Originally Posted by
stonecrd
You can user either component or HDMI for HD video but if you want HD Audio you will need to move to HDMI and have a AVR that can support it. For standard 5.1 sound you can use optical or coax. As Adam says don't waste your money on expensive cables, I use $10 cable from monoprice.com and they work great.
The hookup will be your ste top box to the TV by HDMI or component. If you use a sound system you will go HDMI to the TV and optical to the AVR or you can go HDMI to the AVR and HDMI from the AVR to the TV.
Component is digital. HDMI is not physically robust. After years of fiddling with S-video, I decided to use component.
http://www.bluejeanscable.com/articl...icomponent.htm
Yeah, most cables will work fine. I am using the ones that came with
the cable box.
So... the poster can get either, as long as the distance is too long.
Which is not often an issue.
And to answer the real question, yes, you need new wire to get hi def.
It doesn't have to cost a lot.
I don't know about your cable company, but after the gee whiz wears off,
I realised it was the same dorky programming I avoid carefully. However, there
is the occasional movie or nature show that is nice.
IMHO, you're gonna wanna blu ray...