What to do with your
new TV now that you've brought it home..
Simple
steps for hooking up your new home theater components...
For more detailed instructions
you'll want to buy
"The Home Electronics Survival Guide"
Your new TV or component is out of
the box, now what do you do?
- Decide:
Where will you put the TV and components?
On what shelf? Where in the room? Where will you place the speakers? Pages
173-180 of "The Home Electronics Survival Guide."
- Check the
connections on all equipment. Note what types of inputs & outputs are on both new equipment
and old equipment that you'll be hooking up. Note not only the type
of connection but its name (i.e. "Video 1" or "Component
2" or "hdmi") Note both audio and video. Cables & Connections
Chapters of "The Home Electronics Survival Guide."
- Measure the distance between the components
so you know what length cable you will need. You may want to go down
to the floor and back up to the back of the TV, if there is a space
between your component stand and your TV. You don't want to see cables
strung across. Pages 168-169
- Don't settle for those flimsy spaghetti
cables that come in the box. Buy better cables online directly Monster
cable.com
- Don't forget speaker cable and speaker cable
connectors (much better than bare wire) if you are connecting surround
sound (and you might want a subwoofer cable to get the best bass
out of your subwoofer). Page 177
- Do you need
other accessories? You do NOT want to connect that expensive big
screen into a $2 power strip or so called "surge protector". They will die out at the first
surge and you'll be unprotected. Consider a "power conditioner" to
enhance your sound and picture quality. Page 184
- Write out your connection plan by matching
outputs to inputs, deciding whether to connect through your home
theater a/v receiver or straight to your TV. Page 152-154
- Use round labels or file folder labels to
label the cables in case you'll ever take it apart (and chances are
you will disconnect them the next time you add a component). Page
190.
- Connect all the outputs of one component
and move on to the next component. Page 190
- Take your time, follow your plan, trace back
your steps if you get lost and celebrate with a great movie or ball
game when you are through!
Now that you have a new TV, what do you do with your old TV?
Click
here for more information at e-cycling central.  |
