I picked up a new 720P Sony 40M4000 for our bedroom.

I am going to hook up a laptop to it to run VMC. I may ultimately use a dedicated machine.

I will likely only be using the laptop to play movies, dvds, or recorded hdtv from another source.

Should I use the VGA/audio PC input or the HDMI output from the laptop? Would it make a dramatically better picture using the HDMI?

The Sony has a built in PC-TV PIP setting where the tv input is minimised in the PIP and the computer display displayed in the main window. This can't be done with the HDMI input and is a feature I may want to take advantage of.

TIA

The only real advantage to HDMI is that it doesn't break the HDCP DRM chain thus enabling you to watch blue-ray and other HDCP protected content at full resolution.  This is not an advantage per-se, but more of a limitation of the man sticking it to the consumers and blatently calling us all thieves....

720p picture quality is the same no matter what connection you use.  Whether it's component, RGB, or HDMI...It will look exactly the same ....

Since you are not watching blue rays, a RGB connection is fine.  There will be no difference in picture quality.  Even if you DO want to watch blue ray discs, you can with a RGB connection if you use AnyDVD-HD which is $60 which happens to be the same price for the HDMI cable required to do it the "legit" way.  Oh, and you get the added advantage of skipping through FBI warnings, and previews ...

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