It is common for you to believe that a TV stand is similar to an entertainment center. Indeed, they both serve the same purpose.
But some notable differences between them act as the deciding factor for most buyers. They will, for you too!
If you plan on buying a new television, you must learn these differences to ensure that you pick the best one that suits your needs.
Don’t worry, as we will help you narrow down your choice by pointing out the key differences between TV stands and entertainment centers. This way, you will know how one is better than the other to meet your preferences.
What is a TV Stand?
A TV stand is a single piece of furniture that is built just to accommodate a television unit on its flat base on the top. Not all, but a few high-end TV stands come with shelves for you to store cable boxes or multimedia players.
Some models might also have drawers for you to store remotes, USB drives, and other entertainment accessories. They are useful and are priced low for any medium-sized living room or TV room.
When placed in a big area, TV stands cannot be the focal point of the room’s design. You might have to buy other furniture to fill the area surrounding the TV stand to make it an appealing focal point of the house and the room.
Pros and Cons of a TV Stand
Pros:
- Light in weight
- It can be used in other ways, such as small bar, kitchen storage, etc.
- Compact in size for a smaller living room
- Easy to move around to reposition or set a good visibility angle
Cons:
- Adds a standard look with no aesthetic appeal
- Not suitable for big flat-screen TVs
What is an Entertainment Center?
Entertainment centers are more like wall units and are large pieces of furniture. Different pieces of furniture are integrated to form a single entertainment center.
Apart from the retail options, people also request custom designs for their entertainment center based on the overall interior decor. It intends to act as the prime focal point for the entire room. You will have all the necessary compartments to store everything related to the television and more.
You get shelves, drawers, and cabinets for storage. Some entertainment centers also have glass cabinets for you to put display items in them to add more elegance to the overall view of it.
Embedding lights and crown molding to entertainment centers adds a premium feel. But these large systems are meant only for wide and open rooms.
Pros and Cons of an Entertainment Center
Pros:
- Adds aesthetic appeal to the TV room
- Available in various designs and styles to suit individual design preferences
- A large frame helps in hiding away the cables and plugs
- You get ample storage space
Cons:
- Occupies a lot of space in your living room
- Too heavy to move around for repositioning or setting viewing angle
TV Stand or Entertainment Center- How to Know What Suits Best?
You are now aware of the positives and negatives of entertainment centers and TV stands. So, it is time you take a step towards making your call on what would suit you the best for housing your television and adding an appeal to your room.
Here are a few pointers that will help you conclude what to buy:
- A TV stand is inappropriate if you have kids in your house. Kids might play around and knock off the TV from the table, as the stands are at a reachable height for them. In such cases, an entertainment center will be a great pick.
- If you are tight on space in your property, you don’t have to occupy much of your living room space with an entertainment center. Instead, get a good TV stand that complements your room setup and frees up a lot of space for you to move around.
- If there is no space restriction in your property and you are planning to make the living room appealing, then the entertainment center is your go-to option. A TV stand in such big rooms will make your interior theme dull, with so much vacant space around the television.
- If you have tons of display items, decor essentials, entertainment electronics, gaming consoles, and other such accessories, then a TV stand cannot accommodate them all. Instead, get an entertainment center for the same.
Conclusion
Depending on individual preferences, both TV stands and entertainment centers can be used to the best of their potential. Now that the article has explained all aspects of these furniture pieces, you must decide what would complement your TV set-up and living room the most.
FAQs
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What are the different types of TV stands?
There are ten different types of TV stands for you to consider while buying, which include:
- Corner TV stand
- Open shelving stand
- Console TV stand
- Audio Shelf TV stand
- TV stand cabinet
- Swivel TV stand
- Floating TV stand
- Glass TV stand
- Wooden TV stand
- Metal TV stand
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What does an entertainment center do?
Entertainment centers surround the entire TV compartment space with more storage cabinets, drawers, and glass cabinets. It adds a focal point to the entire living or TV room.
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Should the entertainment center be wider than the TV?
Yes, entertainment centers should be wider than that television. The ready-made stocks often have a free-sized TV compartment space with their entertainment centers to ensure that TVs of varying sizes can be accommodated.
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What is another name for a TV stand?
A TV stand is also called a media or TV console in stores. These names are used interchangeably, but the purpose remains the same.
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How to choose an entertainment center?
You need to consider a few factors before you can finalize your entertainment center, which include:
- Measure the size of the room
- Measure the size of your TV
- Determine the ideal height for your TV’s placement
- Pick the best style that goes well with your room
- Sort through the available options
