Choices, choices, choices… in our consumer-based economy, we are sometimes inundated with such a large variety of choices that we become overwhelmed and unable to make a confident decision. And this perplexing array of choice is probably most pronounced when it comes to consumer electronics, especially those for your home theater. When it comes to your home theater, the TV will likely be the central aspect of your technology and your design. But which TV to choose?

There are many factors that you can use to decide which TV is right for you. Size (ranging from 19-inches up to 60-inches and more), resolution (1080p, 480i and all the resolutions in-between), video and audio technologies and more. But before you dive into the nitty-gritties of TV choices, you must first make the basic decision: do you want a flat panel TV or a front projector?

First, some descriptions are in order. A flat panel TV is the more common modern TV choice. It includes plasma and LCD display technologies, and all of the big-name manufacturers make them. They are usually high-definition, and can reach as high as 1080p resolution. Video projectors are a bit different. Rather than having the screen and display technologies in one place, you purchase a screen and a projector separately. The projector is usually mounted to the ceiling and pointed at the fabric screen on a far wall.

Projectors do have their purposes. For business conferences, they’re the go-to technology. University classrooms also often feature projectors. And you might’ve seen one of your friends or neighbors with their very own projector in their home theater. However, if you are someone looking for a way to include fashion and functionality in your home theater, you would probably be better off with a flat panel TV.

Projectors can end up with a larger overall screen size than flat panel TVs. On the surface, this sounds like a great thing. However, the larger you get, the blurrier the picture will become. And projectors often have a harder time connecting to cable or television broadcast. Most projectors do not have RF cable or antenna connections, whereas flat panel TVs include these features as standard.

The actual projector screen can be rather difficult to incorporate into the interior design of your home theater. Because it is a soft material that hangs from the ceiling, you can’t add a flat panel TV frame to polish it off. And its white color is usually more glaring and abrasive than the sleek black that most flat panel TVs display.

Blub life is another worry with projectors. While a flat panel TV will last you ten or more years, the projector’s bulb burns out relatively quickly. For instance, if you watch TV or movies for about three or four hours a night, the bulb will burn out after just one year – and it will cost you $300 or more to replace. Add to this the maintenance costs and time-consuming cleaning that a projector requires regularly, and it’s clear that a flat panel TV is the better option for the majority of home theaters.

A home theater should reflect a part of you: your creativity, love of movies, music obsession, inner interior decorator. Whatever part of yourself you want reflected in your home theater, the Traditional TV Frame from HD Envy can be incorporated as a finishing touch. By framing your flat screen TV in this simple and elegant frame, you will create a unique look that can be customized to highlight your entire room.

The Traditional TV Frame is constructed from solid wood and stained in your choice of eleven sophisticated and tasteful colors. By using only top-quality wood and industry guidelines in its construction, this flat panel TV frame will be a durable addition to your home theater that is able to easily mount to any make or model HDTV.

Because you get to choose the stain, ranging from brushed aluminum to colonial maple to Sedona red and many more, you can have the TV frame blend in or stand out from your décor and be as vivid or as subdued as you like. This TV wall frame looks best when coupled with more traditional décor, as it will reflect the timeless beauty of its surroundings.

The Traditional TV Frame is the most popular frame from HD Envy. It uses simple but detailed lines and superior construction, and has quickly become a favorite for those who invest time and energy into making their home theaters look top-notch. The detailed black lacquer on the inside grooves increases this frame’s appeal, as it draws the eye to the TV and surrounds it with a firm but subtle outline. And the satin gloss finish is enough to keep the eye lingering on the beauty of the TV frame itself.

HD Envy constructs all of its frames with care. Each flat panel TV frame from HD Envy is backed by years of construction and design experience. The Traditional TV Frame itself is the flagship model, the pride of HD Envy and the frame that can change your home theater from ho-hum to dazzling in a matter of minutes.

You can order the Traditional TV Frame in sizes ranging from 30-inches to 60-inches directly from HD Envy’s website, or you can purchase the frame at select Best Buy locations.

Freshome used its interior design and architecture knowledge to discover the modern flat panel TV frames from HD Envy. They simply love the Invidia line of flat panel TV frame, and marvel at its FastenEZ bracket mounting system. The ability to snap the frame onto the TV in just a few minutes makes HD Envy stand miles above their competitors. And the customization options to create your very own flat panel TV frame is something that Freshome adores.

The fact that the TV frames are versatile and varied enough to be incorporated into traditional décor or modern style means that they are poised to be a hit with consumers across the board. HD Envy’s personalization options go beyond just matching your private home décor – they can also create a brand-specific flat panel TV frame for a commercial setting. Freshome compliments the versatility of these flat panel TV frames, and recommends them to anyone who wants to make a bold fashion statement or just blend the latest technology with some interior style.

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Furniture Fashion has recently found out about the stylish Plasma TV frames at HD Envy and posted a review on their site that highlights their favorite features of the frames. They love the idea that HD Envy Plasma TV frames can enable a large HDTV to be mounted in places that were previously out of reach, because the frames are easily attached to a wall-mounted TV.

They also note the sophisticated element that the Plasma TV frames from HD Envy will bring to any home theater. This is complimented by the wide range of materials and size options that HD Envy presents to its customers, a fact that Furniture Fashion doesn’t overlook. Including pictures of their favorite Plasma TV frames, this article makes it clear that HD Envy is making a splash with those who appreciate beautiful interior design.

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Gentleman’s Gadgets recently reviewed the LCD TV frames from HD Envy and found them to be perfectly in line with their philosophy of discovering and sharing items to improve the lifestyle of America’s gentleman. The sophistication that a LCD TV frame brings to any home theater is clearly something that Gentleman’s Gadgets has embraced, and by contrasting this with the stale plastic LCD TV frame that come standard with most HDTVs, HD Envy comes out on top.

They point out that the beautiful and functional LCD TV frames from HD Envy not only frame your movies and other entertainment media, but look stunning even when the LCD TV is off. In particular, Gentleman’s Gadgets highlights the Invidia line and praises its sturdy construction, easy installation and protective features.

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The consumer electronics industry is one of variety: that’s what makes it so great. You have nearly unlimited options when it comes to size, portability, features, style… but one thing you don’t want to choose between is mounting options. It’s an unnecessary headache. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a standard set of guidelines that could be followed so you could confidently purchase your TV, knowing you could mount it with stuff you bought at the hardware store?

As it stands, many HDTV companies require that you purchase their mount along with their TVs. If you buy a X-Brand TV, you know you’ve got to buy that matching X-Brand mount. And this can be quite costly. The Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) was created to tackle just these types of problems: problems of universal compatibility. They set standards that manufacturers can choose to follow in order to maintain stability and compatibility in the video electronics industry.

In order to set a standard for mounting HDTVs, VESA created guidelines known as the Flat Display Mounting Interface (FDMI). This interface is a hardware setup that manufacturers of both TVs and mounting options can follow in order to make life easier on the consumer, and give them the peace of mind that comes with standardized components.

The VESA FDMI outlines the placement of screws on the back of flat panel TVs. There are several varieties of screw patterns and distances between screws that TV manufacturers can choose from in order to best fit their particular TV. Along with this are standard guidelines for cable exits.

As the major players in the LCD HDTV industry step up their production and increase their competition, more and more will be choosing to go with VESA-approved FDMI arrangements. They will want to appeal to the consumer by offering standardized mounting options, and gain the edge up on, or keep up with, their competition. They can let consumers know they are VESA-compliant by adding a hexagonal logo to their compatible TV displays.

So, now that you know what to look for in a VESA-compatible TV, what about the mounts themselves? You need the two pieces of the puzzle in order to get the TV up on the wall and looking fabulous. In this market, only one manufacturer that makes TV wall frames for your flat panel TVs that comply with VESA standards. And that company is, of course, HD Envy.

HD Envy has patent pending designs in all of their custom and pre-fabricated TV screen frames that comply with VESA mounting standards. Other companies use straps and Velcro and shims, completely disregarding the industry’s standards. Not to mention adding to your headache when mounting your brand new HDTV.

You don’t want to be fumbling with all the mounting parts, your TV, articulating wall mount, TV wall frame, and realize that they don’t fit together when you get them up on the wall. HD Envy has used their innovative engineering to ensure that life is not only stylish, sophisticated and unique after you’ve installed one of their LCD TV frames, but it is also hassle-free.

Lauren is a contributor to the HD Envy blog. HD Envy is dedicated to providing customers with a unique and fashionable TV wall frame for their flat panel TVs. Using designs that have been seen in casinos, hotels and corporate lobbies worldwide, the TV wall frames at HD Envy are high-quality and original. Whether you get a custom design or choose from the selection of popular TV wall frames online, HD Envy is your one-stop source for your flat panel TV framing needs.

There are many different considerations when you make the choice to frame a flat screen TV, not the least of which is the type of wood used for the frame itself. Although you might be tempted to just dive in and let your gut instincts guide you, choosing one based on how it looks alone, you should know some basics about wood stains and wood species to ensure you get the longest lasting, most compatible TV picture frame for your needs.

The type of wood you choose for your frame depends on your current décor and your needs, but keep in mind that a frame is meant to last the life of your TV – so you should avoid plywood or any cheap composite wood. You want to opt for the premium grain, such as ash, oak, walnut, cherry or mahogany.

HD Envy offers a custom design experience where you can choose the type of base wood and the stain to give it its color. The combination of wood type and stain is important, and rather than creating a DIY project that will end in a headache, talk to the professionals at HD Envy to ensure that your combination will look appropriate.

Talking about stains, there are several types to choose from. You can have a wedgewood blue on ash stain for a deep sea feel, or a clear stain on maple for a lighter, airy feel. Your color options are almost unlimited, and the type of stain depends only on your décor and the advice of your framing specialist.

At HD Envy, the option to customize and frame a flat screen TV is by far the best choice if you are looking to perfectly match your new frame to your current décor. The framing experts will work with you to produce a stain that matched other stained wood in your home theater, that compliments your walls or that brings out a certain accent color.

It is important to take good care of the fine wood that you choose for your frame. You don’t want to see the stain fade and the wood chip over time. There are many wood care kits on the market, so all you need to know is the type of wood in your LCD TV frame and you can go to your local hardware store to get what you need. And remember: HD Envy uses MinWax Wood Finish to stain all of their frames, which is known for its long-lasting, deep color that won’t fade with time.

If you’ve decided to frame a flat screen TV, you’ll want to know your stain and wood options well ahead to decide whether you want a custom frame or a pre-made frame. At HD Envy, you can choose from several stains, including: Sedona Red; Provincial; Old World Mahogany; English Chestnut; Colonial Maple; and Ebony. And if you don’t find what you’re looking for in that bunch, the framing experts are always there to color match any stain you prefer.

Lauren Dugan is a contributor to the HD Envy blog. HD Envy specializes in giving you all the tools and expert craftsmanship you need to frame a flat screen TV. The wide variety of options, including the ability to custom frame a flat screen TV, is what sets HD Envy apart from the competition.

You’re home from the electronics store, twitching in anticipation of opening that slim box and pulling out an even slimmer, brand-spanking-new flat panel TV. It’s high definition. All the bells and whistles. You pull it out of the box and figure it will take you about an hour to get it mounted in perfect picture frame TV mount splendor… an hour later and it’s up, but when you sit back on your couch all you see is a blinding glare from the window and a distorted image.

So what went wrong? You were promised a crisp, clear, high-definition image and all you got was distortion or glare. Even the picture frame TV mount you bought to frame it with looks a little out of place… but why?

There are so many considerations when hanging your flat panel TV that it’s best to get the lay of the land before you even pull it out of the box. Where are your couches and seats in the room? What’s the optimal viewing angle for your particular TV, and how can you achieve it? Where are your windows located?

First: location. The be-all-and-end-all of flat screen mounting. You’ll want to mount your TV so that the center is just about eye level with you when you’re sitting where you’ll spend the most time watching the TV. Although it might look great placed artistically up above the mantle, that’s not going to let you get the most out of your image. And if, for décor or practical reasons, you simply cannot place the center at eye level, always opt for placing it higher rather than lower. Try the bottom of the screen at eye level and you should be able to view comfortably with only having to look up slightly.

Now onto the second culprit of sinister wall mounting errors: glare. The last thing you want to do is settle in for a nice Sunday afternoon movie only to have the setting sun in your eyes rather than the show itself. Take a minute to sit in the couch you’ll be using to watch TV, and check the wall. Is there light reflecting back at you? If so, is it something you can change? If it’s a lamp that could be moved, or even a window with curtains, that’s fine. If it’s something unavoidable, you’ve got two options: either reconfigure your arrangement so your TV is placed somewhere else, or get a wall mount that swivels and/or tilts to move it when the light is affecting picture quality.

The size of your TV will also determine placement. For instance, if you have a 46-inch TV, you should place it anywhere between 5.75 and 9.5 feet away from your couch. If you have a 70-inch TV, it should be mounted about 8.75 to 14.75 feet from your couch. This will ensure that you get the best all-round image, and that you’re not sitting so close that you can pick out the pixels, but not too far that you can’t tell if the main character is a person or a large dog. For TVs with higher definition, the closer distances should be used as a guideline, and for TVs with standard definition, try sitting a little further away so you avoid looking too closely at the sometimes blurry image.

Getting that new TV is a wonderful experience, and you want to maximize on that. By calculating how you place your picture frame TV mount before you jump in, you’ll be able to enjoy the sights, the sounds and the entire package worry-free.

Getting the perfect picture from our HDTVs is a complex business, and relies on a number of factors. So once you’ve got the right cables, media hook ups, sound system and the like all set up, how do you get that “sweet spot” that everyone is talking about? How do you make sure you’re seeing the best image that your TV can produce?

Well, first, let’s define “sweet spot” for the uninitiated. Every HDTV has an elevation and angle that is the best in terms of picture clarity, quality and brightness – and this is usually smack dab in the middle. It might sound silly, but if you’re sitting on an angle, you might not be getting the most out of your TV.

Articulating wall mounts are a great, and popular, solution to both stylish TV display and practical HDTV orientation. Because many of us don’t have a room that is a dedicated home theater, it can be difficult to set up our seating to perfectly match the TV’s sweet spot. However, if we are able to move the TV to match our seating, we wouldn’t have to worry about reorganizing our living rooms to hit that perfect image. It would come to us.

There is a great variety of articulating wall mounts out there, designed for different needs. Most articulating wall mounts will have the ability to change depth, by pulling the TV away from the wall and closer to your seating. Some can come out as far as two feet or more. They can also allow you to tilt the TV to different angles, and swivel it from left to right.

When shopping around for a mount, keep in mind wall stress and the size of your TV. Some mounts are simply not up to the job of providing a sturdy mount for larger TVs, while others are so heavy-duty that they might cause wall stress even without the added TV poundage.

Wiring your HDTV once it’s mounted is usually a straightforward task. Because articulating wall mounts allow the TV to be pulled away from the wall, you can easily get behind there and connect to your heart’s desire. And check out the “bonus” features of your mount – many of them offer a wire management system so that you install is clean and clutter-free. And here’s a tip: make sure you install the cables with the arm outstretched, or else you’re going to find yourself in a tight situation after installation.

Articulating wall mounts are wonderful devices for stylishly displaying your HDTV while adding maximum flexibility. And they would work in perfect tandem with a wall mount TV frame to produce the slickest home theater setup in the neighborhood. The wall mount TV frame products at HD Envy are designed to fit snugly on any size flat panel TV, and rotate, swivel and pivot on the mount as if they were part of the TV itself.

Lauren Dugan is a contributing author to HD Envy. HD Envy offers wall mount TV frame solutions for home theaters that combine functionality with art. With modular designs, installing a wall mount TV frame from HD Envy has never been easier. And the years of expertise that HD Envy brings to the wall mount TV frame industry sets them apart as the go-to people for your TV framing needs.

When shopping for a flat-panel TV, it seems like you’re always bombarded with sales people telling you that Plasmas are clearly superior, or that LCDs take the cake. And phrases like “burn-in” and “1080p” are thrown around without any definition. So how do the uninitiated find their footing in all of the tech jargon, and make the decision that’s best for their needs?

Well, to assuage your worries right off the bat, there are some significant differences between plasma and LCDs that should act as a guide and point you in the right direction. These differences mean that plasmas are perfect for some home theaters, while LCDs are a better option for others – and you will be able to tell which one fits your needs after you do a quick comparison. But be warned – anything that might stand out as an extreme disadvantage is probably already being fixed in future versions, so ultimately your decision will require thought and an eye toward the future of these technologies. And remember that flat panels are able to incorporate a custom TV frame, so you can bypass all those wires and unsightly, space-hungry shelves.

But let’s go over some of their similarities first. They are both HD TVs – meaning they are capable of displaying high-definition video. They are available in similar sizes, all the way up to well over 60-inches (and there are some behemoth 100+ inch screens utilizing both technologies in the making). Both plasmas and LCDs are capable of displaying that coveted 1080p format…the highest quality a Blu-Ray disc can display. And both are flat, thin screens that will look super sleek hanging on your wall. So now that we’ve knocked off the similarities, let’s dive right into the differences.

One great similarity between the two types of TVs is their support for a custom LCD TV frame. Since they are both flat and relatively lightweight, you are able to buy a custom TV frame for either a plasma TV or an LCD and hang it neatly from you wall, no bulky entertainment unit necessary.

First, let’s talk about the technology behind each type of screen. Plasma TVs use cells that contain two glass panels and a space filled with neon-xenon gas. This gas is electrically charged when the TV is on, and creates the reds, blues and greens in a video image. LCDs use crystals to produce their image, hence the name liquid crystal display. Two transparent pieces of a glass-like substance are polarized and then joined together. The back display is coated with a substance that contains the liquid crystals, which are used to either block or allow light to pass through. LCDs and plasmas alike can be fitted with a custom TV frame for your home entertainment solutions. This a popular method of positioning your TV at just the right angle and ensuring that your home theater is slick and discrete.

This display technology is at the heart of what makes plasmas and LCDs different from each other. With plasmas, you’re getting a TV that has individual cells that light up – this can cause what is known as “burn-in”, or some of the cells remaining on even after the TV is off. This effect is permanent, but the newer plasmas have specialized technology to avoid this. With LCDs on the other hand, an external light must be used to pass through the crystals. This means that true black, that deep, intense lack of light, won’t be present in an LCD display. Because a back-light must always be on, dark black will always appear a little washed out.
Power consumption, again based on the display technology used, is a large factor in differentiating the two types of HD TVs. Plasmas tend to use quite a bit more power, as they require phosphors to power each individual cell. This can cause plasma TVs to become quite hot.

While the single light source that LCDs use means they will consume less power, this can have a negative effect on their motion processing. Plasmas will show little to no lag when displaying fast-motion video, while the fast-motion on LCDs will sometimes appear to get “stuck” or fall behind. However, faster refresh rates (up to 120 Hz) on newer LCD models have begun to pop up, eliminating this problem.

There are other differences between these TVs as well. For instance, plasmas usually get a wider viewing angle, while LCDs have only a small “sweet spot”. But , like many of the other things that separate the two types of TVs, this is addressed in newer models of LCDs and the viewing angle is much improved. And plasmas are notorious for screen glare, because of the shiny surface – it was previously recommended that if you had a home theater that experienced a fair amount of light, you should stick to LCDs. But yet again, improved technology has provided plasmas with a coating that reduces glare and nearly eliminates this negative point against them.

So, for all of the differences between the two technologies, it almost appears as if they are converging to meet somewhere in the middle, each containing all of the advantages. There will be some things that remain unchangeable, based on the technology that each display uses, however, so keep these in mind when you hit the electronics stores and the custom TV frame suppliers next time.