Flat screen TV question

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Madeleine

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We're going to get a flat screen TV for the living room. We have a tallish bookcase we want to put it on but I want to know if the base can be screwed down to the bookcase. I'd rather do this than mount it on the wall and try to figure out how to hide all of the cables that have to be attached.
If you have your flat panel TV standing on something rather than mounted to the wall, what keeps it from being knocked over, moved, etc?
 
Our Sony Bravia came with a pretty substantial stand. It sat pretty firmly on a chest we had until we put it on the wall to take up less space. Hubby built a hidden panel that hides most of the wires. Is yours a built in or free standing bookcase? How heavy duty is it? If not very sturdy, I don't think I would screw into the bottom of it. It might go top heavy and fall over.
 
Our Sony Bravia came with a pretty substantial stand. It sat pretty firmly on a chest we had until we put it on the wall to take up less space. Hubby built a hidden panel that hides most of the wires. Is yours a built in or free standing bookcase? How heavy duty is it? If not very sturdy, I don't think I would screw into the bottom of it. It might go top heavy and fall over..
Very substantial. 5 shelves, 18" deep at the base, almost 4' wide. We might anchor the bookcase to the wall but you know how guests are. They move stuff around like the chairs, which they could bang into the bookcase with. I think I'm more concerned with someone bumping the bookcase and having the TV fall off that way. Or trying to turn it so they can see it from somewhere we didn't think anyone would sit (on the hearth for example).
We might also consider those double-sided strips or museum putty. That way it can be moved with some effort and there are no holes to fill in later on.
 
Could you add a board to the(screwed onto) back of the bookcase just large enough to hold the wall mount and then mount the flat screen to that. This way the TV is not going to fall over (or get moved by your "helpful" guests) and it sounds as if the bookcase is substantial to not fall over if idiots bang into it. You will not have holes in the wall and the screw holes for the board will be at the back of the book case and not seen.
I have one wall mounted behind the bedrom door and the other sits on top of the DVD on the dresser.
 
Nothing should knock it over, and you can move it if it is free standing.
 
If you mount it to the wall over the bookcase, you will only see a few inches of cables. Then no holes in the bookcase.
 
Could you add a board to the(screwed onto) back of the bookcase just large enough to hold the wall mount and then mount the flat screen to that. This way the TV is not going to fall over (or get moved by your "helpful" guests) and it sounds as if the bookcase is substantial to not fall over if idiots bang into it. You will not have holes in the wall and the screw holes for the board will be at the back of the book case and not seen.
I have one wall mounted behind the bedrom door and the other sits on top of the DVD on the dresser..
Ah, good one. Mount it to the wall but in a place where the bookcase hides the cords. I like that. Solves several problems at once.
OK, I misread what you said, but it gave me the idea I needed...
 
Nothing should knock it over, and you can move it if it is free standing..
I once had a guest fall over backwards and knock the top of the cast iron fireplace sideways. I don't put anything past guests. Us? We're all careful!
And we did have guests break the TV in their room. They had a party, invited other people into their room and then they all left in the middle of the night and we found the TV broken and the cable TV wiring pulled out of the wall.
DH knocked a flat panel TV off the stand in the hotel he was staying at. He wasn't paying attention and he bumped the stand and the whole thing went over. Not that it would be easy to knock the bookcase over but that guest who fell into the fireplace could have done it handily.
Just saying.
 
We have a flat screen TV on a swivel stand (with a DVD/VHS player in the lower section of the stand) in a couple of rooms so that they can be viewed from the seating area and the bed. They don't teeter and are weighted evenly enough that falling over doesn't seem to be an issue. But the base of the TV[s stand could be screwed into the swivel stand if that was a concern.
 
Could you add a board to the(screwed onto) back of the bookcase just large enough to hold the wall mount and then mount the flat screen to that. This way the TV is not going to fall over (or get moved by your "helpful" guests) and it sounds as if the bookcase is substantial to not fall over if idiots bang into it. You will not have holes in the wall and the screw holes for the board will be at the back of the book case and not seen.
I have one wall mounted behind the bedrom door and the other sits on top of the DVD on the dresser..
gillumhouse said:
Could you add a board to the(screwed onto) back of the bookcase just large enough to hold the wall mount and then mount the flat screen to that. This way the TV is not going to fall over (or get moved by your "helpful" guests) and it sounds as if the bookcase is substantial to not fall over if idiots bang into it. You will not have holes in the wall and the screw holes for the board will be at the back of the book case and not seen.
I have one wall mounted behind the bedrom door and the other sits on top of the DVD on the dresser.
If you do something like that, you will also need to anchor the bookcase to the wall. Flatscreens are not light and if it's riding high on the bookcase, it's going to be top heavy no matter how you mount it.
 
Could you add a board to the(screwed onto) back of the bookcase just large enough to hold the wall mount and then mount the flat screen to that. This way the TV is not going to fall over (or get moved by your "helpful" guests) and it sounds as if the bookcase is substantial to not fall over if idiots bang into it. You will not have holes in the wall and the screw holes for the board will be at the back of the book case and not seen.
I have one wall mounted behind the bedrom door and the other sits on top of the DVD on the dresser..
gillumhouse said:
Could you add a board to the(screwed onto) back of the bookcase just large enough to hold the wall mount and then mount the flat screen to that. This way the TV is not going to fall over (or get moved by your "helpful" guests) and it sounds as if the bookcase is substantial to not fall over if idiots bang into it. You will not have holes in the wall and the screw holes for the board will be at the back of the book case and not seen.
I have one wall mounted behind the bedrom door and the other sits on top of the DVD on the dresser.
If you do something like that, you will also need to anchor the bookcase to the wall. Flatscreens are not light and if it's riding high on the bookcase, it's going to be top heavy no matter how you mount it.
.
Proud Texan said:
gillumhouse said:
Could you add a board to the(screwed onto) back of the bookcase just large enough to hold the wall mount and then mount the flat screen to that. This way the TV is not going to fall over (or get moved by your "helpful" guests) and it sounds as if the bookcase is substantial to not fall over if idiots bang into it. You will not have holes in the wall and the screw holes for the board will be at the back of the book case and not seen.
I have one wall mounted behind the bedrom door and the other sits on top of the DVD on the dresser.
If you do something like that, you will also need to anchor the bookcase to the wall. Flatscreens are not light and if it's riding high on the bookcase, it's going to be top heavy no matter how you mount it.
I never read where she wrote the tv size. If it is on a bookshelf, I am guessing it is not that large.
 
Could you add a board to the(screwed onto) back of the bookcase just large enough to hold the wall mount and then mount the flat screen to that. This way the TV is not going to fall over (or get moved by your "helpful" guests) and it sounds as if the bookcase is substantial to not fall over if idiots bang into it. You will not have holes in the wall and the screw holes for the board will be at the back of the book case and not seen.
I have one wall mounted behind the bedrom door and the other sits on top of the DVD on the dresser..
gillumhouse said:
Could you add a board to the(screwed onto) back of the bookcase just large enough to hold the wall mount and then mount the flat screen to that. This way the TV is not going to fall over (or get moved by your "helpful" guests) and it sounds as if the bookcase is substantial to not fall over if idiots bang into it. You will not have holes in the wall and the screw holes for the board will be at the back of the book case and not seen.
I have one wall mounted behind the bedrom door and the other sits on top of the DVD on the dresser.
If you do something like that, you will also need to anchor the bookcase to the wall. Flatscreens are not light and if it's riding high on the bookcase, it's going to be top heavy no matter how you mount it.
.
Proud Texan said:
gillumhouse said:
Could you add a board to the(screwed onto) back of the bookcase just large enough to hold the wall mount and then mount the flat screen to that. This way the TV is not going to fall over (or get moved by your "helpful" guests) and it sounds as if the bookcase is substantial to not fall over if idiots bang into it. You will not have holes in the wall and the screw holes for the board will be at the back of the book case and not seen.
I have one wall mounted behind the bedrom door and the other sits on top of the DVD on the dresser.
If you do something like that, you will also need to anchor the bookcase to the wall. Flatscreens are not light and if it's riding high on the bookcase, it's going to be top heavy no matter how you mount it.
I never read where she wrote the tv size. If it is on a bookshelf, I am guessing it is not that large.
.
32" or less.
 
If the tv is placed to high. It will need to be tilted down for best viewing. Otherwise what you get is the same darkening effect when trying to watch from to wide of a side view.
 
Could you add a board to the(screwed onto) back of the bookcase just large enough to hold the wall mount and then mount the flat screen to that. This way the TV is not going to fall over (or get moved by your "helpful" guests) and it sounds as if the bookcase is substantial to not fall over if idiots bang into it. You will not have holes in the wall and the screw holes for the board will be at the back of the book case and not seen.
I have one wall mounted behind the bedrom door and the other sits on top of the DVD on the dresser..
gillumhouse said:
Could you add a board to the(screwed onto) back of the bookcase just large enough to hold the wall mount and then mount the flat screen to that. This way the TV is not going to fall over (or get moved by your "helpful" guests) and it sounds as if the bookcase is substantial to not fall over if idiots bang into it. You will not have holes in the wall and the screw holes for the board will be at the back of the book case and not seen.
I have one wall mounted behind the bedrom door and the other sits on top of the DVD on the dresser.
If you do something like that, you will also need to anchor the bookcase to the wall. Flatscreens are not light and if it's riding high on the bookcase, it's going to be top heavy no matter how you mount it.
.
Proud Texan said:
gillumhouse said:
Could you add a board to the(screwed onto) back of the bookcase just large enough to hold the wall mount and then mount the flat screen to that. This way the TV is not going to fall over (or get moved by your "helpful" guests) and it sounds as if the bookcase is substantial to not fall over if idiots bang into it. You will not have holes in the wall and the screw holes for the board will be at the back of the book case and not seen.
I have one wall mounted behind the bedrom door and the other sits on top of the DVD on the dresser.
If you do something like that, you will also need to anchor the bookcase to the wall. Flatscreens are not light and if it's riding high on the bookcase, it's going to be top heavy no matter how you mount it.
I never read where she wrote the tv size. If it is on a bookshelf, I am guessing it is not that large.
.
Joey Bloggs said:
Proud Texan said:
gillumhouse said:
Could you add a board to the(screwed onto) back of the bookcase just large enough to hold the wall mount and then mount the flat screen to that. This way the TV is not going to fall over (or get moved by your "helpful" guests) and it sounds as if the bookcase is substantial to not fall over if idiots bang into it. You will not have holes in the wall and the screw holes for the board will be at the back of the book case and not seen.
I have one wall mounted behind the bedrom door and the other sits on top of the DVD on the dresser.
If you do something like that, you will also need to anchor the bookcase to the wall. Flatscreens are not light and if it's riding high on the bookcase, it's going to be top heavy no matter how you mount it.
I never read where she wrote the tv size. If it is on a bookshelf, I am guessing it is not that large.
She also said it was for the living room. I'm guessing large.
 
Could you add a board to the(screwed onto) back of the bookcase just large enough to hold the wall mount and then mount the flat screen to that. This way the TV is not going to fall over (or get moved by your "helpful" guests) and it sounds as if the bookcase is substantial to not fall over if idiots bang into it. You will not have holes in the wall and the screw holes for the board will be at the back of the book case and not seen.
I have one wall mounted behind the bedrom door and the other sits on top of the DVD on the dresser..
gillumhouse said:
Could you add a board to the(screwed onto) back of the bookcase just large enough to hold the wall mount and then mount the flat screen to that. This way the TV is not going to fall over (or get moved by your "helpful" guests) and it sounds as if the bookcase is substantial to not fall over if idiots bang into it. You will not have holes in the wall and the screw holes for the board will be at the back of the book case and not seen.
I have one wall mounted behind the bedrom door and the other sits on top of the DVD on the dresser.
If you do something like that, you will also need to anchor the bookcase to the wall. Flatscreens are not light and if it's riding high on the bookcase, it's going to be top heavy no matter how you mount it.
.
Proud Texan said:
gillumhouse said:
Could you add a board to the(screwed onto) back of the bookcase just large enough to hold the wall mount and then mount the flat screen to that. This way the TV is not going to fall over (or get moved by your "helpful" guests) and it sounds as if the bookcase is substantial to not fall over if idiots bang into it. You will not have holes in the wall and the screw holes for the board will be at the back of the book case and not seen.
I have one wall mounted behind the bedrom door and the other sits on top of the DVD on the dresser.
If you do something like that, you will also need to anchor the bookcase to the wall. Flatscreens are not light and if it's riding high on the bookcase, it's going to be top heavy no matter how you mount it.
I never read where she wrote the tv size. If it is on a bookshelf, I am guessing it is not that large.
.
Joey Bloggs said:
Proud Texan said:
gillumhouse said:
Could you add a board to the(screwed onto) back of the bookcase just large enough to hold the wall mount and then mount the flat screen to that. This way the TV is not going to fall over (or get moved by your "helpful" guests) and it sounds as if the bookcase is substantial to not fall over if idiots bang into it. You will not have holes in the wall and the screw holes for the board will be at the back of the book case and not seen.
I have one wall mounted behind the bedrom door and the other sits on top of the DVD on the dresser.
If you do something like that, you will also need to anchor the bookcase to the wall. Flatscreens are not light and if it's riding high on the bookcase, it's going to be top heavy no matter how you mount it.
I never read where she wrote the tv size. If it is on a bookshelf, I am guessing it is not that large.
She also said it was for the living room. I'm guessing large.
.
Proud Texan said:
Joey Bloggs said:
Proud Texan said:
gillumhouse said:
Could you add a board to the(screwed onto) back of the bookcase just large enough to hold the wall mount and then mount the flat screen to that. This way the TV is not going to fall over (or get moved by your "helpful" guests) and it sounds as if the bookcase is substantial to not fall over if idiots bang into it. You will not have holes in the wall and the screw holes for the board will be at the back of the book case and not seen.
I have one wall mounted behind the bedrom door and the other sits on top of the DVD on the dresser.
If you do something like that, you will also need to anchor the bookcase to the wall. Flatscreens are not light and if it's riding high on the bookcase, it's going to be top heavy no matter how you mount it.
I never read where she wrote the tv size. If it is on a bookshelf, I am guessing it is not that large.
She also said it was for the living room. I'm guessing large.
I was guessing not large, if it is in a book shelf. 32" and under, how much under? 32" is pretty big to stuff on a book shelf. Oh if we could only just go to all of these inns and solve all the problems. :)
 
We built our house and I pre-planned the installation of a surround sound system and a large flat screen. I built a chase into the wall to accomodate all the wiring and ran all the speaker wire before the finished walls went up. I have a double 2x4 studs holding up our screen. At the time, DW would only allow me to go 42" never imagining how much she would like it. Whenever this sucker finally dies, we're going larger.
I realize that this is not an easy setup for an older home, but if you can sacrifice 4" of your room's depth, you can build a second wall in front of an existing one to hide all the supports and wiring. Just use 2x4 framing and add wall board, wood boards or paneling to the front surface. We have wood walls so it made for a clean installation. I drilled two 2" holes in the wall: one hidden behind the flatscreen and one at the base of our entertainment center. I ran the wires through these through the wiring chase. If you don't want anything but the screen to be showing, then all other electronics could be placed in a nearby closet and the wiring run from there.
 
I was going to suggest hiding the cables behind the bookshelf but you already got that.
All of ours are wall mounted on arms that swing out and they're awesome. You can tilt them up or down (which most guests don't) or swing them out (which many guests do). BEST of all is that they take up so little space that even my littlest guest room has one... and the cables just hang down to a little cabinet that has the cable box and dvd/vcr on it.
=)
Kk.
 
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