January 2007 - HowTo - Choosing The Right Video Connections On Your HDTV - page 3
Just Say No To Composite Video
 Most of the remaining video connections on the backside of your HDTV exist solely to help you incorporate old equipment, namely VCRs and standard-definition cable boxes, into your new system. The basic video input, that yellow-colored RCA connector that always accompanies the red and white stereo audio inputs, has served us well for many years, but its time is just about up. A composite video signal crams the video signal’s chrominance (color) and luminance (black-and-white) information together into one cable and asks your TV to separate them. It’s fair to say that most HDTV manufacturers don’t place a high priority on making sure their TVs do a good job rendering a composite video signal. So you’re taking a lesser-quality signal, feeding it into a TV that isn’t designed to make it look good, and watching it on a larger screen than it was ever meant to be viewed upon. These three factors equal a less-than-satisfying viewing experience.
Where there’s composite video, there’s often S-video. This four-pin connection separates the chrominance (C, color) and luminance (Y, black-and-white) information into two parts that travel over one wire; that’s why it’s often labeled Y/C instead of S-video. The separation of the Y and C elements is meant to improve the picture quality compared to that of composite video, but the improvement is minimal. In fact, I often find the look of an S-video signal to be more objectionable – like putting lipstick on a pig, as they say back home in Texas. With older A/V equipment, you may have no choice but to use composite or S-video, which begs the question, why are you still using such old equipment with your beautiful new TV? You should have an HD-capable set-top box; and, if you’re still that attached to VHS, at least invest in a dual-deck DVD/VCR device that outputs everything through component video.
But Wait, There’s More …
In addition to the basic video connectors, your HDTV may include some peripheral connections that play a valuable role in your particular home entertainment set-up. If you’d like to get rid of that digital cable box taking up space around your TV, look for an HDTV that features a CableCARD slot, which allows you to feed your digital cable signal directly into the TV and bypass the set-top box. To utilize this, you need to contact your cable provider and request the CableCARD.
If you have a digital camera and/or digital audio player that uses a memory card, you might be interested in one of the many TVs out there that now feature a universal card reader or a slot dedicated to a particular type of memory card, such as SD. This allows you to access photos, video and music stored on the memory card through the TV interface. Or perhaps you’d rather skip the middle man and plug your computer directly into the TV, in which case you’ll want to look for the inclusion of a computer-friendly input, like DVI or VGA (D-sub 15-pin).
 Last but not least is a FireWire, or IEEE 1394, connection. This digital connection comes in two forms: six-pin and four-pin (or iLink). Like HDMI, FireWire carries video, audio and control information, but it does so in a compressed form that allows you to record the signal. That makes FireWire the only option for sending a recordable high-definition signal – for instance, linking a high-def cable box to a TV’s internal DVR. Right now, this option exists on few high-def set-top boxes, but hopefully we will see more FireWire-equipped cable and satellite boxes in the future. In the meantime, FireWire’s most common use as a video connection is for viewing and transferring digital video from a camcorder to a display or recording device. Some TV manufacturers, like Mitsubishi, use FireWire to chain multiple devices together so that they can communicate with each other using fewer connections.
Conclusion
While cable selection can be confusing for the do-it-yourselfer, consider that HD is likely in your future and you need to be ready. For 1080p, HDMI is ready as your best option. Many people have had issues with the format and rightfully criticize it for its connectivity issues and lack of top audio formats like Dolby’s True HD (by version 1.3, True HD will be on all connections), but HDCP copy protection is the real cause for problems. The Hollywood studios are so worried about their content being locked up with a digital chastity belt that they forget to make sure it actually functions for the average consumer. The powers behind HDMI know they have issues with HD disc formats and they are working on it. Firmware updates for the early players help some of them, and second-generation players with better engineering will likely make things close to perfect at some point in 2007.
In the end, look to HDMI for your high-resolution formats with component video as your backup if HDCP gets in your way. Remember, component video cables can’t carry a 1080p signal and an HDMI 1.2 cable can, so if you have the latest set and you want to see all the picture you paid for – HDMI is the best way to go.
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