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For someone who grew up with cathode-ray tube television sets, the sizes and the picture quality of today’s televisions are something out of science fiction! With the introduction of flat and curved LED and LCD displays, televisions nowadays can get as large as 85 inches on the diagonal! If you purchase such a large flat-screen or curved-screen television, you’ll also have to mount it securely. We’ll go through some of the options among today’s TV wall mounts.
There are other alternatives to a wall mount for your TV. For example, there are TV mount stands, which allow you to stand the TV on a table, or on the floor. But these run the risk of getting knocked over. There are also cool ceiling mounts, which conserve valuable space in your living room by collapsing flat against the ceiling when not in use. But the logistics of such a construction are not simple at all. We’ll see that a TV wall mount can actually be easy to install, in as little as one hour of preparation. And they can allow you to have a better viewing experience as well if you need to adjust the position of the screen.
We’ll go through some of the features of TV wall mounts. You’ll know how to select a wall mount that suits your TV monitor, as well as your viewing preferences!
From the Best Reviews Guide list of the most popular TV wall mounts, we see that there are three major designs:
Fixed wall mount: This is the easiest type of mount to set up, and is also the most modestly priced. However, once the bracket is attached to the wall, it’s not possible to make any further adjustments. But it's also a very secure mount, if mounted properly. Also, if there’s glare, or if you don’t see well from where you’re sitting, there’s no way to adjust the position of the screen. An example is the Mounting Dream Fixed TV Mount. Even though it’s a fixed mount, it still allows you access to the TV’s inputs.
Mounting Dream Fixed TV Mount
Tilting mount: It has an advantage over the fixed wall mount, in that you can still tilt the TV screen even after installing the mount on the wall. This helps you view the screen without any glare, or allows people who sit on the floor near the TV to get a better view. An example of this is the Echogear Tilting TV Wall Mount. Note the pull strings hanging from the mount. They allow you to detach the TV from the mount. When you pull on the strings, you release a spring that is holding the TV onto the bracket. You can then lift the TV off the wall mount.
Echogear Tilting TV Wall Mount
Articulating mounts: This is also known as a “full-motion” mount. It has a swiveling arm that can be extended outwards, or folded entirely until the TV screen is flat against the wall, to conserve space. You can tilt the TV upwards/downwards, or left/right, for optimal viewing. It also makes it much easier to hook up cables to the back of the screen. An example of an articulating mount is the Everstone Full Motion TV Wall Mount.
Everstone Full Motion TV Wall Mount
Here are some impressions of customers regarding their choice of TV wall mount:
Be careful with the tilt adjustment bracket: One customer who bought the Echogear TV Wall Mount for Large TVs said that the knob on the mount that helps you tilt the screen in the vertical direction was not properly tightened when he attached the TV. The TV made the mount tilt violently downwards, cracking the screen! So, be sure that the joints of a full-motion wall mount support the TV, and move only slightly, to avoid any such disappointments.
Better to install it with two people: A customer who installed the USX Mount Full Motion TV Wall Mount said that, even if a mount can take an 84” TV set, never try to install anything bigger than 42” on your own! You can damage the wall and your TV!
Prefer a larger wall plate: When installing on studs, you mount the wall plate on two studs, inserting screws in the center of each stud. But, customers said that they would prefer a larger wall plate that would extend over three studs, especially when mounting a larger TV set.
Here are some tips and important features to look for when selecting a TV wall mount:
Attaching the mount: You’ll notice that many manufacturers warn you not to attach a TV onto plasterboard alone. The weight of the TV set will invariably tear the mount off of the plasterboard, damaging both the wall and your TV. There are two mounting options:
Mounting on studs: You have to use a stud finder to locate where there are wooden or steel studs supporting the plasterboard, and install the mount’s wall plate on these studs. Studs are usually spaced 16” or 24” apart in houses in the United States.
Mounting on a brick/concrete wall: You can also install the mount’s wall plate directly onto a concrete wall, using concrete anchors.
Once you have fastened the wall plate to the wall, you then attach brackets to your TV set, and slide the TV with its brackets onto the wall plate.
Weight and size allowance: Note that every TV wall mount allows for a range of TV sizes and weights. The strongest wall mount that we reviewed, the USX Mount Full Motion TV Wall Mount, can support a TV of up to 132 pounds and from 47 to 84 inches on the diagonal. (It’s possible to find wall mounts that support 150 lbs or more.
Retractable full-motion wall mount: If you purchase a full-motion wall mount, you probably will want to collapse it close to the wall when not in use. That’ll prevent someone from bumping into the TV. The USX Full Motion Mount extends outwards to a maximum of 16.5”, and retracts back to as little as 2.4”.
We examined some of the best wall mount options for TV sets. It’s not difficult to install the mount yourself. But, as we have seen, it’s better to get help, and even consult with the company itself, if you’re installing a large TV. Being able to tilt and adjust the screen will allow everyone in your family to get a good view of the screen. The right TV wall mount is a great idea to help you all enjoy your home entertainment center!