DIY UA-camrs be like "Why waste your money on IKEA furniture, when all you need is some wood, some glue, a $5,000 CNC Router and 3+ years of professional CAD experience?"
Sometimes you can get lucky and rent out a tool shop nearby that has friendly staff willing to help out with projects, but even then, the cost of renting the shop out and the materials will still be more than the average ikea buy.
"I just don't know why this area looks so cramped", he says, as he looks to the couches that are inexplicably like 4 feet away from the wall and pushed right up to the coffee table.
@@HaniiPuppy well, it's really not inexplicable. he wants there to be a walkway in the back so ppl don't have to cross in front of the sofa to get to the other side of the room.
As someone who built furniture for 30 yrs as a hobby but had to stop due to disability, I really enjoyed watching you build this. But I think you should get some 3M 5/16” plastic cable channel and run your AC wires through it under the carpet. Over a period of years, walking on extension cords is a serious fire risk. Circuit breakers protect the wires inside the wall, but not extension cords outside of it.
@@snowwsquire ARC fault would catch this failure mode, but most houses do not have them yet. Standard breaker would catch a short, but not the wire heating up from the strain.
Before I rip this, really nice build! I love the pieced top. Unfortunately this isn't going to last longer than the first time you need to vacuum. Might even cause a fight if your s.o. is the one who does the cleaning. Running a ton of wires under a heavy traffic rug will cause divorce if it doesn't cause a fire first.
@@Jxordan Ever see a cable that's in the path of foot traffic? I still have nightmares about the duct-taped ghost of what used to be a CAT5 cable at my brother's college dorm.
@@amoliski Yes, a few in our house. After ten years the cables are still as good as new. Of course we're not running a dormitory, so we don't have hundreds of people walking over them daily.
Awesome build! Just a little tip, the fan orientation is not recommended. Having a fan draw in air from the carpet is asking for a slue of dust and debris to be brought into your coffee table. Just like in PC builds, it is better to exhaust air towards things like carpet to reduce that dust intake.
Well in a PC build we also stay the hell away from carpets to begin with. I'll never understand people putting their PCs on a carpeted floor. That's just asking for trouble.
I like how Zac began the video showing off his extra fluffy cat ... a few moments later ... "this vent is for a fan that is gonna take air from beneath the table in order to cool the box's contents"
Exactly. Also the fan sticking out a little on the bottom with just a little bit of space between it and the carpet could potentially choke it. I love the concept, but the fan needs some space to breathe.
Solid construction, I like the table a lot, and I'll probably steal some ideas for my own furniture builds. To answer your question of why we still use entertainment units, some of us don't own our houses and have to abide by the landlord's rule about not putting holes in the walls. Aside from that, they serve the purpose of keeping fragile electronics and cables in a sturdy box that's both near the TV, and away from drinks and food that can damage them if they spill. They also help to keep the wires minimally visible, as you can run them around the back of the unit without much hassle, and make sure you don't need to run cables across foot traffic areas where they can wear down way faster. It's also way cheaper to upcycle a cheap entertainment unit than it is to build a whole new coffee table and solve all of the problems using that as an entertainment unit creates.
I know, right? I still have a medium-size nice black unit from the 90s with open spaces, shelves, and bottom cabinets that I transformed to a bookshelf, hidden storage, hidden electronics and cables, and the top is for plants and their humidifier and grow lights. My "TV" is an older ASUS 23" monitor with HDMI Chromecast on a clamp monitor stand on the table in front of the couch. Speakers flank the monitor on the table. No reason to throw out a nice entertainment center if it can be repurposed.
And there's the little detail of $10,000 of specialized tools to make this thing, not to mention the large warehouse to contain all the production toys. This is an unattainable project for 99% of us. It's cool to watch, but a waste of time.
@@RockinRobbins13 this exactly. I'd love to customize my entertainment center but I don't have a CNC machine, or a large scale 3D printer, or a drum sander, or...
Coffee Table. Exposed Electronics. Coffee Table. Exposed Electronics. Coffee Table. Exposed Electronics. There will be a video on how a beverage made it onto the electronics. Regardless, I enjoy the creative process.
Yeah, with the top having to be moved, it's a way more stressful operation if you're by the tv enjoying some drinks and want to grab some controllers and play. Do you take all the drinks off, or just be cautious and try to not let anything fall? It's definitely cool, but functionally a risk to keep valuable electronics in a coffee table. The top being oversized compared to the base will keep stuff out when it's closed, but opened up it could easily happen.
This could be countered by adding a down facing ledge under the outer side of the coffee table. The liquids would drop from there. Accidents will happen. With four controllers, come 4 people playing together...
I can't say that I like the cable management here. You're betting that the carpet will protect the cables from people walking over them while simultaneously encasing them in insulation so that if the do start to overheat that they'll start a fire more easily. Not to mention that it doesn't really work if you have carpeting that's attached to the floor. Really, the solution here is to just get a narrower coffee table and then either swap the electronics components for ones that can easily be swapped or ones that aren't as deep. It's a cool project, but has a bunch of issues.
I agree, it's not the best cable management solution, and I personally would not do something like it. If you own the home, run the cables under the floor board (if there's room under), or place a cabinet under the TV with electronics in a vertical position to save space. Place high quality speakers in the ceiling and insulate using high quality sound proofing material to prevent sound travelling upwards.
Very nice. The only Design concern I had was about needing a higher floor clearance to avoid jamming your feet if/as you shuffle round the table - I've owned enough Beds in my life to know that pain when certain beds have no 'toe' clearance and you smash your toe against it... Cheers!
Fan on bottom blowing air from carpet into electronics filled wooden box... That's such a smart idea, I look forward to seeing this build in 6 months when you realize its an overheating lint factory
@@seany3127 your average laptop has a filter and air gap and do you know what the most common cause of death for those is? Overheating due to dust build up in the fans and heatsink. Filters get clogged and exacerbate the issue
The PS5 vents out the back, so you may want to give it some breathing room on the backside if you find it starts jumping frames, or not loading in assets.
yes but I doubt that console or anything will live for long in that box, nevermind that it also have vents there is a carpet underneat, carpet is a producer of dust, keeps in germs etc, it sucks that into the box, there is not a lot of air and all of it will get dirty and fry the multy system (black box under PS) produces an huge amount of heat alone ... I had one that needed extra fan and coolant also couldn't keep it in a cabinet had to place it on top of a cab out in the open, it's almost if not like a small heater, I got so pissed at it that I didn't use it in summer and eventually sold the damn thing ... made a custom audio system with a separate cable input switch box, barely any heat, less power consumption and no hassle overall Every time I see people have that and complain I suggest the same things, keep it in the open or get a different setup. Especially if you barely have space get a smaller system. Why do people get 100+ Watt systems in a tiny room is beyond me ...
Yeah, between the PS5 and the receiver, that box is gonna get WAY too hot. The PS5 pulls about 340w in demanding games, and the receiver is pushing at LEAST 50w per channel. That's getting near 600w, which is more than some small space heaters. My PS5 heats up my office several degrees warmer than the rest of the house along with the TV. Passive exhaust (especially ones that narrow) probably won't be enough to move out all that heat, no matter how much cool air you're pumping in. It should keep their legs nice and warm during those cold Canadian winters though. Great concept, but sacrificing some looks for a dedicated exhaust port with a fan would make this much more effective. Noctua makes black fans, so he wouldn't have to worry about the ugly famicom color scheme ruining the looks too much. @@minmogrovingstrongandhealthy
@@minmogrovingstrongandhealthy He has only one large intake fan with a dust filter. It should keep the dust to a minimum as the box should have a positive air pressure forcing air out the top and hopefully capturing the majority of the dust with the filter. I would prefer to see two intakes and one exhaust fan. Though, he seems to be going for the minimalist appearance so, to each their own. Dust will always be a problem on some level, unless you live in a professional clean room. I am most worried about the xbox as he already has some customization to it possibly worsening it not ideal airflow in it's stock design. Then there very little space above it for exhaust out the top my stock series x already feels like a space heater in open air. Though, I have not seen what his exact modifications are. I would say at a minimum place it horizontally but, could mount it outside the coffee table as it's already designed to match his decor anyway. That would reduce the overall heat generation in the table as well. I had to get some fans for my av receiver as well and it's in a mostly open entertainment center, so very well may run into heat issues regardless, especially with the ps5 mounted right above it.
@@minmogrovingstrongandhealthy not to mention the heat that the surround sound, directly beneath it will put out. with the fan being on the other side, its just going to blow right in front of that equipment and straight out the top, hope hes making enough from youtube to be able to replace that stuff soon. or maybe he rarely uses it and it wont be a big deal.
I love how over the top this is. I am worried about moving the table to vacuum the carpet. Also if the PS5 is held in place or kinda just sitting there. I love the addition of the fan and the addition of the filter. Absolutely LOVE this project. I wish I had a craft space 😭
Beautiful build!!! I would recommend one suggestion - have the fan blow down, not up. Yes, heat rises, but dust is on the floor and will get sucked up into your table. Also, your table is on a carpet, which means carpet fragments will also end up in your table. By reversing the flow, you’ll be bringing in still-cool air from the gap at the top which will be much cleaner. Technically you could have negative pressure, but you have a big cross section due to that 1/4 inch gap around the top so that’s shouldn’t be an issue unless you run the fan all out (which would be noisy anyway). Keep up the good work - love the videos!
The space inside the box will become negative pressure with a reversed fan. However, as this isn't a PC and the carpet dust is such a big concern I think this would probably be the right decision regardless.
That fan placement being outside the box and unguarded, and not having any other fans for exhaust or circulation, is a mistake. Really the dude should treat that coffee table box like a pc tower. He's got the skills to stealth in some artful cutouts on the sides for some 140mm or 180mm fans to pull and exhaust from. Move the bottom closer to front of the box and place it inside.
I would disagree. Having the tv up towards the ceiling is the correct place for nearly all people watching. When I recline my view looking forward is up at an angle and not out forward. When sitting on a couch leaning back your foward view is also up towards the ceiling. At what point is the tv directly in front of you.
Looks great, just remeber to tell every visitor to never try to move the " coffe table". I get the pain of setting this carpet- cable- table contraption up :)
If I ever have a visitor who feels they have the right to start moving my furniture around well before they know me well enough to know how long I've spent setting up my media center, that visitor will no longer be welcome at my house.
@@VojtechMach Maybe not, it looks like all the stuff he put there can be disconnected from the inside and dropped through the hole at the bottom so you could move the table. Just a bit more work really.
That's awesome! You have one heat source (receiver) under another, stronger heat source (your PS5)... all stored in a nice tinderbox of high ambient temps! That little fan under it all won't be enough.
kinda feel you should have the table the other way round so that lifting it up can also act as a small table for you on the couch. Otherwise pretty cool !
@@midgame6418 true, but the lid of the table extends over the edges and so I wouldn't be that concerned with liquid spilling on the table and reaching the electronics. Just like I'm not concerned with the electronics in my home getting water damage when it rains.
The first thing I thought when I saw him put that PS5 in was "this guy doesn't have kids" 😂 it's begging to crash indeed the moment someone hits the table or moves it.
I'd have to agree with everyone's reply to this comment. I most definitely would of made sure that the PS5 was mounted in a way it couldn't move at all. Also make sure there would be no chance that any liquids could get into it.
I would add a contact sensor to the door, so when you open it the lights would come on by themselves without the use of voice commands or the app. Just a thought I wanted to share. Other then that, this is a very nice set up.
About the cable management, why not putting the cables underneath the wooden floor? And for easy moving the table for vacuum cleaning, you can place connectors / sockets in the table so you can easily unplug the table when it needs to be moved.
@@DunkDrivesNot necessarily. A small hole to some conduit, which you could install from below. Either way, having the table “hard wired” to the taped down cables and carpet is pretty janky if you ever need to move things.
@@johnnyc.31the house could be built on a slab? That would be a pain in the ass. If he had a crawl space I would definitely go down then come back up somewhere else.
I did a similar thing, but put my consoles and receiver are in bookshelf behind me. I run the cables through the ceiling. This is a great tutorial, and adds a nice amount of space to the Livingroom.
Another cabling alternative is a crawl space. you can run a connection box to a point under the table and feed the cables through and into the wall and feed them out of the wall directly. You will never see a cable.
You can get flat HDMI cables, that might be a great fit for your usecase. Also, there are TV backlight LEDs that are connected in-line with your HDMI input, so they don't have to use that funky camera arm thing sticking out from the top. Someone's going to break it or knock it off when they walk past and you're never gonna fix it because you're secretly glad you're rid of that eyesore 😂
and besides what @Logon01 said, the in-line HDMI controller only works for... HDMI. If you watch regular tv, or use the apps installed on a smart tv, then the HDMI controller unfortunately is a no go.
@@theninjabay that is also a good point I didn't even think about. Not only would it fail on smart TVs, but (given I play retro systems) it would not work for things on component/composite/coaxial/whatever...
On top of that. It doesn't work with protected content either as it can't read the info as it's encrypted between playback device and TV. It might even make your TV non-compliant for said protected content and it won't play at all.
As you were building it, my first thought is that I would have at least a few inches of clearance to make sure a robovac can fit under it, and otherwise be easy to clean without moving. But then I saw the fan, and now I want more clearance for that as well because it's going to be heavily choked and you will probably have significantly less air flow than what it's rated for.
I lover this build and what was accomplished. I've always heard that electrical extension cables should never be run under a carpet that will be walked on as the coating could be damaged and cause a fire hazard. Perhaps a "cord protector" under the carpet?
Bro, you're either not that knowledgeable about maximizing space in a room or house, or you don't like the solutions. Like other people have said, you start off by putting the couch and other chairs against the wall to square up the open space. TV tables are actually very space efficient because they're against the wall, hold TV related items like game consoles and A/V receivers, and often, people with good incomes don't store other stuff under the TV so it's asthetics are good. Ditch the coffee table like others have mentioned and get side tables. This gives you the most floor space. Also, sell that couch for a narrower one that will take less space.
Definitely an art form. Also not great to get it too low, either. I prefer a middle ground for my wall mounted TV, but we also swivel ours for viewing in the kitchen (open layout). If it were ideal couch height, you sacrifice standing height visibility/obstructibility.
I would probably invert the fan so that it's pulling air from under the lid and pushing down onto the floor. Sucking air from a carpet seems like a recipe for lots of dust!
Because entertainment centers just look awesome. i love seeing all the tech stacked up there. However what you made here is also really sweet looking and practical.
Like the build! But Led strip should always be installed on aluminium extrusion as it acts as a heatsync, and extends the life of your strips. Also, timber isn't a great surface for double sided tape. Especially when the strip heats it up.
In fire prevention we often say to home owners that hide extention cords under a carpet to "NEVER" put power extension cord under a carpet. because it's a fire risk. The proper way to get these wires from your entertainment center to the TV, Power, etc. You have to punch holes into the floor and route each wires where they have to go. And for the power, the have floor power socket that can be installed in the floor, same for other type of connection. All done for safety. So what you did is all wrong.
I loved everything about this except how you hid the wires under the rug. I have always been taught to never run a wire under a rug as you can fray the wire and not know it because it's under the rug. It could then spark and cause a fire. I'd suggest some kind of protective cover for the wires or to run then all in one wire channel and split it off from there.
Great-looking table, nice work. That said, I don't recommend running wires under the carpet, and neither does your insurance company. If you own the home, possibly adding conduit under the floor or building a false floor for the living room would be better options.
That’s what I was thinking, looks good but power under the carpet like that is a bad idea. Plus the fan placement, the bottom of the table isn’t ideal, would have been better directly behind the PS5 to vent it better.
I had planned to hide a power extension cable under our rug like you did, but had trouble finding options that wouldn’t risk burning the house down per modern NEC guidelines, which require channeling or ENT to protect high-voltage wire if they’ll be run under carpeting or a rug. Non-CMR wire is not built to be sandwiched in flammable materials long-term, especially when those materials will slowly erode the sheathing from friction (walking, foot movement from the couch-side, etc.). I find it easy to do in-wall, in-attic, in-plenum, or even underground wiring since I can either just get appropriate CM/Riser-rated wire or use ENT (or Direct-Burial grade, in the case of underground), but this “under carpet/rug” business made my head spin so I gave up for now. The closest I came to finding properly safe recommendations for the long-term was a group of excerpts from a thread quoting the current NEC, but I haven’t gotten back around to lining it up with actual hardware yet for my setup. I’ve pasted it below in case it’s helpful to you or anyone else interested in doing a similar setup: ________________________________ Safety Guidelines Source: www.nfpa.org/codes-and-standards/all-codes-and-standards/list-of-codes-and-standards/detail?code=70 Nonmetallic-sheathed cable (NM) is covered in Article 334 of the 2020 NEC (and earlier editions). The following are (some of) the applicable sections of the 2020 NEC: 334.15(A) discusses “To Follow Surface.” 334.15(B) covers “Protection from Physical Damage.” 334.23 covers “In Accessible Attics.” 334.30 covers “Securing and Supporting.” Below is what these say: 334.15(A) states “Cable shall closely follow the surface of the building finish or running boards.” 334.15(B) in part states “Where passing through a floor, the cable shall be enclosed in rigid metal conduit, intermediate metal conduit, electrical metallic tubing, Schedule 80 PVC conduit, Type RTRC marked with the suffix -XW, or other approved mans extending at least 150 mm (6 inches) above the floor.” 334.23 states “The installation of cable in accessible attics or roof spaces shall also comply with 320.23.” 320.23(A) “Cables Run Across the Top of Floor Joists” states “ Where run across the top of floor joists, or within 2.1 m (7 ft) of the floor or floor joists across the face of rafters or studding, the cable shall be protected by guard strips that are at least as high as the cable. Where this space is not accessible by permanently installed stairs or ladders, protection shall only be required within 1.8 m (6 ft) of the nearest edge of the scuttle hole or attic entrance.” This required protection is most commonly provided by the use of 1x2 inch furring strips. 334.30 states “Nonmetallic-sheathed cable shall be supported and secured by staples, cable ties listed and identified for securement and support, or straps, hangers, or similar fittings designed and installed so as not to damage the cable, at intervals not exceeding 1.4 m (4-1/2 ft) and within 300 mm (12 in.) of every cable entry into enclosures such as outlet boxes, junction boxes, cabinets, or fittings. The cable length between the cable entry and the closest cable support shall not exceed 450 mm (18 in.). Flat cables shall not be stapled on edge. Sections of cable protected from physical damage by raceway shall not be required to be secured within raceway.
Put plywood down under the carpet that is the same size. Put a split and space where you want to run wires. Then you will not be stepping and wearing through your wires. Experience says you will wear through the insulation on those cables in time. I'd put a push switch that is triggered when the lid is closed that shuts the lights off. Did this with my kitchen drawer lighting. Open any drawer and the lights come on. Everyone is always surprised by the lights.
So.... Recommendations: 1) Lift the whole area up on wood - that way you can force make a cable grove that wont ever be felt, damaged or stood on (it can be damaged over time) 2) Make the bottom of the cabinet higher (at least where the fan is) - you do not want the fan sucking up air directly from the floor. An alternative option is to just cut a square, and 3d print a vertical mount for the fan - it will then sit on the inside off the floor, and you can have 2 and hide them neatly at the corners. Also helps push air around horizontally. 3) Every time you need to move the TV, or speakers (to clean) you have to watch the wires. Rather use trunking on the wall (behind the speaker though) - add a quick connector for the speakers or just extra slack. This means the wires aren't tied to the speakers - but wall ... where they go. For wires to the TV - follow the bracket - always. If you want to angle your TV, or move it - cables again. Following the TV bracket mean you could extend the TV completely and have no cables to worry about. Trunking long the back of the wall also makes it neater if you move the TV out. 4) Game controllers - make a little draw/cupboard just for the controllers - at the front of the cabinet. You do not need to open the whole thing each time just to get them out. What you can do is make a sliding draw for the devices near the bottom - or top - so it is out the way, and when you slide out, you can get a mech to like drop the cover. - Similar to that of TVs or CD payers in car radios. You then can have all your docks for any devices you leave there , on charge and out the way - hidden cables as well. 5) LEDS inside .... PUT A DOOR CONTACT ON. You want them to turn on when you open, and turn off when you close ... Same goes for the controllers. 6) add a touch panel, or few switches/buttons to the front side, or a side that gives you control for things. Example: controlling lighting - eg: movie night, enable/disable TV backlights or whatever. It's nice to control by voice... but when you are right there and can just quickly touch a button to set a scene ... it's just quick and simple. Or other things depending on your setup could be like changing HDMI inputs or modes or whatever. 7) 3D print a little rectangular bracket - kinda flat - that goes behind the rear speakers cabling. Just for your extra OCD to hide the entrypoint for the cable and seem like the whole stand is the speaker basically. 8) Cable trays - like you mentioned but a bit different. So as per #4, your game controllers can take up half of the space (front to back) The back half can be a enclosure basically - you can have all cabling there. Distribute to the controllers and up to the devices. - just make sure the back has a hidden door to open - rather than from the inside up. Reason: if you have all your devices sitting on the 'base' (leveled up base) then you have to take everything out to access cabling. So by having a sliding draw in the front - you have controllers. And a hidden draw as the back - which could be magnet held closed, and you have 2 holes where you stick your fingers through and push that panel off. You can easily access the cabling, you can easily feed up or to the front or change things. The design would change a bit, so instead of the amp in the middle, you have it sideways on a side, PS5 on the other and XBOX near it or what not. There are no controllers in that area, there are minimal cables or really anything but the devices. And since you don't really have to open as often, you won't really ever notice it. Make sure controllers and cable area has vents - and ofc airflow for devices. What you can do is actually add a temp sensor (you can do this with your home automation?) So have the fan basically on 24/7 - but from say 25deg C upwards, it ramps the fans up. So if it does get warm (eg ... xbox/ps doing nightly updates) - it will at least keep it all cool. Another option instead of the gaps below the top, make a fan/air guide. So the fan is actually sucking the hot air out, rather than blowing it in. - can also put the temp sensor right near the fan.
18:09 Making a note here: Running a power cord under a carpet with apparently no protection is a good way to start a house fire in the middle of the night. I'll see what happens later in the video before making a final decision
Could've used a glass side, so you could control the receiver with the remote without opening the top. Edit: Also, you usually want the table top to flip *towards* you, to let you put your snacks closer to you while you're watching your movie. Further, I'd have recommended attaching the carpet pad to the floor, running the wires, then putting the carpet over the entire shebang, instead of attaching the pad to the carpet like you did.
re: your edit, he did it this way so he can access the things inside while sitting on his couch. most coffee tables don't have a lift-up top anyway so it's not really a big deal if he can't use his that way either....
@@lepidoptery Bringing the top up and closer is the whole purpose for that style of hinge. Otherwise, why not just use a hinge that allows the whole top open up.
@@lepidoptery not sure what world you've been living in for a while but visit literally any furniture store that sells new coffee tables have a ton of them for sale; lift-up top coffee tables have been a thing for a good 10 years or so and I have been in several homes that have them going back to at least 2014 and I'm sure they have been around much longer.
You always wanna keep the filter on the intake side of the fan. Otherwise you're gonna lose performance and gain noise as a lot of dust settles on the blades. It also reduces the lifespan of the fan. It's also generally a better idea to keep the fan on the inside of the enclosure to avoid damage to the fan housing and the blades in particular. This could easily have been hidden by that false bottom you mentioned, but regardless I would rather have to see it on the inside the few moments you have the table open.
it's also going to be a pain in the ass to clean the fan from dust every once in a while (and due to no filter + carpet that 'once in a while' will mean pretty often) because it's underneath. You'd have to tilt the whole table, for which you have to take all the electronics out first, for which in turn you're probably going to have issues with the cables... it's giving me headache and i don't even own this table. I don't wanna be too mean, because it is a well made table and it does look good, there's just a bunch of stuff that *will* cause trouble in the long run, including the fan. I'd probably upgrade/do a V2 of the project it at some point
@@normalaboutpathologic Yeah I totally agree man! I would 100% have it suck out the warm air from the top and blow it downwards to avoid the inevitable, massive dust buildup and consequential reduction of airflow. The opposite airflow is preferable due to natural convection most probably helping more air circulate upwards and out, but I wouldn't risk it in this build even if I was paid to do so.
Consider using some rubber cushion on the controller holders so they aren't damaged every time you put them in, other than that, well another amazing build.
At the beginning I instantly thought go with deck over the floor and incorporate the Coffee Table with that as well under the couch for even better cable/wire management for all your Audio and other electronics. Up to the TV perhaps even. Just needs to be an Inch or 2 high. And might add some interesting contrast to the whole living room. You could still use carpet under or around the Coffee Table on the deck.
It is fascinating to watch someone so confidently do everything wrong. Extension cords under the rug (definitely illegal) Welding a custom bracket instead of buying shelf brackets. Putting the controller hangers where they can't be seen. Putting the fan underneath the box instead of inside, and putting the filter on the wrong side. Rabbiting the edges and then covering them anyway. Man what a f*ckin trip, this was outstanding lmao
That box is going to be a coffin for your expensive electronics. That airflow solution -- while clever -- is woefully inadequate for the devices you put in there. A single intake fan and a single vent on the top? The PS5 will overwhelm that pretty quickly -- that thing puts out A LOT of heat. I have an open-front entertainment center and I still had to put a USB fan in there to pull out the heat. You also shouldn't stack the PS5 and the receiver like that if you're going to be pulling upwards from the floor- the heat from the receiver will get pulled into the PS5 intake.
While I would never do something like this for reasons (fire hazard, inconvenience, spilling drinks all over a couple thousand dollars worth of electronics, etc.), there were some great building tips in this video. I don't have a wall sized TV and never will, but I do have a PC with two monitors and a UPS (not to mention that stupid cable/modem). I've always wanted to enclose them in a cabinet, but due to the heat never have -- I *love* the idea of that massive fan + filter possibly allowing that! I would also never run wires where they can be walked on and the casings and or *very delicate copper wires* being compromised and starting a fire. Others had a good solution for running a channel in the floor, but that's too destructive (and if it's Pergo or something thinner you probably couldn't anyway). I'd opt for a narrow case, possibly without a back panel, right under the TV. It shouldn't need to stick out any further than the speakers, and would keep the cords out of the path. Would also lend an out-of-the-way surface for a few knick-knacks... or the cat! LED lighting inside a coffee table is 100% unnecessary; but if you "have" to have it, it would be better to get battery operated instead of running a power cord across a footpath. Good luck, keep those smoke alarms in good working order, and have a fire extinguisher ready!
Great stuff! I couldn't help but think that building a couple of sofa tables/cabinets that are flush with your couch might be a better way to maximize the space. You can even raise your couch a bit to fit the AV receiver on the bottom left side of the couch, imagine an "L" shape cabinet where the bottom part goes underneath your couch and a simpler one on the right. You can make it just deep enough to fit your devices and use the top part as a table and a place to put your rear speakers (you can even add some cup holders). You cable manage everything under the sofa and cross all of them under the carpet on one side only. Of course, you can get a smaller coffee table as well to get more space too.
You need a floor cable track or what is called a cable pancake. It's those tracks you see in accountant offices that you can put wires in, lay across the floor and step on.
Super awesome build. Great idea to make french cleats for your center channel. IMHO, offset the fan and blow out of the bottom or side, then cover the front to pull air from the sides and back. This will prevent hot air blowing into your couch area. If people don't know how great Noctua fans are, just buy them. They are the some of the quietest fans with the best airflow (no RGB though). Second, install quick connects between the carpet runs and the table. Much easier to move disconnect and move around the table. it will also make locking in cable management inside the table easier (use banana clips and a surround sound breakout box) the false back using magnets would have been very convenient.
I'd recommend using your basement rather than the carpet to hide all that wiring, particularly to replace the extension cords. And to use a balun pair (Monoprice has some acceptable ones). You're likely close to the maximum length on that HDMI run.
Thanks, it gave me plenty of ideas for the future. One thing that could have made the wiring easier: tape the wires to the floor, cut separate carpet padding in-between (may require something holding them together), and then the carpet on top.
If you have access below the floor, there is a better solution for your wires. I'm in the process of doing a major remodel and will be solving a wire problem with in-floor junction boxes. I would install two of them in the floor below your coffee table - one for the AC and the other for the cables. It is also relatively easy to run the cables behind the drywall. Remove the baseboard below the TV mount and drill a small hole and put a coat hanger wire in it to see from below where the wires need to go. Install junction boxes behind the TV and you are good to go. You can also run the speaker wires along the floor either in front of or behind the baseboard.
Awesome project. My concern is the PS5 rear exhaust. It's pretty close to the side of the table and might start sucking in it's exhaust. The receiver is also giving off its own heat with the console above it. Putting them on opposite sides, widening the space behind the console, and adding a lip in front of the console for the inevitable bumps the table will get are the only adjustments I'd make.
There's a ton of problems here, anyone skimming the comments will question their thumbs-up on the video... but it's also easy to bash errors and ignore all the skill he did show. Incredible woodworking, less than stellar understanding of electronics. Thank you for the great tips, words of caution in the comments also worth the read. Side note: it would cost a lot less to just buy a few more wall mounted shelving units than to buy thousands of dollars worth of machinery and the workshop to house/use it all. Unfortunate.
Step 1: lose the sofa. Way too big for the space. Step 2: find a sofa that fits the space. Step 3: lose the coffee table. End tables would work better. You’re pretty much done.
19:00 ... It appears that you have one cable carrying AC power to the Receiver that is mounted in the table. This is a really big "No-No" if there is any foot traffic that could travel over the power cord. The other cables are fine under the rug.
The holes for the fan looked really good and could easily have been on the side towards the TV. So one at each end for one fan to take in air and the other to exhaust it could be a lot better for air flow. Just make a channel on the intake so it's forced down to the bottom of the box would make sure it's not just going above everything inside.
Those CNC'd holes ended up being pointless though; a plastic grate for the filter went over the top of them. It would have easier (not to mention better for air movement) had it just been one large cutout. I would have used that pattern all over the bottom panel for passive air flow or had at least 2 fans bc if that one fails, the electronics are fried
Ah, this reminds me of the media center coffee table my SO made 12 years ago. We had a craigslist free coffee table with a horrid top, so we got a craigslist free piece of table glass. We had the RGB lighting strips, we had a Raspberry Pi that acted as our media center. We didn't have a big fancy TV, just a monitor stand mounted on the side of the table. It would detect via some fancy python camera face detection magic) when we sat down first thing in the morning with our coffee and start up Amy Goodman's show. It would also turn off the LEDs when you started a movie or TV show. Eventually it evolved into our couch workspace (as I worked from home) and more monitors and computers got built into it. Yours is definitely fancier though.
This whole setup is sweet. A note on the bias lighting for anyone watching who doesn't want to go the full smart version: neutral white LEDs behind the TV/monitor still improve the perceived black levels on the TV so they're still worth trying.
That’s a lot of heat generated in that box. There is no way that fan gets enough air flow. You also need vents to let the let the air out, since you know, air pressure.
Got that same carpet from wayfair for free. I originally bought another one and they made a mistake and sent me this one instead. Customer support told me to keep it after fixing their mistake. Great build as always!
I would recommend adding some flat conduit for the power and video cables under the carpet, as bare power cable under carpet is a fire code violation in many places and in general unsafe. Also the video cables will get crushed eventually, as the conductors in those cables are pretty thin, and the round cable profile is prone to crushing. I would also recommend the fan be mounted inside and have it exhaust out. Cool coffee table. And yes, I agree that more folks should be mounting their tv on the wall & landlords need to get over themselves about it in the case of renters.
3:50 Why using nails at all? Clamp it for 15 min, do something else in the meantime (for example cut the next parts to length), and the wood glue should have set enough to continue. I never was in a situation while building furniture, where I have to nail something on, by using tape, clamps and/or ratchet straps. But a really awesome furniture you built there! For the surface finish I often use Osmo TopOil High Solid. It has a shiny matte-glossy texture and feels awesome to the touch.
Nicely done! As an audiophile and home theater nut, i'm excited to see the work you put in to make a great setup, rather than just buying a bluetooth soundbar and calling it a day. The coffee table hideaway setup is excellent!
As a home theatre nut, don't you think it's bad that the speakers and sub are right up against the wall? Won't this stop them venting the sound properly? I know my own speakers get very "boomy" when they're too close to the wall.
The leveling feet will keep the notched out legs from snapping. That worked out well. An extension cord under the carpet is sketchy. An arc fault breaker won't fix it. There are commercial flat under carpet solutions like tycho. Note there's also high end players that got out of those products for liabilty/insurance reasons. Iirc there's also low profile anti trip extrusions that have a hollow for cable. It is designed to go over flooring but it would still protect wiring if you put it under a throw rug.
Nah, he explained this, it was so he could clean it by opening the lid and pulling it out without having to upend the table, potentially having to remove all the stuff inside to do it.
@@AdsCoulter He had to put adjustable legs on after the fact to give the fan any space at all to breathe. There is no reason to reinvent the wheel, pc cases have fans on the inside and slide out filters on the outside to allow for easy cleaning of the filter that is there to protect the fan and the contents. As it is now, the fan will collect dust bunnies.
Two changes I would have made: One is route a grove on the outside edge of the underside of the table top, all around the parameter. This would function as a drip edge - preventing surface tension from any spilled drinks from pulling liquid under the table and soaking the electronics. Second, and this is just because I'm lazy, all furniture needs to allow clearance for robovacs. I'd have had longer legs.
********* WARNING ********** FIRE HAZARD ************* WARNING Running wire under carpet is very bad. There is less risk with speaker and HDMI cable but it is non-zero risk. The problem with it is that walking over the wires will wear out the insulation and possibly short out the power cables. This can and probably will start a fire. This probably won't be a problem as long as you don't have a big wooden coffee table in the middle of the living room next to a big sectional couch. I don't know if you used cable runs under the carpet but I don't think the safety aspects of running cables under rugs was stressed enough. I think this video at best might give people the impression that running cables under carpet is no big deal. Worse case is that you and others are actually in danger.
I think it really depends on the people/family. Having kids, liking eating in front of a TV, doing puzzles there, serving snacks to visitors, etc, etc. All affect whether you might find a coffee table a waste, convenient, or essential.
@@DavZell Our upstairs office has two 55" inch TVs with dual recliners and a middle table. 12 foot and change desk up the TVs and behind us is another 12 foot and change countertop with fridge, popcorn machine and all sorts of other stuff stored in the cabinets. It works quite well for us and we have a lot of space.
Eh, unless it’s a rental, there’s a case for running those wires under the house. The sandwiching of extension cables between the rug is a fire hazard.
I am not a "TV/movie" person, but what triggers me in 99% of all the home setups is when they don't do what you did with the TV. If I have a room with a TV, there must be at least one seating position that's right in front of it. Close enough, and with the center of the TV being more or less in EYE LEVEL. Most homes have a TV at a weird location where it's not convenient to see and 99% of the installations force you to look UP because the TV's bottom is at eye level so some stupid thing (fake fireplace, etc) fits under it.
Your solution is quite clever and does a really good job of making that space tidy. I don't have much woodworking experience, but I am not afraid of electrical work. For me, I really wish that outlets were higher on the wall so that you could just have them tucked behind the wall mounted TV. Then you could also just have little shelves on the wall for all your electronics and the outlets would not be visible at floor level. For most modern usages, I actually think outlets at floor level are becoming obsolete. Do you charge your electronics on the floor (phone, laptop, tablet, etc)? No, you charge up higher, usually on a night stand. Do you use your computer on the floor? NO, it is on a desk. The only usage that is still relevant is standing lights, but there are also wall mounted and table-top alternatives. Maybe your robo vaccum will dock on the floor still, but that is about it. Even our Dyson hangs on a wall.
The way you routed the wires under the carpet is a FIRE HAZARD. Also your speakers (Rear/surround) are to close. I used to install professionally, not just some hater. I'm saying that you you don't get hurt, lose everything and get better sound from your system.
Nice Job!!! As an audiophile, I would move the surround speakers away from the couch at a 45 deg angle and to a distance of at least half the length of your couch. Yes, hang them from the ceiling! If they're not loud enough, route the wires through a cheap (~$30) inline surround amplifier. For about double the price, you can Bluetooth from your audio amplifier to the speakers and skip (most of) the wiring.
Just a thought, having the fan pulling air up from the floor will put any dust or any other debris up into your table. Dust is the enemy of electronics, also the air coming out of the space at the table top will blow the warm or hot are onto those sitting next to front of it. Anyone wearing contacts will soon complain about their contacts drying out and some just don’t like air blowing directly onto them. Hot or warm air is usually appreciated at the foot level if that person (I may or may not be talking about my wife in this comment) has chronically cold feet! I enjoyed your build, my first time watching. Good delivery and describing your process. Keep up the good work!
Overall, a well-executed project! You mentioned that you may add a third layer of carpet in the future, but what if you still had to move some of the furniture, whether it'd be a replacement or a dangerous situation occurred that forced a change? How exactly would you move the customized coffee table with everything connected underneath and throughout the whole carpet?
Solid execution of the design idea, beautiful craftsmanship, exquisite taste! All that along with the general idea so poorly thought out. The design sort of solves one problem but introduces dozen (ok half-dozen, but not less). It's almost sad seeing all this work resulted in such fine object flawed in so many ways.
😮. Nice work there Zac. Can't wait to see more updates an projects and many more videos soon my friend. Keep up the great craftsmanship and hard work my friend. Keep making. God bless.
This was great. Honestly, I'd have made the carpet its own build. You really want some sturdy cable protectors between the cables and the carpet to prevent rapid degradation of the cables, and had you sewn or glued a cable outlet panel to the center of the carpet you could have avoided having to flip or fold the carpet during hookup. The extra wires and adapters and a proper cable guard would probably total less than $100 added to the build. And if you end up replacing a few wires a year from now due to foot traffic, you'll probably find that $100 would've been well worth it.
A few things I got from this video: Firstly, this is such a cool project; however, it seems like a super pain to do initial cable management - but so worth it. I've had about half a dozen different ideas to hide all cables in our TV area, but never considered routing them under a carpet. I really enjoyed this video, Zac. Secondly, I'm glad we got to see Sophie is an actual person and not a figment of your imagination 😉 (hear a lot about her but never see her) Thirdly, TOTK does look great with the TV's accent lighting 👌
as someone who does trade shows and regularly runs cables under carpet. def dont tape to the carpet and flip. we tape to the floor for trade shows. for long term id look into some type of housing to channel in the pad. think high traffic areas at events, the cables have that shroud that allows people to step and not trip. that is there to also prevent cable damage.
Really nice build. I like the idea, but am also taking onboard the other comments. I'd be inclined to put in an infrared repeater so it's still possible to use the remotes for the equipment inside the table -- eg our internet provider's set top box for live TV which we use for watching sports.
Amazing build once again Zac… I too hate wires so I’m loving the cable management… The only thing I would add, and I’m sure it’s been mentioned in the comments, is to have the tabletop mechanism come towards the couch as opposed to the direction of the TV… Would probably be more convenient for you… Again, loved every second of this video
@@kryptedcode I’m with you there actually but to keep the convo going… I think the amount of times he’ll use the top of the table will outweigh the amount of times he’ll reach in there… Most PS5 owners don’t even have physical CDs anymore so they’ll be no reason to reach in but I could be wrong… The controllers will the most reached for item and he’ll only have to do that twice a day (when he picks it up to play and when he puts it away when he’s done)
I do believe that you can get double action hinges that can both open traditionally and elevate, but I also believe the intention was to access the innards without having to clear off the top first, rather than using it as a dining surface.
@@adanwoodshop "He'll use the top of the table" he can still use, it doesn't matter the direction he opens it in. If the use of the table is as intended, it's fine to keep it whichever direction you want but if the use of the space inside is as intended, then opening the table top away from the couch is the best way. Unless you are suggesting that he open the table top up to use a elevated top for keeping snacks, coffee, laptop. I can see it being used that way but then again, not the intended use and would probably be bad for the hinges and the wood if it isn't rated for higher stress such things would put on it.
Thanks man, personally I like it the way it is, but you definitely could just rotate it 180 and use it like a laptop stand. I dont use my laptop much at the coffee table though, so I'd prefer to have faster access to the insides. Appreciate the kind words!
Awesome idea and it worked out pretty well. With things like this, with many complications, there's always something you learn and change the next time something like it comes up. I'd change only one more thing: the paddings/fillings between the tabletop and the sides, I'd attach them to the bottom of the table top instead of on the top of the sides. It makes the padding invisible, leaving you with a cleaner look.
This I awesome, but, after three weeks, how is your cooling? Your PS5’s vents are right up against the wood, and above your Denon which is no doubt putting out a ton of heat. I know you said the air is replaced every six seconds, but I am still curious here.
I like watching his videos because he always uses typical household items to do these simple builds. It makes it easy to buy the materials and get started on the projects he shows off without buying expensive tools or equipment.
DIY UA-camrs be like "Why waste your money on IKEA furniture, when all you need is some wood, some glue, a $5,000 CNC Router and 3+ years of professional CAD experience?"
Sometimes you can get lucky and rent out a tool shop nearby that has friendly staff willing to help out with projects, but even then, the cost of renting the shop out and the materials will still be more than the average ikea buy.
my city has a hack space with most of these tools plus a bunch more. Costs like $75 a month
🤣 ROFL...
At least this guy doesn't pretend he is making something that is an easy diy thing. I think I could do this without CNC at least.
I guess one can make it without a CNC, compromising on fit and finish.
The main problem with the space feeling too cramped was never the TV console or the table. It‘s the couch.
Dear Modern is crying right now
@@maxnovakovics2568but at least now we know…
LMFAO!!
"I just don't know why this area looks so cramped", he says, as he looks to the couches that are inexplicably like 4 feet away from the wall and pushed right up to the coffee table.
@@HaniiPuppy well, it's really not inexplicable. he wants there to be a walkway in the back so ppl don't have to cross in front of the sofa to get to the other side of the room.
As someone who built furniture for 30 yrs as a hobby but had to stop due to disability, I really enjoyed watching you build this. But I think you should get some 3M 5/16” plastic cable channel and run your AC wires through it under the carpet. Over a period of years, walking on extension cords is a serious fire risk. Circuit breakers protect the wires inside the wall, but not extension cords outside of it.
Yeah that was a really big oversight
good advice
Circut breakers will protect extension cords as long as the extension cord can carry 1500w
@@snowwsquire ARC fault would catch this failure mode, but most houses do not have them yet. Standard breaker would catch a short, but not the wire heating up from the strain.
glad this was the top comment i was also curious about a potential fire hazard with the cables under the carpet like that
Before I rip this, really nice build! I love the pieced top. Unfortunately this isn't going to last longer than the first time you need to vacuum. Might even cause a fight if your s.o. is the one who does the cleaning.
Running a ton of wires under a heavy traffic rug will cause divorce if it doesn't cause a fire first.
Nah, the cables will fail in short order.
It'll be fine
@@Jxordan Ever see a cable that's in the path of foot traffic? I still have nightmares about the duct-taped ghost of what used to be a CAT5 cable at my brother's college dorm.
I wonder if a small hole in the floor to some conduit below would have been better. (You could keep the wood and plug it in the future if desired)
@@amoliski Yes, a few in our house. After ten years the cables are still as good as new. Of course we're not running a dormitory, so we don't have hundreds of people walking over them daily.
Awesome build! Just a little tip, the fan orientation is not recommended. Having a fan draw in air from the carpet is asking for a slue of dust and debris to be brought into your coffee table. Just like in PC builds, it is better to exhaust air towards things like carpet to reduce that dust intake.
Well in a PC build we also stay the hell away from carpets to begin with. I'll never understand people putting their PCs on a carpeted floor. That's just asking for trouble.
I like how Zac began the video showing off his extra fluffy cat ... a few moments later ... "this vent is for a fan that is gonna take air from beneath the table in order to cool the box's contents"
Exactly. Also the fan sticking out a little on the bottom with just a little bit of space between it and the carpet could potentially choke it. I love the concept, but the fan needs some space to breathe.
nvm, he adressed that issue later in the vid 😅
@@vulpinemachine I immediately thought that if you put a PC on carpet immediately means fire on carpet
Solid construction, I like the table a lot, and I'll probably steal some ideas for my own furniture builds. To answer your question of why we still use entertainment units, some of us don't own our houses and have to abide by the landlord's rule about not putting holes in the walls. Aside from that, they serve the purpose of keeping fragile electronics and cables in a sturdy box that's both near the TV, and away from drinks and food that can damage them if they spill. They also help to keep the wires minimally visible, as you can run them around the back of the unit without much hassle, and make sure you don't need to run cables across foot traffic areas where they can wear down way faster. It's also way cheaper to upcycle a cheap entertainment unit than it is to build a whole new coffee table and solve all of the problems using that as an entertainment unit creates.
I know, right? I still have a medium-size nice black unit from the 90s with open spaces, shelves, and bottom cabinets that I transformed to a bookshelf, hidden storage, hidden electronics and cables, and the top is for plants and their humidifier and grow lights. My "TV" is an older ASUS 23" monitor with HDMI Chromecast on a clamp monitor stand on the table in front of the couch. Speakers flank the monitor on the table. No reason to throw out a nice entertainment center if it can be repurposed.
Plus an entertainment center with drawers like a credenza can offer extra storage.
And there's the little detail of $10,000 of specialized tools to make this thing, not to mention the large warehouse to contain all the production toys. This is an unattainable project for 99% of us. It's cool to watch, but a waste of time.
@@RockinRobbins13 this exactly. I'd love to customize my entertainment center but I don't have a CNC machine, or a large scale 3D printer, or a drum sander, or...
@@fuzzzone Yeah, I understated the value of the production toys by at least a factor of 4. They sure are cool. I'll never have them.
Coffee Table. Exposed Electronics. Coffee Table. Exposed Electronics. Coffee Table. Exposed Electronics.
There will be a video on how a beverage made it onto the electronics.
Regardless, I enjoy the creative process.
Yeah, with the top having to be moved, it's a way more stressful operation if you're by the tv enjoying some drinks and want to grab some controllers and play. Do you take all the drinks off, or just be cautious and try to not let anything fall? It's definitely cool, but functionally a risk to keep valuable electronics in a coffee table. The top being oversized compared to the base will keep stuff out when it's closed, but opened up it could easily happen.
This could be countered by adding a down facing ledge under the outer side of the coffee table. The liquids would drop from there. Accidents will happen. With four controllers, come 4 people playing together...
I can't say that I like the cable management here. You're betting that the carpet will protect the cables from people walking over them while simultaneously encasing them in insulation so that if the do start to overheat that they'll start a fire more easily. Not to mention that it doesn't really work if you have carpeting that's attached to the floor.
Really, the solution here is to just get a narrower coffee table and then either swap the electronics components for ones that can easily be swapped or ones that aren't as deep. It's a cool project, but has a bunch of issues.
I agree, it's not the best cable management solution, and I personally would not do something like it. If you own the home, run the cables under the floor board (if there's room under), or place a cabinet under the TV with electronics in a vertical position to save space. Place high quality speakers in the ceiling and insulate using high quality sound proofing material to prevent sound travelling upwards.
Very nice. The only Design concern I had was about needing a higher floor clearance to avoid jamming your feet if/as you shuffle round the table - I've owned enough Beds in my life to know that pain when certain beds have no 'toe' clearance and you smash your toe against it... Cheers!
Fan on bottom blowing air from carpet into electronics filled wooden box...
That's such a smart idea, I look forward to seeing this build in 6 months when you realize its an overheating lint factory
Yup, Should've just made it an intake-exhaust on two sides.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Aw. Somebody didn't watch the whole video before commenting!
He put a filter inside and left an air gap between base and top. Try watching the whole thing.
@@seany3127 your average laptop has a filter and air gap and do you know what the most common cause of death for those is? Overheating due to dust build up in the fans and heatsink.
Filters get clogged and exacerbate the issue
The PS5 vents out the back, so you may want to give it some breathing room on the backside if you find it starts jumping frames, or not loading in assets.
yes but I doubt that console or anything will live for long in that box, nevermind that it also have vents
there is a carpet underneat, carpet is a producer of dust, keeps in germs etc, it sucks that into the box, there is not a lot of air and all of it will get dirty and fry
the multy system (black box under PS) produces an huge amount of heat alone ...
I had one that needed extra fan and coolant also couldn't keep it in a cabinet had to place it on top of a cab out in the open, it's almost if not like a small heater, I got so pissed at it that I didn't use it in summer and eventually sold the damn thing ...
made a custom audio system with a separate cable input switch box, barely any heat, less power consumption and no hassle overall
Every time I see people have that and complain I suggest the same things, keep it in the open or get a different setup. Especially if you barely have space get a smaller system. Why do people get 100+ Watt systems in a tiny room is beyond me ...
Yeah, between the PS5 and the receiver, that box is gonna get WAY too hot. The PS5 pulls about 340w in demanding games, and the receiver is pushing at LEAST 50w per channel. That's getting near 600w, which is more than some small space heaters. My PS5 heats up my office several degrees warmer than the rest of the house along with the TV. Passive exhaust (especially ones that narrow) probably won't be enough to move out all that heat, no matter how much cool air you're pumping in. It should keep their legs nice and warm during those cold Canadian winters though. Great concept, but sacrificing some looks for a dedicated exhaust port with a fan would make this much more effective. Noctua makes black fans, so he wouldn't have to worry about the ugly famicom color scheme ruining the looks too much. @@minmogrovingstrongandhealthy
The series X doesn't seem to have any space at the top either
@@minmogrovingstrongandhealthy He has only one large intake fan with a dust filter. It should keep the dust to a minimum as the box should have a positive air pressure forcing air out the top and hopefully capturing the majority of the dust with the filter. I would prefer to see two intakes and one exhaust fan. Though, he seems to be going for the minimalist appearance so, to each their own. Dust will always be a problem on some level, unless you live in a professional clean room.
I am most worried about the xbox as he already has some customization to it possibly worsening it not ideal airflow in it's stock design. Then there very little space above it for exhaust out the top my stock series x already feels like a space heater in open air. Though, I have not seen what his exact modifications are. I would say at a minimum place it horizontally but, could mount it outside the coffee table as it's already designed to match his decor anyway. That would reduce the overall heat generation in the table as well.
I had to get some fans for my av receiver as well and it's in a mostly open entertainment center, so very well may run into heat issues regardless, especially with the ps5 mounted right above it.
@@minmogrovingstrongandhealthy not to mention the heat that the surround sound, directly beneath it will put out. with the fan being on the other side, its just going to blow right in front of that equipment and straight out the top, hope hes making enough from youtube to be able to replace that stuff soon. or maybe he rarely uses it and it wont be a big deal.
I love how over the top this is. I am worried about moving the table to vacuum the carpet. Also if the PS5 is held in place or kinda just sitting there. I love the addition of the fan and the addition of the filter. Absolutely LOVE this project. I wish I had a craft space 😭
Beautiful build!!!
I would recommend one suggestion - have the fan blow down, not up. Yes, heat rises, but dust is on the floor and will get sucked up into your table.
Also, your table is on a carpet, which means carpet fragments will also end up in your table. By reversing the flow, you’ll be bringing in still-cool air from the gap at the top which will be much cleaner.
Technically you could have negative pressure, but you have a big cross section due to that 1/4 inch gap around the top so that’s shouldn’t be an issue unless you run the fan all out (which would be noisy anyway).
Keep up the good work - love the videos!
The space inside the box will become negative pressure with a reversed fan. However, as this isn't a PC and the carpet dust is such a big concern I think this would probably be the right decision regardless.
@@vulpinemachinethat fan doesn't put out much static pressure , it doesn't even spin over like 1500 RPM, I have one in one of my servers.
That fan placement being outside the box and unguarded, and not having any other fans for exhaust or circulation, is a mistake. Really the dude should treat that coffee table box like a pc tower. He's got the skills to stealth in some artful cutouts on the sides for some 140mm or 180mm fans to pull and exhaust from. Move the bottom closer to front of the box and place it inside.
yup if your only going to have one fan its best to be the exhaust and high static pressure. many years of custom pc building taught
me that
look at 20:26 you missed something
OMG someone actually mounted the TV in the right position!
I would disagree. Having the tv up towards the ceiling is the correct place for nearly all people watching. When I recline my view looking forward is up at an angle and not out forward. When sitting on a couch leaning back your foward view is also up towards the ceiling. At what point is the tv directly in front of you.
@@kameljoe21 some of us are short and don't have recliners lol I hate looking up at a tv. About mid-center of the wall is perfect.
I mounted my 65" qled that way and it was great.
Then I bought a 77" oled, which rides high.
Darn😢
Looks great, just remeber to tell every visitor to never try to move the " coffe table". I get the pain of setting this carpet- cable- table contraption up :)
Vacuuming under the table is also going to be annoying.
If I ever have a visitor who feels they have the right to start moving my furniture around well before they know me well enough to know how long I've spent setting up my media center, that visitor will no longer be welcome at my house.
@@VojtechMach Maybe not, it looks like all the stuff he put there can be disconnected from the inside and dropped through the hole at the bottom so you could move the table. Just a bit more work really.
Who visits someone's home and starts moving furniture around? 😂
That's awesome! You have one heat source (receiver) under another, stronger heat source (your PS5)... all stored in a nice tinderbox of high ambient temps! That little fan under it all won't be enough.
He claimed it should cycle the air every 6 seconds. I guess if it doesn't work we're roasting marshmallows
@@coreyaldridge1753That's actually a very long time.
kinda feel you should have the table the other way round so that lifting it up can also act as a small table for you on the couch. Otherwise pretty cool !
You won't be able to access the remotes/controllers from the couch if you do it that way
@@TheEchelon You could if the remote are attached to the lid instead of the walls of the box.
@@MatthiewMarks bonus - that's another excuse to fire up the 3D printer for some controller mounts
I'd agree if those connector thingies didn't look slightly unstable.
perfect to spill crumbs into your expensive gear!
The moment someone tries to move the coffee table, that PS5 is crashing down.
@@midgame6418 true, but the lid of the table extends over the edges and so I wouldn't be that concerned with liquid spilling on the table and reaching the electronics. Just like I'm not concerned with the electronics in my home getting water damage when it rains.
The first thing I thought when I saw him put that PS5 in was "this guy doesn't have kids" 😂 it's begging to crash indeed the moment someone hits the table or moves it.
Yeah Its balancing there precariously. I would mount and attach it using some velcro strips.
I'd have to agree with everyone's reply to this comment. I most definitely would of made sure that the PS5 was mounted in a way it couldn't move at all. Also make sure there would be no chance that any liquids could get into it.
i don't own a ps5 but is there not a concern of it overheating in there?
I would add a contact sensor to the door, so when you open it the lights would come on by themselves without the use of voice commands or the app. Just a thought I wanted to share. Other then that, this is a very nice set up.
Correction, you're doing your living room completely wrong.
About the cable management, why not putting the cables underneath the wooden floor? And for easy moving the table for vacuum cleaning, you can place connectors / sockets in the table so you can easily unplug the table when it needs to be moved.
That would involve ripping up the entire floor depending on which way it was laid.
@@DunkDrivesNot necessarily. A small hole to some conduit, which you could install from below. Either way, having the table “hard wired” to the taped down cables and carpet is pretty janky if you ever need to move things.
@@johnnyc.31the house could be built on a slab? That would be a pain in the ass. If he had a crawl space I would definitely go down then come back up somewhere else.
I did a similar thing, but put my consoles and receiver are in bookshelf behind me. I run the cables through the ceiling. This is a great tutorial, and adds a nice amount of space to the Livingroom.
Another cabling alternative is a crawl space. you can run a connection box to a point under the table and feed the cables through and into the wall and feed them out of the wall directly. You will never see a cable.
Oh, I like that much better, awesome idea!
You can get flat HDMI cables, that might be a great fit for your usecase. Also, there are TV backlight LEDs that are connected in-line with your HDMI input, so they don't have to use that funky camera arm thing sticking out from the top. Someone's going to break it or knock it off when they walk past and you're never gonna fix it because you're secretly glad you're rid of that eyesore 😂
the issue with the inline HDMI LED things is they add lag. for games, that can be an issue.
and besides what @Logon01 said, the in-line HDMI controller only works for... HDMI. If you watch regular tv, or use the apps installed on a smart tv, then the HDMI controller unfortunately is a no go.
@@theninjabay that is also a good point I didn't even think about. Not only would it fail on smart TVs, but (given I play retro systems) it would not work for things on component/composite/coaxial/whatever...
On top of that. It doesn't work with protected content either as it can't read the info as it's encrypted between playback device and TV. It might even make your TV non-compliant for said protected content and it won't play at all.
@@ErikRedbeard For the shitty ones, sure. The Game Box from the same brand as his current lights (Govee) would support HDCP just fine.
As you were building it, my first thought is that I would have at least a few inches of clearance to make sure a robovac can fit under it, and otherwise be easy to clean without moving. But then I saw the fan, and now I want more clearance for that as well because it's going to be heavily choked and you will probably have significantly less air flow than what it's rated for.
I lover this build and what was accomplished. I've always heard that electrical extension cables should never be run under a carpet that will be walked on as the coating could be damaged and cause a fire hazard. Perhaps a "cord protector" under the carpet?
Bro, you're either not that knowledgeable about maximizing space in a room or house, or you don't like the solutions. Like other people have said, you start off by putting the couch and other chairs against the wall to square up the open space. TV tables are actually very space efficient because they're against the wall, hold TV related items like game consoles and A/V receivers, and often, people with good incomes don't store other stuff under the TV so it's asthetics are good. Ditch the coffee table like others have mentioned and get side tables. This gives you the most floor space. Also, sell that couch for a narrower one that will take less space.
Thanks for mounting the TV at the correct height !
Many people do it way too high. It’s an art form to get it right.
Definitely an art form. Also not great to get it too low, either. I prefer a middle ground for my wall mounted TV, but we also swivel ours for viewing in the kitchen (open layout). If it were ideal couch height, you sacrifice standing height visibility/obstructibility.
0:10 Move the couch back against the wall and you'll have plenty of space. Make a path in front of the TV.
I would probably invert the fan so that it's pulling air from under the lid and pushing down onto the floor. Sucking air from a carpet seems like a recipe for lots of dust!
Heat rises?
That or add a filter to the intake.
@@AdsCoulter if the amount of air being moved by the fan is this large compared to the volume convection will be doing almost nothing.
@@iambear.6526he did add a filter to the intake. It's in the video
Because entertainment centers just look awesome. i love seeing all the tech stacked up there. However what you made here is also really sweet looking and practical.
Like the build! But Led strip should always be installed on aluminium extrusion as it acts as a heatsync, and extends the life of your strips.
Also, timber isn't a great surface for double sided tape. Especially when the strip heats it up.
In fire prevention we often say to home owners that hide extention cords under a carpet to "NEVER" put power extension cord under a carpet. because it's a fire risk. The proper way to get these wires from your entertainment center to the TV, Power, etc. You have to punch holes into the floor and route each wires where they have to go. And for the power, the have floor power socket that can be installed in the floor, same for other type of connection. All done for safety. So what you did is all wrong.
I loved everything about this except how you hid the wires under the rug. I have always been taught to never run a wire under a rug as you can fray the wire and not know it because it's under the rug. It could then spark and cause a fire. I'd suggest some kind of protective cover for the wires or to run then all in one wire channel and split it off from there.
Looks pretty much exactly the same but with a slightly smaller table. Seriously, the table was the biggest problem.
Great-looking table, nice work. That said, I don't recommend running wires under the carpet, and neither does your insurance company. If you own the home, possibly adding conduit under the floor or building a false floor for the living room would be better options.
Wires under the carpet?? That’s a serious fire hazard 🤔🔥🔥🔥
That’s what I was thinking, looks good but power under the carpet like that is a bad idea. Plus the fan placement, the bottom of the table isn’t ideal, would have been better directly behind the PS5 to vent it better.
I had planned to hide a power extension cable under our rug like you did, but had trouble finding options that wouldn’t risk burning the house down per modern NEC guidelines, which require channeling or ENT to protect high-voltage wire if they’ll be run under carpeting or a rug.
Non-CMR wire is not built to be sandwiched in flammable materials long-term, especially when those materials will slowly erode the sheathing from friction (walking, foot movement from the couch-side, etc.). I find it easy to do in-wall, in-attic, in-plenum, or even underground wiring since I can either just get appropriate CM/Riser-rated wire or use ENT (or Direct-Burial grade, in the case of underground), but this “under carpet/rug” business made my head spin so I gave up for now.
The closest I came to finding properly safe recommendations for the long-term was a group of excerpts from a thread quoting the current NEC, but I haven’t gotten back around to lining it up with actual hardware yet for my setup. I’ve pasted it below in case it’s helpful to you or anyone else interested in doing a similar setup:
________________________________
Safety Guidelines Source: www.nfpa.org/codes-and-standards/all-codes-and-standards/list-of-codes-and-standards/detail?code=70
Nonmetallic-sheathed cable (NM) is covered in Article 334 of the 2020 NEC (and earlier editions).
The following are (some of) the applicable sections of the 2020 NEC:
334.15(A) discusses “To Follow Surface.”
334.15(B) covers “Protection from Physical Damage.”
334.23 covers “In Accessible Attics.”
334.30 covers “Securing and Supporting.”
Below is what these say:
334.15(A) states “Cable shall closely follow the surface of the building finish or running boards.”
334.15(B) in part states “Where passing through a floor, the cable shall be enclosed in rigid metal conduit, intermediate metal conduit, electrical metallic tubing, Schedule 80 PVC conduit, Type RTRC marked with the suffix -XW, or other approved mans extending at least 150 mm (6 inches) above the floor.”
334.23 states “The installation of cable in accessible attics or roof spaces shall also comply with 320.23.”
320.23(A) “Cables Run Across the Top of Floor Joists” states “ Where run across the top of floor joists, or within 2.1 m (7 ft) of the floor or floor joists across the face of rafters or studding, the cable shall be protected by guard strips that are at least as high as the cable. Where this space is not accessible by permanently installed stairs or ladders, protection shall only be required within 1.8 m (6 ft) of the nearest edge of the scuttle hole or attic entrance.”
This required protection is most commonly provided by the use of 1x2 inch furring strips.
334.30 states “Nonmetallic-sheathed cable shall be supported and secured by staples, cable ties listed and identified for securement and support, or straps, hangers, or similar fittings designed and installed so as not to damage the cable, at intervals not exceeding 1.4 m (4-1/2 ft) and within 300 mm (12 in.) of every cable entry into enclosures such as outlet boxes, junction boxes, cabinets, or fittings. The cable length between the cable entry and the closest cable support shall not exceed 450 mm (18 in.). Flat cables shall not be stapled on edge. Sections of cable protected from physical damage by raceway shall not be required to be secured within raceway.
Put plywood down under the carpet that is the same size. Put a split and space where you want to run wires. Then you will not be stepping and wearing through your wires. Experience says you will wear through the insulation on those cables in time.
I'd put a push switch that is triggered when the lid is closed that shuts the lights off. Did this with my kitchen drawer lighting. Open any drawer and the lights come on. Everyone is always surprised by the lights.
So.... Recommendations:
1) Lift the whole area up on wood - that way you can force make a cable grove that wont ever be felt, damaged or stood on (it can be damaged over time)
2) Make the bottom of the cabinet higher (at least where the fan is) - you do not want the fan sucking up air directly from the floor.
An alternative option is to just cut a square, and 3d print a vertical mount for the fan - it will then sit on the inside off the floor, and you can have 2 and hide them neatly at the corners.
Also helps push air around horizontally.
3) Every time you need to move the TV, or speakers (to clean) you have to watch the wires.
Rather use trunking on the wall (behind the speaker though) - add a quick connector for the speakers or just extra slack.
This means the wires aren't tied to the speakers - but wall ... where they go.
For wires to the TV - follow the bracket - always.
If you want to angle your TV, or move it - cables again. Following the TV bracket mean you could extend the TV completely and have no cables to worry about.
Trunking long the back of the wall also makes it neater if you move the TV out.
4) Game controllers - make a little draw/cupboard just for the controllers - at the front of the cabinet.
You do not need to open the whole thing each time just to get them out.
What you can do is make a sliding draw for the devices near the bottom - or top - so it is out the way, and when you slide out, you can get a mech to like drop the cover.
- Similar to that of TVs or CD payers in car radios.
You then can have all your docks for any devices you leave there , on charge and out the way - hidden cables as well.
5) LEDS inside .... PUT A DOOR CONTACT ON.
You want them to turn on when you open, and turn off when you close ... Same goes for the controllers.
6) add a touch panel, or few switches/buttons to the front side, or a side that gives you control for things.
Example: controlling lighting - eg: movie night, enable/disable TV backlights or whatever.
It's nice to control by voice... but when you are right there and can just quickly touch a button to set a scene ... it's just quick and simple.
Or other things depending on your setup could be like changing HDMI inputs or modes or whatever.
7) 3D print a little rectangular bracket - kinda flat - that goes behind the rear speakers cabling.
Just for your extra OCD to hide the entrypoint for the cable and seem like the whole stand is the speaker basically.
8) Cable trays - like you mentioned but a bit different.
So as per #4, your game controllers can take up half of the space (front to back)
The back half can be a enclosure basically - you can have all cabling there.
Distribute to the controllers and up to the devices. - just make sure the back has a hidden door to open - rather than from the inside up.
Reason: if you have all your devices sitting on the 'base' (leveled up base) then you have to take everything out to access cabling.
So by having a sliding draw in the front - you have controllers.
And a hidden draw as the back - which could be magnet held closed, and you have 2 holes where you stick your fingers through and push that panel off.
You can easily access the cabling, you can easily feed up or to the front or change things.
The design would change a bit, so instead of the amp in the middle, you have it sideways on a side, PS5 on the other and XBOX near it or what not.
There are no controllers in that area, there are minimal cables or really anything but the devices.
And since you don't really have to open as often, you won't really ever notice it.
Make sure controllers and cable area has vents - and ofc airflow for devices.
What you can do is actually add a temp sensor (you can do this with your home automation?)
So have the fan basically on 24/7 - but from say 25deg C upwards, it ramps the fans up.
So if it does get warm (eg ... xbox/ps doing nightly updates) - it will at least keep it all cool.
Another option instead of the gaps below the top, make a fan/air guide.
So the fan is actually sucking the hot air out, rather than blowing it in.
- can also put the temp sensor right near the fan.
Man good ideas but you are a tough critic lol
18:09 Making a note here: Running a power cord under a carpet with apparently no protection is a good way to start a house fire in the middle of the night. I'll see what happens later in the video before making a final decision
I can't take anyone seriously who will still push BetterHelp. It's irresponsible.
Could've used a glass side, so you could control the receiver with the remote without opening the top.
Edit: Also, you usually want the table top to flip *towards* you, to let you put your snacks closer to you while you're watching your movie. Further, I'd have recommended attaching the carpet pad to the floor, running the wires, then putting the carpet over the entire shebang, instead of attaching the pad to the carpet like you did.
re: your edit, he did it this way so he can access the things inside while sitting on his couch.
most coffee tables don't have a lift-up top anyway so it's not really a big deal if he can't use his that way either....
I was looking to see if someone commented on the direction of the top opening. Totally agree.
@@lepidoptery Bringing the top up and closer is the whole purpose for that style of hinge. Otherwise, why not just use a hinge that allows the whole top open up.
@@lepidoptery not sure what world you've been living in for a while but visit literally any furniture store that sells new coffee tables have a ton of them for sale; lift-up top coffee tables have been a thing for a good 10 years or so and I have been in several homes that have them going back to at least 2014 and I'm sure they have been around much longer.
@@aegisofhonor i know what these tables are for. he obviously wants to use this feature the way _he_ wants to.
You always wanna keep the filter on the intake side of the fan. Otherwise you're gonna lose performance and gain noise as a lot of dust settles on the blades. It also reduces the lifespan of the fan. It's also generally a better idea to keep the fan on the inside of the enclosure to avoid damage to the fan housing and the blades in particular. This could easily have been hidden by that false bottom you mentioned, but regardless I would rather have to see it on the inside the few moments you have the table open.
it's also going to be a pain in the ass to clean the fan from dust every once in a while (and due to no filter + carpet that 'once in a while' will mean pretty often) because it's underneath. You'd have to tilt the whole table, for which you have to take all the electronics out first, for which in turn you're probably going to have issues with the cables... it's giving me headache and i don't even own this table. I don't wanna be too mean, because it is a well made table and it does look good, there's just a bunch of stuff that *will* cause trouble in the long run, including the fan. I'd probably upgrade/do a V2 of the project it at some point
@@normalaboutpathologic Yeah I totally agree man! I would 100% have it suck out the warm air from the top and blow it downwards to avoid the inevitable, massive dust buildup and consequential reduction of airflow. The opposite airflow is preferable due to natural convection most probably helping more air circulate upwards and out, but I wouldn't risk it in this build even if I was paid to do so.
Consider using some rubber cushion on the controller holders so they aren't damaged every time you put them in, other than that, well another amazing build.
At the beginning I instantly thought go with deck over the floor and incorporate the Coffee Table with that as well under the couch for even better cable/wire management for all your Audio and other electronics. Up to the TV perhaps even. Just needs to be an Inch or 2 high. And might add some interesting contrast to the whole living room. You could still use carpet under or around the Coffee Table on the deck.
It is fascinating to watch someone so confidently do everything wrong.
Extension cords under the rug (definitely illegal)
Welding a custom bracket instead of buying shelf brackets.
Putting the controller hangers where they can't be seen.
Putting the fan underneath the box instead of inside, and putting the filter on the wrong side.
Rabbiting the edges and then covering them anyway.
Man what a f*ckin trip, this was outstanding lmao
How can anyone have entertainment centers when they can build hteir own thing with their $50,000 woodworking shop
That box is going to be a coffin for your expensive electronics. That airflow solution -- while clever -- is woefully inadequate for the devices you put in there. A single intake fan and a single vent on the top? The PS5 will overwhelm that pretty quickly -- that thing puts out A LOT of heat. I have an open-front entertainment center and I still had to put a USB fan in there to pull out the heat. You also shouldn't stack the PS5 and the receiver like that if you're going to be pulling upwards from the floor- the heat from the receiver will get pulled into the PS5 intake.
Bro had to move the couch a couple of inches back but instead rebuilt the whole house 😭
While I would never do something like this for reasons (fire hazard, inconvenience, spilling drinks all over a couple thousand dollars worth of electronics, etc.), there were some great building tips in this video. I don't have a wall sized TV and never will, but I do have a PC with two monitors and a UPS (not to mention that stupid cable/modem). I've always wanted to enclose them in a cabinet, but due to the heat never have -- I *love* the idea of that massive fan + filter possibly allowing that! I would also never run wires where they can be walked on and the casings and or *very delicate copper wires* being compromised and starting a fire. Others had a good solution for running a channel in the floor, but that's too destructive (and if it's Pergo or something thinner you probably couldn't anyway). I'd opt for a narrow case, possibly without a back panel, right under the TV. It shouldn't need to stick out any further than the speakers, and would keep the cords out of the path. Would also lend an out-of-the-way surface for a few knick-knacks... or the cat! LED lighting inside a coffee table is 100% unnecessary; but if you "have" to have it, it would be better to get battery operated instead of running a power cord across a footpath. Good luck, keep those smoke alarms in good working order, and have a fire extinguisher ready!
The way it turned out definitely makes it seem worth the struggles. Well done!
Wires under carpet is a known major fire hazard. To be fair the more traffic bigger the chance, ( kids ). Love the build!
Great stuff! I couldn't help but think that building a couple of sofa tables/cabinets that are flush with your couch might be a better way to maximize the space.
You can even raise your couch a bit to fit the AV receiver on the bottom left side of the couch, imagine an "L" shape cabinet where the bottom part goes underneath your couch and a simpler one on the right. You can make it just deep enough to fit your devices and use the top part as a table and a place to put your rear speakers (you can even add some cup holders).
You cable manage everything under the sofa and cross all of them under the carpet on one side only. Of course, you can get a smaller coffee table as well to get more space too.
You need a floor cable track or what is called a cable pancake. It's those tracks you see in accountant offices that you can put wires in, lay across the floor and step on.
Super awesome build. Great idea to make french cleats for your center channel.
IMHO, offset the fan and blow out of the bottom or side, then cover the front to pull air from the sides and back. This will prevent hot air blowing into your couch area. If people don't know how great Noctua fans are, just buy them. They are the some of the quietest fans with the best airflow (no RGB though). Second, install quick connects between the carpet runs and the table. Much easier to move disconnect and move around the table. it will also make locking in cable management inside the table easier (use banana clips and a surround sound breakout box)
the false back using magnets would have been very convenient.
I'd recommend using your basement rather than the carpet to hide all that wiring, particularly to replace the extension cords. And to use a balun pair (Monoprice has some acceptable ones). You're likely close to the maximum length on that HDMI run.
Thanks, it gave me plenty of ideas for the future. One thing that could have made the wiring easier: tape the wires to the floor, cut separate carpet padding in-between (may require something holding them together), and then the carpet on top.
If you have access below the floor, there is a better solution for your wires.
I'm in the process of doing a major remodel and will be solving a wire problem with in-floor junction boxes. I would install two of them in the floor below your coffee table - one for the AC and the other for the cables.
It is also relatively easy to run the cables behind the drywall. Remove the baseboard below the TV mount and drill a small hole and put a coat hanger wire in it to see from below where the wires need to go. Install junction boxes behind the TV and you are good to go. You can also run the speaker wires along the floor either in front of or behind the baseboard.
Awesome project. My concern is the PS5 rear exhaust. It's pretty close to the side of the table and might start sucking in it's exhaust. The receiver is also giving off its own heat with the console above it. Putting them on opposite sides, widening the space behind the console, and adding a lip in front of the console for the inevitable bumps the table will get are the only adjustments I'd make.
There's a ton of problems here, anyone skimming the comments will question their thumbs-up on the video... but it's also easy to bash errors and ignore all the skill he did show. Incredible woodworking, less than stellar understanding of electronics. Thank you for the great tips, words of caution in the comments also worth the read.
Side note: it would cost a lot less to just buy a few more wall mounted shelving units than to buy thousands of dollars worth of machinery and the workshop to house/use it all. Unfortunate.
Step 1: lose the sofa. Way too big for the space.
Step 2: find a sofa that fits the space.
Step 3: lose the coffee table. End tables would work better.
You’re pretty much done.
YES
19:00 ... It appears that you have one cable carrying AC power to the Receiver that is mounted in the table. This is a really big "No-No" if there is any foot traffic that could travel over the power cord. The other cables are fine under the rug.
The holes for the fan looked really good and could easily have been on the side towards the TV. So one at each end for one fan to take in air and the other to exhaust it could be a lot better for air flow. Just make a channel on the intake so it's forced down to the bottom of the box would make sure it's not just going above everything inside.
Those CNC'd holes ended up being pointless though; a plastic grate for the filter went over the top of them. It would have easier
(not to mention better for air movement) had it just been one large cutout. I would have used that pattern all over the bottom panel for passive air flow or had at least 2 fans bc if that one fails, the electronics are fried
Ah, this reminds me of the media center coffee table my SO made 12 years ago. We had a craigslist free coffee table with a horrid top, so we got a craigslist free piece of table glass. We had the RGB lighting strips, we had a Raspberry Pi that acted as our media center. We didn't have a big fancy TV, just a monitor stand mounted on the side of the table. It would detect via some fancy python camera face detection magic) when we sat down first thing in the morning with our coffee and start up Amy Goodman's show. It would also turn off the LEDs when you started a movie or TV show. Eventually it evolved into our couch workspace (as I worked from home) and more monitors and computers got built into it. Yours is definitely fancier though.
This whole setup is sweet. A note on the bias lighting for anyone watching who doesn't want to go the full smart version: neutral white LEDs behind the TV/monitor still improve the perceived black levels on the TV so they're still worth trying.
That’s a lot of heat generated in that box. There is no way that fan gets enough air flow. You also need vents to let the let the air out, since you know, air pressure.
Got that same carpet from wayfair for free. I originally bought another one and they made a mistake and sent me this one instead. Customer support told me to keep it after fixing their mistake. Great build as always!
Interesting, and somewhat endorsement for wayfair! Haha.
I would recommend adding some flat conduit for the power and video cables under the carpet, as bare power cable under carpet is a fire code violation in many places and in general unsafe. Also the video cables will get crushed eventually, as the conductors in those cables are pretty thin, and the round cable profile is prone to crushing. I would also recommend the fan be mounted inside and have it exhaust out. Cool coffee table. And yes, I agree that more folks should be mounting their tv on the wall & landlords need to get over themselves about it in the case of renters.
Trying to hide the wires within the box made to hide wires might be next level
YET he still has wires going in every direction..
finally, someone who mounts their tv at eye level
Been doing it for years here...
At thr beginning I had a couple of issues with it but at the very end you fixed all of them and it looks amazing, ( mainly airflow😂)
3:50 Why using nails at all? Clamp it for 15 min, do something else in the meantime (for example cut the next parts to length), and the wood glue should have set enough to continue. I never was in a situation while building furniture, where I have to nail something on, by using tape, clamps and/or ratchet straps. But a really awesome furniture you built there! For the surface finish I often use Osmo TopOil High Solid. It has a shiny matte-glossy texture and feels awesome to the touch.
Nicely done! As an audiophile and home theater nut, i'm excited to see the work you put in to make a great setup, rather than just buying a bluetooth soundbar and calling it a day. The coffee table hideaway setup is excellent!
As a home theatre nut, don't you think it's bad that the speakers and sub are right up against the wall? Won't this stop them venting the sound properly? I know my own speakers get very "boomy" when they're too close to the wall.
The leveling feet will keep the notched out legs from snapping. That worked out well.
An extension cord under the carpet is sketchy. An arc fault breaker won't fix it. There are commercial flat under carpet solutions like tycho. Note there's also high end players that got out of those products for liabilty/insurance reasons.
Iirc there's also low profile anti trip extrusions that have a hollow for cable. It is designed to go over flooring but it would still protect wiring if you put it under a throw rug.
Putting the fan on the inside with a removeable filter on the outside may have been a good idea?
Nah, he explained this, it was so he could clean it by opening the lid and pulling it out without having to upend the table, potentially having to remove all the stuff inside to do it.
@@AdsCoulter He had to put adjustable legs on after the fact to give the fan any space at all to breathe. There is no reason to reinvent the wheel, pc cases have fans on the inside and slide out filters on the outside to allow for easy cleaning of the filter that is there to protect the fan and the contents. As it is now, the fan will collect dust bunnies.
Two changes I would have made:
One is route a grove on the outside edge of the underside of the table top, all around the parameter. This would function as a drip edge - preventing surface tension from any spilled drinks from pulling liquid under the table and soaking the electronics.
Second, and this is just because I'm lazy, all furniture needs to allow clearance for robovacs. I'd have had longer legs.
I wasn't expecting a Peep Show reference 😂
Super jealous of your living room set up, it's absolutely glorious!
********* WARNING ********** FIRE HAZARD ************* WARNING
Running wire under carpet is very bad. There is less risk with speaker and HDMI cable but it is non-zero risk. The problem with it is that walking over the wires will wear out the insulation and possibly short out the power cables. This can and probably will start a fire. This probably won't be a problem as long as you don't have a big wooden coffee table in the middle of the living room next to a big sectional couch.
I don't know if you used cable runs under the carpet but I don't think the safety aspects of running cables under rugs was stressed enough. I think this video at best might give people the impression that running cables under carpet is no big deal. Worse case is that you and others are actually in danger.
We haven't had a coffee table in almost a *_decade._* Don't miss it whatsoever. 😎
I think it really depends on the people/family. Having kids, liking eating in front of a TV, doing puzzles there, serving snacks to visitors, etc, etc. All affect whether you might find a coffee table a waste, convenient, or essential.
@@DavZell Our upstairs office has two 55" inch TVs with dual recliners and a middle table. 12 foot and change desk up the TVs and behind us is another 12 foot and change countertop with fridge, popcorn machine and all sorts of other stuff stored in the cabinets. It works quite well for us and we have a lot of space.
Eh, unless it’s a rental, there’s a case for running those wires under the house. The sandwiching of extension cables between the rug is a fire hazard.
I am not a "TV/movie" person, but what triggers me in 99% of all the home setups is when they don't do what you did with the TV.
If I have a room with a TV, there must be at least one seating position that's right in front of it. Close enough, and with the center of the TV being more or less in EYE LEVEL.
Most homes have a TV at a weird location where it's not convenient to see and 99% of the installations force you to look UP because the TV's bottom is at eye level so some stupid thing (fake fireplace, etc) fits under it.
Your solution is quite clever and does a really good job of making that space tidy. I don't have much woodworking experience, but I am not afraid of electrical work. For me, I really wish that outlets were higher on the wall so that you could just have them tucked behind the wall mounted TV. Then you could also just have little shelves on the wall for all your electronics and the outlets would not be visible at floor level. For most modern usages, I actually think outlets at floor level are becoming obsolete.
Do you charge your electronics on the floor (phone, laptop, tablet, etc)? No, you charge up higher, usually on a night stand.
Do you use your computer on the floor? NO, it is on a desk.
The only usage that is still relevant is standing lights, but there are also wall mounted and table-top alternatives. Maybe your robo vaccum will dock on the floor still, but that is about it. Even our Dyson hangs on a wall.
The way you routed the wires under the carpet is a FIRE HAZARD. Also your speakers (Rear/surround) are to close. I used to install professionally, not just some hater. I'm saying that you you don't get hurt, lose everything and get better sound from your system.
Nice Job!!! As an audiophile, I would move the surround speakers away from the couch at a 45 deg angle and to a distance of at least half the length of your couch. Yes, hang them from the ceiling! If they're not loud enough, route the wires through a cheap (~$30) inline surround amplifier. For about double the price, you can Bluetooth from your audio amplifier to the speakers and skip (most of) the wiring.
I am interested in the temperature of the devices you put in your coffee table long-term. Could you track that and post results later?
The PS5 is about 105 degrees exhaust temperature
Just a thought, having the fan pulling air up from the floor will put any dust or any other debris up into your table. Dust is the enemy of electronics, also the air coming out of the space at the table top will blow the warm or hot are onto those sitting next to front of it. Anyone wearing contacts will soon complain about their contacts drying out and some just don’t like air blowing directly onto them. Hot or warm air is usually appreciated at the foot level if that person (I may or may not be talking about my wife in this comment) has chronically cold feet! I enjoyed your build, my first time watching. Good delivery and describing your process. Keep up the good work!
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If you already use home automation, i would use a "door" / magnetic sensor to trigger the inside lights when it's opened
Overall, a well-executed project! You mentioned that you may add a third layer of carpet in the future, but what if you still had to move some of the furniture, whether it'd be a replacement or a dangerous situation occurred that forced a change? How exactly would you move the customized coffee table with everything connected underneath and throughout the whole carpet?
Solid execution of the design idea, beautiful craftsmanship, exquisite taste! All that along with the general idea so poorly thought out. The design sort of solves one problem but introduces dozen (ok half-dozen, but not less). It's almost sad seeing all this work resulted in such fine object flawed in so many ways.
😮. Nice work there Zac. Can't wait to see more updates an projects and many more videos soon my friend. Keep up the great craftsmanship and hard work my friend. Keep making. God bless.
This was great. Honestly, I'd have made the carpet its own build. You really want some sturdy cable protectors between the cables and the carpet to prevent rapid degradation of the cables, and had you sewn or glued a cable outlet panel to the center of the carpet you could have avoided having to flip or fold the carpet during hookup. The extra wires and adapters and a proper cable guard would probably total less than $100 added to the build. And if you end up replacing a few wires a year from now due to foot traffic, you'll probably find that $100 would've been well worth it.
A few things I got from this video:
Firstly, this is such a cool project; however, it seems like a super pain to do initial cable management - but so worth it. I've had about half a dozen different ideas to hide all cables in our TV area, but never considered routing them under a carpet. I really enjoyed this video, Zac.
Secondly, I'm glad we got to see Sophie is an actual person and not a figment of your imagination 😉 (hear a lot about her but never see her)
Thirdly, TOTK does look great with the TV's accent lighting 👌
Routing them under the carpet is a really bad idea unless you use a cable channel to protect the cables.
as someone who does trade shows and regularly runs cables under carpet. def dont tape to the carpet and flip. we tape to the floor for trade shows. for long term id look into some type of housing to channel in the pad. think high traffic areas at events, the cables have that shroud that allows people to step and not trip. that is there to also prevent cable damage.
How do you move the table to clean under? Also, careful with your cat not to drop coffee cup inside.
Really nice build. I like the idea, but am also taking onboard the other comments. I'd be inclined to put in an infrared repeater so it's still possible to use the remotes for the equipment inside the table -- eg our internet provider's set top box for live TV which we use for watching sports.
Amazing build once again Zac… I too hate wires so I’m loving the cable management… The only thing I would add, and I’m sure it’s been mentioned in the comments, is to have the tabletop mechanism come towards the couch as opposed to the direction of the TV… Would probably be more convenient for you… Again, loved every second of this video
No then you would have to get up and go around the table to get controllers, turn on the ps, nitendo or just do anything inside at all.
@@kryptedcode I’m with you there actually but to keep the convo going… I think the amount of times he’ll use the top of the table will outweigh the amount of times he’ll reach in there… Most PS5 owners don’t even have physical CDs anymore so they’ll be no reason to reach in but I could be wrong… The controllers will the most reached for item and he’ll only have to do that twice a day (when he picks it up to play and when he puts it away when he’s done)
I do believe that you can get double action hinges that can both open traditionally and elevate, but I also believe the intention was to access the innards without having to clear off the top first, rather than using it as a dining surface.
@@adanwoodshop "He'll use the top of the table" he can still use, it doesn't matter the direction he opens it in. If the use of the table is as intended, it's fine to keep it whichever direction you want but if the use of the space inside is as intended, then opening the table top away from the couch is the best way.
Unless you are suggesting that he open the table top up to use a elevated top for keeping snacks, coffee, laptop. I can see it being used that way but then again, not the intended use and would probably be bad for the hinges and the wood if it isn't rated for higher stress such things would put on it.
Thanks man, personally I like it the way it is, but you definitely could just rotate it 180 and use it like a laptop stand. I dont use my laptop much at the coffee table though, so I'd prefer to have faster access to the insides. Appreciate the kind words!
Awesome idea and it worked out pretty well. With things like this, with many complications, there's always something you learn and change the next time something like it comes up. I'd change only one more thing: the paddings/fillings between the tabletop and the sides, I'd attach them to the bottom of the table top instead of on the top of the sides. It makes the padding invisible, leaving you with a cleaner look.
This I awesome, but, after three weeks, how is your cooling? Your PS5’s vents are right up against the wood, and above your Denon which is no doubt putting out a ton of heat. I know you said the air is replaced every six seconds, but I am still curious here.
I like watching his videos because he always uses typical household items to do these simple builds. It makes it easy to buy the materials and get started on the projects he shows off without buying expensive tools or equipment.