Connections   The only thing left to consider was the television’s back-panel connections. Carlos suggested purchasing a TV with more connections than I had components for. Since I route many signals through my audio/video receiver, we could get by with fewer inputs. He helped me map out a connection plan, which covered most of the basics.

While most new televisions have plenty of component inputs (called YPrPb—used on DVD players and many HD tuners), I wanted at least one component input that would accept standard- and high-definition signals, as my son’s Xbox will output both types of signals depending on the game he’s playing. I had to consider digital video inputs, too (DVI and HDMI), which aren’t available on my existing A/V receiver, and wanted as many of those as possible. Better satellite receivers (such as the Dish PVR-921), computer video cards, newer DVD players, and the promised Blu-ray or HD-DVD players—assuming either format becomes available—use these digital connectors. I could also use an RGB or VGA-type input for my computer. If you are going to get an integrated model, make sure it has FireWire, which can output the internal HDTV signal to an external HD-recorder (like said Blu-ray or HD-DVD recorder). Other sources would run through my receiver, so I only needed a couple composite and S-video connections. Your needs may vary. 

I haven’t yet decided which TV to purchase. It took a while to figure out what to look for, but visiting a handful of dealers and taking an average of what they said gave me a good idea of the factors that would ultimately be important. All I have to do is take a reasonable assessment of the lighting in my living space, know how far I will sit from the TV, consider how I’m going to get HDTV service, and keep track of the components that I will connect to the display.