So the brand new HDTV is in your
house. No doubt if you have not set it up
yet, you are ready to do so, but may not be
sure what to do next. To take full
advantage of the the flat screen, more
then likely you will want to mount it on
the wall. Should you do it yourself
or call a professional installer? If you
have some basic skills, a few tools,
a family member or friend to offer you a
hand and a willingness to save yourself a
sizable installation fee, you should be
more then capable to install your flat screen
tv wall mount.
Where to place your flat screen tv wall
mount
The first thing you will need to do is
decide where you want your new
tv. Although there is no
definitive rules, it is generally
suggested that you place the center of
your tv slightly above eye level for
the optimum viewing experience. Make
sure to take into account your speaker
locations by leaving enough room on both sides
of the flat panel for the main speakers as well
as room above or below for the center channel
speaker.
Types of LCD TV wall mounts or Plasma wall
mounts
There are several types of wall mounts to
consider.
Fixed Flat Panel Mount - A fixed
mount is the least expensive option and
should be sufficient if you are absolutely
sure you know where your tv will be placed
and do not have any need for
flexibility in tv viewing angles.
Check out the
Large 32 Inch to 54 Inch Flat Panel
Universal Fixed Wall Mount
(Platinum)
Tools you will need for this project include
a drill, level, socket set, measuring tape and
a saw to cut through the drywall if installing
a wall plate. Each wall mount will
have its own set of installation instructions
that will be slightly different, but generally
you will need to figure out where you want to
place the mount and then use a stud finder
to locate the wood studs in your wall or
alternatively you can use a concrete anchor
into a solid concrete or cinder block
wall.
You will need to decide if you want the
cables to run through the wall or if you want
to use molding to hide the wires. For the
cleanest look most people choose to run the
cables through the wall into a wall plate
behind the tv as well as also install a
recepticle behind the tv. Before
running cable through the wall be aware of
National Electric Code and contact an
electrician for help if in
doubt. For example, power cables
should not be run through the
wall. Many of todays tvs will simply
need an HDMI cable to connect the tv to
the receiver since the HDMI cable
can carry both audio and video,
but you may want to also consider running
component and composite cables into your
wall plate as well for added
flexibility.
Make sure that you use a level to ensure
that the mount is fixed to the wall so that the
tv will be level. Then you will simply
connect the mount to the wall through the
included hardware and connect the mounting
bracket to your tv. You will want to
have the help of a friend or family member in
order to place the LCD or plasma on
the wall mount. Fine tune
the tilting of the mount, attach the
cables and you are ready to
go.
Recommended LCD TV wall mounts and Plasma
wall mounts
There are several options to consider when
looking to purchase a flat screen tv wall
mount, but I would recommend that you consider
wall mounts by Peerless or OmniMount.
These wall mounts are widely regarded as some
of the best for general and home theater
use.
