Mirror TV: how they work and how to choose them
Framing the TV as a work of art and using it as a mirror when turned off presents advantages and disadvantages. Let’s find out together.
TV a Specchio

TV Mirrors are a fantastic space-saving solution, that allows to seamlessly integrate your TV into the furniture.

Mirror TVs are part of a set of solutions, such as motorized TV systems, which allow architects to unleash their creativity when designing commercial and residential spaces.

Once switched off, the television screen acts as a mirror, integrating itself with the design of the house thanks to a frame.

Is this the best possible space-saving solution? There are several factors that come into play. The choice depends not only on personal taste and the style of the room furniture, but on the visual experience and the quality of the image that we expect from a TV.

So let’s start from an exquisitely technical evaluation: is the quality of an image filtered by a mirror as good as that of a normal TV? The factors that most affect the visual performance of a TV mirror are linked to two distinct aspects of light: reflection and transmission.

As with a normal TV, the main goal of a mirror TV is to obtain the sharpest possible image , minimizing reflections when the TV screen is on.

The quality of the glass therefore becomes a crucial feature for this device, as it must obtain a satisfactory rendering of both the television image and the reflected one.

Quality and handling of materials and technology combine to produce an ideal balance between the two light sources, giving back a vision of the “pixel-proof” luminaire.

The perfect enjoyment of the television images is influenced by the brightness of the room, as any external light source affects the vision of the partially reflective screen.

The brighter spaces with a lot of natural light, environments with very high ceilings or large windows, are designed to create more reflections on the mirrored surface. These conditions increase the number of light rays deflected by the mirror, making TV viewing less clear.

The ideal room to take advantage of a mirrored TV should be as similar as possible to a small cinema .

The perfect room for a mirror TV has low walls and filters little light from the outside, minimizing any reflections on the screen in favor of a brighter and more dynamic image.

However, mirror TV manufacturers cannot satisfy the expectations of those who own a large bright room. Two types of screens have been improved for this: standard and ultra reflective .

Standard screen TV mirrors are the perfect choice for rooms with lots of natural light. The mirrored glass is slightly tinted. The darkness of the surface helps to absorb part of the ambient light, making the glass surface more reflective and making the image reproduced on the screen appear brighter. This type of glass is perfect for following your favorite team’s football match live on a sunny day, allowing you to open the windows and let in more light without compromising quality of vision.

Ultra reflective TV mirrors are characterized by a lighter finish and a darker shade. This type of glass is indistinguishable from a real mirror. Its high reflectivity helps to bounce the light more into the room, increasing the reflections on the glass. Curtains or shutters become essential to facilitate viewing of this screen in a too bright environment.

One of the most appreciable aspects of more reflective mirror TVs is that they become indistinguishable from a real mirror once the television is turned off, completely disguising itself with the furniture.

To choose a mirror TV means to accept a compromise between visual quality and furniture

TV a Specchio

The main reason for buying a Mirror TV is the desire not to compromise the interior  design with a piece of furniture that is too modern, sometimes bulky.

Mirrored TVs often become a compromise between the functionality of a TV and the aesthetics of a room, placing themselves in a gray area between the desire for entertainment and the need for furniture that risks dissatisfying both needs.

A TV mirror is the perfect choice for those who perceive a TV more as an obstacle to their ambitions as an interior designer than a tool with a high rate of emotions, using television only occasionally during the day.

A mirror TV increases the brightness of the room when turned off and enhances a classic type of furniture. The TV mirror also allows you to save space inside the room, but it is not the only solution capable of achieving this result.

A motorized TV system that conceals the TV is a functional alternative to a mirror TV

TV a Scomparsa Maior

The advantages of a mirror TV are mainly of an aesthetic nature: the design of a room is freed from a cumbersome obstacle, with an often too modern or cheap look.

However, there is a valid alternative to take into consideration, discreet and equally functional. Choosing to install a retractable TV not only satisfies the same needs, but also offers all fans of entertainment and high fidelity images the experience of perfect viewing, without compromise.

Mirror televisions are expensive. Buying a top-of-the-range model is by no means an economical choice, due to the cost of materials and the technology used for surface balancing, which must be able to both reflect and let light through.

A motorized TV system allows to obtain more satisfactory results with the same type of investment, making any size of screens appear and disappear in an automated way.

Installing a TV on the ceiling allows you to hide the TV completely and, leaving the wall free even from any framed mirror.

TV viewing is no longer affected by room light , allowing us to take advantage of exceptionally bright or particularly dark screens. A motorized TV bracket is an easy to install solution that can support any type of flat screen.

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