I'm hope you can help as I'm ready to upgrade to an HDTV, but the builder wasn't real helpful in setting up my living room. My living room has a TV nook that is 40" across. I would like to put a 42 inch LCD/plasma in there and need a place to put my surround sound receiver, DVD and cable box. My surround sound connections for the rest of the room are in the rear of the nook.

Someone has suggested an articulating arm from the rear and place those devices beneath. My wife would like to keep the mantle clear for some decorations. I would love to hear from the experts.

http://redsox4.googlepages.com/IMG00043.jpg/IMG00043-medium;init:.jpg

http://redsox4.googlepages.com/IMG00044.jpg/IMG00044-medium;init:.jpg

One option you could do successfully is place all components in a hidden spot away from the TV and control them by a wired IR repeator system, (infrared remote system). It is easy to wire and connect. They are about $100 from Xantech. Just cable the emitter wires, (very small guage) from the connecting block to the sensors on each component. Then finalize the connections by running the HDMI cable from the DVD player to the HDTV. If you do not want the IR repeator, just place the electronics on the dresser and wire the video interconnect.

I have a similar problem like yourself, but my TV nook is placed below and to the side of the fireplace. The nook is about 24" deep X 41" wide and am thinking of getting an articulating mount, as well, and install it from the rear. My concern is whether these articulating mounts are built to withstand being permanently extended and being able to support the weight of an LCD TV.

I have a 46" Samsung LNT-4669F, which weighs less than 60 lbs without the stand. The mount, that I plan to buy, fully extends to 27" and is rated to support 175 lbs. Does anyone have any experience with articulating mounts being left permanenty extended?

personally I would do away with the nook and drywall over it and then mount the tv flush over it and use flat wall mount with tilt. then put components elsewhere using hot link pro or some ir repeater device.

my 2 cents.

these nooks are out dated and I have seen many houses with them but they they should be walled over now with flat panels.

Alan Hutchinson
HTmarket

Would you purchase the Harmony over the Mastercontrol if I put the components behind the TV?? Those seem to be the two most popular RF controls.

Thanks

I have the same issue, and considered mounting to the back wall of the nook...but the nook is too deep even when the mount is fully extended. It's crazy...it looks like it was made for a 27" tv that is 5 ft deep.

Since the nook is going to be covered by the tv, I thought about installing vertical beams toward the front of the nook and install the mount directly to those beams. Probably 2 or 3 4x4 beams would work.

Your thoughts on this idea?