i am going to upgrade my current projector from a yamaha lpx500 to a mitsubishi hc 6800. my current projector is wired for component. my installer wants to sell me a component to hdmi converter (for 300 bucks) which he plans to install at the ceiling mounted projector. he states that the quality of hdmi is superior to component. the distance of the component cables to the receiver is at max 15 feet. Since really the signal is still traveling over the component lines and is just being transfered to the hdmi format at the end is there really any benefit to converting since the entire line wont be hdmi?

thanks

The only reason to install a HDMI converter is if you are sending HDMI from the start. Not sure how old your system is, but one of my tough love statements is ALWAYS plan for cabling after the drywall is up. Or, pay the price.

If you don't have a way to run cabling, then run HDMI natively from your products to the projector, cut some holes, and pay a drywaller to repair them.

If that would be crazy expensive, then buying a HDMI OVER RGBHV converter would be a good solution. That's not the same as a component to HDMI converter. Gefen makes a HDMI over RGBHV module that I used in one of my client's homes because there was no conduit installed to begin with and there was no HDMI run to the projector.

Just putting a scaler at the end of the component cabling is really stupid and a waste of your money and an indication of an installer that doesn't know what they are talking about.

I would recommend that you may want to find someone else if a simple comonent to HDMI transcoder is all they are putting in for that much money.