Sunday, December 1, 2013

Flat Panel TV Mount Guide

Did you just buy a new Plasma, LCD, or Flat Panel TV? Are you wondering how to hang the TV correctly? Where should I place the TV? Do you mount it to a wall or above the fireplace? LCD and Plasma TVs can be mounted in a variety of places depending on the size of the room and the room dynamics. We have divided our guide into the various rooms you may consider placing your TV. We also consider some questions you may have when mounting your plasma or lcd. Mounting a TV should be left to a professional installer or an electrician. You'll need to take into account the placement of av equipment and the proper set up for your audio and video cables. Tip: Most electrical contractors can perform basic wiring for power and av equipment.Universal Mounts vs. Custom MountsIt's recommended that you buy a custom mount, if a model is available, for your Plasma or LCD. Why a custom mount? It's guaranteed to fit the TV whereas universal mounts only fit 90% of the time. The custom option also makes the side and back of the TV less cluttered than a universal mount.Consider the StudsPlasma and LCD screens are heavy you need to make sure you have wall studs or a ceiling joist if you plan to hang the TV from the ceiling. If you have normal (16" spacing) wood studs most mounts will work properly. If however, you have 24" spacing you will need to look at mounts that have a lateral shift adjustment. Hardware kits are available or included for installations involving wood studs, metal, cinder blocks, and solid concrete.Family Room, Bedroom, or BasementMost LCD or Plasma TVs are mounted in a family room for recreational viewing. In this case screen sizes are normally 37" or above. Where do you want to mount the flat panel tv?





Above the Fireplace

Mounting the TV above a fireplace is a good option for utilizing space in your family room. However, we would only recommend this option if you are able to sit at least 10 feet away from the TV. You should consider buying a "tilt mount", this enables you to adjust/tilt the TV to the best viewing angle.



In a Corner

In today's homes many family rooms are filled with windows and have limited wall space. In this case, we recommend mounting the TV in a corner of the room and use a swing arm mount to adjust the viewing angle. You can then mount the TV at a custom viewing height and swivel the TV to the best viewing position.



On Opposing Wall

In this case you can use a static mount or tilt mount. If you plan on mounting the TV higher than eye level then you should use a 'tilt mount' so you can adjust the viewing angle. If you plan to mount the TV at eye level, than you can use a 'static mount'. You could simulate the mounted tv by using string or masking tape on the wall and then decide which plasma or lcd mount to use.



Table Top Mount

If you don't have enough wall space, corner space, or a fireplace you would consider using table top mount. Many consumer Plasma's and LCD's come with a table top mount. Table top mounts are placed on top of home entertainment furniture and provide a basic mounting option. Most commercial plasma's do not include a table top mount, in this case you will need to buy a table top mount and a piece of furniture to place the plasma or LCD.



Home Theater Entertainment Centers

Do to the high demand of the flat panel tv market, most entertainment centers now have an optional back panel to mount a plasma or LCD tv. Remember if you mount your plasma on a wall you'll need to store your AV equipment somewhere and if you don't have a nearby storage cabinet you may need to use audio video furniture. If you are hiding your av equipment be sure to have a way of sending ir remote commands to the equipment. You can accomplish this by using an rf remote or using an extender kit.

Smaller Rooms, The Kitchen, The Exercise Room, A Den





The Kitchen

The kitchen is most likely for screen sizes smaller than 20 inches. The most common mount for kitchen applications is a mount that attaches to the bottom of a cabinet. An under the cabinet mount is a great space saver, because it allows for you to flip the TV up and out of the way when it is not in use.



Exercise Room or Den

The exercise area or Den is good place for LCD or Plasma TV, and we recommend a tilted wall mount or an articulating mount. This is all based on the room size and placement of exercise equipment or furniture in your room.

Commercial ApplicationsThe most common commercial applications involve a ceiling mount that can be lowered into the proper viewing height with extension columns. Buying a ceiling mount takes some thought based on the space, the drop of the mount, and a joist to connect to. We offer a variety of mounting accessories that allow for specific applications. Many restaurants and bars use plasma screens because of the wide viewing angle and brightness. In this case, a mixture of ceiling, corner, wall, and articulating mounts may need to be used.



The author, Alan Hutchinson, is President of HTmarket.com, the Home Theater Marketplace. Check out the latest Television Stands and Popcorn Machine.

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