In college I built my first entertainment center out of cinder blocks and three sheets of half-inch plywood, I spray painted the whole thing black and called it a day. Between the cinder blocks, sheets of plywood and spray paint I was out about $100 and a Saturday afternoon. Then came the time to place my equipment on my newest creation. At the time I was rocking a modest separates home theater and a 40-inch Sony WEGA XBR CRT television. My rack lasted about a week and a half before it began to buckle under the combined weight. Then one evening I watched as my beloved Sony television took a swan dive from its perch landing, and breaking, my DIY coffee table as well as itself. I don't do DIY anymore because what started off as a good, affordable solution had now turned into a disaster and set me back one DIY A/V rack, a coffee table and a Sony WEGA XBR. Damn you HGTV and Home Depot.

Additional Resources
• Read more AV furniture reviews by the staff at HomeTheaterReview.com.
• Find some audiophile source components to stack on the AFV48.
• Explore plasma HDTV options to put on top of the AFV48.

Well there's an affordable solution for those looking to avoid a situation like the one I've just described; the Accurate Series AFV48 Widescreen TV/AV Stand from Sanus. Retailing for $219.99 the Accurate Series AFV48 is a three-shelf rack wide and strong enough to accommodate a 50-inch HDTV as well as a host of electronics and a center channel speaker. The Accurate Series AFV48 is 48 inches wide by 23 and a half inches tall and 18 and a half inches deep. It features three semi gloss black shelves held in place by six polished tubular steel pillars in an open air design. The middle pillars are shorter than the outer pillars and provide support to the middle and bottom shelf only allowing for a large center channel speaker to rest on the Accurate Series AFV48's middle shelf. Speaking of shelves, all three can accommodate loads of up to 200 pounds, which is more than enough for today's modern HDTV and home theater receiver. The Accurate Series AFV48 has a wire management system, which is nothing more than four holes cut into the back of each shelf to fish cables through.

High Points
• The Accurate Series AFV48 is simple in its design and implementation, which gives it a very modern, streamlined look. I've seen racks that cost five times as much that don't look as good as the Accurate Series AFV48.
• For such an affordable home theater equipment rack, the Accurate Series AFV48 is shockingly sturdy, exhibiting virtually zero sway or shake even when loaded to capacity with equipment.
• The Accurate Series AFV48's cable management system may be a bit basic it still works and is a surprisingly useful feature to tame unruly power cords.

Low Points
• If you have a fairly complex system consisting of more than a few sources and a home theater receiver you may find the Accurate Series AFV48's three shelf design limiting. If you don't need the middle shelf for a center channel speaker you'll have a bit more space to play with.
• The Accurate Series AFV48 shelves are not adjustable nor can you add additional shelves down the road.

Conclusion
For the consumer looking to house an HDTV and basic home theater system, be it a source or two, receiver and center channel speaker look no further than the Accurate Series AFV48 equipment rack from Sanus. For a little over $200 retail the Accurate Series AFV48 may just be the best real world solution to a very real problem.