[Mikelowry]

I've decided i'm buying a Panasonic th42px70 to go on my chimney breast using a tilted wall mount, and I want to utilise the fireplace to put the dvd home cinema, virgin box and video recorder, now this is what im not sure what to do, ive seen some nice ideas on here in other threads, I would like to use some spot lights in there to light it up too, but im unsure how to do it, either to just make 1 big opening and maybe buy a stand to fit in it or to make shelves to put each it item on myself, here is a pic of what ive done so far.

Ive decided Im going to buy the panasonic scpt850 and I want to buy the tv and the home cinema next thursday so im hopeing that they will still be the same price as they are on dixons at the mo, can anyone tell me the ideal height the mount the wall bracket up the chimney breast?
All coments appreciated.

[Andy98765]

As for the wall bracket, never too high, sit in your ideal position and imagine looking at the set so as not to get a stiff neck as you have mounted it too high.
As for the home cinema system?
Only one optical in for external sources. Think through EXACTLY what you are going to connect up now and in the near future. For instance I cannot see the need for a video player for much longer, the quality is so poor just wait till you see it on the big screen.
Virgin cable, check out this site for all the people who have poor quality on the SD service, so if you upgrade to say Virgin HD there is the first optical cable needed for 5.1. Will not be long before BLU-Ray becomes the norm (price), what happens then, another optical lead? Don't rush into things too quick, get the TV, mount it and hopefully enjoy it. Then look into getting an audio system that will handle many sources.

[Mikelowry]

Also my missus wants to keep a video player, are there any panasonic video players? I would like to keep all the same gear.

[Andy98765]

Updating the Video player will not make things any better. If it is for recording TV the best way is a PVR which is built in to the likes of Virgin/SKY/Freeview. If it is a hand full of old films then it would be cheaper to to replace with DVD's.
I did the same for my wife over four years ago, brought SKY+ and put the Video in the cupboard and said if she did not get on with SKY+ I would get it back out, well four weeks later we got rid of it.

[Mikelowry]

I would love to get rid of it, but the woman is adament she wants to keep a video player, my missus says she still watches films, As for virgin hd, what channels do they do? in hd? I carnt see me upgrading to a blu ray or hd dvd within the next couple of years, everything will be accessable, I intend to cut a hole in the chimney breast which will be hidden behind the telly and fit some ducting to run all the wiries through, and use a cable tidy or some conduet which will be visable but like I say I want to be able to access it, At the mo I will be just connecting up a virgin v box, video recorder, and the home cinema, and the wii, can anyone tell me what height they have there tv, I would like a messurement from floor to bottom of the tv.

[bytesize]

Hi, just to say that I have built my AV gear into my fireplace, will take some photos tomorrow and post on my website. Hopefully will give you and your other half some ideas ..

[Mikelowry]

Look forward to it, thanks.

[Mikelowry]

Any inspiration much apreciated!

[Beerfuelledman]

My AV install starts tomorrow with the removal of a fireplace standing some 4'3" tall. Panny PX70 arrives on Weds and have a Sony HTDDW890 6.1 awaiting. Main concern at the minute is the wiring to the TV through the Chimney. I have no HDMI inputs yet (Xbox & HDDVD via VGA & a freeview HDD via Scart & Optical) but bought a cable to put in place in case I need it in the future.

Incidently, my freeview box, DTR0207, is brilliant for recording programs, excellent for converting Luddite wives

Going to put a small burner/stove in the fireplace hole, want to keep some sort of living room feel instead of filling it with AV equipment personally.

[Mikelowry]

I forgot to take a picture as it was before, but we just had a fire surround, with marble back and harth, the back had a cut out in it but we had just covered it with a mirror, we have a bay window where the current tv is and we want to put our 2 seater in there makeing more room, so thats the main reason for it going on the fireplace, I carnt really do much untill we get the chimney baloon, which should be here on friday, Im going to run a cable from my nearest socket and install 2 double sockets in there then plaster board the inside on saturday hopefully, will be buying/ ordering the tv and system on saturday too, if I dont get time thurs or fri!

[Mikelowry]

This is how it is at the mo.

[Mikelowry]

Just phoned virgin and we can upgrade to v+ for free but will have to pay a £70 instalation charge, but does anyone know what colour the box is? I want a black box!, and would the box have audio out?

Just got the tentative go ahead from the 'lady in charge' to move the 42" plasma from a corner stand to the wall over the fireplace... only took nearly a years worth of saved brownie points to get her to agree . I plan to put all the AV boxes into the fireplace then maybe smoke glass the front. I can't find any pictures on any sites to give me ideas though. Has anyone seen any ?

[dalex1]

got this passed by the better half and finished just before xmas
hard graft but worth it
tip:-buy and install a cable for every connection on the back of the tv even if you dont need them now

dave

[Mikelowry]

Any chance of a closer picture of the fireplace where the shelves are?

[dalex1]

couple of build photos if they help

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shelves are glass from a local glass supplier,hardened and chamfered

dave

[v CJ v]

Nice set up.

What's the viewing angle like, when sat at the sofa?

[Mikelowry]

Can I ask how much it cost to have the glass shelves made? How long did it take them?

[dalex1]

10 days from pilkington glass as they had to be sent for hardening and chamfering ,about £50 for all 3 shelves
here is how the cables exit ,white bits are e blocks to fasten sliding side in and the side is notched just enough to let cables through

[img=http://img529.imageshack.us/img529/7454/build007ux7.th.jpg]




anything else just ask mate
dave

[Mikelowry]

Where did you get the little pins from that hold the shelving up? I got a price for 3 glass shelves to be made will cost me £20 each. So thats what im going to do I think, carnt do it untill its been plastered so I can get an acurate messaure, Ive started building the bottom shelf today, will get that finnished and get the 2 plug sockets in and get it plasterboarded 2moro, carnt put the ceiling bit of plasterboard in because the chimney baloon hasnt come yet, so that needs to be fitted and a core hole drilled for the wires to run through the wall.

[dalex1]

all the hardware and 19mm mdf came from good old B&Q
cables from http://www.audiovisualonline.co.uk/dynamic/home.html
not sure if naming suppliers is allowed on here ,if its not please delete post,
shelf holders were clear plastic but really when the av hardware is in you cant see a thing,
note for you leave plenty room around the hardware for cooling and cables at the back and the glass manufacturer quoted + or - 2mm with my sizes and guess what they were +2mm which was another adjustment to the shelve unit
best of luck
dave

[Mikelowry]

Well ive been busy this weekend but I bought the telly and cinema system from Manders in Grimsby for £1150, which included a wall mount bracket, 3m hdmi lead and 3m scart lead and 3 years gaurentee, Currys just refused to give any discount and didnt have any 42px70's in stock anyway. I hired a drill and a diamond tip'd core drill bit, drilled 2 holes for all the leads, built the bottom shelf, put the lats in, installed the chimney baloon (came saturday morning) wired in 2 double plug sockets and plasterboarded the back of the fireplace, I ran out of lats and the wood I got for the bottom shelf isnt big enough so I need to get a bigger peice 2moro, then I need to get it plastered asap, going to fit the wall mount bracket 2moro aswell, then I can order the glass shelves.

[Mikelowry]

Ive been busy over the weekend, I got the wood and cut that to fit, ive changed the top of it, by having a small plaster part at the front and then a bit of wood behind that so that can come out and go in easily, if I need to get to the leads.

Ive used 8 of theese for the wall mount! Do think this will be sufficent?

Nice and level.

With the tv up.

The plasterer is comeing on friday do the plastering so then I will be able to order the glass shelves, Virgin are coming monday afternoon to fit the V+ box, Im quite happy with it so far but Im just a little bit concerned that it might be too high, this could just be because our old telly has just been sat on the coffee table for the last year so im used to the telly being low, ive got the option to lower the tv slightly on the wall mount.
Opionions people.

[pickle123]

can you tilt the tv?

[Mikelowry]

No its not a tilting bracket.

[Mikelowry]

Well the plastering has been done, the glass shelving has been ordered, ive decided to wall mount the 2 front speakers, everything is wired up, the painting has been done, the joiner is comeing 2moro to fit the skirting in front of the chimney breast. Ive got the 850 connected via hdmi2 the V+ connected by hdmi1, the wii connected by component, the V+ connected to the 850 by opticle, the wii connected to the 850 by phono extension leads. The sub is mounted on the bottom shelf, with the centre speaker and the wii, the V+ is on the middle and the 850 on the top, ive also connected a scart incase I need to connect anything else. here are some pics.

The wireing was a pain, trying to hide them all in the conduet on each side.

I will post another pic when the glass shelves are in and the skirting is on, but were very happy with it.

[dalex1]

looking good there mate
hard work but worth it me thinks
wii is great on plasma for the kids,and big kids
best of luck
dave

[incentive]

sorry to dissapoint but you can't spur off ring main mate, unless you feed it back into the ring. won't be 32a rated.

but the install looks spot on.

[Markie Boy]

Looks good but the centre speaker is far too low.

[ZippyCat]

Originally Posted by incentive

sorry to dissapoint but you can't spur off ring main mate, unless you feed it back into the ring. won't be 32a rated.

but the install looks spot on.

You can spur off the ring once but not twice as has been done. In addition the route taken with the twin and earth is not in compliance with the 16th edition (nor the 17th for that matter). It would have been better to run the cable/s horizontally and either spur off the ring once, or extend the ring if both sockets are required.