|
|
 |
|
AV Systems
|
 |
|
 |
 |
The pressure is mounting
Mar 12, 2008
|
|
by Joy Zaccaria
|
Mounting options for flat panel displays are more abundant than ever, with numerous choices in carts, wall mounts, and even automated lift mounts. And with the flat panels themselves becoming thinner and thinner, it's becoming more important for mounts to be as inconspicuous as possible.
"Now there's a focus on ultra low profile mounts," said Hal Truax, general manager of professional products at OmniMount. "The goal is to get it as close to the wall as possible, but still have enough tilt to view properly and then lock into place."
As product manager for flat panel solutions at Chief Manufacturing, Seth Baker sees that the major trend for wall mounts is lower profile. The challenge is to allow for multiple viewing angles and different options.
"Customers want that hidden aesthetic, low-profile look when they're not using their TV or monitor," he said. To accomplish this, Chief introduced an accessory that allows installers to take its on-wall swing arm and put it into the wall. When the monitor isn't pulled out for viewing, it's flush to the wall.
In the interest of hidden aesthetic, Chief has also made a push into the world of automation over the last couple of years. "The CM2C40 automated ceiling lift is one of our newest products," said Baker. It allows for 31 to 40 inches of travel and there's no width constraint, so the same model can accommodate a 37-63-inch monitor. "It makes installation easier," he added.
Another feature is its "screwdrive" mechanism, which provides fast but quiet lifting action. "The lift is designed to provide simplified connectivity via AMX, Crestron, or other control options," said Baker.
Motorized mounts came out a couple of years ago and were bulky and expensive. "Now all the manufacturers, including ourselves, have come up with lower profile offerings that operate quietly," said Truax. "The price points are also more in line -- $800 for a motorized mount where it used to be $2,300."
 |
| The new Smart Mount SA 700 series from Peerless features built-in cable management to conceal cords. |
How We Roll
When rolling from meeting room to meeting room, considerations for mobile units include the stability of the cart (also known as floor stand), its ability to fit through a typical doorway, and its durability.
Premier Mount's PSD-BW mobile floor stand came out of a design need for smaller boutique hotels, places where the doorways were smaller than normal. "People had a heck of a time getting the carts through doorways, so we reduced the footprint," said product manager Eric Mancini. "We shrank our footprint down on the BW cart down to 28 inches across." At that size, it complies with ADA 32-inch doorway guidelines.
When it comes time to store multiple carts in a facility, the design of the cart comes into play. Premier's PSD-BW mobile floor stand is designed with a horseshoe base, which allows you to stack them in a closet three or four deep.
At Video Furniture International, CEO Mike Skinner had a stand built specifically for videoconferencing. The product comes complete with built-in camera brackets that are adjustable on top as well. Options are for fixed or a portable floor model.
VFI emphasizes cable management in addition to sturdy construction. "So as to avoid digging into walls and hanging cables in walls, VFI manufactures units to move from one room to another," said Skinner. "Our units have a channel to hide wires inside."
The production of carts for flat panels is a growth area to focus on this year for OmniMount. "That's a category relatively new to us but we've had good success with our couple of offerings," said Truax. "For videoconferencing it's important that they be mobile so the caster-based solution is critical."
No Tipping, Please
Peerless co-authored the UL safety standard for carts and mounts called UL1678. "We started that about 10 years ago," said Derrik Lam, director of product development at Peerless. "That standard says that the cart has to hold up to four times the load capacity. It cannot tip when it's pushed up to a 10-degree incline." Obviously, Peerless tests all its products to those standards.
OmniMount has two special considerations to prevent flat panel carts from getting flipped. "One is to build the base so that the center of gravity is as close to the floor as possible," said Truax. "The other is just mass. The goal is to make the area above the casters large enough to disperse the weight evenly and reduce the tip factor."
Another design consideration are doorways. "We make the base of the cart or floor stand as wide as possible, while being narrow enough on one plane to get through the door," explained Truax. "The larger you can make the diagonal area from one wheel to the next, the more stable it's going to be."
For security purposes, the standard for mount manufacturers is hex-pin hardware. Beyond that, wall mounts typically have the ability to be locked with a padlock.
OmniMounts offers its Captive Lock system. "It goes around the screw and prevents you from getting to the screw," explained Truax. "The cylinder spins but the screw won't spin -- and that cylinder has a key lock in it. It's called a captive lock or a typewriter lock."
Cable Management
In public places, hanging cords not only be unsightly but can be potential tripping hazards. Peerless has found that government facilities have similar requirements to other public display venues -- and its products, from wall mounts to articulating arms and carts, have cable management built right in to them.
"For the carts, we have a large aluminum extrusion supporting the TV that are hollow," said Lam. "Cords are routed from a flat panel through the cart and down to the floor." The openings are built wide enough to accommodate plugs as well.
After about a year of research, Peerless introduced its new SmartMount SA 700 series. "We built in enough cable management features that will control all the cords and also conceal all of it up to a one-inch bundle," said Lam at Peerless.
This month [MARCH], Peerless is expected to relaunch its SmartMount 600 series. "We redesigned it so that the wall plate is completely open for cable management and also ease of installation," he continued. "It's more forgiving for installing around obstacles."
At Chief, its line of CMS Speed-Connect accessories features fast installation and simplified cable management. "The notched adjustment design allows for length changes without disassembly and easy routing of signal and power cables," said Baker.
Premier uses elliptical tubing in its design. "That allows us to hide the cables through the elliptical tubes," said Mancini. "When an arm is extended on an articulation mount, the cables are hidden in the arm. They don't hang down and they don't crimp because they go through our tubing."
MORE INFO
Chief Manufacturing chiefmfg.com
OmniMount omnimount.com
Peerless peerlessmounts.com
Premier Mounts premiermounts.com
VFI video-furn.com
MountFinder makes it easier
If you want to make sure your flat panel works with a particular mount, you can check compatibility with MountFinder. Available on the Peerless and Chief Web sites, it's updated on a regular basis with various mount options. Plug in a brand and model -- every single possible mount that will work with that TV is displayed. The search can be also be narrowed to carts.
|
ADT Security Systems - Official Site - Video Monitors
ADT Security Systems offers a variety of Video Monitors along with a broad range of security products. Visit us online & get a Free Risk Assessment! Audio Visual Equipment
Quality Audio Visual Products including CD/DVD Duplicators & Printers, Digital Recorders, & media equipment. Audio / Video Cables
Audio video cables for home theater, DVD and audio etc. High Quality like monster cable--s video cable, RCA cable, subwoofer cables, component video
|
|
|
Government Video is part of the NewBay Media Community
copyright 2007© NewBay Media LLC.
810 Seventh Avenue, 27th Floor New York, NY 10019 T (212)378-0400 F (212)378-2160
|
|
|
