Thanks for answering!
I haven't built the PC yet, as these are the sorts of issues I want to be informed about. I know practically nothing about the PC market anymore (it's been YEARS since I gamed on one), so my questions might seem silly. But: Could I get a graphics card that outputs video via HDMI, and a sound card that outputs audio via optical? I ask because the setup I have now relies on separate audio input for distribution to my speakers, and the audio quality is degraded if I run it through my TV.
Separately, my concern about resolution has more to do with the limits of my TV vs a computer monitor. As far as I understand (which isn't that far :sadvaultboy: ), the resolution of monitors can really outpace that of a big retail HDTV. Does this have a noticeable impact on the quality of the visuals between the two?
My card has a HDMI output (GTS 450), and while I'm not sure on the sound thing, if it's a viable method there will certainly be adapters for it.
Regarding TVs, the main difference between a TV and a Monitor is not resolution as much as pixel density - how many pixels there are per square inch, or in other terms, how small it can be and still maintain a high resolution. A TV is usually viewed from relatively far away and emphases size over quality (Because, mainly, HD media to actually play on it doesn't go above 1080p), wheras a monitor is the opposite - rather than trying to pack as little as it can into as large an area, it tries to pack as much as it can into a smaller area.
The practical upshot of this is that sitting where you'd normally watch your TV, playing video games, is likely to go well - though web browsing or text editing you'd start to see exactly why people don't use TVs for everyday use.