Five Recommendations For Getting The Best From The Television And Surround Sound

You would like to watch the large games from the comfort of your home with pretty much as good an image and sound set-up as possible. Now is the time to buy a new 3D TV and surround sound system. Even if you cannot afford it, and for that matter even if you can, you will find several things you can do to make sure you will get the utmost performance out of any Television and surround sound system.

1. Positioning your TV
Your Television is probably sat where it is because that's where the nearest aerial socket is. A TV of some sort has probably been sat there since late '60's. So, you're probably watching Television where you are because some bloke decided that's where he wanted it 50 years ago. And that isn't necessarily the best place for it. The best position is one where you're 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 time it will affect your viewing. Now, during the old days when your TV was the dimensions of a small car, it was a smart 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 take a look at it.

2. Your Television picture.
Most Televisions are set up by default with everything boosted to look brighter and much more colorful. That's because whenever you go to look in the shop for that new Television it's going to seem like it's giving a better picture than the one next to it. We are drawn to bright vivid colors. However, this isn't necessarily the best and most realistic setting. Obviously, professional calibration is going to cost equipment and cash. But you can make some adjustments yourself to increase your viewing enjoyment.

a) Adjust the brightness and contrast in making the blacks blacker and the whites whiter.
b) Adjust the color. Unless you are watching Katie Price and Alex Reid, not everyone on television is orange.
c) Adjust the image sharpness. Make the image as clear and crisp as possible. You'll know if you've gone too far because borders and double edges will start to appear round the images. Should you wish to tweak it some more, then I would suggest purchasing Digital Video Essentials on DVD or Blu Ray. It is mostly a step by step guide to calibrate your LCD or plasma picture settings. Probably for the uber geek, but you can still pick the DVD up for around £12.

3. Cables
The purchase price of cable for AV setups is really a joke. A great HDMI cable can cost £100. Crazy talk. But do they work? Well, I am sorry to tell you, yes they do. A good cable can dramatically increase the performance of the Television 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 was not all that good, but I could just about live with it ( I'm a little short sighted anyway). But, finding myself in a well know electronics retailer store, I thought I would buy a fancy cable and see just how much the picture improved.

Don't believe the hype I thought. I'll take the lead back at those prices if I do not get a healthy result. However, after plugging it in, it was like someone had switched the lights on. An amazing, crisp, bright picture appeared before me. Damn I thought - that has cost me!

A tip though. I do have an exceptionally nice 1080p Full HD LCD. There won't be any point spending countless pounds on top quality cables if you have a cheap, rubbish TV you purchased from ASDA for next to nothing with 2 bargain DVDs. It's not a magic wand.

4. Sound
Now we turn to sound. When you haven't got a surround sound system, you're not going to achieve that rich, deep, sound along with the atmosphere from the stadium. So, you really should consider purchasing one. And I am afraid that, yes, you usually get what you pay for. But even a £150 system will probably be better than your TV. And if space is a problem then look at purchasing all-in-one speaker bars. They provide surround sound from just one box by bouncing the sound off the walls.

With traditional surround sound, the position of the speakers is key. You can get the best sound by placing the centre speaker directly above or below your TV. Left and right speakers should go either side of your TV. The rear left and right speakers should go either side of the sofa at ear height. If you're not allowed to keep them there (like me, the wife will not have it), just make certain you can move them when the big match starts. You'll be able to put your subwoofer anywhere you like, as it provides bass frequencies which are non-directional.

5. High Definition - are you actually watching it?
Just because you've an HD ready or Full HD Television does not mean you're automatically going to be watching Television in high definition. You need to include a high-definition source such as Freeview HD, Sky HD, Virgin V+ or Freesat. And this 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 need to be tuned into watch them.

That should about cover it. Follow this advice and watch the world cup in high quality in the comfort of your own home. Whilst you may not receive the atmosphere from the pub, at the least you will guarantee a seat..