Subject: Arkansas Democrat Gazette
From: "Merilee:::Kern Communications" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 9 Mar 2009 10:06:05 -0700

http://www.nwanews.com/adg/Style/254335/
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Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Northwest Edition

Posted on Saturday, March 7, 2009

How should I position my new HDTV? 

Welcome to the high-definition home theater lifestyle. The first step is to take your plasma or LCD-screen TV out of its box. Then consider these tips on placement and care from the experts at CableOrganizer. com: 

Screen mounts: If you're planning on hanging that new flat screen on a wall or from a ceiling, you're going to need a strong and secure monitor mount. There are several types available, with each functioning a little differently based on how you want your screen to be positioned in relation to your viewing area. 

1. Fixed. As long as you won't need to swivel or reposition your flat screen to achieve different viewing angles, the basic fixed-monitor mount is a terrific choice for wall-mounting high-definition televisions. While they may not seem very exciting compared to some of the mobile screen mounts, fixed mounts not only keep HDTVs snugly against the wall and out of the way, they also provide excellent support and won't allow the screen to tip over. 

2. Tilting. For an HDTV that's being hung high on a wall, a tilting monitor mount will allow you to angle the screen as needed so viewers down below can get a good look at it without straining their eyes or necks. Many mounts in this category provide around 15 inches of tilt (up, down, right and left), and some models feature tension knobs that lock the screen in place once the desired angle is achieved. 

3. Swinging arm. Swinging arm mounts move flat screen displays closer to or farther away from the wall. They have the ability to tilt or swivel in any direction. With a range of motion like that, swinging arm mounts are perfect for use in great rooms and other multipurpose spaces in which you may want to vary screen placement according to which part of the room you'll be viewing from. 

4. Ceiling: If you want to skip entertainment centers and wall mounts in favor of suspending your flat-panel TV in midair, a ceiling mount is the way to go. Because they require nothing more than overhead joists for support, ceiling mounts make it possible to install a flat screen anywhere in a room, independent of walls and furniture. They also let you rotate your screen up to 360 degrees. 

HDMI cables: Once you have your HDTV situated where you want it, it's time to think about connection. High-definition TVs call for high-definition cables, and that means HDMI. As you shop for HDMI cables, beware of people who will tell you that high-end boutique cables are the only way to go. HDMI cables aren't status symbols. They exist to move signals from your DVD player to your TV. And besides, when it comes to HDMI, certification is the name of the game. 

It doesn't matter how fancy the packaging is or how recognizable the brand. The only true indicator of a cable's performance is whether it's HDMI-certified. While some audio-visual retailers would have you pay over $130 for a six-foot HDMI cable, others offer a comparable HDMI cable for less than $10, complete with the same HDMI 1.3 certification and gold-plated connectors. 

Screen cleaning supplies: 

Sooner or later that pristine HDTV is going to get dirty. And when that day comes, the last things you should reach for are rubbing alcohol or glass cleaner, and paper towels, all of which can damage delicate high-definition screens. Instead, stick with syntheticbased microfiber cloths (which are free from scratchy woodbased fibers), and ammoniafree screen cleaners that are specially formulated for plasma and LCD displays.