Video Sources

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Keeping Up with the Choices

The range of video sources available to consumers continues to expand. It now includes: Blu-Ray and DVD discs, Cable and Satellite TV programming, pay-per view TV, video streaming from Netflix, Amazon, and many other services, as well as downloads from U-Tube and premium internet sites.

All of these sources provide a digital signal to the TV (and digital audio for the speakers—which is converted to analog by the surround receiver. A few sources can still provide an analog output—for older TVs and receivers that lack an HDMI input. But their days are numbered!

Important Factors to Consider:

  • Most Blu-ray players also play CDs and DVDs. Some can even up-convert DVD content to near 4K (high-definition) quality. Others have the built-in capacity to stream Netflix and other web-based content. To avoid disappointment, check the model details before you buy.
  • Ultra-High Definition (or 4K) displays now dominate the TV market—especially in larger screen sizes. A new 8K standard has been announced, and some 8K projectors are now available. The old High Definition (1080p) display standard is now available only in smaller TV sizes.
  • 4K content is now widely available—but no 8K content has been released to date. Higher definition TVs can display lower-resolution sources. And many 4K TVs can up-convert HD signals to near 4K quality.
  • DVD discs made for non-US markets typically cannot be played on DVD or Blu-Ray players sold domestically. So if you buy DVDs on the internet, check with the seller each time—to make sure the disc(s) you are buying are playable on US machines.
  • Most people continue to rent (rather than buy) their Cable TV or Satellite box, so they typically don’t get to choose the specific model—or features—supplied by the service provider. Some older models run very hot, and may cause other problems. If you’ve had yours for a while, check with your vendor regarding a free upgrade.
  • VCRs and legacy cassettes: replacement players are now very hard to find, and the tape inside the cassettes can become very brittle with age. Recommendation: transcribe important (e.g. family heirloom) VCR tapes onto DVDs now, before they become too brittle to play, or transfer. If you can’t do this yourself, find a local (or online) specialist who can do it for you.

Looking Ahead

As the number of sources in a home entertainment system increases, coordinating among them becomes more complex, and the A/V system becomes more difficult to use—unless a programmable universal remote control is added to the system. See Remote Management.

Also, be aware that your surround receiver may lack enough inputs (of the right type) to accommodate all your sources. To avoid frustration, simplify sources whenever feasible—or upgrade your surround receiver to a newer model with sufficient inputs (of the right kinds) to meet your needs.

Internet-based video content is vast, inexpensive, and relatively easy to use. But many of these sources offer content that is of lower definition, or is compressed to save bandwidth and storage space. This means that many of these sources cannot deliver the highest image and sound quality to your system.

For viewing re-runs of an old network TV series on your tablet, this probably won’t matter. But for displaying current content on a large panel TV or projector, the quality difference between a compressed download and a Blu-ray disc can be dramatic.

Recommendation: Match the bandwidth of the source with the capability of the video display (or audio system). And keep in mind any upgrade plans you may have. With content quality, there is no free lunch.