No question: You need a high-definition TV. The two main types are plasma and LCD. Generally, LCD is a better bet for sets up to 46”, while plasma’s better for super-big sets and blacks. Plasma drinks more electricity, though, which might be a factor in these green-conscious times. What other techno-babble do you need? Well, look out for screen resolution: high definition means at least 720p’, with these screens labelled ‘HD Ready’. Ideally, you want 1080p, sometimes described as ‘full HD’. Other features to look for are ‘24fps’ — 24 frames per second, as films are shown in cinemas — and a ‘contrast ratio’ that’s as high as possible — 15,000.1, say. If you really want to be taken seriously, frown and ask, “How are the black levels?” since those are a big signal of a TV’s quality. You may not understand the answer, but it’ll win their respect, and you can nod knowledgeably as they explain.

The final essential question about your TV is how many HDMI sockets it boasts: if you want to plug in a Sky+ HD box, high-definition gaming system and a Blu-ray player, you’ll want at least three (unless you buy a PS3 and get games console and player in one) and preferably four, just to be future-proofed. It’s also worth asking if the TV sports cutting-edge HDMI 1.3 connections, the current gold standard. Compatible cables can be had for under a tenner, although you could spend hundreds on the top versions.

In Terminator terms, the first Blu-ray players were like the T-800: slow, clunky and basic. Since then they’ve morphed into the T-1000, with sleek designs and advanced trickery: Blu-ray players are on a single-minded mission to blow you away. Generally, the latest players are all decent; the only questions are how much you want to spend and how pernickety you are in your specifications. Movie anoraks, for example, should seek out a Profile 2.0 or ‘BD-Live’player, which hooks up to the web over an Ethernet connection to download trailers, games and commentaries not on the disc. Some BD-Live players even let you stream YouTube clips on your TV. Also check the HDMI output, which should be version 1.3 to match your new TV. This means the player not only outputs highdefinition pictures, but can also send new audio formats like Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, giving you dazzling sound quality as well. If your receiver doesn’t support these new formats, you’ll need a player that converts them to universally compatible ‘PCM’ or one with multi-channel analogue outputs. To get the smoothest, most cinematic images possible, pick a player that outputs 1080p pictures at 24fps, which your TV should support if you’ve followed our advice. Last on the checklist are USB or SD card slots, which may be needed to store downloaded extras for BD-Live discs or play MP3, DivX or JPEG files.

The way in to Blu-ray for many people has been the PlayStation 3, with two million units already in homes around the UK. It has reached superstar status as a hi-def games console, but many people don’t realise that it’s one of the best Blu-ray players out there: it was the first to offer BD-Live functionality, and delivers killer 1080p movie pictures with the sort of slickness most dedicated players can only dream of. If you want a machine that seamlessly blends the worlds of high-definition movies and gaming, then Sony’s super-console should be top of your list.