The world cup is here. And you want to watch the big matches in the comfort of your own home with as good a picture and sound set-up as possible. If you've got some spare folding, this is the time to buy yourself a crisp new Audio Visual set up. A new 3D TV and surround sound system. But even you can't afford it, and for that matter even if you can, there are a few things you can do to make sure that you get the best performance out of any TV & surround sound system.
1. Postioning your TV
Your TV is probably sat where it is because that's where the nearest aerial socket is. A television of some sort has probably been sat there since the late '60's. So, you're probably watching TV where you are because some bloke decided that's where he wanted it 50 years ago. And that is not neccessarily the best position for it. The best position is one where you are most comfortable watching it - probably at eye level when seated, and where the lighting conditions are optimal. For example, you don't want direct sunlight or even reflected sunlight on your screen. In the day it will affect your view. Now, In the old days when your TV was the size of a small car, it was a sensible idea to sit it in the corner. But now a flat screen can be placed almost anywhere. So, if that means moving the aerial point or power socket then get the proverbial 'man' in, to have a look at it.
2. Your TV picture
Most Televisions are set up by default with everything boosted to look brighter and more colourful. This is because when you go to look in the shop for a new TV it will look like it's giving a better picture than the one next to it. We're drawn to bright vivid colours. However, this is not neccessarily the best and most realistic setting.
Of course, professional calibration is going to take equipment and money. But you can make some adjustments yourself to increase your viewing pleasure.
a) Adjust the brightness and contrast to make the blacks blacker and the whites whiter.
b) Adjust the colour. Unless you are watching Katie Price and Alex Reid, not everyone on television is orange.
c) Adjust the picture sharpness. Make the image as clear and crisp as possible. You'll know when you've gone too far because borders and double edges will start to appear around the images.
If you want to tweak it some more, then I recommend purchasing Digital Video Essentials on DVD or Blu Ray. It is a step by step guide to calibrate your LCD or plasma picture settings. Probably for the uber geek, but you can pick the DVD up for around £12.
3. Cables
The price of cable for AV setups is a joke. A good HDMI cable can cost £100. Crazy talk. But do they work? Well, I'm sorry to tell you yes they do. A good cable can dramatically increase the performace of your TV and audio system. I wish it wasn't true but I actually performed this experiment myself last week. I had an old scart lead connecting my TV and DVD player. I knew that it wasn't all that, but I could just about live with it ( I'm a bit short sighted anyway). But, finding myself in a well know electronics retailer, I thought I'd buy a fancy cable and see how much the picture improved.
Don't beleive the hype I thought. I'll take the lead back at those prices if I don't get a result. However, after plugging it in, it was like someone had switched the lights on. A fantastic, crisp, bright picture appeared before me. Damn I thought - that's cost me!
A tip though. I have a very nice 1080p Full HD LCD. There won't be any point spending hundreds of pounds on top quality cables if you have a cheap, rubbish TV you bought from ASDA for next to nothing with 2 cut price DVDs. It's not a magic wand.
4. Sound
Now we turn to sound. If you haven't got a surround sound system, you're not going to get that rich, deep, sound and the atmosphere of the stadium. So, you really should consider purchasing one. And I'm afraid yes, you usually get what you pay for. But even a £150 system will be better than your TV. And if space is an issue have a look at purchasing all-in-one speaker bars. They provide surround sound from a single box by bouncing the sound off the walls.
With traditional surround sound, the position of your speakers is key. You'll get the best sound by placing the centre speaker directly above or below your TV. Left and right speakers should go either side of the TV. The rear left and right speakers should go either side of the sofa at ear height. If you're not allowed to leave them there (like me, the wife won't have it), just make sure you can move them when the big match starts. You can put your subwoofer anywhere you like, as it provides bass frequencies that are non-directional.
5. High Definition - are you really watching it?
Just because you've an HD ready or Full HD TV doesn't mean that you're automatically going to be watching TV in high definition. You'll need to add a high-definition source such as Freeview HD, Sky HD, Virgin V+ or Freesat. And that means you need to either upgrade your package. Or in the case of Freeview, by an HD decoder. Remember only certain channels are broadcast in HD and you'll need to be tuned in to watch them.
That should about cover it. Follow this advice and watch the world cup at high quality in the comfort of your own home. While you might not get the atmosphere of the pub, at least you can guarantee a seat..
Author Resource:
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