HDTV Almanac - Is Your HDTV Mounted on the Wall?

[stevekaden]

spartanstew - we should start a national campaign. Fireplaces should banned from being installed in houses by default.

IF a fireplace at all, it should be in a corner - and with a fully closing damper. Even better, a freestanding corner one that can be taken to the dump or storage when the reality sinks in of how useless they are. (and if you need the corner for a low end damping tube).

I'm all for fire, a Blu-Ray of a fireplace on a toasty plasma display would do just fine!

[regman]

If burning wood was "carbon neutral" then why does California restrict wood burning fireplaces on "spare the air" days, but I digress...

I have a Peerless wall mount for a 58" Panasonic Vieja Plasma and the bottom edge is 3"10" off the floor. The room was designed from the ground up for a media room and all of the wiring and speakers are built in. There are even dedicated electric circuits for the media equipment as well as 2 hardwired internet connections. I have to agree with other posters that too high an installation is a bad idea in the long term. I am not so sure that the heat from the fireplace is good for the electronics either. I bought the heavy duty Peerless so I could get 3 studs as the plasma weighs 140 lbs.

I did my homework and all of the components are mounted for optimal performance, including the speakers. Even the flooring was "tuned" so there are no resonances I realize that most of you will not have optimal conditions for a true home theater installation.

My set generates almost a kW of heat and has 4 cooling fans built in.

[akirby]

I have a solid wall in the family room 14' wide with the fireplace on one side. I mounted a 52" LCD on the wall - bottom is approximately 4 feet off the floor. I bought a 3 shelf console and put together a small PSB speaker system on the top shelf with the components on the middle shelf and storage on the bottom shelf. This is for casual viewing only and normal viewing position is about 13' away so the angle is fine (mount does not swivel).

I put a 32" lcd in the daughter's bedroom and mounted it about 6 feet up because she watches from bed and wanted it there.

[guruka]

Our 65" flat panel is mounted on the wall and the room is designed around it so that it is at a very good viewing height and distance.

I used a Sanus VMPL3-B Tilt Wall Mount since the TV is quite heavy (about 120 lbs.)

BTW, I love our kiva fireplace and use it all through the winter. Very cozy!

<img src="https://www.aquosadvantage.com/summer09/album/medium/0005.jpg" alt="northern New Mexico home installation">

[regman]

Nice room. I love Santa Fe style.

[Roger Halstead]

I have a 40" in the entertainment center.
What I need is a mount that doesn't cost more than a TV set that will support a very large monitor up to 40" that will allow me to use it at the desk in the shop, but raise, move forward, and swing out of the way without getting in the way of something else. The mount would have to be at least 4 to 5' long and articulated as well as support 10# to15# (give or take a tad- I don't know what the new, large monitors weigh). I may have to weld up something.

[akirby]

A 40" TV is going to weigh closer to 40 lbs, not 10 or 15. 5' articulation is a lot but could probably be done with a large, expensive double hinge arrangement. But getting it to also move up and down will be a challenge.

It would probably be cheaper and easier to buy a smaller second set for the desk in the shop.

[allargon]

You guys don't romance much? I can understand not mounting the TV above the fireplace, but hating on fireplaces? Jeez...

That's like seduction 101--lighting a fire and pouring some sparkling wine.

Anyhoo, I've got my 32" LCD on my wall in the bedroom, but not my 57" DLP in my living room. Why? RP DLP's don't do wall mounts or odd angles.

[Roger Halstead]

Well... It's not the 40" I need the mount for. It's currently the 24" computer monitor (which weighs between 10 and 15#) for one of the computers in the shop. I need to be able to swing it out, move it forward and back as well as up and down. It controls a number of pieces of equipment as well as a ham radio station plus it's how I get on the internet from out there. Unfortunately to use it from the desk it blocks the view of about half the equipment on the desk and most of the radio station so to operate the station, it needs to be off to the side and up a bit.

I also use it for HD satellite TV with the second DISH receiver where it gets pulled around in front.

I'd like to replace the 24" with at least a 37" 1080p, if not 40". If I build a mount it will be a double arm something akin to those magnifying lights that are on a swing arm. They are relatively simple to make with the exception of getting the spring placement and tension correct. I'd use 1/2" or 3/4" 12 gauge square steel tube, 1" round tube for the pivot hinge on the wall. Course it'd be slick to motorize it and just use a little joystick or couple of push buttons to position the set. OTOH some limit switches and a bit of circuitry and use one button for in front, one for using with the radio, one for up on the wall and one for stored <:-))

[chester]

I typically advise AGAINST wall-mounting...

I point out that I can make a LOT more for wall-mounting FPTVs, but I ALWAYS point out that "Once it's there... it's there."

If a customer is even vaguely interested in rearranging their room, occasionally, it's much easier to accomplish if the TV isn't bolted to the wall.

The other point is that, unless the source devices are going to be located elsewhere (a closet or shelving away from the display = more wiring $$$ + more RF remote $$$), they're probably going to have some kind of cabinet or rack under it anyway.

I just try to give 'em all the options, before selling the design.

In the cases of fireplaces, bedrooms, kitchens, etc., there often aren't many other options, so I just go with it.

btw... My own 50" HT-PDP is mounted on an open component rack, with a tall 'spine', which allows swiveling up to 170 degrees & moving it whenever & wherever I (or my wife) might want. But the 24" LED in my bedroom is tilt-mounted 7 ft. up, on an 8 ft. wall.

Just my $.02