How Do I Set up my New HDTV?
Okay, you just got a new HDTV,
so now what? How do you set it up? Basically,
you've got to find a good place for the TV, and hook it up. It
sounds easy but it may not seem so obvious when you have all the
wires, equipment and manuals spread out on the floor.
The Best Sound Comes From an AV
System
First off - sound. Your HDTV
may have great speakers, but if you want the best Home Theater
experience, you may never use them again. You'll have a great
picture on your enormous new HDTV screen, but to match that
with great sound you will need surround sound speakers and
AV receiver. Ideally, purchase a receiver that has video
inputs and outputs as well as the usual sound connections.
That way you can connect everything to your nerve center (we
mean the AV receiver) and have only one wire running to the
TV. This is much, much better than connecting your DVD player
and your satellite or cable box and your VCR to your TV, each
with their own set of cables.
You will want at least a 5.1 system.
That consists of a left and right front speaker, a center speaker,
left and right rear surround speakers (the 5) and a bass module
speaker (the .1). Selecting more speakers may yield and even
better experience, but not as big a difference as a 5.1 gives
you over using just the built in TV speakers.
Where to Put the TV & Mounting
a Flat Panel on the Wall
First, where should
it go? Choose a position in the room that places the screen
a minimum
average of five feet away from the viewers. This
would be appropriate for a 42" TV. The larger the screen,
the farther back you should be from the screen. Ten to twelve
feet
is about as far away as you would want, unless you have a monster
size screen or are using a projection TV.
If you want to mount a flat panel
TV on the wall, that is a great way to free up some space.
Lets consider some details first though. Don't place
the TV too high up on the wall. People tend to hang the TV
like it is a painting. That is not a good height for viewing.
It forces you to crane your neck and places you at an angle
that reduces the picture view quality. Mount the screen so
that the middle of the screen is roughly at eye height when
seated. A little higher is fine, but don't turn it into a wall
hanging.
Next, choose a wall mount unit.
Some allow you to fasten the screen to the wall, but allow
only minimal adjustment, such as up and down tilt. Other units
allow much greater flexibility, including mounting on an arm
that allows the screen to be pulled away from the wall and
turned to face various viewing locations. [Continued...]
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