Deck the Halls, the TV Falls

 

It is the season for buying, giving and getting gifts. And if you’re like many people, there could be big fancy new electronic toys sitting under the tree come Christmas morning – maybe even a new flat screen!

Oh, the joy that comes with bringing home a new television. You have conquered the buying process, deciphered the jargon, overcome the sticker shock, and now it is yours. You carefully dismantle the packaging and as you lift the cover off your TV you are overcome with the sweet aroma of new tech smell - there it is. You see it, in all its HD beauty. This is the TV that will bring you hours upon hours of entertainment bliss. This is the TV that your friends will come over just to see, as if it were a newly born child. This is the TV that will bring your family together for the next decade or more. This TV could span generations. This TV could change your life… No it could change the world! But, in all the jubilant celebration there is a warning to be heard. What you do with your TV in the next few minutes could literally make it, or break it.

The internet, blogs and online forums are riddled with horror stories of TV Installation gone terribly wrong. Unknowing individuals who soon find their dreams of bliss not what they should be, often with tragic and sometimes deadly results. One man writes “I walk in the door from renting some movie's and video game's and picking up dinner, I set my food in the kitched and sit down on the couch and no longer then 2 minute's after sitting down the tv falls RIGHT OFF THE WALL landing on the face(glass) taking the WII down with it...” He continues, “I'm honestly too pissed/upset to take pic's...this really blow's...” A poor TV installation creates a disheartening loss, and worse it can be extremely dangerous. Another man writes “I bought a 50" Vizio "Jive" Plasma TV from Sears (on my Sears card) a couple of weeks ago. Loved it... This morning, I was under the TV, rerouting an HDMI cable when it fell off the way, hitting me in the head.” Thankfully this man was not mortally injured, but we all have heard dreadful stories how even small children can be crushed by falling Television sets. This is definitely something to take seriously, and it is not limited to the TV buyers who chose to install it themselves. An individual describes his experience with a large retail store, “Hi I had my $2000 TV wall mounted by the retailer/delivery guy not sure of the qualifications. Anyway i came home yesterday and there it is smashed on the floor...” These are just a few examples of the thousands of people whose joy and excitement, in an instance, left them holding nothing but a pile broken glass shattered dreams.

This Christmas do not let the joy of getting a new TV end in disappointment or tragedy. Take extra precaution, weather setting it on a table, mounting it to the wall or hanging from the ceiling; however it is install, make sure that it is secure. If installing it yourself, be sure to understand how to install it properly.  Read the instructions carefully and ask someone who has experience in doing an installation like yours how they did it.  And if you have any doubts, bring in a qualified professional who has the tools and knowledge to get the job done right.  They will be able to install your TV quickly, correctly and most of all, safely; letting your dreams of delight be a reality for years and years to come.