OK, with paint finally on the walls of my year old HT room project, my brain is busy again. I built a Wilsonart-Designer White, laminate DIY screen that works !awesome! but it was not yet permanently mounted. I originally planned a permanent wall mounting for it as the room was strictly for HT use. However, my wife still feels the need to have a TV in there as opposed to the old TV room where we are swapping the pool table into.

I'm now envisioning a swing down screen that is recessed just enough to cover a thin wall mounted TV when in the down position. I could use various methods to hook it up when in the ceiling position and I envision rare earth magnets to keep it secure at the bottom when in the down position.

My Question:
Since my Toshiba HD, but 14" deep, projection TV still looks as good as the day I bought it, I'm not all that familiar with flat panel TV mounting. Are the ones that look very flush with walls actually inset into the wall a bit (in wall wiring and such obviously) or just laying flat against the wall with appropriate pockets cut out for the wiring? What is the average distance from the front of the unit to the wall when not using a separate wall mount?

Why didn't I just originally give in and go with a drop down screen??? Well, I never liked them. I want to be able to open my window without seeing my screen flutter in a little breeze or when a friend's kid runs by it. That and even though I could spend a ton of money on a good one, I just can't get by the mental image they bring me of cheap, old, clanky elementary school screens that used to drop down in front of the chalk boards. Of course hanging it up against the ceiling will likely look worse but I'm just playing with some thoughts at the moment.

I think I'll stick with plan A but I thought I'd inquire.

A buddy of mine asked me to install a system for him. His top priority was that it had to be non-intrusive and he wanted everything mounted on the wall. Image and sound quality did not matter to him. Well…. I convinced him he needed a table for the electronics and I bought him the Axiom W0’s series and an EP400 - but he would not cave on the TV. I searched everywhere for a skinny TV and a wall mount that would keep the TV as close to the wall as possible. I ended up buying him one of the Sumsung LED / LCD’s. It’s roughly 1” thick. The mount I found was called a “flush mount”. I don’t how anyone could make one less obtrusive that would allow you to still tilt the TV a bit. Overall, the screen of his TV is 4” from the wall. I doubt you can get it any closer without re-setting the TV into the wall space.

I don't blame you on your choice of not going with a roll up screen. I hate them.

Wow, some friend YOU are.

Buy him one of those cheap, knock-off brands and pocket the difference, huh?

Thanks Michael.

4" is doable with some work on how to make the protruding screen look acceptable. However, it will also look odd enough that it will give my wife something to think about when discussing this option. I'm betting she won't like it. Personally, all I want is functional.

Well I'm not THAT good of a friend. I made him pay me back.... But he did get three days of free labor out of me. I did however put a pretty good dent in his wine cellar inventory those three days.