What you should do about it:

Shop around. Find one that isn't the one that is designed to put more money into the dealer's pants. Look off brand (not the same manufacturer as the TV.)

This obviously assumes you are looking at a Hi-Def TV that goes on a wall, or more likely, on a stand. Big CRT rear screen projectors are all in one box.

You want something that brings the set to seated eye level. Stand in front of a TV and move up and down and side to side. The picture will change some. Try to approximate the angle you'll sit and see how it looks to you.

Don't forget you can also shop at a furniture store.

Stands are usually overpriced.

Secret #5: IF YOU BUY A PLASMA OR OTHER "HANG ON THE WALL" SET, YOU STILL HAVE WIRES THAT WILL DANGLE UNLESS YOU RUN THEM IN THE WALL.

The ads all show the screen, but not the wire. At minimum you have power and signal wires (cable or satellite). By the way, these babies are heavy. It's not at all like hanging a picture.

What you should do about it:

Plan ahead.

Secret #6: IF YOU SEE A TV THAT SAYS "...READY" THAT MEANS IT DOESN'T HAVE A TUNER. YOU NEED A TUNER. THEY WILL SELL YOU A SEPARATE TUNER. YOU ARE BUYING A MONITOR.

Monitors don't have tuners. Since so many sets were being sold in a way that may be politely called

What you should do about it:

Just know this. It can save you money and SHOULD.

Secret #7: SOME PLASMAS AND LCD DIRECT VIEWS LOOK LIKE HI-DEF BUT AREN'T.

The PICTURES don't look like High Definition because they aren't. The screens, when OFF, look the same. What they ARE are wide screen EDTVs - Enhanced Definition - better than old analog sets but not HIGH Definition.

What you should do about it:

IF YOU WANT HDTV, Pass.

These sets were put out into the market as bait. Often thousands less than the original run of HDTVs, their pictures were better than you had been used to, but can't stun you like true HDTV can.

There. Now you know 4 more Ugly Home Theater secrets.

But, it isn't quite that simple. At www.GreatHomeTheater.com there are more secrets revealed. I promise you won't get neurotic or your hands dirty, and I won't talk you out of what can be a tremendous and highly enjoyable leap forward in home entertainment.
About the Author

Bob Wood, for over 30 years, programmed popular radio stations in the United States and Canada. He developed a passion for great sound and was an early adopter of many of the video toys and tools that have evolved into today's state of the art.