Now that the new HDTV sets are bigger, heavier, and a bit pricier, you have to go that extra effort in remodeling your home for these new toys. However, if forking over a few hundred bucks for a stand is beyond your intentions, there are some alternatives for you to consider.
You can go ahead and grab a steel kit for about $100 bucks. These are strong kits that come in many sizes, and you can construct it in about an hour, even if you're not a professional handyman, or even a mediocre one at that. Usually, these will hold the TV, a DVD player, and a cable box. A lot of times the newer HDTV sets are equipped with a slot for a cable card, which eliminates the need for a separate, external box.
Stands will typically hold about 200 pounds quite easily, and this is sufficient for most models of TV's. If you're more into the modern look, some stands come with stylish glass shelving for all three devices, the TV, DVD player, and cable box. If you're looking for a clear shelf for the TV itself, you'll need to get strong acrylic or Plexiglass to hold it. This is a bit more expensive, but also a lot safer.
Another idea is to build your own stand out of wood. You can find tons of plans for this for free online. Here's one style that you might consider, which has list of cheaper parts.
Go out and buy two ninety centimeter by sixty centimeter (3 ft x 2 ft) planks of cedar wood, 2.5 centimeters (1 inch) thick. Cedar is naturally beautiful and doesn't need staining, even though you can use a semi-transparent stain if you like to finish the wood.
Use a saw and, starting at the bottom, cut a curved pattern. Go for a shape similar to a folk guitar. The curve makes for a great design and will add strength for support. Now you need to sand the edges smooth.
Next, groove the wood a centimeter and a quarter (half an inch) deep, more than a few centimeters (a few inches) from the top. These are what's known as ?dadoes?. Now you'll make additional grooves for shelves that will hold the DVD, etc. You can make the grooves the old-fashioned way with a gouging tool or with a router.
Buy the shelves at the width you need for your TV. Wood is probably best and cheapest. Simply slide the shelves in, then screw in four L-shaped supports below each shelf for added support. Basically, that's all there is to it. Now you can hide the wires using tape or by adding an extra compartment if necessary.
Building your own stand is definitely the way to go if you're looking to get one on the cheap, as well as one that is customized best to your liking.
