Getting a brand new high-definition TV should be an enjoyable experience, but when you open up that big box you could also be opening up a frustrating can of worms. HDTVs are complicated gadgets. It's not like the old days when you could just plug a TV into the wall and everything magically worked. HDTVs require a little nuance and a little knowledge.

Without this set-up savvy, you might be left looking at an absolutely dreadful picture and wondering why you wasted all that money. Thankfully, there are some easy solutions to your high-definition headaches.

Broadly speaking, many of the most common problems plaguing new HDTV owners fall into four broad categories. People have problems connecting their systems, adjusting the picture display, configuring their viewing area and showing DVDs.

DUMP THE OLD CABLES
Make sure you're connecting your HDTV to the cable or satellite signal using HDMI or component cables. These connections provide a level of quality that other cables--like the coaxial and composite connections you know best--are unable to match.

FINE TUNE THE COLORS
If the color of your HDTV's picture seems to lack punch or skin tones and lighting appears unnaturally bluish, you'll want to explore your TV's color settings. "Color," "Tint," "Color Saturation" and "Color Temperature" are some of the titles you might find in your TV's menus, and slight adjustments will make a noticeable difference in the tone of your picture.

DON’T STRETCH THE PICTURES
When watching a standard-definition TV show, don't stretch the square image to fit the wide HD screen. This only emphasizes the lack-of-detail in the standard-definition picture and makes people and objects look unnaturally wide. It's better to watch a standard-definition picture in its native, boxy resolution, even if that gives you black pillars on either side of the picture.

WATCH THAT ZOOM
Zooming is akin to stretching. It adjusts a standard-definition TV so that it fits the HD widescreen, but does so without distorting the image like stretching does. However, zooming still emphasizes standard definition's lack of detail by blowing up the picture, and also cuts off the top and bottom segments of the image, meaning you're missing out on content. If you forget to turn it off when going back to an HD channel, you'll lose a significant portion of the picture.

UPSCALE YOUR DVD PLAYER
To get the most from your standard DVD collection, you need an "up-scaling" DVD player, one that adjusts the video signal to fit the extra pixels present on the HDTV. Most next-generation video players like the BD-P1500 Samsung Blu-Ray Player offer up-scaling. Up-scaling doesn't turn regular DVDs into HD, but it comes as close as possible.

To find the ideal distance between you and the screen, take the diagonal screen size and multiply it by 2.5. That distance will allow you to enjoy the fine details that your HDTV can display without subjecting you to the little flaws you might notice if you perch any closer.

ADJUST THE LIGHTING
Proper placement of your HDTV to avoid conflicts with lighting is crucial. Try and keep your HDTV away from bright windows or direct light. Place a light source behind or off to the side of the TV. This will illuminate the room without shining directly on the screen. Too much direct light results in reflections and glare that will spoil the experience.

FUSS OVER YOUR PICTURE SETTINGS
The HDTV you take out of the box is configured to look good in a store display, not a living room. Go to the picture settings on your TV's menu and adjust the brightness, contrast and sharpness until your eyes tell you everything looks good. Avoid factory presets with titles like "Vivid" that overpower these settings and look for more restrained options like "Natural."

Taking 30 minutes to check and double-check whether you're doing everything listed here could save you from needlessly returning a perfectly capable HDTV and feeling disappointed on your maiden voyage into high-definition. Though HDTVs require a little more effort and interaction to get things working right than older TVs ever did, the ultimate payoff is worth it--once you get everything calibrated properly, you'll almost certainly agree.