Although it is not at all difficult to frame a flat screen TV using the unique Marks TV Mirror (about the same as framing a football jersey) the following are some tips and ideas that will help.
Marks TV Mirror FAQ
Marks TV Mirror is transparent mineral glass that has been coated on both sides with an optical interference layer that controls the way light passes through the glass and is reflected off it. Think “super smart” anti-reflective conservation picture framing glass.
The coating filters light at an atomic level allowing specific light wavelengths to pass through the glass while the rest are reflected.
Our TV Mirror is engineered to allow most of the light from a TV screen, when it is on, to pass through the glass unimpeded and ambient light is reflected off the glass when the TV is off to create a normal mirror effect.
Marks TV Mirror is 4 mm thick and both sides are equally coated so you can mount either side against the TV. Marks TV Mirror is best cut using a wall mounted glass cutter such as the Keencut Excalibur.
Any standard glass cleaner such as Windex can be used to clean our TV Mirror and it can be wiped with normal paper towels.
The special coating is durable but it is best to keep sharp metal objects away from the glass so it’s not scratched. Be careful not to chip or shatter the glass especially when handling it before and during installation.
Before being framed and installed over a flat screen TV our TV Mirror is just like an ordinary semitransparent pane of glass. When you hold it away from the TV and look through it the visible light overwhelms the light reflected making it difficult to see much reflection.
It is important to note that TV Mirrors work best when viewed from a suitable, normal TV viewing distance. They do not work as well when viewed close up.
For 4:3 aspect ration screens most viewers feel comfortable sitting away from the TV at a distance that’s between 3 and 6 times the diagonal width of the screen while for a 16:9 aspect ration wide format screen recommended viewing distance is 1.5 to 3 times the diagonal width of the screen.
The amount of light in the room will also effect how well the TV Mirror works. For better mirror reflection you need more light while for TV viewing low levels of room lighting is better. Adjusting the room lighting when you watch TV will give a better result.
TV Mirror & The TV FAQ
LCD/LED TV’s are preferable to a plasma TV as the latter needs air to be circulated around the screen to assist with cooling (see The Frame FAQ’s below). It is very important with plasma TV’s to allow for heat dissipation otherwise there is potential for fire risk.
Obviously thinner LCD/LED TV’s are the best option if choice of TV is possible.
A black bezel TV will work better than a silver or light coloured one because a black bezel behind the TV Mirror will help the mirror reflection when the TV is off, whereas a silver bezel may show through the glass. You can cover the TV bezel using blackcore matboard or black felt (see The Frame FAQ’s below).
Straight edge bezels with square corners are easier to work with although with a bit of thought any shaped TV can be framed. Use blackcore matboard or black felt to cover the bezel leaving just the straight edges of the screen itself visible (see TV Frame FAQ’s below).
Speakers are often a different colour than the rest of the TV bezel. It’s a good idea to cover them with black acoustic speaker cloth if they are going to be visible.
You need to take into consideration the location of the TV speakers (rear facing or external wireless speakers are best), TV buttons (they will need to be accessed at some point) and where the remote sensor is mounted. If the remote sensor is covered by the TV Mirror or picture frame it should still operate although range maybe reduced. It is a simple process to install a remote sensor repeater to maintain remote range.
TV Mirror & The Frame FAQ
Mounting a TV Mirror into a picture frame is as simple as mounting normal glass.
For the best effect mount the TV Mirror as close as possible to the TV screen without touching the screen. Distance between the TV screen and TV Mirror should be no more than 1-2 cm.
If the TV Mirror and the frame covers the TV’s remote control sensor you may need to install a remote repeater. These are inexpensive and can be purchased at most electronics retailers.
Consider using a deep rebate moulding such as the Marks 2292 profile or make a shadowbox frame that conceals the TV wall bracket and wires.
Shadowboxes work well with LCD/LED TV’s however with plasma TV’s you need to ensure air can circulate behind the TV otherwise you could have a potential fire hazard.
Shadowbox framing is the best option for plasma TV’s as you can drill air holes in the top and bottom of the shadowbox to ensure cool air can rise from the bottom and hot air can escape from the top.
It is better if the TV Mirror is not bigger than the overall size of the TV.
Even better still if the visible part of the TV Mirror is the exact size of the TV screen you don’t have to worry about the TV bezel being seen when the TV is turned off.
To cover the TV bezel use a blackcore matboard cut to the exact size of the TV screen and place it on the frame of the TV facing the TV Mirror or fix it to the glass itself. Black felt can also be used for this purpose. This greatly helps the TV bezel blend in when the TV is off. This technique can also be used to cover up TV bezels that don’t have square corners.
For TV’s with front speakers you need to conceal them using a speaker grille covered with acoustic speaker grille cloth. The speaker grille frame can be made from foamboard, 8 ply matboard or MDF. Acoustic speaker grille cloth is inexpensive and can be purchased online at Soundlabs Group.
Mounting the framed TV Mirror to the TV first and then mounting the TV to a fixed or movable wall bracket is usually the best option as the whole package can be then be tilted or moved using the wall bracket.
Make sure the wall bracket is strong enough to hold the combined weight of the TV, the TV Mirror and the frame.
TV Mirror – How To FAQ
Below is one option to frame a TV using a shadowbox.
Step 1 - make the frame and shadowbox and mount the TV Mirror in the frame.
Step 2 - Attached the shadowbox to the frame with L-clips. Note that black felt has been applied to the edges of the TV Mirror to hide the bezel of the TV.
Step 3 - Mount the TV into the frame using brackets to hold it in place. Then mount the TV to the wall bracket.
