Installing a flat-screen TV is not like hanging a picture
By BILL HUSTED
Cox News Service
March 9, 2008
Q: I've been following your advice about HDTV and am almost ready to make the leap and buy a new set. I'd like to hang it on the wall in my living room. Is that the sort of job I could do for myself?
— Eric Ulbricht
A: It depends on your skills, but it's sure not as simple has hanging a picture. So let me go over some of the issues involved and you can decide if it's a DIY job.
First, keep in mind that a flat screen is rather delicate. Flexing the set as you manhandle it onto the wall is not a good idea. So at the least, it's a two-man job. That way you can carefully attach it to the wall mount that you need.
Next, you'll need to run the power line, cable or satellite connection, connections to a sound system and connections to your DVD player in a way that's both neat and safe. No one wants to see a bunch of wires trailing down the wall. You may need special molding that hides wires. It's also possible to run wiring behind sheetrock — a job best tackled only by a skilled handyman or pro.
The downsides to doing all that yourself: At worst, you can ruin that new TV. You could create an unsafe wiring installation. Or your installation could simply look amateurish. If your home toolbox consists of a screwdriver and hammer, it might be smarter to call in pros.
Q: I think my computer is going out. More often than not it'll turn itself off at least once when I use it for any amount of time. Other times it works just fine. Do you think I need to replace the hard disk?
— Jessie McCloud
A: I doubt it. My guess is that the power supply is going out. I'm assuming, when you say "it'll turn itself off" that you mean that literally. (If you mean computer freezes but the power remains on, it could be a software problem.) But if the machine is literally powering down, a failing power supply is a good possibility. Luckily, that's pretty easy to fix. Those who are handy could simply buy a new power supply and install it. But for most home users, it's more practical to have this done at a shop.
Please send your questions to Bill Husted at tecbud@ajc.com. While he reads every e-mail, not all are answered. E-mails are selected for publication based on the likelihood that the answers will be of general interest.
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