When your father bought a television all he had to do was; buy the television, bring it home, plug it in,connect the antennae wire,go outside climb a ladder turn the antennae and yell at your mother; “Is it clear yet?” For today’s consumer it is a bit more complicated.

Buying a television in itself is not a simple process. People must take their time to study and truly think about what kind they need, evaluating different models, space needed for correct viewing area, wall mounted or free standing, size of unit desired, light room, dark room.

Televisions are available in many types labeled by acronyms. This does not make it any easier: CRT, LCD, DLP and the ever popular Plasma.

A short description of each reads as follows:

DLP=Digital Light Processing which uses rear projection light.

They are relatively light weight and usually only 10-16 inches in depth. They are great for college students with weak budgets.
LCD=Liquid Crystal Display which uses a liquid to control each pixel and can change to different colors. These do great in rooms with lots of ambient light and smaller viewing areas. Not so good in a dark room.

CRT=Cathode Ray Tube which has been the main form of technology for many years. It works by heating a filament,( the cathode), inside a vaccum glass tube. The stream of electrons (the ray) is poured off into the tube and steered by the steering coils directed at the screen which is coated in phosphors. The phosphors become excited which cause them to light up. That is where the picture comes from.Most CRT televisions will not work with today’s High Definition Cable systems and DVD’s. Pictures always look a bit fuzzy and off color.

Plasma=Alot like a new version of the CRT. Little bits of plasma get excited then strike the pixels at the front of the screen causing the pixel to turn a specific color. Great for dark rooms where a home theater atmosphere is needed. Best for extra large screen sizes.

Then you have to choose cable or satellite. Personal choice, service provided and cost are the deciding factors.
Once the television is unpacked in your home there are a few really important things you must do before beginning any television installation. Measure the distances you will need for all wiring and cable and add one foot to each measurement. Better to have extra than not enough. Number one is be sure all manuals are in sight and clearly readable. Second, take the time to label all wires and cables. this will make for easy troubleshooting later. Lay everything out in the steps described by manufacturer and follow these directions closely.

One more thing, remember to purchase a RF Modulator(Radio Frequency Modulator) if planning on hooking up a DVD player along with your cable. It is a required object.

If using a wall mounted site, use a stud finder to locate studs. Two of them. Mark the center of the studs and place screws or bolts firmly into them. Be sure they are square not angled in placement as this will allow for firmer hold.

Connect all cables and wires correctly before hanging television.

For theater systems and all other components an open rack system is best. These are heat creating devices. An A/V receiver will create the most heat because they consume the most electricity. Keep the receiver low on the shelf where the air is coolest. If possible give it it’s own shelf away from other heat producers such as DVR’s, DVD recorders and HDTV satellite receivers.

Now it is time to wire them all together. It seems like common sense, but be sure a signal’s output is going to the appropriate input of the next device. Wiring them wrongly could damage the components circuitry. Take your time and look closely at the manuals received with each component.

Now sit back and pick up the remote, be sure the batteries are inserted correctly. Push a button and watch your favorite shows or movies in comfort.