LCD HDTV Ventilation

[Modeps]

In considering a new HDTV, I've determined that the best fit for my existing entertainment center would be a 42" Sharp Aquos. I have one issue though, and that is my little 1.7yr old daughter... she likes to touch everything.

I'm wondering how feasible if I took a big piece of lexan, cut it to fit, and made a big window in front of the TV. This would effectively close off the area the TV would fit in, although it would still be vented at the top.. but not by much.

Logic states that it needs more ventilation than that, but I'm not sure how much heat the tv's actually throw.

Any advice?

 

[DBL]

Many TV's come with an additional brace which can be fastend to a wall behind the TV for this very purpose.

 

[Modeps]

Originally posted by: DBL

Many TV's come with an additional brace which can be fastend to a wall behind the TV for this very purpose.

I was concerned about the tipping factor, but I'm also concerned about the fingerprint factor.

 

[DBL]

Originally posted by: Modeps
I was concerned about the tipping factor, but I'm also concerned about the fingerprint factor.

So you want to watch HDTV through a piece of plastic? I think I'd just come to grips with the fact that you will need to clean the screen a bit more than usual. Although, I think LCD's do not really attract fingerprints since they generally use more of a matte finish. I'm not positive though.

 

[Modeps]

Originally posted by: DBL

Originally posted by: Modeps
I was concerned about the tipping factor, but I'm also concerned about the fingerprint factor.

So you want to watch HDTV through a piece of plastic? I think I'd just come to grips with the fact that you will need to clean the screen a bit more than usual. Although, I think LCD's do not really attract fingerprints since they generally use more of a matte finish. I'm not positive though.

Say my daughter just ate some crackers and is running around the house... she decides she likes the doggie on the TV and runs over to touch him... you've got more than just normal skin oil on the screen now. I'd rather deal with a bit of glare from external light sources and spray some windex on a piece of plastic and clean them off instead of have a ruined screen.

 

[DBL]

Originally posted by: Modeps

Originally posted by: DBL

Originally posted by: Modeps
I was concerned about the tipping factor, but I'm also concerned about the fingerprint factor.

So you want to watch HDTV through a piece of plastic? I think I'd just come to grips with the fact that you will need to clean the screen a bit more than usual. Although, I think LCD's do not really attract fingerprints since they generally use more of a matte finish. I'm not positive though.

Say my daughter just ate some crackers and is running around the house... she decides she likes the doggie on the TV and runs over to touch him... you've got more than just normal skin oil on the screen now. I'd rather deal with a bit of glare from external light sources and spray some windex on a piece of plastic and clean them off instead of have a ruined screen.

handcuffs? maybe you've got a new business idea?

 

[Modeps]

Haha, no I'm not going to handcuff her, she's just exploring her world... I just want to make sure while she's exploring, she doesn't explore to the magical land of "Ruinedville" where nothing is as nice as it once was.

 

[jalaram]

This is why I still have a 27" SD tube TV. My 3 year old is good about not touching the screen, but my 1 yr old likes to bang his hand on it every now and then.

Seriously, a wall mount would be the best idea. That way she couldn't reach it.

[Edit] I reread the OP and realized that may not be a solution because of the ent. center. How far back can you put the TV? Far enough that she can't reach it?

 

[dainthomas]

Originally posted by: Modeps
Haha, no I'm not going to handcuff her, she's just exploring her world... I just want to make sure while she's exploring, she doesn't explore to the magical land of "Ruinedville" where nothing is as nice as it once was.

Get one of those invisible dog fences.

 

[sdifox]

put a big coffee table in front of the tv? make the edge of the table bigger/longer than her reach?

Also train her to not climb the table.

 

[montypythizzle]

Originally posted by: sdifox
put a big coffee table in front of the tv? make the edge of the table bigger/longer than her reach?

Also train her to not climb the table.

That sounds like an awesome idea.

 

[Modeps]

The entertainment center doesnt really lend itself to having anything in front of it, nor does it allow for me to sink the tv far back in to avoid little fingers

 

[Wuzup101]

It's never too early to start teaching responsibility. Teach her that she cannot touch the TV set (IE: show her that you can leave finger prints on it, show her that you have to clean it, and tell her that she wouldn't want to damage the screen that daddy just bought). Honestly, by 18 months, a child should be able to be told not to do something (not saying it will be easy or a one step process). However, in the long run it will probably be a better solution than putting a piece of plastic in front of it.

As far as your initial idea, it all really comes down to ambient temperature in the room and how much ventilation you are getting. How big are the holes coming out of the top of the center? Is there any way you could stick some small low RPM fans up there? My 40" Samsung LCD does throw off a little bit of heat. However, not nearly as much as my computer. As long as there is a little bit of ventilation and the ambient room temp isn't 100F, you should be fine. It's very unlikely that the temperatures generated by the set in a non insulated area (IE: an area that was not designed to keep heat in) would damage the set. You wouldn't think twice about using an LCD on a hot summer day (say 100F) outside if you had it in like a gazebo or something. I personally wouldn't worry about it in this case either.

On a side note, I do like the other posters suggestions of wall mounting it or putting a coffee table in front of it, etc... However, I realize that this may not work in your situation (as you said). Do you have any ability to adjust your entertainment center? Or are you pretty much just stuck with what you have?

 

[Tegeril]

Photo of the entertainment center might help with suggestions

 

[montypythizzle]

Originally posted by: Tegeril
Photo of the kid to be assaulted

FIXORDD

 

[oznerol]

My niece is turning 1, and my brother-in-law just ran into a similar problem. He found that mounting it solved everything - it was out of her reach, wouldn't tip over, no cables to tug on, and opened up lots of room to run around.

Maybe that's an option for you?

If you're bent on the plastic screen, just drill some ventilation holes along the sides.

I have a feeling, though, the quality of the screen through the plastic would make the expensive TV purchase unnecessary.

 

[sdifox]

Originally posted by: Modeps
The entertainment center doesnt really lend itself to having anything in front of it, nor does it allow for me to sink the tv far back in to avoid little fingers

huh? are you saying you don't have room?

 

[kalrith]

I also like the idea of placing something in front of the entertainment center to keep her away from it. If a coffee table doesn't work, you could use something to clearly mark that she is not ever allowed to step in the area. An office chair mat flipped upside down would probably work. It would also reinforce the idea if she steps on it barefoot. That's what I use to keep my cats off of my desk when I'm not home.

I think that teaching an 18-month-old not to touch something would be much more difficult than teaching her to not step on the ouchy mat.

 

[Modeps]

Originally posted by: sdifox

Originally posted by: Modeps
The entertainment center doesnt really lend itself to having anything in front of it, nor does it allow for me to sink the tv far back in to avoid little fingers

huh? are you saying you don't have room?

Yeah, I dont have the room. I'll try to find or take a picture to show what it looks like.