Increasingly, mass media outlets are giving consumers advice on how to shop for HD-centric monitors, sound systems, and now DVD players of the HD DVD and Blu-ray variety. BusinessWeek recently offered its readers these tips for choosing a next-gen DVD player:
1. Consider purchasing a currently more expensive 1080p monitor because "shelling out the extra dough now will help you avoid headaches later, especially if content providers follow through with plans to limit the next-gen player's functionality because of piracy concerns," said the magazine.
2. Remember size matters; the larger the screen (especially beyond 50 inches) the more obvious Blu-ray and HD DVD disc quality will become, compared to standard DVD.
3. Pay attention to connection options. Buy an HD unit, BusinessWeek suggests, with two or more HDMI connectors. (See related item on HDMI 1.3 in this edition of HD Notebook.)
4. Although this is an arguable point, the publication does advise its readers to purchase extended warranty protection: "If you're buying a set with bells and whistles, such as built-in hard drives for digital recording or on-screen TV Guides, make sure to consider extending the often limited warranty in case something goes kablooey."
BusinessWeek also advises consumers (wisely) to buy a good surround sound system (something that may still be somewhat overlooked by many outside the industry), and remember to equip a next-gen DVD player and related equipment with a good power surge protector.
