I just bought a Pioneer 4280HD and I am trying to understand how to get the best picture possible for SD cable. I did not see a pinned thread on the basics of getting started.

As a novice, my initial plan was to just use a standard issue $1.99 coaxial cable and hook it up directly to the set. But is there a special coaxial cable or something I should be using? And should I get a receiver to upconvert. What if I got an HD DVD player and ran the cable through that. Not sure this is making sense, but I am just trying to grasp the basics with the goal of having the best picture possible.

Thanks!

As a novice, my initial plan was to just use a standard issue $1.99 coaxial cable and hook it up directly to the set.

Do you have a cable box now, or just basic (analog-only) cable? If you have a cable box, you shouldn't use the coax out; the quality will be terrible. If the box has component outs, that's your best bet; otherwise, S-Video would be preferred. (Analog audio cables would also be needed, of course.)

And should I get a receiver to upconvert.

Unless it has a very good scaler, if you're just watching analog SD cable, it's probably not going to make a very big difference; if the source material isn't very clean, upscaling isn't going to make it magically better.

What if I got an HD DVD player and ran the cable through that.

Er, an HD-DVD player doesn't have inputs, so you can't run the input from your cable box (if that's indeed what you have) through it.

Not sure this is making sense, but I am just trying to grasp the basics with the goal of having the best picture possible.

Well, on a 720p plasma TV, SD analog won't look too great. It'll probably be watchable, but I don't think you're going to get a major benefit from it. Upscaling DVD players are one thing - with high-quality source material, and a good upscaler chip (Silicon Optix HQV/Reon, Faroudja DCDi, etc.), you can get a nice image (not HD-quality, but close). I guess without knowing what specifically you're watching, I couldn't say what the best answer is, but upscaling cable TV signals probably isn't going to get you particularly good results.

Well, in my building I get FREE basic Comcast cable (no box) with about 80 channels, so I have been hesitant to upgrade to digital cable. Plus, my wife truly believes that the Comcast corporation is the devil, but thats another story (once put something on her credit report as 30 days late for $10 due that should have been credited). I don't have a directv option at the moment (no balcony).

Yeah, in that case all the upscaling in the world isn't really going to do you any good. Your TV might have a QAM tuner (not sure, check the manual and the menus - many ATSC tuner chipsets also include QAM support, because it's just a different modulation method, with the same video and audio formats and transport stream multiplex); if so, you might at least get your HD locals via cable, but not much else (maybe Music Choice channels and a few others in the clear). As for upscaling analog cable - seriously, don't waste your time. No need to throw good money after bad.

If I did get digital cable, what would type of setup would I want to have?

If I did get digital cable, what would type of setup would I want to have?

Depends on how much money you have to throw at the problem; you could get an HD TiVo or some good-quality DVR with a decent upscaler, or a receiver with a Faroudja or Silicon Optix Reon scaler, but again, I'm not really convinced you'd get a notable quality boost, unless your Pio plasma has a really lousy scaler. HD programming is still where you're going to get the most bang for your buck in terms of taking advantage of the HD display. A decent upscaling DVD player (like one of the Oppos) if you're not going with HD-DVD/Blu-Ray right now might be good too. There are so many threads about how to build yourself a decent home theater; the first and most important question is still "How much do you have to spend on it?"