Yeah, I hear that. You can go broke getting set up for this new set of digital TV equipment. Much of this manufacturer driven rather than consumer demand. That said, hi-def (or at least higher-def) is pretty nice. At least a 'good' upconverter DVD player will get you closer. And the lowest cost Blu-Ray player I found is about $450 USD. What gets me is the low-cost players have major headlines that they play "progressive" video. Big deal! So, they play 480p. Trouble is, you need an HDTV (forget the obsolete EDTV moniker) to play progressive output - an SDTV won't do it. And, if you have an HDTV, why would you want to be limited to 480p when you can at least play 720p? <shrug>
I agree - It is almost required that everything must be HD and you have to spend all this money on new equipment. The quality is better overall but for some people that are used to analog cable, this is quite a change.
The composite will only do video but the input on your tv should have 2 rca audio connections in the same bracket as the composite. Also if you have a receiver that will do 5.1 surround you can hook the optical or the digital coax to your receiver.
thanks. i got it figured out. i dont plan on moving into HD movies, like HD DVD and blu ray. well actually, just blu ray now. but i think ill just stick to analog dvd with composite cables on my dvd player for now. i dont plan on buying blu ray dvds anytime soon,
I think you have missed the point. Composite is the lowest quality. Next up is S-Video and finally there is component/progressive.