In reply to:
Aesthetically, unless you're going to run two center channels at some point (one above and one below the screen), I'd be tempted to just make the lower cabinets consistent all the way across.
I played around with it both ways. I'd have to say that I agree with you.
In reply to:
Have you considered the Mansfield Beech with tan grilles?
Oddly enough, black was my wife's choice. But, I still haven't ruled the Mansfield Beech out. I don't think we can make a final decision until we get some samples of our birch trim with our preferred stain. But, it just might match. I'd say it's definitely the closest of the standard finishes.
In reply to:
Are you going to mount an IR receiver/repeater somewhere?
That was my plan. I still haven't gotten around to doing much research on them yet...
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How about cooling for the components in the cabinet?
That's actually something I was wondering about, especially since a home theater PC is in my eventual plans. I had considered that cutout below the TV to be a possible home of the PC, so I wouldn't run into as much trouble with cooling it.
Alternatively, I was considering a "chimney" type cooling system for the components. For the right cabinet, I'd have an intake vent on the lower-left wall of the cabinet. Each shelf would actually have a few inches of open space on the back, which would allow warm air to rise, and give me a place to route cables. Then, I'd have another vent on top of the cabinet for the warm air to escape.
Like this:
I'm not sure if I'll need a fan to draw out the heat, or just assume that since heat rises, I'm OK.
In reply to:
Based on Dennis's center channel placement in his custom cabinet (with ample space around) this similar design should work fairly well.
That reminds me... how much space
should I be targeting for around the center?
