Would you believe that nine out of 10 of us are giving up our dreams for the price of a wall mount? True story. Most of us in the market for a flat-screen TV are visualizing a clean look, flush with the wall, high above a fireplace. But amazingly, only one in 10 flat- panel TVs actually gets hung up once we get it home.
Considering the price of wall mounts starts at under $30, our dreams are in the deep bargain basement.
Don Burns is the owner of Vantage Point (vanptc.com), a company that's been in the TV-mounting business since the days of big, blocky CRT television sets. He often comes to the rescue of consumers who make the mistake of putting a new flat screen on an old stand.
"The larger profiles of the TVs, they stand taller, they're wider," he says. "The concentration of weight just around the center of the panel creates a situation where any bumping or tipping of the TV can carry that TV over easily."
More than 3,000 injuries were reported last year alone from tumbling TVs. The average 42-inch flat screen is about 85 pounds of metal, plastic and glass that could come crashing down. Not a pretty picture.
These days, the walls at Vantage Point are covered with an array of sleek mounts, from the very basic ($29) to the very cool ($1,000 and up). Among the coolest, articulating mounts that allow you to slide, swing, tilt, raise, lower, and adjust to your heart's content. The best seller holds a 42-inch flat screen, articulates, and costs $129, roughly the same price you would pay for a TV stand, sans the potential for tipping.
Most mounts require assembly, but don't let that stop you from reading on. Trust me. I have seen otherwise non-handy people with basic tools succeed at hanging mounts. Think screwdriver, wrench, drill, and about an hour and a half. Hanging the mount can be a solo mission, but get an extra set of hands to place the TV since larger ones weigh upward of 100 pounds.
The greatest challenge of mounting TVs comes the second you've fallen in love with your chosen flat screen. At that precise moment, stop yourself and remember that your TV budget has to be stretched far beyond the TV itself. You'll need money for the mount, a cable management system, remotes, and a storage system for necessary components. Together those can add up to additional hundreds.
So go ahead. Dream on. Dream big. And know that dreams are not just for those who sleep, but for those who budget wisely.
Helen Malani is the chief shopping expert for Shopzilla.com, the largest comparison shopping search engine on the Web. For more columns visit www.scrippsnews.com.
(c) 2007 Cincinnati Post. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.