Giving consumer electronics as gifts used to be easy. You picked out what you wanted, wrapped it up, and were off the hook for another year. If you took the time to look at the package, you might have noticed the micro-sized print advising "*Batteries Not Included" and decided whether or not to toss in a pack of AAs for good measure.

But the times not only are a-changin' - they've already a-changed. Since almost every piece of gear today requires so much more than just being plugged in, some real thought has to go into giving electronics. (Unless, of course, the giver or givee has some pretty good A/V hookup skills.) Below are a few gifts that will probably be on many lists this year, along with some "*Not Included" items you should consider before giving or after receiving.

FLAT-PANEL TV When most people envision owning a sleek, new HDTV, it's up on the wall with nary a cable in sight. Making that a reality means buying, assembling, and installing the right mount - and routing the right video cables from the gear to the TV and installing an electrical outlet behind that wall-mounted set. (If you have toddlers, hang onto the big, empty TV box. It might end up being the best present of all.)

SURROUND SYSTEM Whether that new surround system came entirely in one box or in several, it's going to require some installation to perform correctly. But nothing silences your budding theater quicker than a lack of cables. Most receivers come with zero cabling, and even home-theater-in-a-box systems include only the bare minimum. Make sure you have enough decent speaker wire to connect all five or seven speakers plus line-level cabling for the subwoofer. Since you can count on one hand the number of people who like to see speaker wires strewn across their floor, running cables to the surround speakers will likely involve either a romp through the attic, a trip through the crawlspace, or fishing wire under the carpeting. (All part of the gift-giving process, right?) Sources like DVD players, satellite receivers, and cable boxes require digital audio cables to deliver multichannel soundtracks (that is, if you can't use HDMI, which carries high-resolution audio and video). And the fun isn't over just because the system is wired. The surround processor needs to be configured for speaker size, channel level, input assignments, and more in order to deliver all the surround performance that was paid for.

UNIVERSAL REMOTE CONTROL Between a set-top box, a TV, a DVD player, and a receiver, there are at least four remote controls to contend with in nearly every A/V system. But one universal remote can turn complicated system operation into a single button press. Right out of the box, though, that fancy new remote is about as functional as a paperweight. What it needs is a good dose of programming. Fortunately, manufacturers like Harmony and Universal Remote Control produce series of powerful but easy-to-program universal remotes. That said, you should set aside a few hours to get the hang of the programming architecture and to work out any control kinks.

BLU-RAY DISC OR HD DVD PLAYER The picture quality from either of these high-definition formats is undeniably stunning, easily producing the best images you'll be able to see on your new HDTV for the foreseeable future. Unless the gift recipient is lucky enough to get one of the two dual-format machines currently on the market (the Samsung universal player is reviewed on page 88), the first thing they'll need to know is that movies in red snap cases work with HD DVD, and movies in blue cases work with Blu-ray. For the ultimate in picture quality, the new player must be connected with a high-quality HDMI cable. Of course, this means that the display has to have an HDMI input. The player also needs to be configured to output the highest-quality video and audio signals the system can support. And if the player has an Ethernet connection, make sure it's hooked up and configured on the network so it can receive updates and get all those cool extras that Hollywood has been promising.

Before you shutter yourself in for the holidays and become a Grinch, there's some good news. Look up the instructions on running cables, installing a TV wall mount, setting up an A/V receiver, and programming a universal remote. (You'll find all of them, and more, under the "Step by Step" heading in the Features area.) If you're on the receiving end of a gift and feel like tackling the job yourself, print these instructions out and have at it. If you're giving a gift, be sure to include them in the box. And if you want to take the surefire route to A/V nirvana, find a good custom installer in your area to complete the project. At the end of the day, the installer can wind up being the best item on any wish list.

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