What Is a Media Console? Sizes for 55, 65 and 75 Inch TVs
By Metify Homes
A media console is the low, long cabinet that sits under a television. It either carries the TV on its top or stands below a wall-mounted one, and it hides the things that come with a TV: the cable or set-top box, the Wi-Fi router, a gaming console, a soundbar and a tangle of wires.
In Pakistan the same piece is sold under several names. TV console, TV unit, LED console, LCD console and TV stand all mean much the same thing. “Media console” is simply the furniture trade’s word for it.
Media console or console table?
The names are close and the furniture is not.
| Media console | Console table | |
|---|---|---|
| Height | Low: 18 to 24 in (45 to 60 cm) | Tall: 30 to 34 in (76 to 86 cm) |
| Depth | 14 to 18 in (35 to 45 cm) | 12 to 16 in (30 to 40 cm) |
| Storage | Closed cabinets, shelves, cable holes | Open, sometimes a drawer |
| Where it goes | Under the TV | Entrance, hallway, behind a sofa |
| Built to carry | A television and electronics | Lamps and decor |
A console table under a TV puts the screen too high and leaves the wires on show. For those, see our post on console table design ideas.
How wide should it be?
Wider than the television. Always. A TV that overhangs its console looks top-heavy and is easier to knock.
The rule: the console should be at least 6 inches wider than the TV in total, and it looks best when it is about a quarter wider. TV sizes are measured diagonally, so the actual width is less than the number on the box.
| TV size | Actual TV width | Console width, minimum | Console width that looks best |
|---|---|---|---|
| 43 in | about 38 in (97 cm) | 44 in (112 cm) | 48 to 54 in |
| 55 in | about 48 in (123 cm) | 54 in (137 cm) | 60 to 66 in |
| 65 in | about 57 in (145 cm) | 63 in (160 cm) | 70 to 78 in |
| 75 in | about 66 in (168 cm) | 72 in (183 cm) | 80 to 90 in |
| 85 in | about 74 in (189 cm) | 80 in (203 cm) | 90 to 100 in |
If you plan to upgrade the TV in a year or two, buy the console for the next size up. The console will outlast three televisions.
How high should it be?
The aim is to have the centre of the screen at about eye level when you are sitting, roughly 42 inches (107 cm) from the floor for a normal sofa.
TV standing on the console. A 55 inch TV is about 27 inches tall and a 65 inch about 32. For the centre of either to land near 42 inches, the console should be around 20 to 26 inches high. Lower is better than higher. Looking slightly down at a screen is comfortable. Looking up is what gives you a stiff neck.
TV on the wall above the console. Mount the TV so its centre is at eye level, then leave 6 to 10 inches between the bottom of the screen and the console top. A bigger gap makes the two look unrelated.
Depth, and what goes inside
Sixteen inches of depth suits most rooms. Before choosing, list what has to live in the console and measure the deepest item. Then add 3 inches behind it for plugs and cables.
Do not forget the things particular to our homes: the voltage stabiliser for the TV, an extension board with five plugs in it, and often the router and its small UPS. They all need a shelf, and they all give off heat.
Features that matter in daily use
Cable holes in the back panel. Without them, wires go over the top and down the front.
Ventilation. A cable box, a gaming console and a stabiliser shut in a sealed cabinet in June will overheat. Look for open shelves, slatted or cane doors, or a back panel with cut-outs.
Doors your remote can see through. Infrared remotes do not work through solid wood. If the set-top box sits behind a solid door, you will be opening that door every time you change the channel. Slatted, glass or mesh fronts solve it. So does an open shelf for that one device.
Legs or a plinth. Legs let you clean underneath and make the piece look lighter. A plinth base looks solid and stops things rolling under. A wall-mounted, floating console keeps the floor completely clear, but it must be fixed into the brick wall with proper anchors, not into plaster alone.
Weight capacity. Modern TVs are light, but check the figure if you are placing a large screen and a heavy soundbar on the top.
Designs for the lounge
Long and low in wood. A walnut or sheesham finish with flat doors. Warm, calm and right for most TV lounges.
Charcoal or matt black. Dark consoles make the black screen above blend in when the TV is off, so the wall looks tidier. The Apex Charcoal Media Console is this kind of piece.
Fluted or slatted fronts. Vertical grooves on the doors add texture and hide fingerprints. Slatted doors with gaps between the strips also let the remote signal through.
Console with a full media wall. A panelled wall behind the TV with the console below. Decide the console first. Its width sets the width of the panelling.
Placing it in the room
Put the console on the wall that faces the main sofa, not opposite a window, or the screen will show the window all afternoon. For viewing distance, sitting about one and a half times the screen’s diagonal away is comfortable: around 7 feet for a 55 inch TV and 8 feet for a 65.
A lamp on or beside the console, switched on while you watch, softens the contrast between a bright screen and a dark wall. Keep it to the side so it does not reflect in the glass.
Before you order
Write down the TV size, the width of the wall, the sofa’s seat height and the list of devices. Compare those with the width, height and depth on the product page. See what is available in our consoles collection.