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Can anybody explain what is so special about the _meta_l brackets that are used to fix a Plasma screen to the wall?  ie, why are they all around £200 for the fixed ones, and £300+ for an angled one??? I'm waiting for my Panasonic TH-42PWD4 to arrive and have opted not to buy the bracket.  Has anybody here made their own bracket - was it difficult or is it fairly easy to hook something up?  Obviously after spending £3k on a plasma screen I don't want it to come crashing to the floor, but on the other hand I'm pretty good with DIY so as long as they haven't made it really awkward to use anything other than the correct bracket I should be fine.  I think it's pathetic that just because the screen costs a lot of money, they automatically charge £200 for what is probably a bracket worth £5 - £10! If there are any websites or if anybody has personal experience of making their own fixings, I'd be very grateful for some pointers.  or if the general consesus is don't do it... buy the proper one , also please let me know. Thanks, Russ.

I thought that about paying £150 for the Panasonic desktop stand. I'm glad I did, it is made for the screen, it is _meta_l, bolted together nicely and looks good. Perhaps looks are not so important for a wall mount, but if the bits all fit properly, then I would be just as happy to pay for the right component. I doubt very much you could build something as tidy for £5-10! Colin

properly, then I would be just as happy to pay for the right component. I doubt very much you could build something as tidy for £5-10! Oh definitely, for something you could _see_ you would have to get something decent.  You couldn't insult such a fine TV with a thrown together stand But like you say, the wall mount will be totally invisible - as long as it does it's job (ie, plasma stays on wall and doesn't fall off!), it could be made of string and sticky back plastic for all I care! I have three young kids so a table top stand is out of the question.  Not only would they get their grubby fingers all over it, but it could fall down and break.  (Oh yeah and they could get hurt I guess .  The wall mount will be out of reach so if it comes down it will be of it's own accord.  I really don't mind paying to get something decent... but come on £200 for a piece of static _meta_l?  If the static version was say £50 and the tilt version £80/£100 then it'd be not too bad, but as far as I can see from the pictures the static mount is a single piece of machined _meta_l! Russ.

A mate who installs plasma's in the trade (health clubs/discos etc) always uses Unicol brackets. Have a look at their site: http://www.unicol.com/ (note the 9 x 50 plasma videowall on their home page!) Colin

A mate who installs plasma's in the trade (health clubs/discos etc) always uses Unicol brackets. Have a look at their site: http://www.unicol.com/ (note the 9 x 50 plasma videowall on their home page!) Yeah that's the one I had been looking at - still a bit overpriced though That plasma video wall is just amazing, I'm working out how many screens I'd need to cover one wall in my living room <g

used to fix a Plasma screen to the wall?  ie, why are they all around £200 for the fixed ones, and £300+ for an angled one??? I'm waiting for my Panasonic TH-42PWD4 to arrive and have opted not to buy the bracket.  Has anybody here made their own bracket - was it difficult or is it fairly easy to hook something up?  Obviously after spending £3k on a plasma screen I don't want it to come crashing to the floor, but on the other hand I'm pretty good with DIY so as long as they haven't made it really awkward to use anything other than the correct bracket I should be fine.  I think it's pathetic that just because the screen costs a lot of money, they automatically charge £200 for what is probably a bracket worth £5 - £10! If there are any websites or if anybody has personal experience of making their own fixings, I'd be very grateful for some pointers.  or if the general consesus is don't do it... buy the proper one , also please let me know. Thanks, Russ. The table stand I wanted for mine was out of stock eveywhere and for some time to come. I made my own, welded up from steel box section and sprayed. It also has an integral platform to put my centre speaker above the screen. The _base_ in front of the screen is enclosed in a french-polished wood cover. It took me about 10 hours of  non-stop work to make the stand after the screen arrived. Well, would you have stopped? MJ