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How Many HDMI Ports Does Your HDTV Have?
harryk asks: "Ok, this is a serious question and one I don't think has been covered, at least not with a quick glance in Google's direction. With all of the media center components that we'll all have in our entertainment racks, the biggest question that I have (actually my wife prompted me on this) is how many HDMI ports does your TV have? With the PS3, my HD-DVD player or up-convert DVD player, and my fancy schmancy new cable box or satellite receiver, how on earth will I connect all of them?"
Use component. HDMI enables HDCP and *that* isn't something you want to do.
HDMI doesn't give you anything hugely useful. It can incorporate audio into the same cable with the video, however, for most people who have separate surround systems, this is an inconvenience, rather than a feature. Digital audio needs to go to the surround system, while video, component preferably, goes to the display device. If you're using your display's built-in audio, you're almost certainly involved in a sub-par overall experience
Component, thus far, is the best of the best. Good (by which I mean just good... not stupidity like monster overkill) cables will give you excellent results. How do I know? Because I have a 22-foot diagonal display sourced from a 1080/1920 projection system. Component gives single pixel resolution without any trouble; that's awesome at that amount of detail.
Remember: HDMI is bad and supporting it is the last thing you would want to do. HDMI enables HDCP, and HDCP is a pond-scum mechanism for DRM / copy protection.
I've fallen off your lawn, and I can't get up.
It's okay -- you can buy COPS on DVD now.
Bemopolis
"I guess the moral of the story is, don't paint your airship with rocket fuel." -- Addison Bain