How high should I mount my 42 inch LCD?

[rers0613]

I know must people say to sit down and see where eye level is then mark it on the wall. But is there more of a standard height that is accepted to mount a tv? Such as when an A/V company installs a mount and tv they must have a set height in which they do this. Any thoughts?

[Loves2Watch]

Center the TV at 48".

[rers0613]

Originally Posted by Loves2Watch

Center the TV at 48".

48" high on the wall? Thanks you da man.

[ImRizzo]

Originally Posted by rers0613

48" high on the wall? Thanks you da man.

For clarification thats, center of the screen is @ 48"

[Loves2Watch]

Originally Posted by ImRizzo

For clarification thats, center of the screen is @ 48"

Absolutely correct!

[impulse22281]

I don't mean to thread jack but out of curiosity, do you guys have your TV's mounted on the wall? Do you have a stand holding all of your peripherals such as cable receiver, audio receiver, dvd players, etc? Is the stand directly below the TV? Is there any pictures of people setups on this forum? I've searched but haven't come across a thread like that. I would love to see what people's setups look like. I am mounting my TV on the wall, but still need to buy a stand for all of my equipment. I'm torn on how it will look or what kind of stand to buy. There's just too many options I guess....

[Loves2Watch]

Originally Posted by impulse22281

I don't mean to thread jack but out of curiosity, do you guys have your TV's mounted on the wall? Do you have a stand holding all of your peripherals such as cable receiver, audio receiver, dvd players, etc? Is the stand directly below the TV? Is there any pictures of people setups on this forum? I've searched but haven't come across a thread like that. I would love to see what people's setups look like. I am mounting my TV on the wall, but still need to buy a stand for all of my equipment. I'm torn on how it will look or what kind of stand to buy. There's just too many options I guess....

Mount the TV on the wall, put a nice audio rack beneath it and all is good.

[kegobeer]

I mounted my LCD above the fireplace and installed a power outlet behind the TV. I also ran HDMI in wall (originally three RG6 quad shielded cables) from the TV to my nice equipment rack/bookshelf, which is on another wall (obviously it couldn't go under or beside the fireplace, since that would look odd). I have my RG6 cable, XM RG6 cable, CAT-5e LAN cable, and 5.1 speaker wires run in wall as well.

Now, people might say the TV is mounted too high, but I would respectfully disagree. I have a slight downward tilting mount and the picture looks great from every seating position in my living room. It's also great that people can walk under the TV and not really block the view!

[E55 KEV]

TV mounting and viewing should be level to the eyes and sitting position in order to reduce eye and neck strain regardless to how great a flat panel looks mounted over the fireplace. It is unnatural having to lift your neck and eyes high in order to watch TV. Not an opinion.

[kegobeer]

Originally Posted by E55 KEV

TV mounting and viewing should be level to the eyes and sitting position in order to reduce eye and neck strain regardless to how great a flat panel looks mounted over the fireplace. It is unnatural having to lift your neck and eyes high in order to watch TV. Not an opinion.

Sorry to disappoint the "experts", but my family has enjoyed this setup for 5 years. We've had countless visitors who have also enjoyed this setup. Guess what? No reports of eye strain or neck strain. This isn't a movie theater, where the screen is 20 feet wide and we're sitting in the front row. If I had to compare watching TV to my daily work, I put more strain on my eyes and neck just looking around all day. I guess we need to put everything at eye level, so we don't have to lift our eyes or necks at all!

Each installation is different and unique, and a blanket statement that all TVs must be mounted at eye level is, in my humble opinion, completely wrong. Only after evaluating the environment can a decision be made as to the best location for the TV and seating area.

[E55 KEV]

I guess you and the family have to enjoy it if you are not willing or able to correct the problem nor willing to admit your setup is improper and based purely on room aesthetics instead of proper viewing. People do things and then justify it. People also get used to improper things and adjust to it. Hell, I have a friend that has a SDTV tube above the fireplace and to the right (90 degres) of the sitting area (the couch) and you have to turn your body and crank your head to the right and up to view the tv and everyone in the family and probably most visitors think nothing of it - because the TV is above the fireplace and looks aesthecially pleasing. The friend also only has standard def TV and says she can not tell the difference in HD/Blu-ray and analog SD/DVD.

[kegobeer]

I see you are an idealist when it comes to high def - things must conform to a theoretical perfect setup. The TV must be a certain height, the speakers must be in a certain position, otherwise the set up is flawed. Because of this, all other configurations are flawed.

I, on the other hand, am a realist when it comes to high def. I examine each room and make the best out of what I am given. I look at the requirements of the family, the furniture, and the room layout, and I apply the theoretical ideals to a real world environment. I don't attempt to enforce "rules" when those "rules" would completely disrupt the room.

See, instead of asking me the exact layout of my living room, you decided that I have a "problem". You accused me of having an improper setup, and that this setup is solely based on aesthetics and I have justified my "flawed" setup because it looks good. Then, you attempted to compare my situation with a comical one, adding phrases like "crank your head to the right and up" and "only has standard def TV and says she can not tell the difference in HD/Blu-ray and analog SD/DVD" to somehow show that because I have a TV above the fireplace I must not have any knowledge of high definition television.

I've had the pleasure of designing some very nice home entertainment setups. I did all the research (you know, the mathematical equations that show the optimum seating position based on the size of the TV, speaker placement, TV height, etc - hmmmm, maybe I do know something about home theaters...) and went into each situation with an open mind. I listened to the families concerns, looked at the room layouts, and came up with plans that merged the needs of the families with the optimal home theater configurations. Each one was different, and each one had a nice mixture of optimal settings and room flow. Each family was happy with the end result.

In the real world, when presented with something other than four solid walls in a perfectly square room, the "rules" have to be applied with a good chunk of common sense. That's the great thing about designing entertainment areas - it's a nice blend of art and science. Would I have the TV at the perfect height if I had a nice rectangular room with perfect walls where seating layout would not be a factor? You bet.

In case you are interested - my LCD is exactly the recommended distance from the optimum viewing position, and speaker placement is nearly perfect. Based on my family's average reclined position when seated on the couch, my TV is tilted to simulate a 4' "perfect" TV height. No neck damage for my family.

[E55 KEV]

Thanks for the clarification, but the point I was making is that because family does not complain does not make it right hence the friends TV at a 90 degree angle to the couch that no one has complained about and the family has obviously enjoyed. The awful angle to view the TV and the comment about the SD and HD looks the same confirms that people often "justify" their stuff no matter how it is set up.

If the setup is wrong or personally preferred people should not defend it or recommend it to others - just own up to it be incorrect and a purely personal choice and live with it. Why defend an error - it really boils down to folks making a personal choice albeit incorrect. Yes, people will continue to mount TVs too high and over the fireplace regardless of what is technically recommended with aesthetics being paramount.

A TV mounted at eye level is 'best' for TV viewing and is not an opinion and technically correct, however mounting a TV above the fireplace is a personal aesthetic choice.

Yes, it is uncomfortable to me watching that TV mounted high at that 90 degree angle so I have to twist and turn to limit discomfort. But for the family that has not complained nor realized where their stiff neck comes from I guess ignorance is bliss.

[kegobeer]

I have never seen or read any technical briefs that state what is right and what is wrong, only what is recommended. Since there is nothing written in stone, there can be no error. You have an opinion, and I respect it. However, you can't enforce your opinion and declare that other opinions are wrong.

I'd appreciate a link to a scientific document that "lays down the law", so to speak, which specifically states a TV must be at a certain height, and that if the TV is not at that height it will cause health problems. Of course, I'd like a link to studies that report on the adverse health effects of positioning a TV above or below a certain height.

Here's an example: a sports bar has multiple TVs located along the top of the walls. Using your logic, this is wrong and saying otherwise is merely justifying a decision based on aesthetics. How can you defend your argument that putting TVs at that height is wrong?

The point I'm making is that you and I have opinions, and that there is no right or wrong in setting up a home theater.

[E55 KEV]

Originally Posted by kegobeer

I have never seen or read any technical briefs that state what is right and what is wrong, only what is recommended. Since there is nothing written in stone, there can be no error. You have an opinion, and I respect it. However, you can't enforce your opinion and declare that other opinions are wrong.

I'd appreciate a link to a scientific document that "lays down the law", so to speak, which specifically states a TV must be at a certain height, and that if the TV is not at that height it will cause health problems. Of course, I'd like a link to studies that report on the adverse health effects of positioning a TV above or below a certain height.

Here's an example: a sports bar has multiple TVs located along the top of the walls. Using your logic, this is wrong and saying otherwise is merely justifying a decision based on aesthetics. How can you defend your argument that putting TVs at that height is wrong?

The point I'm making is that you and I have opinions, and that there is no right or wrong in setting up a home theater.

Yo man, this debate is over as I thought you knew something about this subject. You just played the wrong card in this debate. If you have never seen any information concerning viewing height, distances etc. then you just admitted that you have no idea what you are talking about. Sport bar TVs have nothing to do with how you setup a home theater system, next you will be comparing LCD monitors setup at the airport. You say "there is no right and wrong in setting up a home theater". Would you put your center channel speaker behind you or the surround channels up front? C'mon man are you serious with the statement?

Now it is obvious that you did no research about this subject and quite frankly you don't have a clue. Quick, do a search on the internet and you will find information about optimum viewing heights and distance. This is not 'my' personal opinion. There are books and information on building home theaters and proper setup of any and everything audio and video. This from Crutchfield - http://www.crutchfield.com/S-kdQthcC...me/tv_faq.html :

"Q: What else should I be aware of when placing my TV?
A: Along with viewing distance, consider viewing height. Ideally, your eyes should be about level with the middle of the screen when you're seated in your normal viewing position."

This from - http://www.practical-home-theater-gu...ision-set.html :

"Mounting Considerations: Do not mount it too high!

Directly related to this placement issue is whether you will make use of a floor-type TV stand or a plasma TV wall mount. If you opt to hang your flat-panel TV on a wall, then you also need to determine the optimum height at which you will fix the plasma TV mount.

It is tempting here to mount your plasma television set at the typical picture height. Remember that a plasma TV is more than just a picture - it is also a television you will be watching for hours on end. Hence it should be placed at a height that would enable relaxed viewing when seated.

There are a number of considerations that come into play when setting the screen height. The idea is to come at a level that proves comfortable on your neck. Again, more on this in our TV Viewing Distance article. Ideally, the center of the screen should be at eye level when seated. Typically, this would correspond to having the center of the display panel set at 40 to 45 inches off the floor. This is the position that will result in a minimum of eye and neck movement during TV viewing."

I have been into Home Theater since at least 1990 when most people had no idea. I go back to Dolby Pro Logic, Laser Disc and THX, which is named after a guy Tomlinson Holman's who worked for George Lucas. The X in THX means "eXperiment". I just pulled out a book I have - "Build Your Own Home Theather" by Robert Wolenik with a copyright of 1993. The second edition is dated 2001 - get it.

Now back to the subject at hand, your TV mounted over the fireplace is wrong and too high base on proper TV viewing guidelines and can cause neck problems. You are welcome.