You've bought that brand new high-def plasma TV, and you need a place to put it. You could mount it on the wall, but that seems like a lot of work, and you are not confident enough in your installation abilities to hang it without seeing it crash to the ground in a heap of shattered plastic and wire. You could go with an entertainment center, but that seems a bit much - you don't need to attach anything to it; you just need the TV itself. Enter the TV Shelf.
TV Shelves are a great alternative to a traditional TV stand. They offer significant space savings yet are stable and sturdy. TV Shelves will accommodate most types of television sets - LCD, DLP, Plasma or even older CRT models. There are several different types of TV Shelves you can choose from, and depending on your situation one may be more appropriate than another. Let's take a look at each type.
Tv Mounts
Pull-Out Shelves
Great for adding a TV to an existing cabinet or armoire, pull-out TV shelves are versatile and can be installed onto any sturdy piece of furniture that can accept the screw or bolt attachments. These stands move back and forth on rails allowing you flexibility in positioning your television. If you have an entertainment center you use for your stereo equipment, but have no room for a TV, you may consider adding a pull-out TV stand to the unit so you can keep all of your media devices in one location.
Hanging Shelves (or Ceiling Mount Brackets)
Handing Shelves are a great option for adding a TV to room without taking up any floor space. These units use brackets that are mounted to the ceiling, usually to a joist or support beam. They consist of a thick bar which is attached to a shelf or metal brace the size of the television. They take up only as much room as the TV itself and put it out of reach of children and visitors.
Wall-Mount Shelves
Wall-Mount Shelves are another option that conserves space, allowing you to view the television from anywhere in the room. They are generally bolted to wall studs, but can also be mounted to solid wood furniture where appropriate. The traditional models use a shelf to support the television, but there are also LCD models that mount directly to the back of the LCD TV set.
Swivel Shelves
Swivel Shelves are often used in conjunction with another piece of furniture to add a means of easily repositioning the television. Often people find that they need to turn or shift their TV on the stand to accommodate visitors or to view it from a distant location. This can be difficult and cause damage to the TV stand without a swivel shelf in between. With the TV sitting on a swivel shelf, you can easily angle it for optimal viewing by applying a minimal amount of force.
Component Shelves
Another variety of TV Shelf is a Component Shelf. This unit is made of multiple TV shelves, usually stacked vertically and attached to one or more wall-mount brackets. This is perfect for displaying multiple TVs at different angles or supporting a television along with other media components, such as a DVD player or DVR.
Remember when purchasing a TV shelf, always check to make sure the shelf will support the weight of your television. It should be clearly listed on the packaging, but ask for assistance if you cannot locate that information on the label.
