HDMI: The most modern connection, HDMI resembles a longer, thinner USB cord. HDMI connections are the highest quality connections and you only need one cord for both the audio and video. A/V Cables (Three-Prong): Standing for Audio/Visual cables, this is the most common connection for DVDs. There are three prongs at either end– red, yellow, and white – and they match up to corresponding colored inputs on both the TV and DVD player. Component Cables: Sporting better quality than A/V cables but less than HDMI, component cables are a set of five colored prongs attaching to five matching inputs on both the TV and the DVD player.

If possible, use an HDMI cable, as they are the easiest to install and have the best quality video.

Do not stack different electronic equipment on top of one another – they can quickly heat up when in use and damage the electronics.

Some projectors use a “DVI Input” instead of the three connections listed above. If so, follow the same procedure as “Connecting with an HDMI Cable,” substituting a DVi cable for an HDMI. [1] X Research source

This is the highest quality connection for audio and video and is typically found only on modern DVD players.

If there is an input number, like “HDMI 1,” remember it for later. This is the setting your TV must be set at to see your movies.

There are a lot of different HDMI cords available, but unless you want a pristine, perfect picture then any length and type of cord will work just fine as long as it reaches. [2] X Research source

If there is no label or you don’t know what input to use, leave the DVD player on and test each input for 5-10 seconds to see where the video appears.

The set of sockets are typically grouped together with a border or line indicating the included sockets.

The input sockets are usually grouped together, and are often marked by a border or a line separating the group from the other Inputs. The Red and White sockets (Audio) may be separated from the Yellow one (Video). The labels should indicate which socket goes with which Input.

The Yellow video plug may be a separate cable from the Red and White audio cable.

If there is no label or you don’t know what input to use, leave the DVD player on and test each input for 5-10 seconds to see where the video appears

If the video is not showing up, ensure that the Yellow plug is connected to the correct Input on the TV and Output on the DVD player. If the audio is not coming through, ensure that the Red and White cables are plugged into the correct Input on the TV and the correct Output on the DVD player.

You will notice that a component cable has two Red plugs, which can make things confusing. To figure out which is which, lay the cable out flat so that all of the prongs line up. The order of colors should be Green, Blue, Red (video), White, Red (audio). Some component cables only have the Green, Blue, and Red video plugs. You will need a separate Red and White plug audio cable in order to hear your DVDs, like the one found in the A/V section above.

If there is not a label or you don’t know what input to use, leave the DVD player on and test each input for 5-10 seconds to see where the video appears

If the video is not showing up, make sure that the Green, Blue, and Red video cables are plugged into the correct Input on the TV and the correct Output on the DVD player. If the audio is not coming through, ensure that the Red and White cables are plugged into the correct Input on the TV and the correct Output on the DVD player. Double check that the Red cables are plugged into the correct sockets. If they are in the wrong ones, both the audio and video will be messed up.

Some TVs will label the Input channels based on the type of input, such as “HDMI”, “AV”, and “COMPONENT. " Refer back to Method one if you have a question about which input type you are using.

Note: There are a lot of companies that market extremely expensive cables. For the most part, you will not see any significant difference using high-end cables. This is especially true for HDMI, where a $5 cable will perform the same as an $80 cable. [4] X Research source