USA: Boom-time for the Bed Theater

The morning inbox usually contains all kids of strange press releases, more often than not as the result of handing out business cards at, or simply registering for, overseas shows.

Just this morning I have been offered unbeatable prices on plastic mouldings, two or three companies willing to make cables for me to sell under my own brand, and everything from bulk buys of iPod docks to speaker drive units made to order.

And then there was the Bed Theater press release – and although this is a product currently aimed at the US market, I felt I had to share it with you.

Invented by Michael Darling, whose other products include a 'Flying Seat' you can fit to the front of your speedboat for fishing, the Bed Theater is a swivelling boom on which you can mount a flatscreen of up to 19in.

Having done that, the company suggests, you now have a viable alternative to having a much larger screen at the foot of the bed, or on the wall across the room.

Or if you want to work, there's an optional add-on tray for your computer keyboard.

As the diagrams and pictures show, you can swing the TV so it's always in the right place as you roll over in bed, and the whole thing folds flat to the wall when not in use.

The price (at least in the States)? $99, plus $30 shipping – and as the company says, "Using more than one arm, with headphones two people can watch different TV programs in the same bed."

Andrew has written about audio and video products for the past 20+ years, and been a consumer journalist for more than 30 years, starting his career on camera magazines. Andrew has contributed to titles including What Hi-Fi?, GramophoneJazzwise and Hi-Fi CriticHi-Fi News & Record Review and Hi-Fi Choice. I’ve also written for a number of non-specialist and overseas magazines.