Get the MOST From Your HD: Tips & Warnings

High definition (HD) is all the rage nowadays. In fact, if you don’t have HD you certainly must be living under a rock . . . or in the Middle Ages . . . or without a TV. If you are one who has yet to embrace the HD revolution, now is the time.

You probably have a lot of questions running through your mind: How do I set it up? How do I optimize HD? Who is the best direct tv provider? No worries! All of your questions are about to be answered. If you follow these tips, you’ll never experience a friend stopping-by, asking why you don’t have HD (when you actually do, but it’s misconfigured).

Setting up HD

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It’s now time to set up your new HD TV. This includes much more than mounting it to the wall and making sure the TV fits in with your decorating style (or lack thereof). This is your new HD TV and you want to make sure you are getting the best picture, all the time. Here are some tips for getting set up correctly:

1. Where will you place your TV? The most important step is to mount your TV where you’ll get the optimal viewing pleasure. If you place your TV above your fireplace, you may end up with a cramped neck every time you sit down to watch your favorite show. It’s recommended to sit closer, rather than farther from your TV. For example, a 42-inch, 1080p TV should be 4 to 6 feet from your seating arrangements. Much closer than you may have realized. A viewing angle of about 40 degrees should be about perfect.
2. Keep your TV eye level. If you put your TV on a stand or mount it to the wall, it makes no difference. Your screen should be eye level, with no interference from a light source, such as a light fixture or a window.
3. Get a surge protector. But not just any surge protector. You’ll need a good AV surge protector. This will keep your TV safe from voltage spikes, lightening, or any other power surges.

Optimizing HD

You’re all set up and now it’s time to make the most out of your TV time. You’ll want to make sure you have optimized your HD TVto get you the best picture.

1. Choose the aspect to ratio different. A standard-definition TV uses a 4:3 ratio. Your HD TV has a 16:9 ratio. Choose to “pillarbox” the image at an unaltered 4:3 image ratio. This will give you a nice viewing experience in standard definition and will give you the “wow” factor in HD.
2. Set up your DVD player. Your DVD player is likely set to your old TV — to a 4:3 ratio. You need to reprogram your DVD to play in a 16:9 ratio. Press the “setup” button on your remote control and then look for the output option. This is where you’ll set the new ratio. If you have an HD DVD player or a BluRay, go ahead and eliminate this step.
3. Label your inputs/outputs. An HD TV has a lot of inputs and output connections. If you label these inputs and outputs, you’ll save yourself a lot of frustration down the road. For example, you can label one option “DVD player” instead of leaving it as “AV 4.
4. Program all of your remotes. If you have multiple remotes, you’ll want to program them so you know which remote goes with which device. If you’re really smart, you’ll invest in a universal remote that will get rid of all the extra remotes.