Six quick home-theater buying tips

By Brian Fenton

1. The types of connections needed are usually the most important factor when choosing any home-theater equipment. You might find it useful to write down the connectors you have on your home-theater gear so you can’t forget when you’re shopping. Perhaps more important, keep in mind the connections on the gear you’re hoping to buy in the future.


2. What ‘HD Ready’ means: “HD Ready” isn’t an official term, but it’s not really a lot of sales bull, either. It does, however, mean that no tuner is included with the TV.


3. Concerned that images will appear fuzzy as screen size increases? Don’t forget that high-def images let you sit closer to the screen. [The resolution is higher, so images remain in sharp focus.]


4. You’ll definitely want a digital/high-def cable box. You’ll want connections to handle every programming source you currently have and every source you think you’ll eventually want. There’s no such thing as having too many inputs.


5. New TV sets are required to include ATSC tuners and should be able to receive HDTV signals if they’re in a good signal location and have a good antenna.


6. Over-the-air digital broadcasts: You should currently have digital broadcasts available over the air. Check AntennaWeb.org to see what programming is available in your area.