I have recently decided to purchase a plasma TV (Panasonic 50PX75U) and the Phillips 2.1 audio system (HTS 6500). I will primarily use the TV to watch HD cable from DirecTV and DVDs. I know that the Phillips DVD player upconverts DVDs, so I know I want an HDMI connection (the DVD player has one HDMI slot). I have a couple questions, though, how to set up my entire system for HD and high quality sound.

1. Will I need two separate HDMI cables -- one for the DVD player to the TV and one for DirecTV box to TV?

2. What kind of cables should I purchase for sound?

3. Do I need to have two separate sound connections too -- TV to receiver and DirecTV box to receiver?

4. What is the rule of thumb for the quality of HDMI cables (and audio cables) to purchase? I don't want to break the bank, but I want high quality video and audio.

5. If the TV is being mounted 6-7 feet up on a wall, what is the best length of cables to purchase?

Thank you so much for your help!

1. Yes, you will need two HDMI cables. One for your DVD player and one for the DirecTV box. Technically, you can get by with just one HDMI cable for your DVD player and use component cables for your DirecTV box (you probably won't notice the difference)

2. Assuming you will be using the HTS6500 for the sound, you will only need a cable to connect your DirecTV box to it. You would use digital audio connection via a Toslink or Digital Coaxial connection. Which one you use doesn't matter (they are the same signal), it just depends on what ports your DirecTV receiver and HTS 6500 have.

3. You don't NEED to have two sound connections, that is up to you. The connection between the DirecTV and HTS 6500 is all you need. You can connect it to your TV too if you want (not necessary).

4. Get your cables at www.monoprice.com . You don't need expensive cables - as long as they are made well (such as is the case with monoprice cables) there is no difference, especially for short distances. The signal itself (HDMI or Digital audio) is just a stream of 1's and 0's.

5. These 15FT HDMI cables should be all you need for your TV.
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10240&cs_id=1024004&p_id=2529&seq=1&format=2&style=

Santz,

Thanks for your advice! I truly appreciate it.

Do you know anything about plasma tilt mounts? I've been trying to ask some people on the board, but I haven't gotten a reply yet.

I'm looking for a suitable tilt mount that is affordable, which doesn't stick out far from the wall, and which can comfortably fit a 50" panasonic. Any help would be most appreciated.