HDTV Location

Installation is just part of setting up a new HDTV system. Placement is part of the process that most people completely overlook. But it can be as essential to a great viewing experience as a comfy couch.

Things to Consider When Choosing an HDTV Location
When you set up an HDTV system, remember the inventive saying, "location, location, location" and you will realize that where you place your system will make the difference between an enjoyable viewing experience and a squinting marathon.

There are a few things to keep in mind when it comes to arranging a room around your new HDTV:

• Screen size in relation to room size
• Lighting
• Position of couches and chairs that face the TV
• Speaker set-up

The first thing to consider when you are trying to find the perfect location for your new HDTV system is the screen size in relation to the room that will hold your HDTV. Generally, the larger the TV, the larger the room that holds it should be.

You should choose a location in your home where you know you will have enough room for seating and for viewers to be far enough away from the TV so that they can watch it comfortably without straining to see.

Seeing the Light
Most people don’t realize how much lighting can affect their television viewing experience until everything is set up and they turn the TV on to see that the picture is completely obstructed by glare or reflections. There are two forms of light that homeowners should consider when setting up a new HDTV.

The first is sunlight from windows. The best place for a new HDTV system is in a part of the den or living room where your windows won’t be shining light onto the screen. If this is unavoidable, curtains or blinds will need to be hung over the windows to prevent light from shining in.

Hanging blinds in an overly bright room will not only benefit the viewer, it will also benefit the TV. The more sunlight there is in a room, the harder the TV will have to work because it will be conflicting with this other source of light. Therefore, it will need to have its light output cranked up. By reducing the amount of sunlight in the room, the output can be turned down and inevitably the HDTV will last longer.

The second form of light that homeowners must consider when positioning their HDTV systems is room lighting. There is nothing more annoying than having a lamp shining back at you from the TV when you are trying to absorb a complex storyline. For this reason, all room lighting should be strategically placed to complement the HDTV rather than work against it.

It’s a good idea to install a dimmer into overhead lighting in the room where you place your HDTV. That way you can still have the room slightly lit so that viewing won’t strain your eyes. But you can also have low enough lighting to truly appreciate the spectacle of the onscreen images.

The Right Spot
Another thing to keep in mind when it comes to optimizing your viewing experience is seating. Most people don’t realize that there is a standard measurement for determining how far seating should be placed from a television. To determine where you should be placing your couch, loveseat and armchairs, you must start by measuring the screen or monitor of your new HDTV diagonally.

You should then make sure that all seating is approximately twice that diagonal measurement from the screen. So if your screen or monitor measures 4 feet diagonally, your seating should then be positioned 8 feet away from the screen.

Just as seating is incredibly important to appreciating the superior images displayed by your new HDTV, speaker position is also essential in order to fully appreciate the CD quality sound that HDTV systems produce.

Hearing is Believing
Often, HDTV systems can be hooked up to home theater systems to offer surround sound. There is no better way to appreciate HD than in surround sound. So, if you don’t already have a home theater system that you can hook up to your HD system, you should think about investing in one. Most home theater systems will include a receiver, five speakers and a subwoofer.

In terms of speaker placement, your center channel speaker should be placed in front of the HDTV with the main right and left speakers on either side of the TV. The surround speakers should be placed somewhere around your seating arrangement. Most people will place the surround speakers behind and beside their couch. The sub woofer can be placed wherever you like. Just be sure that it’s far enough away from your seating so that it doesn’t deafen anyone.

Enjoying the Fruits of Your Labor
Once you have chosen the perfect room, lighting, seating and an appropriate speaker set up you might have trouble prying yourself away from your HDTV system.

Many people will overlook HDTV location without realizing just how important it is. Just think of location and positioning like interior decoration design for HD. The more precise your attention to detail is, the more you will appreciate your HDTV system in the long run.

Visit our Satellites forum to find out how other people made the most of their HDTV.