(Credit:
Crave Asia)
Thanko may be known to many as the company that comes with the weirdest contraptions from time to time, but its latest "Electric Up and Down Big TV Stand" may just be its most interesting product yet.
As the awkward name suggests, it's basically a TV stand with a built-in motor to raise and lower large displays. Apparently designed with Wii gamers in mind, the electric TV stand can be conveniently raised by more than 4 feet using a remote control, making it possible to play games more comfortably at eye level. It is rated to lift screens between 40 and 60 inches and weighing less than 110 pounds. Most TV stands on the market today are designed for viewing when seated on a couch and are often too low for proper gaming that requires a standing position.
Unfortunately, it doesn't come cheap. Now available in Japan, it retails for 69,800 yen, or $685.
(Source: Crave Asia)
Another designer has lived up to the fine sense of Italian aesthetics, which we've seen applied increasingly to home media furnishings. The latest example comes from Bonaldo in the form of a new twist--quite literally--on displaying a plasma or LCD TV with its "Swivel TV Stand."
But it's the striking circular design that will get your attention as much as its practical mobility. The stand's black lacquered frame is supported by a chrome base, according to Trendir, providing a "fantastic way to soften the harsh, square corners" of the television set and accompany component boxes, which can be stored below. The only problem: We'd be afraid to turn on the TV for fear of getting some idiotic show that would ruin the whole effect.
(Credit:
BornRich)
We've all seen TVs that can pop up from a cabinet or the foot of a bed--even from under the bed, actually--but how many of them include a bar?
The "Pop-Up TV-Liquor Cabinet" goes from an innocuous-looking cylinder to a mini-sports bar in seconds, kind of like a Transformer for booze hounds. It even beats the combo fridge-bar, at least in terms of proximity from the tube. BornRich says there's also a hand-carved cabinet from the Yucatan for those with a more traditional decor to consider, but it doesn't appear to include a TV stand. Which, in our couch-bound opinion, seems to defeat the purpose.
(Credit:
Newlaunches)
When Evesham came out with its Sound Stage TV stand with its built-in speakers, we thought it might be a good sign that furniture makers would come up with some innovative ways to display the new generation of flat TVs. So far, that's proven to be overly optimistic.
Newlaunches says Yamaha, for example, has come out with its own TV rack that includes a full Dolby system of speakers, sub-woofer and amplifier, with an optional DVD player, for the Japanese market. It's more expensive than Evesham's stand system ($780 vs. $600), but our quibble has more to do with design.
Perhaps it's telling that Yamaha calls its product a "rack," because that's exactly what it looks like. Unlike Evesham's stand, which builds its audio equipment into the frame, Yamaha's version basically looks like some shelves with components sitting on them exposed. For that, we could go to Levitz.
TV not included
(Credit: Sony)We highlighted the Evesham Sound Stage X1 earlier this month, but truth be told, Sony and Onkyo were already offering similar TV stands with integrated speakers at least as early as last year. Sony must really like the concept, too, because the company has gone back to the well yet again.
While the RHT-G800 doesn't look that different from the company's past "home theater stands," it's the first one to be HDMI enabled (two 1080p-capable HDMI inputs and one output). And just because its speakers, subwoofer, and electronics happen to be crammed into a TV stand, that doesn't mean the RHT-G800 doesn't have a decent feature set. In addition to its two component video inputs, three AV inputs, three optical audio inputs, one coaxial digital audio input, and four analog audio inputs, the G800 can decode Dolby Digital and DTS surround from any connected DVD player or game console. And if you're already on the Blu-ray or HD DVD bandwagon, the RHT-G800's HDMI inputs can handle up to six channels of uncompressed linear PCM audio as well.
Look for the Sony RHT-G800 to hit stores in May for $1,000.
(Credit:
Pocket-lint)
The onslaught of flat TVs has clearly been confounding for furniture makers, which have lost their staple faux armoires and have been struggling to come up with an equally popular replacement ever since. Evesham, at least, is making an effort to add function to form with a TV stand that also serves as a surround-sound system.
The "Sound Stage X1" matches many of today's plasma and LCD designs with a glossy black and glass finish, which masks nine--count 'em, nine--speakers built into its frame, according to Pocket-lint.
The stand isn't the cheapest at nearly $600, but remember, you're buying speakers in bulk here. And besides, this is a piece of furniture too, so it's a two-fer.
Imagine a winter weekend morning. You wake up, let the dog out, and fetch the Sunday paper, two unwrapped Playstation 3 games, some newly arrived Netflix and a cup of coffee (made per the timer you actually remembered to set).
Where are you going next? No, not to the couch with a blanket and pillow, or to the kitchen to argue over whether the new Ferrari Dino will be a front-engine or mid-engine car.
You climb back under the warm blankets of your bedroom, settle in and...up pops your flattie from the foot of your bed. A remote control triggers the silent glide of the 22-inch flat screen from this Bim Bam Banana TV Bed.
Bliss is yours for a mere $26,000.
(Credit:
Bim Bam Banana)
As cool as it looks in commercials, the idea of mounting a small fortune's worth of television on a wall pretty much scares us to death. Especially in earthquake country.
A saner alternative might be the Wenge TV Hi-Fi stand from high-end furniture dealer Anora Home, which is both practical and a tasteful addition to your decor. It takes its name from wenge wood, a distinct variety from Africa known for its use in such exotic creations as custom-made guitars and collector knife handles.
The TV itself is wedged between two boards of wenge, fixed on a base of aluminum and frosted glass. Around the edges is space reserved for DVDs, CDs, or a tumbler of 18-year-old Macallan. This thing is sounding better all the time.
(Photo: Anora Home)
- prev
- 1
- next
