Some guys get into trouble because of drink; others fall victim to topless bars. With me, it's always been technology.

My latest lapse at home was the purchase of a big-screen HDTV set. My wife, who had been saving up to redo the kitchen, tells her friends that her stainless steel stove and granite countertop are now showing in high definition.

It's bad enough that she is, uh, displeased with me. But that also means I have no audience for babbling about the crisp picture or the amazing colors. She just rolls her eyes.

That's part of the reason you're stuck with listening to me talk about HDTV. But there's also a practical reason. I've learned some lessons that may help you if you're tempted to take advantage of the falling prices for these big sets. The lessons aren't what you think.

I recently wrote a story about consumer confusion caused by choices for the technologies used for the sets that deliver HDTV. The March issue of Consumer Reports does a fine job of talking you through the alphabet soup of sets --- DLP, LCD, CRT and plasma.

My opinion? None of them will let you down. Just spend time in the showroom actually looking at the sets.

Today we'll look at some little gotchas that don't have all that much to do with the technology itself. But I can promise you that mistakes here can mar your enjoyment of even the finest HDTV set.

> Size matters. For starters, pay as much attention to the size of the set as you do to the picture. What looks like a reasonable size in a giant showroom can turn into an elephant in your living room or den. Folks with a room dedicated to home theater don't have to worry about this. But if --- as in my home --- the set is going into the den, size does matter.

Truth is, I wouldn't really care about that if I were single. But my wife has strange notions about how rooms should look. Your spouse might have them, too. So the smart thing is to make the buying process a team effort. If you do that, there's a chance that you won't be sitting next to me as I dine at Popeyes.

Furniture for these sets is also a big deal. Many HDTV sets have flat screens. Unless you end up hanging that thin, flat panel on the wall, you'll need a stand or a piece of furniture that can serve as one.

I bought a Sony 42-inch LCD rear-projection set. It's thinner than an old-fashioned console TV, at 17 inches deep, but way too fat to hang on the wall.

I bought the stand made for the set --- after coping with sticker shock. The matching stand for the Sony set costs $500. The set itself cost about $2,400, so the stand amounted to a big percentage of the total bill.

My wife noted that as soon as I brought the stand and the receipt home. I ignored her complaints until I tried to put the stand together. It's massive. The directions were created by a sadist with scant knowledge of the English language.

I did what I usually do when I'm confused: nothing. Parts were piled up in the den for two days. Then I got a call from Mary while I was work.

"I put the stand together," she said. "It took five minutes."

> Hang time. Earlier I mentioned that you could hang a plasma or LCD set on the wall. If that's your plan, there are some things you need to know.

Remember, if several people are watching the set on the wall, some will be looking from an angle. While shopping, view the picture from extreme angles to make sure you're happy with it. Unless you are a wall-mounting genius, consider professional installation.

Flat panels are delicate. If you put too much stress on a plasma screen as you mount it, the screen can malfunction. Wires are another consideration: You'll need cables to connect the screen to a satellite or cable box, wires that go to the audio system and another wire for the power. A professional will know how to mount a set and hide wires.

Finally, this is one time I think an extended warranty makes sense. There's room for argument here, but warranties on these sets can be as short as six months. Many are for a year. The longest I've seen is two years.

If you are spending $3,000 to $10,000 on a set like this, the warranty is worth considering. That's especially true with plasma sets and rear-projection models, which can be a little delicate. So do what feels right.

Now, the most important part of the buying process: A month before you start shopping for an HDTV, start taking your spouse out to dinner often, buy flowers and practice saying the most magical words I know: Yes, dear.

tecbud@ajc.com