How high should a TV be mounted?
By Bob Vila and Manasa Reddigari.
I want to try out my new flat screen television on a movie night, but I have to rig it up to the wall.How high should the TV be?Do you have any suggestions on how to mount the TV?
How high to mount a TV is a question that dogs and cinephiles alike ask.If you position the TV too high or low, you will force yourself and your guests to take in the on-screen action.It is in your best interest to get the TV position right the first time, as it can be a pain to remove and reinstall at another height.
TV manufacturers and home entertainment enthusiasts recommend mounting the flat-screen at eye level for optimal viewing, but that is not a hard-and-fast rule.Depending on which room you plan to watch the TV in and whether any wall obstructions stand in your way, the best mounting height is determined.To create the best viewing experience, you need to mount a TV high in your scenario.
The center point of the TV should be above the floor.The eye level of the average adult in a seated pose can be reached if the traditional sofa seat is raised 18 inches above the floor.The rule of thumb is to put the action in the middle of the screen at or close to eye level for all of your seated household members and guests.
Depending on the dimensions of your flat screen, the distance from the floor to the top or bottom of the TV may or may not be problematic.If you mount your screen at 42 inches on-center, you may risk running into a media center below or close to a fireplace.There are ways to accommodate furnishings and room layout.
If you want to mount a flat-screen in a home bar to watch TV from stools, you should do it in the living room.Bar stool seats are higher off the ground than sofa seats, so you will need to adjust what height is considered "eye level" for the average adult sitting at your bar.Attach 24 inches to the height of your stool to find the best height to mount a TV.The new mounting height is anywhere from 48 to 53 inches.
In a game room where other equipment is present, this may be the case.A pool or foosball table occupies the main focus of the room and the TV is mounted to a nearby wall to watch while you wait your turn.It applies in home gyms, where you would be using a treadmill or other gym equipment.A mounting height of 60 inches on-center will put the center of the screen at eye level for the average person.
It might not be possible to mount your TV at the recommended heights if it ends up in an appliance or piece of furniture.If you want to leave some clearance between the obstruction and the TV, simply position it as close to eye level as possible.
An appropriate amount of clearance is four to six inches above shelves or a media center.It is important to consider how hot the wall will get while the fire is roaring and whether this could cause heat-related damage to the screen mounted there.If your fireplace has no mantel, leave a clearance of six to 12 inches from the top to the bottom of the TV to minimize the risk of damage.If you mount a TV above a fireplace, you may void the warranty on your big-ticket purchase.
According to the Society of Motion Picture & Television Engineers, you shouldn't position your television so high that it requires viewers to tilt their heads up to see the top of the screen.It is not a problem for a TV set to be at eye level, but screens mounted in a game room or above a wall obstruction can cause problems.
If you tilt the television down, you can get away with positioning it higher than eye level without causing neck strain.Upgrading from a basic low-profile mount to one of two other types of hardware is necessary.