As ludicrous as it seems, today’s HDTVs still share something in common with those bulky old cathode tube-style TVs of yesteryear - they’re placed on stands or cabinets. But regardless of where the TV sits, it would be ideal to only see it, when it’s on. Leaving aside aesthetic considerations, the mechanics for hiding a TV are attainable by just about anyone - requiring just a lift mechanism, a cabinet and the ability to assemble it all together.

Pop Goes The TV
A TV not only takes up space when it’s on a stand, it also tends to dominate a room. This isn’t a good thing when you’ve a small bedroom. Chief’s CM2L40 Automated Pop-Up Lift brings the TV to you, only when you want it. It works inside of a piece of custom cabinetry and has two positions, “show” and “store.” The motor raises the lift as much as 40-inches, with it collapsing to a stored height of only 31-inches. Control options include an IR remote, serial communication, and a hard button. It can handle a flat panel (and possibly one of the now very lightweight DLP, such as a Samsung LED model) from 31-to-61 inches weighing up to 190 lbs.

Auton Motorized Systems also makes a number of automated lifts, such as their Slim Lift for Plasma and LCD TVs. It’s good for when space is at a premium, and there’s something really cool about seeing a TV suddenly emerge for viewing. They’ve also the Plasma/LCD Smart series (which has the RF receiver built into the motor), as well as the Plasma Lift & Swivel series which comes in different sizes for displays up to 74-inches. This offers an optional remote controlled swivel feature, so those viewing don’t need to be directly in front of the display. This feature is well suited for larger living rooms with multiple seating options. Auton doesn’t sell to the consumer directly, its products can only be acquired and installed by a custom installer.

Another company making motorized TV lifts is Lift-Tech. Their LT-500/500-S series designed for viewing heavier TVs like rear-projection DLP models, while the LT-200/200-S handles plasma screens (the “S” series including motorized swiveling). Certainly these work well in bedrooms, but as long as you have a cabinet, the display can pop up in any room. Additionally, all of these lifts are built to order based on the dimensions of the TV.

A new entry for lifts comes from Draper, best known for projection screens. Their recently announced Conceal/Reveal Flatscreen Lift handles displays up to 65-inches and comes in three sizes - each able to open to a height approximately 2.5 times the display’s height. The lift comes with a special “creep” mode to prevent vibrations during operation along with built-in power surge line overload protection.

Now to be realistic, while the actual attaching of the lift to TV and it’s placement inside the cabinet can be done by someone with fair skills, the cabinet itself will need to be custom made. Unless you’re a master carpenter or just plain enjoy home improvement challenges, it’s better to search for companies that will do this for you.

What Goes Down Must Come Up
Another option is concealing the display overhead or in the ceiling. There will be building and safety codes to take into consideration, along with electrical issues. If this is a DIY job, plan on doing some serious research. But assuming that you move forward either alone or with an installer, there’s something really cool about having a display lower itself on command. Auton makes a Ceiling Flip-Down that drops 7-inches and then tilts vertically for viewing (up to 95 degrees). After watching, a press of the remote flips it back up to lie horizontally against the ceiling.

Chief makes one of these too (the CM2C40 Automated Ceiling Lift), but you must have an attic/open space above the ceiling since it will be stored there when not in use. Working with 31-to-61-inch flat panel TVs weighing up to 190 lbs, it travels up to 40-inches at more than 2-inches a second, while taking up just 31-inches of storage space above the ceiling. The “store” and “show” positions are customizable and can be fine-tuned during installation, with an integrated cable management system helping to keep the wiring and A/V cables contained and secure.

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