The flat screen TV is often the focal point of a room these days with their bigger than life sizes. This makes deciding on TV stands and mounts to go with them a challenge. Whether it’s a plasma, LED, 3D or LCD TV it’s almost a necessity to purchase audio video furniture or accessories to complement the high tech piece of equipment you paid such good money for. Nobody wants to look at your brand new flat panel on an old dingy wooden dinosaur from the eighties.
Whether new or old you need to educate yourself on what would work with your TV and what size you need and ask yourself a few pertinent questions.
- Do you want a TV stand, armoire or cabinet?
- What material are you looking for wood, metal or glass.
- Do you need a swivel TV stand or a corner stand?
- What size television do you have?
- Do you want to mount it?
Answer these questions and you can have a better grasp of what stand will work best.
How to Choose Your Stand
1. First determine the size of your TV. You probably know the screen size but how big is actual TV and what’s it weigh. This will help you pick the appropriate stand without wasting time or money on the wrong thing.
2. Decide what height your television needs to be. Most people prefer an eye level viewing experience but not everyone. Some prefer a little higher with a downward angle.
3. Do you want your television mounted or hung? The great thing about flat panel televisions (plasma, LCD, LED) is they have the option of being hung on the wall or placed on a TV stand.
4. Consider your media storage and cable situation. If you have a lot of Blu Ray, DVD or gaming equipment then choose your television stand accordingly. Many choose to buy a TV stand with DVD storage options such as racks and drawers. Don’t forget your audio equipment such as surround sound speakers. You also want to be able to hide all your cabling which most flat screen TV stands can accommodate.
5. Set your price range so you can have an idea of what your wallet can afford.Most stands range in price from $50 up to $1000 or more depending on size, style, manufacturer and most importantly materials. Solid wood will cost more than faux wood or a melamine product.
Most of your LCD and plasma TV stands are simplified with a single shelf or rectangle stand wider than the screen but high enough to provide comfortable viewing. They range from a colorful fiberglass to a very decorative wooden cabinet. They can get extremely sophisticated consisting of shelving beneath the TV with designs etched into the corners or perhaps smoked glass. Many of the elaborate stands swivel via a pole in the center making the television look like a picture.
Many LCD plasma TV stands are extremely durable and long lasting ranging in very dense materials such as stainless steel, various metal graphite’s, hardwoods and tempered glass. They come in all shapes, colors and sizes and range in price from very cheap to extravagantly expensive. There are hundreds of manufacturers to choose from, Bush and Bell’O are two of the biggest.
TV Stand Features
The only prerequisite for any stand is a shelf of some kind or a bracket for mounting. All other features are optional including audio or DVD racks, Satellite or Cable boxes, gaming consoles, speakers and other electronics. Some TV stands have doors to hide all of the above accessories for a clean looking TV armoire or cabinet.
TV Mounting Options
Mounting your television is extremely desirable and looks even better but the truth is it takes more than a single nail to hang such a heavy piece of electronics. Plasma and LCD TV mounts require a level surface and a “stud” to be mounted properly and securely. The back of a flat panel TV does not usually have mounting hardware but there are holes for such a task. Aftermarket companies manufacture universal mounting brackets that attach to the holes in the back of the most TV’s via VESA standards.
TV Mount Types
There are several types of TV brackets on the market which consist of low profile mounts that will put your television flat against the wall. Others are thicker and stand out further from the wall but will sometimes swivel or tilt up and down. There are highly sophisticated TV mounts that have a collapsible arm capable positioning the TV at any angle
Brands
There are numerous brands names out there so here is a list of some of the heavy hitters that have very high quality manufacturing to back up their products.
1. Bush – www.bushfurniture.com
2. TechCraft – www.techcraft.net
3. Bell’O – www.bello.com
4. BDI – www.bdiusa.com
5. Peerless – www.peerlessmounts.com
6. Chief
7. Luxor
8. Omniount
9. Premier
10. Sanus
Too often people make the decision to go out and purchase a new addition to their living room and forget to consider the fact that the flat screen television they picked out might not go with the oak TV stand they already have. Lets face it most plasma and LCD televisions are either black or silver, neither of which go with dull brown wood.
With the growing popularity of flat screen television it has become inevitable that flat screen TV stands are equally as popular. There are so many different stands to choose from ranging in style from contemporary modern stands to classic wooden TV stands.
Shopping Tips
When shopping for flat panel TV stands you always want durability first and foremost because a plasma TV these days cost thousands of dollars. While not as heavy as previous tube models they need a sturdy foundation to sit on with shelves to accommodate your audio video accessories and assortment of wires.
Many of the plasma LCD TV stands available today contain a host of options including a 60 degree swivel, audio video storage, angled corners for convenient placement and sonic isolation pads to help stabilize the shelving so the TV doesn’t move. Cable management is also taken into consideration so that you don’t have a bunch of wiring hanging around looking like a bowl of spaghetti.
There is nothing worse than a beautiful plasma TV and corner TV stands with organized confusion for wiring to make it look very distasteful, your wife would kill you.
One of the things we as consumers look for is a TV stand with DVD storage because that is essentially your ultimate goal. To have one piece of furniture that stores all your gaming and video capabilities.
To find reliable and high tech TV stands visit your local retailer or go online and search various stores to find the model that best suits your designer television. The most important factor in buying online is finding reliable feedback on which models are working best for people. I highly recommend researching television stands online before buying anything so you can get a good piece of equipment with a good warranty.
