You found the perfect television. It's a great high-def TV, with every bell and whistle you were looking for, and it's exactly the right size to fit into the open spot in your living room. You can even afford it, with cash left over for the surround sound system you need as well. Only one problem: your wife hates it. Too big, too intrusive, and too attractive to all your college friends.



Don't despair: there are plenty of solutions for installing the perfect high-def TV in your home, and some of them will eliminate any appearance of a television in your home – or make your television so attractive that your wife will insist on having one.

The Invisible TV: DLP TVs

A DLP TV is a projection-style set, which are much nicer today than they were twenty years ago when they were the mainstay of any bar setting. The best news is that not all projection televisions are locked into a case; today, you can get sets that look basically like an old slide projector. The scalable image they project will look good on a blank white wall, or on a portable or wall-mounted screen (mountings can be hidden beneath things like decorative shelves if necessary). This is a great solution for a small space, where one room performs several different functions.

The Camouflaged TV

You don't have to go invisible, though. There are plenty of furnishing options for all but the largest television sets: armoirs, closets, and shelf sets can make your TV part of the living room, yet discreet. With the right shelf setup and a screensaver, you can even transform your plasma television into a fireplace; the flickering flame gives your room a romantic and homey atmosphere, and only close inspection reveals the truth!

Wall mounted televisions don't work well with this solution, but there is a unique solution: a mirror cover. A transparent guard covers the screen, transforming the appearance of your high-def TV into a nice wall-mounted mirror. Turning on the set, however, allows the picture to show right through the cover. Certain sets allow for other solutions, though: screen saver-type technology can transform your set into a fishtank, or show the gradual setting of the sun over a tropical island.

The Ultimate Solution: A TV Room

One of the most popular new home improvement choices is a media room dedicated strictly to the television. This allows you to mount your surround-sound system in a perfectly-engineered room, with seating and other amenities that will have your friends over for the Superbowl, her friends over to see the latest chick flick, and for both of you alone to watch the movie of your choice, ending the evening with that romantic flickering fireplace.

Any high-def TV can transform the décor of your room, whether it's your formal living room or the den, a dedicated TV room or your loft apartment space. Just a little creativity and shopping around for what's out there will net you great rewards.