wall mounting TV in entertainment centre (pictures!)

[Steve]

Right, a few years ago i boarded over an alcove and built a framework to contain recesses for my entertainment equipment (in my bedroom).

I built the framework out of 2x2 sawn timber, built 2 identical frames front and back. Each joint is made using two 2 inch screws recessed halfway through one piece, so one inch goes into the end grain of the other piece. Basically its going nowhere and I dont want it to. Faced with chipboard.

However, I recently bought a 32inch LCD TV! Which is too big to sit in the recess, and obviously being a VESA mount, wont fix to the framework currently there (I want it centred on where the TV sits now). I actually modelled the recess on my parent's old 24 inch toshiba CRT, as I didn't have a TV when I built it! That TV there is a 21 inch.

The new TV will also foul the speaker frames that I made out of some bits of timber with black cloth stapled on.

What I'm thinking is I add a bit of framework across the TV recess, then face over the lot with some thin MDF, drilling small holes for speaker wire, and surface mounting the speakers. Its currently emulsioned chipboard. This would give the "sleek, clean" look i'm after. I have attached some pictures so you can see what i'm dealing with! Any advice welcomed!

The TV and speaker recesses:

(the TV recess is fully enclosed with 15mm chipboard, apart from the front, obviously)

The speaker recess with no cover on (the covers simply have 2 screws in them, which hook into holes on the front here). You can see the 2x2 framework here.


A view of the whole front. The lower recess is also fully enclosed. Both recesses have ample provision for power and aerial downleads!


The bottom of the framework here. I just fitted a shelf here, couldn't think how to finish it off. Any suggestions? This also provides access for someone laying on their back to access the back of the unit (there's about a foot between the back and the wall, total depth about 3 foot)


You might be able to tell, i've recently decorated. Took down picture rails (which I even stuck to this unit when i built it!) and had the walls plastered. So to remove any of this unit would probably take plaster off with it too. Hence the total face-over idea. Also the adjoining wall to the right is about 4mm proud of this unit due to new plaster.

 

[Steve]

OK, I made a start today (well, I say "start" . . .)

First, I made a wooden frame to sit in the recess. The top and bottom rails are fixed into the structure with 2 inch screws, the same way all the other members are fixed. The 2 uprights are fixed to the rails with 2 no. 2 inch screws at each corner.

Then I bolted the back of the TV bracket to the frame. This would have been easier with a socket set, but I only had spanners, had to keep re-positioning!

I will face over with MDF at a later date, around the bracket. I just needed to get the TV out of the way today! I enlisted the help of my parents to lift the TV while I connected it up / removed the stand.

It sits a little further out than I would have liked, but its ok, I think it will look better when I have the speakers mounted on the surface - i bought some brackets today.

The brackets on the TV


The bracket on the wall


The TV up on the wall!


Up and running!

 

[Diyisfun]

It looks very high, do you not get a stiff neck.
I do most of my tv watching laying on the settee, Looking at your photos I dont think I could lay down & watch.

 

[toasty]

Crafty,

I know what you mean regarding the thickness of mounting brackets. I recently did somthing similar (I bought a 42" Plasma display for the lounge)

I spent a fortune on the damn thing because it's nice and slimline and has a very thin border on it (it's a Panasonic TH42PH9-BK )

However most of the brackets I could find were at least 20mm thick, negating lots of the benifits (in my mind) of having a flat display.

I made my own in the end, I'd suggest you look at doing the same, a few hours welding down the garage and I have a bracket with an effective thickness of 5mm and it's much more robust than the shop bought ones and has the added advantage of it being near impossible to remove the plasma without a 'special' long spanner I also had to make - so is ideal from an antitheft perspective (you'd probably destroy the plasma removing it without the tool)

In your case though I think you could just mount your bracket further back into the recess.


Not wishing to start an LCD vs Plasma arguement , but why did you get an LCD over a plasma? And also given that your screen is 32" the optimum viewing distance is around 8 feet. How far will you be from the screen? It might look a bit small if you are further back (I'm already sort of wishing I'd got a 50" even though I'm at an optimal 10'6" from mine)

Also another thing, you might want to look at separating the speakers (L and R) as far as possible, I've noticed a real improvement when watching films when mine are almost at the corners of the room (I've got dolby digital 5.1) having them only a few foot apart you do loose a lot of the stereo L - R panning effects. The same is true of the fronts and rears (dunno if you have this) but again there is a definite benefit to having these far apart (in both left - right and front to back terms) Doesn't seem to matter where you put the sub(s) except that small children seem to like putting toys in the port!!

I'm fortunate that I sit almost perfectly central with regards the screen and front / rear / left and right speakers.

If you can't do that with the front and rear, look at delaying the signal accordingly, the difference is amazing.

Good luck
-Dan

 

[Diyisfun]

Crafty,

Not wishing to start an LCD vs Plasma arguement , but why did you get an LCD over a plasma?
-Dan

I agree with not starting a LCD v Plasma discussion & I wish people would not keep using the term 'PLASMA' when they mean 'FLAT SCREEN'

My understanding is CRT is the best, LCD was limited by screen size, hence Plasma for large screen. Now LCD technology is allowing large screen size & LCD is the future plus a weight advantage.

 

[Steve]

Indeed, LCD is much lighter. This TV weighs in at around 18 kgs, compared to en equivalent sized plasma weighing around 30kg. Our 42 inch plasma screen weighs about 40kg. The general theory is that Plasma was only a stop-gap so bigger screens could be made while LCD was still in development. LCD is apparently the better technology.

I agree, I could have mounted the bracket further back, however I could only have gained about half an inch and there wouldnt have been space for the cables to go through. I could have restructured the whole unit and made a recess for the TV to sit in! But as I said earlier, without a sawz-all, this unit is going nowhere!!! (My mum was questionning its strength for mounting this TV, at which I grabbed the speaker recesses and swung from them, standing in the bottom recess! Not even a creak was heard!)

This viewing height is ideal, as the bed is opposite, and laying in bed, you want the TV to be quite high. My head is about 10 foot away when watching it.

The bracket I bought has a little hook that prevents accidental un-hooking of the screen, but I have yet to discover how to reach it! And it also claims you can put a padlock through it (antitheft)! Again, how do I reach it!!? I tried it out when it wasn't on the wall, and the padlock didn't even stop me from unhooking the bracket anyway!

I do have a surround sound set, but haven't got round to putting the rears back up since redecorating. I bought some ridiculously expensive (IMO) mounts the other day, and i'm putting the rears on the ceiling i think, pointing at 45 degrees above the bed. I cant seperate them much, as the bed is in the corner, as is the TV really. It still sounds pretty cool anyway!

Buy a downward-ported sub, then the kids will have to find another orifice in which to insert small objects.

My only point of concern is the mounting points for the brackets on the TV. They are only fixed at the bottom, which results in the TV leaning forwards ever so slightly. I dont mind it leaning forward, but I cant help thinking this fixing point on the TV is the weakest point of the installation.

 

[beeler311]

Take some pics of the entire wall so we can see it. You can't tell much from those closeups. Personally, I wouldn't have cut the hole in the wall since it looks like you only gained about an inch from it. You can also see the hole when looking at the front of the tv. You might want to lower it a tad to cover up the hole better. It also might look better if you put some tinted glass over the audio rack. Here's what mine looks like.

 

[wanabechippie]

My attempt:

Much neater, i'm sure you'll agree!!