Designing cupboard for TV stuff (DVD/media player/sound etc)

It has been decreed that all the Electronic Stuff on display below the TV is "Ugly" and shall henceforth be placed out of sight inside a cupboard...

So I'm currently getting my head around this project and thought I'd kick it around here to see if anyone had done something similar and had any useful tips.

Basically the need is for a new fitted cupboard, right across the alcove next to the chimney breast. We have various boxes to put in there - DVD player, VirginMedia Tivo box, home-cinema sound system, and networked media player. I'm envisaging having them stacked inside the cupboard, ie on numerous adjustable shelves to ensure to ensure correct amount of airflow behind.

Gap at the back of each shelf to allow airflow and cables through. Should the cupboard maybe have ventilation holes at the front bottom and/or on the top back as well? Hot enough to maybe need some sort of forced ventilation in there? (Should be quite large cupboard; ie much bigger than the minumum needed).

The plan also requires some form of remote control extender; ie an 'electric eye' (for want of a better term!) mounted on the TV, transmitting the control signal down to the boxes in the cupboard below. I've come across various gotchas on that front - incompatible systems etc - anyone got any useful experience of these setups to pass on?

Many thanks David

Reply to
Lobster
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Redefine "Ugly".

Rod.

Reply to
Roderick Stewart

Not so much the boxes themselves as the modern rats nest of spreaders, wiring and the mast head amp power supply, in my case.

Reply to
newshound

Who wears the trousers? Tell her it's beautiful technical kit and if she doesn't like it, there's the door.

Reply to
Grimly Curmudgeon

I think the biggest problems will be the remote sender (sounds expensive and complicated) and ventilation (ensuring flow can be quite a science I gather). And you'll need access.

I wouldn't bother and take the hit.

This sort of stuff seems to have come a long way of late:

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Reply to
RJH

Have doors, open them... but yes getting the remote signals in might be tricky. I guess an IR sensor outside relaying to IR LEDs suitably positioned inside might work.

We had PVR, couple of sky boxes, network switch etc in a closed cupboard for a while. It got warm but not stupidly so mid 30's but we used the "open the door" technique for the IR remotes. The OP seems to have the basics covered with holes at the bottom and top and a gap at the back of the shelves. Do any fans suck or blow at the back of equipment?

Yeah gads what ugly boxy stuff. This is better in my view:

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have quite range of stands, might be useful for ideas or making the kit less "ugly" but still open.

Reply to
Dave Liquorice

Or smoked glass doors? Perspex Black 962 sheet is transparent to IR.

Reply to
Phil Cook

Sounds a nicer idea than ali louvres

Reply to
meow2222

BTDT. I now use one of these, with 4 devices.

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works perfectly, in fact the Humax remote works better with is than it does without. The only downside is if the box (like the Humax) takes a while to boot up, unless you watch for the relay to flash you don't know if the signal to switch on was received or not.

Unlike one of these.

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was very poor and packed up altogether after about 6 months.

My cupboard is completely sealed apart from two 2 inch dia holes behind the TV for the cables to pass through and I have had no overheating problems.

Mike

Reply to
Muddymike

Great - this is what I was hoping to learn!

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Sounds good. So does the black box have to sit on view somewhere? (to complete the minimalist look we were kind of hoping to end up with a single sensor on a lead, attached to the edge of the TV screen or something)

Thanks David

Reply to
Lobster

The warmer the equipment gets the shorted the life span of the capacitors.

My Freeview PVR which stands on an open shelf lasted much longer many others.

Reply to
Michael Chare

A commercially available set of capacitors for the Topfield costs around £8.00. and your hard drive will last much longer if you switch off *time shifting*.

To stack PVR and DVD drives I have made a simple ventilated housing by finger jointing a *sleeve* in French polished Mahogany.

The cables, which seemed of monumental importance, have been forgotten with the arrival of grandchildren.

Reply to
Tim Lamb

Yes, Andy Fras is very helpful. I changed all the PSU capacitors on both the boxes I have as a precautionary measure.

My CRT TV died and I have found it very difficult to find a stand that I like for the LED replacement. - Bearing in mind my desire for good ventilation and somewhere to hide all the cables, NSLU2 and Ethernet switch.

Reply to
Michael Chare

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