Flat-backed monitors?

[katie279]

Ok all,

I'll explain my madness so you can all roll your eyes first and laugh at me...

TL/DR - is there a flat backed monitor that would sit flat on the wall? (all of mine seem to have a bulge at the bottom)

My and my husband are both working at home and have two rooms upstairs that we use for lots of stuff. One is a sewing room for me and the second is a study where we work, 3d print, play games etc

As we work quite often in evenings or I'll want to sew etc, I thought it'd be nice if we could build a hatch into the wall so we could see each other and chat etc. But then we were thinking it'd be nice to be able to watch TV together whilst sewing in one room and gaming in the next.

SOOOO Here's the mad idea that you can help with....

1. On wall between the rooms, mount two monitors/tvs and cameras (if they don't have them built in already)
2. Window mode - webcams just link to each other via zoom or any other and effectively you can now 'see through' the wall and chat
3. Movie mode - link both to HTPC and can display movies on duplicate displays so we can watch the same movie/TV etc
4. Art mode - both monitors flip to show art frame/cycle photos

Mad genius huh???

So all I need to find is a flat monitor / TV and my crazy plan can come to life.... I'd prefer a monitor I think as TVs are never as sharp and always get filled with bloat from samsung etc, but happy to be convinced otherwise!

 

[Seearbe]

You're wanting flat backed so that it can sit as flush to the wall as possible?

If making a hatch was an option, assuming you have a stud wall it might be neater to sink something in the wall.

 

[sadat]

epic idea have to say - linus did something similar- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agAY_MuwsQ4

 

[sadat]

assuming you got past all the construction challenges of cutting into the wall, cabling and power etc. you will need a mounting mechanism to mount the displays back to back - effectively replicate this mount https://www.amazon.co.uk/B-Tech-Screen-Back-Back-Display/dp/B00HQVT4TO

 

[sadat]

If I were to tackle this, more viable option would be to mount a display in each room in a position anywhere that is most suitable and easy for the person in the room to see - and then work from there to tackle cabling. You can get long display cables and connect to same computer- that way you can put whatever in two monitors you want in whatever mode - you can just use standard webcams and existing monitors.

Unless you really want to go over the window look to make you feel like you are looking through the wall? In which case go hulk mode and knock down the wall is always an option.

 

[thenewoc]

Would it not be better to hava the dividing wall knocked down and have sliding room dividing doors put in. You'd have the best of both worlds for when you want one large room but also keeping the flexibility of two rooms still being possible for when it comes to sell the place.

 

[katie279]

Heh thanks all - great ideas/musings as always.

Few answers/thoughts to questions:
- Why not just make a freakin' hatch?? Yeah, this was original plan - could easily do this, but guess three limiting factors: 1) it's a bit of an awkward wall as is main conduit for piping and wires in house 2) this would mean we could chat, but would still need TVs/Monitors in each room to dual watch TV/movies whilst we're doing hobbies etc and 3) it's the first rule of house modding, why use hinges when you can use HDMI.....

- Put displays anywhere - yes this is a good point and definitely possible. Is it weird to say I think it might feel more real if I could look in the right direction and 'see through the wall' - rather than look at another wall and see what is actually 90 degrees to the right of me??

- Embedding into the wall - yes we could do this relatively easily, just figuring it's less destructive to mount a thin monitor/TV in case we want to move it, change ideas etc. We've got a Samsung Frame TV: https://www.samsung.com/global/tv/blog/meet-the-frame-a-tv-designed-for-your-space/ in our bedroom, so this could be a fall back option - just lots of bloat I'd be paying for, hence question on monitors.

- Linus link - brilliant! See I'm not the only mad one in the world! Yes that's exactly the sort of thing - only part that I think makes mine easier is that as I want it to be like a painting/frame on the wall when off, then I can probably get away with just wall mounting it....!

 

[sadat]

Glad you found the link useful. I love doing DIY projects like this so happy to help. Yeah it would be more natural to look virtually "look through the wall". There are a lot of relatively thin and flat back profiled TV like below.

But yeah if you want next level the wallpaper TVs are always an option.