1. Notice how striking entertainment centers look when the TV fits perfectly inside? To get the best results, double-check the width of your TV. Don't trust the diagonal screen measurement: a 32-inch flat panel TV may have different width than a 32-inch rear projection or traditional TV. Use our handy Flat Panel Width and Traditional TV Width guides to help you get the perfect fit.
2. Let loose your inner decorator! Choose black or silver laminates for modern decor, white or light wood for cheery rooms, medium or dark wood for more cozy formal settings - you get the idea. Closed shelving is more reserved and demure, while open shelving makes a room look bigger.
3. It's often hard to judge how big an entertainment center is from photos. We always include furniture dimensions so you can make a simple mockup in your home using cardboard, masking tape, or string to make sure your choice of entertainment center fits well in your room.
4. Flat screen TVs keep getting bigger and lighter. In contrast, older traditional TV screens are fatties. Check an entertainment center's weight limits to make sure it will safely hold that old behemoth.
5. Fantastic new gadgets are invented daily. Expandable entertainment centers with adjustable shelves adapt better and grow with you to accommodate the latest must-have electronics.
6. Solid wood furniture is usually more expensive, but it's almost always stronger. With a little care it looks great for ages, and it's easy to repair if chipped or dinged. Laminates and veneers are more affordable, clean up with a wipe, and offer an endless variety of finishes, from gloss black to impressive imitations of the most exotic woods.
7. How's it hangin'? Flat panel mounts allow you to hang your TV like a picture frame, floating in space. Add glass shelving for the ultimate gravity-free look.
8. People who dress up know black goes with everything. All electronics look gorgeous in a black laminate entertainment center. Their silver and chrome accents look all the more high-tech, and blinky lights are more seductive. Ameriwood, Bush, Homelegance, and Parker House all offer sleek black entertainment centers that hold down reflection to improve viewing.
9. We've got you cornered, with the best selection of hard-to-find corner units. These entertainment centers fit into corners much more efficiently than standard designs, saving you space and pointing the TV into the room so everybody gets a great view.
10. Let there be lights! We like entertainment centers with built-in lighting. When you're picking out your next movie or CD in your cozy dark room, trying to read the tiny lettering on the box, you'll be glad you don't have to snap on the ceiling light and wreck the mood.
