So you’ve entered your credit card information online and hit the “Finalize Order” button. Your heart races as the moment is finally here. You’ve done your research, waited for the best price and the moment of purchase has finally arrived. In a few seconds your blackberry buzzes with an order confirmation and delivery date. Don’t pat yourself on the back just yet. There’s more work to be done!
What to do before your set arrives:
What you’ll need:
HDMI Cables
Wall Mount (optional)
Break in Disc (Optional)
Captain obvious alert! . Make sure you have everything you need for delivery. If you plan to mount your display on the wall, be sure the mount is compatible with your TV and that it can support the weight. Read the instruction manual carefully and schedule a time to have a buddy help you out.
Have a set of HDMI cables ready to go. To save $$ avoid buying cables from a big box store and instead order them from Monoprice or Blue Jeans Cable. They’re so cheap you might as well order a few more just in case.
Get or borrow a calibration disc such as DVE and Spears and Munsil. If you plan on breaking in your display download and burn a break in DVD.
Finally if you have a universal remote, might as well program it to work with your new TV the day before it arrives.
Delivery Day:
You’ll need:
Flashlight
Screwdriver
Camera
Buddy (with a good back)
$$$ to tip the delivery guys + lunch for buddy.
OK you got a confirmation call from the delivery guys. It’s delivery time! Typically there’s 2 kinds of delivery services; curb and white glove. With curbside delivery the set is dropped off outside your door but if they’re nice they might help you take it inside. A small tip is always appreciated especially if stairs are involved. With white glove service two people will take the set into your home, unbox it and plug it in. Whatever service you choose it’s extremely important to inspect the box for obvious mishandling. If there’s a large dent or the box looks like it’s been to Afghanistan and back, take your phone camera and snap a few pics. Be sure to note the condition of the box on the receiving slip.
Now take out those 4 plastic plugs at each corner of the box and lift the cover to reveal the display. There should be ample protective material on both the screen and bezel. If they’re missing this set may be a return. Take your flashlight and carefully inspect the screen for hairline cracks. If all looks good, in most cases this is where you sign the receiving papers releasing the carrier for any liability and away he goes. If there IS damage to the set, whatever you do, do NOT sign the papers. Simply refuse delivery and get the vendor on the phone for instructions. The shipping company will take the broken unit back and another will be sent out. It’s unfortunate but it happens and there’s nothing you can do.
In most cases with curbside delivery there’s no way to see if the TV will turn on because often times a little assembly is required. Carriers are busy and they don’t have all day to wait around while you fumble with a screwdriver. Ok so the delivery guy left and you spent 20 mins assembling the stand and getting it setup. You plug it in and….nothing. Don’t panic. Some displays like the Pioneer have a master power switch on the back that needs to be toggled before you can touch the power button on the remote. If not, and your set doesn’t at least display a standby light, and you know for a fact the outlet is working you may have a DOA. Again call the vendor and ask for a replacement. If they want to send a factory authorized technician, refuse and insist on having it replaced immediately. In my opinion a set with problems on the first day is bound to have issues down the road.
Finally the last thing I recommend is to check for dead pixels. A modern HDTV has over 2 million pixels and occasionally some of them get stuck or die. Bring up a full all-white pattern and press your nose against the screen and look carefully. A stuck pixel is usually red, green or blue while a deal pixel is black. It’s normal for a display to have a few dead pixels. Retailers usually have a policy against exchanging a panel unless it has at least x amount of dead cells. A stuck pixel is even worse, especially if it’s stuck red because it’s often noticeable from regular viewing distances. There are ways in attempting to kick start a dead or stuck pixel which involves patterns that rapidly dim and brighten a specific part of the screen. I’ve had dead pixels that suddenly kick in later on through regular content so don’t sweat it too much. However I would consider exchanging a set if more than 5 pixels are either stuck or black and nothing you do brings them back to life.
To Break in or not Break in. That is the Question.
You’ll need:
DVD or Blu-ray player
Break-in Disc
Some plasma buyers recommend breaking in a new panel by displaying a looping slideshow of full screen color patterns for the first 100 hours. The theory is that a new plasma needs run-in time to accelerate initial phosphor wear in order stabilize it enough for calibration and minimize image retention. This doesn’t mean you can’t watch TV of course. Many leave the break in DVD running at night or when they’re at work. Although the theory sounds interesting, in my opinion the best way to break in a TV is to watch it with normal full screen content and avoid excessive 4:3 viewing (bars on the side) for the first 100 hours or so. But if running break in slides helps you sleep at night, by all means go for it!
Calibration:
What you’ll need:
Calibration Disc
DVD or Blu-ray player
Meter (optional)
So now that your new display is up and running it’s time to make it look its absolute best and get the quality you paid for. Did you know there are industry standards for optimum picture quality? It’s the same set of standards movie and television studios aim for when producing content so in order to see-what-they-saw when it left the studio you’ll need to do some calibrating.
What’s involved in doing a calibration? At the very least you’ll want to switch the display to either “movie” or “cinema” mode then run a calibration disc. These discs include patterns that help you set the brightness, contrast, sharpness and maybe color. This will get you 60% of the way there. The next step is to buy or rent a calibration meter and software that will help you accurately set the color temperature and other aspects to a good HDTV picture. This can often be time consuming so if you don’t have time or patience by all means get a professional calibrator. Not only will they use a higher quality meter, but a professional can set the display to match your room environment and viewing habits.
Conclusion:
Taking delivery of a new HDTV is an exciting and often nerve racking experience. A little preparation and planning goes a long way in making the process smooth.
