Setting up your new High Definition Television is going to take a little more time & attention than your old television did, so here are 12 tips to help you on your way;

If you've simply hooked your high-def TV up to the same old wires you had for your standard-definition television, then you're most likely looking at a less-than-optimal picture. Those cables just aren't good enough. HDMI, or high-definition multimedia interface, is the best possible hook-up for your HDTV. (There is no reason to buy the most expensive ones).

Now that you know you have the proper connections, why when you turn on your television does the picture not look anything like it did in the store? Because it's now important to change the TV's picture settings.

Adjust the brightness.

Adjust the sharpness.

Adjust the contrast.

Mess around with these settings until you find the balance that looks right to your eyes. Out of the box, an HDTV's picture settings aren't tuned to look good in your living room. They're configured to look eye-catching in a store.

Another option is a calibration disc.

Is there a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? DLP rear-projection televisions use a spinning colour wheel to give pictures their true hues. This technology sometime causes a subtle yet distracting rainbow that trails bright objects. Though manufacturers have taken steps to eliminate this, rainbows can still appear. If you notice and are irritated by the effect, you can replace your colour wheel with a colour spiral, which greatly reduces it.

One common mistake that you should avoid is the use of the "stretch" setting when watching standard-definition programs. If an HD channel isn't available, always pick the true picture, you may have a cropped picture, but at least it won't be distorted.

Now comes the ever exciting question of where to position the TV versus you. The way you set up your room can make a significant difference in your viewing. To determine the correct distance to position your couch from the TV, multiply your diagonal screen size by 2.5. It’s as easy as that!

Lighting. Adjusting lamps & light bulbs can have a dramatic effect on your picture. Too much, or too little, can produce a non-desired result. Putting a light directly behind your new television is the optimal choice.

Movies, (after all, isn’t this the very reason why you have purchased your new high def television?) If you are using an old DVD player with your new television, you are missing out! It will not have the right amount of lines of high definition, therefore you will not see much of a difference in quality from your old TV to this one.

5.1 sound system, an optional addition but worth it in every way. Surround sound with the base of a nice sub makes every TV/movie experience all that much better.

Spending 30 minutes to an hour going over all of these suggestions will save you feeling any disappointment in your new purchase. Like I said before, it’s a little more complicated than your previous “plug into the wall box”, there is a bit of patience & detail required, but in the end, the benefits are endless!