# Hiding components in an entertainment center



## jeepers06 (Dec 13, 2011)

Ideas for hiding components in an entertainment center I will be building. I want to hide my tuner, vcr recorder, CD player, etc., from veiw or minimize the view. Most all require a remote, so there will be a need to have the sensors availiable. I also worry about the heat from closing in with glass doors.

All your great ideas are appreciated, Thanks


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## SamuraiSaw (Jan 8, 2013)

Heat is the enemy of electronics. Whenever I design an enclosure I plan for ventilation, either forced or "natural" The more components, the more air flow needed. The inflow can come from underneath, and the exit can be in the back. That way it is all hidden.


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## jdmaher (May 4, 2011)

I'm working on a similiar idea. My components will be housed in a Shaker-inspired sideboard, with wood doors.

For passive air-flow, I'll cut slots in the base shelf behind the doors, pierce the middle shelf with a few decorative holes (scroll work?), put larger slots at the top of the backboard. I'll probably also have a cable entry hole in the backboard just above each mid-shelf (where the components will hide the holes). I'm pretty sure that will be enough.

I haven't made a specific component selection, but I plan to get an infrared repeater kit, like this one from Cables-to-Go. The idea is that you mount an IR sensor (called the "target") somewhere OUTSIDE the cabinet, then the repeater and emitters INSIDE the cabinet.

But first I have to finish building the cabinet.


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## PurpLev (May 30, 2008)

I used to do this for a living.

Make sure you add ~2" of airflow space on each side of the components, and at least 4" of space behind the components for excess cables.

For remote control I installed universal remotes with a remote (pun intended) IR receiver and IR emitters for each component in the cabinet. you can also program the universal remotes to run several commands with a single click which really makes the system much more user friendly for most people (me included).

For air circulation - if you keep the cabinet small (not a lot of extra air space), then you can mount a couple of 4-6" fans in the back/side of the cabinet to circulate the hot air out of the cabinet and draw fresh air in (best to have 1 fan on each side - one pulling new air in, the other on the other side of cabinet to push air out. you can also connect those fans to a thermometer sensor that will only turn them on when the heat in the cabinet reaches a certain temperature. 
-OR-
keep some open slots in the back/top (or top of the back) to let the hot air escape (hot air goes up).

unless you have ALOT of equipment in there, and the space is REAL tight, the fans night not be all that critical, and just leaving a slot to let hot air escape could be enough. YES - the air will be warm in there, but probably not hot enough to fry the equipment.


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## jeepers06 (Dec 13, 2011)

thanks Guys, I would kinda like to semi-hyde the equipment, tinted glass- speaker cloth- something along this line. Any ideas


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## Jackietreehorn (Feb 3, 2013)

Here's a quick pic of my setup I did a few years back. Behind the grills are all my speakers, the two lower left and right grills are actually just access panels that I remove to crawl behind the whole setup. I figured they'd look like subwoofer grills to the un-knowing.


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## pintodeluxe (Sep 12, 2010)

1+ with purplev,
remote sensors.


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## huff (May 28, 2009)

PurpLev covers it well.

Unless your components are in a real tight area, you shouldn't have to worry with fans as long as you allow for a natural chimney effect for the heat to escape. (allowing air to enter the cabinet from the bottom and exit out the top of the compartment.

Remote sensors work great. If you look just above the top doors you can see the eye for the remote sensor for my entertainment center. I can operate all the components through that one eye with the doors closed. BTW. When I turn the TV on, the doors automatically open and retract into the cabinet and when I turn my TV off, the doors close.


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## BroncoBrian (Jan 14, 2013)

Purp is right.

Remote sensors work great. I have a few IR systems in my garage from projects that I upgraded to RF systems if you want one. I would make sure you have a good amount of ventilation. I suggest this fan:

http://www.amazon.com/Middle-Atlantic-CAB-COOL-Cooling-Fan/dp/B000K6IOXE

there are some other quiet fans available but most vibrate if not perfect.Need to take air out at the top.

http://walzcraft.com/products/accent-cabinet-doors/wire-mesh-grilles/

this works well.


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