Now that you have installed your new Home Theater System, you will want to adjust the picture and sound for the best overall entertainment. This requires a little planning and set up at the beginning but should require little if any daily maintenance.

First the HDTV screen settings may need adjustment for the room lighting. If the room has a window that allows sunlight for daytime viewing then you will need more brightness and possibly more contrast too. Some advanced remote controls may have a day/night settings button. If not, you will have to experiment on what looks right to you if you want a nominal setting that you do not have to change. Some DVD movies are also darker than others requiring adjustment each time.

Your surround sound system has many adjustments, some you may not be aware of. First, the typical treble and bass settings need to be adjusted for the sound reflecting or absorbing elements in the room. Curtains, wall board and furniture can cause a dead sound and some interiors may give a slight echo effect like being in a hall. Both of these can be enhanced using adjustments available on your Surround Sound amplifier.

To add color to a dead sound you might like the DSP Mode adjustments. Some include a choice of CHURCH, THEATER, HALL, or STADIUM sound. If you have Dolby adjustments, you can adjust the Panoramic, Center Width, Dimension, and Automatic Balancing controls. Some amplifiers include Pro Logic II for even more custom sound parameters. Read your manual to see what affects you can adjust for an improved sound.

You should be able to adjust the volume of each speaker channel too. This takes some trial and error. Some systems have a Test button that will buzz each speaker one at a time to insure all are working. The Sub Woofer will need to be tested using a movie with some heavy bass sounds like explosions. And finally save all adjustments by pressing the Memory button.

The large screen HDTV, the Surround Sound all seem impressive right out of the box, but you will enjoy your Home Theater System a lot more by making these final adjustments to add improved viewing and listening quality.