- In this report
- Overview
- Installation options
ELECTRONICS FORUMS  Get real-world advice from others about choosing a new TV, digital camera, computer or cell phone. |
March 2007
Install it yourself or pay a pro?
Hauling home a big-screen TV isn’t easy. The cartons are too large to fit in many vehicles, and they’re unwieldy to carry.
So it’s often worth paying the store $40 or so to deliver it.
Flying solo. You can pay a retailer to install a TV, but you might be able to handle a basic setup. In most cases, you just plug the cable or satellite feed into the set-top box, then connect the box and TV.
To get HD, you must use connections capable of ?carrying those signals. Most HD cable and satellite boxes have a component-video output, an HDMI output, or both, and most new HDTVs have corresponding inputs. Either will do.
The component-video cable has red, green, and blue plugs; you must also connect either the analog (stereo) or digital (multichannel) audio plugs. The HDMI cable carries both video and audio. Use those same connectors to hook up your DVD player for the best quality.
Paying a pro. For $100 and up, many retailers will deliver your TV, place it on a stand, and connect it to a cable or satellite box and VCR or DVD player. For a few hundred dollars, they’ll also connect a sound system. Fees can hit $1,000 to wall-mount a TV, hide wires in walls, optimize settings, and hook up surround sound. If you want to hide the power cable, have an electrician install a recessed or “clock” outlet beforehand. If you’re not wall-mounting, assemble the stand in advance. You can pay a pro $80 to do it.
Must-have extras. You’ll have to buy mounting brackets and cables separately. Brackets cost a few hundred dollars. There’s little or no advantage in cables that cost hundreds of dollars. Shielded generic cables from Best Buy, Radio Shack, or other retailers should be fine and will cost much less. Avoid shoddy, flimsy cables, though. A 6-foot length should suit most setups. Be sure cables for in-wall use are certified by UL for that purpose.
Control issues. For $100 to $300, you can have a pro program a universal remote to control all your gear. The remote itself can cost anywhere from $80 to $350. Otherwise, program your cable or satellite remote to control the TV by keying in the code for the TV brand, as directed in your cable or satellite manual.
Flying solo. You can pay a retailer to install a TV, but you might be able to handle a basic setup. In most cases, you just plug the cable or satellite feed into the set-top box, then connect the box and TV.
To get HD, you must use connections capable of ?carrying those signals. Most HD cable and satellite boxes have a component-video output, an HDMI output, or both, and most new HDTVs have corresponding inputs. Either will do.
The component-video cable has red, green, and blue plugs; you must also connect either the analog (stereo) or digital (multichannel) audio plugs. The HDMI cable carries both video and audio. Use those same connectors to hook up your DVD player for the best quality.
Paying a pro. For $100 and up, many retailers will deliver your TV, place it on a stand, and connect it to a cable or satellite box and VCR or DVD player. For a few hundred dollars, they’ll also connect a sound system. Fees can hit $1,000 to wall-mount a TV, hide wires in walls, optimize settings, and hook up surround sound. If you want to hide the power cable, have an electrician install a recessed or “clock” outlet beforehand. If you’re not wall-mounting, assemble the stand in advance. You can pay a pro $80 to do it.
Must-have extras. You’ll have to buy mounting brackets and cables separately. Brackets cost a few hundred dollars. There’s little or no advantage in cables that cost hundreds of dollars. Shielded generic cables from Best Buy, Radio Shack, or other retailers should be fine and will cost much less. Avoid shoddy, flimsy cables, though. A 6-foot length should suit most setups. Be sure cables for in-wall use are certified by UL for that purpose.
Control issues. For $100 to $300, you can have a pro program a universal remote to control all your gear. The remote itself can cost anywhere from $80 to $350. Otherwise, program your cable or satellite remote to control the TV by keying in the code for the TV brand, as directed in your cable or satellite manual.
