TVBuyerGuide

Buying Television Stands Online

2010-04-16T04:49:00.000-07:00

Buying Television Stands Online

By Keith Barrett Platinum Quality Author

A television stand is a vital element of modern living. Whether you're looking for an impressive cabinet or the versatility of a swivel stand, there is no doubt that many of us seem them as vital components of our homes.

Prices can vary considerably, as can the quality of the products. While some people see them as simply being a place on which to put your new TV, others have realised that they are central to creating an overall impression.

As a result, they are increasingly being looked upon as being able to make a serious style and fashion statement. In many ways they have become at least as important as any other item of living room furniture.

So a quality television stand gives you the opportunity to really impress visitors to your home. Since prices do vary so much, people are sometimes confused about the value of what they are buying. Are some stands and cabinets really worth the extra money?

The reality is that the very cheapest TV stands are often fit for purpose in terms of holding the television, but they are hardly at the cutting edge of style. They're often composed of rather a lot of plastic, which most people would see as being a particularly bad look.

So how can you improve on that? You can't go far wrong if you look to buy a solid piece of furniture made by a leading manufacturer. The likes of Spectral, Jual and Just Racks are currently making some great quality TV stands that don't simply do the job - they look great too.

It's important that you consider a TV stand as being part of the overall look of the room in which it is to be placed. Don't make the mistake of thinking that it is somehow peripheral - it's far more important than many home owners imagine.

Think about how many visitors to your house spend time in your living room. The TV stand is likely to be an item of furniture that they will spend quite a bit of time looking at.

If that piece of furniture looks cheap, ugly and poorly built then it won't reflect very well on the rest of your home.

Spend a little bit more on a TV stand and you can get a great design that's so much more individual than mass produced alternatives. Buy something that's made to last and you surely won't regret it.

Find out about Spectral TV Stands with further information from Keith Barrett. This article may be used by any website publisher, though this resource box must always be included in full.

How to Safely Clean Flat Panel TV Screens

2009-12-24T23:41:00.000-08:00

How to Safely Clean Flat Panel TV Screens

User-Submitted Article

Flat panel TVs are very nice to have and are very entertaining with their sleek, smooth beautiful screens to watch. Who needs a movie theater when we have TVs like this? Like most things, flat panel LCD, plasma, LED or projection TVs need cleaning from time to time as they collect dust and in some cases, a little greasy film usually originating from the kitchen area. I will tell you how you can keep your flat panel TV screen clean without scratching it in the process with a quality screen cleaner such as Monster ScreenClean Display Cleaning Kit. Although I focus mainly on TV screens, Monster cleaner is also good for laptops, computer monitors, camera lenses and LCD screens, portable DVD players and direct-view TVs.

Step 1

Bottle of Monster ScreenClean Home & Office Display Cleaner

Make sure your TV screen is completely cooled before cleaning. Have TV turned off for about 30 minutes before cleaning to allow screen to cool off. Unplug TV. Make sure the area where TV is located is well lighted. This will make it easier for you to see if you are leaving any smudges behind when you clean your TV screen. I suggest you get a Monster ScreenClean Display Cleaning Kit, unless you have a couple of clean and quality Microfiber cloths in your home. If so, you can buy the ScreenClean solution separately. Some LCD TVs come with a Microfiber cloth, but they are usually a bit small.
Step 2

Spray Monster ScreenClean to Center of TV

Assuming you are using the Monster brand display cleaner, remove the little plastic cap on top of the bottle pump. Please do not try to go cheap with display cleaning solution when you most likely have a not so cheap TV. The cleaning solution will be much cheaper than having your screen repaired or replaced. The Monster directions state to either spray the ScreenClean solution onto the Microfiber cloth or directly onto display surface. Although the Monster solution is drip resistant, it does trickle sometimes, although very slowly. For that reason, I suggest if you are going to spray your screen directly with the Monster solution, spray toward the center of the TV screen about 8 inches away from the surface. Do not worry, if you forget and spray the solution closer to the frame of the TV, the display cleaning solution is still rather slow in to trickle down your screen. Just use a little caution.
Step 3

Monster Microfiber Cloth

Gently rub Microfiber cloth in a circular motion to apply the cleaning solution evenly over entire display. Repeat with dry portion of the Microfiber cloth if the TV screen needs extra polishing. You may get a smudge free cleaning without the dry portion of your cloth if your TV screen was not that dirty.
Step 4

To clean the frame of most LCD and plasma TVs use a clean eye glass cloth dampened with water. Make sure to go in one direction around the frame of the TV. Check manufacturers directions to be certain, but for most the eye glass cloth should be fine. Since it is made to take care of eye glasses, it does not scratch. For certain it works fine on the Samsung Touch of Color TV frames.

How to Setup Your Satellite TV System Anywhere

2009-12-24T23:38:00.000-08:00

How to Setup Your Satellite TV System Anywhere

By tommyboy2k
User-Submitted Article

Did you know that you can setup your DirecTV or Dish Network satellite TV system almost anywhere? Yes it is an amazing concept! You can take it camping, tailgating, or to your vacation/second home. You will need a DirecTV or Dish Network subscription, a portable satellite dish, power, a satellite receiver and a TV. There is nothing like being able to watch ESPN College Gameday while you tailgate for 5 hours before a game.

Step 1

Signup for DirecTV or Dish Network or ask a friend if you can borrow one of their satellite receivers. You will need an active DirecTV or Dish Network account and receiver in order to proceed. I recommend getting your own subscription to DirecTV or Dish Network if you are planning to do a lot of camping and tailgaiting throughout the year.
Step 2

Determine where you will be using your satellite TV system (outside of it's main and intended location at your house) so you can purchase the proper equipment. You will need to make sure you have a power source and a portable satellite dish. You can setup your system in the most remote places but you need to be able to get a satellite signal and power for the TV and satellite receiver.
Step 3

Purchase a portable satellite dish. When purchasing a satellite dish you need to make sure 1) you buy a dish that is compatible with your DirecTV or Dish Network system, 2) you buy a dish that has a stand of some sort (stands are not included with traditional satellite dishes since they are meant to be mounted on a roof or some place on a building) and 3) it has coaxial cables connected to it (you can have multiple feeds coming off of the satellite). I recommend going to an RV supply store and picking up a table top or car top portable dish. These dishes come with a stand and compass and the whole unit folds down into a flat, easy to carry device. You can also purchase dish tripods at Radio Shack. These allow you to mount a traditional satellite dish on top a tripod that you can put on the ground or on top of a truck bed or other elevated platform.
Step 4

Get Power. You can use your car battery, a dedicated battery powered external power source or a gas powered generator as your power source. If you plan to be using the system for over 3 to 4 hours you may want to invest in a dedicated battery power supply or a gas powered generator so you do not wear down your car battery. If you do decide to use your car battery you will need an adapter that hooks up to your car battery and provides normal electrical outlets for you to plug things into. This is called a power inverter. In addition to it acting as an adapter it also converts the DC current from your car battery into conventionl AC electricity for your electronics devices (TV, satellite receiver).
Step 5

Setup on location. Once you get to your location you need to make sure your dish has clear line of sight to the sky. Make sure there are not too many trees or buildings that will interfere with your signal.
Step 6

Put the dish on top of your car, a table or on a tripod (depending on what type of portable dish system you bought). Again, make sure you have clear line of site to the sky. Run the satellite coaxial cable to the area where your TV will be. You will point the dish later once the TV and satellite receivers are powered up.
Step 7

Start your generator if you have one. It is best to put the generator as far from the TV viewing site as possible so the noise and fumes are not near you and your guests. If you are using your car battery and inverter set that up at this time.
Step 8

Connect the satellite dish to the satellite receiver by putting the coaxial cable from the satellite feed into the "satellite in" connection on the receiver. Plug the receiver into the power supply.
Step 9

Connect your TV to the satellite receiver. It is best to use RCA connectors, red, yellow and white. Plug those into your receiver and then into one of the corresponding inputs on your TV. Connect the TV to the power supply.

How to Program an RCA Universal Remote Control

2009-12-24T23:35:00.000-08:00

How to Program an RCA Universal Remote Control

By eHow Contributing Writer

It takes just a few steps to program an RCA Universal Remote Control using the Automatic Code Search method. While there may be some trial and error, the pleasure of getting rid of several extra remote controls will far outweigh the hassle in getting it programmed.

Step 1

Turn on the component you want to program.
Step 2

Press and release the component button on your remote that corresponds to the component you want the remote to operate (TV, VCR, etc.). The illuminated ON-OFF button will turn on and remain on.
Step 3

Press both the component and the ON-OFF buttons. The illuminated ON-OFF button will turn off, and then will come back on.
Step 4

Release both buttons after the ON-OFF button turns back on. The button should remain illuminated.
Step 5

Press and release the PLAY button. If the component does not respond after five seconds, continue to press the PLAY button every five seconds until the component turns off.
Step 6

Press and release the REVERSE button when the component turns off, then wait to see if the component turns on again.
Step 7

Press and release the STOP button to save the new code.