Television Buying Guide 6

Inputs and Outputs
One of the most confusing items on a television spec sheet is the types of inputs and outputs the television can accommodate to get connected to other equipments. The following is a snapshot of different types of connections and their quality.



Name: RF (Radio Frequency)
Sources: Antennae, VCRs, cable and satellite boxes
Quality: Lowest, highest for HDTV tuners



Name: Composite Video
Sources: Cable and satellite boxes, VCRs, DVD players, game consoles
Quality: Low



Name: Component-video
Sources: HD cable and satellite boxes, DVD players, HDTV tuners, Blu-ray and HD DVD players, game consoles, other HD sources
Quality: High



Name: RGB
Sources: Computers, video processors
Quality: High



Name: FireWire
Sources: Some HDTV tuners, D-VHS VCRs
Quality: Highest (digital)



Name: DVI-D with HDCP
Sources: Computers; older HD cable and satellite boxes, HDTV tuners and DVD players
Quality: Highest (digital)



Name: HDMI
Quality: HD cable and satellite boxes, DVD players, HDTV tuners, Blu-ray and HD DVD players, game consoles, computers, other HD sources
Quality: Highest (digital)