|
When requesting a custom built entertainment center, it is important to carefully note the size of your TV, and remember to consider if you plan to upgrade in the near future. You need to know the width and height of the front, as well as the depth from the very front of the screen to the furthest point in the back (remember to allow room for the audio and video cables to stick out from the back) - if you purchase a unit with doors that cover the TV space, remember to allow a couple inches of clearance between the doors and the front of the screen.
If you are purchasing a corner entertainment center we must also know the width of the back of your TV, and how far from the front it begins to taper. Remember, on a corner entertainment center the width tapers to a point behind your TV - it may be necessary to purchase a unit bigger than you need to avoid having to cut notches in the back or sides of the unit so the TV will fit. A mostly square TV, or one of the new flat-plasma screens more than a few inches deep may not fit in a corner entertainment center - they have to taper in the back to fit.
If you plan to store all of your other audio and video components inside the entertainment center, consider the number of shelves you will need, and if you plan to stack some of your components (less shelves needed). Know the width of your widest component, and the maximum depth you will need - remember to allow space for the knobs in the front, and the cables in the back. How much height will you need for all of your components, and are the shelves adjustable to varying heights, or fixed in place and can’t be moved? Finally, how much heat will all of the items generate? Have you allowed enough extra space around everything to allow for proper air circulation?
Doors or no doors? Do you have small children with wandering hands, and need to keep them away? Do you want to conceal your TV or other items when not in use to give your room that uncluttered appearance? If you need doors, do you need latching or locking hardware on them - if so, can that be accommodated on the unit you are planning to purchase? Maybe you are deciding you want a unit without doors because none of these questions apply, and you are taking the heat of your components into consideration - if you like a unit that has doors, can it be purchased without them as an option?
Now that you have your dream entertainment center all planned out, will it fit in the door? Will it fit in the room? Are there corners, obstacles or stairways in your home that may prevent you from getting it in there once you buy it? Is there adequate power for everything you plan to put inside where you plan to locate it in the room?
|
