design over function

[Steve]

I was out TV shopping the other day. In Currys where they have rows of TVs on display. I noticed on the back of most TVs, the connections were flat on the back panel. Now, where is the sense in this? I bought a TV a couple of years ago, a Philips, whose connections were underneath, in a recessed ledge, so they were not visible from the front, but still easy to get at when wall mounted.

So I bought a Toshiba TV, full HD and wangled a 5 year warranty out of them (Empire showroom), because they didnt have the 32 inch in stock. I got a 37 inch instead.

I hung it on the wall today (when I eventually found the bag of assorted bolts the wall mount came with 2 years ago), and then decided to plug everything in. Ah. No, it wasn't happening. Put simply, it is impossible using a standard mount to plug in the leads with the TV hung on the wall. I had to sort of balance the TV between my knee and my chin, while stretching the cables down from the hole. Then nearly broke my fingers tucking the wires back in! And my HDMI cable is horribly bent where it has to turn a sharp corner out the back of the TV.

What was so wrong with having the plugs on the bottom????

(Good job it wasnt a plasma screen, cos they are b****y heavy!)

 

[FourFootMedia]

One of our Sony ones (older) has the connectors in recesses coming out sideways from a central column down the rear center (similar to this), nice and easy to plug/unplug when mounted.
The other two (newer) have them in recesses pointed straight back, as you say, an annoyance to plug/unplug but not too much of an issue when you just connect a single HDMI cable and pipe everything through it. Seems they took a step backwards with new sets.

 

[tim west]

Check it wasnt designed that way on purpose for you to use a special bracket to keep it a distance away from the wall for airflow.

 

[Steve]

The instructions with the TV said nothing about wall mounting. At all. But the TV has VESA compatible wall mount holes.

In the new year I might buy a new wall mount with a tilt function, so I can tilt it downwards slightly.

Anyway, its sat quite happily on my timber framed wall, fixed securely to the studs, so I'm not too fussed. Everything works.