It’s not an idiot box unless an idiot is watching. If you happen to be a genius, then perhaps your TV should be considered a genius box. It has served humanity in more ways than I have space, here, to mention. There is no reason to feel like you have to watch less TV. What you should commit to is watching better TV.

While you are watching better TV, you might as well do a few things to enhance your total viewing pleasure.

Here are a few suggestions to get you started:

Get Better Content

If you want to improve your television experience, start with better content. Watch the shows you really want to watch, when and where you want to watch them. Great technology does not make a bad show good. However, a great show can mitigate the shortcomings of mediocre tech.

To watch what you really want to watch, you might have to shop around, and spring for a better content bundle that includes more of what you love. With a new cable merger looming that effects a lot of Southern viewers, South Floridians might want to check out an alternative such as DIRECTV Miami for a more comprehensive approach.

Ditching the cable company still leaves viewers with the ability to watch football through services like NFL Sunday Ticket, and all the movies they can handle through the premium channels they are used to, without sacrificing local stations. Better content is the first step to a better experience.

Get a Better TV

Your 10 year old TV really wants to be replaced. Donate it to charity for a nice tax write-off. What you shouldn’t do is continue watching 21st century programing on 20th century technology. TVs have advanced in at least one significant way: The image quality is much better than the sets from yesteryear.

Resolution has greatly increased along with screen sizes. There are more pixels that form the image. And they are closer together. The scenes can be brighter. The darks are darker. The colors are more vibrant. Moreover, some of your favorite shows are being recorded in super-high definition. Even older shows are being remastered for the newer viewing experience. While no one can say what the best TV is, reading a few reviews will help point you in the right direction.

Get Better Sound

Though television is a visual medium, people can more easily forgive a bad picture with pristine sound, than they can a great picture with horrible sound. But when it comes to home theater, you don’t want to skimp on either. When shopping for a new TV, people often forget to upgrade the sound. This leads to a less than stellar experience. If you look away from the screen for a few seconds, your mind fills in what you’ve missed. You lose nothing. If the sound cuts out for a few seconds, you feel completely lost.

In the past, great sound could cost more than the screen. While you can still pay an arm and a leg for great sound, mid-range packages can be had for reasonable prices. If you don’t invest in sound, you will be missing out on more than half of the content experience for which you are paying.

This is not about conspicuous consumerism. The TV both entertains, and informs you about world events. This is just about getting the most out of it.