Figured I might just add some few helpful tips here about hooking up an HDTV with a Comcast HD-ready box. First of all, you need the Comcast HD-ready box, as I mentioned. It’s a silver Motorola (not the black ones, those are just digital boxes). Now for the part that’s a bit confusing. Comcast has not yet, to my knowledge, released a box that has an HDMI (standard HD cable format) output. The only digital output on the box is a DVI-D plug. If you’re unfamiliar with it, it looks like the only thing on the back of the box that resembles a plug for a computer monitor.
Now, whatever Comcast tells you, you’re going to need to use that DVI-D port to get yourself a digital picture. This means you’re going to need one of two things, either a cable that is male HDMI on one end and male DVI-D on the other — they sell around $100 — or, alternatvely, you can buy a stanadard HDMI cable (male on both ends) and a DVI-D adapter. The adapter costs around $20 or so. It should be female on the HDMI end and male on the DVI-D end, the part which connects to the female jack on the HD-capable box.
Still with me? Good. You’ll need one other thing, one other cable. It”ll be a simple two-jack (on both ends) component cable. One connects audio left, the other connects audio right (welcome to stereo). They’re usually red (for right) and white (for left).
Turn the TV on, switch it around, test the HD channels, you should be all set.
Also, one caveat: if you plan on getting a Playsation 3 anytime soon, like me, make sure you pick up an extra HDMI cable. You need one to play the PS3 in high-def (that’s actually the big point, all the PS3s’s games are in HD, and right now there’s not much of a jump in graphics if not played in HD).
I hope this helps someone else along the way to hooking up their HDTV (and you can always mail me with a question if you want) , here. Remember, Comcast, no matter WHAT they say, does not yet make a box wth an HDMI output.
Happy vidding, me droogs!