MantelMount

CARLSBAD, CA (February 20, 2017) – MantelMount, the premier brand in fireplace and patio television mounts systems, announces the appointment of KC Bean as its Chief Executive Officer and Bill Boyer as its Director of Sales. Bean comes to MantelMount with nearly 20 years of experience, holding senior executive positions with consumer-product companies like Directed Electronics and LifeCORE Fitness.  He has deep experience in strategy, business development, and operations counseling with many companies involved in consumer electronics, as well as significant experience with early growth companies. Bill Boyer is Bean’s first hire at MantelMount and comes to the company as a highly seasoned sales professional.  In his career, Boyer has held senior store level, district and regional management positions for retailers like K-Mart, Circuit City, and Tweeter.  Most recently, Boyer served as Senior Vice President of Sales for Audio Quest, where he was directly responsible for developing sales strategies and programs as well as building key relationships with retail partners. “We are very excited to have KC and Bill on board,” said Dan Hughes, a principal owner at MantelMount.  “They both bring deep talent and leadership to the organization as we evolve into our next phase of growth.” Lee Marc, another principal owner stated, “We have been working with KC and Bill for some time now in their capacity as strategic advisors.  In that time they have provided specific and detailed ideas on how we put together our strategies, as well as the execution roadmap to make them a reality.  We have a great team and are excited about what the future holds.” See Original Article By: rAVePubs

MantelMount has introduced two new versions of its pulldown TV mount. Both products solve a common TV-mounting problem: People love to put their TV above their fireplaces, but the high position detracts from the overall viewing experience. MantelMount allows users to mount their TVs above their fireplace but bring them down to eye level for the perfect viewing angle. The MM340 is MantelMount’s new entry-level product. Like the company’s previous starter mount, the TM1A, the MM340 gives users the ability to easily pull the TV down off the wall and position it in front of a fireplace at eye level. The MM340, however, offers 29 inches vertical travel versus 24 inches for the TM1A. In addition, the MM340 allows for greater horizontal both left and right (30 degrees versus 20) and also features cable wire management. The MM540 offers all of the features of the MM340, plus a range of additional benefits. Like the MM340, the MM540 has a vertical travel distance of 29 inches, but also offers an optional vertical tilt of up to 8 degrees. The MM540 has exclusive heat-sensing handles that turn red if the temperature above your fireplace exceeds a safe 110° F; that way, you’ll know when to move the TV back to its original position. In addition, the MM540 has a built-in sound bar attachment below the TV and above the heat-sending handles. The MM540 also comes with paintable wall covers to hide the mounting hardware. An extremely useful feature of the MM540 is the included swivel extender kit that allows horizontal swivel up to 60 degrees in one direction. This helps increase the range of seating options in the TV viewing room. Both new versions feature MantelMount’s patented construction combines high-quality automotive pistons with lightweight alloys and state-of-the-art counterbalance technology. They feature a 4-inch wide center arm that eliminates all wobble while in motion. In addition, both mounts will hold TVs from 20-90 pounds, with a minimum screen size of 44 inches. The MM340 is $299 and the MM540 is $399. Here’s more information. See original article at: rAVePubs

CE Pro Editors · September 16, 2016 CE Pro is pleased to announced the winners of this year's BEST Awards. The BEST (Best Electronic Systems Technologies) Awards recognize the most noteworthy new products and technologies in the industry. “The BEST Awards have quickly become recognized by manufacturers and integrators to represent products that really make a difference in the market,” says Jason Knott, editor-in-chief, CE Pro. “I am always amazed at some of the unique innovation and problem-solving solutions for integrators that come out of the awards. It’s exciting to see many of these new products go on to achieve great success.” This year's 173 entries were judged on innovation, functionality, competitive advantages and benefits to the installer by a dozen credible industry leaders, along with the editors of CE Pro. Click here to see a gallery of all 2016 entries. Winners’ products and technologies will be featured in the November Issue of CE Pro magazine and recognized this week during CEDIA 2016. Click here to see a gallery of the winners. Presenting the 2016 BEST Award winners in the following categories: Home Theater & Multi-Room Audio/Video DISH Network LLC, Hopper 3 Barco Residential, Thor 6P Laser Projector Epson America, Pro Cinema 6040UB NEAR (a division of Bogen Communications, Inc.), 7XL TiVo Inc., BOLT+ Denon, AVR-X6300H MantelMount, Pro-Pack Pull Down TV Mount Nexus 21 Concealment Systems, CL-65 TV Flip-Down Sony Electronics, VPL-VW5000ES 4K SXRD Home Cinema Projector EPV Screens, DarkStar eFinit LG Electronics, LG Signature OLED NAD Electronics, CI 580 Four Zone BluOS Network Music Player Pulse-Eight, Neo Matrix 4x4 Ultra HD Panamax, VT-4315 Pro Apollo Enclosures, Model AE8580 Salamander Designs, Low Profile Wall Cabinets Control & Automation IC Real Tech, ALLie Home 360-Degree x 360-Degree Lifestyle Camera ELK Products, Inc., C1M1 Dual-Path Alarm Communicator with Remote Services iRoom GmbH, iTop Logitech, Logitech Harmony Pro QMotion, Qadvanced Intelligent System (QIS) Shades with ZigBee HA 1.2 Control Option Crestron, RGBW LED Controller (CLC-1LEDPWM-RGBW-EX) Basalte, Deseo Loudspeakers Definitive Technology, BP9080X LiveWall, Ar11 Dynaudio, Xeo 2 GoldenEar Technology, SuperSub X SpeakerCraft, Dolby Atmos Series Terra Speakers, AC [All Climate] FIVE Household Enhancements/Installation Accessories eero, inc., eero Home WiFi System SureCall, Fusion7 Metra Home Theater Group, Velox HDMI Fiber System Luxul, Roam Assist Empowered Wireless Router (XWR-3100) Midlite Corp., SONOS Speaker Mount and In-Wall Power Solution Electrolux Home Care Products, Ltd., Semi Integrated Condo Vac SunBriteTV, 65-inch Signature Series 4K Outdoor TV Tools, Testing and Calibration Krika, WHEOSE (aka the Help Me Button) Peripherals and Enhancements NuTone, Haven Backyard Lighting & Mosquito Repellent System Tripp Lite, SRCOOL7KRM Rack-Mounted AC Unit Object-Based Surround Components Yamaha Corp. of America, YSP-5600 MusicCast Sound Bar with Dolby Atmos & DTS:X Arris and Comcast, Xfinity Rack Mount DVR Business Operations D-Tools, Inc., System Integrator 2016 (SI 2016) One Firefly, Lead Concierge iPoint LLC, iPoint Control OneVision Resources, Integrator Service Desk SnapAV, OvrC Pro   See original article at: CEPro

NewBay Media’s industry-leading brand for AV and IT managers and users, AV Technology, has announced the new products deemed Best of Show at InfoComm 2016 which convenes today in Las Vegas, NV. InfoComm is one of the largest pro-AV and systems integration trade event in the world. InfoComm International officials report that this show is on track to break records over last year’s event in which 39,000 people attended and more than 950 companies exhibited. AV Technology's Best of Show Awards were designed to recognize new and outstanding products exhibited at InfoComm 2016 that solve meaningful problems for tech managers. Products are nominated by the manufacturers, and the brand editor assembled a team of five AV experts, most with CTS/CTS-I certifications, to judge the entries anonymously on site, in real time. “The 2016 Best of Show Winners were recognized because they truly solve problems rather than create them," stated Margot Douaihy, editorial director of AV Technology. "There are literally thousands of new products on display at InfoComm, by more than 900 manufacturers, but the Best of Show winners stand apart. They address critical issues faced by our readers on a daily basis, such as image and sound quality, control, usability, access, networking, design flexibility, and AV management. Our five expert judges evaluated each product on the show floor based on the proposed value proposition/ROI, richness and relevance of the feature set, perceived ease of installation, ease of management, and user friendliness. Ultimately, what separated these products from other solid solutions is that they have a special appeal for AV technology managers and IT directors in increasingly collaborative AV/IT environments. Our community wants to collaborate more efficiently and expediently, and these products help them do that. Congratulations to all the winners.” All finalists and winners will be featured in a special post-show eBook produced by NewBay Media. AV Technology 2016 InfoComm Best of Show Winners: 1 Beyond AutoTracker 2 IP Adder AdderLink XDIP AJA Video Systems HELO Albiral Display Solutions DynamicX2Share Arria Live Media Barco ClickShare CSE-200 BenQ America LU9715 Laser Projector Biamp Systems Devio Blackmagic Design Blackmagic Duplicator 4K Canon REALiS 4K500ST Pro AV LCOS Projector Chief SYSAUBP2 Crestron Fusion Cloud Crestron .AV Framework Da-Lite Parallax Dataton WATCHPAX 4 Datavideo Corporation KMU-100 Digital Projection International E-Vision 8500 LASER FSR Inc. Revolution Table Solutions Harman JBL Professional Control Contractor Series 28-1 Surface Mount Speaker IDK America MSD-402 IHSE USA Draco tera compact UNI InFocus Canvas 5/Catalyst 4K iRoom iTop Kramer Electronics Kramer Control Leyard TWA Series Planar, a Leyard Company, LookThru Transparent OLED Display Lumens Integration VC-A70H MantelMount's Pull Down TV Wall Mount Matrox Graphics Mura IPX 4K Capture and IP Encoder & Decoder Cards Mersive Solstice Pod NewTek NDI - Network Device Interface Pakedge by Control4 NK-1-CP Premier Mounts Heavy Duty Universal Projector Mount (PBM-UNI) Prysm Visual Workplace QSC Q-SYS AV-to-USB Bridging Solution (Q-SYS PTZ-IP Conference Cameras + Q-SYS I/O-USB Bridge) Screen Innovations Zero-G Seneca an Arrow Company VWC-PLUS  Séura 84-inch Outdoor Displays Sony Electronics Canvas Display System Stewart Filmscreen Torrent ElectriScreen SunBriteTV SB-8418UHD Teq AVIT WiPS710-NET Vaddio PCC Premier VDO360 Navigator ViewSonic ViewSonic LS830 Laser Projector X2O Media, a Barco company, Connected Desktop See original article at: AVNetwork

Novel swing down design saves your neck When we got out 65-inch Vizio 4K TV we were proud, and delighted. It took two tries to get it mounted, resulting in having to rip out the wall and put in 2x4 studs, re-plaster and paint the wall. And then we watched House of Cards the only 4K show available at the time. We bought a few 4K-ready Blu Ray DVDs and tried to see if we could tell the difference between the Sony or the Vizio upscaler, but couldn’t, which I thought said something very positive about Vizio’s scalers. Life was good, for a while. The problem was the screen was high on the wall. The HD TV in the family room is at eye height, and I found I watched it more than the beautiful 4K, it was just more comfortable. Also, the 4K was flat up against the wall. Then I got a press release from MantelMount, about a swing out and down bracket. We have a swing out and back and forth bracket for the bedroom TV, but out and down? This sounded like a dream come true, a clever, albeit difficult to engineer, concept. I contacted the company and arranged to get a unit. When it came I was a little intimidated, it was big, and heavy, formidable. But then it has to be. The Vizio weighs 61 pounds. When you cantilever 65-pounds of expensive glass out in space, you better be formidable.  First step was to take down TV, and remove the wall mount and the brackets on the back of the TV. Not a big job, but also not a job for someone who doesn’t do installations and lift heavy things, so I recommend having a TV installation crew do it for you. Me, I do installations, and I have strong friends, so down came the TV, out came the DeWalt 20vMAx drill, and zip zip, the TV and wall was naked. Next step was to mount the MantelMount, and I wish I had taken pictures of it in its kit form. It came with a lot of parts, a big baggie of screws, and a nicely illustrated how to install manual.  I’m almost embarrassed to confess I got a little over confident, and was in too much of a hurry and ended up drilling four holes and mounting the unit upside down. Argg. It would have worked like that, it’s that well designed, but who wants a TV to go up? The DeWalt got a workout that day, drilling holes driving in, and then out screws. This left four new holes in the wall, in addition to the four old ones, so some patching and painting is in the agenda. Once the unit is on the wall, it’s really simple to finish the job. You mount the hanging bracket on the back of the TV, pull down the bracket and put a pin in it to keep it down (necessary because there’s no weight on it), get your strong friend to help you lift the TV, and you hang on the brace. Re-connect the cables, cinch them up so it looks tidy and try it. What I didn’t know, and felt was a bonus, was I didn’t have to be quite so meticulous with my handy dandy laser alignment tool (a lovely xmas gift from a wife who knows her husband), although I do love using it. The bracket has forward-backward tilt, left-right turn (up to 110-degrees), plus up to 40-degrees rotation, and of course the up and down movement. In the above picture, that’s not perspective distortion, that’s the TV turned.  The heart of the bracket is a set of powerful gas-filled pistons, which can be adjusted for tension weight. I didn’t have to make any adjustment; it was set perfectly for my needs; the bracket can accommodate up to a 115-pound TV. There are two panels that can be put over the wall mount, which ironically are close in color to our wall. I’ll put them on after I patch and paint.  I was originally worried about the Samsung sound bar. It is mounted on the wall under the TV. I thought I would have rig up some mounting for it so it came out with the TV. But it’s just fine where it is. The sound bar, with its companion sub-woofer do the job they were designed to, and the IR receiver in it is good enough that it can see the remote’s blast for volume adjustment even though it’s behind the TV.  The whole installation (not counting the mistake) took about an hour. The biggest pain was getting the hand smudges off the screen. I’m probably not covering all the features of the MantelMounbt, you can learn more here: MantleMount, and you can get one for $399, which include shipping within the US. Highly recommended if you have a big screen TV too high up on the wall. See original article at: Jon Peddie Research

Honestly, in Bangkok there aren’t many fireplaces, but the Mantel Mount is much more versatile than you might think. In my edit suite, I have times when I am editing that I need my 60″ 4K UHD monitor down low at eye level. Then when I have clients come in for a viewing it really needs to be up high. The Mantel Mount with its 24″ of vertical travel is the perfect solution to prevent my sore neck syndrome from staring up all the time. The assembly is straight forward and I had little trouble putting the Mantel Mount together. Mounting it to the wall was no harder than the standard mount that I had been using. Which, by the way, had begun to sag from the weight, even though it was rated for heavier weight. I don’t see that as an issue for the Mantel Mount. The unit is firm and well constructed. It does take up a little more space from the wall but in my use, that isn’t an issue. Also, the swivel gives me the ability to position for how many people are in the room. there are panels that cover the hardware that can be painted to match the wall. Your wife will love that part. If you do have a fireplace, this is the ideal solution. They have heat sensing handles to make absolutely sure that you or your TV don’t have a meltdown. Tech specs are impressive. The Mantel Mount can hold TV’s from 48″ to 80″ and weights of 30 to 115 pounds. I absolutely love mine and I am certain that you will love yours. Here is the link for the website to order yours.See original article at: 3DGuy TV

Not everyone needs, or has, a fireplace. Modern houses, small apartments lack them and folks in Hawaii or Florida probably don’t miss them. But for everyone with a fireplace of any size, either in a log cabin or a classic New York City townhouse, you probably don’t have it running every season. And when you aren’t gathered around it for warmth, you might very well be enjoying the television in its place. After all the hearth is the heart of the living room, but the modern main attraction is often the entertainment center. Sure, there are mounts for every size of TV, but most of them leave open the empty space above the fireplace and they can’t fit nicely above it either, which is typically rather too high for easy viewing. Enter the MantelMount- a flat screen LED or LCD mounting solution that solves both problems at once. Originally a Kickstarter project that raised over $120,000, it’s now available widely and to every consumer who could use one. The boast is that it offers excellent adjustability, with full control over tilt and swivel, ensuring the perfect viewing angle. And the reality is that you won’t need to crane your neck, and can help put your movies where they belong- right in front of you, at eye level. The first and most obvious question: what sort of TVs can it accommodate? The answer is good news: just about any large one, as it is designed for TVs between 48 inches and up to 80 inches diagonal, between 30 and 115 pounds. In the box is everything you’ll need for use with a wooden wall. And whether you have a stone or brick mantel, you can set it up fairly quickly and easily, using anchors to secure everything tightly- they aren’t included though are easy to pickup at any hardware store. We’d suggest professional installation if you’re not comfortable with a drill, but it’s not so bad- some careful measurement, leveling, and standard tools with the possible exception of the need for a socket wrench. Hiding cables is pretty simple too, if you are OK drilling into your walls. Otherwise, a nice added bonus is the inclusion of cable routing boxes. After it’s all setup, you’ll be able to raise or lower your flat panel TV with the touch of a lever, up to two feet with minimal effort. Seriously, it’s easy enough for your mom to do it. We weren’t able to test it out, but the MantelMount can even work with curved TVs. Made from automotive pistons- no joke- and lightweight alloys, it’s an impressive piece of gear, solid and stable and well-constructed. Paintable panels hide the hardware, and heat-sensing handles turn red if they are too hot (if your fireplace has been keeping your warm). All in all, it’s a must-have addition, if you have or have considered getting a TV for above your mantel. The MantelMount isn’t cheap, but is fairly-priced compared to other competitors, and it offers features that no one else comes close to. Available now, online and in stores, expect to spend around $399.See original article at: Truly Indoors

VISTA, CA (March 14, 2016) – MantelMount, the premier mounting option for flatscreen televisions, has received two major awards recognizing the product’s unique functionality and design.At the recently concluded HPBExpo in New Orleans, MantelMount was named a winner of The Vesta Award for Best Outdoor Room Equipment. The Vesta Awards were created by Hearth & Home magazine to recognize and honor companies for their innovation in product design and/or technology.MantelMount also received a 2016 Electronic House Product of the Year Award. MantelMount won the award in the category of “Video, Lifts and Mounts, a category that includes mounts and motorized lifts designed for televisions, projectors and/or other technology gear.Electronic House Magazine’s Products of the Year Awards recognize the best technologies, products and services for today’s Electronic House. Entries were judged on: Creativity, Innovation, Functionality, Aesthetics, and Lifestyle Benefits.MantelMount’s patented construction combines high-quality automotive pistons with lightweight alloys and state-of-the-art counterbalance technology, allowing virtually anyone to easily pull a large flat-screen TV down off the wall, suspend it at eye-level in front of the fireplace, and swivel it left or right. Plus, a uniquely integrated sensor alerts the user if the mount and the attached TV, when positioned near a fireplace, are getting too hot.“It’s an honor to receive these recent awards from Hearth and Home and Electronic House,” said MantelMount President Chuck Geiling. “We’re confident that we offer the most versatile, functional and aesthetically pleasing TV mount on the market. To be recognized with these prestigious awards really validates that confidence and tells us that we’ve created a product that people will truly embrace.”

MantelMount, a specialized bracket for wall-mounted flat-screen TVs that are mounted above a mantel, sets the screen TV at a 9-degree downward angle for viewing and has an extension arm that can lower the TV up to 24 inches for eye-level viewing. The easy-install unit accommodates TVs from 48 to 80 inches, and includes paintable bracket covers for seamless installation. and a heat-sensing handle that changes color when its temperature exceeds 110°F. See original article at: Remodeling

Accommodating flat panels up to 80 inches, MantelMount enters competitive category with features that include lowering and swiveling TVs for better viewing; company looking for dealers and distributors to add to direct-to-consumer model. Arlen Schweiger · October 15, 2015 The ol' TV installation above the fireplace mantel may be the bane of every custom integrator, perhaps more from a technical standpoint than an aesthetic one. It's hard to argue the slick look of a neatly installed flat panel posted above the mantel, basically taking the place of a piece of artwork or other space filler up there. But maybe don't get integrators started on the dilemma of discussing poor sight lines and neck craning with customers who are perfectly happy to look upward at their TVs, or the potential hassles in working around stud placement and chimneys. A company called MantelMount with its eponymous product is at CEDIA Expo 2015 in Dallas this year hot off a Kickstarter campaign that raised more than $120,000 last year as a proof of concept and exceeded expectations by 400 percent, according to president Chuck Geiling. Already shipping direct-to-consumers, the company is now chomping at the bit to establish a robust network of dealers, as well as interested distributors, during this year's Expo. "We've built out a multi-channel sales strategy, and we're very much on a timeline," explains Geiling. "In April when we launched, we launched our direct-to-consumer business vis a vis our website, and subsequently we started opening up some of the online marketplaces. Then within the last couple of months we launched an online portal for resellers and installers, and one of the reasons why we're here is to really put ourselves out in front of the installers." The MantelMount carries an MSRP of $399 and has already caught the channel's eye as a finalist for the CEDIA Manufacturers' Excellence Awards heading into the show. "We've put together a program for [installers] that allows good gross-margin dollars for them, plus all the service that comes behind it as far as providing all the collateral that they need, an installation hotline, and we are putting a 'Find a Dealer' on our website too," says Geiling. "So now when somebody comes to us and says, 'Hey I want to buy your product but how can I have it installed,' we can point them to an installer right there, so it's a win-win for everybody." It's certainly a win for consumers who want a better look at whatever's on TV from wherever they're sitting in the family room. In its default raised position, the MantelMount already sits tilted 9 degrees toward the viewer (though Geiling says eventually that may be more flush looking). As the TV gets pulled lower down, it straightens to just 2 degrees of tilt ... and it can be lowered a whopping two full feet if desired. The result is unstrained, better line of sight, especially for people sitting relatively close to the TV. The mount and flat panel will stay put at whatever height in between, so installers and clients don't have to worry about the set drooping once it's dialed in. Meanwhile, it can also swivel up to 40 degrees left or right as well in case there are certain viewing positions that need to be prioritized. "The product has been over-engineered, but we did that purposefully," says Geiling. Part of what makes it tick are automotive pistons and counterbalance technology. The bottom of the mount -- the pulldown -- even features heat-sensing handles that turn red if the temperature above the fireplace exceeds 110 degrees Fahrenheit (if you want to use the fireplace while watching TV). There's also a universal soundbar attachment. The mount can hold TVs from 48 to 80 diagonal inches, or weighing 25 to 120 pounds, says Geiling. In back, paintable interlocking wall covers allow installers to keep the wall hardware concealed. The mounting plate includes channels to allow for easy post-installation adjustment after drilling into studs. If all goes well, MantelMount will come away from CEDIA having demoed the product and successfully pitched the story to plenty of dealers, enabling it to put a nice dent in this competitive category. "For us to service 10,000 installers is quite a daunting task, not that we're not up to it, but we also want to have distribution in the mix as well so we can service the distributors who then service their customers," says Geiling. "And then, our plan is to go retail in 2016." See original article at: CEPro

MantelMount is pleased to announce their revolutionary, over-the-fireplace television mount has been nominated as a finalist for the prestigious CEDIA “Best New Product” award, which will be awarded at the upcoming Cedia Expo, October 14-17, 2015, in Dallas, Texas. CINEAK Intelligent Control Module Crestron MyCrestron Residential Monitoring Service Crestron PinPoint Proximity Detection Beacon Crestron Pyng Whole Home Audio D+M Group HEOS DRIVE Digital Projection International INSIGHT 4K Dual-LED Dish Network 4K Joey UltraHD Satellite Thin Client Draper, Inc. Access Fit Draper, Inc. Optically Seamless TecVision D-Tools System Integrator 2015 (SI 2015) featuring Mobile Install DynaQuip Controls, Inc. WaterCopPRO Integrated Future Automation HSE - Large Motorised Wall Mount IC Realtime IC720 360-degree x 360-degree 4K Virtual PTZ Camera Ihiji ServiceManager iRoom GmbH iBezel James Loudspeaker Small Aperture 63SA-4 Kaleidescape, Inc. Strato Movie Player Lutron Electronics Palladiom QS Keypad MantelMount MantelMount Meridian Audio DSP320 Ceiling/In-wall Loudspeaker Savant Savant App Séura Storm Outdoor TV SnapAV Luma Surveillance™ NVR SnapAV OvrC Remote Management Platform Sonance DSP Amplifiers with SonARC Sony Electronics STR-ZA3000ES 7.2 Channel 4K A/V Receiver Sony Electronics VPL-VW350ES 4K Home Theater ES Projector with HD Upscaling Sony Electronics XBR-X900C 4K Ultra HD TV Steinway Lyngdorf Model P200 Processor VIZIO Reference Series 120” Class Ultra HD High Dynamic Range Smart TV See original article at: CEDIA

Beginner. Novice. Learner. Apprentice. Neophyte. Greenhorn. Rookie. Padawan. Whatever word you want to use, at one point every company was a first time exhibitor at CEDIA EXPO. Traditionally these companies have been located in an area called Rookie Row, but this year the area has been renamed Innovation Alley and it’s where the CEDIA Expo newbies will introduce their companies to the custom installation world. According to CEDIA, Innovation Alley is where you can find “new manufacturers breaking into the industry and discover new products and vendors that are bringing fresh innovation into the market.”I always enjoy visiting these up-and-comer companies as you never know when you’ll discover something that will be your company’s must-have item for the coming year. These companies are often small and you get to meet with the founders who share their passion and vision for the product. The booths are usually smaller and less crowded so you can really get an opportunity to talk to them and get to experience the product and see if it is right for your company.  This year, 18 manufacturers are slated to exhibit on the Alley, which is located in a prime spot near Paradigm (Sound Room 1), TiVo (Booth 4450), and Fortress Seating (Booth 4446). I reached out to a handful of these innovators prior to the show to find out how long they've been in business, why they decided to come to EXPO and why you should consider making the Alley part of your show plan!MantelMount, RR3The youngest company on Innovation Alley is barely celebrating its first year in business. Founded in August 2014, MantelMount is a full-range, up/down/left/right motion mount that “makes every seat in the room the best seat in the house!” according to business development manager, Claire Miller. MantelMount addresses the issue that many customers wanting to mount a TV over the fireplace face, namely a screen that can be a tad too high for comfortable, everyday viewing. Miller explained, “MantelMount is a revolutionary full-motion TV Wall mount that allows you to bring a large flat screen TV off-the-wall, down to eye-level.” Another unique product twist is that MantelMount’s hardware includes heat-sensing technology to make sure nothing gets too hot. “We realized the MantelMount helps dealers and installers create a unique and profitable portfolio,” Miller said, “and we are excited to meet new and existing dealers/installers and educate them about our product.” MantelMount was nominated for Best New Product and it has been receiving glowing five-star reviews from customers. If you install flat panel TVs, MantelMount could be exactly the mount your company has been missing!    See original article at: Residential Systems

There are plenty of TV mounts available these days. Not all of them allow you to adjust the angle of your TV after you have installed them. The MantelMount is different. It is an above the fireplace TV mount that lets you pull a large flat screen TV off the wall, swivel it left or right, and suspend it in front of you. The MantelMount combines automotive pistons with lightweight alloys and advanced counterbalance technology to allow you to get more out of your TV viewing experience. The MantelMount features “paintable” covers and heat sensing handles, letting you know when the temperature above your fireplace is above 110º F. More information is available at the link below. See original article at: Gadgetify

In November 2014, MantelMount launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise capital needed to start manufacturing its pull-down, over-the-fireplace TV mount – and was overwhelmed by the support. “Our Kickstarter campaign exceeded our expectations, attracting pledges worth over 400% of the original goal. We then knew that we definitely had a product people wanted,” says MantelMount president Chuck Geiling. The additional funds garnered on Kickstarter paid for 500 units that sold out within 30 days. Customers that missed out registered on the company’s website to be notified of the next release date. When the new product went live on 16 April, 342 units were sold on the first day. “We didn’t think it would happen that fast. We knew we had a phenomenal product; it served our customers’ needs and whenever you have something that can enhance someone’s lifestyle, then it’s always a winner,” Chuck says. The cherry on the top of this whirlwind success was the nomination as a finalist for the 2015 CEDIA Best New Product award. “Isn’t that just the greatest thing ever? We are so proud and honoured to be nominated as a finalist,” Chuck says. Why is MantelMount so popular? It is, after all, just a TV mount – and the world has plenty of those. But this product has managed to set itself apart from the competition. “Anybody in the family can operate the MantelMount because it makes the lowering of the TV almost effortless. You can literally do it with two fingers. You can raise or lower it and stop it in any position between the fully extended and fully lowered positions,” Chuck says. This ease of use is provided by the inclusion of tensioned, gas-powered springs. “The technology that makes MantelMount unique is the use of automotive gas spring technology with a variable tension rod. The same gas springs prevent the boot door of a hatchback from slamming down. You can adjust that tension to the weight of your TV,” Chuck explains. The mount allows the TV to be lowered 690mm and extended 460mm, with the ability to stop at any point in between. Once the TV is in place, it can be swivelled to the left or right, as well as tilted up or down. It’s this range of movement that sets the MantelMount apart from many other TV mounts and allows the TV to be positioned in the optimal position for viewing. A definite advantage of the MantelMount is its adaptability to a range of TV weights and sizes. The mount can support weights of 11-54kg and TV sizes of 48-85”. During installation, the gas springs are adjusted with an Allen key to the weight of the TV. Should the home owner wish to upgrade their TV, the mount can again be adjusted to suit. As MantelMount is primarily marketed to home owners, the equipment is designed to be easy to install. The unit can be mounted on brick, stone or into wall studs and hidden under a frame cover that can be painted or wallpapered. Further aesthetic benefits include the ability to hide the TV’s wiring. “If you’re going to run your cabling and wiring behind the wall, the wire routing box allows you to thread into a 50mm conduit. You can swivel the routing box, which makes it very easy to allow that conduit to go in a certain direction, even if you have to make it go around a corner,” Chuck says. Although MantelMount recommends that the TV is not positioned in front of the fireplace when the fire is lit, there is a built-in safety feature that monitors the temperature of the mount and TV. “The rubber grips on the handles are coated so that if the ambient environment rises above 35°C, the handles will turn a different colour,” Chuck says. With such a popular product, MantelMount is now looking to expand overseas. It has partnered with Fullworks Logistics and Mantlemount products will be available in Australia and New Zealand from April 2016. See original article at: Connected

People worldwide love their television sets, and Americans are definitely no exception. In fact, the latest research indicates that 116.3 million of the 123.2 million U.S. households contain at least one TV. With this in mind, many tech companies and startups have made it their primary business to improve the home entertainment experience. During the past few years, we have seen 3D TVs and 4K Ultra High-Def TVs enter the marketplace. With this in mind, startup company MantelMount decided to fill a void within the TV industry: an easy to swivel mount that also contains heat sensing technology. MantelMount’s Kickstarter Campaign Just like many other technology based startup companies, MantelMount launched the initial production run of their product with the help of a Kickstarter campaign. This successful fundraiser accumulated more than $120,000 from 425 donors, and the first batch of MantelMounts was shipped in October 2014. Since that time, this product has repeatedly sold out via the company’s website. There is currently a presale list for consumers who are interested in getting a MantelMount from the June production order. What Exactly Does the MantelMount Do? The MantelMount is designed to be positioned above a fireplace. This product has a swivel design, and consumers can pull their flat screen TV away from the wall and reposition it at their eye level. In other words, if the TV is mounted too high, it can be pulled down over the fireplace, and it can also swivel to the right or left based on where the viewer will be sitting. All of this is accomplished via automotive pistons, so users do not need to bear any of the weight of their TV while they are adjusting its position. Advantages for Entrepreneurs Having an elegant looking lobby and office can be a major component of capturing the attention of current and potential investors. Due to this, it is not unusual for an entrepreneur’s office to have extra touches such as a fireplace. Gaining the ability to mount a flat screen TV over this space will save a lot of space, and the swivel option would make it easier to participate in video conference calls. Heat Sensing Technology The previously mentioned heat sensing technology is an important factor of the MantelMount design. After all, if a TV becomes overheated from the fireplace, it could end up damaging the screen and internal electronics. Additionally, touching the MantelMount’s handles to put the TV back in place could be very dangerous if a consumer is watching television at the same time that their fireplace is operational. To work around these issues, the startup company added heat-sensing handles to their design. If the temperature ever gets warmer than 110 degrees Fahrenheit, these handles will turn red to help protect the TV. This type of technology could potentially have several other future applications that could take the inventors behind MantelMount into a variety of different directions and industries. See original article at: Tech.com