Motorized TV Lifts – The 21st Century Television Cabinet

The TVs of yesteryear were once pieces of furniture in their own right, ornate wooden cabinets with a small black and white screen glowing from a small section of the front. Even through the 1970s TVs were often installed in cabinets, with little doors that could be drawn across the front, hiding the television screen away.

However by the 1980s, with the arrival of VCRs and cable boxes under or on top of the TV, the concept of the “Entertainment Center” gradually took hold, with increasingly larger TVs taking center stage in homes and being installed in larger and larger pieces of furniture. This trend accelerated further in the 1990s as the video game market really took off, and as screen sizes rapidly increased with the arrival of inexpensive projection TVs, TVs really started to dominate living rooms, replacing fireplaces as the focus of the room.

LCD and plasma TVs are continuing the trend of screen sizes to increase, with 50”, 60” and even larger screens becoming commonplace. Bedroom TVs are also becoming larger, as 32” and 40” screens being used. Even in larger homes these sizes can become obtrusive.

The answer to this problem is to return to the concept of making TVs part of the furniture in a room, and the 21^st Century way of doing this is to use a TV lift, which is a remote controlled powered cradle which can smoothly pop-up a TV out from a hidden position, such as in a cabinet or behind a picture.

The main reasons for using a TV lift are:

• Appearance

• Space

• Safety/Security

• Convenience

• The “cool” or “wow” factor

Large screen TVs can dominate a living area in a home and become the focal point of a room. This can lead it to being switched on for long periods and be a distraction. Hiding the TV away when not in use removes the distraction and can change the mood and focus of the room. Having the ability to move the TV also allows it to be positioned in a place that is good for watching it, but not convenient as a permanent position, such as the foot of a bed.

Concealing your TV in a cabinet or behind a picture frees up space when it's not in use, ideal in locations such as bedrooms, where space can be at a premium. The concealment aspect also enhances security and safety as moving it out of sight means that it is less likely to be damaged when not in use and lowers the risk of it being stolen.

Finally there is the “cool” or “wow” benefit of a having a TV pop-up when you want to watch it, and then gliding away when you don't.

One of the benefits of LCD/Plasma TVs is the fact that they are relatively thin, which means that they can be concealed in many types of furniture, including:

• Cabinets

• At the end of beds

• Low bookcases

• Desks

• Coffee tables

• Behind pictures

• if space permits, in ceiling spaces or under the floor

The easiest way is to use a professional installer to fit the lift. They can usually provide custom furniture, or modify your existing furniture, and ensure aspects such access to power, appropriate lift equipment, etc. are all taken care of in a safe manner. Expect to pay $2000 to $5000 depending on the options you choose.

However a do-it-yourself approach is definitely an option, with many suppliers now offering appropriate lifts starting from a few hundred dollars rising to a few thousand.

When choosing your lift, consider whether you want features such as a powered swivel, and if you want the ability to use your existing TV remote to access the TV, or integrate it with a more sophisticated remote that can also control other devices such as a cable box.