Entertainment Cabinet Configurations/Ventilation (1 Viewer)

[Jack Platt]

Guys,

What has always bugged me about some of these entertainment furnature pieces is that they often don't allow enough room for ventilation. We have a cabinent where room is provided for our TV which sits on top and a large opening for our DVD/VCR combo unit. On top of that unit sits our digital cable box. We have had the same config for over 3 years with no problems to this day. Well today, I am dusting the unit and find that there are two ventilation openings in the back of the VCR/DVD combo that the cable box sits on. But unfortunately, one of the vent openings is obstructed by the cable box. The TV is a 32" 7-year old Sony which has to sit on something. The top of the TV unit only has about 1/4 in. space and is slightly slanted on an angle. There is no place to move the cable box to allow for total non-obstruction from the vent openings. The little stand alone tables that stuff can sit on look like crap apperence wise and take away from the quality apperence of what the furinture unit was designed to do. (which is why we don't have one.)

There has been no evidence of excessive heat build up by having one of the vents blocked by the cable box. In the comming years, we may look at a wall mount flatscreen TV to allow the top of the cabinet to be "free." But how many of you have had this problem or issue where you are forced to have your electronics stuff in a confined area?

Jack

 

[Dick Knisely]

About 9 years ago when I bought our 32" Sony tube (probably alot like yours) I spent far more time looking for furniture than the TV. Most stuff wasn't deep enough front-to-back and way too much of it had enclosed areas intended for the other components. That was a fatal flaw for me every time. Eventually I did find something that let me (at the time) keep everything on open shelf areas.

Despite that, I added more openings and enlarged the few that were in the back panels for cables and for ventilation.

Right now I have more gear and have the TiVo and the cable box in an enclosed cabinet under the TV. Again I enlarged the back opening and added a second one. I also warped the back panel out a tad so a little warm air could rise up and out. It gets warm in there but TiVo reports its temperature which I check occasionally and its never gotten above the top end of its normal range.

Oh yeah, if you have vertical space, one thing you can do is to put some spacers between the stacked components. I found some big (~1.25" high) rubber stoppers/corks/whatchamacallems that I could put between the cable box and TiVo to allow a little air to circulate and that seems to have helped.

 

[Bob McElfresh]

A generic CATV box does not tend to generate much heat so obscuring the vent holes has not caused much problems in the past.

But the new generation of PVR's (with hard-drives) are a different matter. My Dish Network PVR is the hottest box in my rack. Even the Yamaha A1 reciever runs cooler.

In the summer months, I have a $15 AC fan with a clip that simply clamps to the back of a shelf and circulates air over the hotter box's.

(Did I mention I dont have a back on my cabinent?)