There is a recent fad going on right now which entails turning the home fixture, the television set into a piece of ornament called the Mirror TV. The idea is to hide the television set in plain sight when it is not being used thereby preventing it from becoming a visual nuisance and adding functionality and beauty in the room. Dielectric mirrors probably makes the best TV mirror and have been recommended to use by most home appliance experts. This article will try to answer all the question posed about dielectric TV mirrors.
What exactly is a dielectric mirror?
A dielectric mirror is composed of containers, typically glass substrates, used to hold thin layers of materials. These layers are where the tv mirror magic happens. They are especially designed at an atomic level to be able to filter light. This gives dielectric mirrors the ability to allow specific wavelengths to pass through while preventing others from passing by reflecting them instead. The test of a good TV mirror is how much of light is going to be passed through when the television is turned on and at the same how much is visible behind the mirror when there is no light coming from it or when the television is turned off. This is where dielectric mirror based tv mirrors truly shines as they give the best of both factors.
When choosing a dielectric TV mirror, the quality of the dielectric mirror itself is important. To evaluate the quality of the mirror, start by holding the mirror close to the TV screen, but mind the corners. The TV screen can easily scratch so you should not hit it with the anything pointed. After which, try turning on the television set in that set up. Notice how the dielectric mirror layer becoming transparent to give way to the lights from the television set. A good dielectric mirror should not have any reflective effect that causes any residual blurring on the TV projection. And when the TV is off, the surface should be completely reflective like that of a regular mirror. You should test this effect in multiple angles and for different distances as well. Another factor that may affect how the mirror television is viewed is the external lighting which should also be taken into account. Test the mirror tv against bright external light and dim lights. If you are planning on using the mirror tv inside your bedroom, you may want to test it with all the lights turned off as well.
Another important aspect of a dielectric TV mirror is the protective frame under it. Make sure that this frame is on when you do the testing. If, too thick, it could severely affect three quality of the pictures coming through.
When you have the dielectric mirror, you will notice that the mirror itself seems like a simple transparent glass panel. Many customers start to get worried because of this as they do seem ordinary at first glance. Do not be alarmed however as this is exactly how it should look.
How to install a TV Mirror
Heat dissipation is as important as any aspect when installing any form of electrically charged furniture. The low temperature not only helps with extending the lifetime of the device but it also ensures that it does not start any fire related accidents. It is especially important to check the heat dissipation of TV mirrors because the additional mirror screen is usually not considered when designing the television set. A good dielectric TV mirror setup includes heat dissipation into consideration before installation. After installation, run a test using a digital thermometer attached to the back of the TV mirror. Then, leave the TV running on for a while as long as you may be using it when you are watching normally. After which, check the temperatures if it is still within the normal temperatures as indicated by the base television where the TV mirror is built. If the temperature you recorded exceeds the normal temperatures, you should consider moving the television set away from corners or walls to let the television set breath. If it still gets too hot, you could install heat sinks and tiny fans to try to dissipate the heat. As a word of caution, you should consider grounding the heat sink as it can store up charge and end up shocking you if you touch the TV mirror.
When installing the TV mirror, you should ensure that it blends in when it is turned off. This can be done by covering the sides of the dielectric mirror with black strips. Except for the part where the TV projects images, the entire area could become unappealing to look at.
Cleaning and Maintenance
The dielectric mirror can be cleaned the same way that any mirror is cleaned. This means you can use windex and wipe it off with clean pieces of cloth. Do not, however, be too casual in applying the chemicals as it may splash off on the actual TV screen. If possible, disassemble the TV mirror first before doing the cleaning. The inside part of the TV mirror should not need to be cleaned too often because it should be air locked out of any elements that may dirty it.
As a breakable material, the dielectric mirror should not be subjected to sudden shocks as it may shatter. It is also vulnerable to sharp and pointed hard surfaces and even the most minor cracks can render the entire dielectric mirror unusable.
Other Considerations
If you decide to buy a TV mirror there are a few more things that you should definitely look out for. The size of the dielectric mirror as compared to the base television should be a perfect match. You would not want a panel that would not show any part of the projected picture from the television nor would you want to have parts of the television blocked because the mirror is not as wide as it should be.
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