The falling prices of flat panel tv's has resulted in bigger screens for many households. The most used location for these to be placed, estimated at 75%, is above the fireplace in the central room of the house. The increase in size both women and designers have been having serious problems with a 50-70? black glass object as the centrepiece and main point of the living room. In theory it is only a visual or mechanical change when the television is hidden, to many it changes the entire atmosphere of the room.

Even when the television display has been turned off, attention is either consciously or unconsciously drawn towards the blank television screen. This is not just a figment of peoples imaginations, it is real, and it has a direct effect on both the decor and atmosphere of the room.

Concealment devices are essentially custom designed furniture. Due to both tv sizes and room measurements there is not one solution that will work for everyone, hence why such systems often cost more than the TV itself. The justification lies in that the time, money and creative effort spent in making the room look great is not ruined by trying to make a 50" piece of black glass blend seamlessly into the room decor.

Flat TV

If you were to do some extensive market research you would see there are a number of different ways to get around this problem. All with certain pros and cons. The widely used option is usually a television lift. A television lift effectively combines both an item of furniture and TV stands

It provides the user the ability to swap between viewing a piece of general furniture or viewing the plasma television. This is operated using a remote controlled lifting mechanism which is implemented inside the furniture. Once activated this mechanism will trigger a steel lift to move which then will cause the television to gently rise from the furniture and effectively turn it into a tv stand. This solution solves all the problems faced by a home designer.

The rooms decor does not have to be compromised, rather modified in a way which cannot be seen. The television no longer has to be in full view unless you require it to be. As well as this there are security benefits which mean your tv is less likely to be thieved or broken in the every day movement throughout your household.

[U]Conclusion[/U] No matter what efforts television manufacturers put into their aesthetic design, they do not solve the problem of having a large blank screen take over a room when the TV is off. It comes as no surprise then, that demand for concealment solutions has been doubling every year for a while now. Through learning about concealment mechanisms, professionals such as TDK can offer the home owner a solution allows a big television to be hidden within the decor using a TV lift, while maintaining the visual design of the room. It is a win-win situation for both parties.