What is a TV mirror?

This is more than an ordinary piece of glass of course.  Using advanced beam splitter mirror technology prevents distortion when your tv is turned on, but when you turn off your tv, it is transformed into a decorative mirror!

What is a "beam-splitter" mirror?

A beam-splitter mirror is a general term used to describe how light is split so a portion that passes through a material while the remaining light is reflected back to the viewer. A true beam-splitter mirror is made through a specialty glass fabrication process using different types of coating processes to achieve the desired effects.

Types of TV Mirrors

• Opticlear Ultra 
• OptiClear
• Relflections
• Lux

When it comes to concealing your TV with a mirror, we understand that consumers only want the best products on the market. Therefore, we have conducted in-house testing on numerous types of mirror technology to provide ONLY premium grade products for our clients. FrameMyTV’s engineers have selected two specific types of TV mirror glass for living room/ bedroom applications and two additional mirror types for bathroom areas where TV viewing is the secondary function. See below for a table of comparison details. 

Which type is better?

This depends on what's most important to you - TV viewing OR room aesthetics?”

• Living Rooms and Bedrooms:

  • If you answered  “TV Viewing” – we recommend selecting our OptiClear mirror as it allows for the greatest light transmission for a superior HDTV picture.

  • If you answered  “Room Aesthetics” – we recommend our OptiClear Ultra mirror for 40% more reflectivity offering a better solution when the primary use will be as a mirror.

Effect on TV Picture

When is a TV mirror not an ideal solution?

A TV mirror type of solution is not for everyone or every environment. They are great products, but we highly suggest ordering a mirror sample to be sure about your purchase and to see how the mirror will work with your specific television. If you have a room with a high level of ambient light or large light sources opposite your television, you may encounter unwanted reflection in the mirror even while watching television. The greater the reflectivity of the glass, the more unwanted reflection you may encounter. Also, each type of glass will have a different effect on the brightness of the television when on. With the living room mirrors, the brightness levels will not vary much, but with the bathroom mirrors the TV image will generally be darker because a more reflective mirror is necessary in a bathroom. However, in a bathroom, generally the primary purpose is not for television viewing, but rather for applying makeup or shaving. The brightness of the TV will also vary depending on the type of television. For the best results with TV mirrors, we generally reccommend using an LED television for maximum illumination.  For rooms with higher levels of ambient light, you might want to consider our motorized roll-up artwork or dynamic artwork solutions

Rooms that work very well are rooms with low lighting or where there isn't exposed lighting opposite the TV. TV mirrors are very commonly used in locations such as master bedrooms where the majority of TV viewing occurs in the evenings.

If the primary viewing times for the TV are in the evenings when the light from windows is minimal, then you probably notice very little if any impact from a TV mirror. In fact, in the evenings the mirror can add some contrast to the picture making it pop a little more. 

Click here to order some mirror samples to make sure you are selecting the right type of mirror for your application.

The following video shows an example of how a light source such as a window opposite the TV can moderately impact the TV's picture. During evening viewing this perimeter of the window would not be visible. 

TV Mirrors Without a Frame

Many of our clients wish to build their own solution by purchasing just our TV mirror only for use in bathrooms and a variety of other Do-It-Yourself projects like cabinet fixtures, armoires, dresser mirror replacements, TV mirror kits and more.

We offer all the hardware you will need to accomplish this on your own as well as full edge finishing services to provide a finished edge on your mirror glass if the edges will be visible. 

Click here to learn more

What if my TV has front firing speakers?

Most TV's on the market today haven downward facing or rear facing speakers. In these instances, no additional consideration is necessary.

For TV's with front facing speakers on the left/right (as shown here), we can add an AcoustiMat to allow the audio from your television to pass directly through.

Alternatively, if you plan to use external speakers such as a surround sound system, there is no longer a need for the AcoustiMat. For this approach we can make the mirror span the entire opening of the frame. If you have questions about this approach please call us and we can help you decide which solution is best for your setting.

Learn more about the AcoustiMat

Purchasing Options

• TV frame with Mirror - Design a completely customized frame solution by TV model. Simply open the box and slip the frame over your TV - Visit the Online Design Center

• TV mirror glass only - Economical solutions for Do-It-Yourself projects.  Visit Cut-To-Size Calculator 

Side by Side Comparison

	MIRROR MODE	TV MODE
			Clearest mirror for the best clarity in television viewing. Lowest reflectivity mirror. Most commonly used in living rooms and master bedrooms where primary use is for television. Glass Thickness: 6mm Stock Size: 60" x 72" Price: $101/sq ft Order Samples Order Frame with Mirror Order Cut-To-Size Mirror Only
			Our most premium mirror type providing a 38% Higher reflectivity mirror than Opticlear. Most commonly used in living rooms and master bedrooms where primary use is for television or a decorative mirror Glass Thickness: 6mm Stock Size: 60" x 72" Price: $123/sq ft Order Samples Order Frame with Mirror Order Cut-To-Size Mirror Only
			Our most popular TV mirror for bathroom applications. Features considerably higher reflectivity than our Dielectric or OptiClear mirrors. TV viewing in bright rooms may introduce glare depending on location of the light sources. Glass Thickness: 6mm Stock Size: 60" x 72" Price: $85/sq ft Order Samples Order Frame with Mirror Order Cut-To-Size Mirror Only
			The Lux is our economy line of TV mirrors Lux features the highest reflectivity, though the compromise is the TV picture is darkened considerably compared to the Reflections mirror. Note that because of the higher reflection, objects in the room may be more noticeable during TV viewing as shown here. Glass Thickness: 6mm  Stock Size: 60" x 72" Price: $66/sq ft Order Samples Order Frame with Mirror Order Cut-To-Size Mirror Only

Custom cut glass orders are non-refundable and therfore we suggest ordering a mirror sample. Every mirror sample purchase is accompanied with a  coupon for the cost of the sample to be used towards any frame or mirror purchase. 

BUYER BEWARE: We sincerely urge all consumers to be very careful when purchasing a TV mirror as there are many unscrupulous online firms with misleading claims through both text and altered images to make the TV mirror appear as both a perfect mirror and perfect picture quality. This simply isn't true or physically possible. Don’t believe everything you read online. If you have any doubts….PLEASE be wise and order a sample … then make the decision for yourself.

Dielectric Mirrors:  Please note that after great consideration and research we have decided to replace our dielectric TV mirror with OptiClear Ultra. Opticlear Ultra offers considerable advantages over dielectric and has higher reflectivity with lower impact on the TV's picture. If you have questions please contact us and to learn more about the differences.