Where to buy affordable Entertainment centers?

[Alan T]

I have been spending all week looking online for where in the world the best place to buy an entertainment center is. I've always been the type that would rather spend $500 on electronics than spending it on things to hold the electronics, but now need to find something that meets my needs.

Any good suggestions on where I should look for decent affordable entertainment centers, or recommendations of good centers to get? I have found plenty of places with small entertainment centers not big enough to fit my oversized 36" WEGA tube tv. It is a bit wider than normal 36 inch tvs and furniture that fits "most" 36" inch tvs doesn't work for me. I also have found plenty of places that sell nice centers for like $2000.00 which is not really what I am looking for.

All of the local furniture stores has really overpriced foo foo setups, and places like Best Buy or Circuit City seems to focus on smaller units that my TV will not fit in.

Any good suggestions? I'm getting frustrated seeing the same stuff everywhere and nothing fitting my needs.

[airulf]

MAYBE this could do it.

http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?storeId=12&langId=-1&catalogId=10103&cattype=top&identifier=09684_irwtree003

At least it is cheap

[stevew]

Dunno if this is exactly the sony tv you have, but if so, it's the matching stand for it.

http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_DisplayProductInformation-Start?ProductSKU=SU36FS2

Open a sony credit account, and you'll get a 100 dollar credit to your account in 8-12 weeks.

[st.cronin]

I got a very nice entertainment center from Ballio's for about 150. I believe they're a regional chain, and you won't have one in Mass, but they may have a catalog or website. Everything they have is top quality.

[Alan T]

I think Ikea is where my current tv stand (2 modular cabinet box things) came from actually :) Unfortunatly I need something a bit more though now. My DVD player is fairly large (a 400 dvd holder unit), as is my stereo/receiver.

Thanks for the attempt though, just frustrating that everything seems to be designed for 32 inch tvs. THere has to be some stuff out there for people who like nice large entertainment setups without having a big screen tv/etc.

[Alan T]

Dunno if this is exactly the sony tv you have, but if so, it's the matching stand for it.

http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_DisplayProductInformation-Start?ProductSKU=SU36FS2

Open a sony credit account, and you'll get a 100 dollar credit to your account in 8-12 weeks.

Hmm its a bit small for all of my other equipment.. but I'm going to take a look at that site for a bit, thanks for the link.

[DaddyTorgo]

there was one website...i used to have a link, where you can custom-design your own out of a variety of materials. i lost the link at some point, but I remember that it was the guys at Tweeter who gave it to me, so they'd know what I was talking about...

[Lorena]

Vote Alan T

Whoops, wrong thread.

[DaddyTorgo]

Vote Alan T

Whoops, wrong thread.

i'd like to take full credit for the emergence of this FOFCism at this point, from toddzilla's B&E thread where i voted TK.:D

[Lorena]

i'd like to take full credit for the emergence of this FOFCism at this point, from toddzilla's B&E thread where i voted TK.:D

Oh yeah, I'm sure you were the first :rolleyes:

Alan, have you considered going to a furniture liquidator/reseller? These places sell "used" furniture from model homes, hotels undergoing renovation, etc.

[Alan T]

Oh yeah, I'm sure you were the first :rolleyes:

Alan, have you considered going to a furniture liquidator/reseller? These places sell "used" furniture from model homes, hotels undergoing renovation, etc.

I'm not sure where I would find these.

I've been to the local furniture stores, all of their stuff is designed more for people who want beautiful living rooms. I just want functional :)

[Honolulu_Blue]

Have you tried craigslist?

I got a great entertainment center for about $700. It was used, but in great shape and about 50% of the original purchase price. Poke around there for a while, you might find something.

[stevew]

Another thing to consider is that if you plan on making any kind of major HDTV upgrade in the next couple years, that you will not want an "enclosed" tv stand as a wider screen tv will not fit in it. So perhaps you would be better off with a stand that could accomodate at least a 42" hdtv, than with an entertainment center.

Another 36" stand from sony

http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_DisplayProductInformation-Start?ProductSKU=SU36HX1

[Alan T]

Another thing to consider is that if you plan on making any kind of major HDTV upgrade in the next couple years, that you will not want an "enclosed" tv stand as a wider screen tv will not fit in it. So perhaps you would be better off with a stand that could accomodate at least a 42" hdtv, than with an entertainment center.

Another 36" stand from sony

http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_DisplayProductInformation-Start?ProductSKU=SU36HX1

My current tv actually is hdtv as well, so I doubt I would upgrade to a 42 inch tv. If I upgrade any at all, it would be to something plasma probably that I can just hang on the wall. My tv is pretty large both width and depth for a normal 36 inch tv, I think thats my biggest problem.

THanks for the various suggestions (and to others for theirs as well). I'll check them out too.