QUALITY CONCIOUS

James Attfield, Managing Director at Turnstone AV, sole UK importer, exclusive distributor and support provider for Vogel’s audio visual mounting solutions, has some words of caution for installers.

We are also seeing a significant increase in larger format TV wall mounts, and for its part Vogel’s range of Elite sku’s now have double arm (Elite TVM 5845) and scissor arm (Elite TVM 5855) for TV’s up to 100in with weights up to 75Kg.

We are seeing a very clear distinction now between entry-level mass-market products that are available everywhere, and more premium brands that are active in the satellite and aerial market - as well as all the way up to high-end custom installers (CI). Whilst the market therefore becomes more fragmented, it is important for brands like Vogel’s to deliver feature rich products that are easy to install, are well designed and have a hallmark of quality.

The smaller number of sales both offline and online in the retail market has led to a preponderance of entry level products coming into the market, I do urge the custom install market not to be seduced by poor-quality low-price products in what is very much a high-end, high quality, high cash margin sector.

In June, Vogel’s will be 50 years old and over the last 10 years the company has worked tirelessly to expand and improve on its more advanced offerings, and subsequently has cemented the company’s position as not only a dominant brand in retail, but more recently a major player in the custom installation arena and as a pioneer in design and movement quality, producing a suite of products that are more aligned than ever before to the install market.

As an example, Vogel’s has now introduced the Signature range of wall mounts and the marquee product is the TVM 7675 Pro. Equipped with ethernet and RS232, the product can now be attached to the local network and also has drivers for the Control 4, Crestron and Crestron Home. This is a game changer for Vogel’s and for the CI market in general in the UK.

The engineering quality of Vogel’s wall mounts means that these and all turn sku’s are great for accurate recesses as there is zero tilt, drag or fall. We are seeing more of these installations where turn is required to access the TV in the recess, and the installer can proceed happy in the knowledge that the bracket will retain its form for years to come!

Flat TV wall mounts are still important for CI market. At Turnstone AV we urge installers to be diligent about what you are paying for these products, there is a clear relationship between price and quality and even if the product sits flat behind the TV the considerations of accessibility, security and usability should still be taken into account. As an example, Comfort TVM 3605 in 100% Recyclable packaging is £64.95 and will hold 75Kg and 100in TV. Vogels is one of the most powerful brands in this sector for Europe with strong purchasing leverage, if you are paying more than this or your chosen brand can’t get to this size or weight, I suggest you should question the quality and ultimately the commitment your chosen brand has to this category!