The Display Dilemma

So, the flat-panel TV. All the kids are going to have one. Everybody from CNET to the Consumer Electronics Association is banking on the success of flat-panel TVs.

This trend got a big jump start with everybody on the show Cribs having one over the mantle. It’s not about just keeping up with the Jones’, it’s about keeping up with the Star Jones’. But that’s not the only influence.

Prices are finally getting into the Trading-Up ballpark. And more people are interested in the wide-screen action. And Congress finally voted and approved a hard date for ending analog television broadcasts (2/17/09). It’s widely thought ending analog TV broadcasting will create enough confusion in the general public there will be a rush to buy a new TV. (As much as I reassure by Cable-TV-subscribing Mother-in-law that she’ll be OK, she’s still freaking out about it.)

And with all of these new TVs, with new ways to show it and display it, the options go a little something like this.

- The Stand with which it came - All of these TVs come with some sort of a stand. This means you can pull it out of the box and set it up on the same old entertainment center you used for your CRT TV. (Yawn)

- Mount it… on the wall - Throw it up on the wall. This requires a wall-mount of some sort that’ll run you anywhere from $50-200 depending on bells and whistles. The problem that arises here is the cables. You can hide them by cutting some holes in your wall, which while being a pain, can look pretty slick.

- Stick your TV somewhere new - This is a cool option. And it applies more to your second or third TV. Stick it on the ceiling. The kitchen counter. A bookshelf. But keep in mind that most of you will need a satellite receiver or DVD player to get the most from even your secondary TVs. So following is a shameless plug for an Allsop product.


Our new TV Stands. They seriously make it easy to put an entertainment center in every room. And they do it without adding another piece of furniture or wall mounting.

As for me, I splurged on a 37-inch LCD TV at Costco. I am in love. My wife and I sometimes talk to the TV: greeting him or letting him know we will return soon. I dig my flat panel TV because it gives me and you more options in how to present the TV. Previously, a big TV became the centerpiece around which a room was arranged; because the TV was about the size of a Honda. With Flat Panels, you can take the focus off of the TV and let the room become more of a conversation area.

So after the initial purchase came the display dilemma. First we looked around the living room, where our old (CRT) TV was. We have an 80-year old house with a big fireplace. Should we go Cribs-style and mount it over the Fireplace? How about a media wall and put it on the opposite wall? Either way we were letting the TV become the focal point of our living room, our reception room, our main living area.

No deals, we cleared out the home office we never use, and now have a fantabulous Media Room. The best place north of Seattle and south of the Colossus in Langley to watch a movie... or back episodes of the X-Files.