Trying to decide the best height to mount our new TV off the ground, any suggestions would be appreciated. Here is what we are looking at:

Wall the TV will be mounted to is 6’10” high
Main viewing sofa sits 10 ft back from the TV wall
TV size is 46”

if you can have someone hold up the tv (or the box or something comparable) and then sit where you normally would....then that would be best. it's mostly personal preference. for me, I sit 9 feet away, have a 50" tv, 8' ceilings and my tv is 32" off ground (39" from ceiling). I also have it tilted downward slightly.

Ideally, it should be at eye level. This is for your neck's benefit. But lot's of people apparently think putting them up high is cool.

It really is personal preference, but I think the general rule of thumb is that eye level should be 1/3 of the height up from bottom of screen.

It's amazing how many people choose to do this. They hang it on the wall like they would a picture frame! I see it quite often hung above the fireplace as well. Recipe for neck problems.

I agree it should be eye level in the seated position.

Not only is it ergonomically a poor choice, but the TV over the fireplace is the single worst aesthetic thing you could ever do inside a home. Yet everyone seems to do it. Ridiculous. Then again, people seem to think that white walls in every room look good too.

I can't add any more but http://www.monoprice.com/products/se...+mount&x=0&y=0 don't be suckered into paying 100 bucks for a mount
I bought one from them for about $17 for my 50" plasma and it works great

Eye level - I have my 58" just above the entertainment center tilted down a couple degrees

hurting your neck is relative to seating distance. at 12', my 58" TV is mounted over my fireplace and in the past 3 years I have never felt any neck problems. Heck, my neck isn't angld any different than it would be if the tv was mounted lower.

mantle is a tad lower than some other mantles but the over the fireplace thing isnt a general rule. my mantle is probably around 5' high and the bottom of the TV is 3" above the mantle.

Mine is also a 58", my viewing distance is 12' and it is 25" off the ground.

Mounting a flat screen at eye level might be the best position, but it would look very strange, and I have never seen it done. For most sitting positions, woudn't eye level be around 4 or 5 feet from the floor.

I've just been through this discussion with a friend. The aesthetics of the room are more important to him than function so up high it will go.

I would agree and say it's pointless to mount at this height - just use a stand which your components will likely need anyway. I mean unless you're in a shoebox of an apartment, I don't get the allure of mounting these things. It seems like it's done just because it can be done.

I have 5 flatscreens, and all are wall mounted except for one. Mounting allows me to not have to have an additional table or stand in the room which saves on floor space.

My components are away in a closet, so it makes for a clean look. Also, with TVs in the kids rooms, I don't have to worry about them getting knocked off a table.

TVs aren't always mounted for the 'allure', but also for function. It is nice not having wires and cable boxes/dvd players/etc filling up a room. Plus having all the lights under the TV is annoying.

I get a lot more "aesthetic" from your post than "function". Not that there's anything wrong with it. My components are off to the side so I don't deal with lights under the display. But I also went with a DLP since I didn't need to worry about floor space.

I fully understand the use of mounting flat panels to walls for non-critical viewing, but for a serious HT setup, I think the screen should be at eye level. They definitely make sense though for your kids room scenario, kitchens, and bathrooms of course.

I suppose aesthetic would work too. I would guess most people don't have random stuff all over their floor, and instead have shelves to keep the stuff out of the way. I consider the TV to be the same thing. Not having a big TV and stand on the floor is very helpful, esp with a baby running around.

And i will admit, most my TV watching is 'non-critical'. Though I do have a theater in the basement that i can use when I want to do some serious critical watching.

I mounted mine because I have it along the wall as you enter the room. So if I had it on the entertainment center, as you enter the room you would be looking at the side of the TV with the wires coming off the back. Instead I recessed the wall 8 inches and mounted the TV so it is clean looking as you the room instead of the side of a TV and speakers sticking out from the wall.

Your neck isn't...gimme a break. Yes, it is angled differently.
More like 2-3', if we are talking about the bottom of the screen, see below. Strange is above a fireplace, but somebody somewhere once thought it was cool and now millions follow along like sheep.
Mine is 35" up and is basically a little too high. Works best when I lay back in the recliner just a bit so my neck isn't strained.

Natural eye position is actually to look a little down.

Maybe instead of being sheep, they actually like it above the fireplace. I have a RPTV sitting above my fireplace, mostly because it is the only place it could go. The TV looks fine where it is, and I have never had, or heard of any neck issues while watching the TV.

i hereby am refusing to give you a break. i would seriously liek to know how in the world from 12' away would there be any difference in the angle of view even if it was a 2' height difference from what people consider standard. what can it be? 2 degrees on my neck? oh no!

i think people overanalyze things way too much. now my brother on the other hand has a high mantle. and he sits 8' from it. his is definitely too high.


my TV sits on the wall and all of my euipment is in my media closet. aren't one of the advantages of a flat panel to be able to take up less space? whats the difference if the flat panel TV sits on a stand the size of a CRT?

The further back you sit the less of a factor it becomes. But it can become like sitting in the first 10 rows of a movie theatre, your neck and your eyes do feel strain after two hours, or at the very least not as comfortable as it would be if you were looking ahead or slightly down.

When your TV is 2/3rds of the way up the wall, it's too high. Picture frames are ideal at this height but not TVs.

I notice when I'm at a pub watching the game and TVs are all mounted 5 or 6 feet off the ground and it's a strain after a while. Pubs have to do this for obvious reasons but it's not a comfortable way to watch.


Would someone who is cramped for space have a special "media closet" for all of their components?

If the TV is set-up in the living room those wide, deep components have to go somewhere unless they are wired into another room. I would think in most living rooms just a flat stand with doors to cover the lights of the components underneath would be ideal than saving a foot or two of space by wall mounting it.

But I know the modern apartments and condos built leave very little extra space for much. I suppose it depends on how each room is designed and layed out.

Too me it just seems strange to purchase a flatscreen and then put it on top of a table. Why not just get a RPTV? It takes the same amount of space and is cheaper.

Hmm, sounds like an interesting engineering feat. How does the poor vertical viewing angle that plagues RPTVs work up there, have you got it angled down?

I think most people fail to analyze anything at all. And obviously don't pay attention to the real causes of certain issues. Like a stiff neck. Or headaches, have you seen my rants on lighting? You'd love the iPod Touch vs Kindle stuff I spew out!


And yes, a couple degrees can make a difference.

Sometimes you take things a little too seriously.

I not sure what poor vertical viewing you are speaking of, but yeah, if I am laying on the floor under the TV, then it certainly doesn't provide a very good picture. Luckily I usually sit on the couch, and reclined back, so there isn't much of an angle. Plus I am a fair distance from the TV so i would guess that helps. And no... I don't have my TV angled down - if i did, I would probably always feel like it was about to fall over.





This is the only one i have angled down...

It's more like always. What can I say? I'm the straight man. A realist. Accountant.

That mantle isn't near as high as I was picturing, not too bad. Our bedroom TV is about that high, also by necessity. But I'm generally laying down when I watch there, it would probably be best on the ceiling facing down. Hmm....

if that is a standard 80" set of French Doors, than I would bet my TV is actually a bit lower than that as well. I may try and remember to take pictures to show how "not high" it really is.

Also, when I sit on the couch, I am not in an upright position. I am usually kicked back with my feet up and my head at a normal angle. If the TV was 25" off the ground I would actually have to tilt my head down.