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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

1. Will my TV fit the stand? With tabletop TV stands you just need to check the maximum weight capacity and measure your room, cantilever TV stands are abit trickier as you have to ensure the TV will fit the bracket, check the VESA size of your Plasma or LCD, the VESA size is the distance between the mounting holes on the back of the TV, there will be four screw holes arranged in a square shape these will be either 100mm, 200mm or 400mm apart, VESA 100, VESA 200 and VESA 400 respectively, ensure the cantilever TV stand bracket is compatible with the VESA size of the television.

2. Will I fit all of my equipment on or in the TV stand? If you have various bits of AV equipment ensure you have sufficient shelves and sufficient shelf space to accomodate each item. Don’t forget to check the depth and look out for supports and cable tdies which may eat into the useable shelf space. Also consider the maximum weight capacity of the inner shelves may not be as high as the top shelf, many glass TV stands have a thicker top glass shelf.

3. Will I be able to conceal wires? Most modern TV stands have some sort of integrated cable management but it is important to ensure the cable management is sufficient, the skinny offerings on some Plasma stands and TV cabinets will not be sufficient for all of the wiring required for a surround sound home cinema system. Some TV cabinets even have incorporated power blocks reducing the amount of wires running from the TV unit to the power socket on the wall. Clear glass TV stands can make hiding wires particulary difficult.

4. Is it safe for my environment? Everybody’s living environment is different if you have boisterous children or excitable pets you probably require something sturdy or s a taller stand to keep the TV out of reach. Most TV stands feature tempered safety glass but there are afew renegade manufacturers who have products which have not been tested to UK or EU standards.

5. Choosing the right colour? Currently black glass TV stands are very popular, black glass is great for concealing cables but does have a tendancy to show dust very quickly. Also consider the colour of the supports do you want a matt or gloss finish? Silver, stainless steel or chrome? Spectral manufacture numerous TV stands which can be specially ordered in any of the colours of the NCS spectrum.