AV Furniture Buyer's Guide

Whether at home, in the office or in the classroom, now that you've selected the audio and visual equipment that best suits your needs, the next step is finding the right furniture to house it. In fact, this is almost as crucial as the equipment you buy.

As with any other purchase, you should consider your needs to ensure you find the right AV furniture for your environment. How large is your setup? Is it portable? Do you need to dress it up for an audience or are you looking for a simplistic way to present it?

Here are a few types of AV furniture you might consider purchasing:

• Lecterns
• Media carts
• Racks
• Drapery
• Table stand

Lecterns

Lecterns and podiums are the perfect touch for creating dynamic and flawless presentations,whether you're in a church, school or conference room.The slanted top of the lectern is designed for speakers to holdtheir notes and speeches in front of them while addressing an audience.Ranging in size and portability, lecterns are also designed to set up a microphone, though these days many come with built-in mics and PA systems.

 

 

 

Media Carts

When portability is your most important concern, media carts are great for moving your AV setup from location to location. You'll typically see these carts in school settings or offices. They're designed with several shelves to house your various components. Often, you'll find the shelves are adjustable so you can set each one to the height you desire.

 

 

 

 

Racks

Racks are used for fixed AV setups, housing the components of your system in a set location. There are several types of racks to choose from. Freestanding racks come from minimal skeleton designs to those that are fully enclosed. You might opt for an in-cabinet that's installed in cabinetry and pulls out for access. Or you might choose a rack that mounts to your wall.

 

 

Drapery

If you're going to have an audience, drapery will help enhance the look of your AV setup. Drapery is great for professional presentations, such as conferences and conventions, but you might also want to use it to give your home theater the look and feel of a real cinema.

 

 

 

 

Table Stands

This is the most basic piece of AV furniture you can purchase. This is the type you'll generally find for a home television set up. Your monitor or television will rest on top of it, usually with a couple of shelves underneath for other components, such as DVD players or gaming systems, as well as media, like DVDs, Blu-ray discs, CDs and games.