C-A_99 wrote:I'm not sure on whether or not HDMI is actually needed. The Xbox 360 is able to output DVI via the HDMI port so all you need is an HDMI/DVI cable, and the 360 can output sound to stereo analog or 5.1 toslink at the same time.
Multi audio on the PS3. PS3 can do HDMI->DVI as well with an adapter or cable, but the monitor needs HDCP support of course.
C-A_99 wrote:I'm not sure if the PS3 has this capability since the PS3 has had awful A/V output options; it lacks VGA support which is one of the most common methods of high resolution video.
PS3 has awful A/V output options? I could have said the 360 pre-Elite days the lack of out-of-box HDMI was a failure too? We are talking about a console designed mainly for the living room and not the office. HDMI and component
are the standard for outputting high resolution video in that context. VGA is more of a cop-out. I hate to use the f word, but you seem to have a lack of knowledge of the capabilities of the PS3 and was trying to pan the 360 is a better light.
C-A_99 wrote:A monitor supporting 1080p is not necessary unless you use it for a computer too and/or may use the PS3's blu-ray player. Most monitors that take HDMI that have built-in speakers may also have audio output for headphones/proper speakers but I'm not completely sure on this. Most TV's and monitors do not have particularly great speakers, though larger TV's may have speakers able to produce somewhat acceptable sound quality.
You do have to be careful if you are going the monitor route to make sure it has speakers, unless you are going straight for something like a speaker set with optical input and DD decoding, or a receiver+speaker setup. However, I do have to point out that a lot of monitors with HDMI are intended for "multimedia" use so there is a higher chance they have speakers.
C-A_99 wrote:One type of monitor you'll probably want to avoid is anything in the 16:10 aspect ratio. The 360 can handle those monitors fine (but there will be black bars) but the PS3 cannot output an acceptable image to them, unless the monitor supports proper scaling instead of only screen stretching.
This is a valid point. Although I would say if you are getting a higher-end enough monitor, like say the Dell U2410, there should be built-in monitor aspect scaling. Failing that, there seems to be a
load of 21"-27" monitors that have HDMI input and 1920x1080 resolution, at a variety of prices.
@OP: this is the list you should check out.C-A_99 wrote:In the end, I think a 1080p 21.5" or 23" monitor with audio is the best choice, assuming the PS3 can't output audio seperately.
The PS3 can definitely output audio separately. Even so a monitor with speakers will still be the better choice in terms of functionality. Of course if the OP already has a speaker setup that is capable of using the output from his PS3, then you can choose a monitor (usually higher quality and price) without integrated speakers.
C-A_99 wrote:Most likely it won't due to the HDCP requirements.
HDCP has more to do with the video signal than audio. Besides, if you are doing 5.1/7.1 LPCM optical simply does not have enough bandwidth. DD encoded 5.1 goes out via optical just fine, unencrypted. BTW, most HDMI-equipped monitors should support HDCP since they are usually designed for "multimedia", including Blu-ray players. I just checked the list I linked above and it seems fine. It seems only when you have a monitor with only DVI you need to worry about HDCP support.
C-A_99 wrote:1080p is the most common resolution for 16:9 monitors now and of course it'll be perfect for blu-ray. Some of the monitors with HDMI also even have DVI available seperately so you can connect the computer to it.
In this case it is actually fortunate for the OP that the manufacturers are moving to 16:9 resolutions due to costs. The 16:10 ones are now expensive harder to find.
C-A_99 wrote:Lastly, the 360 can be hooked to say, the VGA with it's sound going through the computer. (If you're even using a 360 in the first place which is much, much more flexibile and compatible with various A/V equipment.)
The only thing that the PS3 is lacking is VGA output, but the breakout of audio is just as good. With new HDMI-equipped monitors costing as low as $180, I don't see it as a problem anymore. The world has moved on since 360's launch and HDMI is more prevalent everywhere. In theory you can add a component to VGA adapter in the chain, as the PS3 can do component output too (same cable as the PS2, can't say the same for the old Xbox).
C-A_99 wrote:Monoprice.com sells these audio adapters and video cables at good prices. (Just avoid some of their game console A/V cables and get official cables from eBay instead.)
eBay? I will take Monoprice almost any day. The quality of cables from Monoprice is the same if not better than the official ones, and if you are unfortunate enough to get an unscrupulous seller with fake garbage, then Monoprice beats those by a few lightyears.
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