Can I Bring Home an LCD TV Laying Down?

Whether you're buying an LCD TV from a local store or moving yours to a new location, you might wonder if you can safely lay the TV down in your car or truck. While you might get lucky and do this without damage, you run the risk of cracking or distorting the fragile screen and no longer being able to enjoy your TV. Instead, you need to properly package the TV and accessories and store it in an upright position in your vehicle. If you want to avoid any of the hassles of transporting the TV yourself, know you have some safe alternatives to consider.

To understand why transporting an LCD TV that is lying down is not recommended, it helps to look at why damage happens. This type of TV has a cover glass along with liquid crystals that reside between two polarized glass sheets. These fragile parts work alongside a backlight to produce the image you see. While the simple act of gently laying the TV down flat usually doesn't damage these parts, the transportation process sure could.

As you drive your car, make stops, or hit bumps along the road, your LCD TV can be bumped and moved around in your trunk or back seat. These TVs need to have balanced support wherever you place them, and this is even more crucial for large screens. Laying down an LCD TV in a car where there are bumps and vibrations can lead to pressure cracks in the screen along with issues that cause distortion.

Instead of laying the TV down flat, place it upright in the back of your car. This upright position provides balanced support that lessens the chance of the screen cracking or giving you a distorted image.

At the same time, make sure that the TV stays in place so that a bump or hard stop doesn't send it falling to the floor or hitting the sides of your car or trunk. If you plan to transport your LCD TV in the back of a truck, consider bungee cords or straps to secure it firmly in place.

No matter how you transport your LCD TV, never do so without proper packaging. While transporting your TV with a box doesn't guarantee it won't crack or have other damage, you increase the risk if you transport the TV bare or only wrap it in a cover or blanket. Instead, use a combination of supplies that protect the screen along with a sturdy box. Furthermore, you need to package any accessories such as power cords so that they don't damage the TV.

For example, U-Haul suggests first putting accessories and any base in a separate bag rather than in the TV box. Then wrap your TV in foam and plastic wrap or use something you have at home already, such as blankets or another type of padding. For the most security, buy a box designed specifically for TVs; these often are adjustable, have reinforced corners, and may feature multiple layers of inner and outer boxes.

After you carefully slide in your TV, add more padding in the empty spaces in the box. Then use tape to seal it for a safe journey.

If your vehicle's too small to place the TV upright in a proper box, consider hiring a professional to transport it instead. If you are transporting the LCD TV due to a move, ask your movers to help you with packaging and put the TV in the moving truck. If you're buying a TV from the brick-and-mortar store, you can ask about any delivery service available; some retailers offer services to transport and set up the TV for you.

If you are buying a new TV, look into online purchasing options so that you get the LCD TV safely delivered to your door.