Remember: Location, Location, Location for a True Home Theater Experience

July 2006 - "Where am I going to put such a large flat panel TV in my home?" " "Why do the images seem a little fuzzy?" "How do I know where to place my TV on the wall?" "Where do I find furniture large enough to accommodate my new flat panel screen?" These are just a few of the consumer concerns that become vastly critical after purchasing a new flat panel TV. Now more than ever, design and sizing of flat panels, placement on walls and the type and size of A/V furniture all play integral roles in achieving the ultimate home theater experience.

The mounting and placement of flat panels is key for the best viewing experience, according to Marc Sculler, President of Bell'O International, a leading designer and manufacturer of A/V furniture. If a consumer decides to mount his/her flat panel rather than purchase specific A/V furniture, mistakes can ensue. A common oversight consumers make when hanging large flat screen TVs is the distance placed between the screen and the viewing position. To avoid this and other snags of wall mounting TVs, such as high costs, stagnant placement and a tendency to place TVs too high on a wall, A/V furniture is the route to take. Bell'O provides its clients with affordable, chic alternatives after making the financial investment of a flat panel TV. It gives buyers the ability to move the TV itself to other areas of the room, and if necessary, to adjust the height of the TV itself on the furniture with hanging and elevated mounts.

Marc Sculler, President of Bell'O and home theater expert, notes "Proper seating distance is critical to achieve the best picture resolution from your TV. Factors to consider include the type of TV you are planning to buy - Plasma, LCD, DLP or LCD projector, as well as the maximum resolution and screen size. If a consumer sits too close, he/she gives up sharp picture detail. If a person sits too far, he/she may 'see' more detail than the eyes can perceive. Generally, 10 feet is considered good measure for distance on a widescreen 50" Plasma TV with 720p resolution. However, 6 feet is considered the optimal distance when flat panels have 1080i/p resolution."

The level that flat screens are placed on a wall or furniture itself is another integral component to a true home theater experience. Sculler states, "Flat panel TVs perform the best when observed from straight ahead, with the viewer's eye level at the middle of the screen when seated in a normal viewing position."

As the average television size purchased has increased from 23'' to 27'' over the course of five years and moved from conventional CRT TVs to flat panel TVs, the desire for premiere A/V furniture and the need to correctly place and mount such TVs has grown as well. Audio/Video furniture designs are now heavily focused on accommodating the wider 16:9 format of HDTV as compared to the traditional 4:3 format. "

As technology changes and evolves, so does the way consumers experience it and how it is displayed," states Sculler. "As more and more people enjoy home theater on larger flat panel screens, Bell'O has taken a lead in providing beautiful and chic units that accommodate the varying tastes of our consumers and the flat panel screens that they purchase."

Personal tastes vary on how to display flat panels, but after making this decision, it becomes evident that correct placement and the type of furniture really do matter.

Call Bell'O at (732) 972-1333 for the name of an authorized retailer near you or visit them online www.bello.com.

SOURCE Bello