TV's (Wall mounted or on display case).

[Bullseye]

I've noticed alot of people like to wall mount their plasmas or lcds but do you not feel that 2 to 3 foot is not a better height for displays as it would be closer to eye level when seated on a couch? Looking up from a couch would be distracting to me.

[gearyt]

Two choices,
Mount low
Use tilting bracket

[jetydosa]

Ive thought the same thing. I see pictures on tv of people who have wallmouted their screens above a fireplace! Many times! Im like WTF?

I have a "cheap" stand from Ikea, works great for me.

[meckel]

I don't think the height is an issue as long as you use a tilt mount. To me the bigger issue with wall mounting is wire management.

[BigGeezy]

I don't know why you would want to put your TV above a fireplace, unless it was a fireplace that you were certain all the smoke stayed in the chimney (yeah I know that is what they are supposed to do, but in this imperfect world things don't always go as planned) and the fire has a low heat output and a low or no smoke output (gas burning fireplaces)...otherwise I would find somewhere else.
Mounting the TV is easy to do yourself don't pay the $300-$500 it costs to get it done. It is a rip off, unless you have the extra money. You can get away doing it yourself for around $70 if you don't already have all the necessary equipment (stud-finder, power drill, correct drill bit size, tape measure, pencil, torque wrench and correct socket size, yarn, keyhole saw, and hole covers) it can take about 2-3 hours if it is your first time or are not used to doing little project like these. But when it's done it looks great. It looks organized and uncluttered. If you mount the TV where the top of the TV is not much taller than 6 feet you should be fine. Unless you sit on your couch three feet away from the TV you should not have to bend your necks uncomfortably.

[Bullseye]

The wires are certainly an issue unless you plan for it. The ergonomics of the tv being wall mounted IMO at least takes away from the experiance. Sure if the tv is wall mounted at 3 foot then its going to be fine but i see alot of setups with the tv mounted over the fireplace at least 5 or 6 feet off the ground. If you have the fire lighting at the same time it is also going to be a distraction. Just throwing it out there.

[Layd Dly]

Originally Posted by Bullseye

The wires are certainly an issue unless you plan for it. The ergonomics of the tv being wall mounted IMO at least takes away from the experiance. Sure if the tv is wall mounted at 3 foot then its going to be fine but i see alot of setups with the tv mounted over the fireplace at least 5 or 6 feet off the ground. If you have the fire lighting at the same time it is also going to be a distraction. Just throwing it out there.

Just get your selves one of these and paint it, problem solved. The wires are still accessible and no major work needs to be done. Lowes/HD sell them they are made by WireMold

[Bullseye]

Originally Posted by Layd Dly

Just get your selves one of these and paint it, problem solved. The wires are still accessible and no major work needs to be done. Lowes/HD sell them they are made by WireMold

While certainly more aesthetically pleasing than loose wires there is still that "Racing Stripe" on the wall. I am more concerned with eye level. Having the tv up at a height would remind me of sitting in the front seat of the cinema.

[moviefan]

Originally Posted by Bullseye

The wires are certainly an issue unless you plan for it. The ergonomics of the tv being wall mounted IMO at least takes away from the experiance. Sure if the tv is wall mounted at 3 foot then its going to be fine but i see alot of setups with the tv mounted over the fireplace at least 5 or 6 feet off the ground. If you have the fire lighting at the same time it is also going to be a distraction. Just throwing it out there.

I mounted a 46" LCD on the wall where my daughter wanted it, and after it was up she thought ir was too high ... lowered it 6" to where thr top was about 6' off the floor.
NEVER mount a flat panel above a fireplace! The heat & vapors go right thru the TV vents and will reduce the life of the TV. It is too high for comfortable viewing (unless you watch TV standing up!) and makes proper speaker placement almost impossible.
Running the wires thru the wall is easy, and gives the best appearance. There are many bulk-wire wall plates available in both single & double gang sizes. See them at av-outlet.com.

[SomethingForKate]

I don't know, I'm just not a fan of wall-mounting TVs.

Sure, cables can be hidden by a strip which can be painted - my girlfriend has done this in her bedroom.

But I just prefer the TV to sit on a stand. I have a cheapy IKEA media centre thing that holds all my kit inside and the TV sits on top.

The good thing about that is, as my TV rotates on it's stand, I can rotate it to 45 degrees when the whole room is occupied

That also gives me easy access to the back of the TV for fiddling purposes.

SFK

[Flux88MPH]

I personally prefer the swivel stand that came with my TV. It allows me to aim the TV at whichever seat I feel like being in and can even be aimed at my bar off to the side should I want to sit there for a meal or drinks with the lady.

Should you prefer a mounting solution, I would recommend one of my partner vendors I work with...Chief Professional Mounting Solutions

[ascian]

Has everyone lost their minds? What wire management? When you wall-mount a TV, put the wires through the wall! You don't need to see anything. They can come out behind an entertainment stand or whatever you have for your components. You could also put them through the attic, basement, crawlspace or whatever and keep your components somewhere completely out of site. Most modern fireplaces can also have wire hidden quite easily as well. It's usually not too difficult, though even for a simple wall-mount everyone has a unique situation. If all else fails hire someone to do it.

A fireplace mantle with the bottom of the TV 6' in the air is way too high. Depending on viewing distance, the top of the TV being about 6' high is fine, especially with a tilting bracket. Bottom line, you certainly don't want to crane your neck in your own home. I always measure and show people where the TV will be and have them sit down before finalizing placement on the wall. A lot of enthusiastic customers have even made a cardboard template and taped it to the wall to get an idea of viewing, size, and placement.

As for brackets, the Sanus brackets at Best Buy are by far the best commercial mounts I've used. I hate the swiveling brackets that come out from the wall, but especially the expanding bracket they have for larger TVS, are a godsend. They are easy to install, require the least work, and are simple to level and adjust. Wal-mart, Sears, CC and the like just have terrible brackets, both from an installation standpoint and simple things like tilt after the TV is up there. Chief was mentioned and they are great, there are others as well, I was just listing the more affordable and easily available brackets.

Now it would be advisable to have an electrician or someone run a power outlet to behind the TV as running a standard power cord through the wall generally violates the NEC and could invalidate things like home owner's insurance.

I'm definitely in favor of mounting a TV in practical situations though. A flat-panel just has a greater effect and presence when mounted on a wall properly.

[Blu Falcon]

I plan on mounting mine above my faux fireplace. The damn thing turns on at the flip of a light switch and won't even generate heat unless I set it to do so. I think it's a great spot for it.