Need help connecting HDTV

I just ordered a 50" Sony 1080p SXRD KDSR50XBR1. This will be my first HDTV and i have no experience or knowledge in this field. What do i need to connect my stuff? I will be getting a HD receiver from DishNetwork soon and a progressive scan DVD player. How can i get the best image out of my tv? I need any kind of advice you guys can give me. Thanks

It depends on what the output capabilities of the hd receiever and the progressive scan dvd player are. You aren't giving enough info. You would want to hook them up with component video cables at the minimum, and if available hook them up with hdmi.

Optical or coaxial audio cables are a must.

Originally Posted by JBimmer01

Optical or coaxial audio cables are a must.

No they're not. He didn't mention anything about a receiever.

Both of the new dish network hd receivers have hdmi inputs. You could go with an hdmi connection on that and the if the dvd player is an upconverting player (720p, 1080i) you can also use hdmi on that. If its just a plain progressive scan dvd player you'll need to use component cables.

I would also recommend some sort of calibration disk to help you adjust the colors on the tv. Something like avia or digital video essentials.

Originally Posted by Mike325i

Both of the new dish network hd receivers have hdmi inputs. You could go with an hdmi connection on that and the if the dvd player is an upconverting player (720p, 1080i) you can also use hdmi on that. If its just a plain progressive scan dvd player you'll need to use component cables.

I would also recommend some sort of calibration disk to help you adjust the colors on the tv. Something like avia or digital video essentials.

You mean outputs

Originally Posted by JBimmer01

Optical or coaxial audio cables are a must.

huh?

cos sporting events televised in DD are that much better??

alright, thanks for the info. Like i said, i have no experience in HDTV. I havent recieved my TV yet so i havent shopped around for a dvd player or anything. Im going to be picking up a stand today.

As far as dvd players go. What kind of dvd player should i be looking for? One that upconverts to 1080p or 1080i? Wheres a good place to purchase a good dvd player and what price range am i looking at?

I don't think you need a dvd player that upconverts to 1080p/i. Just as long as the TV can do a good job upconverting to its native resolution, it won't really matter.

I'd say, just get cheap decent dvd player and save up for HD-DVD or Blu-Ray. Something that will actually produce a real 1080 picture.

Originally Posted by BMW_ARP

alright, thanks for the info. Like i said, i have no experience in HDTV. I havent recieved my TV yet so i havent shopped around for a dvd player or anything. Im going to be picking up a stand today.

As far as dvd players go. What kind of dvd player should i be looking for? One that upconverts to 1080p or 1080i? Wheres a good place to purchase a good dvd player and what price range am i looking at?

If you need a dvd player there are two that stand out above the rest:

The oppo dvd player, and the Panasonic s77/s97, both of which should be used with hdmi. Both are rated tops in image quality.