Question for the Audio/Video experts about HDMI.
 

Does HDMI have any sort of default refresh rate on the output or does it depend on the device. Or is there nothing like that even associated with HDMI output.

I have my Xbox 360 in my office and it's plugged into my 24" LCD via a VGA port. Problem is, the VGA out of the XBox is 59 hz so it kills my eyes. I'm thinking of getting a new monitor with an HDMI input but not sure if I would get a higher refresh rate or not.

Any ideas???

HDMI is HDMI. It's a signal carrier.

Hz rate doesn't mean a fucking thing with LCDs, either. It's always going to act like a 60Hz refresh; you care how fast the LCD itself on the monitor refreshes.

Unless you really want to waste money.

Thanks for the info on the HDMI.

But I know some people think that refresh rate doesn't matter for LCDs but it does, at least with computers and VGA inputs. You can totally tell the difference between when I set my computer to 65 hz or 75 hz. The 65 hz gives me a headache within 30 minutes the same way CRTs did when they were set with a low refresh rate.

LCDs don't refresh like a CRT you are getting a headache because you are a hypochondriac..

..or perhaps he's just looking for an excuse to waste money? http://www.gfy.com/images/icons/twocents.gif

Trust me, I don't need an excuse to waste money :1orglaugh

As for being a hypochondriac. I've been to the Doctor like twice in the past 10 years and one of those times I had a broken leg for about 4 weeks before I finally went. I'm hardly a hypochondriac or complain about little aches and pains.

I've seen this argument on quite a few boards. Some people are sensitive to the refresh rate and some people aren't. If it doesn't effect you, then good for you. But some people's eyes pick up the flickering and it causes a pretty intense headache, even with LCDs.

But the thread isn't really about that.

I hate to break it to you, precious, but you're fucking nuts.

There is no "flicker" on an LCD unless your inverter is going out. If you need an excuse to hop up from VGA, do it, but a 24" LCD likely has a decent internal refresh and a nice backlight.

It's funny how everyone takes it as personally offensive when someone suggests a LCD monitor can flicker. All I know is when I set my video output to 75 hz my eyestrain is reduced considerably. I personally don't give a fuck if you believe it or not.

But once again, not the point of the thread. My monitor has a max refresh rate of 75 hz but with the VGA coming from the Xbox it only goes to 59 hz when I check the control panel. If I use a HDMI will it use it's max refresh rate of 75 hz? That's all I'm asking.

does the monitor have svga? if so give that a try. If not try a vga to svga converter, before splashing out on an new monitor.

Plus, there is no refresh rate on lcd's
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refresh_rate

Subjectivity of flicker

Computer CRT displays usually operate at a vertical scan rate well over 60 Hz (modern ones are around 100Hz), and can thus be considered flicker-free. Other display technologies do not flicker noticeably so the frame rate is less important. LCD flat panels do not seem to flicker at all as the backlight of the screen operates at a very high frequency of nearly 200 Hz, and each pixel is changed on a scan rather than briefly turning on and then off as in CRT displays. In some cases, it is possible to indirectly detect flicker at rates well beyond 60 Hz in the case of high-speed motion, via the stroboscopic effect. Human factors experts refer to this effect as a Phantom Array. Fast-moving flickering objects zooming across view (either by object motion, or by eye motion such as rolling eyes), can cause a dotted or multicolored blur instead of a continuous blur. A common example of this phenomenon is the DLP Rainbow Effect. Some special effects, such as certain kinds of electronic glowsticks commonly seen at outdoor events, have the appearance of a solid color when motionless but produce a multicolored or dotted blur when waved about in motion.

Fluorescent lamps using conventional magnetic ballasts flicker at twice the supply frequency. Electronic ballasts do not produce light flicker, since the phosphor persistence is longer than a half cycle of the higher operation frequency. The 100–120 Hz flicker produced by magnetic ballasts is associated with headaches and eyestrain.[2] Individuals with high critical flicker fusion threshold are particularly affected by magnetic ballasts: their EEG alpha waves are markedly attenuated and they perform office tasks with greater speed and decreased accuracy. The problems are not observed with electronic ballasts.[3] Ordinary people have better reading performance using high-frequency (20–60 kHz) electronic ballasts than magnetic ballasts.[4]

The flicker of fluorescent lamps, even with magnetic ballasts, is so rapid that it is unlikely to present a hazard to individuals with epilepsy.[5] Early studies suspected a relationship between the flickering of fluorescent lamps with magnetic ballasts and repetitive movement in autistic children.[6] However, these studies had interpretive problems[7] and have not been replicated.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flicker_fusion_threshold

good question......