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Time to leave my 220lbs CRT behind. Will something work for this setup?

post #1 of 25
3/8/12 at 5:13am
Thread Starter 
The problem I have, and the reason I never got rid of my CRT, is that the way my condo is set up the TV is sitting in a shelf set into the wall. The design was great back when these places were built and everyone had huge boxy TVs, it gave you a place to set it flush against the wall and lose no room from the depth. Now that it's 2012 and people no longer buy CRTs (for the most part) its just a big hole in the wall.



So thats my setup now. With the way things are set up we usually watch tv laying on the floor with our baby crawling around. In the past viewing angles were a huge issue with flat screens, move juts a little bit off center and things go dark. Is it still like that? My computer screen was bought for this reason, I didn't bother with a TN panel, I got an MVA that has pretty much unlimited viewing angles, I can stand on the side of it or lay on the ground, it all looks the same.

I have included the measurements of the TV nook in the picture. It's a little under two feet deep. I want to get something that would fill up a lot of the space in there, on the top I have a shelf with my gaming stuff, I could do the same thing and more with a flat screen instead of the 200+ pound beast I have in there now.

And again, viewing angles. I havent looked at any new TVs but I know the ones friends have bought years ago had the issues I was talking about, unless you look straight on they lose brightness and color, thats something I really dont want to happen, but I do have hope since computer monitors no longer have this issue.

So can anyone help me finally make the move from a CRT to a flat screen?
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post #2 of 25
3/8/12 at 5:45am
Plasmas for sure and some better lcds won't degrade pic quality if viewed at an angle. I rec getting 3 buddies ( work in shifts) to carry your tv out to the street ( can't even give away crts these days) then fix a board to cover that hole and mount a plasma.
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post #3 of 25
3/8/12 at 5:48am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by cmulla View Post

Plasmas for sure and some better lcds won't degrade pic quality if viewed at an angle. I rec getting 3 buddies ( work in shifts) to carry your tv out to the street ( can't even give away crts these days) then fix a board to cover that hole and mount a plasma.

I was actually joking about that just yesterday, mount a big board over the hole on some hinges attached up at top. Mount TV to that, use the hole as a storage place for a/v and gaming equipment.

How heavy are TVs these days? Would I be able to secure something like that to the wall on a big board without it crashing down?

It's an option but my ocd paranoia might never let me relax with a TV hanging like that.
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post #4 of 25
3/8/12 at 7:42am
Horizontal viewing angles on LCD's have improved a bunch but vertical angles are are still a little iffy. You could always get an extendable articulating wall mount and mount it to the back wall and just extend it out flush and use the tilt feature to combat any vertical viewing angle issues you may have. You will most likely have enough room to swivel it and still be able to use the area behind the display for storage.
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post #5 of 25
3/8/12 at 7:48am
"How heavy are TVs these days? Would I be able to secure something like that to the wall on a big board without it crashing down?" 1) usually < 100 lbs 2) I agree w/ tilting wall mount. 3) Anyone know best way to get rid/sell/donate a CRT. I have a 36" sony wega trinitron beast at ~270 lbs.
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post #6 of 25
3/8/12 at 8:21am
Almost 6 yrs ago I faced the same puzzle as you, though my recessed opening was much lower in height above the floor.
Here was my solution; mind you, this 100lb 50" plasma TV is covering a recessed opening about the same size as yours:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...04#post7464004

This was a DIY project using a pair of Sanus mounting brackets bolted to the rear of the plasma panel. The panel is being suspended by two heavy duty (250lbs ea) "S" hooks inserted into the holes of the Sanus mounting brackets. To hang the panel, much like a big piece of art work, I installed/bolted-in a length of heavy duty angle iron (having many holes in it) horizontally across the top inside edge of the recessed opening, and the "S" hooks (on the back of the plasma panel) are hooked into the available holes running along the length of the angle iron. Below the plasma panel is a center channel speaker grill that also serves to cover the bottom portion of the recessed opening. This method was actually Plan F, since the previous 5 mounting ideas just didn't pan out. Nevertheless, if any of those other ideas had worked, the resulting look would have been the same as you see it now. I began with the idea of how I wanted the panel to look within the existing home entertainment center, then pondered for a few weeks over how best to achieve that result.
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post #7 of 25
3/8/12 at 8:27am
Quote:
Originally Posted by cmulla View Post

"How heavy are TVs these days? Would I be able to secure something like that to the wall on a big board without it crashing down?" 1) usually < 100 lbs 2) I agree w/ tilting wall mount. 3) Anyone know best way to get rid/sell/donate a CRT. I have a 36" sony wega trinitron beast at ~270 lbs.

I believe Staples stores has a program with a minimal cost of disposal ..
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post #8 of 25
3/8/12 at 8:35am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sgooter View Post


http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...04#post7464004

This was a DIY project using a pair of Sanus mounting brackets bolted to the rear of the plasma panel.

That looks really great. Nice job!
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post #9 of 25
3/8/12 at 9:45am
Yeah...seems like the problem with that hole is that TV's aren't square anymore. I'd also vote for an extending mount if the back of the hole will support it (best to have multiple studs etc). But do they make mounts that will extend over two feet? Mine only comes out about 18 inches if I remember correctly.
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post #10 of 25
3/8/12 at 10:50am
Holly crap, I got a neck strain just looking at that jpg.

Yep get a plasma.

Yep, plug the hole is the eziest but up to your taste.

Other thing to consider... with a flat panel, you may be pushed to add external speakers.
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post #11 of 25
3/8/12 at 11:02am
I had that same tv. I was forced to move it twice, what a feat that was. Thankfully it was destroyed in a flood this past September and it was removed as part of the cleanup. Insurance also gave my mother $250 for it, which was an added bonus.
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post #12 of 25
3/8/12 at 11:04am
Quote:
Originally Posted by cmulla View Post

"How heavy are TVs these days? Would I be able to secure something like that to the wall on a big board without it crashing down?" 1) usually < 100 lbs 2) I agree w/ tilting wall mount. 3) Anyone know best way to get rid/sell/donate a CRT. I have a 36" sony wega trinitron beast at ~270 lbs.

Heres some food for thought....i have a 80" lcd it is 5-1/2' wide and almost 4' tall. it is only 120#'s...
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post #13 of 25
3/8/12 at 6:50pm
Thread Starter 
So the board on a hinge is an option, so is some kind of arm but no one knows if they make them that long.

What about just putting a TV in there? What could I fit?

This evening I was at my parents house checking out the 50" Samsung LCD my dad got sometime last year. I put myself right under it looking straight up at it, viewing angles were perfectly fine, no loss of image at all no matter where I put myself.

Do I need to look for something in the screen I pick that will let me know it will be good with it's angles like this? It wasn't a plasma or an LED, it was a regular LCD.
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post #14 of 25
3/9/12 at 5:11am
Quote:
Originally Posted by LordJezo View Post

...What about just putting a TV in there? What could I fit?...

Depending on how precise your measurements are a 50-51" HDTV may fit in that opening. As an example, the Samsung PN51D6500 is a 51" 1080p 3D Plasma with dimensions of 47.1"W x 30.8"H. Typically, there are no off-axis viewing issues with plasmas; not sure about viewing 3D off-axis though.
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post #15 of 25
3/9/12 at 5:29am
Quote:
Originally Posted by LordJezo View Post

So the board on a hinge is an option, so is some kind of arm but no one knows if they make them that long.

What about just putting a TV in there? What could I fit?

This evening I was at my parents house checking out the 50" Samsung LCD my dad got sometime last year. I put myself right under it looking straight up at it, viewing angles were perfectly fine, no loss of image at all no matter where I put myself.

Do I need to look for something in the screen I pick that will let me know it will be good with it's angles like this? It wasn't a plasma or an LED, it was a regular LCD.

Nobody, including Samsung, makes a 50" LCD, but they do make a 50" plasma.
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post #16 of 25
3/9/12 at 5:41am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by BoilerJim View Post

Nobody, including Samsung, makes a 50" LCD, but they do make a 50" plasma.

Well it's 50" horizontal, he said it was 50" so that's what I said.

47.1 inches might fit, I will measure it precisely tonight to really check it. It would be tight. What's the next best size down from there?

What kind of board do people think I'd need to hang a TV?

I could use a piano hinge that has a dozen screws in it and put it into a stud with some strong anchor bolts. How thick of a surface do the wall mount kits require?
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post #17 of 25
3/9/12 at 6:42am
Quote:
Originally Posted by LordJezo View Post

Well it's 50" horizontal, he said it was 50" so that's what I said.

47.1 inches might fit, I will measure it precisely tonight to really check it. It would be tight. What's the next best size down from there?

What kind of board do people think I'd need to hang a TV?

I could use a piano hinge that has a dozen screws in it and put it into a stud with some strong anchor bolts. How thick of a surface do the wall mount kits require?

FYI, TV screens are measured diagonally, not horizontally (yes, I know it's silly, but that's how they do it).

TVs need room to "breathe," so a diagonally measured 47" CCFL/LCD including a "normal" bezel is approximately 44" wide. An LED/LCD would likely be a bit narrower. Samsung & Sony both make 46" TVs (not 47"), so you could pop one of those in the hole also. In either case, there should be enough breathing room at the top & bottom (and a bit on the sides) if you stick with one of those two sizes.

To go bigger, the suggestion to cover the opening and use a wall mount would be your only other viable option. If you want to do it "right," I would suggest framing in the existing hole and covering it with drywall, plaster, or whatever the surrounding wall material happens to be. Or, you could just do a "quick & dirty" (and ugly) job by covering the hole with 1/2" to 3/4" plywood and paint it. In either case, you'd still have to get a suitable wall mount secured by screws into the studs behind the drywall if you do it the "right" way or just screwed into the plywood if you do it the ugly way.

By the way, that looks like a cable box sitting atop your current TV. You'll probably have to figure out a new place when you fill up the space since an LCD would be too thin to sit it on top unless secured by duct tape or super glue.

Have fun.
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post #18 of 25
3/9/12 at 6:49am
Every manufacturer website has dimensions for each of their displays. You can easily find something to fill the space. If you are not going to use a mount that enables you to tilt and just set the display in the nook and you watch a lot of TV on the floor plasma might be your best bet.
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post #19 of 25
3/12/12 at 7:22am
Thread Starter 
Why would my bunch of year old 24 inch computer monitor LCD have almost unlimited viewing angles, both vertical and horizontal, but a fancy new non plasma TV have terrible ones when sitting below it?

I know I spent a lot more for the monitor in order to get those angles, it's an MVA or something panel back when everyone was getting TN panels, is there something like that I can do with an LED or LCD tv?
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post #20 of 25
6/18/12 at 12:23pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by BoilerJim View Post


Nobody, including Samsung, makes a 50" LCD, but they do make a 50" plasma.

Samsung has put out a whole bunch of 50" models:

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-UN50ES6100-50-Inch-1080p-Black/dp/B007BG4U70/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1340046731&sr=1-3&keywords=50+inch+led+tv
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post #21 of 25
6/18/12 at 1:04pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by LordJezo View Post

Samsung has put out a whole bunch of 50" models:
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-UN50ES6100-50-Inch-1080p-Black/dp/B007BG4U70/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1340046731&sr=1-3&keywords=50+inch+led+tv
Thanks for the update. That's quite a surprise actually.
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post #22 of 25
6/21/12 at 6:03am
I'm worried about your hinged-at-the-top door idea. I could see it easily slipping out of your hand and banging down. My brother in law had an opening like yours and added a few studs and used an articulating arm to mount a 46" set. Works like a champ. He's pulled the TV out a little, and it tilts down too, which would eliminate your vertical viewing angle concerns.
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post #23 of 25
6/21/12 at 6:32am
Just sold our Sony 40" XBR Tube on Craigslist for $100. and it was almost impossible to get rid of. The thing weighted between 300-400 pounds with the stand. This 2002 model Sony still had a perfect picture as if it just came out of the factory box.
We replaced the 40" tube with a 55" Samsung LED. Looks like the largest set you could fit in there might be a 46"
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post #24 of 25
6/21/12 at 6:50am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hooterville View Post

We replaced the 40" tube with a 55" Samsung LED. Looks like the largest set you could fit in there might be a 46"

A few 50" LCDs have come out recently that could fit, but the 46/47s are more of a standard with a better selection.
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post #25 of 25
6/21/12 at 7:56am
Quote:
Originally Posted by LordJezo View Post

A few 50" LCDs have come out recently that could fit, but the 46/47s are more of a standard with a better selection.

The new set we just got is the Samsung UN55ES7100 LED and it is just a hair over 48" wide and would not fit in between our wall unit that we had the Sony sitting in. Got rid of that old wall unit and had to purchase a new stand.
Good luck and post a picture when you get the new set in there. smile.gif

This new 55" Samsung TV weights 38 pounds.eek.gif
Edited by Hooterville - 6/21/12 at 6:43pm
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