When sending a 1400 x 1050 res slide program file (from FotoMagico - the image files will be 1400 x 1050) from a Macbook Pro to a 1400 x 1050 native res projector (Canon SX7 or Canon SX80), does it matter if you use a standard VGA to VGA cable (DVI/VGA adapter from the Mac to VGA input on the projector), or will that degrade the image quality vs. using a straight DVI to DVI cable from the computer to the projector? I'll be using a 50' cable - I have the VGA cable and want to know if I need to get the $100 DVI cable instead - I want to get the best possible output from the projector but don't want to buy the DVI cable if it is not necessary. This will be projected on a variety of screens up to 9' x 12' (and sometimes on a larger screen 25' wide). Any thoughts would be most appreciated. Thanks!

Tim Ernst in Arkansas

One thing to check is will the projector display the 1400x1050 in VGA mode. I have a projector in my living room that has a similar resolution though it's a few years old. It won't do that resolutuon in VGA, it tops out at 1280x1024 or something like that. To get the top resolution I have to send it an HDMI signal. Maybe the DVI works but I don't think so, I think it needs HDMI. Of couse your macbook doesn't output HDMI, but there's probably workarounds. Anyway, start with that, can you get the full resolution over VGA or even DVI. Also does your macbook video card support that particular resolution in VGA mode? My personal experience has been, yes dvi look better than vga, that was on an older projector. It was prone to ghosting over the vga, and the HDMI looks better than the DVI on my current model.

Personally I would spend the money for the DVI cable. Check out www.monoprice.com

Thanks for your input. I don't have a clue how to check if the projector can accept its native resolution via vga or not - is that written up in the specs somewhere? I assume the macbook pro could support it since it can run a 30" monitor via the dvi cable, which is much higher resolution. Most of these projectors do not have a hdmi input, and I assume that is not required since they don't have one to begin with. I am basically clueless about all of this but don't really know where to go to ask - I wonder if there is a "video" version of LL?!

Looking at the SX7 manual it looks like you'll be ok.
http://www.usa.canon.com/app/pdf/projector..._SX6_Manual.pdf
(yeah, that's the link that comes up for sx7)
In the back it shows you will be able to do the 1400x1050 over vga.

The SX80 has HDMI. This is the now and future video connection. The cool thing about this is for instance the 5d2 has an HDMI output so you could plug the camera straight in and show video or pictures from it. Not sure when your Phase One will have this lol. Most better video cameras these days also have HDMI outputs. The sx80 looks like it can also handle things just fine over VGA.

Really though, with it only costing $40 or $50 for a cable, pay up and get the DVI cable.

Of course maybe Apple doesn't have a DVI output, maybe it's some apple miniport, I'm a PC guy so I don't know. Still monoprice.com probably has the cable, or an adapter and it will be fairly affordable.

For a discussion on projectors, check here
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=68

Not much on Canon there, since they're not into the Home Theater market. BTW, you have to sign up on the forums there to enable search.

Here's a thread there on cable runs, most are against vga at that distance, and they're nowhere close to as high a resolution as you.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=773778

This will get you up to speed on all the different video connectors
http://lyberty.com/encyc/articles/tech/vid...onnections.html

Thanks for the info and the links. I've got a dvi to hdmi cable for my 1080p projector, but the projector is way too dim for the programs I do and I've not been able to use it a single time (anyone want to buy a Panosonic AU2000 HD projector cheap?) - had to go back to using my old xga projector which worked fine for slide programs that move across the screen (Ken Burns) - could not tell any difference in image quality using a 50' vga cable vs. 3' cable. The HD projector sure is quiet though - when using it during my workshops you can't even hear that the darn thing is turned on. I can't get it to run via a profile from my iOne Beamer though so have to ditch it for workshops as well. I'm hoping the sx7 or sx80 would cure all of this (higher res, sharper, no screen-door) - the sx7 is brighter and has aRGB, but the sx80 has hdmi. sRGB files look really nice when projected, I wonder how good they would be at aRGB? I have no way to test other than to buy the projectors and see. Your cable place is much cheaper than where I've been buying cables.....

As I said in another thread, I use a SX7. By all means, do get a DVI cable over a standard VGA one + eventual adapters. The difference is more than obvious and I would go as far as saying the VGA cable is unusable for clean business projections. Cost shouldn't be an issue. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=s...words=dvi+cable. DVI to HDMI of HDMI to HDMI _should_ work as well, but I have never used it with a computer.

I was talking to a friend and he meant that DVI would always be the better choice.