Atdec Monitor and Television Mounts

Like many out there I grew up in the late fifties when televisions were just becoming part of the typical American’s family living room. Back then there was a comfy chair for dad, a sofa for mom and the kids and a big wooden piece of furniture centered against one wall, the television. It was a rather large piece of furniture and the whole room focused on it. Now, although television screens are larger than ever people want them out of the way. The same goes for another inclusion in the home, the computer screen. For many the division between home entertainment and home computing has merged completely. The problem that has arisen is how do you the television or computer screen where you want it. One company has come to my attention that offers innovative and affordable solutions to your television and monitor mounting needs, Atdec. They specialize in all forms of mounts and brackets. They have it all from mounts for CRT television, flat screens, computer monitors and even laptops and projectors. Not only are their products functional they are easy to install and have a sleek, modern appearance.

With all the information we have to process each day it often seems that one computer monitor is just not enough. After all we may have to have a spreadsheet, data base and web browsers open all at the same time. While all GUI based interfaces allow you to switch between applications having more screen real estate is always a good thing. The problem is where to put two flat screen monitors on your desk. Atdec has come up with the several solutions, one being reviewed here.

The Visidec Freestanding Double Horizontal mount offers the flexibility and affordability that anyone dealing with dual monitors will appreciate. It permits two flat screen monitors between the sizes of 12" to 24". It can hold up to 25.3 pounds and fits the most common mounting holes found on modern monitors. Both the vertical and horizontal positions of the monitors can be adjusted separately. You can orient the monitors either in portrait or landscape modes. This is helpful if one monitor is being used to format a document page while the other is displaying an application like a spreadsheet where width is more important.

Installation is easy and can be done by one person although a second to help support the monitors may be helpful. You attach a mounting plate to the back of the monitors. Each plate has a donut shaped attachment that slips over the poles. The poles are then attached to the weighted base plate. Wires are held neatly together and out of the way along the poles. Two half donuts articulate to form a single horizontal unit. This connects to the vertical pole. The donuts that attach each monitor is a ball in socket design that permits the movement of the monitor.

Once the mounts are in place you have amazing flexibility in how you can work with your monitors. While most computer screeners are static on your desk this system allows your monitors to respond to the function you are currently working on. It is easy to reorient the screens for both function and comfortable viewing. You can also mount a LCD television on one side and your computer monitor on the other. Now, the gap between computers and home entertainment no longer exists. This mounting system brings both to your desktop. As someone who does a lot of DVD reviews it was a pleasure to have the television next to the word document.

When you get done with a hard day working with your dual monitor set up you will want to relax with your home theater setup. Atdec can follow you from the workspace to the living room and make life a lot easier. Their Telehook TH-31-55-TC is a ceiling mount for televisions ranging from 31" to 55" weighing up to about 132 pounds. This mounting system lets you place your television set out of the way making room for other components. Let’s face it; the days when the television, radio and record player are housed in the same cabinet are long gone. Now we have to have a DVD player, audio decoder, receiver and speakers all over the room. The Telehook brings the television up and over the other equipment. It also allows you to position the screen for optimum viewing under your rooms lighting and the position of the seating. As with most of Atdec’s equipment the cables are held by the tubes that hold it all together. Considering most high definition televisions have at least three to five required cables this is a feature that will be quickly appreciated.

The basic installation is easy enough. You connect the mount to the ceiling, the pole to the mount and the television to that. Unless you really know what you are doing it may be best to get a handy man to do it for you. This is not a one man job since the television can be heavy and needs to be held in position for the final assembly. There is also the matter of just where to connect it to the ceiling. With any mount that connects to a ceiling or wall the stability of the final system is only as strong as what you hook it on. A professional will be able to find the right structural elements in the ceiling to make sure the whole thing will not come crashing down. This catastrophe is not the fault of the Telehook. The unit is well built and sturdy. The difficulty lies in making sure the whole assemble is firmly anchored into a beam in the ceiling.

Once properly install the results were fantastic. The viewing angle can be set for the best possible angle. I do recommend getting a good quality calibration DVD to make sure your television is properly set up for the angle and distance from the seating.

Overall Atdec should be your first stop for any of your mounting needs. They have the best possible quality at very reasonable prices. Besides the units reviewed here they also have a line for laptops and CRT type monitors. I was very impressed with the way the design provided the required functionality. They are also great looking units on their own and will fit in with any décor. Visit http://www.atdec.com/ and take a look at their product line, your workspace and living room will thank you.

* Suits 2 LCD Flat Panel Displays from 12" (30cm) to 22" (56cm)

* Suits 75mm x 75mm (3" x 3") and 100mm x 100mm (4" x 4") mounting hole patterns

* Supports a maximum weight of 11.5kg (25.3lbs) each

* Stylish die cast aluminium base

* Horizontal and vertical adjustments

* Features monitor height 425mm (16 ¾")

* +/-40° angular adjustment

* Portrait/landscape rotation

* Colour: Black Base with Black or Chrome Poles

* Suits LCD and Plasma Flat Panel Displays from 31" (78cm) to 55" (140cm)

* Supports Flat Panel Displays up to 60kgs (132lbs)

* Adjustable tilt from -5˚ to +25˚

* Fits mounting hole patterns from 180mm to 685mm wide (7"- 27") by 100mm to 430mm high (4"- 17")

* Telescopic pole allows minimum distance from ceiling to centre of display 220mm (8 11/16") and maximum distance from ceiling 2 metres (78 ¾")

* Features horizontal adjustment of +/-5˚

* Allows display to rotate 360˚

* Offers internal cable management

* Colour: White

* Comes as either a Complete Pack (includes 31-55 Tilt Wall) or as an Adaptor Kit for the Telehook 31-55 Tilt Wall (Tilt Ceiling only)

Posted 09/02/07