Ikea releases video of its HDTV-clad furniture

Ikea’s furniture is getting a nice new set of televisions built right into your living room set. The company released a video of the HDTVs in action today, saying it will help consumers envision their electronics in the home, and better hide cables.

Ikea announced this new product line, called Uppleva, early last month. It’s expected to hit the US sometime after this summer’s debut in Europe. At the time, Ikea was said to be working with Chinese Electronics manufacturer TCL Multimedia to create the HDTVs. Francis Cayouette, the designer for Uppleva, says that mounting the devices to the furniture allows the designers to be able to hide lots of the cumbersome burdens that come with electronics, such as cables. The furniture also has places for speakers, and hideaways for gaming consoles and DVRs.

A piece of furniture like this will run you 1,400 euros, or $1,700.

Cayouette also had a hand in designing the user interface on the television itself. Very much like Ikea’s design, it is minimalistic, with a row of icons on a home screen to control sound, image, and a number of other options. The remote has also been reduced to the most used buttons, with a flip out pad that houses buttons for less-used functions.

My biggest concern is how long the television’s life will be. I don’t know about you, but I’ve found Ikea furniture doesn’t survive moving homes very easily. Maybe there’s a way to take the television with you and leave the particle board behind?

Check out the video below:

via TechCrunch, Photoshopped image via Sean Ludwig