A First for MantelMount: Motorized Drop-Down TV Mount for Over-the-Fireplace Installs

Julie Jacobson, CEPro Founder & Editor at Large

August 6, 2017

That big new TV might look great above the fireplace, but you’d have to strain your poor neck to watch it. MantelMount comes to the rescue with its first motorized mount that drops down and pulls away from the wall with the press of a button.

Debuting at CEDIA 2017, the new MM850 ($1,699 retail) works much like MantelMount’s other models, but this one has a motor that moves up/down, in/out, and left/right with the press of a button, voice command or trigger from a home-automation system.

The mount's communication module integrates with third-party controllers via IP over a hardwired Ethernet or Wi-Fi connection. MantelMount says the product will work with "most major home automation systems right out of the box," including Crestron, Control4, RTI and Amazon Alexa. Additionally, "a full command set is available to all programmers for hard coding of any of the non-standard control systems."

Or users can simply use the included RF remote from MantelMount.

“Some integrators, accustomed to working with high-end home automation projects, felt their clients wouldn’t want to pull the TV down themselves when everything else in the house was already automated,” says MantelMount CEO KC Bean. (So true.)

VIEW MORE MM850 IMAGES

Users can save up to six favorite TV positions. In addition, the system can be configured to move automatically to a preset location when it senses the TV powering on ... and then return to its upright and locked position when the TV turns off.

Dual electronic actuators move the mount horizontally and vertically, and a multi-axis hub “allows the dual actuators to perform the complex drop and swivel motion smoothly and quietly," according to the company.

In addition to its motorization and automation features, the MM850 is bigger and sturdier than MantelMount’s legacy manual models, accommodating TVs up to 100 inches and 130 pounds.

The motorized version is potentially safer than the manual models, too, with a separate sensor that tells the mount to retract when temperatures around the fireplace get too hot. (The manual mounts feature heat-sensitive handles that change color when heated, turning bright red at 110 degrees.)

Also New at CEDIA: MM750 Upgraded Manual Mount

In addition to the MM850, MantelMount is introducing at CEDIA the new MM750 Pro, which shares most of the same characteristics as the new motorized mount … except it has no motor.

Improving upon the company’s existing MM700, the new MM750 becomes MantelMount's top-of-the-line manual mount with pull-down and swivel capabilities -- while keeping the same $699 retail price.

Both the MM750 and MM850 feature higher-grade steel than previous versions, which explains how they can support TVs as heavy as 130 pounds. In addition, both new models provide vertical travel distance up to 32 inches, plus horizontal swivel up to 30 degrees in either direction.

The off-the-wall distance of 19-22 inches ensures that both units will clear practically any mantel size.

Each product comes with a flush-mount recess box that fits between studs (image). The center arm of the mount folds neatly into the box when the TV is in the raised position, leaving a mere 1.6-inch gap between the TV and the wall.

Additional features and accessories include a built-in soundbar adapter, cable wire management, and hard travel-limit stops (the MM850 also has “soft” programmable stops).

See original article at: CEPro.com