What to look for in a new TV Stand
Much excitement follows the purchase of a new television. Euphoria floods the household when it arrives. It changes the look and feel of the room it enters. Hours of research and thought are put into that decision. But often, not near enough thought is put into the stand it sits on. So here are few tips on what to look for when shopping for tv stands.
Corner vs Flat Wall
One of the first things to consider when searching for a TV stand is the location. Where you intend to place the television is important to determine before you get to the store. For instance, are you going to go with a corner stand or place the tv against a flat wall? Choosing a corner for the television could save you valuable space in the living room. However, if you have a large flat panel screen, putting it against a large empty wall may be ideal. Think through your intended location for the television and imagine…
Set Depth
Another important point you’ll want to take into account during your shopping excursion is the set depth. The modern trend for plasma and LCD television sets is to make them as thin as possible. If you intend to purchase one of these sets, you do not need a stand with much depth at all. In fact, you might want to go with a slim stand which protrudes only a few inches from the wall. Your living room may look unbalanced otherwise. However, if your set still uses a large tube to project the image onto the screen, it is necessary to get a good idea of the set depth before heading to the store. Be sure the leave an inch or two for cables or cords when calculating your measurements.
Weight Requirements
Just as important as set depth and your intended location is the weight of the set. All TV stands are not constructed the same. And all do not hold the same weight. Determine how heavy your television is and make sure the set you go with can handle that amount of weight. It would be unfortunate to come home from a long day at work ready for a weekend of college football on the tube only to find you’re new HDTV shattered into several pieces amongst the heap of plywood which used to be your tv stand.
External Units
Now this is an important one. Make sure you take into account all of the other devices that you intend to attach to your television now and in the future. Will you need space for game systems, DVD or Blue-Ray players, stereo equipment, external speakers, or laptops? Do you need just a stand or an entertainment center? Make sure you think ahead. If your children aren’t yet old enough to play video games, they soon will be, and they will certainly want to plug them into the “big TV” from time to time.
Accessibility
Cords, cables, antennas, inputs, - will you be able to get to them? Nothing is more frustrating than when you have your television on its stand pushed back against the wall in the perfect place - and then you need to get behind it to plug something in. In many cases, you end up struggling either to pull that heavy set out from the wall or to stuff your hand behind it at just the right angle to get the cables into the appropriate position. This can easily be remedied by purchasing a TV stand with enough room for easy access to the rear panels.
Term of Use
Also vital is the estimated term of use for the stand itself. If you wish to keep this television stand around for several years, it is important to pay attention to the construction. A cheap stand is fine if you only intend to use for a short time. Maybe you want to mount the tv on the wall next year when you have some time. If however, you want to pass this stand down to your children one day, a furniture quality stand may be a better fit than composite wood or aluminum TV stand.