These 5 unboxing mistakes can ruin your new smart TV

Purchasing a new smart TV is an exciting venture for any shopper, as your smart TV can change the entire complexity of your home. If you live in a one-bedroom apartment, it’s now going to become a focal point of your entire place. If you live in a larger space, you can use it to compliment what you may already have there.

Before you set it up, you have to unbox it. Many people have turned unboxing videos into a popular art form and a huge social media hit. It gives consumers a look inside and can help them decide whether they want to purchase that same device or not. Not saying that you need to record yourself doing the unboxing, but if you want to watch videos of what devices look like, look them up.

As you take your smart TV out of the box, it’s important to know there are some no-nos in terms of how you should do it. Make sure to read on and not commit any of these unboxing sins.

1

Unbox on a hard surface

Make it easier on yourself by working in a soft area

When you open up the box that your smart TV comes in, you’ll have a lot of cardboard and styrofoam to deal with. Usually, you’ll be able to cut away the cardboard box and reveal even more cardboard inside. Once you get past that, there is styrofoam that lines the box and wraps around the TV. One small tug on the wrong piece of cardboard, and you could free up the TV from the protection and send it crashing to the ground.

That’s why you should be working on a padded surface or at least a carpet when you’re unboxing. You don’t want to work on a hardwood floor or a slab floor, as it can potentially damage your TV if it falls. Depending on the force of a fall, a carpet may not prohibit the TV from getting affected by a fall — but it has a better chance of doing less damage.

2

Letting the box balance on its own

Avoid laying it flat as well

Just as you should be doing the unboxing on a softer surface, you should be paying attention to what you’re doing the entire time you’re doing it. This means keeping the box upright and taking parts away while it is standing up. You don’t want to try and unbox it while it’s lying flat, as you’ll be inevitably pulling on the TV itself to get it out of the box.

Unbox it while it is standing up so you can cut away the box from the corners. Don’t let go of the box or trust that it will remain upright while you aren’t holding it. It may seem like it’s a sturdy piece of equipment, but you haven’t placed the legs on it yet or attached a mount. You’re only asking for trouble if you leave it balancing on its own, even for a few moments.

3

Grab the TV by the screen itself

This can crack it

As you pull away the box and protective packaging from the TV, you’ll probably feel inclined to lift it up and out right away. It’s natural to grab the TV wherever your fingers can get a grip — but that can be risky. You might strain your back if you’re not lifting properly, and worse, you could damage the TV depending on where you place your hands.

When lifting, keep your hands in the corners of the frame. This helps you avoid leaving fingerprints on the screen and, more importantly, prevents damage from putting too much pressure on vulnerable areas. Grabbing the middle of the screen not only risks cracking or bending the panel, but it’s also not a practical grip. It’s always safer and easier to maneuver the TV by holding it from the sides.

4

Hold it up while installing a bracket

This is when you might want to lay it flat

If you’re installing a mount or attaching legs to your TV, it’s better to have someone else support it while you work. Avoid laying the TV flat, as that could damage internal components (damage you might not even notice until it’s plugged in). Typically, you’ll need to screw or drill the bracket into the frame, which might tempt you to have someone lift the TV while you install it.

But that approach comes with risks. The chance of the TV slipping out of their hands is higher than you want to risk — and it’s actually harder to install anything when someone’s holding it mid-air. The better option is to have someone support the TV from down low while you attach the brackets. This makes mounting or adding the legs much easier and safer.

5

Pull off the protective film… and screen

This one has actually happened to me

Most TVs come with a protective film on the screen to keep them safe during transport and free of dust during setup. You’ll usually find a small edge you can peel to remove it. Be sure to take it off before watching — besides affecting picture quality, the film can pose a fire risk.

That said, you need to be careful when peeling it away. It’s possible to accidentally pull the screen away from the frame, especially with certain models — Samsung TVs, in particular, have had issues with this. If this happens, you’ll see a white screen that won’t actually cast the images on its own. It ostensibly ruins the TV, and at worst, damage like this may not be covered under warranty.