What if You Have an HDTV and There Is No HDMI Plug on the TV for Your PS3?

HDTV Inputs

An HDTV usually has several input formats to accept signals from various devices. One of the simplest connections, composite video, offers the lowest quality signal because it combines all video signals onto one coaxial cable. Other inputs can include S-video, which uses two video signals on a round four-pin connector; component video, which uses three RCA push-on jacks; and HDMI, which uses a 19-pin flat connector. To make a connection to any format other than composite video from a PS3, you need to buy a special cable.

Standard TV has a horizontal-to-vertical dimension ratio of 4 to 3, with 480 horizontal lines of resolution that an electronic signal scans to create a picture. An HDTV has a ratio of 16 to 9 and either 720 or 1,080 lines of resolution. A composite video signal from a PS3 can only illuminate 480 lines, but an HDTV will up-convert the signal to fill in the missing lines, although it may leave black spaces at the edges. Your HDTV may have an adjustment to stretch or magnify the signal to fill the spaces.

HDMI makes a digital HD connection from your PS3. But component video makes an analog connection and supports the HD resolutions. A PlayStation component video cable has a connector on one end to fit into the game console and five RCA push-on plugs on the other end. Three carry the video signal with connectors color-coded red, green and blue, and two carry audio with red for right and white for left. Match the colors to the connectors on the HDTV. Although the component video connection isn't a good as HDMI, it's better than composite.

See the Video Output Settings section in your owner's manual to select an output to match the connection to your HDTV. With composite video, you don't have to make a resolution setting. But if you use a component connection, you must select a resolution that matches the design of your HDTV for optimum results. See your HDTV owner's manual for its resolution and select 720p, 1080i or 1080p. Interlaced -- i -- scanning illuminates odd lines in one sweep and even in the next. Progressive -- p -- illuminates all lines in one sweep, making a more stable presentation.