Our 32" LCD upgrade in our Dynasty

Well my wife and I finally decided to upgrade our old 24" CRT television in our Dynasty to a 32" LCD.  The sound had been acting up last season so originally we were only going to upgrade the front TV but after completing it last night we decided to upgrade the one in the bedroom as well and then we could remove the analog to digital converter box permanently.

The procedure went well.  I had done a lot of research and really didn't see too many mounting options that I was thrilled with.  I didn't want the arm style because I wanted something a little more solid and we have no plans to pull the TV out or change the angle.  We are pleased with the positioning where the original was for the most part.

I came up with an idea to fabricate a frame work to mount the television to and then some inner brackets that would mount just inside of the cabinet so when installed the TV would sit flat against the front of the wood cabinet.  My wife and I went looking for a TV the other night that was fairly thin so it wouldn't protrude out the front any further than the OE television yet we didn't want it sticking out the sides any wider than the television cabinet itself.

We found a 32" Magnavox that fit the bill perfectly.  It is only 3/4" thick and is the exact width of our wood cabinet.  I removed the trim ring and old TV and the new one sits perfectly flush agains the cabinet.  After completion I will only need a small piece of walnut for the top and bottom of the TV to hide the gaps.  I will wait until the rear TV is complete so I only have to make one trip to a cabinet shop for trim.

Attached are some pictures of what we started with along with pictures of the procedure showing the framework that I fabricated and how it mounts.  Maybe this will give others ideas as to another option for mounting.  Although I am probably one of the last people on the planet to finally upgrade to the flatscreen LCD revolution.

Thanks for looking.

Mike.

More pictures.

And the last of the pictures.

Very impressive!

Finished product looks great!

Giving some thougt to a similar type wall bracket for our bedroom tv upgrade.  Not sure I like the swing arm models.

I'll do the same thing just as soon as my wife learns to weld like that.

Thanks guys.

Mike.

Mike,
      Bet you noticed a real big weight saving from the old to the new. I sure did, my new flat screen in front is about a quarter as heavy, and the same for the back screen.


Bill

billwild said:

Mike,
      Bet you noticed a real big weight saving from the old to the new. I sure did, my new flat screen in front is about a quarter as heavy, and the same for the back screen.


Bill

Click to expand...

Yep, huge difference.  I will have to weigh the original but the new one weighed 18.2 pounds.

I bet the old one was every bit of 60+ pounds.

Mike.

Mike, great job. Nice to still see some handy metal work. Don't worry either, you're not the last to convert! I still have my originals with the digital converter. One of these days I will find the time......
Thanks for the post.

If you are looking for an inexpensive, articulating TV mount, you might look at monoprice.com.  I recently got rid of my big old TV and replaced it with a 32"LCD.  I mounted it just above and behind the passenger seat on the wall.  I find the location better for viewing, and it freed up the dash area.  My old TV was mounted between the driver's seat and the passenger's on the dash. 

Great job Mike ...

One question, maybe I missed it in the photo's, did you secure it any way for travel or are you just depending on the hook pressure.

Wizard46 said:

Great job Mike ...

One question, maybe I missed it in the photo's, did you secure it any way for travel or are you just depending on the hook pressure.

Click to expand...

I installed velco down the two sides on the back of the television and to the face of the wood cabinet.  It doesn't budge.  I really have to work at it to remove it from the velcro let alone the hooks that I cut into the metal frame.  I was originally thinking that the velcro would help more with the rubbing or possible rattle between the TV and the cabinet but it actually aids in holding the TV in place.  When I made the framework I made it a snug fit inside the cabinet.

The top trim piece when finished will also aid it retaining the TV as it will sit on top of the television.  The TV must move up slightly prior to moving out of the cabinet due to the design of the side plates.  It is pretty solid and permanent.  I didn't want the TV to move to as we like where it is for viewing.

Mike.

Hi Ho:  We did essentially the same thing, but instead of a metal frame I used a piece of plywood and just mounted it to some wood cleats.  However we did have some space above and below the new TV.  I'm thinking about a combination of wood and metal for our new (to us) coach and appreciate your ideas.

Dirk

Thanks again for everyone's comments.  I was lucky and found a local custom woodworking shop.  He had a couple of small pieces that are exactly what I neet to fill in the gaps above the televisions.

I also completed the bedroom television over the weekend so all that is needed now is a 3 1/2' top filler for the front TV and a 4 1/2' filler piece for the bedroom TV which I should be able to pick up this afternoon.  The gentleman at the wood shop is putting the correct radius on the two new pieces as well as planing them so they should match exactly.  All I will have to do is clear them and install them.

I will post up a few more pictures once the trim pieces are in place.

Mike.

Hi,
I did a similar installation but instead of new wood I used black plastic and mounted the DVD player behind it (below a wire shelf that supports the TV). Since it's light, I just used three Velcro tabs to hold the plastic in. Removes in seconds on the rare occasions that we use the DVD.
Ernie

Very nice job....!