Set up your TV, one calm step at a time

From a boxed-up television to a glowing home screen. This guide covers the physical setup — placing the TV, plugging things in, and getting to the first menu. When you reach the on-screen setup, hop over to our activation help.

Heads up: These are general steps that fit most modern TVs. The exact menu names and button positions differ between brands and models, so keep the manual and remote that came with your set nearby.

The physical setup

Six steps to a working picture

Unbox with care

Lift the TV by the frame, not the screen. Keep the stand, screws, and remote together, and hang on to the box until everything works.

Choose a good spot

Pick a sturdy surface or a securely fixed wall bracket at eye level, away from direct glare and with a little breathing room around the vents.

Attach the stand or bracket

Follow the included fittings guide and tighten screws by hand first, then snugly. If wall-mounting, make sure the bracket is rated for your TV's size and weight.

Connect your devices

Plug streaming sticks, consoles, or a set-top box into the HDMI ports and note which number each uses — it makes choosing the input painless later.

Power it up

Connect the power cable last, switch on at the wall, then press power on the remote or the button on the set. A standby light usually confirms it's alive.

Select the right input

Use the Source or Input button to land on the TV's own home screen (or the HDMI port you used). That's where the on-screen setup begins.

Reached a welcome screen? Nice work. The next part — language, Wi-Fi, and sign-in — is covered step by step in our activation & setup help.

A flat-screen television set up in a tidy living room with the home screen showing.

Neat cables, happy setup

A quick cable primer

Which cable does what

Most of today's TVs need just two connections to get going. Knowing them takes the mystery out of that tangle behind the screen.

Power — the thick cable to the wall outlet. Nothing turns on without it.
HDMI — carries picture and sound from streaming sticks, consoles, and boxes. Note the port number you use.
Aerial or cable — only needed if you're watching broadcast channels through a wall socket.
Ethernet (optional) — a wired internet cable for a rock-steady connection instead of Wi-Fi.

If something won't cooperate