My Plasma arrives today, what Extra's do I need

[rsmithx]

So I am so excited, my Panny arrives sometime today between 4:00 and 6:00! In preperation I am trying to get a list of "extra" items that I need to pick up on my way home from work for full enjoyment. I have never had a big screen TV before (I am upgrading from a 27" CRT that didn't even accept component video) so there are a lot of little things that I am sure I need.

I know I need to pick up the component video cable for the X-Box, a Component cable to run from the DVD player to the receiver, and another from the receiver to the TV. This TV is for my new house and my cable isn't being hooked up for another week, so I don't have any "television" for a week or so, but I am assuming I need some cables to go from the comcast box to the Panny.

Eventually I need to buy a Wall mount and I have seen some of the results of the Bias lighting and would like to try that as well.

Is there anything in the short term (I just want to hook up my surround system and watch some DVD's until I get HD via cable) that I should pick up for this evening. Is there something I don't know about (well there's lots I don't know about, but specifically with the Plasma) that I am going to wish I had tonight as I set my tv up?

Thanks,

Ryan

[Steve_o]

Panny plasmas have BNC connections for component inputs. So your component cables will have to be RCA to BNC, or you can pick up small RCA-BNC adapters fairly cheap.

What model did you get?

[RandyWalters]

[QUOTE=rsmithx]So I am so excited, my Panny arrives sometime today.....[/QUOTE]

Model number of "Panny" please . . . . . . (different connectivity issues)

[dchester]

FWIW, I just ordered a Panny TH-50PX500U that is due in 7 - 10 days. I'm also replacing a 27" TV. What do I need to get? Another question, can you use the cable card if you also want to get the DVR service (from Charter cable).

I'm rather excited about finally moving into the 21st century.
:)

[RandyWalters]

[QUOTE=dchester]FWIW, I just ordered a Panny TH-50PX500U that is due in 7 - 10 days. I'm also replacing a 27" TV. What do I need to get?

Another question, can you use the cable card if you also want to get the DVR service (from Charter cable).
[/QUOTE]

You shouldn't really need anything else since the PX series is pretty much self contained and should work with all your existing components.

If you get the DVR service they'll give you some sort of DVR (various brands and models depending on what your provider supplies) and it will come with it's own cables.

The CableCard has nothing to with the DVR, but you can still use a CableCard to watch Live cable TV in the times you don't want to watch through the DVR. PQ should be a little better than through the DVR.

But if you're within range of the transmitting towers and their broadcasting the digital channels you might want to forget the CableCard and connect an HD antenna to the TV instead and scan in the local HD channels. There may be some HD channels being broadcast OTA that are not offered by your cable company (this is what i did). With the PX series you cannot use the CableCard function while also pulling in OTA signals - you have to choose to either go full-on with the CableCard or full-on with the OTA antenna. The TV's stupid single-mode tuner will not do both simultaneously which i think is really dumb and cheap on Panasonic's part.