

Even his admition to their definition of calibration (snuck quite a bit of 'tion's in there) is easily something the lay person could do. I know people who would fall for this, but I dont know anyone who would pay for it after they were told it was messing with the picture until it looks good.

Most TVs out there wont handle 1080p on component, Those tricky bast...

@Smitherd: In addition, there is a much more precise and "technical" way to calibrate a TV by adjusting the color sliders using a set of color bars. He probably doesn't know that, adding to his incompetence.

A+ for sleuthing skills,
F- for photography skills

:) I love how the "not calibrated" TV looks brighter in this high-quality photograph...

I vote for lying in order to try to sell you more stuff or a certain TV model or brand that the managers or the store probably gets bonuses for selling. This employee is probably just feeding customers the crap the managers and higher ups tell him to however that does not change the fact that the information being presented to the customer is false. If the employee isn't lying than the store is by not mentioning anything about different types of cables being used to hook up televisions and instead just pushing the calibration service instead.

The use of component video does not necessarily degrade the picture quality by itself. Digital is not necessarily superior to analog just because it is digital.

If we were talking COMPOSITE video instead of COMPONENT video it would be a different story.

@CarlR: That is certainly true. Personally I prefer analog to digital, but that's just me.

These clowns (electronics retailers in general, not just Best Buy) are flat out desperate at this point to move their Christmas merch. I'm not at all surprised to see this kind of deceptive practice going on. Just another reason to be an educated consumer.

That last part of the article - why does it have to be an 'or' question?

@Bizdady: Pretty sure it's impossible to get 1080P through component. 480i only here in the states 480p elsewhere. Or NTSC and PAL if you prefer.

Really, it shouldn't make much of a difference - assuming the run isn't too long, and the component cables are at least decent quality (doesn't matter for HDMI, it either works or it doesn't), the picture should be pretty close to identical.

I vote incompetence. That's why a random salesclerk isn't the one to DO the calibration.

That's like walking into a Dr's office and demanding that the receptionist be as knowledgeable as the doctors.

@TinyBug: no, but it damn sure means you can handle uncompressed 7.1 audio :)

@JustThatGuy3: not if they are hooked up to an HD source. no 720p/1080p through component. If they are hooked up to an SD source then yes they would look close and the component might actually look better.

@YardanCabaret: You're wrong, so stop saying that.

Quick question, since you guys seem to know your stuff when it comes to HDMI and Component cables. My buddy has a big 42" HDTV and has HD Cable hooked up. I'm pretty sure he's using Component cables, and the picture looks great from a distance, but when you get close to the TV, it's all pixelated and crappy. When you're sitting on a couch and watching it though, it's freakin' amazing.

Oh, and no to be too far of topic, Best Buy sucks. :)

@YardanCabaret:
Component can run 1080i. You are right - I have yet to see 1080p through component cables too.

There is a difference, but not as much as you may think. Most people really won't notice much of a difference if any at all between a player running through component inputs and one running through HDMI, especially for smaller sets. The major difference is HDMI maintains a digital connection, where as component is analog.

Again, though, your average consumer won't really notice the difference, and likely won't care.

The major benefit of HDMI, besides using a digital signal, is you can get video and audio via one cable connection instead of one cable split into five. For most consumers this is far easier. Hell, a friend of mine who's hosted LAN parties before got the red video cable and read audio cable mixed around once.

I'd say this also goes hand-in-hand with stores telling customers to buy expensive HDMI cables for their players, when a cheap $2 HDMI cable will give them the same results. Again, benefits are marginal at best, and 95% of consumers won't notice and/or won't care in the end. Also, I made up that percentage, but you know I'm right either way. Hell, even CNET's home theater guys use cheap cables from monoprice.com, and CNET is owned by Rupert Murdoch

Granted this still doesn't excuse Best Buy (at least this location) from using two different inputs to try and sell a calibration service to customers. Examples should use the same setup across the board.

@YardanCabaret: Taken from HowStuffWorks.com:

"One of the big questions surrounding HDTV is whether HDMI is required for 1080p resolution. The answer is maybe. Many devices require HDMI for 1080p output. Others, though, can send 1080p signals over a component video cable."

that's a bit of a fail on best buy's part. wouldn't you WANT the customer to be aware that a more expensive and separately purchased component was making the picture better in order to sell it to them?

@YOXIM: HDTV is meant to be viewed at a larger distance anyway.

@YardanCabaret:
You are mistaken. Component can carry 720p and 1080i, but not 1080p. I agree with JustThatGuy3; unless the source was 1080p (BluRay or HD-DVD), they should be pretty close to identical.

@KyleOrton: What he said. The only thing that HDMI gets you over Component in 99 percent of the cases is HDCP, which can't run over Component, but can run over HDMI.

There is no difference between component cables and HDMI cable. Also there is no difference between expensive and cheap HDMI cables, they either work or they don't.

No, what the op should have done is switch the cables, and see what it would look like.

@CarlR: I am also in full agreement. It appears that by the width of the cables, they are only using the 3 video lines of the component input. If I am mistaken, and they are actually the 1xvideo and the 2x audio of composite, then the guy was bold faced lieing to the customer.

@TinyBug: Also, component means that there are no HDCP compatibility issues, authentication issues, or having to deal with Digital Restrictions Management at all.

However, some companies are pressured to make the component connection less capable than HDMI.

@YardanCabaret: Um . . . This is component (aka Y-Pb-Pr), not composite. Component can theoretically handle anything, but in practical terms, 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i are generally supported for component. It will, of course, also handle 576i for PAL/SECAM regions.

Composite, on the other hand, is 480i only in NTSC-land, and 576i in PAL-land and SECAM-land. Composite handles no standard progressive modes.

I bought the whole undercoating package with my HDTV at Best Buy. You all will be sorry when your Samsungs rust up come winter!

for "professional" calibration, i suggest just performing a google search. there's a number of audio/visual forums out there that can provide you with the "best" settings.

@YardanCabaret:

1080p over component seems to depend on vendor, but if there's no 720p over component, then my old HDTV was clearly connected via magic.

Everyone knows that the Monster HDMI cables provider pointier 1s and rounder 0s!

@YardanCabaret: @jdsmn: Component can run 1080p too. Just look at Xbox 360.

And, yes, a lot of TVs will not handle 1080p on component.

@2719: you mean other then the fact HDMI carries an audio signal, is capable of 1080p, uses HDCP, and is digital? Sure, other than that there is no difference.

component cable can not do 1080p. caps out at 1080i.
So, yes, there is a diffrence when dealing with top teir HD source, mainly blu-ray.

As a former employee of a big box, the best way to demo the same screen on different sets is to take a Blu Ray player, set the resolution at 1080i so it can output both HDMI and Component. Component can't do 1080p so HDMI is better there but at 720p/1080i, with a good set of cables (component analog can degrade), there isn't a difference. If the captions are right and they used the "crappier" component cables for the better looking calibrated set, this is surprisingly ethical. BTW, the component cables are Monster (good but way to expensive) and the HDMI looks like a cheaper brand. Anyway, that's my two cents.

@Jeremy82465: Tion the calibration charlatans.

@weakdome: It's entirely possible an uncalibrated TV would like brighter in a true professional photo. A higher brightness setting does not make the picture better.

@MacMasterShane: Oh, and something I've completely overlooked in this discussion. Component cables can carry 1080p.

@Hooray4Zoidberg:

While you're at it, you should ask them to change the from Dynamic mode to Movie mode and tell me "Calibration" is necessary.

@Bozman8:

Is there really a "best" setting though? I have tried many settings on some A/V Forums that some claim is the best, but for me, it wasn't better than what I had...

I think it's to each their own...in all honesty...

Of course Best Buy will do this to people just to screw them over. I just found out yesterday that I'm being charged a Finance Fee because I didn't pay off the promotional amount in time - although I did do just that before the deadline. The stupid CSR told me that I couldn't make separate payments, only one big one for that amount. After arguing with the dnozzle, I simply hung up on him realizing that it was fruitless talking with a grunt.

@GothGirl: But did you get the pinstriping?

@TinyBug: This is a very good point. However, signal levels, color accuracy, and more can vary between HDMI and Component outs, so it's not an even comparison.

I bet they're using one source (like a Blu-ray player), and the only way they had to show picture on two TVs was to use the HDMI and Component outs simultaneously.

I happen to know if this store was merchandised correctly, they'd have a piece of equipment that would give them two HDMI outputs, yielding a fair comparison, but sounds like they aren't merchandised correctly and did the best they could with what they have.

@Jeremy82465: Yeah, worst sales job EVAR.

But actual calibration (like the full-fledged Geek Squad service) is done by a dedicated traveling calibrator who uses equipment to determine proper settings...it's not some kid fooling with color bars.

@weakdome: It's actually very common for a calibrated display to be dimmer than an "uncalibrated" set. This is because TVs come out of the box with all the settings jacked to the max so they'll stand out on the showroom floor.

"Bright" isn't necessarily a key component of picture quality. A dimmer image in a home will often be much more pleasing and accurate.