Making the best connections for HDTV

But the current day — and future — best-looking picture doesn’t stop there. Two additional connections, DVI and HDMI, have become increasingly more common — and will be absolutely necessary if you plan to watch hi-def DVD movies at the highest possible quality on either an HD-DVD or Bluray player. DVI — a wide port with lots of pinholes — appeared mainly on widescreen computer monitors and some HDTVs and DVD players, is giving way to the smaller, simpler HDMI connection and cable, which carries not only high-def video but also audio.

Anyone thinking about purchasing new hi-def gear — whether HDTV or player — should always check that there’s at least one HDMI port available. And that’s not all: Make sure new HDMI-equipped gear also bears the logo indicating it supports HDCP, the content protection protocol adopted by the entertainment media providers to prevent illegal copying of discs or HD-broadcast content. Without it, you’ll be locked out of the highest- definition video possible. That goes for both the upcoming PlayStation 3, which will be able to play Blu-ray movies, and the soon to be released Xbox 360 HD-DVD external player.

Worth mentioning is the familiar, PC-type VGA port found on computer monitors and some HDTVs. In addition to letting your plug in your computer or laptop, VGA can also be used with the Xbox 360, as I do with a Dell 21” monitor that acts as a widescreen for my PowerBook and, with the touch of a button, becomes my 360’s screen when the work is done and it’s time to play.

Which brings up a point that may be unfamiliar to anyone switching from their old crappy connections to the better ones described above: Get to know your input menu. Whether it’s a computer monitor, HDTV, cable box, TiVo, Xbox 360, or DVD player, the input — also known as settings — menu is where you tell the device what kind of video connection you’re using. Out of the box, my friend Frank’s Time Warner DVR cable box recognized that he’d connected it to his HDTV using the HDMI port and cable, but there was no sound. It wasn’t until he pulled up the cable box’s settings menu and changed the audio setting to HDMI that sound boomed out of the HDTV’s built-in stereo speakers. In general, pressing your TV remote’s input button (sometimes called source) switches from one input type to the next, while other remotes may have dedicated input buttons labeled HDTV, Video 1, DVD, S-Video.

Last but not least, is audio. Like the video connections described, there’s a ladder system for audio, but it contains only a few rungs. The most common, and worst connection remains coax, which carries both the video and audio signal. Next up, is stereo (usually red and white RCA plugs), which is an improvement. After that, there’s both composite audio and optical audio, which are found on HDTV cable and satellite receivers, DVD players, Sony’s Playstation 2, and an option with certain Creative Labs SoundBlaster cards popped inside PCs . If you’ve got either of these audio ports available to you, use them, and your ears will thank you.

MORE FROM HDTV

HDTV Section Front

Reality show: Calif. mandates greener TVs What to look for in a basic HDTV Have your HDTV and be green, too Is plasma starting to fade out? 3-D HDTV is starting to get more in focus 5 things to hate about HDTV Internet HDTV growing fast Light-emitting diodes brighten new HDTVs Better TV is coming, but are you ready for it? Buyer's guide: What you want in HDTV HDTV Section Front   Add HDTV headlines to your news reader: