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HDMI to Component

Scott Wilkinson  |  Jul 14, 2011

I have an older Toshiba 57H82 TV with component-video inputs—not HDMI—and an Onkyo TX-SR608 A/V receiver with HDMI. I would like to connect HDMI hardware, such as a Roku box and DirecTV tuner, to the HDMI inputs of my receiver, but I can't connect the HDMI output of the receiver to the TV. I have heard of the HDfury, which is supposed to convert HDMI to component. Will that work? Do you have any suggestions, or am I stuck until I buy a new TV?

Gary Wilson

Like virtually all A/V receivers, the TX-SR608 does not "downconvert" HDMI to component for copy-protection reasons. So to connect the receiver's HDMI output to your TV, you need something that converts HDMI to component, which the HDfury purports to do.

I've never tried the HDfury, so I can't say how well it works from personal experience. Looking at the HDfury website, there are several versions—HDfury I ($99), HDfury II ($149), HDfury III ($199, seen here), and HDfury Gamer ($129). On this page, you can see the differences between the I, II, and III, and it seems clear that the III is best, at least in terms of features.

You've piqued my curiosity, so I'm going to see if I can get an HDfury to check out. Meanwhile, perhaps some of our readers have tried this gizmo—if so, please share your experiences with it in the comments.

If you have an A/V question, please send it to askscottwilkinson@gmail.com.

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