Given the dearth of HDTV offerings, I opted for a EDTV Plasma. I find DVD and HDVT signals look simply amazing. At a normal (greater than 8 foot) viewing distance, I couldn't tell the difference between a true HDTV and EDTV from a digital cable source. (Lets face it the difference between 480P and 1080i is only about 10% because of the interlacing).
The justified (i.e. stretched at the sides) setting take a few days to get used to the distortion, but now I only am aware of it during fast horizontal panning. I prefer this setting to the risk of burn-in. I did notice that CBS-HD does vary the letter-boxed colors from black to a light gray during standard aspect-ratio broadcasts, so leaving the letter-boxing during those times may be fine.
Also, Time Warner Cable of NYC varies the quality of their DTV service. In other words, some standard-def channels are very clear, with a minimum of artifacts, while more obscure channels are noticeably more pixelated.
I'd recommend a decent-quality component video cable. Personally, my experience is that the limiting factor is the source not the cable. You may want to test out a few set-ups, and find the right price-performance level for your taste. IMHO, if you like the picture and sound, just enjoy it. Often I feel too many people get hung-up on squeezing the last 1% of signal out of a system instead of the programming that's being played.
The justified (i.e. stretched at the sides) setting take a few days to get used to the distortion, but now I only am aware of it during fast horizontal panning. I prefer this setting to the risk of burn-in. I did notice that CBS-HD does vary the letter-boxed colors from black to a light gray during standard aspect-ratio broadcasts, so leaving the letter-boxing during those times may be fine.
Also, Time Warner Cable of NYC varies the quality of their DTV service. In other words, some standard-def channels are very clear, with a minimum of artifacts, while more obscure channels are noticeably more pixelated.
I'd recommend a decent-quality component video cable. Personally, my experience is that the limiting factor is the source not the cable. You may want to test out a few set-ups, and find the right price-performance level for your taste. IMHO, if you like the picture and sound, just enjoy it. Often I feel too many people get hung-up on squeezing the last 1% of signal out of a system instead of the programming that's being played.