New plasma television and old components

Old components, new plasma television? Do not worry; the plasma screen television sets that are made today are typically compatible with most existing components you may have included as your peripheral devices. VCR's, DVD players and stereo equipment will generally work without a hitch on your new plasma television set.

Will your new plasma television work with your old stuff? Probably. Will you be able to hook your old stuff to your new plasma television? Maybe. It depends on what you have and how it hooks together.

The most complicated part of any entertainment system hook-up is surround sound speakers. These are things that you either love or hate. But if you have them, then you either need a plasma television equipped for surround sound or a special surround sound router. If you ask this question of your salesman, you are likely to get a blank look. Look on the back of the television. Are there places to hook the wires in directly? No? Then you need a router. You likely already have one, but if you don't, just go to Radio Shack and look helpless. Or better than that, take your neighbors 14 year-old shopping with you.

Aside from speaker hook-ups, most televisions are equipped with multiple inputs. But not all inputs are the same. Your best bet is to take the wires with you and match them to the back of the plasma television that you are looking at. Yes, it seems dumb that some televisions are on the market without the ability to plug into your cable television cable, but it happens. If you miss a cord, do not panic. There are devices that allow you to translate one cord into another. However, this is extra cost that you do not need. Just buy the television that works with your stuff.

If you do end up needing an adaptor, just get the largest one available and route all of your devices thru it. That way you can make certain that you are actually hooking everything up correctly. It is easy to get the cable box, the game console and the VCR in a loop that does not include the plasma television. And once you add your computer, digital camera and camcorder to the mess, you will never find the right cord again.

Perhaps the most surprising thing to people when they get their new plasma televisions home is the wide variety of component hook-ups that are offered on the back of plasma televisions. The only way to know for certain is to look physically on the back of the plasma television. Never take a salesman's word for it. They probably have never thought to look, themselves. And this from a former plasma television salesman.

When buying a new plasma television, it is not whether your old component will work with the new television, but whether the old component can connect to any new television! Check carefully that you will have adequate and appropriate places to plug in your old toys on your new beauty.

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