Turning TV on Through 3/8" Plexi and Bezel?

[RoninEditor]

I have kind of a major logistics problem.  I've been looking into SmartStrip/Power-On solutions but in the meantime, um... never thought about this, how in the world do I get the TV on while it's enclosed behind the plexi and bezel!?  Or, better yet, what've you guys been doing to get it on while it's enclosed?

I really would love to not have to slide it back far enough to have the 'front' exposed so I can use the remote.  I'm going to test another remote later but have any of you guys had success just using a remote?  If so, I'm gonna need to get a hell of a lot more powerful one because mine seems pretty useless right now.

Thanks for any ideas!

[TOK]

I made a tiny hole in the black monitor surround in front of the TV's "receiver"... Smaller than the diameter of a #2 pencil. The remote works through the tinted plexi bezel fine and the hole isn't visible at all.

[qrz]

some sets have a menu setting for auto on.
or, a small circuit can be build to activate the pwr sw whenever AC is applied.
if there is enough interest, i might be able to find the time to make some available.

qrz

[RoninEditor]

Yeah qrz, that's definitely gonna be the way I wanna go... I think we talked about it on PM.  Are they easy to install on the inside?  I'm a total noob with soldering and all of that.  If it's just something I'd crimp on, that'd be even easier yet.

You really should make a bunch of these because I know a number of us want to have SmartStrip-powered TVs.  I'm definitely down, how much are you thinking for one?

[RoninEditor]

I made a tiny hole in the black monitor surround in front of the TV's "receiver"... Smaller than the diameter of a #2 pencil. The remote works through the tinted plexi bezel fine and the hole isn't visible at all.

Tok, so you drilled an extra hole in your tv, not the bezel, right?  If I read that right, it sounds like a hole in the bezel.  Unfortunately I just have regular plexi, not tinted, so that might be easy to see. 

[TOK]

My cab has a black foamboard surround that hides the front of the TV. I made the hole in that right where the sensor is on the front of the TV.

[fa001]

I built the circuit from qrz and it works great. I would recommend working with him.
I found that you might still want the remote for volume control however.

[RoninEditor]

Yeah, I'm definitely get that from qrz.  Was it hard to install...?  I'd love to not have to use a remote to power it on upon start-up, so it looks more legit, ya know?

[fa001]

With qrz's help it was not too hard. I built the whole circuit but he has indicated that he might prefab some. Then all there is are four contacts to solder, two across the power switch and two to get 5v to the board.

[DolansCadillac]

One quick thing you might want to try - my TV doesn't have power return (although it remembers the input mode, go figure) but as per a suggestion I found here what I did was to 'lock' the power button down via a toothpick jammed between it and the frame, covered with electrical tape, and now it will turn on as soon as there's power. Might be worth a shot.