MantelMount

When you think of television, the first thing you likely think of is the picture and how whatever show, movie, or sport you are watching looks in an aesthetic or visual way. However, the audio experience should not be neglected. When you are as immersed in a show or movie as you can be, it is probably due to — not taking the comfiness of your couch and blanket situation into consideration — both audio and visual elements.  What’s the deal, however, with people who have a surround sound system? Is it that much better than a sound bar or simply changing the tv settings on your television? We look into that here.  Best Sound Setup for Your TV We’ve all been there: you’re watching a quiet — or quieter — show and then BAM! You’re hit with the advertisement sound, or maybe it’s classified as noise, and you’re taken out of your tv watching or movie watching-induced trance that you had been in. Even when that happens, you’ll want the best tv sound setup, so despite the loud blasting sound that occasionally happens with ads, at least it’ll be a pleasing noise. We’ll lay out some of the best tv sound settings — including understanding what the best equalizer settings for movies or television might be — but here is a list of accessories that might just enhance the sound quality for your tv so you have the best picture quality and sound setup. Enhancing sound on your television can be costly or cost-effective; no decision is the best so you might want to ask yourself: what is the best kind of media experience I want out of my tv viewing? Surround Sound System Installing a surround sound system is far and away the most costly method to make your tv or movie watching experience more of a rounded experience. However, it can be a popular approach because once the system is installed, it’s easy enough to simply have a “set it and forget it” mentality. A surround sound system is likened to having a movie theater audio system setup in a residential home. With having multiple speakers create a surround sound effect, it usually costs at least $1,000 and sometimes closer to $2,000 if a proven system is wanted or needed. A surround sound system enhances the audio/visual experience by creating a more immersive experience for the viewer.  When it comes to placement of the speakers for your surround sound system, keep in mind the seating locations of you and your friends and family. Although you will undoubtedly want a centralized speaker placed near the screen, the fun part is next as you’ll be able to situate speakers to enhance the audio clarity and quality. Don’t have an open concept room where speakers can be placed in a semi-circle behind a couch or futon? Keep in mind about the placement of the speakers, the look of what the surround sound system will look — aesthetically — within the room, and take into consideration how the sound will bounce off furniture and the walls.  With regard to placement and the angles, speakers sometimes come with speaker placement recommendations, however, there’s usually a rule of thumb for the number of speakers (whether it’s 4, 6, or more) and the enhancement of the audio. Sound Bar Attachments Is a surround sound system too expensive or too complicated? A sound bar is an ideal way to enhance your tv’s audio and for you to experience an ideal tv sound setup in your home without shelling out more money than you’d want.  An advantage of purchasing a sound bar attachment is that they sound much better than the audio that emanates from the television on its own. Some sound bars even have features such as a compatibility with Dolby Atmos — and anyone who has seen a big-budget action film in a Dolby theater knows the experience is fulfilling.  If a sound bar attachment is high on your priority list, think about the MantelMount SBXL Sound Bar Adapter XL, which is compatible with our tv mounts like the MM540 Enhanced Mount and MM700 Premier Pulldown Mount. Although the MM340 Standard Mount does not include a sound bar attachment like the other MantelMount pulldown tv mounts, it also is compatible with the sound bar attachment.  What’s special about the MantelMount Sound Bar Adapter is that it is universal, fitting most flat and curved screen televisions, able to be placed below or above the tv, and accommodates larger sound bars that have wider spacing between the mounting holes.  TV Sound Settings Even if you’re unsure about investing in a surround sound system or utilizing a sound bar system, the next best bet is to ensure that your television’s sound settings are to your liking. Whether it’s figuring out the best equalizer settings for movies or enhancing the bass settings for the hard-hitting action in any sports match or game you might enjoy, making sure the correct tv sound setup is working for you is of utmost importance. We’ll look into figuring out the best tv sound settings for your tv’s audio next. Best TV Sound Settings Even if you do have a surround sound system or have your sound bar and its sound bar attachment set up to have a more theater-like experience at home, you’ll still want the best sound setup for your tv.  Your tv’s sound settings are simple enough to change, but so often they’re neglected. One of the more fun things about a tv’s sound settings is playing around with them. Want a more crisp sound with dialogue in a drama so clear that it’s like the actors are speaking to you in your living room? The settings is where you can customize your tv’s audio. Find the “Audio” section on your television (sometimes it can be called “Sound”) and that’s where you’ll want to pay most attention as within the selection there are further elements. If you’d like programmed audio solutions, then it’s more of a set and forget approach: standard, theater (this is likely the best equalizer setting for movies and television shows), music, and news (this option is good for news shows and tv shows with the bulk of the show that has crisp dialogue) are the most likely options with which you’ll be encountered. If you’d like a customized version of your tv sound setup, take into consideration what you usually watch: movies, comedy shows, dramas, or sports? Think about the treble and the bass of the in-show or in-game audio and the advertisements that might blow out the show or movie’s sound. Once you have that in mind, play around with the bass and the treble, if you want the sound to come through one or multiple stereos, or even if you want the audio to be in a digital format.

Houses and apartments come in many different shapes and sizes. From open concept floor plans to more traditional-style homes with walled off rooms, every layout presents a unique challenge for a homeowner. One particular challenge for homeowners and renters moving into a new place is where to put the tv. If you’re lucky, your home may have an obvious location against a wall without a window, but if you find yourself in a new apartment or home without obvious wall space for your tv, it can be difficult to discover the next best spot. As experts on the best distance, height, and angle for tv-viewing, we’ve guided homeowners through almost every scenario when it comes to tv placement. If you find yourself in a predicament where you have no wall space for your tv, don’t worry, we have some great solutions for you to try so you can create the optimal tv-viewing experience regardless of your home’s unique layout. Why It’s Important to Find the Right Location for Your TV Believe it or not, tv placement is a bit of a science. From using the 8:1 ratio to determine furniture placement to calculating the best distance between the bottom third of your screen and the floor (trust us, it’s a real thing), there are a lot of things to consider when picking the perfect place for the family tv. But why? As you can probably guess, the placement of your tv can make or break the picture quality and your comfort while viewing the tv. Consider this: when we walk into a movie theater, there’s a reason we take so much time to choose the perfect seat. Maybe you head straight to the back row or you find comfort closer to the screen. Either way, deciding where to sit in a movie theater is a critical component of watching a movie. We want to be comfortable. At home it should be no different—especially considering the average person in America watches 411 hours of tv per month and so much of that tv is consumed while binge-watching. Simple adjustments like finding the right height for your tv on the wall or the right distance from your furniture can improve tv picture quality, in some cases, by 200%. 3 Possible Scenarios When There’s No Wall Space You may have already identified your unique problem within this post, like an open concept room, or maybe a small living room in an apartment where the only available wall space sits above a fireplace, placing the tv too high. But here are some additional possibilities you may be facing and 3 viable tv solutions for no wall space.     Problem #1: Where to put a tv in a room with lots of windows. A home or apartment with a lot of windows is a great find. But a lot of windows can pose a problem for art placement and the placement of your tv. Some things to consider when choosing where to put a tv in a room with lots of windows is picking a spot that doesn’t create glare on the screen. Putting the tv’s back to a south-facing wall, if possible, will help reduce glare. But if you’re worried about squinting because you, the viewer, are facing the direction of the most sun, pick a western or eastern facing wall. There may be different times of day when your screen has a glare, but you can add blinds or a curtain if it becomes a problem during the day. The other issue you run into when choosing where to put a tv in a room with lots of windows is blocking a potential view. The truth is, sometimes you can’t avoid it. If you truly have no wall space for your tv, you may have to pick the best (worst) view to partially block. You can offset this by purchasing a tv on the smaller side or investing in a tv that lowers into a piece of furniture. The Solution: Place your tv in front of a south-facing window to reduce glare or choose an east or west-facing window, avoid a north-facing window. Purchase a smaller flat screen tv to minimize the obstruction of your view or invest in a tv lift or a tv that can lower into a piece of furniture, out of view.     Problem #2: Where to put a tv in a small living room. Another issue that homeowners and apartment-dwellers face is just not enough space. Period. If you live in a condo or a tight apartment in an urban environment, it’s not unusual to run into a situation in which the reason you have no wall space for a tv is simply because your living room is too small. The Solution: Sometimes, the fix for this problem occurs upstream with the purchase of the right tv for your space. If you already own the tv you intend to use, choosing a tv mount that can articulate and tilt can help you overcome the space issues you face in terms of square feet. MantelMount makes a great model for flat screen televisions of any size and the pull down motion and pivot capabilities make it possible to position your tv into the best spot while you’re watching and out of the way when you’re not.     Problem #3: Where to put a tv when you’re an art lover. If you love art, it can almost be soul-crushing to make room for a tv. But, if you love art to the point that you don’t have any free wall space, it might be time to thin out your collection. There’s is something to be said though, for those art lovers who figure out a clever way to incorporate a flat screen tv into their home. The Solution: The best thing to do, if you don’t want to sacrifice your art collection, is to incorporate your tv into the art. The Samsung Frame TV is a great option for the art lover if you can’t get away with forgoing a tv all together. What’s better is if you can recess your tv mount into the wall so the Frame sits flush with the wall. This will make your tv essentially disappear into the art in your living room. Of course, if you already have a high-def tv for your home, a MantelMount pull-down tv mount will allow you to position your tv into the perfect viewing-position—in front of your art collection—and up and away when you simply want to enjoy your art. Again, you can take your tv set up to the next level and recess your MantelMount so your tv protrudes just as far as the picture frames in your collection.

Now that you have taken your new television out of the box, how do you plan to mount it on the wall? Before you immerse yourself in watching your favorite movies and shows, you’ll need to find the right place to mount the TV. But, there’s one tiny problem — you don’t have any studs to work with for the TV mount, or it could be that, if you’re renting an apartment, your landlord insists no drilling is allowed. But there’s no need to panic.  Whether you have a brick or uneven stone façade, or mounting a TV above a fireplace, mounting a TV can be tricky, but even more so when mounting a TV without studs. Even though drywall can support a TV up to 100 lbs., it’s still brittle and the mount can require additional support. If you want to create the perfect TV-viewing experience but you aren’t sure how to safely mount your TV on a wall without studs, check out these tips and get your TV up on the wall and in the perfect spot today. What Is a Stud? Before mounting your TV on a wall, you should always attempt to locate a stud or inspect the wall’s integrity. But it can be difficult to locate a stud if you don’t know what you’re looking for. A stud is a vertical framing device used to create a frame for a wall. It is commonplace to find either wood studs or metal studs. These wooden or metal reinforcements are evenly spaced within a wall and are typically used to create a framework for a wall consisting of drywall. Because many modern home interiors are constructed with drywall, not mason, there’s a good chance that you should be able to easily locate a stud within your home’s walls. If you live in a high rise, you likely have studs made out of metal. Similarly, commercial buildings often have metal framework as well that will require additional care if mounting a TV or appliances into a stud. 4 Simple Ways to Find Studs in the Wall Finding studs have a lot of uses beyond simply mounting your TV. Especially if you are a homeowner undergoing home improvement projects — if you want to hang a heavy picture, mount an appliance to the wall, do trim work in your home, or fix electrical outlets — it’s very useful to be aware of the location of the studs in your walls. The main question is: how do you accurately locate a stud, with or without a stud finder or a stud finder app? 1. Locate studs with a stud finder One of the easiest ways to do this is with a stud finder, a small handheld device that measures the density of drywall. The Spruce has a comprehensive list of options to buy online or at your local hardware store. Using a stud finder is simpler than finding the right one. All that is needed is to place the stud finder against the drywall and slowly drag it horizontally along the wall until it beeps. Beeping indicates that you’ve found a stud. You can estimate the center of the stud by running the stud finder over the location repeatedly until it stops beeping. Then, once you know where the stud is located in the wall, make a mark with a pencil. 2. Measure 16” from the corner Don’t have a stud finder or stud finder app? That’s okay! A go-to technique is to measure 16 inches from the corner of where the interior wall and the exterior wall meet to approximate where studs will be located throughout the room. Typically, studs are evenly spaced 16”-24” inches apart, so if you measure the total length of your wall, you should be able to approximate the location of each stud. Now, not every room is going to evenly divide by 16 or 24, but again, that’s okay. Follow up this measurement effort by knocking on the wall where you suspect the stud to be. Knocking on a stud will create a muffled sound while knocking directly next to the stud will create a hollow sound. 3. Check your trim If you aren’t handy with a tape measure or you don’t have access to a stud finder, another option for you are the other wall features: trim nails, electrical outlets, and light switches all indicate the location of a stud. 4. Use a powerful magnet If you’re having trouble locating studs, you may have better luck locating the metal that holds them in place. Commonly, studs are secured with metal fasteners spaced vertically about 12” apart. With a strong magnet, place it against the wall and move it slowly up and down until you feel it stick slightly. This will indicate that you’ve located a metal fastener and, therefore, a stud. How to Mount a TV Without Studs If you’ve done your due diligence to locate studs and you can’t find any, you discover the studs are metal, or there are no studs located in the area where you want to mount your TV, you do have options for mounting your TV with no studs. Whether you are looking for a little DIY action with mounting a TV or you merely are looking to gain knowledge and want to know what the handyman is doing while installing a TV mount, here, we can walk you through it all! 1. Mounting a TV with drywall anchors Expanding anchors or conical anchors are one of the simplest ways to mount a TV when studs aren’t available. The wing-like grooves lock into place behind the wall when a screw is screwed in and this can provide ample support for things like pictures with a heavy frame or a lightweight TV.  How does one do this? Simply drill a hole accordingly, insert the sleeve, and slide in the anchor piece. You can even pull it close to the wall with the disposable pull tool. The pulling motion locks the anchor in place, so it won’t loosen while you insert the screw. 2. Mounting a TV with anchors or molly bolts Toggle anchors and toggle bolts look like regular screws, but they come with a butterfly toggle at the end. When placed in the wall, the toggle anchors work by attaching to the back of the drywall. Pulling at the screw or applying some external force has little impact as the toggle causes the whole sheet of drywall to respond, rather than just the crumbly center. It’s the distinction between pulling the entire wall and removing a single screw. Mounting a TV with drywall anchors or bolts is a great option if you can’t drill into a stud. You’ll need to use a hollow wall anchor that looks similar to a regular screw, with a butterfly toggle at the end. Once they’re placed in the wall, they’ll attach to the back. These have proven to be extremely strong on their own when it comes to mounting a TV with no studs, but, as a general rule, it should not be paired with a full-motion mount. Mounting a TV without studs can be a safe and reliable solution if careful consideration is made about the limits of the wall and the toggles. Molly bolts are an interesting anchor for a no-studs TV mount. They combine the ease of installation with a lot of strength — a large molly bolt can hold up to 50 lbs. They are a little harder to use over other drywall anchors, but they are sturdy and well-suited for a medium to heavy load. They come in two variations: a pointed molly bolt will have a sharp tip that can be installed with a hammer, whereas a non-pointed molly bolt, which is better to use in plaster walls, requires that you cut out an installation hole first. Molly bolts stay thin when left untightened, but once tightened in your walls, the sleeves expand, creating an anchor to the back of your wall — a similar mechanism as toggle anchors. Once the molly bolt is securely anchored, you can remove the screw and replace it with the screws for your TV wall mount. 3. Mounting a TV with a mounting plate A mounting plate is a good choice when it comes to mounting a TV with no studs. Mounting plates help the anchors carry the tv weight with more ease and provide an opportunity to add more anchors, making it a more secure mount. Although the mounting plate doesn’t look that aesthetically appealing, you can always consider a mounting plate that is smaller than the TV and choose one in a color and style that works well with the look of your room, or paint over it. If you’re looking to go this route, both the MantelMount SSB40 Single Stud Wall Adapter and the WPC00 Wall Plate Covers can be used with the MantelMount MM340 Standard Pull Down TV Mount. Please note that our WPC00 Wall Plate Covers are included with the purchase of a MM540 Enhanced Pull Down TV Mount. Things to Keep in Mind Before Mounting a TV With No Studs Although anchors, toggle bolts, mounting bolts, and mounting plates are effective ways to keep TV wall mounts in place when mounting a TV with no studs, here are some other extraneous things to keep in mind. Be Aware of the TV’s Weight and the Condition of the Wall Whether mounting a TV with drywall anchors or with a mounting plate, or frankly, any other way, ensure that the anchor screws are rated to carry the television’s weight. TV weights vary from model to model, but an average 32’ television usually weighs about 25 to 30 lbs, which means that a larger screen will weigh more.  If the choice is mounting a TV with drywall anchors, check the load capacity for the selected anchors. It won’t make a difference if the strongest wall anchors are used if you live in an old house with a wall that can’t sustain the load. If the wall appears flimsy, it may bend under the weight of the TV and there is a chance that it could potentially break at some point, wrecking both the wall and your television. Use the Right Type of Mount for Your TV A standard pattern for wall mounts is to ensure that they will fit any TV. However, mounts are rated to fit specific television sizes and weights. A wall mount for a 32’ TV would not be able to support the weight and dimensions of a 40’ TV. Choosing the wrong mount, then, could potentially be dangerous for your TV. (Bonus hat tip: If you’re looking for a new television, make sure to take a look at our New TV Buying Guide, which highlights some possible questions you might be asking about details on TV types.) Whether the question is how to mount a TV to a wall without studs or if it’s more to the tune of how high to mount a flat screen TV, most of the anchor options for a wall with no studs work best with fixed and tilt mounts. Fixed mounts are static and set at a singular position, while pull down and articulating and tilting TV wall mounts allow you to change the angle of the mounted television.  Toggle bolts and other wall anchors should not be used with anything other than fixed mounts. Mounts which have arms and swivels that allow for complete angle adjustments, naturally add more weight. The constant movement that comes with adjusting your mounted TV can cause increased stress on your anchor points and the wall itself.

Picture a spacious yet cozy living room, with comfortable couches, a coffee table, a toasty fireplace, and above it, as a finishing touch, the family flat-screen TV. For many households, coming together at the end of the day looks like hunkering down on the couch to watch a beloved show or movie. You may have an abundance of space in the living room and be able to display your TV on a console as part of an entertainment center or in a TV cabinet; but if space is a challenge — or your couch fits perfectly in front of your fireplace — mounting the TV over the mantel may be your best option.  This, of course, brings up the question of how to go about mounting a television above a fireplace.  Fireplaces can present some unique challenges when it comes to mounting your TV. For instance, mounting your TV into the fireplace may require you to drill into brick. Or you may be dealing with an uneven surface like stone. On the other hand, you may not know what type of material the wall is (Is it drywall? Is it plaster?) above your fireplace is made of. Whatever the challenge may be, we’ve compiled a complete guide filled with our recommendations for safely mounting your TV over your mantel. SELECTING THE RIGHT TV MOUNT FOR THE JOB The first step when mounting a TV above a fireplace is to choose a mount suited for over the mantel. Consider: the spot above your fireplace may position your tv too high for comfortable viewing.  This, in combination with a couch that sits just a little too close to the hearth, can create an uncomfortable TV-viewing experience — potentially even neck or back pain. MantelMount pull-down TV mounts are designed specifically for above-the-fireplace TV-viewing. Why? Because every MantelMount TV mount is built with counterbalance technology that gently guides your screen safely over your mantel and into a comfortable viewing position at the optimum eye-level. Ranging from our MM340 Standard and MM540 Enhanced to the MM700 Premier, each MantelMount is designed with patented gas pistons and lightweight alloys that make adjusting and positioning your TV seamless and enjoyable. Our latest TV mount, the MM815 Motorized Drop Down and Swivel TV Mount, is the most effective at allowing anyone — from child to adult — to enjoy their favorite show or movie, with the TV positioned at the best viewing angle for that person, all with the press of a button. MM815 Consumer Video D2C 03-10-23 from MantelMount on Vimeo. Using a MantelMount TV mount is one of the best ways to mount a TV over a fireplace because it’s precisely built for the space above your fireplace. There is flexibility with a TV mounted above a fireplace as it can be left in the stowed position when not watching, while also being able to adjust the height and angle when it’s TV-watching time. No more neck strain or eye strain. No more screen glare. The perfect TV picture color and clarity. What’s more, the MM540 Enhanced, the MM700 Premier, and the MM815 Motorized TV mounts are all designed with heat-sensing handles that turn red if the temperature above your fireplace exceeds a safe temperature, making you aware that you need to turn off the fireplace and/or raise your television to the stowed position. The temperature sensor is a visible alert to keep your TV’s delicate hardware safe from overheating with your subsequent actions to your fireplace or TV. Regardless of whether you have a gas fireplace or a wood-burning fireplace, your family can feel safe and secure in the knowledge that installing a TV over a fireplace with a MantelMount TV mount will likely see through the lifespan of the TV, even with the fireplace heat below it. See what we mean about being built for the space above your fireplace? HOW TO MOUNT A TV ABOVE A FIREPLACE IF THE WALL IS MADE OF STONE OR BRICK When it comes to fireplaces, both stone fireplaces and brick fireplaces are commonplace in homes. Despite the fact that stone and brick can be tough materials to work with when mounting a TV above the fireplace, that doesn’t mean that you can’t mount a TV over your fireplace. If you’re asking yourself how to mount a TV above your fireplace and the wall is made of brick, we have this handy guide to make sure you don’t fear mounting a TV over your brick fireplace. On the other hand, if you are dealing with a stone wall and want to mount your TV, use our guide to get started. In any case, here are some of the tools you’ll need to get started: Painter’s tape Tape measure A level Concrete anchors and lag bolts — these items come in every MantelMount box Concrete screws and washers Drill with a hammer drill function Concrete drill bit Socket adapter, ratchet, or rubber mallet Our original accessories can also be added to achieve the correct look. For instance, if the stone or brick is part of a flimsy facade, you can simply purchase MantelMount’s AB40 Adapter to provide the necessary support needed. Are you a sound or audio nerd and want to enhance your TV watching to have the picture quality match with the audio quality? Try out our SKB00 Universal Sound Bar Adapter Kit to make what you watch really come to life. WHAT ABOUT MOUNTING A TV ABOVE THE FIREPLACE WHEN HEAT AND ELECTRONICS SHOULDN’T MIX? One of the most common concerns when mounting a TV over a fireplace is that heat and electronics should not mix. That includes not just the television, but also the attached wires and making certain that the wires are hidden away from the heat source.  A small amount of heat can damage items like entertainment and media cords and cables, so it’s likely that the TV isn’t the only thing on your mind with having a fireplace TV mount. However, televisions that are made today, for the most part, produce very little heat on their own. The concern, of course, is the extreme heat from the fireplace when it’s lit. One way that MantelMount TV mounts are unique is through the built-in, smart heat-sensing handles which turn red when a temperature of 110 degrees Fahrenheit or more is detected. Shop Our TV Mounts Made For Fireplaces THE BEST WAY TO MOUNT TV OVER A FIREPLACE WHEN THE MANTEL IS TALL The height of a fireplace mantel can certainly interfere with your home entertainment setup and overall enjoyment. If you already know how to mount a TV above a fireplace but are unsure of the height of where the TV should be, that’s something that should be addressed.  When mounting a TV above the fireplace, understand that it might be on a higher place on the wall to secure the TV further away from heat and if the mantel is tall. Watching television, however, is meant to be fun and a relaxing experience so make sure that you don’t end up installing a TV over the fireplace too high as to cause discomfort.  Additionally, as our MM815 Motorized TV Mount has two memory presets on the remote control that lowers and swivels the mount, there are options for finding the best focal point for the tall fireplace mantel. By taking these instructions to heart, mounting your TV over the fireplace won’t seem like such an insurmountable task, and it could actually be your best option!

Picture this: You’re outside enjoying lovely weather after a long day of work, sitting underneath a covered patio on a comfortable sofa with a refreshing drink in hand — away from bugs and mosquitoes, of course, watching your favorite show or sporting event on the television. The idea of creating an outdoor entertainment area may have crossed your mind. Our lives have changed greatly over the last few years, and in many ways, people are creating spaces in their homes that can be enjoyed for both entertaining and for family use. One such way that households are transforming their outdoor space is to enhance it with a TV. But, you might be asking, how do you make an indoor TV an outdoor TV? Or, a question you might be wondering is a screened in porch with a TV is any different to a TV on a patio that’s more open to the elements. Or you may have asked thought to yourself if you need a special TV for the outdoors, or if you can simply put an outdoor TV under a covered patio for added protection.  We answer all of these questions and more so you can build the perfect outdoor set up for your entertainment needs. Do You Need a Special Weatherized TV for Outdoors? How Do You Make An Indoor TV An Outdoor TV? Although there are methods on how to make an indoor TV an outdoor TV, it’s not recommended by television manufacturers. This is due to variables like exposure to both water and wind, a rogue backyard ballgame element, and gardening tools that can all badly damage a TV. This piece from the New York Times spells out why you might be more susceptible to considering purchasing a weatherized TV rather than chance your indoor TV outside. Looking to go the route of going for an indoor TV? Regardless of whether you have a screened in porch with a TV or the television is more exposed to the outdoor elements, purchasing a protective covering for your TV screen, like a screen protector with an IP55 grade rating, is an option. What’s more, to protect your TV that’s on a patio, reinforce wires with conduit or a drip loop to protect against water damage. But your best bet for placing a non-weather resistant TV outside is to place it in a TV cabinet or install it underneath some kind of structure like a covered patio. On the other hand, a weatherized TV comes with some level of protection from the elements and would likely perform well in a backyard or under a covered patio. These special TVs, like ones from SunBrite that are capable of having full sun, partial sun, or shaded exposure, are built to withstand extreme temperature changes and can act as more of a permanent solution than running out the clock on an indoor TV holding up to a harsh environment. Additionally, a weatherized TV typically has a brighter display than a normal TV. This makes it possible to watch TV outside even in bright, direct sunlight if you don’t have the luxury of a covered deck or a screened in porch with a TV. To put a bow on the question of if you need a special TV for outdoors, the answer is, yes; if you want to create the best outdoor-viewing experience and don’t want to do constant repairs and maintenance having a weatherized TV is vital. How To Weatherproof A TV Whether you choose to purchase a weatherized TV with an IP54 rating, or you drag an old TV outside, you are going to want to create some level of weatherproofing to give whichever TV you place outside its best chance for surviving through temperature changes and exposure to the elements. One option is to build a weatherized TV cabinet. These can be a great project for the experienced DIYer and provide a level of protection similar to a covered patio, if it’s built correctly. One useful solution to a cabinet or alcove is with MantelMount’s AB40 horizontal adapter that works with certain MantelMount TV mount models.  Although having a cabinet as a structure isn’t necessarily the answer to figuring out how to weatherproof a TV, it is one solution to further make your television safe, secure, and away from the outdoor elements.  If you prefer to have a more slimline approach to your covered patio outdoor TV, a TV case to make your outdoor covered patio lounging setup look a bit more like your indoor living room.  Do none of those options suit your fancy? At MantelMount, we have just the solution: WeatherMounts by MantelMount. Combining a weatherized TV with our Marine Grade 316 stainless steel TV mount will enhance your outdoor entertainment experience so much that you may never want to nip inside.   Invest in a WeatherMount for your outdoor entertaining   Why You Need To Invest In A WeatherMount By MantelMount and Weatherized TV For those intrigued by the idea of having a TV on your patio, mounted with a weatherproof TV mount, there is nowhere else to look than MantelMount. With our WeatherMounts by MantelMount, before going on the market, our team rigorously tested to ensure the outdoor mounts — wherever they are placed in an outdoor entertainment environment — would be sturdy, proven, and long lasting. So, how did we do it? Well, first off, imagine you live on the coast, whether that is in San Diego, Seattle, Miami, or Virginia Beach. In any of those locations, besides sand, what do you get with beachside or oceanside living? Salt. Because salt corrodes metal, we knew that our WeatherMounts had to be exposed to harsh environments, from any coast, that any San Diegan, Seattleite, Miamian, or Virginian knows far too well.  Now that you have the picture of why it was important to test our WeatherMounts, here’s how we did it. We conducted a 720-hour salt spray test that incorporated UV light exposure and 24-hour thermal cycling between 60 degrees and 100 degrees.  In addition to that, the mounts use Marine Grade 316 stainless steel. Why is that noteworthy? That type of stainless steel is known for being corrosion resistant, lending to our mounts being sturdier and more long lasting in an outdoor environment than other non-weatherized TV mounts. Other Ways You Can Use MantelMount For Outdoor-TV Watching If you’ve taken the necessary steps and precautions, such as placing your TV under a covered patio, setting up a weatherized TV cabinet, purchasing a TV case or cover, and buying MantelMount products, like our WeatherMounts by MantelMount, all of those factors make it possible to place your TV at the best height for a comfortable outdoor viewing experience. Whether you’re deciding to use a weatherized TV, a weatherized cabinet, purchasing a weather resistant TV along with a WeatherMount, or are hoping for the best and winging it, MantelMount is here to help guide you through TV mounting with helpful and friendly experts. And that’s for inside and outside TV-watching.

Although purchasing a MantelMount pull down TV mount or drop down and swivel TV mount will enhance your TV viewing experience, there are other factors at play, including lighting, comfortability with furniture — and understanding just how far away from the TV you should sit with couches or chairs — as well as knowing what the ideal TV viewing distance is and taking advantage of that. There are a number of articles talking about the optimum distance between you and your TV, so we’ve filtered through a number of them to cull the best advice. Recommended Viewing Distance The process can be a bit tricky. If you’re a TV watcher that tends to sit back far, the risk is there to lose the sharp detail that you paid for when you bought your HDTV in the first place (if you have a 4K TV or 8K TV, then you spent even more money for more detail).  However, if you’re someone who might sit a little too close, the individual pixels start to become visible and, ultimately, distracting. Furthermore, there are health factors when a viewing angle is so close including audio distortion and eye strain. Ultimately, you have to find that happy medium. Here, we break down the best viewing distance for your living room’s TV screen size. First, the concept of the science behind picture quality. Pixels, Standard Definition, High Resolution TVs, and All That In Between When understanding the best TV viewing range, one of the first things to understand is the concept of pixels. Every digital image is made up of a grid of colored dots or squares called pixels.  For instance, a 1080p HDTV has 1080 rows of 1920 pixels each. That’s a grand total of 2,073,600 pixels; it doesn’t matter whether the TV size is a 43-inch TV, a 55-inch TV, or a larger TV (think 100 inches wide), the number of pixels remains constant. What does change, however, is the size of the pixels; the bigger the TV screen, the easier it is to see them — which is not ideal since pixels should be too small to see. THX — the company founded by legendary filmmaker George Lucas, which develops high-fidelity, audio/visual reproduction standards for movie theaters, immersive experience screening rooms, and home theaters — offers a simple formula for calculating the closest you can get to an HDTV without seeing the pixels: Divide the advertised TV size by 0.84. However, there are opposing points of view. In a TechHive article, the writer notes, “The speaker manufacturer Aperion Audio recommends that you not sit closer than six and a half feet from a 50-inch 1080p set. Aperion also recommends you sit no farther than 9 feet 9 inches for the best viewing experience.” TV Size Viewing Distance Range Via the THX calculation, figure one foot of distance for every 10 inches of screen size. Keep in mind that the viewing distance formula does not take into consideration the field of view from your couch or any glare or external factor which might require a change is your seating preferences while watching TV. For the following TV screen sizes, this should be the viewing distance: 43-inch TV: At least 4.3 feet away 55-inch TV: At least 5.5 feet away 65-inch TV: At least 6.5 feet away 75-inch TV: At least 7.5 feet away 4K TVs and 8K TVs, however, present a different issue. Because of the high-definition screen with the high resolution picture quality that they come with, as well as the advanced clarity and sharpness, you can sit closer, but that will cause audio issues. Our advice? Move a little bit closer, maybe 6 inches to a foot. Are you looking for even more data around viewing distance and TV screen size? This piece from The Home Cinema Guide delves into more of the nitty gritty of how far away from the TV should you sit, in addition to having a distance calculator. Interested in understanding more about the science behind screen size and viewing distance? The following video should give insight into the decisions behind how close you should be sitting from a TV, which includes information from the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (or SMPTE) and the standards for audio and visual experiences. Video via Linus Tech Tips How a Mount Helps in the Optimal Viewing Distance for your TV Watching For a television mount, a pull down mount helps to optimize the viewing experience for anyone — those wanting a more home movie theater experience to those playing video games on the TV — and for any TV screen size. Ultimately, it’s about your own watching TV seating preferences, in which nothing is set in stone. However, by utilizing a pull down TV mount or drop down and swivel TV mount, in addition to understanding the optimal viewing distance for TV preferences, the experience will be that much more enhanced. So whether you are having a big family movie night with people scattered about the living room on couches, chairs, and on the floor, or you are enjoying laying down playing a game, with a pillow propping up your neck, the combination of knowing how far away from the TV you should sit and a TV mount will get you to that sweet spot of your ideal TV viewing distance.