View full sizeIkea's new Uppleva comes in multiple sizes, styles and colors.Wires, wires everywhere: That's the typical living or family room, with all the entertainment gear connected: TV, DVD player, CD player, speakers, etc. Not to mention the three or four remotes often needed to operate it all.
Now Ikea has ventured into home electronics with its new furniture group Uppleva, which integrates an LED TV, sound system with wireless speakers, Internet connection, and Blu-ray, DVD and CD players into a single piece of furniture.
The new line (Uppleva is the Swedish word for "experience") is planned to enter the market in June.
Ikea
"This is not a TV. And it's not a piece of furniture. It's all in one," the spokeswoman says.
View full sizeA smaller version of the Uppleva.As for that pesky wiring, it's hidden inside, behind a little door on the back. The TVs come in four screen sizes, from 24 to 46 inches, and will also play video from the Internet, display your photos and play songs from your MP3 player. If you want to add other electronic gear, you can get the Uppleva with extra storage for that purpose. Chinese manufacturer TCL is making the TVs and other electronics.
The furniture comes in several styles and colors, and a five-year warranty is included.
An
one potential problem with the Uppleva:
"Martin Rask, a 38-year-old from Stockholm, said the all-in-one concept sounded interesting but wondered how it could keep up with new technologies.
" 'The furniture is a tempting idea -- I'm wrestling with a bundle of cables at home myself at the moment -- but the problem is that so many new things are released all the time,' he said. 'I've had three different Internet suppliers in the past year for example, and imagine if you had an old VHS player built into your furniture that no one is watching.'
"(Spokeswoman Ylva) Magnusson at IKEA said that although the electronic devices are physically attached to the furniture, there is plenty of room for customers to put in IKEA-designed add-ons."
If you love the idea of the Uppleva, though, there's bad news. Though lucky shoppers in a few European cities can see it this June. and it will be widely available in Europe this autumn, it won't be available in the U.S. until 2013. An Ikea spokeswoman said the product's U.S. launch is tentatively scheduled for April next year.
Pricing starts at about $950.
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