Plenty of reliable and comprehensive information is available on the web and in technology magazines that can serve as an in-depth education on high definition, and the pros and cons of different formats, products and setups. If you're an expert in these matters, no need to read further. HDBlu provides this starting guide for everyone else.
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2. What are the Basic Components of a High Definition System?
While it's subjective, HDBlu recommends the following basic components in putting together an HD system. Putting these pieces together should provide you with a very enjoyable HD experience.
LCD or Plasma Television
| There are a variety of different technologies to choose from when picking your most critical HD video component, the television (or monitor). A small list of these options include LCD, plasma, CRT, projection, rear-projection, DLP, LCoS and etc. If you're already confused, we understand. We've looked at all of these options and offer up this simple advice: focus your time on picking the right flat-panel LCD or plasma television. These are the TVs that you typically see hanging on walls (because they are relatively thin and lightweight). While some folks may dispute this advice, we favor this simplification for a number of reasons. |  |
First, creating more space for yourself and your family is really valuable. The flexibility that a flat LCD or plasma will provide you in your home is often overlooked. Switching to a flat TV can save you tens of cubic feet of space, which is the first thing you'll recognize when you set it up. And moving a flat TV from the family room to the bedroom, if you're upgrading or rearranging down the line, is a much easier proposition than finding space for a larger box TV. Second, much of the industry technology focus has shifted to flat LCDs and plasmas. LCD TVs were the first to provide full specification high definition (1080p). And overall, LCDs and plasmas offer some of the best viewing angles, color contrast and resolution. Finally, pricing to consumers is continuing to fall. Which makes any premium you might pay more palatable to the general consumer trying to take advantage of all the benefits. Click here to visit HDBlu's High Definition Life section to view a few recommended LCD TVs. |
HD Player
| The HD player ranks number two on our list of high definition must-haves. This is one of the components that you're going to use to deliver HD video and audio to your HD TV. Currently HD players come in two formats, those that play HD DVD discs and those that play Blu-ray discs. While they're different standards, there are a number of similarities between the two. They're both relatively new standards (one or both are touted as the most probable successor(s) to the standard DVD). They both use blue laser technology to read and write to discs (the shorter wavelength of the blue laser allows it to read and pack more information in more dense spaces than the traditional infrared laser allows). They're also both backwards compatible formats (so your standard DVDs will be playable on HD players). |  |
So why do they offer two different standards and what's the difference? While plenty of folks may argue over which, if any, standard is superior, there is probably little argument over why the issue has been taken to the consumer. Everyone wants to make more money. Toshiba is a big backer of HD DVD. Sony is leading the charge for Blu-ray. The idea that one side will win all the marbles is motivating industry players to choose sides. As for the differences? The major technical differences are that the Blu-ray disc holds 25 GB on a single layer while HD DVD discs hold 15 GB on a single layer, and in the software employed by each. We think that these technical differences aren't enough to proclaim a winner. Perhaps more interesting is to look at the differences in the support generated by each format. In addition to Toshiba, HD DVD backers include Universal Pictures, RCA, Microsoft and Intel. On the other hand, Sony has picked up support from Disney, Pioneer, Samsung, Dell and Apple. We think that adoption of one or the other, or both, is mostly dependent on how effectively these supporters address consumer needs and preferences. HDBlu provides a summary of HD DVD players here. You can also find a summary of Blu-ray players here. |
Audio/Video Receiver
| Now that we've covered the basics on being able to play HD video, our third recommended HD component is the audio/video receiver, which will act as the hub for your system (where all the components can be connected) as well as serve as an all-important audio bridge (in short, if you want that great surround sound that comes with HD video, as well as standard DVDs, you'll need this component). |  |
What should you look for in your A/V receiver? At a high-level, a few things: (1) a bunch of inputs and outputs relevant to your system, (2) multi-channel decoding capabilities, including Dolby Digital and DTS surround, and (3) power. On the first item, look for HDMI connections. This is quickly becoming a universal connection for high definition systems and carries both digital audio and video. A lot of the right inputs and outputs will enable you to control all the components of your HD system through your A/V receiver (for example, your TV, DVD and video game audio can all get pumped through your surround sound system). On the second item, the norm is going to be support for both Dolby Digital and DTS surround sound, and goodies such as Dolby Digital EX and DTS-ES (each replicating "additional" channels of audio). Dolby Digital and DTS give you all that great multi-directional and fluid audio experience. With respect to the final item, power, it's really up to how much sound and accurate reproduction you really want to be able to generate. Nowadays, most receivers deliver enough power per channel to aggressively fill most living rooms. Look for more only if you have a pretty unique setup. As a last note on the A/V receiver, we want you to make special note to be diligent when considering a bookshelf or all-in-one system to serve as your entertainment system hub. While convenient, they are less likely to satisfy all the high-level capabilities we mention above to consider for your high def system. Instead, we recommend that you look at A/V receiver components similar to the A/V receivers we feature here. |
Speakers, Six to Be Exact
| In order to actually hear all that great audio from your HD system, you'll need our final recommended basic component for your HD system - speakers. Pretty simple, right? Most audiophiles would vehemently deny the simplicity, as speakers are the one HD component that has been around for ages, and probably have the most subjective qualities associated with them. As always, though, we'll try to keep things simple. |  |
For a good setup, you're going to need at least six speakers. This consists of: one "center channel," two "front speakers," two "rear speakers," and one "subwoofer." In the basic configuration, these speakers will all be hooked up to the A/V receiver, which pumps signals to each independently in order to replicate the sound experience provided by the source (movie, TV channel, CD, etc.). Each class of speaker serves a different purpose. For example, the subwoofer provides non-directional low frequency audio (bass) - necessary for the earth-shaking explosions you might like to feel as you watch movies. While we won't go into the details of each one right now, it's safe to say that you'll need them all to recreate the theater experience in your home. So how do you choose good speakers? This is probably one of the trickiest questions to answer, mostly because speaker quality can be so subjective. Our recommendation is to spend time in a sound booth at your local Circuit City, trying out the different sizes, shapes, prices and brands, and see what really makes a difference to you. We recommend a few speakers here. |