With so many people moving away from placing a TV in an armoire to hanging it on the wall I thought I would write a quick post on the basics of where to hang your TV.
Amanda Nisbet
According to the electronic experts, the TV height should be at your eye level while seated for the best viewing. However, for most people this looks too low to the ground (unless you live in a condo or loft).
What you want to avoid is placing the TV too high (i.e. above a fireplace or in the ceiling) to avoid neck strain.
That said, there are instances, though where this just can’t be avoided. In this case, you want to try to place your couch further away from the TV. Additionally, look for an automated mounting bracket which will tilt down when the TV is on.
As I mentioned, trying to place the seating further away from the TV will improve your viewing. When I am working on a project I usually check the Crutchfield website: Crutchfield, which has a great article on ideal viewing distance based on the TV screen size. This is especially important in media rooms with larger screens.
The article has this handy chart which is really easy to refer to.
One other ‘rule of thumb’ is that the nearest you should sit is about 2 times the width of the screen. Using the chart above, if the screen was 46” wide, you would sit no less than 7 1/2 ft away (46 times 2= 92” or 7ft 6in).
One room that is an exception to some of these ‘rules’ is the bedroom. Because the viewing position is often from the bed versus a chair or sofa (18” seat height), you will need to place your TV higher on the wall. If you are looking for a dresser or media piece to go under your TV, you are probably going to want one that is at least 34” high, with your TV hung above that.
Candice Olsen
Fortunately, many new TVs and cable or satellite providers no longer demand messy components be placed directly under (or attached) the TV. Don’t be shy about asking for options, such as in the picture below, which will not require a tangle of cords and boxes near your TV screen.
Elle Décor (Jeffrey Alan Marks)
I hope this has been a useful resource regarding where to mount your TV (how high and how far away). Keep in mind you have many more options now than you did 5 years ago when it was a TV armoire or a built in and that was it! If you need help finding the perfect media storage piece and options for placement, contact us at: info@heatherscotthome.com