Blu-ray Combines 7.1 Surround Sound + 1080p HD Video

The only way to experience 7.1 channels of uncompressed digital surround sound audio along with Full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution video in your home theater is from Blu-ray Discs played on a Blu-ray Disc player (or PS3). Of course, you've got to connect the Blu-ray Disc player using an HDMI cable to a 7.1 channel home theater receiver with 7.1 surround sound speaker system, and then you'll need to send another HDMI cable out from the home theater receiver to a 1080p high definition television or home theater projector.

A nice thing about 1080p Blu-ray Disc players is that they are backwards-compatible with standard 480i DVDs (and music CDs), although you'll get just 5.1 surround sound audio and 720 x 480 video that's "upconverted" to 1920 x 1080. If you don't want to begin buying or renting movies on Blu-ray disc, you can save some cash and purchase a cheaper upscaling DVD player, as long as you realize that it won't provide you with true 7.1 channel digital surround sound audio or Full HD 1920 x 1080p video.