Please enable JS
Mounting a TV can have multiple benefits for you and your family:
Better viewing angles
Cleaner look and feel to the room
Frees up floor space
Hidden cords and wires
If you’ve given thought to doing it, you’ve also probably had some questions or concerns. The biggest factor in mounting a TV, next to choosing the proper location, is of course the mount you use to do it. Using the right mount can make or break your new viewing experience.
So what kind of TV mount will you need?
Let’s break down the types of mounts you could use so you can make an educated decision.
A standard fixed mount is the most affordable option, but it does have a few cons compared to the others available. The fixed mount option is just as it sounds. It’s a flat, non-adjustable mount. Once the TV is on the wall you cannot adjust the viewing angle. This is fine depending on the seating arrangement, but the other issue is the room for cords and components between the TV and wall.
A fixed mount gives very little space to run wires, and depending on the location of the inputs on the back of the TV you could run into an issue with wires being bent and crimped to fit into them. This can cause premature failure of cords and components. For this reason, we here at Stereo and Video Center try to suggest against using these.
This type of TV mount is what we always suggest against a fixed one. It allows you to tilt and adjust the viewing angle, as well as allowing plenty of room between the TV and the wall for the cords. Even smaller components like a ROKU or Apple TV can be attached to the back on the mount (assuming you’ve got a power source dropped behind the TV, which we can do).
It helps create a super clean wireless look with no hanging cords or nearby components needing a surface to sit on. The added benefit of not having to squeeze cords into a tight space (like behind a fixed mount) is reliability. Over time cords (such as an HDMI) that are bent at a severe angles, sometimes even 90 degree angles, start glitching and failing.
Then you have the lovely job of removing the TV, re-running new cords, etc..
This is why we always prefer to use a Tilt Mount over a Fixed Mount.
A single arm articulating mount is a very versatile way to mount your TV. It has several advantages over it’s bigger dual arm brother in the next section. The single arm mount only needs one stud. So it is the perfect choice for mounting a TV in the corner of a room or in applications where you’d like to add a smaller TV and need the viewing adjustability.
The drawback to this mount is it can only handle up to a 50 inch TV. So it’s a great option for smaller TVs in kitchens, sitting rooms, or bedrooms. However for living rooms, media rooms, and great rooms (where most people will have a TV larger than a 50 inch) you will need the single arm’s big brother.
The dual arm articulating TV mount offers lots of reach and nearly endless adjustable viewing angles. It can also handle much larger TVs than its smaller single arm counterpart, but you have to have two studs to install the mount. For this reason it’s most often used in larger areas with bigger TVs, as we previously mentioned.
This mount also gives you up to 30 inches of extension out and away from a wall (the single arm will give you about 22 inches on average). So it’s great in an area where you can pull it out a distance for viewing, but tuck it out of the way when not in use. It also comes with integrated wire management, so you’ll never even notice your cords when it’s extended!
If you don’t have any room on your wall (or just don’t have studs in the right places) a ceiling mount is definitely an option to explore. They can be a little more labor intensive, and depending on electrical locations you may or may not be able to hide the wires inside the pole. But in the right place they can add a clean, elegant look to a room.
We do recommend that you explore other alternatives if the TV needs to drop more than 3 feet from the ceiling. Also, when you purchase a ceiling mount, it will only come with one length of pole for mounting. If you need a different length, it will have to be purchased separately.
Here at Stereo and Video Center we want our customers making the best, most educated decisions. If you have questions, please feel free to reach out to us. Our experienced team with over a century of combined experience would be happy to help or schedule an at-home consultation.
