Page 104 - Blog

Contrast ratio is an important part of the picture quality on your LCD TV. In short, the contrast ratio is the difference between the brightest and darkest elements you can view on your LCD TV screen. The higher the ratio, the broader the viewing spectrum and supposedly the better the picture.

In reality, though, TV manufacturers measure their contrast ratios in various ways, so it is difficult to translate how a specific contrast ratio will look on any particular LCD TV screen. The best way to decide which LCD TV looks best with a given contrast ratio is simply to view the screen with a wide variety of dark and light pictures.

However, contrast ratios do play an important part in picture quality, and they can range from 500:1 (which is what print looks like on a movie theatre screen) or now even 1,000,000:1! Some say the human eye can only process a contrast ratio up to 40,000:1 on a bright sunny day, so having a greater contrast ratio is pointless. Find out for yourself, but don’t let

Are you ready to bring a beautiful Axiom TV Lift Cabinet home to your living room, or any other fine pop-up TV lift cabinet, but a few of your family members are worried about having their Wii gaming console shut behind closed doors? Do not worry, the wireless controls that have made the Wii a household sensation will work flawlessly through the doors of any foot of the bed or standard TV lift cabinet thanks to ImportAdvantage’s unique, built-in Infrared Relay System.

The Infrared Relay System comes standard in every TV lift cabinet, so storing away the Wii gaming console, a cable or satellite box, your DVR or TiVo, or any instant movie player behind the handcrafted doors of an ImportAdvantage pop-up TV lift cabinet will give any room in your house a touch of elegance without interfering with their operation.

The team of skilled artisans who craft these TV lift cabinets have over 30 years of experience, and they have created handcrafted furniture for clients like Polo Ralph Lauren. Their

It seems that nearly every year, every fiscal quarter, a major shipper (USPS, FedEx, UPS) is raising rates and tacking on an extra surcharge for fuel or weather or some other non-apparent reason. Shipping costs are important factors for savvy shoppers. In fact, 43 percent of shoppers say they changed their minds at an online checkout due to shipping costs. ImportAdvantage has been making the decision easy for shoppers who are looking for fine TV lift cabinets, as they offer free shipping on all orders, from TV lift mechanisms and foot of the bed TV lifts, to their signature TV lift cabinets.

At the beginning of 2010, UPS increased its ground shipping rates nearly 5 percent, bumped its Delivery Area surcharge from $.10 to $.50 and even created a special “Handling” charge for all packages for $.50.

The United States Postal Service (USPS) just announced plans in July to raise prices again in 2011 for stamps, flat packages and parcels. Stamps will jump up to $.46 each if the plan goes through.

The Prism TV Lift Cabinet by ImportAdvantage showcases sleek lines and exquisitely unique detailing. Finished in a rich espresso color, highlighting the qualities of the wood’s natural grain, the Prism offers flip-down panels on the front and back. This unique feature allows the Prism to serve at the foot of the bed or against a wall, while still allowing full access to AV components or storage areas.

The Prism is so versatile it can be used for small spaces, as a room divider, for large or small offices or in nearly any room in the house. It will hold flat-panel TVs up to 49 ¾” wide and 28” tall, and it comes with the Uplift 3250 lift system pre-installed, as well as the built-in Infrared Relay System.

The Prism is built from Alder wood with a cherry veneer and espresso-colored finished. It can accommodate a wide variety of home styles and color schemes.

Take a moment to check out the Prism TV Lift Cabinet or any of the other fine TV lift cabinets from ImportAdvantage.

After you’ve made your investment in a LCD TV, and perhaps have it displayed on a handcrafted ImportAdvantage pop-up TV lift cabinet, you’ll want to protect your investment by properly caring for your LCD TV. Here are a few tips to make your LCD TV last as long as possible, which could be up to 20 years.

Temperature and humidity are two of the largest factors in lengthening the life of your LCD TV. These highly-sensitive televisions thrive best in temperatures between 68 and 77 degrees. High humidity can harm an LCD television. Take care to not expose it to any excess or accidental moisture. High fluctuations in temperature or humidity can also damage your TV, so maintain an even atmosphere.

Do not forget that LCD TVs are made from glass, so do expose it to any shock, vibration or careless jarring that might disturb the screen or wiring configuration. LCD screens can be scratched easily, so be aware of pets or children that may accidentally harm your LCD screen.

When cleaning your LCD TV,

Can’t decipher all the jargon you find when shopping for a new flat-panel TV? Outlined here are a few pointers to help you decide if a plasma TV or an LCD TV is right for you and your room.

Plasma TVs are known for their warm colors and deep blacks. They excel in rooms with multiple viewers, as people can still see the picture clearly if they are sitting off-axis, or off to the side instead of directly in front of the screen. Plasma flat-screen televisions also work well when the room doesn’t allow much direct light on the TV screen, which means not placing it on an opposite wall to a big picture window unless you have heavy drapes that are capable of blocking out most of the light. Plasma TVs can also be found in large to very large screen sizes, over 42”.

LCD flat-panel TVs are great for smaller screens, which are less than 42”. If you will be watching television in a relatively bright room or mostly during the daytime, an LCD TV might be best for you. Also, LCD TVs usually consume less

If you have ever heard your mom tell you that sitting too close to the TV will cause you to go blind, don’t worry, it’s not quite true. What has been proven, however, is that it can cause eye strain and fatigue. Proper placement of your TV depends on several factors. After you know where you want to place your TV for maximum viewing comfort, you will find that ImportAdvantage offers just the right TV lift cabinet for your setup, from a foot of the bed TV lift cabinet (such as the Crystal Pointe) for closer viewing or an elegant traditional TV lift cabinet (such as the Preston) for viewing from a distance.

The first factor for maximizing your viewing comfort is knowing the screen size of your television, and for this measurement you need the TV’s actual width, from left to right, not its diagonal width which is what your salesperson sold you on. Secondly, how far away will you be sitting from your TV? In order to know how far away you should be sitting from your television, use a “Two-to-Five”

These days, remote controls are used for more than flipping channels and adjusting the volume of your favorite television programs. With the invention of DVR technology and instant movie-watching devices like the Wii® and Roku®, you can pause, rewind and record any show at any time, which means your remote control is a powerful tool for TV viewing. Thankfully, the doors of our TV lift cabinets won’t get in the way of your remote control, thanks to our unique Infrared Relay System which allows the transference of your remote signal to any remote-capable device placed in the TV lift cabinet departments.

The built-in Infrared Relay System repeats the signal from your remote control and relays it inside the cabinet, allowing you total control of all your devices without opening the doors and without experiencing any lag time. Moreover, all of our furniture comes with the Infrared Relay System already included at no extra charge, and no special programming is needed on the Infrared Relay System

A lot of people ask why our foot of the bed lifts are taller than most of our competitions. There is a method to our madness! Our foot of the bed TV lift cabinets (AKA: pop up TV's) are typically 39" tall. Most bedrooms mattresses are between 28-30" off the ground. The extra 10" or so inches in height allow your feet to stay out of the screen!

In addition to not starring at your feet, the 39" height is for optimal viewing when propped against a pillow. Optimal viewing height is critical for comfort.

Adding to your comfort, all of our lifts are IR controlled which allow you to operate your cable box, dvd player, etc when they are conveniently hidden out of site in the concealed drawers.

To view our entire line of pop up TV Lifts, please click here.

So you cannot figure out what to buy for Mom? Try a TV Lift. HGTV completed a study whose findings found that 65% of consumers want to hide their TV in the living room and 70% in the bedroom.

The majority of consumers today are looking to hide the TV in some fashion. Pop Up TV Lifts are the perfect gift for Mom and Dad. Mom gets her well organized and decorated room while Dad gets his big flat screen TV.

And the whole family gets a lot of WOW from friends and family!