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So you finally got the flat panel TV of your
dreams. Sleek, compact and high definition, it's the
crowning glory of your home entertainment system. So how
do you best showcase this jewel?
The experts advise -
take it to the wall.
Wall mounting a flat screen has become one of the most
popular ways to display a TV; it makes a stunning
impression, gives everyone a great view and keeps
delicate electronics out of the reach of little hands.
And thanks to some innovations by mount designers,
hanging your flat screen has never been easier, or
afforded you so much flexibility in terms of decor and
use.
Here are some hot trends in wall mounts to help you show
off and enjoy your new flat screen TV:
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Look Mom - no cables!
In the early days of wall-mounting, your appreciation of
how great your flat screen looked hanging on the wall
might have been diminished by the tangle of cables
connecting the TV with auxiliary units like cable or
satellite boxes, DVD players and surround sound systems.
A new generation of "cable-free" wall mounts eliminates
the problem with in-arm cable channels that protect and
conceal cables the entire length of an extension arm.
Don't take this laterally
Older mounts allowed you to hang the TV on the wall -
and there it stayed, unmoving, regardless of the seating
arrangement in your room or where you happened to be
when you wanted to watch. If you weren't sitting right
in front of the TV, you might not get the best view in
the house. New mounts allow you to move a TV laterally -
left or right on the wall bracket - so it's positioned
how you want it on the wall. It's also a useful feature
if your wall studs are off-center.
Other mounts allow for a full range of movement, so if
your flat screen is mounted over a console table, but
you happen to be sitting in the recliner on the left
side of the room, rather than on the sofa in front of
the table, you can move the TV for the best view from
wherever you're sitting.
Lighten up
Old-style heavy steel mounts were often unwieldy to
manage and mount, especially for do-it-yourselfers.
Mounts made of extruded aluminum compare to steel in
terms of strength and durability but are much lighter,
making installation easier. Plus, they're eco-friendlier
since aluminum is an easy to recycle material.
Get your motor running
Not only can your mount move, it can move by itself,
thanks to motorized versions that allow you to adjust
the position of your TV without ever leaving the comfort
of your armchair. A new mount, debuting from Sanus,
supports 37- to 56-inch flat panel TVs weighing up to
110 pounds. A remote control allows you to move the TV
by extending the mount up to 9 inches from the wall and
swiveling it up to 120 degrees. Fully retracted, the
mount sits just 2 inches from the wall, unlike older,
bulkier motorized models that require more depth for the
motor. The 35-decibel motor is quiet enough for a
library. Visit www.Sanus.com to learn more.
You can never be too slim
Super slim is the hottest trend in flat panels and a new
generation of wall mounts continues the minimalist
concept by keeping super slim flat screen TVs closer to
the wall than ever before. Mounts like the VisionMount
LL11 Super Slim mount emphasize the sleek look of
ultra-thin LCD, plasma and LED TVs by placing them just
over half an inch from the wall. Proprietary technology
makes the mount easy to install and allows easy cable
access without removing the TV from the mount.
More cable news
HDMI cables can make all the difference in how great the
picture is on your high-definition flat screen TV. Good
quality cables deliver images so crisp and clear you
might think you're looking through a window, rather than
at a TV screen. But until now, the cables have been
unsightly and awkward to use in tight spots, or with
super slim screens. The next hot thing in HDMI cables is
a head that pivots 180 degrees, making it easy to
connect to hard-to-reach ports in tight places and
behind TVs mounted on low-profile wall mounts. (ARA)