Entertainment centers

[Jeff]

Senior TV upgrade.

We don't have a flat screen TV but want to get one which is larger than our current dinosaur and I don't want to hang a new one on the wall but that's a possibility. Current: 27" diagonal, the new one could be about +/-40" diagonal.

1. Our current entertainment center.

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A new TV won't fit in the box and a new cabinet would have to be built similar to the existing one.

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I don't think it's worth the hassle building a new one considering that we may want to change the configuration in a few years.

My thoughts which are cheapo woodworking with all of its downsides but it'll suffice:

1. Buy a stand for the new TV.

2. Buy a separate matching cabinet for the accessory stuff.

Opinions please and thanks in advance.

 

[Mark Stewart]

I am kind of in the same boat. Our tv is 10 years old now and still works fine. I just want a 40 to watch. The problem is all the stuff(crap0 my wife has around on the entertainment center. If you have noticed they don't make these any more so what to do?
I am with you buying a stand then adding a couple of book self for the rest I think

 

[walnutjerry]

Set it on top of the existing ent. center and add shelves where the old tv sits now.

Jerry

 

[JimD]

I think the main consideration is not the TV, it is the other stuff. I would put the TV on top of the entertainment center or on the wall. Not within a cabinet. So the question becomes how much other stuff do you need around the TV. I had a 5 channel surround sound in the last house but cannot easily do that in the current house. So I am considering a sound bar. They also go outside the cabinet. We have a blu ray player that also accesses Net Flix that goes beneath the TV. There is a little receiver with a couple speakers but they aren't hooked to the TV under the TV. I would say a modern setup has some sort of internet access device, perhaps a blu-ray, and a sound bar that accepts Bluetooth input. Not nearly the "stuff" I used to use.

 

[JohnnyR]

I spent months of spare time building an entertainment center. Beautiful job with glass front cabinets, upper & lower, fabric door panels to hide the center channel & subwoofer, lights, moldings top & bottom to house all equipment and the then state of the art 65" DLP HDTV (a 'narrow' 18"). Six months later the TV died just out of warranty and wasn't worth fixing. The next tv that would fit the space width wise was about a foot shorter (LCD's had just dropped in price). Even after fixing the back of the center panel where the TV lives because of the huge hole I had to put in to fit the DLP the dimensions never looked right. Moved a year later, left it in storage cause where do you put a 9' entertainment center in most houses. Made our last move 2 years later, Finished out our bonus room, put it in and though a beautiful piece of craftmanship it fit but looked just too massive for the room so now parts of it are in the attics storing kids games and such and parts are waiting the buzz-saw for when I might need that nice wood.
Any way, the TV looks great on the wall, connected to equipment in another room so I'll just have speakers to worry about when I get around to it.
I certainly advocate for just a cabinet for the equipment and hang the TV on the wall or on a stand on the cabinet.

 

[Dave Richards]

Jeff, the type of entertainment center you now have will not be a great deal of use as it is. Around here you can't even give those things away. Have you considered modifying it? Cut the top section off and build a low box to sit on top to hold the electronics that are currently in the left side. Put the TV on top and relax. If you were careful about how you disassemble it, you could probably use the existing top. Just carefully cut down the verticals. If you think you'd change it in a few years anyway, this would be an expedient solution.

At least for my taste, putting the flat screen on top would make it too tall.

 

[JimD]

I would also add that 40 inches is not a large TV these days. I paid around $1000 for a 40 inch LCD I still have a few years ago but for that money now, you can get a 60 inch. 40s are down around $350. They seem to be continuing this trend. That is one reason I would not design an entertainment center around a specific TV. They change quickly.

 

[ebarr]

This is what I did to mine.

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[Jeff]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I have several options to consider for the cabinetry but we should find the right TV first; not fancy and high tech just a basic freakin' TV.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/tvs/buying-guide.htm

...playing around with some of your suggestions and I returned to my college days when $ were sparse. I'm having trouble getting buy in from SWMBO. :slap:

It's an innovative solution so what's the problem?

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[Hmerkle]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I have several options to consider for the cabinetry but we should find the right TV first; not fancy and high tech just a basic freakin' TV.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/tvs/buying-guide.htm

...playing around with some of your suggestions and I returned to my college days when $ were sparse. I'm having trouble getting buy in from SWMBO. :slap:

It's an innovative solution so what's the problem?

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yea, if you proceed down that road - I am guessing you won't have to worry about 50% or more of the stuff you currently enjoy! :rotflm:

 

[Dave Richards]

Jeff, that might be a good route to go. It's adjustable for height so you aren't locked in to one position for the TV.

Hank, you have a good point there.

 

[JimD]

Hopefully this isn't too large a file and makes it. This is the plans to an entertainment center from Woodsmith. It seems about the right size for a 40 inch TV and should have plenty of storage.

 

[JohnnyR]

But you're missing a chance to convince the wife you need a new tool!

 

[Jeff]

yea, if you proceed down that road - I am guessing you won't have to worry about 50% or more of the stuff you currently enjoy!

That's a good point Hank, I've reconsidered my options and gone back inside the box to think.

This Ikea unit might fit the bill and for $60 it's expendable. It has adjustable shelves and will take up to a 60" diagonal TV.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10220964/#/10220964

... how it might look with a 40" diagonal TV and a few components.

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[Hmerkle]

REALLY? did you just say that four letter word?

I am checking, but cannot find it. I am CERTAIN the moderators had a robot that deleted ANY thread with IKEA in it!:rotflm:

(It does look like it will fit the bill perfectly though...)

 

[SubGuy]

I am going a different direction in my suggestion, I know you aren't keen on the idea, but it's a lot easier (egronomically) to watch when it's higher on the wall. It also saves space and from that point, it opens up more options in your entertainment center which is no longer limited by your TV dimensions and now your design becomes central to what else you need/put in your entertainment center which for most people is a cable or satellite box, perhaps a DVD or Blue-Ray Player (or game console for some) and possible a sound bar or sound system (if not integrated into you DVD/Blue-Ray player). Wires are easy to hide in a simple wire mold cover such as http://www.bestbuy.com/site/wiremol...hite/9058743.p?id=1218013803132&skuId=9058743 . This one is just an example. There are a few other solutions such as recessed access in-wall boxes that provide a conduit from the TV mount to behind the entertainment center as well doing a permanent install of an outlet with all the required connections behind your TV mount that goes down to your entertainment center. Just a thought...

 

[CrealBilly]

I am going a different direction in my suggestion, I know you aren't keen on the idea, but it's a lot easier (egronomically) to watch when it's higher on the wall. It also saves space and from that point, it opens up more options in your entertainment center which is no longer limited by your TV dimensions and now your design becomes central to what else you need/put in your entertainment center which for most people is a cable or satellite box, perhaps a DVD or Blue-Ray Player (or game console for some) and possible a sound bar or sound system (if not integrated into you DVD/Blue-Ray player). Wires are easy to hide in a simple wire mold cover such as http://www.bestbuy.com/site/wiremol...hite/9058743.p?id=1218013803132&skuId=9058743 . This one is just an example. There are a few other solutions such as recessed access in-wall boxes that provide a conduit from the TV mount to behind the entertainment center as well doing a permanent install of an outlet with all the required connections behind your TV mount that goes down to your entertainment center. Just a thought...

Another solution to wires
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hLmP73eAHB8

 

[nblanton]

I really like the retro/modern use of old 1950 style credenzas for the big modern TVs.

Check out this guy to get an idea. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBDoMo9sUWU