I had a crazy idea while trying to fall asleep last night.

I want to turn my Samsung TV into a console. Without actually modifying the TV itself. I want to make a console cabinet to place the TV into, and make it look good too. No seams, make it a tight fit so it looks like the TV was meant to be in the console.

Only thing, were there any floor standing consoles that were even 19"? They always seem to be bigger.

Something like this. The bezel on this console TV looks very close to my TV, so it could be a perfect match!

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ihTz3IIBXUs/TV5vxmca5YI/AAAAAAAAAUQ/n1TaiNAgrIQ/s1600/old+tv+set.jpg

This should be possible. The only thing you may have to do is to build a frame around the CRT if your set is a bit too small. I had relatives who did this with old 3-way entertainment center consoles, when the TV quit; they replaced the old set with a smaller portable. In both cases the original TV was either a 19" or 21" round tube set.

Nineteen-inch and smaller floor-standing consoles were popular in the '50s, with larger sets appearing the following decade. GE made one in 1951 with a 16" CRT; Capehart-Farnsworth also had a 16-inch round-tube console. The larger screen consoles (over 19") often had AM-FM radio, stereo, and a record changer, and were heavy (and large) as the dickens -- some of them were over six feet long, and weighed the proverbial ton. Magnavox made a 25" 3-way entertainment center console in the mid-'60s with 25-inch color TV, AM-FM radio, stereo, phono, and a remote control (called the Phantom) that could operate the entire set. Zenith also had three-way entertainment centers, but the remotes only operated the TV. These consoles looked fabulous (they were usually housed in fine wood cabinets) and worked well when they were in good shape; however, since the TV audio was often routed through the hi-fi stereo amplifier, if for any reason the stereo went bad, the TV had no sound either.

This is what I have planned so far..

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v395/Evilweredragon/ScreenShot2013-01-07at124548PM.png

I don't know, I think it looks ugly.

there are still thousands of perfectly good console sets from the same era as your samsung. sony trinitrons, although you need to check for weak crts, xl100 rca's, chromacolor II's from zenith, maggies, panasonic, quasar, even sylvania sets can be found. go buy one. buy a period correct stand for the samsung. save yourself a lot of cash and headache.

I agree, way too much work and it'll never look right.

Get one of these! Good picture, great quality, cool looking.
this one's a little far from you but...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Space-Age-Eames-era-mod-Zenith-ModelTelevision-pedastal-chromacolor-II-/380546600494?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item589a584e2e

What would a period correct stand look like? I've seen some console TVs have grey plastic bezels that look like table tops stuck in a wooden frame.

I'm not allowed by my dad to get anymore TVs. But he never said anything about a stand.

If you go to that much trouble, maybe one should consoleize a HDTV flat screen.

Brandon -

You said your Samsung TV in a console cabinet looks ugly. I don't think so. In fact, I think you did a very good job of fitting that set into the cabinet; the TV looks like it was made to fit in there, and it doesn't look like you had to do much to the front of the cabinet to make everything fit properly.

I am wondering myself what a "period correct" cabinet for that vintage TV would be. That Samsung TV is from the 1980s, so you'd want a cabinet from that era. Zenith and a few other major TV manufacturers of the time were still making consoles in the 1980s; if you could find one of these sets with either a necked CRT or a bad chassis, you'd have the perfect cabinet in which to put your Samsung TV.

However, since your dad has forbidden you to get any more TVs, I think your only option right now is to find an empty cabinet without a chassis or CRT in it, or, that failing, an entertainment center cabinet in a style that meets with your approval. If you choose to go the latter route, however, watch the dimensions, as some of those cabinets can be huge. A friend of mine has all his video gear (TV, VCR, DVD, stereo) in a floor-to-ceiling cabinet, but it fits since his family room, where the cabinet is located, has a very high ceiling (over eight feet if it's an inch). In my own apartment, I have all my video equipment on one small, dark-oak color utility cart that fits nicely in a corner. The flat screen is on top, the VCR is on the shelf below, and the Blu-ray is on the shelf below that. Nothing fancy, but it works for my purposes and I like the looks of it.

I'm pondering the idea of possibly taking some carpentry classes and making one myself.

Then I could call it mine

You know, I think I'm gonna take a stab at this. I've seen enough console TV's fronts and sides to know how I can pull this off and make it look like the TV was made for it.

Only help I need, is if anyone can take internal pictures of their console TV, showing how the wood panels are constructed inside, including the RF terminals? I'm going to complete this with back cover and RF terminals too, and a nice speaker system to sound like it should too..

But I need some help with internal shots, I'd like to see how wood panels connect to each other, to get an idea for stability.

Here's a picture of my 86 Hitachi, hope it helps!

It does, thanks. So it has some braces against the side, to keep it stable it looks like. I'll need to keep this in mind.

Do you plan on gutting your TV to instal the parts in the cabinet, or yould you just instal the whole TV in the cabinet?

Instal the whole TV into the cabinet. The way the faux woodgrain part of my TV starts, it's a little larger than the bezel itself. I can use this to literally "lock" it in place, and put a brace behind it. So it can't move forward, and it can't move backwards. It won't have a CRT neck cap though, I'm going to make the case as large as the TV itself, so I'll just use begboard on the back.

I will need to get screw terminals for the VHF and UHF antenna connections.

Instal the whole TV into the cabinet. ... it's a little larger than the bezel itself. I can use this to literally "lock" it in place, and put a brace behind it. So it can't move forward, and it can't move backwards. .

http://www.videokarma.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=172283&d=1322354005

That's essentially what I did here, with a big VGA monitor to create a consolized HDTV set

It's going to look like something from the Billy Barty estate. The only practical cabinet for something that size is an upright, like the Sears-Toshiba 16" set.

http://www.earlytelevision.org/images/sears-toshiba_16inch.jpg

If you go to that much trouble, maybe one should consoleize a HDTV flat screen.
Wilkerson makes a nice one.

I have an idea, that consists of a two part console. The base console, that sits on a external stand, made for the console. I'm not going to discuss how this is going to look, but it should look nice when done. I went to lowes today and did some looking around and gathering parts (didn't buy anything yet).

Going with Aspen wood for the console. That's all I'm saying right now.

Ok, well I figured I'd show my plans a little bit.

The little wooden piece under the TV is removable to gain access to color and tint controls.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v395/Evilweredragon/ScreenShot2013-01-13at15332PM_zps02ba3209.png

Interesting project, but it's not a console. It could look like one enough to pass, but a couple of alterations are necessary. First, eliminate the visible gap between the TV and the base. Next, instead of shelves, but a grill cloth in the bottom. Hell, why not put the speaker there.

http://tvontheporch.com/images/img_1373_226x375.jpg

That is a tabletop sitting on a base, looking like a console, which is what you want to do.

There isn't going to be a visible seam between the TV and the wooden panels. It's going to be right against the TV itself.

It doesn't need to sit on the extra stand with shelves, it's only to just make the tv higher. Without it it would stand normally like any other console.

I've seen many consoles with bezels that look like a regular tv put in a stand, like some RCAs.

I might base a few of the designs off of this TV.

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS5sSDKiKmhhVuPrpp6U9kfA0LBrfU-k_JQ4mEr6DqVcrKSaPLjcg

I've seen many consoles with bezels that look like a regular tv put in a stand, like some RCAs.

Yes, I grew up surrounded by them. But they weren't configured so that you had to get on your knees to tune them. If you already recognize that your TV is too small to be a low boy console I don't understand why you insist on making such a cabinet for it.

Because it's my TV and I'd like to do something different with it.

That's why I wanted to make the two piece idea. It's a stand, but it just raises the console itself, and can hold things like game systems and VCR's.

Alternately, you could make it look awesome. Up to you.

I just want it to be functional to hold equipment under it, with a removable shelf, so that way the top can be clean.

you know if its the gray plastic you are worried about looking at, you could make veneer one or more layers thick to cover some of the upper, and lower parts of the plastic, and it would not add too much bulk or depth to it. You would have to be extra careful with it in those spots........ I'm thinking of putting a big panasonic 34WXJ54 into a cabinet with a stereo and record player, kinda home made air craft carrier..... I think it may be as big as our couch, so its not been built yet.... Plus I'll get to name it..... Like I can call it "The Lexington" or "The Big House" and put a spot for the cat to hide out inside.... I was going to make a veneer edge to cover up some of the plastic, yet try to have it not look like the tv is 3/4" or more behind a wood frame. Keep the entire tv still in its original plastic cabinet, put that inside a wood console with HD rollers, strong wood frame. It may end up weighing more than twice the tv alone....

I went to lowes today and did some looking around and gathering parts (didn't buy anything yet).

I'm confused. How do you gather parts at the store but not buy them? Are you hiding them in the corner of the store so you can come back and "buy" them at a later date?

No no, gathering parts on paper, like what to buy and stuff for later.

i like the idea myself.not a fan of the set but it can be made to look like a mini console.retro style.i m for it!