Sound Options:

Once again it helps to know what you expect from your new TV and how you plan to use it. If you have a DVD player and tend to watch a lot of movies at home then you will want a TV with Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. This is the standard sound format used on DVDís and for all HDTV broadcasts. If your TV is integrated into a home audio system that has its own Dolby Digital Processor, you may not be as concerned with the TVís sound capabilities. The Dolby Digital audio that accompanies a DVD or HDTV signal can be carried by either an Optical or Digital Coax cable. You should check your DVD player to confirm the type of connectors to assure that your new TV will accommodate it.

Connectivity Options:

This can be a little technical, but is very important in determining how well your new TV will integrate with other components, now and in the future. Once again, if you are not concerned with HDTV then your choices are simpler and much less crucial. Most modern TVís have a more than adequate number of inputs to allow you to connect just about any device. For video, you should assure that at the very least it has Component, and S-Video inputs. For audio, some sets will have Optical connections while others will have coax. Either one is fine, but Optical cables have an advantage because they are not affected by electromagnetic interference. When we are thinking about HD components things get a little more complex. The preferred method of connecting an HD source component such as a Satellite Receiver or Cable Box to your new HDTV is by a connection known as DVI (Digital Video Interface). This connector looks kind of like the VGA connector used to connect your computer monitor. You can use Component connectors for this but DVI is preferred since it has extremely high bandwidth, and will also keep the signal in its native digital format. There is a noticeable increase in picture quality when viewing HD material via a DVI Connection. A more recent connectivity method that is even better than DVI is HDMI (High-Definition Multi-Media Interface). HDMI is a connection method similar to DVI, but goes one step further by carrying both HD Video and Audio over a single cable. This will prove to be very popular as it greatly reduces the cost and complexity of connecting HD components together. HDMI is supported by many new products, and is currently available on HD Satellite Receivers from DirecTV and DISH Network, as well as many new DVD players.