BLOG AV

Here at Big AV we are always looking to improve upon our customer servicin all departments, we have had recent requests to stock office furniture in addition to our wide range of TV stands, TV furniture and TV cabinets. Like the glass TV stand there is now a wide range of glass office furniture. Why should you have to put up with a boring MDF desk from Ikea?

The TV stand world was once very similar, the explosion of trendy glass stands has enabled us to provide you the consumer with a huge range of TV stands for flat panel TV’s to improve the aesthetics d atmosphere in your living room, whilst we were once limited to selling glass TV stands a great variety of wood TV stands have now emerged onto the market.

Office furniture would be a whole new sector for us at Big AV and we are leaving it up to you the consumer to decide if you would like us to stock it. There are already good websites out there providing home office furniture but we think that our satisfied customer base should hopefully provide enough word of mouth promotion, so let us know what you think, should we sell just TV stands or move into the office furniture market.

The TV furniture market is buoyant and ever expanding as more people come to realise a TV stand is not just a functional necessity but it can also be a stylish piece of furniture in it’s own right. In the UK alone there are over 30 quality manufacturers producing quality AV furniture for all tastes and budgets.

Glass TV stands are the norm, these have been manufactured since the emergence of flat panel televisions, the most popular manufacturers of glass TV stands include Optimum international, Stilexo and Portability. Available in clear glass, black glass with a mix of black legs, chrome legs, silver legs and brushed steel supports. Glass TV stands come in a range of sizes, they are usually found in a three shelf variety. Corner shapes, oval TV stands and taller TV stands are all available from online retailers like ourselves.

TV cabinets are the markets latest trend, high quality wooden cabinets with luxurious finishes like BDI’s natural stained cherry and espresso on oak. Gloss black TV cabinets have also proved to be popular evidenced by the huge sales of the Techlink Opod and Techlink Ovid ranges of cabinets.

Cantilever TV stands are a more modern concept and suspend the Plasma, LCD or LED TV in mid air giving a similar effect to a wall mounted TV screen. This idea is becoming more and more popular as parents prefer the safety of a TV which is positioned higher and the public have now come to realise wall mounting is actually a complex procedure which will require alot of thought to ensure wiring is convincingly concealed.

Visit our web site for a great range of all types of TV stands.

We are now approaching the end of 2009, it may be remembered as a year of financial hardship and woe but here at Big AV we would rather take a more positive look and in this post we will be nominating some of the most innovative and interesting TV stands worthy of being classed as the best TV stands of 2009.

Glass TV Stands-

As the bread and butter of the TV furniture industry glass TV stands make up a large proportion of TV furniture so which ones provide the best style and value for money?

The portability GT-7 combines a stylish corner shape design with good quality toughened safety glass, available as a clear glass and silver stand, black glass with chrome or as an all black TV stand the portability GT-7 is an ideal budget solution and we don’t think there is anything as stylish and dependable for such a small sum of cash.

Cantilever TV Stands-

The cantilever TV stand market has come on leaps and bounds through 2009, old favourites like the Stil Stuk 2053 CHBL still present excellent value for money, the clear glass Stil Stuk 2053 now has stiff competition from the budget Alphason AA-2G-BR which is a fabulous budget option with a swivel facility, Alphason have also enjoyed great success with the Iconn ST600 and the BDI Vista is a sensational high end option, but all in all we think the best blend of value, style and quality is provided by the Aquila at just £249.99 this beautiful TV stand looks a lot more expensive than it really is and make a superb home for the latest ranges of flat televisions and with a class leading cable management system the Aquila cantilever TV stand will really take some beating in 2010.

TV Cabinets-

2009 was the year of TV cabinets, when flat panel TV’s came into the market glass TV stands were modern, trendy and cool and the TV cabinet was seen as old fashioned, that has all changed now with the release of some ultra smart TV cabinets from US manufacturers BDI and Salamander Designs as both have released inspirational designs, the Wenge wood finish of the Salamander designs berlin cabinets looks superb, for anyone who is interested in one of these we have one in our Huddersfield showroom, it is well worth taking a look as the finish looks much better in real life than on a picture, our favourite TV cabinet of 2009 is the glossy BDI Marina, combining modern styling and contemporary features the BDI Marina has been a roaring success as a high end home for your LED, LCD or Plasma TV.

So that’s what we think, let us know what you think, have we missed any killer products, is there a brand that we have not mentioned you think offer superb value or design?

2010 will see the release of even more quality products including the release of ultra slim wall brackets, more closed Hifi racks and a whole range of cinema seating.

The UK TV furniture market has rapidly expanded, many new brands have entered the UK TV furniture market and existing manufacturers have expanded their ranges with releases of new products as they try to cater for a wider range of consumer tastes and budgets, but as usual in the UK we are missing many of the most exciting products on the market.

BDI TV furniture and Salamander Designs TV furniture have made it across from the states, other imports into the UK include the two German manufacturers Spectral and Jahnke who both manufacture high quality LCD stands and Plasma cabinets. Here in the UK we are clearly missing some inspirational designs like the Lovan brand of television stands which has become famous in the USA, it is well known for the innovative TV lift cabinets, these ingenious TV cabinets conceal a flat panel TV inside the cabinet which lifts out of the top when you want to watch it. It’s not just sheer innovation where the US is ahead of the game, in terms of options and flexibility for example if you desire a taller TV cabinet there are products like this hooker TV cabinet is the perfect solution for accommodating a modern Plasma TV and blending it into traditional surroundings. Unlike many of the more traditional TV stands, these designs are made as a solid oak tv stand, for a more natural look in the home.

As we have previously documented in this blog the TV furniture market has seen rapid and relentless expansion with more and more new, innovative products released on the market every month. Ambitious designers and manufacturers have looked for new and exciting ways of housing a LED, LCD or Plasma TV, while some of the results are staggering the beautiful BDI TV Stands for example, some television furniture may have taken afew wrong turns somewhere in the design.

The Dalcans design cube television cabinet is certainly revolutionary but it does remain debatable as to whether this kind of ultra modern TV cabinet has a place in the UK market. The designers basically decided that it was boring and restrictive to just place a TV on top of a cabinet and that this kind of futuristic design is superior in terms of visuals and functionality.

The American market has seen more and more innovation and the media wall concept seems to really be catching on across the Atlantic, whether or not these modernistic stands will be a concept which catches on here in the UK. Cantilever TV stands have now caught on here so maybe we can expect to see some movement from the UK market with this type of product. I guess many people will think these manufacturers are lunatics and that they would never put something so obtrusive in their living rooms, but for somebody with the right living space a piece of contemporary luxury TV furniture could be the icing on the cake for your home cinema system.

Before you rush out and buy a TV stand to go with your brand new LCD or Plasma TV read this simple guide which gives 101 pieces of simple advice to help you decide on the right product. Here at Big AV we have vast experience of selling TV furniture so we have compiled these 101 points to help you get it right in the first place rather than rushing to buy something and regretting it.

1. Do you want wood, glass or metal piece of TV furniture?

2. Is the wooden TV stand made from solid wood or wood veneer?

3. If the TV cabinet is solid wood does it have a metal framework to prevent warping?

4. Does the wood TV stand offer sufficient ventilation for AV equipment?

5. Is the glass on the TV stand toughened?

6. Have the manufacturers had the TV stand tested for strength?

7. Do you want black glass, clear glass or other colours of glass?

8. Black Glass hides cables but shows dust more quickly.

9. Clear glass will hide scratches better and will not show dust as much, however clear glass makes it much more difficult to hide wiring.

10. Is the glass scratch resistant?

11. If the stand has silver legs are these matt silver or chrome, think about whether you want a dull or shiny finish on your TV stand.

12. Is the TV stand constructed with a long thread or multi screws? A long thread provides superior support for cantilever TV stands but shorter screws give you the ability to add or remove shelves on a traditionally styled TV stand.

13. Does the Tv stand or TV cabinet have cable management?

14. Some stands offer cable management but you can still see wiring hanging down from the back or sides of the stand.

15. If the TV stand has an enclosed cable tidy system is it wide enough to accomodate all of your cables?

16. If the cable tidy system is enclosed is it easy to add or remove cabling at a later date if required?

17. With an enclosed TV cabinet will it be possible to run cables from one compartment to another whilst keeping them hidden?

18. Does the enclosed cabinet have removable back panels for easy access to the rear of equipment and cabling?

19. Have you got any wiring which could cause interference if placed close to other wiring?

20. Will the TV stand match current furniture in your living room?

21. Is the shape of the TV stand suitable for your room, you can buy oval TV stands, rectangular Tv units or TV furniture which has been specifically designed to fit into the corner of the room.

22. How far into the corner will the corner TV stand go, you are ultimately restricted by the widest point of the TV furniture?

23. Will the TV be positioned at a height which is suitable for viewing from your sofa?

24. Is there anyway the TV stand enables you to adjust the height?

25. A cantilever TV stand can offer extra height if you prefer.

26. Ensure the mounting holes on the back of your television are suitable for the bracket on the cantilever TV stand you are considering purchasing.

27. If you like a cantilever stand but the bracket is the wrong size is it possible to fit a different bracket to the same TV stand?

28. Does the cantilever TV stand bracket offer a swivel facility?

29. Does the cantilever TV stand bracket have tilting arms?

30. Will all of the seating in the room offer a good viewing position, are there any items which could restrict viewing?

31. Are the shelves on the TV stand strong enough to support not only the TV screen but AV equipment, this should be given extra consideration if you own a heavy amplifier or receiver?

32. Is the cable management accessible from all of the shelves?

33. Will there be a risk of unwanted resonance or rattling caused by shelving?

34. Does the TV stand do the styling of the TV justice, do the colours and finishes match?

35. Does the TV stand have an open back for ventilation?

36. Does the TV stand offer sufficient ventilation above and to the sides of AV equipment? This is very important with amplifiers and receivers which are prone to overheating.

37. Some very clever TV cabinets feature vented bases.

38. Other clever pieces of TV furniture feature vented shelving.

39. Does the stand have any media storage compartmentd for remote controls, CD’s and DVD’s?

40. Does the stand have rigid feet?

41. Is the TV unit supplied with castors, for TV stands with legs are castors an optional extra?

42. Are the castors 360 degree castors? This makes moving loaded cabinets much easier to move in any direction.

43. Are the castors lockable?

44. Some stands are safer than others, ensure the Tv stands you purchase is suitable to the environment you will be placing it in.

45. Cantilever TV stands usually have weighted bases combining this the additional height when compared with a traditional TV stand they reduce the risk of young children or pets from reaching the TV screen.

46. A cantilever TV stand has a TV physically bolted to it a tradtional glass stand or TV cabinet has the TV rested on top, a strong impact on the front or back of a glass TV stand has an increased chance of causing the TV to fall when compared with either a cantilever TV stand or a heavy duty TV cabinet.

47. A front enclosure will prevent messy fingers and paws from touching AV equipment.

48. A TV cabinet with glass doors will enable IR remote controls to function providing the IR signal can point at the receiver on the AV equipment itself and it is not obstructed by the framework of the door.

49. Do you prefer tinted glass on TV cabinet doors as this enables IR remote controls to operate but keeps obtrusive AV equipment concealed.

50. Some cabinets have solid doors, in this case you will need to an IR repeater system to enable remote controls to function.

51. The front door on afew cabinets can be folded back on itself into the cabinet chassis creating the look of an open TV stand.

52. Are internal shelves in the cabinet height adjustable?

53. Are the feet adjustable if the floor surface is uneven?

54. Does the TV stand have a flat top shelf? Some designs do not have a flush top.

55. Can the stand be adapted into a cantilever TV stand at a later date.

56. Does the TV unit have sufficient internal shelf depth to accomodate your equipment.

57. Are there any structural or cable management features which eat into the usable shelf depth.

58. Is the finish natural or high gloss?

59. Does the stand have floor spikes? Floor spikes increase stability but ruin carpets.

60. Will a cantilever bracket obstruct access to the back of the television and connections?

61. Would wall mounting the TV screen and placing a smaller narrower stand for AV equipment be a more suitable option?

62. There are now DVD brackets with one, two or even three shelves which can be placed underneath a TV and used for storing AV components directly underneath, above or next to a wall mounted TV.

63. Is the TV furniture stand supplied flat packed, part built or as a fully assmebled unit?

64. Do you have the required skill level to build up the television stand?

65. Is the stand customisable? Could additional shelves be added or are panels or legs interchangeable? There are not too many of these on the market but they do exist.

66. Some television furniture manufacturers supply comprehensive 5 or 10 year warranties, others only 12 months.

67. Will the TV overhang the stand?

68. Ensure that the plinth of the TV set is not too wide for the surface it will be placed on.

69. Are any of the models customisable? Some TV furniture manufacturers have factories in the UK and are able to customise the dimensions, internal compartments or overall structure of the TV cabinets.

70. There are some high end cabinets which are designed specifically for high quality AV equipment, the Salamander Designs TV cabinets feature active cooling systems with their own thermostat to ensure AV equipment does not overheat.

71. With cantilever TV stands, will the sides or the back of the bracket be visible from some seating positions.

72. Does the TV stand offer sufficient storage if you wish to add AV components in the future?

73. Do you require any clearance underneath the lowest shelf to fit over any surfaces which are slightly raised, fireplaces etc.

74. Could sunlight cause the finish to fade?

75. Will the TV stand be easy to transport if required?

76. Do the drawers feature soft closing mechanisms?

77. Does the TV stand offer somewhere to position your centre speaker?

78. Does the TV stand have any features which reduce unwanted vibrations and resonance to improve playback quality from a centre channel speaker?

79. Does the TV stand offer anywhere to place a four or six way power adapter for superior cable management?

80. Does another manufacturer make a design very similar to the one you like for a much cheaper price?

81. Can internal TV cabinet shelves be removed if necessary.

82. Are TV cabinet doors adjustable in terms of the direction they open in?

83. Double check the TV stand finish colour, sometimes pictures can be misleading and a black finish may be a distressed black or sparkling black which look quite different to a matt black finish.

84. Is it possible to change the order of the shelving? You may desire a larger gap between the top and middle shelves or a larger gap between the bottom and middle shelves.

85. Can the cable management system be removed entirely?

86. Some manufacturers of TV stands offer sliding feet as an alternative to castors.

87. Some TV stands can be manufactured in the finish of your choice, be careful as colours on comptuer screens are not always 100% accurate.

88. Some retailers have access to more products than they display on their websites, if you can’t find what you are looking for it could be worth giving them a call with your required specifications to see what they can offer you.

89. If you decide on a cantilever TV stand sometimes the bracket can be removed and used as a wall mount if you change your mind at a later date.

90. If you upgrade your TV in the future will the TV stand remain compatible?

91. Is the TV unit modular? Modular TV units can be locked together to form a larger TV stand.

92. Some enclosed TV cabinets have materials inserts in the front, this enables good quality sound from a centre speaker.

93. Be careful with black glass finishes, some TV stands have a thin border print of clear glass, this effect can look very nice but look at pictures carefully if you want a purely black TV stand.

94. When building a TV stand ensure all parts are sufficiently tightened, the tension based design of many units of TV furniture will not function properly if one part is loose.

95. If the TV stand arrives and you suspect a part to be defective, don’t compromise on quality and adpt the stand, simply call the retailer, all good retailers should organise a swift dispatch of a spare part.

96. Make sure the retailer you are buying from offers a return policy.

97. When buying online check a retailer uses a secure payment gateway to ensure your credit card details remain safe.

98. If you are planning for an AV installer to build the TV stand give the retailer a call and find out a delivery date.

99. Check and double check the dimensions, it is very frustrating if you can’t set your brand new Plasma or LCD TV up because the TV furniture is the incorrect size.

100. Look for websites with technical drawings which will help you to see how the TV stand will fit in your room.

101. Ask for the best deal many retailers offer a price match service and may be prepared to give discounts.

Consider these points and you will get it right first time, feel free to contact Big AV for high quality advice regarding any of our TV Furniture. Simply call 01484 420088 or 01138 151535 or email us at sales@big-av.co.uk

On the surface of things the luxurious TV cabinets from manufacturers like BDI, Spectral and Salamander Designs may seem expensive, however when you delve deeper you can understand that there are many advantages of a dedicated home cinema cabinet when comparing it to a traditional sideboard or table.

Firstly ventilation, dedicated TV cabinets are always designed with a system to expel hot air and pull through cooler air, BDI use their unique flow through ventilation system and Salamander Designs even offer a unique active cooling system. Too much heat not only jeopardises playback quality, both visually and sonically, it is the main cause of damage and malfunction to home theatre components. Excess heat may not cause instantaneous damage but it can accelerate the life of AV equipment, so that £1000 amplifier might only last 3 years in an overheating cabinet whereas it may still be good after 20 years if it receives sufficient ventilation.

Cable management needs to be well thought out if a cabinet is to successfully accomodate AV equipment in a practical and functional way in addition to being a practical home where wiring can be run from one piece of equipment to another without an unsightly spaghetti junction scenario that is a more than regular occurance in UK homes. Adjustable shelving and removable back panels ensure dedicated TV cabinets will be able to support and give you access to your AV equipment, a lack of removable rear panels would make wiring up your home cinema system nigh on impossible.

TV furniture has seen rapid changes since the turn of the millenium, this is mostly due top the introduction and runaway success of flat panel Plasma and LCD TV’s, since their introduction many manufacturers of TV furniture have been born, in the past the TV stand was always supplied with the TV itself, but when flat panel TV’s were introduced some people wanted to wall mount so including a glass TV stand in the price would have been uneccessarily raised costs.

Therefore a new market for TV furniture arrived, this enabled new manufacturers to use creativity, design experience and innovation to create exciting new products which produced a clear wow factor. Initially the trendy glass stands were an ultra cool style statement and a world away from the dated granny cabinets and cheap plastic stands of the past. As flat panel TV’s have become more mass market the shiny effect of a glass stand has been eroded away and the 3 shelf glass TV stand is now perceived as the standard. Manufacturers are now creating wide and low stands, unique corner plasma stands, tall LCD TV stands and full ranges of high quality made to order wood TV furniture. As time progresses there is more and more of an expectation for the consumer to find a product which is exactly what they are looking for and will fit the purposes of their requirements exactly, custom made furniture will become more popular for AV and home cinema use and cantilever TV stands will be manufactured with more adjustable features and shelving options to ensure that a consumer can fit an amplifier, speaker or DVD player exactly where they want it. The TV furniture market has become more competitive and is more consumer orientated than ever before, this means manufacturers have to be on the ball but it means that for consumers, there is no need to compromise.

Before the days of flat screen televisions if you wanted to buy some TV furniture you would have to either use the stand supplied with the TV itself, made by Panasonic, Sony or Sharp or whoever, or you would have to purchase a generic furniture cabinet which has not bee specifically designed for home cinema use. This all changed with the introduction of flat panel TV’s, in the early days of Plasma televisions Alphason launched and successfully promoted various glass TV stands, suddenly consumers realised that they didn’t have to tolerate the garish and cheap plastic designs which electrical manufacturers gave away with their products and they actually had a little bit of choice of when it came to purchasing TV furniture.

Electrical giants like Sony responded with new TV stand designs which aimed to emulate the successes of companies like Alphason, Optimum and Spectral, however these were generally limited in options and overpriced. It quickly became apparent that consumers were expecting more and more choice, today TV stands and TV cabinets are a type of furniture in their own right, with a whole host of brands and manufacturer’s, at Big AV we currently stock 23 brands of TV furniture, so whether you are looking for clear glass, black glass, walnut wood, espresso on oak or black stained oak we have products to meet your desires.

Salamander are a leading manufacturer of TV stands and TV cabinets, based in the US Salamander are one of the most desired brands of TV furniture in existence. Each of the stands and cabinets is constructed from real wood with a steel framework, this combination ensures the rigid structure is exceptionally low resonance and that video and audio quality will be exceptional. Salamander are renowned for innovation, so what is so different about these stands? Salamander TV cabinets offer unparalleled performance for amplifiers if you purchase the optional cooling system, this is not just vents in a shelf or a simple fan mechanism, this is amplifier air conditioning. The cooling system has it’s own dedicated thermostat and regulates the temperature of the air inside a cabinet compartment maintaining exactly the temperature you desire, the system can even plug into the amplifier and control the temperature of the unit itself. Heat is the number one cause of breakdown and quality reduction with high end audio and video equipment, particularly with amplifiers and receivers, the Salamander cabinets may be at the higher end of the TV furniture price ranges but if you own an expensive, high end audio system and you want to place it inside a cabinet can you really afford not to buy a Salamander TV cabinet.

The stand out model in the Salamander range is the Berlin model, we will very shortly have a Salamander Berlin on display in our Huddersfield store, the Berlin features Salamander’s high end build quality and is beautifully finished in Wenga wood. If you want to see one of these superb stands in real life or see the advanced cooling systems working magic just give us a call on 01484 420088 to arrange a demonstration.