Don Lindich: Cassettes are a dying format

Q I have an extensive collection of cassette tapes and a single-well Aiwa cassette deck that has served me well since the mid-1980s but that I am now looking to replace. Can you recommend a cassette deck below $300, preferably with dual wells and auto reverse to maximize listening time?

ED STOKAN, PITTSBURGH

A There are few cassette decks on the market these days. Try the Pioneer CTW208R, which has a street price of $149. You will probably have to go mail order to get one. Searching online under the model number should yield a few retailers. If the seller is unfamiliar, check out its ratings at Resellerratings.com before you order.

If your cassette collection is truly extensive, you might want to buy two and store one for the day the first one wears out. Quality choices might not be available in five to 10 years.

Watch for cable scams Q My son recently bought a Sony Bravia TV. A large selling point was the 120Hz vs. 60Hz. He was told that to take advantage of the 120Hz feature, he needed a 120Hz HDMI cable and would get only 60Hz performance with a 60Hz cable. Is there a difference?

CHUCK LEVEROOS, ST. PAUL

A There is no such thing as a "120Hz HDMI cable." The 120Hz feature is built into the TV.

It is an obvious ploy, trying to get consumers to spend $80 on a cable to get good-quality results. Don't be fooled; you don't need to throw money away on pretty wires that stay tucked behind the TV.

Buy an inexpensive cable from Monoprice.com or Amazon.com and try it. I bet you will find that it works perfectly. Monoprice cables even have a lifetime warranty.

No lossless audio Q I have an older Dolby Digital receiver and want lossless sound capability. Is lossless audio broadcast over HDTV?

J. HASTINGS, FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA.

A HDTV broadcasts are broadcast in Dolby Digital. Lossless sound is unlikely to be added anytime soon. The only video source offering lossless is Blu-ray. If you get a player with internal decoding such as a Panasonic DMP-BD55 or Sony BDP-S550, you can use it with your receiver's multichannel analog inputs, and you won't be missing a thing.