BRACKETS, RACKING AND SUPPORT
THE CHANGING FACE OF SUPPORT Sanus takes a look at some of the key cultural and event based trends that are driving change in the support sector. We are all aware of the changes in consumer buying patterns that have emerged throughout the last year and a half as a result of the global pandemic. Thanks to many of us spending much more time at home than before, we’ve seen consumers flock to home improvement, whether that be in the form of DIY jobs, refreshing furniture or upgrading electronics. At the same time (and in large part due to the shift to working from home), UK households are now more than ever transforming into multifunctional spaces. What was once the dining room might now be the home office, workout room or the kid’s learning and play space – or all of these at once for some of us. What have these changes meant for the way we buy and interact with our TVs? The average screen size of TVs purchased in the UK has been steadily rising for many years, and this was no different in 2020. So far in 2021, the average screen size has reached 48in and continues to reliably increase. Wall mounting these larger TVs is also increasingly popular – it’s a safe and stylish alternative to leaving TVs propped up on thin legs where they’re at risk of tipping over or in proxy to needing to purchase new furniture to cater for the larger screen and wider leg footprint. The adapted ways we use our homes means that a standard fixed or low-profile TV mount might not meet the needs of as many people as we’ve previously been used to. Fixed mounts are ideal if you only need to view the TV from one angle, have no issues with glare from windows, or you want the TV to be as close to the wall as possible. But what if only one angle for the TV just doesn’t cut it anymore? The larger screens the average consumer is buying are no longer necessarily only being placed and used in the centre of the living room just for catching up on the latest shows. Instead, we’re seeing that consumers want to be able to see the TV from different angles in a room or other areas of their open plan space, depending on the time of day. It might be the case that during working hours, the TV needs to be hidden or pushed back against the wall so as not to be a distraction. During lunch, in the evening and on weekends, the TV once more takes centre stage and needs to be placed as such – nobody wants to watch TV with a craned neck after a long work day!
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We’ve also seen an increase in the TV being used for exercising while gyms and team sports have been restricted – having long said goodbye to exercise VHS tapes and DVDs, plenty of people have taken up subscription services for online workout providers or use free YouTube videos. Many people plan to continue this form of exercise to save on costly gym subscriptions, or simply because they’ve found that they prefer working out at home. A tilting or full-motion wall mount ensures that when watching these videos on the TV, it’s easy to quickly adjust the TV angle and tilt without interrupting your workout flow, whether you’re jumping up and down during a HIIT workout or taking it easier with some yoga. A product like the VLT7-B2, a new Advanced Tilting Mount from SANUS, answers the call for a tilting mount that can handle the ever-larger
average TV size and the new ways in which we use TVs in our home. The mount represents the next level of Advanced Tilt technology, allowing you to effortlessly tilt the TV in four different directions. Advanced Tilting Mounts bridge the gap between tilting and full-motion mounts, and are an excellent alternative for those who are budget conscious or who don’t quite need all of the range of a full-motion mount. Be sure to keep an eye on the sanus.com website for the full details about this new product which will be available soon. As technology and our home lives continue to develop, so will the way we use our TVs. Upgrading from TV legs or a fixed TV mount to a full-motion or tilting mounts will help our TVs keep up with our habits.
TVs are now multi-functional devices that need to service different uses, often from different angles
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