Bringing Home a Big-Screen TV: Are You a Pro or Do You Need Help?

Hauling home a big-screen TV isn't that easy. It can be a very tiring experience and be time consuming. The cartons are too large to fit in many vehicles, especially if you don't have a truck, and they are way too heavy to carry. So what would you do in this case? Maybe ask a friend with the proper vehicle to help you? Not everyone is willing or has time. 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 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 should 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 connections 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 about $1000 to wall-mount a TV, hide wires, 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 cost much less. Avoid shoddy, flimsy cables. 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-$300, you can have a pro program a universal remote to control all your gear. The remote itself can cost anywhere from $80-$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 TV manual.