Technology for Mortals

There are several types of IR “repeaters” that are relatively inexpensive that allow you to place a “puck” (just like your wireless mouse/keyboard receiver) on top of the cabinet or other convenient place and either an in cabinet emitter or multiple emitters that are attached to the eye of the components in the cabinet. Then your components stay out of sight and still work eliminating the need for glass front cabinet doors. They are compatible with all remotes and are used widely in the AV industry. You should be able to find several to choose from to fit your situation. The added bonus is that your significant other won’t complain about the massive intrusion of technology in their otherwise well decorated living room.

Thanks for the tip! It never occured to me to even look for such a device! I’ll be sure to talk about it with the missus, that will definitely expand our choices!

J.Ja

Don’t you love it when the kids slap the LCD? That’s not the end of it buddy. Just wait till they discover what all the cool buttons do on all the components and they start using the DVDs as toys. One of my Bluetooth adapters was placed in the front of the computer so that it would have range and it got taken out and split wide open. It’s like you almost need a glass door blocking the entire perimeter of the entertainment center.

Yeah, I’ve already had to play a few rounds of "where did Jarrett put that DVD he took out when my back was turned?" And of course, his fingerprints are all over the TV. I am really amazed that no one is making entertainment centers that are designed around this; make it deep and put the TV far back (or put the TV behind glass/plastic), put glass in front of the components with the child locks built in… it’s not like kids and electronics are mutally exclusive.

J.Ja

My 4-year-old son was hiding from me when I came home from work. He sheepishly emerged and said hello. I asked him what was wrong, and he said he was playing "the boom game" earlier, and now the TV doesn’t work. Oh no, I thought, and took a look at the TV. I bought it during last year’s Black Friday, and it was a nice 42" 1080p LCD. I asked him what "the boom game" was, and he described smacking the TV with a toy metal truck. I turned on the TV, and there was a spiderweb crack about 10 inches wide in the center of the screen. Flickering lines of color shot across the cracked panel, but nothing else.

Repair isn’t an option, as I was told that the LCD isn’t replaceable. The techie from the company’s hotline told me that a local furniture store might buy it from me as a prop for $20. I’m thinking the glass on the old tube TVs are much more durable.

Anyway, I found a decent stand for it at Walmart, and the glass doors kept my other son at bay. http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=7801562

Ouch, that’s rough! We ended up finding something suitable, cost me $200 when I really could have used that money in my pocket. Jigged some child locks onto it, and it does the job. Even then, my 18 month old son can worm enough of his hand in there to grab DVDs if we’re not careful.

J.Ja

I had the same problem finding a decent stand. I ended up buying a cabinet designed for a dining room side board, cutting the wood panels out of the doors and installing glass inside

It’s sad, but I sometimes have the urge to buy a full set of word working tools just so I can build these kinds of things myself. Since I’ve been a perpetual renter, I’ve never been willing to invest the money in a lot of tools, since that would lock me in to having to rent places with garages. For what I ended up spending on the TV stand compared to what building one would have been, it would have paid for a decent circular saw… then again, those kinds of cost comparisons are how I ended up learning to do all of my own car work!

J.Ja

Justin,

Here in Santa Barbara we have an excellent Adult Ed program. It includes woodworking classes and access to a variety of machines. You might find similar at a community college or vocational school in your area.