If you own a sound system to go with it, you may have found that it’s not performing at its best. This could be for a number of different reasons, for example, you may have noticed the TV isn’t as clear as it used to be, or that dialog has become mumbly. Over time you may have also noticed that there are dust bunnies or other horrors lurking around. Taking care of these issues is easy, and doesn’t need to cost very much money, in fact several of the tips are free.
Here are seven tips to keep your TV and home theater equipment in tip-top shape, ranging from simply picking up a remote control to buying yourself some new gear.
Calibrate picture and sound settings
Likewise, getting better sound out of your sound system can be improved with a couple of simple tweaks. If you have a soundbar with a separate subwoofer, for example, moving it a couple of inches in any direction could make it sound a lot better. But if you have something a little more involved, like a receiver and speakers, then there’s a few more tricks available up your sleeve. Firstly you can always dig out the calibration microphone and run it through its setup process. However, if you’ve lost the mic you can always do it by hand, using a decibel meter app on your smartphone. I prefer this latter method as I find it gives better results, especially when it comes to setting the level of the subwoofer.
Keep it clean
Home theaters are literal dust magnets with the amount of static electricity flying around — especially on TVs. Cleaning your system can not only help it look better, but many AV components will work better after a little maintenance: the most obvious being your TV screen.
If the television has grease spots from fingerprints, use a damp but not wet cloth, or for really stubborn stains use a mild solution of soap and water — you don’t need a specialized screen cleaner. Then wipe it dry with a lint-free cloth. If you’re especially short on time you could always breathe on the smudges and use the resulting condensation to polish them off.
Sarah Tew/CNET
The next step is to remove dust around the TV and any associated equipment like an AV receiver or cable box. While manufacturers do make specialized wipes, a duster or the same lint-free cloth will also work.
If you have devices with cooling fans, these can collect a lot of gunk over time — cleaning them will help them run better. Buy a can of compressed air to clean these fans efficiently from the outside — don’t open it up — but make sure to unplug the device first. The “air” can have a lot of moisture in it, and you don’t want to risk shorting your equipment.
Hide your cables
Cables are the lifeblood of any home theater or TV system, but no one likes looking at them. Hiding them away not only reduces clutter but also prevents potential tripping hazards.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Cable ties are a cost-effective way to organize the cables leading from the TV to other parts of an AV system. But don’t buy single-use plastic ties — instead get Velcro or even wire-based twist ties from bread bags, as these are adjustable.
Don’t throw the cables on yourself, get them organized.
Sarah Tew/CNET
If the system includes surround speakers or Ethernet, the cables can go under rugs, along skirting boards, or inside specialized rubber duct covers that run across your floor. Mounting clips can be used to fix cables to the wall so they don’t wander off. As one reader suggests, don’t run power cables underfoot.
Be aware that these devices can’t really protect equipment from direct lightning strikes: A small wire fuse can do little to hold back the unrelenting power of Mother Nature. For the same reason, don’t worry too much about plugging USB, Ethernet, or coaxial cables into your surge protector to protect from lightning. That said, some models do offer connected devices warranties and may offer some comfort, but one CNET reader found it was like trying to get blood from a stone when they tried to make a claim.
Wall-mount the TV
Sarah Tew/CNET
Mounting a TV on the wall is one of the easiest ways to reclaim space in a living room, and not only does it look great, but it’s really simple to do. (The harder part is hiding the wires, but that’s what the aforementioned cable channels are for.) Here’s everything you need to know about mounting a TV. OmniMount is a good starting point when shopping.
If you have small children, or particularly boisterous friends, it’s a good idea to tether the AV cabinet to the wall as well. Some units come with furniture tethering kits, but if not, these kits are available from places like Amazon or Home Depot for very little money.
We’re all spending more time at home, so why not splurge on improving our TV setup? Whether you’re looking to buy a new streamer to take advantage of newer video standards or going all out with a brand new system, the possibilities are endless. Here’s a list of all of our favorite AV gear from the tiniest Roku Express to the largest 4K television and everything in between.
If you enjoyed this information and you would certainly like to obtain more information regarding Infinity Decor (infinitydecor.co.uk) kindly browse through our own site.
