I was looking for months for a TV stand that was similar to BDI's exorbitantly-priced home theater-focused furniture, and this was the best of the bunch. I'm hopeful the slats will allow my game consoles to breathe enough to not overheat, and as far as aesthetics goes, it's a great-looking piece of furniture. There was the tiniest nick on one of the shelves, but otherwise packed very well and blemish-free. Oh, and the top shelf CAN drop down onto the bottom to allow for more room.