Tips for Installing a Television in the Kitchen

Want to watch the news while you cook? Having a television in the kitchen can be convenient, but there are several things to keep in mind.

Size Matters
When choosing a television to install in your kitchen, keep in mind that size does matter. You probably don't need a big screen television to listen to lotto numbers while you're chopping carrots, but it's best if you can actually see the screen without your glasses from all parts of your kitchen. To this end, you probably don't want to install a television in your kitchen with a screen smaller than 10 inch. In a small kitchen, you can get by with a 7 inch screen, but if you've got a seating nook, you'll want to install a television in your kitchen with a bigger screen so that company can watch or talk to you while you go about your business. Keep in mind too, the depth of the television set. When installing a television in your kitchen, the last thing you want to do is give up precious counter-top space for a television unit. Luckily, with the new swivel flat-panel under-the-counter units, you won't have to.

Cable Concerns
Gone are the days of the rabbit ear antenna. When installing a television in your kitchen, you may need to hook it up to a cable outlet. That outlet, in turn, may dictate where you can place your television. If you don't have a cable outlet in your kitchen, don't despair. You might have one on the other side of a kitchen wall, in another room. If that's the case, it will be easy to pick up a few supplies from radio-shack and install a television in your kitchen by yourself, without the help of a handyman. The trick is using a splitter in the wall to run a cable out both sides. If you're really lucky, the cable jack will be on the other side of the wall from your kitchen cabinets. If this is the case, when installing a television in your kitchen, you can actually run the wires through your cabinets, so that it never shows on the outside, and keeps your kitchen looking neat and clean. If you can't find a convenient way to run the cable yourself, you can call the cable company and hire a technician to come to your home and do a custom install.

Location, Location
When installing a television in your kitchen, give some thought to where you'll be watching it from. Tucked away in a corner under a cabinet may seem like the ideal spot, but not if you can't see it from the kitchen table. Over the sink might give the best possible view, but if it's too close to the water, it may cause a safety hazard. Installing a television in your kitchen can be made easier if you put up a platform high on the wall in a corner that affords the best view for everyone.

Miscellany
When choosing to install a television in your kitchen, you might want to give thought to some of the smaller details that make life easier. Does the remote control have a magnet inside, so you can put it on your fridge? Is the television multi-functional. For example, if you're going to install a television in your kitchen, wouldn't it be better to not have to also install a CD player or a DVD player? The more functions a single machine will take on for you, the higher its worth. The last thing a kitchen needs is more clutter.

In the end, installing a television in your kitchen can make your time there more productive and entertaining, so give it a little planning before you start.