Consumer electronics: Component television: This systematic approach is designed to help untangle the maze of wires and cables in many U.S. living rooms

The “simple” consumer television set is no longer simple. The bewildering array of peripherals that can now be linked to it — video-cassette recorder, cable-TV tuner, video-game unit, personal computer, and high-fidelity stereo system — have left many a consumer frustrated just keeping track of the yards of black cable snaking from one product to another. So frustrated, they may consider giving up on high-tech entertainment and buying a few paintings instead. Is there a simple way to end the frustration? Consumer electronics manufacturers in Japan and the United States are betting on one: component television.