Make sure your couch is at an ideal viewing distance from the TV set, a distance roughly 2.5 times the diagonal size measurement of the display. Make sure your couch is at an ideal viewing distance from the TV set, a distance roughly 2.5 times the diagonal size measurement of the display.

If you've just unpacked your brand-new high-definition television and are feeling a little underwhelmed, you're not alone. Plenty of consumers are dazzled by the vivid, high-energy displays of HDTVs in their local retail store and later disappointed by the dull, flat, lifeless images they see in their living rooms.

But don't return your new set just yet. Usually, all it needs to display high-definition images with the clarity and brilliance you expect is a little fine tuning. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to achieve a pleasing HDTV experience, but a little preparation and research can make the difference.

Poor video connections are the root of most beginner HDTV problems. How you connect your television to its video source — be it a cable or satellite set-top box or Blu-ray disc player — is crucial. Make sure your video source has outputs for either HDMI or component cables. These are the best ways to transmit high-definition content to your television. HDMI, which stands for high-definition multimedia interface, is the best-quality digital connection. It carries video and audio over a single wire and will transmit full HD content. Component cables have three connectors on either end, and they are color-coded red, green and blue. They are a valid, analog alternative to HDMI cables and will provide excellent high-definition video. It is important to read the manual for either your TV or your video source, as some devices will not accept or provide 1080p content over component cables.

Make sure you don't overpay for HDMI cables. Salespeople in retail stores will attempt to push premium HDMI cables from brands like Monster on unsuspecting shoppers. A 6-foot Monster HDMI cable could cost between $80 and $130 US, depending on the details. Those prices are patently absurd, and Monster's claims of superiority are specious, at best. Digital cables made to the HDMI specification are virtually identical. Monster's extra cost pays for fancy packaging and slick marketing, but it won't buy you better picture quality. Consumers should not spend more than $10 or $15 on a 6-foot HDMI cable, and even cheaper prices can be found on Amazon or from specialty sites like Monoprice.com.

Connections are just the first step, however. It's important to adjust your television's picture settings to achieve a balance that appeals to your eye. Out of the box, a television isn't set up to look good in your living room. It's configured to appear eye-catching and appealing in a store, and usually set to a preset picture profile called "Vivid" or "In Store." This setting dials up the white levels and brightness, so a TV looks better amidst a sea of fluorescent lights and competing screens. Clearly, this is not the best configuration for your living room.

You could simply change the picture profile to something different, like "Normal" or "Movie," or you could dig into the fundamental picture controls: brightness, contrast, color and tint. Pop a movie you're familiar with in, one that you know has a variety of dark, light and colorful scenes. As you watch, pause the film in one of these scenes and adjust the proper setting until you find a level that you feel makes the picture look right. In dark scenes, focus on the brightness control, which adjusts the TV's black level; for bright scenes, manipulate the contrast setting, which handles whites. Colorful scenes are the domain of color and tint.

Room setup can play an important role in how your HDTV looks, as well. It's important to make sure your couch is at an ideal viewing distance from the TV set, a distance roughly 2.5 times the diagonal size measurement of the display. Too far away and you'll miss out on the high-def detail, too close, and you'll be treated to a pixilated picture. Moving your lamps and adjusting your lighting helps too, especially if you have a glare-prone plasma set.

One of the most confusing issues for new HDTV owners is the difference between standard-definition and high-definition television channels. While HDTVs will provide extraordinary detail and excellent image quality when watching HD channels, they will, in most cases, make television on standard-definition channels look worse. That's because the higher resolution of an HDTV makes the flaws present in SD video more apparent. If you want to make the most of your HDTV, you'll need to watch HD channels. On cable or satellite services, HD channels are usually tucked away in the upper numbers. For example, the HD counterpart to standard-definition channel 7 is probably found on channel 807. Viewers who get digital TV over-the-air would probably find it on channel 7.2. Consult your local listings to make sure.

Avoid stretch features

If you absolutely must watch a standard-def channel, do not use the "stretch" or "zoom" features on your TV's remote control. Stretch fits the boxy 4:3 aspect ratio of SD video to the TV's 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio, eliminating the black pillar bars many people find irritating. Zoom eliminates the bars, but it also cuts off the top and bottom portions of the content. While these may get rid of one annoyance, they present another. Stretching distorts the video lengthwise, making people look unusually wide. Both options exaggerate the flaws in SD content even further.

Taking some time to check and double-check your television's setup could save you from returning a perfectly good HDTV and missing out on the excellent image quality you so desire. With a few simple tweaks and some thoughtful preparation, you should have no trouble tuning in an impressive picture.