Putting a TV in a bookcase?

[HazelnutFlat]

For various reasons, the place I would like to put a small (22" or 24") TV is on a shelf in a bookcase/wall unit - not one of those units with a nice bit gap in the middle for a media centre, but in an actual bookshelf. I'd like to be able to pull it out on an extendable arm that would then let me swivel it to different angles so that it could be seen from different points in the room, and then when I'm done, push it back into the shelf space (which is just about exactly the size of the TV).

The back of the bookcase is that cheap thin backing (like Ikea use), which is good for being able to cut holes in it to put the cables through, but not strong enough for an extendable arm with a wall mount.

So I was looking at maybe a clamp style one - because the backboard is so thin, it's also a bit flexible, so I think I could squeeze a slimline clamp in at the back, or otherwise drill a hole in the shelf near the back and use that. I might have to secure the shelf somehow, because it's one of those flat pack style ones where it rests on peg supports, and I wonder if having the weight of a TV when pulled out into the room would be enough to pull the shelf forward off the supports? But I expect there are supports that can be screwed in.

Would this be likely to work, or would it look kind of naff? Would the shelf tip forward? Has anyone used a similar sort of extendable arm, and does it hold a TV without sagging? I don't watch the TV much, and right now the furniture that it's on is taking up quite a bit of space in a very small flat, so I was thinking of ways to get rid of that.

I think it could work.

Assuming you are using a billy style bookcase from ikea - choose your shelf carefully. The centre shelf is screwed into the sides for stability and would therefore be the best option. However, you could always secure a different shelf with screws instead of pegs if you want a different height.

It is possible that the weight of the tv could pull the bookcase off balance when the arm is extended. You can prevent this by either weighing down the bookcase (with books?) on the lower shelves or, as Ikea and other furniture manufacturers advise, securing the bookcase to the wall.

An alternative - remove the crappy backing from the bookcase and install the TV bracket/arm directly to the wall. That would give you the security of knowing the extendable arm is a secure as you could reasonably expect. But it might not be an option if you are in a rental or if you have plasterboard walls.

I have a TV in a book case and really like it. Books surround it so it makes it less of a centre piece when not in use. I hate rooms that are entirely set up to view the box.

It sounds like you have a good plan with the extendable arm and cutting through the book case. Ours just sits on a shelf and is angled into the room when in use.

I watch tv on apps on my iPad Pro. No mechanical arms needed.

I had a 32” TV on a Billy bookcase shelf for years (under the middle fixed shelf). It was great.

If you want it on a pivoting and, however, I would take off the back of the bookcase and screw it direct into the wall.

Oh, another thought - you might be able to get a fixing that can be screwed into the centre of the shelf rather than clamping on to the back of the shelf (which is what I had envisaged).

Also - if you suspend the TV from an upper shelf, rather than support it on top of the middle shelf, gravity would mean that the shelf is less likely to be pulled off the pegs (still think it should be screwed in though).

Thanks. That sounds positive.

it's not actually a Billy bookcase, but similar style. It has one fixed shelf lower down as there is a cupboard as the fixed shelf is the top of that. I'm trying to find the same style fixings so that I could fix another shelf more firmly - they are sort of cam locks but in the shape of shelf supports (i.e., not the full circle shaped ones, but ones that kind of fit into the semi-circle that normal shelf pegs do). So far I've seen some that would be sent from China but nothing local. I suspect I just don't have the right name.

Behind the shelves is a bit of a gap, as the wall sticks out in one part, and I've put the shelving unit across to make it look straight, so I can't put a wall mounted unit behind. I might be able to replace the backing, but it would have to be for the whole unit, which would be a bit of a project! So a clamp or a screw-through-the-shelf would be better, if I could find one that moves in the direction I need. I thought about it just sitting on the shelf, but it's not in the most convenient location, and there isn't a lot of room around it, so if I just tilted it in the shelf, then you wouldn't be able to see it in various places in the room because of the sides of the shelf.

Good point about it pulling the whole unit forward, I hadn't thought of that - I was just worried about the shelf itself. The rest of the unit would be full of books, above and below. This one isn't fastened to the wall because of the gap, but it's something I could look in to. No children here to pull/climb on it though, just me, but I'd still want to be careful that it doesn't fall.

Suspending it from an upper shelf is also a good idea, maybe with the same sort of extendable arm, at the back. I can't quite work out how that would affect the weight and where it would pull, but it might well be better.

The TV I have now is 22", not-smart, quite heavy, but would fit in one of the smaller 'box' bits of the shelf unit. I thought about maybe getting a smart TV to use prime, catch-up etc, but the smallest those come is 24", and that would mean needing to use one of the larger sections of the shelf. It seems (from a quick google) that they may be lighter weight than the older one I have, which would be an advantage on an extendable arm. I don't know if I really need a smart one, though, as I have a firestick. The display is probably better these days though (mine is from about 2010!)

Is it Ikea? If so, you can pick up extra parts like cam locks and screws from customer service. I know what it is like to search for something without knowing the right name - good luck!

Fixing it to the shelf - another thought - could you make the shelf pull out? Then there would be no need for a clamp. But a clamp or fitting might be an easier job than a sliding shelf.

I think suspending it from an upper shelf is better idea. The shelf would be more secure because the weight of the tv would be pulling it down. But it might make the bookcase more top heavy and therefore less stable if you pull the tv out. That really depends on how much weight you have at the bottom of the bookcase though. It might also create more shelf space.

Can you post a picture of the unit/bookcase you are planning to use?

No it's not Ikea, but fairly similar. The Ikea ones fix the middle shelf with a proper full-circle cam lock, so that wouldn't work for mine, as I need the sort that fit into the semi-circle shelf supports, as my shelves don't have the full circles drilled or the space for the big bits of the usual cam locks (if that makes sense!). I think it's something like these:
www.aliexpress.com/i/32988444683.html

The shelves were a john lewis set that has been discontinued a while ago. They are about 30cm deep, same as the Billys, but just a bit sturdier. A sliding shelf is a very interesting possibility, and not one I'd thought of at all. I know Ikea do sliding things for some units, so it could be that the fittings would work for this size unit as well. I would be a bit more concerned a bit about the weight on a slide out shelf pulling the unit over, though I'm not sure that it would really be any worse than the extendable arm. I don't know if it would be possible to tell until I tried it! I don't want to do anything hugely damaging to the units in case I decide to go back to a separate TV stand, but I don't mind some degree of drilling into shelves or putting cables through, as those could always be covered up by books later.

Suspending it from a top shelf might be best, if I can find the right kind of arm. Possibly something like this, if I am visualising how it might work - I was thinking a bit like an elbow sort of joint, where you could pretty much pull it straight out and back, and the elbow would bend and straighten as needed. Once it's far enough out, it could then swivel so you could see it from the sides, etc.

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08D66266D/ref=sspa_dk_detail_1?psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzUldPR0cxMk8xQ1gmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA1ODA4NjEyUjI4UUM0NzVOVkRaJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA0MDU4MjQyQ0NZQlVYSFI4R0UxJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfZGV0YWlsMiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=&tag=mumsnetforu03-21

DH uses arms like that for his computer screens. They are secured to a very, very heavy desk (I know because I have helped move it) so not a useful comparison.

But I think they could work well. I don’t see any reason they couldn’t hang down from a shelf rather than stand up from one.

Because of the potential to pull it off balance, I’d definitely look into some kind of fastener to secure the bookcase to the wall. I wouldn’t want to risk a broken tv.

I'm more worried about breaking what it would land on!! At the moment it seems super solid though as it's full of books, but that doesn't mean it couldn't still tip. It's hard with a bit of a gap behind it though, but I might be able to put a sort of shim underneath at the front to tip it ever so slightly backwards, if needed. Or make sure all the units are attached to each other at the side, which would be a lot more weight to pull over.

Now I have to decide if it's worth getting a smart TV, which is a bit bigger and would need the bigger box of the shelf, but sounds like it's lighter (not quite sure why! though I was only going from dimensions listed online of what I think this old TV is). I guess a smart TV might work faster than the firestick, and a newer one might have better screen, especially when seen from an angle. But it's just fractionally too big for the small shelf box. Wonder why nobody makes a 22" smart tv, but i guess most people want something much bigger.

Smart TVs are a waste of money IME - the sticks you can plug in connect to more things and are easier to keep up to date. I wanted a smart TV for the same reason but it's completely rubbish and I never ever use the smart features because it was out of date about 6 months after we bought it. We just do the same stuff through a console plugged into it.

oh that's useful to know, thanks. Maybe if I do need a newer lighter weight TV, hopefully with better screen - I could just get a non smart one that still comes in 22", which would fit in the smaller space.

I've been looking at the Ikea sliding shelf from their Pax system, and it might be possible to adapt it, but I'd have to really think about the weight and how far out the shelf could come.

well interesting ideas to ponder anyway. Then I would just have to find new homes for the printer and CD player, neither of which get used very often at all these days, and I could clear the entire extra unit away and have floor space!