Sorry sir, you'll need an adapter for that. Rise of the interconnect gizmos
"Congratulations sir!" an unnervingly happy sales assistant pats you on the back whilst simultaneously calculating his commission on an oversize desk calculator. "You're now the proud owner of the latest high-definition TV, a top-of-the-range next-generation games console, HD and Blu-ray DVD (very wise, sir), and a Sky HD box. Thank you for allowing me to max out your credit card today, sir. Just one thing, though. You do know you can't connect all this equipment together without buying some adapters, don't you?"
You groan loudly.
Yes, wherever there's a myriad of equipment sporting a variety of oddly-shaped connectors, and another collection of cables with completely different plugs on them, you'll need an adapter...
Even if everything connects up and appears to work, you can be sure that someone will tell you that you're not getting the most out of your equipment without their special interface.
I'm not trying to cast a negative shadow over Gefen, one such company who are selling the 'enhanced' high-def experience to anyone whose HDTV has an inferiority complex. For example, any digital equipment with DVI connections will not transmit digital audio - only HDMI does that. No problem, Gefen has a nifty $300 adapter that will solve all your digital audio and video woes.
That's just one example. It's pretty clear that in this brave new world of HD, where standards are still settling and not every piece of HD-ready kit is created equal, there will be companies selling these solutions.
Best advice is to do your research before you buy new equipment (and before you get to the shop) - wherever possible decide in advance what you want your complete high-def system to achieve, and buy equipment that is compatible from the outset. That way you're less likely to need extra kit that eats your wallet and then fights for power and space in your setup.
