Is TOSLink/Optical Cable Essential for HDTV?

TOSLink cables use optical fibre to transmit digital stereo or surround sound data. It is a standard digital means of connecting DVD players to receivers, along with digital coaxial RCA electrical cable. It is now being superceded by HDMI. TOSLink cables only use the S/PDIF protocol, and so cannot transmit the latest high-definition surround sound formats found on Blu-ray discs; for those you'll need to use HDMI.

For more information, return to the HDTV glossary introduction.