Families spend a lot of time together in a family room, often in front of their TV or media centers, watching  TV or movies, listening to music or playing games.

Whether a home’s media room is in the central part of the house or in its own area, the cost of heating this room can sometimes be expensive.

One way to combine convenience and comfort, while remaining cost efficient, is to purchase an electric fireplace media console. A TV and media console, which includes an electric fireplace, provides the ambiance of a traditional fireplace, along with storage for a TV and any media components. But it also offers another major benefit: lower utility expenses through the use of a cost-efficient zone heating system.

Storage

Media consoles provide a great place to store CDs, DVDs and electronics—all in one storage unit. Adjustable shelves and optional cabinets are also available with each model to house additional media components, and to help round up those electrical wires that nobody wants sticking out in plain view.

While storing all this media equipment together in one place, electric fireplace media consoles also provide zone heating for a room that helps lower energy bills. This allows for ambiance in the media room, without taking up additional living space that’s so valuable in any home.

Zone Heating

The electric fireplace media consoles available today do a great job of integrating zone heating and entertainment, while minimizing the work required in home improvement projects. Most include mantel and shelving units built  seamlessly around a central electric fireplace heater. In most of these models, an electric fireplace log insert is surrounded by storage cabinets and additional shelving for media components.

Above the insert and shelving area is an additional ledge made to hold a large regular or flat-panel television. Since electric fireplaces remain cool to the touch before and during operation, you can rest assured that your audio-video components and television remain safe and operable within the media console.

Like other electric fireplaces, TV and media consoles can produce over 4700 BTUs of heat per hour from any standard electrical outlet. With a little additional work, you can even tap into your home’s wiring system to generate up to 9600 BTUs per hour for additional heat in cold weather. That’s just the right amount of additional heating to warm that media or living room in your home  that you want to enjoy with your family.

Design

The design elements of an electric fireplace media console are similar to those of other electric fireplaces. It produces the same glowing effect within the logs, has fan-forced heat and contains safety features to help keep your home warm and safe.

So what’s different? The cabinet the log insert is placed into. Media consoles contain extra  cabinet space for CDs, DVDs, media equipment and a television in this area. They fit many types of decorating styles, from traditional woods to more contemporary colors. In addition, models can be chosen as mantels, corner mantels or shelving units, giving you the flexibility to place your console unit wherever it fits best in the room.

And you don’t forfeit the beauty of a traditional fireplace as a heating element, either. All units are highly portable and don’t require much installation to make them a part of your home. Each model can be changed or reconfigured if the style of the room or individual taste changes.

One of the best things about media centers is their space-saving capability. With all your electronic components put away, you’ve got room to enjoy your electric fireplace along with your family, while showing off the beauty of your electric fireplace media console.