Equipment failure rushed me into this.

I didn't intend to update my home theater system until December or January. But my TV died.

The TV was around ten years old, and it was having a hard time handling the widescreen bars most DVDs have. Then it basically gave up. I made it last a few weeks longer--waiting for a discount coupon from the big box I tend to buy electronics from-- but there was no way December or January would come before my TV bit it.

So in August I got a new TV. A big one. Not the most up to date technology (the newest of the new are, and probably always will be, way out of my price range), but good enough for another five to ten years. And certainly big enough for my apartment.

I knew I'd eventually upgrade everything else as well. DVD to Blu-ray and a new stereo system. Not to mention getting a new chair to enjoy all this newfangled stuff in.

Turns out the Blu-ray was first. A one day sale a week ago brought the price on a player that also streams Netflix down below what I thought I'd end up paying.

I knew I didn't have all the connections I needed. One interesting thing about these new wrinkles on the old TV box is all the wires--and kinds of wires--one must buy in addition to the individual components. They don't include these with the components.

If you buy these cables at the big box stores or Radioshack, you are paying too much. An HDMI connector will cost you anywhere from $20 to $80 a pop in store. The customer service people will tell you there are different qualities of these cables. They are lying. The other reasoning (I assume) is that you want to plug this sucker in right when you get it and you have to buy everything all at once in one place. And, if this is the case, you're going to blow unnecessary amounts of cash.

You can get an HDMI cable for $10 online.

And to use the Netflix streamer thing, you need a CAT5 cable to go from your modem to the Blu-ray player. These also run anywhere from $25-$80 depending on length. I needed at least a 25 foot cord. This was $7 online. Because I bundled my purchases, I paid no shipping (or tax). These cords (and other stuff) showed up the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.

Something to work on while I was cooking up my holiday meal--paid for with the money I saved on cables!

It became apparent Thanksgiving afternoon that I could have used a longer CAT5 cord. Now, at my work, we have thousands of feet of this. Maybe tens of thousands of feet. I bought the factory made for a couple of reasons. 1. The techs were busy enough with pre-holiday installations that I didn't want to bother them to make me one up, and 2. I had to buy the HDMI anyway.

But the 25 feet of CAT5 will work. What didn't work was my idea to unplug my wireless computer connection when I'm using the TV and vice versa. Apparently both have to be connected to set up the Netflix thing. And my modem does not have multiple ports (or a router/switch).

If you run a phone and a computer from your modem, you will not have this problem.

That's another $11 (shipping included), and my little plastic box will be here next week. Again, this will cost $20-$50 in the store. And this time, I'll get a couple extra CAT5 cables made up from work.

So I come back to the waiting. It must be about the instant gratification. You bought the big stuff, why should you wait, right? And, when it comes down to picture quality, is this quantifiably better than before? I've heard the raves (and that I should also be paying for HDTV from my cable company) from a few people.

They ain't kidding. Like the difference between VHS and DVD, there is a big visual step up from a DVD player to a Blu-ray.

And that's from watching DVD discs on a Blu-ray player vs. a DVD player. In fact, the first DVDs I watched on my spanking new Blu-ray player were bootlegs of the original Star Wars trilogy (without all the extra crap added in later) dubbed from a LaserDisc copy.

Someday I'll get that Netflix streaming thing hooked up. And a new chair. And, eventually, a new stereo system. Oh yeah, and actually play a Blu-ray disc on the Blu-ray player.

Matt Worley jumps through all the hoops so you don't have to.