Just bought a Toshiba 50" HDTV and was wondering if there are any precautions I should take during the first little while?

JohnnyG - I hear you talk about keeping contrast down to at least 50%, why is that?

Of course I made sure I let her warm up after getting off the delivery truck, I'm sure she sat in there all night.

Also, I know the set should be calibrated (JohnnyG I heard you're the man), but is it worth buying a reference DVD and tweaking it myself? If so Avia or other?

Thanks for any tips you Tosh owners might be able to throw me!

Keeping the contrast below 50% will help prevent uneven screen burn and overdriving of your CRTS (called blooming). You should also have your brightness set lower as well.

I would buy the reference DVD originally and get the TV set to the best user controllable settings before getting it calibrated. Besides you can use the disk to set other older TVs or friends TV properly as well.

Disable flesh tone, SVM, etc in the picture menu and turn your sharpness down.

...is it worth buying a reference DVD and tweaking it myself? If so Avia or other?
The Sound & Vision Home Theater Tune-Up disc sell for less than $35 and has all the test patterns that you'll need. It's definitely worth getting and alone will make a nice difference in image accuracy. It's not a substitute for a full calibration, but it'll certainly bridge the gap in the meantime.