How to Set Up a Plasma TV

Once you've bought your new plasma TV and gotten it home from the store, it's time to decide how you want to set it up. These TVs are so thin you can choose whether to sit them on a table or mount them on a wall. If you have small children or particularly rowdy pets, try to keep your TV at least 3 feet off the floor if at all possible. The screen of a plasma TV is more delicate than what you may be used to.

Instructions

1

Decide where you would like to put your plasma TV. It's best to put it against the wall directly opposite your primary seating in the room. Try not to put it directly across from a window since plasmas tend to pick up a lot of glare on the screen. If you have to do so, make sure you have blinds or curtains in place you can close when needed.

2

Sit down on the furniture you will use when you watch TV. Have a friend stand at the wall where your TV will go. Tell him or her where your eye level is so he or she can mark it with the pencil. It should be somewhere near 40 inches from the floor. Use this point as a guide of where to place the center of your screen, whether you're mounting it or putting it on a stand. That way you won't hurt your neck when you watch it.

3

Run the stud finder along the wall until it flashes green. Then screw your wall mount into the stud at your eye level point using the screws and your drill. If the mount has more than one screw, make sure all go into the stud. Check with your level to ensure the mount is straight. Put the protectors on the back of your TV (they should snap or slide on). Then slip it into the mount. If you are using a stand, simply place your TV on top of it. If your TV doesn't end up at eye level, you'll need a taller or shorter stand.

4

Use a utility knife to cut a 1-inch square hole behind your TV if it's mounted on the wall. Then cut a second 1-inch hole at the bottom of the wall directly beneath it. Drop the end of the power cord through the top hole. Then bend the end of your pipe cleaner into a hook and use it to fish the cord out through the bottom hole. This will keep your cord from hanging down the wall. Plug in the power cord.

5

Run additional cables through the wall, as needed, to hook up speakers, a receiver or any other components of your home theater if your TV is mounted on the wall. If not, simply hide the cables behind your TV stand and use zip ties to keep them together so that they stay organized.