entertainment center

Antique or modern reproduction armoires or standing cabinets are used for entertainment centers, as are shelves and shelving systems. Part of the purpose of an entertainment center is to neatly house the many wires and cables that are associated with audio and video components, and they often contain dedicated areas (either drawers or other spaces) for storage of records, videotapes, CDs and/or DVDs. • Illustration — Contemporary TV stand. A TV stand is usually a smaller item of furniture, large enough to support an average television of the 1970s or 1980s (with a boxy footprint), often with some additional media components in a cabinet below, such as a stereo amplifier or a DVD player. These were often made of wood and equipped with casters. Wheels allowed access to the cabling from behind, access for cleaning behind and beneath, and permitted temporary relocation of the television for specific viewing scenarios. Also becoming at the same time much thinner, and more suited to permanent fixture. During this transition, TV stands gave way to entertainment centers in many homes. In many homes, an entertainment center is often placed in the living room, family room, recreation room, or bedroom. Audioholics reviewer James Larson criticized entertainment centers for causing bad performance in speaker systems, poor ventilation of electronics, poor access to cables and connections, and restrictions on television sizes. According to Larson, a better choice is "a low-profile, minimalist TV stand".