CEDIA 2010 Atlanta – Attendees of CEDIA Expo are seeing a wider variety of TV mounting options that boast full or partial motion capabilities, more robust remote control, as well as thinner designs with lighter construction.
Here are some highlights from the show floor.
Bell’O International has added to its line a heavy-duty articulating-arm model designed for very large, heavy flat panels.
The 7848 articulating-arm wall mount supports TVs up to 70 inches and up to 200 pounds and can extend them up to a distance of 28.5 inches from the wall. It is constructed of high-gloss steel in a piano-black finish. Bell’O added decorative molded black plastic covers to maintain an attractive look, even at full extension, the company said.
The 7848’s tilting mechanism allows one person to easily tilt the display with no assistance, Bell’O said, and can be locked for permanent positioning with an included Allen key that stores in the mount. This mount expands to accommodate VESA mounting configurations from 300mm by 200mm to 850mm by 650mm. Available now, is has a suggested retail of $499.
Chief has a multitude of introductions, including the presentation of its Thinstall low-profile swing arm wall mounts. The mounts are meant to be used with “all types” of flat-panel TVs; they have a 1.5-inch profile, extend up to 25 inches for viewing from any angle, and support as much as 125 pounds.
Features include Centris fingertip tilt, forged steel arms, the company’s Centerless lateral shift feature, multiple cable paths, a wide-open wall plate and all necessary hardware. A full line of Thinstall accessories will be available in the coming year, Chief said, but the first to be produced and shown at CEDIA is a component shelf that can be used above or below the TV. Other accessories to come include camera shelves, speaker adapters surge adapters, a portrait adapter and a cable wall channel.
The first Thinstall model is slated to ship in November, with other models releasing in 2011. Prices will range from $99 to $499.
Elexa is showing off its MC600 cantilever mount ($199), which is engineered to support a flat-panel TV measuring 32 to 55 inches and measuring up to 150 pounds. It extends from 14 to 16 inches from the wall and has dual arms that will pan up to 10 degrees.
Each mount comes with a built-in bubble level, stud finder with battery, small extension arms and hardware. Pricing wasn’t given.
China-based E-Mount is making its CEDIA debut with a line of more than 400 SKUs of flush, tilt, cantilever, projector and ceiling mounts for the integrator channel.
OmniMount is displaying its recently announced LED series of mounts designed specifically with today’s lighter TV panels in mind.
The LEDP75 is a full-motion mount built to fit any LED, LCD or plasma TV up to 75 pounds and offers Dual-Mode Installation for low profile, on-wall mounting or flush in-wall mounting. Mounted on the wall, the mount is fully enclosed in its casing. Mounted in-wall, the casing acts as a recessed box and allows for a flush installation. In addition to traditional tilt, pan and swivel, it also offers ArmGlide, allowing for 11.35 inches of lateral arm travel.
Also on display are two different sized panel suspension systems, the LEDW60 and LEDW120, to secure a TV to a wall on a base and wire system that functions like a picture frame hook and line system. Once the TV is mounted, the built-in kickstand supports the flat-panel base away from the wall to free up space for wiring.
Each includes a universal hardware kit plus multiple suspension cables. The LEDW60 supports panels from 23 inches to 55 inches up to 60 pounds, and the LEDW120 supports 42- to 75-inch TVs up to 120 pounds. The systems are rated to hold loads at least four times their published rating without fail, after being tested at 240 pounds and 480 pounds, respectively.
The LEDP75, LEDW120 and LEDW60 are offered at suggested retails of $249, $149 and $99.95 respectively. Designed and engineered in the USA, the mounts are currently available and shipping.
Another CEDIA newcomer, PLD Studios, the California-based design studio founded last year by industrial designer Chen Lien “Nick” Dong, is displaying its line of “intelligently conceived, cleverly designed” mounting solutions that “balance efficient function with a touch of whimsy.”
According to Dong, most of PLD’s off-the-shelf products can also be customized in the company’s studio for mounting TVs on or in any surface or piece of furniture in any living or work space. PLD stands for Postmodern Living Products, and most of the line is remote controlled.
In addition to its broad line of mounting solutions, Premier Mounts will be exhibiting its CPA-50 compact power amplifier for use with its Uni series of short-throw projection mounts.
The stand-alone product features three stereo inputs and a discrete microphone input with mixer, along with separate line and microphone gain adjustments. It also has a control port for an optional external volume control box, the WP-50, which can be located up to 100 feet away from the CPA-50.
The CPA-50 “consumes little power,” according to the company, and automatically goes into standby mode if no input signal is detected for 20 minutes, dropping power consumption to 0.8 watts.
The CPA-50 is also sold as an audio kit with speakers (UNI-AUDIO), an audio system with GearBox (UNI-GB+AUDIO), and as part of the UNI series of projector arm mounts (UNI-STA+AUDIO, UNI-EXT+AUDIO and UNI-DS+AUDIO).
It will retail for $349 and is shipping now.
Sanus is introducing two new full-motion additions to its Super Slim mounting line, the Vision Mount VMF308 and the VLF311. Both mounts offer a 1-inch profile depth and full-motion movement with up to 8 inches and 11 inches of extension, respectively. Both feature a cable-management guide and a proprietary gliding system “that allows for effortless lateral TV shifting,” the company said.
Sanus is also debuting its VisionMount HDpro VXF220 all-weather full-motion wall mount, which features a rust-resistant coating and stainless-steel hardware. It also has exclusive Sanus technologies, including QuickConnect for easy installation; ProSet post-installation height and leveling adjustments; lateral shift adjustment; FollowThru in-arm cable-management channels; and Virtual Axis tilting technology, which allows viewing angle adjustments with the touch of a finger, the company said.
Suggested retail for the VXF220 is $579. Pricing for the VMF308 and VLF311 will be available at the show.
SnapAV has added what it calls a zero-clearance mount to its Strong line of flat-TV mounts. The Razor Fixed Zero-Clearance Mounts are designed for today’s ultra-thin flat-screen TVs and sits 5 mm off the wall. SnapAV claims it to be the lowest-profile fixed mount available on the market.
The mounts support up to 125 pounds and are VESA-compliant. Two sizes are available, and all hardware is included.
Video Mount Products is showing its IWB-1 flat-panel in-wall box adapter ($139), which is set within the wall between two 16-inch studs – allowing the TV to be recess mounted, the company said.
It can accommodate most 15- to 32-inch monitors weighing up to 75 pounds, and comes with a paintable decorative cover. Cable and electrical knockouts are included, along with silver adaptors for the LCD mounts.
Among the introductions from CLO System’s WallWizard brand is the company’s first app-driven motorized mounts.
Among them is the ZA52 swivel table stand. The mount can be controlled by the company’s ControlWand app for iPad, iPod and iPhone via Wi-Fi, and for Blackberry and Android smartphones via Bluetooth. The app is available for $9.99 and a required Wi-Fi/Bluetooth accessory is available from authorized dealers at a selling price of $119.99.
The ZA52 fits most 32- to 52-inch TVs up to 100 pounds and comes in at a sharp $199 retail price point.
