Entertainment Center

In 2005 our old projector TV died and we bought a new (what used to be called a table model) TV and it didn't have a stand (our old TV was a console projector), so I got busy in the shop.   The TV weighed about 120# plus I wanted a DVD player, video input (Satellite, or Streaming), a center speaker, and an AVR receiver/amp (weight 40Lbs. on the stand so it had to be strong.   I used mortise and tenon constructon in the entire frame except for the top and shelf edge joints which I used biscuits (loose tenon).   The top is made of edge joined 2X8 SYP (southern yellow pine) and the frame's legs and cross supports under the shelves are 1 1/2" square pine.   The shelves are made of edge joined 3/4" pine.   All vertical and horizontal frame members use mortise and tennon glued joints.   Shelves and top edge joints use #20 biscuit joints, shelves and top also use #20 biscuits in the joint to the frame supports.   In the rear is a 1 X 12 stiffener which helps to maintain the stand's rectangular dimension (prevents parallelogram collapse).

In 2016, the stand is still in use but with a different TV, and the name has morphed to Entertainment Center.  

In August of 2021, I got tired of looking at the cable mess under the TV stand, so I decided to practice a little cable management, and built a cable tray to support the cables and plug strips, out of sight.  

The old (#2, Sony) TV and stand from the front (yes, I need to clean up the cables).   This guy croaked after 8 years.

Closer view of just the stand.   Note, this is when we still had carpet in the Den.

Right top view   The frame is made from 2 x 2 (1-1/2 x 1-1/2) with mortise and tennon joints.   All joints with 1x attached to the 2x frame are loose tennon (biscuits).

Right front view of bottom shelf.

Left end of top.

Left middle shelf end support.

Left end of bottom shelf.

Rear stiffener   The purpose of the stiffener, is to prevent a parallelogram collapse of the stand.

Stiffener top detail, notice how its mortised into the table top.

Newer TV #3, (2013, Samsung UHD), floor now laminate, etc. but same TV stand.   Still works very well at 8 years old.

Its now 2021, and I'm making the first modification to the TV Stand in 16 years.   The cables visible under (behind) the TV Stand are ugly, and have been so for many years.   I will place a special cable tray or trough at the back of the stand Just below the bottom shelf, please see diagram.

Our entertainment center (name morphed from TV Stand).

What you see from the den.   Green speaker cables, plug strips, and power cables.   I will attach the cable management tray under the back edge of the bottom shelf.   It will have all power and cable connections, with the exception of Tv Antenna, Cat5 for local network, and 4 speaker channels..

A look from behind the Ecenter.   Even more cables.   There are two plug strips, 10 devices (some wall warts that take up more than one socket in width).

I will place a special cable tray or trough at the back of the stand Just below the bottom shelf.   I built some of these when I lived on Stillwater street in Mesquite.   In the game room, I had built an 11' wide, 2 position computer and network work area, and needed to keep all the cables off the floor.   I built a 5' cable tray, much like this one, for each side.   This tray will be open ended and consist of a 5" vertical board with two other pieces, one horizontal and another small vertical as a lip in front, please see Diagram below.   These will hold all the cables and plug strips that normally end up on the floor.   I left extra space on each end so I could plug wall-warts into the end plug of the plug strips.  

Click for Larger Pic

In the glue

A little different perspective.

Closer look at the cable tray for the back of the Entertainment Center.

The pocket holes on one end, the pocket hole screws will go into the legs below the bottom shelf.

Bottom of the cable tray, after sanding and before paint.   Also note, the two white plug strips on the bench behind the cable tray.

Here the tray is laying on it's back.

The back of the cable tray, painted and ready to install.   Note the two plugstrips laying on the workbench behind the tray, they will be attached to the tray, on the back side, and all devices will be pulgged into them.

The pocket holes in the left end, these will be screwed to the inside of the rear legs under the bottom shelf.

Front of the cable tray, this side will be seen under the Entertainment Center.

B4: Wide shot of East end of the den, note the jumble of wire below the TV stand.

B4: The other devices and the cable mess below the stand.   You can see the Roku and HDMI switch on right top of stand.   Also note the two DVD players are stacked on the middle shelf.

You can just see the lower end of the cable tray (Red Arrow) beneath the bottom shelf.   Note, the two DVD players are separated, and the Roku and HDMI switch are now on the middle shelf.

This doesn't get rid of the cables, it just hides them from the front.

Close look at the 8 port 1Gb Netgear switch for all the devices on the entertainment center.

Final install, under normal lighting, you can't see the wires.

Close up, with flash, you can just see the wires on the floor at the rear corners.

Real close with flash.   You can still see some HDMI cables behind the HDMI switch and the ROKU on the middle shelf. The right end of the lower shelf is our UHD BluRay player, and on top of it are the HDMI switch, and the Roku Ulta.   The metal front box on the lower shelf left is the Entertainment PC (or EPC).   In the center of the next shelf up is the Harmony Hub, you can see the mini blaster on the top shelf (with the TV) in front of the TV's IR sensor.

You can just barely see the dark optical cable going to the sub-woofer on the left.   Apparantly, they don't make the old optical AC3 cables in white.