Great job guys, the table looks awesome! As a keen woodworker I couldn’t help but notice how high your table saw blade is. Great to see your riving knife fitted but the saw blade only needs to be as high as the material is thick, plus the height of one tooth on the blade. This way if things go horribly wrong for any reason you will cut a limb instead of amputating it! I hope you can forgive me for feeding that back, thanks again for the great video! 👍
We just use a projector pointing down from overhead. We use a magnetic whiteboard as the "projection screen" we can set our miniatures on it, with magnets in the bases so they don't jostle easily. We can draw on the whiteboard with dry erase markers.
Great Idea but I hope it's an LED Projector because bulbs are way too expensive on projectors so you want ones that have an extra long bulb life. LED Projectors are small and easy to position or hang. Otherwise that's awesome idea. I think I've seen similar setups.
@@Wolfsheim23 we have had both, bulb and LED. As we have had to migrate Gaming locations. But mostly we have used the bulb one, as it has a better image. And most of our gaming locations have allwed for long time installation. Using it once a week--we have not had to change the bulb yet, in over 7 years.
I actually use a tv for my dnd table as well, not to this extreme though, and my tv was like 300$, but still a 50inch and it gets the job done. I think my overall build cost was 500ish.
@@fantasycreek1 agreed, I actually started to DM when I was 15. I'm 34 now. I've learned you cant please everyone. But I must be doing something right. My longest campaign is going on 6 years now, and though many have perished along the way, the same group keeps coming back.
TheBerch that’s great. I’d love to have a game going that long. We have just about managed to make a weekly group for a few months now and still going strong. But I could be playing a lot more. So I’ve started playing fighting fantasy novels on my channel now to fill the time
I built an entire gaming table with the TV inserted into it, but had to make some of the same decisions you guys made. My solution for keeping the TV level and help provide even more airflow underneath it was to simply use a cheap TV wall-mount and mount it on the back of the TV in the appropriate VESA holes. That way the wall mount rested on the slats underneath the TV and I still had free access to the HDMI slots (and other plugs, since I actually use it as my regular TV when not gaming). Obviously this does make the whole build "thicker", but I'm also only using a 40" LED TV and it's not nearly as thick as the TV you're using. I also had the plexiglass I use cut exactly to size to fit into the bezel of the TV, again saving some space. I've documented my build with some pictures in case you (or anyone else) is interested. The foremost change I would make if I had to build my table again would be to lower the TV even more, so I could put leaves in the hole to cover up the TV completely (I'm still contemplating doing that, since it would be a relatively easy thing to do - just have to re-varnish the parts where I take out the molding surrounding the TV). Here are the pics of the build: www.deviantart.com/gentlegiantdk/gallery/51227027/Gaming-Table Also, with all the terrain Lou has been 3D printing you'll soon not be needing the TV any longer. ;-)
Ah, yes! I see. Very nicely done. Someone else had commented about using the VESA holes for leveling, and so I see what you are talking about now with those. Thank you for those pictures. Cutting the plexiglass so it fits down inside the bezel of the TV is also a good idea.
@@EHeathRobinson Honestly for safety and longevity I would always suggest using the structural points of a television, either the wall mounts or the stand mounts. The television is already going to have a shortened life due to gravity acting on the screen layers itself, it's better to keep other stresses off the television. I would also always suggest keeping the top frame from pressing on the TV at all, which is mostly idiot proofing. People are bound to lean on the table when reaching across for their miniatures, and if the plexi or frame is transferring that pressure onto the LCD itself you'll surely damage it.
Just wow. What an incredible job! The evolution of this game by players such as yourselves just amazes me. My first D&D experience was when I was 16 in 1980 & even though I have not played in several years, I still enjoy the new generations playing what I have always considered the ultimate game. Congratulations on an awesome upgrade.
Thanx! Now I know how to incorporate a screen into the custom game table I'm building! I'll customize the case so it can hang on the wall when not in use as a game surface! This is so simple and yet it never occurred to me until I watched you video! Great job guys. :)
I adore this! I've never played D&D (or any tabletop game really) outside of the PC releases because I can't find anyone where I live to play with, but this table makes me want to try looking again.
Hi! I stumbled upon this build video as I rpg and boardgame! Surprised to realise that I funded your Elder Dice! Thanks! I'm also about 3 years behind you in getting ideas to products. Lots of ideas some basic prototypes but struggling. Your hint and tips are an inspiration. I'm a little older than you and life has a habit of interfering. But I to will be quitting in 4 months. I'm in the process of making (not a tiny house which I love watching) a workshop/studio so that I can unclutter and unpack all the things that are mothballed for my creative output. Just hope my old brain can grasp the modern concepts I need to push my ideas out to market. Thanks and good luck!
Oh great! It is a pleasure to have you here. I hope the Elder Dice allow you to escape the clutches of evil, or to summon something dreadful, whichever you would prefer! Congratulations on the progress toward leaving the job behind and moving forward with your own projects. It is a tough road, but I think a very rewarding one. That is why I want to put my "lessons learned" out on this channel. I hope they help you and many others who follow.
This is an amazing idea! I got an old tv that i was going to get rid of, but this would be an great idea to recycle it instead as an overall game table!
I've seen Lou mention on Twitter a couple of times the Dynamic Dungeon maps, so imagine my surprise that when I Google how to put a TV into a board gaming table, I get a video showing none other than the creation Lou's own personal implementation. Great video, clear instructions, exactly what I was looking for. Now I just need to figure out how to acquire all the tools I'll need...
I tried this with a 50" TV and it developed a crack in it, even tho we were extremely careful. Most TVs are not designed to be on their backs. The weight of the screen alone is enough to cause damage. I was considering using a large monitor instead-something that is made to be moved around.
I'd wager that was more a flaw in that specific TV than any real threat from the way it's lying down. I've seen a lot of tabletop setups done with televisions this way for everything from gaming to office work, and I've never heard of any of them just spontaneously cracking from the "weight of the screen".
Great project! I believe an even easier way to ensure the TV is level would be designing your slats to utilize the TVs existing mounting holes as they are already designed to be level on all TVs and are usual where the engineers put the heaviest components.
Thank you! Actually, it is deliberately smaller than the recessed area of the table because during a game it stays down toward one side so we can use the rest of the space for other miniature steps. When we were playing Storm King's Thunder we used the TV for a strategy map of a battle and then had the tactical map set up beside it. :-)
@@-Infernex If I were building this I would definitely recess the TV pretty much flush with the table's surface leaving the back of the TV relatively open to the area below the table. But I'd probably also get a flat panel display rather than a TV so it's not trying to process non-existent audio (and if audio is really desired build separate speakers for the media PC to control separately). This also adds the benefit of auto shutoff whenever there isn't anything to display removing the need for a remote.
Just a thought, Using the drawer pulls as feet may have been a much better idea then you first thought. Make another box the same dimensions as your TV frame. with a solid bottom make blocks that have notches that match the drawer pulls and mount them in the bottom of the box so that the two frames are lined up when the Drawer Pulls are fully seated in the notches . Now mount the box on the wall near a power outlet. you can then take the TV from your table and hang it on the wall. fill the Wall Box with small shelves for miniatures and other RPG aids being sure to keep the space above the notched blocks clear so the Drawer Pulls have room to slide into the Notched Blocks. You will also need cut channels in the Wall Box for the cables from the TV can get to the power Outlet and Input sources. Some strategic placement of Velcro on the back of the TV frame and the cables will insure they are held in the right place to go in the channels in the Wall Box.
That would be another huge project! But then you could mount it to the wall and use it as a living room TV when not in use for gaming. Lou has a whole home theatre setup though, so he was able to dedicate this TV just to this purpose. I can certainly understand wanting to make it dual-purpose though.
Once I was thinking about this, but one major part was to pick correct tv. I found all led to be out of the question as they are quite big, mostly curved behind and need extra preparation for cooling and fitting. They also have limited view angle. OLED here is a best bet. Whole screen is flat and thin, except small area for electronics. That's also the only part requiring space for cooling. Fitting, because of shape is easier. Also there is no "view angle" because you can see stuff at any angle.
Amazing work! I did find it amusing as the project progressed so did the amount of band-aids on your hands. I think building a table dedicated to gaming is a great future project for myself after seeing this. Thanks!
Absolutely fantastic! I've seen gaming tables with TVs in them for D&D for a long time but I have never seen anyone have animated maps with sounds, really top notch stuff here, well done!
Wow that in conjunction with Tabletop Simulator and you'd almost never need to buy another board game again. This really makes me miss my old gaming days. Wish I could find another group in Dallas like my old one in the 90s.
That is a good point. I had not thought about putting a tabletop simulator on it. We do typically have our laptops around it, so we could use them to move our individual pieces. We might have to try that.
Here is a tip for easy leveling and height control, as well as a more secure hold on the display. Most large format displays come in with hardpoints for mounting. Usually, they will have the screw size, quantity, and pattern listed in the official spec sheet. For example, that display uses 4x M8 machine screws in a 400mm x 400mm pattern. These are available in most hardware and Auto Part stores, as metric fittings have become, while not dominant in the USA, at least common. If machine screws are not immediately available, bolts should be. Place underside slats strategically at the mounting pattern points with countersunk holes for the machine screws. This allows the machine screws, or bolts, to be reachable from the outside of the case. The the thicker the slats, the deeper you can safely counterbore the holes, which allows additional room for adjustments later. that said, you probably won't need more than 1/4" more depth that the head of the fastener, so 3/4" boards should be fine for most new displays 55" viewable and under. for larger or heavier displays, 1" or thicker slats are probably a better idea. If the display manufacturer includes a spacer, include it in the design. Those spacers exist to provide better support, so that you do not risk cracking the case of the display. Include a nut (or wingnut) and a washer between the slat and the spacer on each fastener. This should you to lock the display in position, and adjust it as needed for a perfect fit. for a truly secure fit, use a nut/washer combo (or wingnut/washer) on each side of the slat. However, that would require a deeper slat and a wider counterbore to allow access. Alternately, if you can get the correct sized threaded rod, this can become much more precise and fit into a tighter space with a thinner slat. Sadly, metric threaded rod is harder to come by.
this system would be awesome for any dungeon crawler board game (thought when seeing zombicide). Gloomhaven would loose like half of its material weight :D
Website is www.rpgtablefinder.com I forgot the app sry what state you in. Although local stores and pathfinder and dnd main website has post to find games
Uhm I know there are Facebook groups. And I guess an App. I used to just go to the local Hobby shops and check their peg boards for postings from local groups. You can find other players. Also try DnD Beyonds website and try posting in their forums for a local group or maybe even one of the online games that uses programs like Roll20 or Fantasy grounds. Give it a shot.
THAT was awesome! Well done! Really good effort. It just looks so good. I would be so proud of it if it was mine. Gaming on that just takes gaming to a whole new level. Well done fellas. I take my hat off to you! Great job!
great build and great video. I enjoyed the narration and explanation of how you designed it and put it together. I am going to be trying something like this as I was given 2 older flat screen tvs.
I' not a D&D fan, but that is still cool. I could think of 1,000 additional uses! Typical board games, for example. Info and decoration durring card games... God, the uses are endless!
Try pulling the plastic casing off the tv. Oftentimes that will give you a much better idea of the setup underneath and more room to work. With the thin metal shell that is underneath you can work much closer to the actual screen and components without actually touching them. Might have to make a hole for one piece or another though. For anyone else looking to do this project: Searching "Magic Mirror" will give you a lot of results that are similar. Just use plexiglass instead of one-way glass
I have been looking into building my own table for a group that I DM (I already have table, now to convert it into a D&D table) and my fiance and I were contemplating this as well. Pretty much convinced me!
This video makes me want to combine this concept with one of those IR touch frames I've been seeing lately... Couple that with a Raspberry Pi or something and you have a GINORMOUS luggable tablet... That just needs a wall-jack for powering the TV.
I guess the projectors could work. But depending on where you live. You can get an LED projector for 50-80 bucks and a decent 40" tv without any bells and whistles is only about 150. The 100 bucks seems to save alot time compared to a projector as I noodle it.
NIce idea.. But I think two projectors mounted on the ceiling would provide better color.. as the TV and viewing angle is limited..? ANnyway.. awesome idea!!
Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed it. I don't see mass production in our future, but I think there are a few craftsmen around the internet who will make them for people who order.
Reminds me of those old CRT Arcade tables that used to be ubiquitous in 1980s restaurants and pizza parlours where you could play games like Pacman and Galaga.
@@brianblather I should totally have clamped that down when using the jigsaw. I did not because I am not working in my workshop. We built this over at Lou's house and we even bought that jigsaw that morning because he did not have one and we ended up needing it to cut out those slots. So yes! I highly recommend working from your own workshop on a project like this. Trying to load up and take the needed materials to a friend's house may very well result in sub-optimum build conditions! LoL :-) But we did get it done. :-)
@@Dixar Straight cuts were made with the miter saw and also on the table saw when we needed to rip the boards down to size. To me, setting up the fence on the table saw and running the boards through it is an easy way to do that kind of work.
Makes the gameplay so nice. We have music coming from the laptop when we play, then sound effects such as water dripping in a cave when in some caves, and it makes it feel so cool
This gives me some confidence because we were wanting to do the same thing, but the Dynamic Dungeons animated maps are optimized for 40" TVs and I was wondering if they'd look good on a larger screen!
I use Master's Toolkit from Arkenforge. When you display your players map, it allows you to enter the dimensions of the screen and scales the grid accordingly.
Hey! Just wanted to say thanks for the video, it really helped me make one. Can't wait for the time when we can get the group together in person to try it out! Stay safe!
I'd like to know more about the issues with image distortion and the floating effect when viewing from an angle. Are there certain types of TVs and qualities that you look for that will minimize this? Does having a TV with the widest viewing angle as possible help?
We have not had any issues with image distortion or a "floating effect". A couple of other people had brought up "miniature floating" in the comments, but if it were not for that I would not have even thought about it at the table. It just has not been an issue for us. I don't think Lou bought any kind of special TV to address that. He just got one the one he wanted when he saw it at a good price. Other people may have more information.
@@libertylion6088 i dont think the "tv" has much to do with this float. What happens is you install plexiglass or whatever, and if it is too far from the tv screen, players who are looking at it at an angle/far away may not see the character in the correct square/off centered because they are viewing the screen on the TV under and slightly past the miniature.
Couple thoughts, OLED has by far the best viewing angles and contrast ratio, however, due to price and concern for image retention OLED would not be a good choice. What you want is a TV with a IPS panel and not a VA panel for optimal viewing angles. Go on rtings.com and it will list the panel type. Additionally getting a TV with the smallest bevel is preferred but more importantly you want that bezel to be flush as possible with the TV glass. Also going for the thinnest possible clear acrylic/plexiglass is preferred (1/16 or 1/8”?).
@@forouza1 Why is the bevel an issue? I thought that having a bevel would actually allow the plexiglass to have a border to keep it from moving around if cut precisely.
Very nice table and video, nice and easy to follow and it looks great. I am pretty interested in doing a similar build with this. Looking back on the build now, after playing on it, would you change anything?
How hard would it be to add a vertical mount assembly to this setup? Maybe a couple poles in the bottom of the TV case, with bases in a side of the table. How about a slot underneath the table that the TV case slides into for storage, as well as a flush tabletop that goes over the gaming slot (with or without the TV)? This can allow the table to have 4 modes: 1. Vertical TV and couch. 2. Horizontal TV gaming table. 3. No TV gaming table. 4. No gaming regular table.
I came up with this idea about 22 years ago, Had to wait on Technology to catch up. Except my idea was to have the People's characters already made up and in the computer program so you can actually see the monster interaction with the characters. Each person would have a screen with their character on it and different actions they can do. DM/GM can see all the characters on his screen + the monsters and varies other tables for his needs. I have DM/GM 20 years been a player for 30+ yrs.
Thank you! When I do my setup at my house I want to have a major speaker system in the gaming hall, but actually, the built in speakers on the TV work great for its purpose. We opened today's game with the Zobeck theme song going in the opening of today's game: twitter.com/EHeathRobinson/status/1086666813247815681
@@lfcbpro I would love to and, actually, so would Lou. We have talked about it. The problems are all from the technical side of things, and I have been actually looking for some videographers would come in and help us out, but so far "no dice". :-)
One important detail to note. If your display suffers an internal failure, don't be too surprised if the manufacturer of your display voids your warranty if they find out that you have been using it flat on it's back. Technically, they design the cooling around vertical mounting on a wall in traditional Landscape layout, with Portrait layout in some models. Given that the warranties on most consumer displays are only 12-18 months, this should generally not be an issue nowadays.
Hot damn that is good. Of course it might be A LOT of work to find those animated maps, but normal maps should be very easy, lots of PDFs for sale for not too much at all.
I have not built mine yet but I'm going to build the whole table with it built right in. I do like that system you have though, you could potentially even still bring it to a friends place to play if its not too too heavy. Looks great
I am thinking about building a gaming table from scratch, and after having done this build I think that it would be a shame to not build in a TV while the work is being done. But, it looks like I will be modifying existing tables for my gaming tables. Putting a TV in an existing table is harder. Good luck with you build!
@@EHeathRobinsonhanks, once I have more funds and time, I have the shop and tools. I'll probably film it and put it on my channel so others can duplicate it too if they like.
This looks like a fun project. I dont play DnD that much, but I do play a lot of other boardgames. I'm trying to think if this will be worthwhile for anything I play...
Years later my question is what do you do to make it full screen? Like mine still shows the windows tabs in the browser and windows bar across the bottom.
Without active ventilation, the TV will die very quickly. A friend of mine just built a TV table and despite my warning to make sure he install fans to push the air through the TV, he did not. So 3 gaming sessions in, the bottom half of the TV went dark and is no longer working. TVs are not designed to be operated flat on a table. The air flow is done by hot air rising out of the top of the tv. With your setup, the hot air is trapped inside the TV and the vent at the top and bottom are blocked by the wood planks. This is very bad for the TV. I would suggest you find a way to push air from side to side and make vent ports in your wood planks to insure that some air can push through and cool the TV down. Otherwise, very nice design, it looks great!
I like this alot! Trying to do something similar myself but with a 32inch TV. Ive tested to use a couple of foam bits below the TV to balance it and to test it out before i start the project. The group liked it alot so im definitely going to go to second phase and plan the rest, your video will probably be the design im going with unless maybe its better to sink the TV down into the table to save space as my gaming-corner is lil-bit to cramped. But the biggest problem i had when i connected the TV to my Laptop is to navigate around the picture and send pictures to the TV from Laptop, as its a second screen and its lying on the table its really hard to actually navigate, to drag a new map or remove a current map and all there betwen, do you use a program of sorts to help you out? I see when you show a test-image you are linking the picture but its a lil-bit to blurred out at 12:27 to make something out of it. Or are you just treating it as a second-screen? Would love a clarification on how you send the picture to the TV and such =).
These are great questions. If I build a gaming table of my own, I am definitely going to build the TV into it. You are right that navigating on the screen when the second screen is laying on the table is difficult. That is the biggest hangup we have during play. I don't have all the details on that because Lou Anders is the Dungeon Master and has been running the tech. For the animated maps he has been using the player that Dynamic Dungeons has created for them. But, I think the simplest thing would be to use a screen mirror, IF you don't need extra functionality from the player on the DM's side of the screen.
I can't speak to that. We haven't had a problem and have been using it for a while now. The TV is not stored flat between games though if it matters. It comes off the table when we are done and goes in the closet on its side.
Great job guys, the table looks awesome! As a keen woodworker I couldn’t help but notice how high your table saw blade is. Great to see your riving knife fitted but the saw blade only needs to be as high as the material is thick, plus the height of one tooth on the blade. This way if things go horribly wrong for any reason you will cut a limb instead of amputating it! I hope you can forgive me for feeding that back, thanks again for the great video! 👍
That is excellent safety advice. Thank you.
We just use a projector pointing down from overhead. We use a magnetic whiteboard as the "projection screen" we can set our miniatures on it, with magnets in the bases so they don't jostle easily. We can draw on the whiteboard with dry erase markers.
lol I just commented that sort of idea. Great minds!
That's a great idea!
Great Idea but I hope it's an LED Projector because bulbs are way too expensive on projectors so you want ones that have an extra long bulb life. LED Projectors are small and easy to position or hang. Otherwise that's awesome idea. I think I've seen similar setups.
@@Wolfsheim23 we have had both, bulb and LED. As we have had to migrate Gaming locations. But mostly we have used the bulb one, as it has a better image. And most of our gaming locations have allwed for long time installation. Using it once a week--we have not had to change the bulb yet, in over 7 years.
Especially useful for low budgets.
Nice comment.
This is like top level D&D. My maps are just 1" grid paper and my players already think that's nice
I actually use a tv for my dnd table as well, not to this extreme though, and my tv was like 300$, but still a 50inch and it gets the job done. I think my overall build cost was 500ish.
Yeah man. That is good though that they are happy to keep it simple. Some players expect so much
@@fantasycreek1 agreed, I actually started to DM when I was 15. I'm 34 now. I've learned you cant please everyone. But I must be doing something right. My longest campaign is going on 6 years now, and though many have perished along the way, the same group keeps coming back.
TheBerch that’s great. I’d love to have a game going that long. We have just about managed to make a weekly group for a few months now and still going strong. But I could be playing a lot more. So I’ve started playing fighting fantasy novels on my channel now to fill the time
Imagination is always best, makes each players experience unique.
I built an entire gaming table with the TV inserted into it, but had to make some of the same decisions you guys made. My solution for keeping the TV level and help provide even more airflow underneath it was to simply use a cheap TV wall-mount and mount it on the back of the TV in the appropriate VESA holes. That way the wall mount rested on the slats underneath the TV and I still had free access to the HDMI slots (and other plugs, since I actually use it as my regular TV when not gaming). Obviously this does make the whole build "thicker", but I'm also only using a 40" LED TV and it's not nearly as thick as the TV you're using.
I also had the plexiglass I use cut exactly to size to fit into the bezel of the TV, again saving some space.
I've documented my build with some pictures in case you (or anyone else) is interested. The foremost change I would make if I had to build my table again would be to lower the TV even more, so I could put leaves in the hole to cover up the TV completely (I'm still contemplating doing that, since it would be a relatively easy thing to do - just have to re-varnish the parts where I take out the molding surrounding the TV).
Here are the pics of the build: www.deviantart.com/gentlegiantdk/gallery/51227027/Gaming-Table
Also, with all the terrain Lou has been 3D printing you'll soon not be needing the TV any longer. ;-)
Ah, yes! I see. Very nicely done. Someone else had commented about using the VESA holes for leveling, and so I see what you are talking about now with those. Thank you for those pictures. Cutting the plexiglass so it fits down inside the bezel of the TV is also a good idea.
@@EHeathRobinson Honestly for safety and longevity I would always suggest using the structural points of a television, either the wall mounts or the stand mounts. The television is already going to have a shortened life due to gravity acting on the screen layers itself, it's better to keep other stresses off the television. I would also always suggest keeping the top frame from pressing on the TV at all, which is mostly idiot proofing. People are bound to lean on the table when reaching across for their miniatures, and if the plexi or frame is transferring that pressure onto the LCD itself you'll surely damage it.
Just wow. What an incredible job! The evolution of this game by players such as yourselves just amazes me. My first D&D experience was when I was 16 in 1980 & even though I have not played in several years, I still enjoy the new generations playing what I have always considered the ultimate game. Congratulations on an awesome upgrade.
I love how the pictures progress he seems to have more and more bandages on his hands. lol I feel your pain.
At 4:26, we see the right hand has a band-aid on it and the left index finger is bandaged; a woodworker after my own heart!
Thanx! Now I know how to incorporate a screen into the custom game table I'm building! I'll customize the case so it can hang on the wall when not in use as a game surface! This is so simple and yet it never occurred to me until I watched you video! Great job guys. :)
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it and hope you have a great time with your build!
I adore this! I've never played D&D (or any tabletop game really) outside of the PC releases because I can't find anyone where I live to play with, but this table makes me want to try looking again.
I followed your instruction and build my TV case for D&D session! It's awsome!! Thanks!
Fantastic! I am so glad the video was helpful!
Hi! I stumbled upon this build video as I rpg and boardgame! Surprised to realise that I funded your Elder Dice! Thanks! I'm also about 3 years behind you in getting ideas to products. Lots of ideas some basic prototypes but struggling. Your hint and tips are an inspiration. I'm a little older than you and life has a habit of interfering. But I to will be quitting in 4 months. I'm in the process of making (not a tiny house which I love watching) a workshop/studio so that I can unclutter and unpack all the things that are mothballed for my creative output. Just hope my old brain can grasp the modern concepts I need to push my ideas out to market. Thanks and good luck!
Oh great! It is a pleasure to have you here. I hope the Elder Dice allow you to escape the clutches of evil, or to summon something dreadful, whichever you would prefer! Congratulations on the progress toward leaving the job behind and moving forward with your own projects. It is a tough road, but I think a very rewarding one. That is why I want to put my "lessons learned" out on this channel. I hope they help you and many others who follow.
This is an amazing idea! I got an old tv that i was going to get rid of, but this would be an great idea to recycle it instead as an overall game table!
love the evolution of the injuries thru the photo record! thought poor Lou had lost his fingers about halfway through the project!!
that ship looked awesome. really good idea
Dude seriously you guys can make your own D&D video game company with that type of Technology, fun for family and friends.
I've seen Lou mention on Twitter a couple of times the Dynamic Dungeon maps, so imagine my surprise that when I Google how to put a TV into a board gaming table, I get a video showing none other than the creation Lou's own personal implementation. Great video, clear instructions, exactly what I was looking for. Now I just need to figure out how to acquire all the tools I'll need...
That is fantastic! Thank you so much for watching. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
I love that Lou is hamming it up in the photos!
I tried this with a 50" TV and it developed a crack in it, even tho we were extremely careful. Most TVs are not designed to be on their backs. The weight of the screen alone is enough to cause damage. I was considering using a large monitor instead-something that is made to be moved around.
damn, what model tv was it that developed a crack ?
I'd wager that was more a flaw in that specific TV than any real threat from the way it's lying down. I've seen a lot of tabletop setups done with televisions this way for everything from gaming to office work, and I've never heard of any of them just spontaneously cracking from the "weight of the screen".
This is actually true, not sure how these tables manage to not crack.
Why did you not think about using the VESA Mounting holes? It would seem like it would remove the problem with leveling.
just put it upside down and use blocks and shims. When you get the right amount screw and glue it. done.
Great project! I believe an even easier way to ensure the TV is level would be designing your slats to utilize the TVs existing mounting holes as they are already designed to be level on all TVs and are usual where the engineers put the heaviest components.
This is awsome, I just needed this to be a 65 inch so it would perfectly fit into the table I think.
Thank you! Actually, it is deliberately smaller than the recessed area of the table because during a game it stays down toward one side so we can use the rest of the space for other miniature steps. When we were playing Storm King's Thunder we used the TV for a strategy map of a battle and then had the tactical map set up beside it. :-)
@@EHeathRobinson not to mention, that tv needs ventilation
@@-Infernex If I were building this I would definitely recess the TV pretty much flush with the table's surface leaving the back of the TV relatively open to the area below the table. But I'd probably also get a flat panel display rather than a TV so it's not trying to process non-existent audio (and if audio is really desired build separate speakers for the media PC to control separately). This also adds the benefit of auto shutoff whenever there isn't anything to display removing the need for a remote.
Just a thought, Using the drawer pulls as feet may have been a much better idea then you first thought. Make another box the same dimensions as your TV frame. with a solid bottom make blocks that have notches that match the drawer pulls and mount them in the bottom of the box so that the two frames are lined up when the Drawer Pulls are fully seated in the notches . Now mount the box on the wall near a power outlet. you can then take the TV from your table and hang it on the wall. fill the Wall Box with small shelves for miniatures and other RPG aids being sure to keep the space above the notched blocks clear so the Drawer Pulls have room to slide into the Notched Blocks. You will also need cut channels in the Wall Box for the cables from the TV can get to the power Outlet and Input sources. Some strategic placement of Velcro on the back of the TV frame and the cables will insure they are held in the right place to go in the channels in the Wall Box.
That would be another huge project! But then you could mount it to the wall and use it as a living room TV when not in use for gaming. Lou has a whole home theatre setup though, so he was able to dedicate this TV just to this purpose. I can certainly understand wanting to make it dual-purpose though.
Once I was thinking about this, but one major part was to pick correct tv. I found all led to be out of the question as they are quite big, mostly curved behind and need extra preparation for cooling and fitting. They also have limited view angle.
OLED here is a best bet. Whole screen is flat and thin, except small area for electronics. That's also the only part requiring space for cooling. Fitting, because of shape is easier. Also there is no "view angle" because you can see stuff at any angle.
We followed this tutorial and built our own, this was so helpful! Now I'm working on embellishing it with some woodburning and goldleaf!
Oh, that is fantastic! I am glad it helped. The wood burning and gold leaf sounds like it will look great!
This would be my dream setup for gaming. Looks amazing. I'll watch more of your videos for sure.
Thank you. I look forward to seeing you around the channel more!
Amazing work! I did find it amusing as the project progressed so did the amount of band-aids on your hands. I think building a table dedicated to gaming is a great future project for myself after seeing this. Thanks!
Yes, this project did beat me up a little bit. LoL.
very good job
Thank you!
Absolutely fantastic! I've seen gaming tables with TVs in them for D&D for a long time but I have never seen anyone have animated maps with sounds, really top notch stuff here, well done!
Thank you!
Look into arkenforge. What we use. It’s easy.
Wow that in conjunction with Tabletop Simulator and you'd almost never need to buy another board game again. This really makes me miss my old gaming days. Wish I could find another group in Dallas like my old one in the 90s.
That is a good point. I had not thought about putting a tabletop simulator on it. We do typically have our laptops around it, so we could use them to move our individual pieces. We might have to try that.
Wow the game has sure come along way since I last played..might be time to get back into it
Here is a tip for easy leveling and height control, as well as a more secure hold on the display.
Most large format displays come in with hardpoints for mounting. Usually, they will have the screw size, quantity, and pattern listed in the official spec sheet. For example, that display uses 4x M8 machine screws in a 400mm x 400mm pattern. These are available in most hardware and Auto Part stores, as metric fittings have become, while not dominant in the USA, at least common. If machine screws are not immediately available, bolts should be.
Place underside slats strategically at the mounting pattern points with countersunk holes for the machine screws. This allows the machine screws, or bolts, to be reachable from the outside of the case. The the thicker the slats, the deeper you can safely counterbore the holes, which allows additional room for adjustments later. that said, you probably won't need more than 1/4" more depth that the head of the fastener, so 3/4" boards should be fine for most new displays 55" viewable and under. for larger or heavier displays, 1" or thicker slats are probably a better idea.
If the display manufacturer includes a spacer, include it in the design. Those spacers exist to provide better support, so that you do not risk cracking the case of the display.
Include a nut (or wingnut) and a washer between the slat and the spacer on each fastener. This should you to lock the display in position, and adjust it as needed for a perfect fit. for a truly secure fit, use a nut/washer combo (or wingnut/washer) on each side of the slat. However, that would require a deeper slat and a wider counterbore to allow access.
Alternately, if you can get the correct sized threaded rod, this can become much more precise and fit into a tighter space with a thinner slat. Sadly, metric threaded rod is harder to come by.
this system would be awesome for any dungeon crawler board game (thought when seeing zombicide). Gloomhaven would loose like half of its material weight :D
I just want to find a place to play DnD.. much less this setup.
There's an app for that
@@RagingWyvern Does this app have a name? Thanks!
Website is www.rpgtablefinder.com I forgot the app sry what state you in. Although local stores and pathfinder and dnd main website has post to find games
Uhm I know there are Facebook groups. And I guess an App. I used to just go to the local Hobby shops and check their peg boards for postings from local groups. You can find other players. Also try DnD Beyonds website and try posting in their forums for a local group or maybe even one of the online games that uses programs like Roll20 or Fantasy grounds. Give it a shot.
Local book stores will have games too
THAT was awesome! Well done! Really good effort. It just looks so good. I would be so proud of it if it was mine. Gaming on that just takes gaming to a whole new level. Well done fellas. I take my hat off to you! Great job!
Thank you!
great build and great video. I enjoyed the narration and explanation of how you designed it and put it together. I am going to be trying something like this as I was given 2 older flat screen tvs.
This is just so amazing... The role made art
Wow your table is seriously cool!
Thank you!
The experience you just gave me in jealousy has maxed leveled my TH-cam viewer character in the first :10 of this videos campaign
I' not a D&D fan, but that is still cool. I could think of 1,000 additional uses! Typical board games, for example. Info and decoration durring card games... God, the uses are endless!
Kitchen table? More fun/interesting while eating? :)
Whenever I decide to upgrade my living room tv I will probably do this with the old one. It's not 50", but it'll do the trick.
Can anyone tell me from where the footage of that ship at 00:09 is from?
It is from Dynamic Dungeons.www.patreon.com/dynamicdungeons/posts
Try pulling the plastic casing off the tv. Oftentimes that will give you a much better idea of the setup underneath and more room to work. With the thin metal shell that is underneath you can work much closer to the actual screen and components without actually touching them. Might have to make a hole for one piece or another though.
For anyone else looking to do this project: Searching "Magic Mirror" will give you a lot of results that are similar. Just use plexiglass instead of one-way glass
This is one of best ideas ever, so awesome, so amazing. Congrats fellows, it is simply gorgeous!!!!
Thank you!
I have been looking into building my own table for a group that I DM (I already have table, now to convert it into a D&D table) and my fiance and I were contemplating this as well. Pretty much convinced me!
The TV model they used is Samsung UHD TV 55" 7 Series NU7100 (0:42)
How much is that tv?
This video makes me want to combine this concept with one of those IR touch frames I've been seeing lately... Couple that with a Raspberry Pi or something and you have a GINORMOUS luggable tablet... That just needs a wall-jack for powering the TV.
I guess the projectors could work. But depending on where you live. You can get an LED projector for 50-80 bucks and a decent 40" tv without any bells and whistles is only about 150. The 100 bucks seems to save alot time compared to a projector as I noodle it.
Nice work! I really like this amazing gaming table!!!!
Thank you!
I wanna see some gameplay this looks badass great job guys
Nice job. Looks like an amazing setup. ❤️
NIce idea.. But I think two projectors mounted on the ceiling would provide better color.. as the TV and viewing angle is limited..? ANnyway.. awesome idea!!
Cool build
Thank you!
Genius! I hope you keep the basic measurements, perhaps mass production?
Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed it. I don't see mass production in our future, but I think there are a few craftsmen around the internet who will make them for people who order.
Reminds me of those old CRT Arcade tables that used to be ubiquitous in 1980s restaurants and pizza parlours where you could play games like Pacman and Galaga.
Where could I get this digital software?
I always wait until I'm at the home Depot to do my napkin math to decide how much wood I'll actually need.
All those tools and no clamps in sight.
I have a rather large number of clamps in my workshop. I'm a large advocate of clamps, actually.
@@EHeathRobinson Then why no clamp when using the jigsaw?
@@brianblather I should totally have clamped that down when using the jigsaw. I did not because I am not working in my workshop. We built this over at Lou's house and we even bought that jigsaw that morning because he did not have one and we ended up needing it to cut out those slots. So yes! I highly recommend working from your own workshop on a project like this. Trying to load up and take the needed materials to a friend's house may very well result in sub-optimum build conditions! LoL :-) But we did get it done. :-)
Ye, not a single straight cut was made...
@@Dixar Straight cuts were made with the miter saw and also on the table saw when we needed to rip the boards down to size. To me, setting up the fence on the table saw and running the boards through it is an easy way to do that kind of work.
Bet he has a sick surround sound to pay ambient music on when they play
Makes the gameplay so nice. We have music coming from the laptop when we play, then sound effects such as water dripping in a cave when in some caves, and it makes it feel so cool
Sickest EVER! Awesome!
This is AWESOME on so many levels!! =D
Fantastic work! I'm holding out for Tilt 5 for a similar effect but with full 3d holograms.
You need to upload a few clips of it in action! Looks 👌
Thank you! Hopefully, we will get to do that.
nice work mate, love the finished product.
would love a set up like this one :)
This gives me some confidence because we were wanting to do the same thing, but the Dynamic Dungeons animated maps are optimized for 40" TVs and I was wondering if they'd look good on a larger screen!
I use Master's Toolkit from Arkenforge. When you display your players map, it allows you to enter the dimensions of the screen and scales the grid accordingly.
Hey! Just wanted to say thanks for the video, it really helped me make one. Can't wait for the time when we can get the group together in person to try it out!
Stay safe!
Thank you! I am very glad it was helpful to you.
"Building a TV Case Gaming Table for your D&D Digital Maps
."
I'd like to know more about the issues with image distortion and the floating effect when viewing from an angle. Are there certain types of TVs and qualities that you look for that will minimize this? Does having a TV with the widest viewing angle as possible help?
We have not had any issues with image distortion or a "floating effect". A couple of other people had brought up "miniature floating" in the comments, but if it were not for that I would not have even thought about it at the table. It just has not been an issue for us. I don't think Lou bought any kind of special TV to address that. He just got one the one he wanted when he saw it at a good price. Other people may have more information.
@@frankharing712 Thank you very much for the words of wisdom.
@@libertylion6088 i dont think the "tv" has much to do with this float.
What happens is you install plexiglass or whatever, and if it is too far from the tv screen, players who are looking at it at an angle/far away may not see the character in the correct square/off centered because they are viewing the screen on the TV under and slightly past the miniature.
Couple thoughts, OLED has by far the best viewing angles and contrast ratio, however, due to price and concern for image retention OLED would not be a good choice. What you want is a TV with a IPS panel and not a VA panel for optimal viewing angles. Go on rtings.com and it will list the panel type. Additionally getting a TV with the smallest bevel is preferred but more importantly you want that bezel to be flush as possible with the TV glass. Also going for the thinnest possible clear acrylic/plexiglass is preferred (1/16 or 1/8”?).
@@forouza1 Why is the bevel an issue? I thought that having a bevel would actually allow the plexiglass to have a border to keep it from moving around if cut precisely.
Waiting for Black Friday tv deals to pick up a cheap screen. Nicely done.
Very nice table and video, nice and easy to follow and it looks great. I am pretty interested in doing a similar build with this. Looking back on the build now, after playing on it, would you change anything?
How hard would it be to add a vertical mount assembly to this setup? Maybe a couple poles in the bottom of the TV case, with bases in a side of the table.
How about a slot underneath the table that the TV case slides into for storage, as well as a flush tabletop that goes over the gaming slot (with or without the TV)?
This can allow the table to have 4 modes:
1. Vertical TV and couch.
2. Horizontal TV gaming table.
3. No TV gaming table.
4. No gaming regular table.
I'm not sure. That sounds like a very modular system, but probably a lot more than we would've ever tried to make.
I came up with this idea about 22 years ago, Had to wait on Technology to catch up. Except my idea was to have the People's characters already made up and in the computer program so you can actually see the monster interaction with the characters. Each person would have a screen with their character on it and different actions they can do. DM/GM can see all the characters on his screen + the monsters and varies other tables for his needs. I have DM/GM 20 years been a player for 30+ yrs.
there's a software on steam called Fantasy Grounds that does exactly that, if every player has a laptop.
Awesome 👌
You could also use a projector and a sheet
Beautiful!!!
I wonder if it could wall mount might be nice to use it as a tv, un plug, re plug and start gaming
Next level DnD
I see that Alabama shirt! Roll tide, man!!!
Roll Tide!
That looks fantastic,
need to try to add a speaker set up in the table too,
probably not too difficult to do :)
great vid, well done
Thank you! When I do my setup at my house I want to have a major speaker system in the gaming hall, but actually, the built in speakers on the TV work great for its purpose. We opened today's game with the Zobeck theme song going in the opening of today's game: twitter.com/EHeathRobinson/status/1086666813247815681
@@EHeathRobinson Any plans to do a critical role type show for TH-cam? :P
@@lfcbpro I would love to and, actually, so would Lou. We have talked about it. The problems are all from the technical side of things, and I have been actually looking for some videographers would come in and help us out, but so far "no dice". :-)
One important detail to note. If your display suffers an internal failure, don't be too surprised if the manufacturer of your display voids your warranty if they find out that you have been using it flat on it's back. Technically, they design the cooling around vertical mounting on a wall in traditional Landscape layout, with Portrait layout in some models.
Given that the warranties on most consumer displays are only 12-18 months, this should generally not be an issue nowadays.
Not surprising that a group of DnD nerds would need a tutorial on how to build a wooden box lol
Still pretty cool.
I don't know how I would have cut a dado without a router table....
Table saw being used as a workbench in the jigsaw shot, lol!
Hot damn that is good.
Of course it might be A LOT of work to find those animated maps, but normal maps should be very easy, lots of PDFs for sale for not too much at all.
I have not built mine yet but I'm going to build the whole table with it built right in. I do like that system you have though, you could potentially even still bring it to a friends place to play if its not too too heavy.
Looks great
I am thinking about building a gaming table from scratch, and after having done this build I think that it would be a shame to not build in a TV while the work is being done. But, it looks like I will be modifying existing tables for my gaming tables. Putting a TV in an existing table is harder. Good luck with you build!
@@EHeathRobinsonhanks, once I have more funds and time, I have the shop and tools. I'll probably film it and put it on my channel so others can duplicate it too if they like.
This looks like a fun project. I dont play DnD that much, but I do play a lot of other boardgames. I'm trying to think if this will be worthwhile for anything I play...
How thick was the Pepsi glass and is the TV still alive?
Awesome job!! Should have ads for Bandaids 🤷🏾♂️
Did you think of using a wall mount for the back of the TV? Making feet or mounting to the back of the case. How is the TV still working out?
We never considered doing any of those things. They will probably work though. TV is still working great!
Hey you’re a local! Great work y’all!
You should have just kept adding more bandages, one new one in each photo. LOL.
I tried the best I could. :-)
Years later my question is what do you do to make it full screen? Like mine still shows the windows tabs in the browser and windows bar across the bottom.
Very cool.... It turned out really well!
Thank you!
Without active ventilation, the TV will die very quickly. A friend of mine just built a TV table and despite my warning to make sure he install fans to push the air through the TV, he did not. So 3 gaming sessions in, the bottom half of the TV went dark and is no longer working. TVs are not designed to be operated flat on a table. The air flow is done by hot air rising out of the top of the tv. With your setup, the hot air is trapped inside the TV and the vent at the top and bottom are blocked by the wood planks. This is very bad for the TV. I would suggest you find a way to push air from side to side and make vent ports in your wood planks to insure that some air can push through and cool the TV down. Otherwise, very nice design, it looks great!
Thank you! I'm so glad you like it. Maybe we've just gotten lucky, because this one has been in regular use for years and is still going strong.
I just want to know what software did y’all use for the maps and get everything moving like the ship
That's way cool!
trop géniale cette idée pour les jeux de rôles.
I like this alot! Trying to do something similar myself but with a 32inch TV. Ive tested to use a couple of foam bits below the TV to balance it and to test it out before i start the project. The group liked it alot so im definitely going to go to second phase and plan the rest, your video will probably be the design im going with unless maybe its better to sink the TV down into the table to save space as my gaming-corner is lil-bit to cramped.
But the biggest problem i had when i connected the TV to my Laptop is to navigate around the picture and send pictures to the TV from Laptop, as its a second screen and its lying on the table its really hard to actually navigate, to drag a new map or remove a current map and all there betwen, do you use a program of sorts to help you out? I see when you show a test-image you are linking the picture but its a lil-bit to blurred out at 12:27 to make something out of it. Or are you just treating it as a second-screen? Would love a clarification on how you send the picture to the TV and such =).
These are great questions. If I build a gaming table of my own, I am definitely going to build the TV into it. You are right that navigating on the screen when the second screen is laying on the table is difficult. That is the biggest hangup we have during play. I don't have all the details on that because Lou Anders is the Dungeon Master and has been running the tech. For the animated maps he has been using the player that Dynamic Dungeons has created for them. But, I think the simplest thing would be to use a screen mirror, IF you don't need extra functionality from the player on the DM's side of the screen.
Nice! Love it
looks amazing
neat but i thought those hated being laid flat because of a lack of the support for the center screen?
I can't speak to that. We haven't had a problem and have been using it for a while now. The TV is not stored flat between games though if it matters. It comes off the table when we are done and goes in the closet on its side.
Why wouldn't you use the versa mounting on the back of the TV to both mount and level it?
That could probably be done too.