rMBP to TV - cable or adapter?

[dmk1974]

For connecting my rMBP to a TV, I find that the HDMI connection looks really lousy. But on a previous machine, when I connected to the VGA connection on the TV, it looked just as sharp as a typical monitor (I do not need to carry the sound).

I was searching Amazon for a couple of adapters so I can connect the rMBP from the Thunderbolt connector to the TV VGA connector. Is there any reason I shouldn't just get a single cable that does the job? Or is an adapter that connects to a standard VGA cable a better choice?

Here's a couple I was looking at:

Adapter:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DRK73IM...TF8&colid=1GHQK5I30KNRH&coliid=I3E4LQ1M8246LH

Cable:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ESM3GSO...TF8&colid=1GHQK5I30KNRH&coliid=I2YHOPB9VDOW83

 

[alphaod]

For the HDMI connection did you disable overscan compensation.

 

[dmk1974]

For the HDMI connection did you disable overscan compensation.

Yes. I've seen this on other TVs in the past as well.

 

[snaky69]

If you're comparing the rMBP next to an HDTV, the HDTV is sure to look like crap, since you've gotten used to much higher pixel density.

 

[dmk1974]

If you're comparing the rMBP next to an HDTV, the HDTV is sure to look like crap, since you've gotten used to much higher pixel density.

I'm not. I'm comparing a computer connected to a TV via VGA vs HDMI.

 

[seinman]

This is the case on a lot of TVs, especially older models. With VGA you can use the panel's exact native resolution, but with HDMI it forces you into one of the "standard" ATSC resolutions and then scales it, causing the distortion on sharp text. For instance, I have a Vizio 720p TV from 2007. The panel itself is 1366x768, which I can use just fine via VGA. If I use HDMI, it will only accept 720p, which is 1280x720. It then scales it up to the display's native resolution (and then some, to give it some overscan area). This scaling is the problem. Nothing you can do about it on most TVs, except use VGA or buy a more modern TV which allows the native resolution via HDMI with no scaling.

 

[dmk1974]

Thanks. Going back to the two types of cables/adapters that I listed in the original post, is there any disadvantage to either of them from a use/reliability standpoint?