MantelMount

Buying a new TV can feel overwhelming, thanks to the endless options of technologies, acronyms, and features available. It’s easy to get lost in the technical jargon and end up spending money on features you don’t actually need or won’t use. That’s why understanding what to know before buying a TV is crucial before making your purchase. Luckily, we have the ultimate new TV buying guide for you and your family. Because electronic items, especially larger pieces like televisions, are more of an investment than inexpensive items you may buy without any knowledge, we’ve laid out some of the things to know before buying a TV. Things to Know Before Buying a TV Checklist Despite prices of televisions decreasing fairly substantially over the past decade, buying a TV — and its accessories — is still a purchase that takes a fair bit of consideration. Before heading to a big box store that has all types of televisions with noise emanating from the back of the shop, take a look at this checklist showcasing things to know before buying a TV. This way, you don’t end up overwhelmed and spend too much on a TV you don’t need or leave empty handed. The type of television wanted The dimensions of the space, including how far away the television will be from the couch or main seating area The essentials and accessories you will likely need to enhance your tv-viewing experience Types of Televisions The first checklist item is likely to be figuring out the type of television you’d like to purchase. From LED and LCD televisions to OLEDs and QLEDs, there are quite a few types of TVs to keep in mind as you research. Luckily, we have a blog on the difference between a plasma and LED TVs. After reading that article, if you’re still unsure of the type of television you need for your space, we break down the types, here. LED LED TVs use a backlight to illuminate the screen, delivering bright and vibrant images. While they are generally more affordable than OLED and QLED models (which we’ll discuss shortly), their image quality isn’t as advanced or refined as these premium options. One advantage of LED TVs is their slim design, making them an excellent choice for mounting on a pulldown wall mount or fitting neatly into smaller spaces, such as atop a credenza or entertainment console. LCD LCD stands for Liquid Crystal Display and is the same foundational technology used in LED TVs. While LED TVs use light-emitting diodes for backlighting, LCD TVs rely on liquid crystals to illuminate the screen. These liquid crystals work in tandem with the backlight to produce the images you see, making LCDs a cost-effective and widely available option for basic viewing needs. OLED OLED, or Organic Light-Emitting Diode, takes LED technology a step further by using organic molecules to emit light at the pixel level. Unlike traditional LED TVs, OLED screens can turn individual pixels on and off, delivering exceptional color contrast and deep, true blacks. This self-lighting technology results in stunning picture quality and superior viewing angles, making OLED an excellent choice for immersive TV experiences. QLED QLED, or Quantum Dot LED, builds upon LED technology by incorporating quantum dot nanocrystals into the backlight. These nanocrystals enhance brightness and color accuracy, providing a vibrant and sharp picture. While both QLED and OLED offer improved picture quality compared to standard LED TVs, they each have unique strengths. OLED is known for its superior contrast and deeper blacks, while QLED tends to deliver brighter images, making it a better choice for rooms with a lot of ambient light. For those exploring cutting-edge options, there’s also Neo QLED, a subset of QLED technology. Neo QLED TVs use mini LEDs for backlighting, offering even finer contrast control and enhanced picture quality compared to standard QLEDs. This slight upgrade makes them a compelling option for shoppers seeking premium visuals. Ultra High Definition: 4K and 8K TVs  Ultra High Definition, otherwise known as Ultra HD or UHD, speaks to the resolution of electronics like smartphones and tablets, but usually focuses on the television. UHD is often the broad term for 4K resolution, however, it’s now expanded to include 8K resolution. The ratio that is defined for UHDs is a 16 by 9 aspect ratio with the minimum pixel resolution set at 3,840 by 2,160. Similar to the 4K Ultra HD televisions which use nearly 4,000 pixels, the 8K version, you guessed it, has a resolution that’s double 4K at 7,680 by 4,320.  As the name suggests, UHDs have a great definition to their picture. As such, if you purchase a television that is a 4K or an 8K UHD, you should expect extremely clear image quality for its resolution, especially considering the size of the television. It’s a good idea, however, to not get your hopes up if you’re expecting a large range of 4K or 8K UHD televisions. It’s not necessarily needed due to constraints of screen type of the TVs as well as the type of camera necessary for shooting to those resolutions. High definition and Ultra HD screens tend to use the same resolution size, so the quality of the image would look nearly identical.  Another note to consider is the lack of resources for 8K televisions in the United States. Most of the consumable content for 8K resolution TV watching is found in Japan. So although the 8K Ultra HD TVs are impressive and have near impeccable image color and quality, the financial burden of buying one versus the offerings of 8K shows or movies is not yet worthwhile.   Smart TVs versus Smart Gadgets Do you need both a smart TV and smart gadgets like a Roku or Fire Stick? Let’s break it down. A smart TV functions like any other television but includes built-in internet connectivity and apps for streaming and browsing. You can easily download apps like Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, or YouTube, log in, and start watching your favorite shows with just a few clicks. Smart gadgets, on the other hand, expand your TV’s functionality. Devices like Roku, Amazon Fire Stick, or Apple TV provide enhanced streaming experiences, often with features or ecosystems tailored to specific platforms. For example, Apple TV integrates seamlessly with other Apple devices, making it a great choice for Apple enthusiasts. Other smart gadgets include smart speakers and remotes. With a smart speaker like Alexa or Siri, you can control playlists or even TV commands with your voice. Similarly, a smart remote lets you search for shows or channels by speaking, simplifying the browsing process. Ultimately, whether you need a smart TV, smart gadgets, or both depends on your viewing habits and how much convenience and integration you value in your home entertainment setup. Dimensions To Know for Your Space Once you’ve decided on the type of TV and whether it will be mounted or placed on a console, the next step is finding the ideal spot in your room. A great trick to plan your TV placement is to create a “stand-in” TV using a piece of cardboard, poster board, or a panel from a moving box. Tape it to the wall or place it where you’re considering setting up your TV. This allows you to experiment with different locations without risking damage to the real television. Consider the room’s layout, including furniture placement and the TV’s angle. Ensure there’s enough distance for comfortable viewing and check for glare from windows or lights. If glare or optimal viewing angles are concerns, consider using an articulating, tilting, or full-motion pull-down TV mount. These mounts allow for adjustments to reduce glare and enhance comfort by positioning the screen so the bottom third is below eye level. If you opt for a mount, decide between a fixed, minimalistic design for static support or a more advanced pull-down TV mount. Pull-down mounts offer dynamic motion capabilities, making them a popular choice for creating an immersive home theater experience. Still unsure about the right size or placement? Check out our blog on four considerations to think about when buying a TV, which includes tips on choosing the perfect TV size and how to integrate it seamlessly into your space. Are you looking for more tips that suggest how to design a room around a television, or at the very least, how far away from the TV the furniture should be? Read our blog on that, which includes details about the furniture-to-TV ratio, and see the image below. TV and Entertainment Essentials to Look For Once you have (or possibly even before you have) purchased your new TV, you can start to enhance your TV-watching experience. Not only can viewers enhance their experience through updating control settings on the TV itself — like color balancing as well as bass and treble editing — but users can purchase essential items like a pull down TV wall mount and a sound bar adapter, amongst other things. TV Wall Mount When searching for a pull down TV wall mount, the MantelMount MM540 Enhanced is a customer favorite, while the MM700 Premier is an in-house employee favorite. For those who have bought larger televisions, the MM700 is likely the better candidate for the pull down TV wall mount as it is capable of holding televisions up to 115 pounds. All MantelMount pull down TV mounts, including the MM340 Standard, MM540, and MM700, are VESA compatible up to 600x600.   Compare our range of pull down tv wall mounts   A TV wall mount is the perfect way to save space and elevate your home entertainment setup. By mounting your TV flush against the wall, you free up valuable surface space on your console or credenza while achieving a sleek, modern look. For the best viewing experience, a pull-down, articulating, or tilting TV mount takes comfort and engagement to the next level. These mounts allow you to adjust the TV to eye level, optimize angles, and reduce glare, transforming everyday viewing into a fully immersive experience. While placing your TV on furniture or a static mount provides quality downtime, a pull-down TV mount maximizes the value of your television investment. With features like height adjustability and angle customization, it ensures both physical comfort and enhanced enjoyment for every viewing session. Sound Bar Adapter Are you an A/V geek? Or do you simply want to experience the best sound from your TV-watching time? A sound bar adapter, like our MantelMount SBXL Sound Bar Adapter XL, is great for creating an even more robust audio experience while watching your favorite show or movie. What’s ideal about the Sound Bar Adapter is that all of our pull down TV mounts can accommodate the sound bar (purchasing the MM340 Standard does not come with the sound bar attachment so it is a smart buy if you’d want to enhance the audio), so you can place it either below or above the television. Other Accessories to Consider A pull down TV mount and a sound bar adapter are likely the top two essentials on the accessories list for many new TV purchasers, however, other items to put on the shopping list include: Kits or boxes for routing and hiding cables HDMI cables Converters and/or adapters for HDMI cables that are compatible with DVD players, Xbox, VCRs, or other systems Surge protector outlets Although the TV buying process can be a somewhat lengthy one with some weighty decisions, it shouldn’t be as harrowing of an experience as it once was, nor should it be anxiety-fueled. Now that you have new, or possibly updated, knowledge on the TV buying experience thanks to this new TV buying guide, it should be a painless and fun experience; once you have a new TV, you can relax and enjoy lounging with your favorite shows, movies, and sports games.

A wall-mounted TV can be a showstopper in any home, yet too often a tangled clump of cords and wires can detract from your family’s new state of the art toy. Wires are one thing if they’re hidden behind a piece of furniture that’s the right size for your TV, but if you’re displaying a new flat screen smackdab in the center of your wall, finding a discrete solution for the TV’s wiring can take your flat screen from an eyesore to a focal point. Before you give up and decide to live with the frustration of a bunch of ugly power cords and electrical wiring cables spoiling your TV-viewing experience, let us assure you it’s not that complicated. In fact, there are some relatively easy solutions for when you’re looking for ways on how to hide cords and conceal those pesky wires from a TV. Using A MantelMount Wall Mount to Hide TV Wires With our state of the art counterbalance technology and automotive pistons, using a MantelMount pull down TV mount, like our MM540 Enhanced Pull Down TV Mount or our MM700 Premier Pull Down TV Mount, is easy for everyone to safely pull down a heavy wall-mounted TV into the perfect TV-viewing position.  Plus, all MantelMount pull down TV mounts come with a wire and cable management system. MantelMount provides cable tie anchors that attach to the TV mount’s lifting arm and help organize and conceal the wires, making MantelMount an easy, one-stop-shop solution for hiding your TV’s wires. Want an even more seamless TV mount system that has its own capabilities to hide TV wires and cables, one that allows for your living room or family room to look as uncluttered as possible? Consider our MM815 Motorized Drop Down and Swivel TV Mount. How to Hide TV Wires on the Wall: 3 Simple Solutions But if you already have the mount or tv stand set up for your specific tv, and you still aren’t sure what to do with those wires, we’ve got a couple of ideas. As tv mounting experts, we can guide even the most seasoned tv watcher through the steps and modifications it takes to optimize every tv room. Using hooks for hiding wall mount TV wires A DIY project hack for packing away all of those pesky wires hanging from your wall mounted TV is to use plastic hooks or pegs, which are often found in hardware stores or online (think of places like Amazon or Home Depot). All you have to do is attach the hooks to the back edge of your furniture and anchor the cords to them. Once the cords are hooked in, they will seamlessly hide behind the silhouette of your furniture. Simply press each clip in place for around 30 seconds or so, and let the adhesive rest while adhered to your furniture for about half an hour, then it should be sticky enough to hold the weight of the wires. Are hooks or clips still even too bulky for where you’re placing the cords in conjunction with being in line with the back of the TV? Consider using velcro strips or zip ties, or a combination of any of the three items. This tip doesn’t just work when you are hiding cables when mounting a TV on the wall, but also when you need to arrange cords and cables at your work desk or simply need some decluttering in the kitchen or bathroom. One downside of this solution is that it is temporary, since the hooks, Velcro pieces, or zip ties, may need to be replaced from time to time. Also, this hack only works if you have a piece of furniture placed right below your TV that’s mounted to the wall. For those who do have a wall mounted television, you already have a built-in solution for how to hide wires from a TV on the wall. Using cord covers to hide wall mount TV wires A useful idea for hiding cables when mounting your TV on a wall is to use plastic cord covers that attach directly to the wall above it and conceal the wires. The cord covers can be purchased online or at your local hardware store.  To successfully hide TV wires, the first step is to measure the wall between the base of the screen and the floor. This represents the length of wire you need to hide, so the card and cable concealer can be cut according to this measurement.  Once that’s complete, firmly attach the raceway base to the wall with screws and snap the cover in place. Be sure that you’re equipped with all of the necessary tools you need to complete this operation such as a hacksaw, screws, and a screwdriver. You could also purchase some paint that is the same color as your wall and paint the cord covers for a more seamless look. Using this method, hiding wall mount TV wires is pretty labor-intensive and requires you to have some carpentry skills. Also, the success of this operation depends entirely on how well you execute it. After all, if the positioning of the cord cover is sloppy, it could be an eye-sore and a distraction that diminishes your home entertainment satisfaction. So, if you’re going down this road, do your homework! Placing TV wires behind the wall This solution is even more intricate than the previous one, but it is a surefire solution for anyone wondering how to hide wires from the TV on a wall. And by hiding the TV wires behind the wall, the cables will be out of sight and out of mind, for good. For this step of in-wall cable management, you — or a contractor — will need the following items: Stud finder Utility knife Recessed cable wall plate Once the above items are within arm’s reach, remove the TV from the wall. Then, use the stud finder to locate two stud-free panels on the wall. One of these should be behind where the screen ideally sits, and the other should be near the bottom of the wall or near the closest outlet.  Once you’ve identified these, use the utility knife to make one hole on each of these spots, which is big enough to fit two cable plates, as well as feed the TV cables in and out of the wall. Once you’re done, you are all set with a seemingly “wireless” home entertainment set-up that is sure to wow your friends and family! Although using this method might be pleasing to the eye for any viewer, there are many cons to this option including, as mentioned before, requiring a significant amount of effort and skill. Also, this method is relatively permanent, so it isn’t the best option for people living in rented homes or apartments, since it causes damage to the wall. Think this option through carefully. However, this solution for how to conceal wires on a wall mounted TV is a great option for those who are going through a full renovation process of a home, or simply a living room renovation where the room is being gutted to the “foundation”. In this case, possibly consider this solution as the most tidy way to hide cables from the wall mounted TV and keep most TV cords out of the way for the foreseeable future. Once you’ve cleaned up those wires from your TV, you are one movie night or game day from achieving the perfect TV-viewing set up for your home.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, televisions have come a very long way since they were first invented in the late 1920s. From better picture quality to more and better facets such as incredibly realistic flat panel (or flatscreen) pixel quality or welcoming the introduction to more organized cable management opportunities by way of lighting cord or HDMI plugs, TVs have made lots of advancements. One area, despite the evolution of TV screens getting to the point of being ultra slim, that can still be a difficult “thing” with TVs is the heaviness. Although you may not have an actual behemoth of a TV, like the Sony 34-Inch of the early 2000s that weighed a staggering 200 lbs, TV viewers still love to watch their favorite shows and teams on a TV that has a nice, big screen size, which often coincides with a heavy TV. Yes, as mentioned, TVs are more streamlined with the flat screen TV look and feel, but the weight of a particularly big screen can still pose a challenge when transferring a TV to a different room, packing it up for a move across town, or even mounting a TV on the wall. If you own a big screen TV that has a lot of weight to it, or you’re in the market for a new one, and you’re curious how best to mount a heavy duty TV (or, frankly, you have a heavy and large TV), what kind of equipment is needed and what type of mount you might need, read on! We have some answers for you as any TV-viewer should have the ability to watch a show, movie, or sports match at the viewing angle they desire, regardless of the weight of the TV. Can You Mount a Heavy TV On a Wall? The answer to this question is... it depends. Mounting any type of heavy TV up on the wall depends entirely on the strength of the wall to which you are mounting your television. If the wall you’re considering doesn’t have any studs, it’s better to be safe than sorry and to forgo mounting your heavy TV on the wall or, if you are capable and know what you’re doing, to use the appropriate anchor to support the TV’s weight. For instance, 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. On the other hand, screws are a dependable option great for hanging heavier items, like a full motion TV wall mount for a heavy TV, larger pieces of artwork, or a wall accessory like a hefty shelf. What you need to remember about screws though is that they should be drilled at least 1” into a stud. Testing Your Stud Material Not only do you need the right tools — such as the correct wall mount bracket, a drill, bolts, screws, and more than one set of hands — to safely install your TV to the wall, it’s also important to first test the strength of the studs and the wall before you begin the installation process. First, figure out what type of studs your home has. If you live in a typical single family home, odds are your home has wooden studs. On the other hand, if you live in a high rise in a city or in a newer (possibly more “architectural” type home), your building likely has metal frames which require different tools and instructions for mounting anything to the wall (including pictures, mirrors, and TV mounts). Not sure the make of your studs? That’s okay, there are a number of ways you can test and plot the layout of the studs in your home. Wood studs are typically heavier and can support more weight than metal studs. If you do have metal studs, however, there’s no need to despair, metal studs can still hold heavy objects if you use a bracket and mounting materials with the appropriate weight distribution for the item you’re hanging, whether that’s a TV wall mount for a heavy TV or a stunning, large piece of art. Considerations for a Wall Mount for a Heavy TV The first checkbox for when you’re looking to purchase a wall mount for a heavy TV is to guarantee the weight of the wall mount can sustain the weight of your television. If there is a discrepancy between the two, it’s best to continue looking for the ideal mount. When it comes to MantelMount TV mounts, our mounts have a range for the amount of weight each mount can support. Our popular 540 Enhanced TV Mount has a weight capacity of 90 lbs with the TV dimension being at most 80” diagonal. If you’re looking for a more visual representation of what the MM540 has to withstand and the specifications, we have a handy spec guide. If you have a slightly heavier television, our MM700 Premier Pull Down TV Mount has a weight capacity of 115lbs and the largest diagonal dimension at 90”. Is your heavy and larger flat screen TV used for movies, video games, and sports watching? If there is some weight that you can still add to the mount, even with the mounted TV, consider mount accessories that you’d like to incorporate to your viewing experience like a sound bar, a recess box, or a thin TV gap spacer. Mounting a Heavy TV to a Wall Mount How do you mount a heavy TV? Let’s just say, this is where a friend or family member will need to step in to help out. As mentioned, even though modern TVs may not be as heavy as the Sony 34-inch, flat screens are often top heavy. While a person may be capable of lifting the TV on their own, balancing it by themselves can be kind of tricky. Think about it: if you’re looking to utilize a wall mount for a 60 inch TV (check the VESA pattern on the back of the TV for measuring!), it is going to be about 52 inches, or rather, a little over 4 feet. Therefore, we recommend having at least two people mount the TV and possibly a third to be the “director” to ensure the TV is not slanted or “off” while being attached to the mount’s wall plate. If you decide to buy a MantelMount TV mount for your heavy TV, the process of hanging your mount on the wall is quite simple. We have installation guides and addendums at the ready for anyone who purchases one of our mounts. If you’re still struggling and using the guides, take a brief watch of this installation help video.   Regardless of installation guides and videos, you’ll want to make certain that you prepare the space around where you will be placing the wall mount, by not just finding the stud to use, but clean up the area so you have enough space to work with. Additionally, similar to removing a wall mount, have all of your tools and equipment readily available so the installation process is as simple as it can be. Here are some of the tools you’ll need or want handy just in case... 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 Step 1. Locate the studs in your wall The most efficient way to find studs in the wall is to use a stud finder. These can easily be purchased at your local hardware store or online. Once you have your stud finder, hold it to the wall you wish to use to display the TV. If the stud finder beeps while scanning the wall, this indicates there’s a stud under the drywall. You can also test by knocking lightly along the wall with your knuckles to hear for any hollow spots — these are spots to avoid. Once you’ve confirmed you’ve found studs, mark the stud’s center with a pencil. Step 2. Ensure your measurements are level You’ll need to grab your helper(s) for this step. Once you’ve indicated where your pilot holes will be placed, have a friend or family member hold the bracket’s slats over the marks. Place your bubble level on top of the bracket and ensure it sits level. If not, you may need to adjust one of the pilot holes slightly up or down so your TV will be mounted straight. It’s important to verify this before drilling because once you start creating holes, it can be very difficult to troubleshoot without causing additional damage to the wall. Step 3. Mark and drill your pilot holes To properly mount your flat screen, you’ll have to create drill holes that are the correct size for your TV mount. Typically, a ¼” drill will work, but this can vary depending on the unique specs of your TV mount and the TV. As the saying goes in sewing, “measure twice and cut once”. Remeasure your TV, the bracket, and the mount, and double check that the drill hole marks you’ve made on the wall line up with your television mount’s slats. When all of your measurements look correct, drill your holes into the studs. Step 4. Attach your bracket to the wall and the TV to the bracket Clear the drill dust out of your freshly-made pilot holes, add washers to the end of your screws, and secure the bracket to the wall through the bracket slats. Attach the TV mounting wall plate to the back of the TV and, with a partner, line up the TV mount with the bracket on the wall according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Still feeling uncertain or uncomfortable about installing the wall mount for your heavy or large tv by yourself with the help of a friend)? MantelMount has professional installers ready for that purpose.

It will come as no surprise that the past couple of years have been on improving living spaces and focused on home improvement. From creating office nooks to relaxing spa updates in the bathroom, three-fourths of Americans painted, retiled, and upgraded their homes to make at-home activities a little easier and more fun. But home interiors weren’t the only areas to see an influx in improvement projects. Sixty-one percent of homeowners also tackled projects outside — transforming backyards into auxiliary dining rooms, gyms, even living spaces.  Many homeowners created these living spaces by adding in a gazebo or pergola, creating a welcoming space that allows for some partial sun in the summer, while also being safe enough to bring an outdoor heater next to the “living room” for wintertime fun outside. And this trend of great outdoor living spaces doesn’t seem to be going anywhere soon. One of the key elements of any living space is a great TV, but not all TVs can be used outside. Find out how you can build the backyard of your dreams with these tips for mounting a TV outdoors. Buy an Outdoor TV or Place an Old TV in a Weather Resistant Cabinet Sometimes, upgrading the inside of your home presents an opportunity to upgrade the outside as well. For one, it could be a great time to upgrade your TV. If you’re in the market for a new TV for your living room, consider installing the old TV outside. In the likely event that the old TV isn’t weather resistant or weatherproof, you can place your indoor TV in a weatherized cabinet. TV cabinets and covers come in different grades of weather resistance and waterproofing. For instance, a cover with an IP55 grade offers protection from water and dust. An IP44 grade, on the other hand, will only protect against particles larger than 1mm and may not be suitable for weather conditions like rain and snow. If you’re an experienced DIY-er, you can build your own weatherized outdoor TV cabinet and then use a MantelMount TV wall mount to get the job done. When installed correctly, our AB40 Bracket serves as a necessary horizontal adapter, providing a 90-degree bridge between the mount's wall plate and the TV mount lifting arm. This allows the wall plate to lay flat on a horizontal surface such as a large shelf or inside a recessed alcove — like your new weatherized TV cabinet!  Using MantelMount, you'll even be able to pull the TV outside of the cabinet and down to a lower eye-level if you like! Mount Your TV in a Covered Patio Whether you’re using an old TV or purchasing a new outdoor TV, protecting the screen will be of the utmost importance. If you are installing a standard TV outside you may want to consider placing the TV under a covered patio. This will provide protection by giving the television full shade while also giving you the feeling of a home living room vibe within your semi-outdoor space. For even more protection for your TV, or if you mount a TV in an area that is uncovered, there are a few options for weatherized TV shields available to buy that are on the market. Standard indoor TVs have certain environmental requirements to operate correctly. Most indoor TVs need to be kept in environments with low humidity — between 35 and 50%. This makes most TVs unsuitable to mount on an exterior wall of your home. If you end up installing and mounting a TV outside that was made for indoor use, keep in mind any warranty terms and conditions. This will likely bring peace of mind so if something shorts out or something ends up not working properly, you are able to properly address the issue. With that being said, installing an outdoor TV gives you more placement flexibility. In which case, you may just need to accommodate the strength and material of the wall before mounting. Mounting into a brick wall, for example, requires the wall to be able to bear 5 times the weight of your TV. Sunlight and inclement weather conditions will need to be another factor to consider if you can’t place your TV in the shade or may be close to any precipitation. Consider an Intentionally-Made Outdoor TV Wall Mount We’ve established that you’re looking for that home theater-like experience... but outside. There’s something to be said by following our tips like keeping cables short and having a great surround system, but it will likely be unfortunate if you are unable to mount the TV. That’s why, with our WeatherMounts by MantelMount, you can enjoy the lapping of the waves in the pool from the breeze at dusk, the crackling of the fire pits, and your outdoor television showing your favorite TV show (or movie or sports game) while the TV is mounted on a specially-made outdoor TV mount. With all of the parts and hardware of the mounts made from Marine Grade 316 Stainless Steel, you can be rest assured that you’ll receive all of the same benefits of a MantelMount with our WeatherMounts. Pick an Exterior Wall That Faces South Once you decide to build a TV cabinet or purchase a high quality cover, you next need to decide where to place your TV in your backyard oasis. You may already have the perfect exterior wall in mind, but if it’s in direct sunlight, you may never even see what’s on your screen — especially if you’re appropriating an indoor TV for outdoor use. Outdoor TVs are built with higher levels of brightness than standard indoor TVs. A typical outdoor TV has an NIT count of between 1000 to 2000. Compare that with the standard NIT count of an indoor TV, 250 to 350, and you can see why sunlight can have such an impact on an outside TV-viewing experience. If you can’t place the TV in shade, mounting a TV on an exterior wall that faces south is the next best thing. Why? By placing an outdoor TV with its back facing south, the sun will be behind the TV throughout a majority of the day. This will reduce glare that you might experience from direct sunlight. Think About Speaker Placement Second to a high quality picture is high quality sound. Consider the type of sound experience you want to create. (Remember: the sound will carry outside!) Is it surround sound in which the soundscape moves from front to back? Or a more front-focused sound with height and width variation, like in 9- and 11- surround sound systems? 9- and 11- Speaker Channels To create a 9- and 11- channel experience, place waterproof external speakers 40-45° off-axis from the seating area. Install the speakers approximately 8ft off the ground and tilt the speakers down. This will introduce height to your soundscape. Then, place another set of speakers 60° off-axis low on the ground or relative to the viewer’s seated height. This will distribute sound on a horizontal plane. Together, the combination of high and low speakers placed at an angle create a captivating sound experience.   Creating Surround Sound  We’re all familiar with the theater-like quality of a surround sound system. To achieve this, place speakers 25-30°, 90-110°, and 135-150° off-axis. This will create a 360° sound experience for immersive viewing. For sound systems that aren’t mounted, you can search for speakers that resemble rocks and place them on the ground around a garden. This will integrate your sound system into the surroundings, allowing you to enjoy your garden by day and your favorite films for weekend movie nights.   Keep Cables Short Just as it’s important to baby proof TV wires, it’s also important to protect cables from the elements and, naturally, you may even be wondering how to run cable to an outdoor TV. Antenna and CAT cables are typically used in outdoor TV setups due to their length. However, most TVs will require this type of wire to feed into an HDMI converter. If you want to fortify these cables from the elements further, feed them through pipe coverings or conduit. Another effective way to run cable to an outdoor TV is to use a drip loop. Instead of running cables in a straight line, like with an indoor TV, drip loops place the excess wire in a circle. This gives water a chance to drip off the wire onto the ground, preventing water damage. Creating the best TV viewing experience is central to MantelMount’s creed. That’s why every MantelMount TV wall mount and WeatherMount is built with safety and quality standards to create the best TV-viewing experience and environment. For more tips like these check back for more helpful TV mounting advice from the experts at MantelMount.

If you’ve ever bought a TV or a new TV mount, you may have encountered the term “VESA” during the installation process. Depending on your experience installing that TV, you may either love VESA standards or they still leave you confused, scratching your head and asking yourself “what does VESA mean, again?” Wherever you are in the TV mounting process, understanding VESA patterns can help you pick the right TV mount and follow best practices for installing that specific mount on your wall. To learn more about some of the terms you’ll encounter throughout the process, check out our helpful guide on VESA interface standards. What Is the VESA Mounting Standard? Most popular TV, display, and monitor manufacturers comply with a set of standards created by the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA), which is known as the Mounting Interface Standard of Flat Display Mounting Interface. The VESA-compliant display mounts also follow these interface standards. Originally published in 1997, the FPMPMI Standard is now widely used by manufacturers. It has helped increase the sale and utilization of flat-panel monitors into new markets and applications at a low cost. This standard broadened to include the full range of flat displays in order to provide similar application growth and economic benefits to the entire industry. Why Are These Standards Necessary? Standardization in any industry can be extremely helpful for cutting down costs and increasing production. As it relates to VESA mounting standards, these guidelines are also necessary to help consumers that match their TV or monitor display. For instance, the VESA pattern on the back of your 44” TV would allow you to mount it with the MM340 Standard Pull Down Mount so you can always place your TV in the perfect position. Additionally, VESA standards ensure safety, creating weight capacity guidelines to hold the size and weight of your TV. Finally, the standards are kept so that display manufacturers can assure product compatibility with one another. So a TV of one make and size easily fits with a TV mount of another. What Are VESA Patterns? While the VESA standard is a universal guide for manufacturers to regulate the production of a piece of equipment, VESA patterns are the 4 mounting holes on the back of the TV or monitor and their configuration. For example, a 100 x 100 pattern means there are screw holes arranged in a square on the back of the display 100mm apart. If you are looking for and need to measure your VESA pattern, the dimensions can be found at the back of the display, in the user’s manual, or a simple manual measurement — the horizontal and vertical distance between those holes is calculated in millimeters — can be performed if it’s not already marked. How to Measure VESA Size If you add a VESA mount to your monitor or television, it can allow you to hang and reposition your display. This allows you to readjust your flat screen to hang at eye-level and view your TV from a comfortable position while seated. The center position for the hole pattern allows the mount to hold heavier displays by reducing torquing force that is applied to the mount. You can easily find a mount that is appropriate for your flat screen or monitor’s weight by measuring your VESA pattern. This will help you understand which mount will be compatible with your screen so you can purchase the right one and install it correctly on your wall. When measuring for VESA size, keep in mind that the most common standards are VESA 400 x 400 for displays up to 60 inches, and VESA 600 x 400 for bigger screens. Remember, if 100 x 100 mm means the screw holes are arranged in a square, 100mm apart, that means VESA600x400 have horizontal holes that are 600mm apart and the vertical holes are 400mm apart.   Here are a few other things to keep in mind when measuring your TV’s VESA pattern: Measure the horizontal distance between the centers of the left and right holes Measure the vertical distance between the top and bottom holes If you’re measuring in inches, convert to millimeters (1 inch = 25.4 mm) If you are measuring VESA patterns in inches rather than millimeters, follow this VESA guide reference: VESA Pattern (mm)  Approximate Inch Equivalent VESA Pattern (mm) Approximate Inch Equivalent 75 x 75 3” x 3” 300 x 300 12” x 12” 100 x 100 4” x 4” 400 x 400 16” x 16” 100 x 200 4” x 8” 400 x 200 16” x 8” 200 x 200 8” x 8” 600 x 400 24” x 16” 200 x 300 8” x 12” 800 x 400 32” x 16”   The 3 Most Popular Variants of the VESA Mounting Standard VESA Flat Display Interface Standard (FDMI) defines the standards for displays such as flat TVs and monitors. Of which, the most popular versions are listed below:  VESA MIS-D, 100/75, C These compliant displays are equipped with either a 100 x 100mm or 75 x 75mm square hold pattern. M4 screws are used to attach the mount to small displays that weigh no more than 38lbs (17kg). VESA MIS-E, C This type of compliant displays are equipped with a 200 x 100mm rectangular hole pattern. M4 screws are used to attach the mount to mid-sized displays that weigh less than 50 lbs (23kg). Manufacturers provide MIS-E VESA mounts with an adapter kit in order to convert an MIS-D mounting plate, allowing it to hold an MIS-E display as well. VESA MIS-F, C These are the compliant displays that are spaced in 200mm increments (400 x 200mm and 600 x 400mm). Some displays may deviate from the standard, such as a 300 x 300mm hole pattern. M6 or M8 screws are used to attach the mount heavy displays, with screens greater than 31 inches in size. The Objectives of FDMI The main reasons for having a standard of flat displays is three-fold, including: To define a set of standards for a range of displays with viewing areas ranging in size from 102 mm (4 inch) to 2,286 mm (90 inch) diagonal To support a range of mounting options, such as desktop, wall, overhead, mobile, and specialty mounting applications To define a set of corresponding standards that describe interfacing mounting pads, wall mount brackets, and other mounting equipment provided by manufacturers Key Features and Benefits of FDMI When it comes to FDMI features and benefits, what’s good to have and identify as an aspect that is necessary? Here are 6 benefits: Can be used for a broad range of display sizes and applications Meets specialized needs and applications Provides ergonomic benefits, space savings, and a broader industry utilization Offers low-cost installation in a broad range of applications Provides access to all markets and applications for displays Economic benefits for all, including the manufacture, sale, and use of displays Final Takeaways The VESA Interface Standard is adopted by most TV manufacturers. Whether a TV wall mount is fixed, swiveling, tiltable, or articulating, the VESA mounting size is always the same: horizontal x vertical distance in millimeters. Manufacturers offer a complete range of high-quality mounting appliances that are compatible with the standard, to ensure a perfect solution for any TV or VESA size. If you’re curious to know what size mount you need for your TV, you can use MantelMount’s Install Calculator so you can be secure in making the right choice for your TV.

Your TV doesn’t need to be the focal point of your room (if you don’t want it to be) but it should fit. Picking a TV that’s too large for furniture or too small for the wall upon which it rests can be an eyesore and it can also create an unpleasant TV-viewing experience. That’s why, when choosing the right TV size, there are a few key considerations to take into account to make sure it fits with your space and it makes sense for your viewing habits, lifestyle, and more. Not sure where to get started? We’ve created a few helpful graphics and references that will put everything into perspective so you can find the TV size that works best for you and your space. 1. Consider Television Sizes and Dimensions When you purchase a new piece of furniture, finding its dimensions are about as straightforward as measuring for length, width, and in some cases, depth. This makes it relatively easy to determine whether or not a particular piece of furniture will fit where you envision it in your space. However, the same cannot be said for a TV. When picking the right size TV, it’s important to understand standard TV sizes and their true dimensions. Televisions typically use a diagonal measurement, from one corner to the opposite corner. What does that mean? Take a 55-inch TV, for instance. That 55-inch television is not actually that wide. The length is closer to about 47 inches. Understanding the diagonal screen size of your TV will allow you to more accordingly plan your room size, furniture placement, and viewing experience desired. Below we have listed some of the most standard TV sizes and their measurements to get a better sense of how to choose the right TV size for your room. Popular TV Sizes & Dimensions TV Sizes Width (Inches) Height (Inches) 32" 28" 15" 40" 35" 20" 42" 37" 21" 49" 43" 24" 50" 44" 25" 55" 48" 27" 60" 52" 29" 65" 57" 32" 75" 65" 37" 80" 70" 39" 85" 74" 42"     2. Think About Your Lifestyle & TV Viewing Habits It’s safe to say that whenever buying a new TV, creating a better TV-viewing experience is top of mind when shopping for the many options available. That’s why it’s important to consider your lifestyle and your TV-viewing habits in order to pick the right TV size for your family and the ways in which you enjoy watching TV. To get started, think about where you like to watch TV. Do you prefer to watch TV in bed? In which case, you might want to pick a TV that’s going to be the right proportion above your dresser. Do you prefer to have an almost home theater-like immersive experience watching TV in the living room on a large screen? If so, you might want to look at larger TVs that fit your wall. If you’re looking to understand more about how your favored TV-viewing position matters and how other watchers view TV, take a glance at our blog on what the best position to watch TV is. Additionally, it might provide more insight into where to place your TV: is your TV placement better in the opposite corner of the room from where your seating area is so it can be nestled away when guests come over? Or would you want to show off your TV, thanks to the clean look that the television gives to your space? What’s more, you’ll have to think about your living situation. Are you a renter and can’t drill into walls? Then finding the right size of a TV for a media cabinet would likely be your best bet. Or, maybe you have active little ones running around, and baby proofing the TV area may be of high priority, in which case, you’ll need to find a TV with a comparable wall mount like a pull down TV mount from MantelMount. 3. What Size TV Fits For Your Room and Your Standard Furniture Sizes? Whether you’re mounting your TV on the wall or you’re placing it atop a piece of furniture, you’ll want to consider the furniture’s size and dimensions when choosing the right TV screen size. As a good rule of thumb, a TV’s edges should never go past the edges of the piece of furniture it is sitting on or placed above, and should actually be about 3- to 4-inches shorter than the furniture’s edges on either side of the TV. Picture this: If you have a media console that tops out at 60 inches long, it would be a good idea to choose a from anywhere between a 50-inch TV and a 55-inch TV (and that means, with the aforementioned guide for knowing the size of a flat screen TV, the choice would be to go with a standard 60-inch TV). This will leave you plenty of space to fill up the rest of the console’s top with décor pieces, pictures, or TV gadgets like a sound system or game console. Learn More About Standard Furniture Sizes Credenzas & Buffets Credenzas, traditionally, sit in an office opposite a desk but they have found their way into modern living rooms as a storage piece below a TV. The credenza tabletop is typically 30"-32" high and 18"-22" deep. They vary in length, but any credenza reaching at least 70 inches (or longer) will be large enough to fit most standard TV sizes. Media Cabinets & Sideboards Media cabinets and sideboards are similar to a credenza in that they are about 20"-22" deep, however, sideboards are typically shorter than credenzas, reaching only about 60" in length, in which case, a tabletop or mounted TV should not exceed 65". And remember, the TV measurement should be taken diagonally to get the actual size of the TV but also the full width of the TV to make sure it will be secure, if it is placed on top of the media cabinet. Tables & Desks While dining table lengths vary depending on the number of people they can accommodate, desks usually land anywhere between 24"-60" long, with gaming desks often being found a bit longer. If placing a TV on top of a desk or mounting over a desk, consider the dimensions of the TV as the width should be a minimum of 3" shorter than the edge of the table to prevent overhang and achieve the right proportions. End Tables & Consoles End tables and consoles are smaller than both standard credenzas and sideboards. Consoles are tall but shallow, only about 12"-14" deep; they will be more suitable under a wall mounted TV. End tables, on the other hand, are not as wide as console tables and sideboards, measuring about 16"-22" wide. To counter the length of a TV mounted over an end table, place a large houseplant or another substantial décor piece on the floor next to the end table and past the edge of the TV to create balance. 4. Reference the Size of Your Old TV There are any number of reasons why someone might be in the market to find a new TV, but before you throw out your old one in the interest of replacing it with something bigger and better, it might be a good idea to consider everything about your old TV that you liked and disliked to lead you to a final decision. If you liked the size of your old TV, you might look for one in a similar size. This will likely narrow your choice down to different brands and help you rule out companies that don’t offer a TV in the size you’re looking to buy. If picture quality was an issue, you might want to put your money toward a TV with HDR image capabilities and upgrade to an OLED or QLED. Not sure about what type of TV you might need to enhance your entertainment and TV-viewing experience? We have this TV Buying Guide that will be of help when you’re seeking to purchase a new television, regardless of if you are looking for a TV set, a massive widescreen TV for the living room, or simply need a small TV for mounting in the kitchen. For those that hold picture quality as the top check in the checklist, understand more about the science behind eye-level TV viewing. Choosing the right TV size for your space and creating the ultimate TV-viewing experience may take a little consideration, but it’s all worth it in the end. If you’re curious about mounting your new TV or which wall mount is compatible, look no further than MantelMount. Our friendly experts are always available to field questions about TV mounting and we’re happy to help you find the right MantelMount to fit your budget and space.

So, you’ve just decided to up your tv-viewing game with a state-of-the-art curved tv — congratulations! It’s good to see it sitting pretty on the media console. Except, it does take up a lot of surface area, and the furniture holding it up limits where you can position it. As this beauty is a bit bulkier than the average flat-screen, you need a sturdier stand, a larger piece of furniture for supporting the extra weight. Could there be a better solution? Like a flat-screen television, can you wall mount a curved tv? Can You Easily Mount a Curved TV? The answer is emphatically, yes! With the right tv wall mount, there are no issues wall mounting a curved tv, just as you would a flat screen. After all, nothing is really different with the mounting holes; it’s merely the screen itself that’s curved! Do Curved TVs Need Special Mounts? Another simple answer, no. In fact, a MantelMount pull-down tv mount will likely work well for your curved tv! When speaking to compatibility, MantelMount’s models can support from 20 lbs to 125 lbs, depending on the model. Despite the larger size of the average curved tv (compared to regular flat-screens), wall mounting a curved tv will still be possible. One caveat once you mount a curved tv is that optimal viewing requires you, the viewer, to be centered with respect to the screen’s orientation. However, what if your curved television is placed in an open concept room or in your bedroom with a different layout? That’s when you’ll be glad for choosing a tv wall mount that provides a true full range of motion. MantelMount tv mounts can easily optimize your television viewing experience through changing the height and angle. Another technical specification that should be considered is lighting. The right tv wall mount can make a huge difference for your curved tv’s performance in swiveling, tilting, and, best of all, moving vertically to adapt to the ambient light conditions in your new home theater. Which TV Wall Mount Should You Get for Wall Mounting a Curved TV? We’ll have to say MantelMount, of course, and with good reason! The patented technology and features for our wall mounts set the bar for safety, ease of use, and providing an optimum viewing experience. If you have experienced issues with glare on the screen, or you’d simply prefer the best color, clarity, and picture quality from your television, you might want to consider any MantelMount tv wall mount for wall mounting a curved tv. With the ability to tilt, swivel, and, with vertical travel possible, regardless of if it’s the MM540 Enhanced Pull Down TV Mount or the MM700 Premier Pull Down TV Mount, these mounts will avoid screen reflection and give a better picture quality. With pull down tv mounts allowing for shows to be viewed with the manufacturer-suggested bottom third of the screen below eye level, our tv mounts can help you have an even more sublime experience — with crisper, cleaner, and better picture and color quality — than you thought you could have with your television viewing. The Best Way to Wall Mount a Curved TV As an example, let’s say you have a Samsung curved tv, and a curved sound bar from Samsung to match. Can you wall mount a curved tv and sound bar together? The tv installation is actually fairly straightforward — just check your wall material and stud positions, or lack of studs, and carefully follow the install manual of your chosen tv wall mount model. For the sound bar, you may need an extra piece — an L-bracket that is incorporated in most universal sound bar attachments and commonly purchased separately. Why do you need this? It has nothing to do with the curvature of your television. It’s because this particular sound bar, like a few others on the market from LG, Bose, Sonos, and the like, has the mounting holes on the base of the sound bar, rather than the back (the more common position). For another example, say you have a Curved LG Oled tv — does this change things? Yes, because of the vertical alignment of the mounting holes in the 200 x 300 x 120 pattern. Not to worry, though, as there are accessories on the market to accommodate non-standard VESA patterns. If you follow this advice and devise a plan before you tackle mounting your tv to the wall, you should have no problem mounting your curved tv!

Reviewed by tech expert Dave TaylorOriginally Published on Sep 26, 2017 Updated on August 26th, 2022 I watch a lot of shows and movies on my 4K TV; there are so many good things to watch! Problem is, where to actually put the tv? I can have it on a tv stand but then it just sits. Boring. Instead, I opted to mount it above the mantel of my fireplace. It's a perfect spot and the contrasting wall color behind even makes the image pop.  But mounting a tv above a fire has one huge lurking danger: Heat! That's why I opted for a MantelMount MM540 tv mount. Attached to the wall, it lets me push my tv flush against the wall when not in use, and pull it out and down, then swivel it to get just the right viewing angle. Great! Better yet, the MantelMount tv fireplace mount has a heat reactive handle so it'll quickly alert you if your tv is being exposed to damaging heat, before the tv gets damaged. A must-have for any smart installation.  In this MantelMount MM540 review video, tech expert Dave Taylor of Ask Dave Taylor has the MantelMount MM540 installed and shows off its various features and capabilities. Watch the MM540 review below!

There comes a time when your neck has gotten perpetually sore from looking up at your tv that’s situated at a bad angle. Or maybe you’ve suffered through months of your tv sitting on the floor or a piece of furniture, slouching so you can see a clear picture. Whatever your setup may be, there comes a time to turn to the professionals and get your tv hung on the wall in the most optimal place for tv-viewing. If you’re ready to call in the cavalry or you’re preparing to go it alone, there are some key considerations to make about when to use a professional tv mounting service or if you can mount a tv by yourself.  Can You Mount a TV by Yourself? Although you can mount a tv by yourself, often it’s better to ask, do you want to? Many modern tv mounts are relatively easy to install. MantelMount Pull Down TV Mounts in particular come with very comprehensive install guides and videos that make the installation process easy enough that you can mount a tv by yourself. Whether you have purchased a MM340 Standard Pull Down TV Mount, the MM540 Enhanced, or the MM700 Premier, the installation instructions allow just about anyone to be able to mount a tv themselves rather than hiring someone to mount a tv. In most cases if you can mount a tv by yourself, there are a few items that are typically needed or useful to have on hand, including: A marking device such as a pencil and/or painter's tape A tape measure A stud finder A manual or electronic level A drill with its corresponding drill bits And your selected tv mount Once all of the necessary installation items are handy, you can get started mounting your tv to the wall. Start by marking the area on the wall where you intend to drill your pilot holes. If you aren’t sure how high to mount your tv, you can follow the 8:1 ratio rule. If you’re able to, secure your tv mount to studs in the wall or use a drywall anchor when studs aren’t available. Add washers to the end of your screws, and secure the bracket to the wall through the bracket slats. You may need an extra set of hands for the next step, which requires you to line up the tv mount on the back of the tv with the bracket against the wall. If you did not hire someone to mount your tv, but rather, you are installing the tv mount yourself and are using a MantelMount product, keep in mind that our friendly and knowledgeable customer service representatives are available to troubleshoot and guide you through the installation procedures. Hiring Someone To Mount a TV We understand, the steps to successfully install a flat screen in the perfect spot can be daunting. If you’re stuck staring at a blank wall or you don’t have the right tools for the job, it might be time to take someone up on professional tv mounting. Step 1. Match with professionals and compare quotes. The first step is to get a quote. You can easily get matched with a professional in your area using a service like Angi’s List or reach out to a friend or family member to refer someone. If you can’t seem to find a specialist in your area, you can always reach out to a general contractor and compare at least 3 quotes. Step 2. Read reviews diligently.  The last thing you want to have happen when hiring someone to mount your tv is for their work to cause damage or for them to overcharge you for their services. Once you’ve had a chance to review pricing, try Googling your professional’s name or searching for their LLC on Trustpilot or Yelp. While your instinct may be to go with the lowest quote, if the professional tv mounting services have received poor reviews online, you’ll want to avoid hiring them. Step 3. Call your professional. If after reading reviews and comparing prices you think you’ve found the one, give your prospective professional a call and speak to them on the phone. This conversation will give you a sense of their professionalism and capabilities. This phone call will also give you a chance to talk about any specifics of the project that may affect final project costs. How Much Does It Cost To Mount a TV? In addition to asking yourself how to find an expert to install your tv, you may also be asking yourself how much does it cost to mount a tv?  The overall cost for mounting a tv can vary depending on the material of your wall, the amount of labor required for the project, even where you live in the country—think, New York City compared to Little Rock. Generally speaking though, the average cost for mounting a tv on a wall is between $159 and $361, according to HomeAdvisor. More specifically, if you hire an electrician, HomeAdvisor says you can expect to pay between $50 to $100 per hour while a handyman can cost between $60 to $130 per hour. This should give you an idea about how you can expect to pay if you hire one of these professionals to install your flat screen.  

Whether you’re buying a new home or a new car, large purchases in life always require a bit of research. For instance, many new homeowners first learn about escrow accounts when they’re in the process of making their first down payment. On the other hand, a car buyer may be introduced to a manufacturer’s credit offer. Likewise, we see a TV mount as an investment; one that is helpful to know and understand the vocabulary. So, if you’re in the market for a new TV mount, or you’re buying one for the first time, there are essential terms, names for parts of a TV mount, and standards that can help you choose the right one for your TV, saving you time and a headache at installation. If you’re ready to buy a new mount or you’re getting ready to install one yourself, find out more about different types of and the parts of TV wall mounts. Familiarizing Yourself With TV Mount and TV Mounting Hardware Terms If you recently purchased a new TV mount, or you’re in the market for a new one, it’s a good idea to get to know the different parts of your mount — especially, if you decide to install it yourself. Here are some terms to know when researching different types of TV mounts. Full Motion Pull Down TV Mount Mount Bracket Mounting Arm Wall Plate (sometimes known as a Mounting Plate) Recess Box Anchors Tilt Articulation Understanding the parts of your TV mount — like the bracket, arm, wall plate — and installation hardware, like TV screws, spacers, anchors, or washers, will help you better prepare for the installation process. For example, if you’re mounting your TV into a stone wall, you’ll need to be sure to choose the correct anchors for the job, such as concrete anchors. Thinking about mounting on a brick wall? You can do that, but be aware of the strength of the wall and have the proper equipment and mount accessories, if desired. If you’re mounting your TV in an open concept room or one that receives high traffic (like a kitchen or office) you may want to research television mounts that articulate, tilt, or swivel for flexible TV viewing. Frankly, the more you know about the TV and the mount, the better decision you’ll make in the end. What is a Mounting Bracket? “Mounting bracket” is a general term for a device that holds two items together. Typically, this is done at a 90° angle, like mounting a shelf to a wall with an “L” bracket but it can also include flush mounts with interlocking to secure a heavy mirror or picture in place. As it relates to TV mounting, the mounting bracket or mounting plate is the metal frame that attaches the flat screen TV to the mounting surface. The backs of many modern televisions include standardized mounting holes, called VESA patterns, that allow different wall bracket types to work with different TVs.   What is the Difference Between a TV Bracket and the Mounting Bracket? If you’ve ever heard someone say “All Scotch is whisky, but not all whisky is Scotch,” you’ll likely understand the logic behind the answer to this question. When referring to a “TV mount”, that often includes every component of the installation hardware including the TV arm, adapter plate, as well as the bracket. And this can make it difficult to understand the different parts of your new TV mount. The TV bracket, or the TV brace, is essentially the portion of the TV mount that attaches to the arm and the wall bracket (the portion where the TV rests/hangs). It’s important to understand the difference so when you find the right TV mount and install it, you can troubleshoot every aspect of the installation if the TV ends up looking crooked or hangs too low or too high. Considerations of the TV Bracket and Mounting Bracket While the bracket is an essential part of TV mounting, it’s also important to consider the right TV set-up for your space. For example, placing a TV over a fireplace may require a bracket and mount that sits flush to the wall, like MantelMount’s MM540 Enhanced Pull Down TV Mount. On the other hand, renters may want to avoid drilling into their walls, in which case using a TV stand or a bracket that doesn’t require drilling would be a better option.  TV mounts come in all shapes and sizes. They can come equipped with a range of capabilities like the ability to swivel or tilt. One of the qualities that sets MantelMount apart is its smooth pull down ability. With lightweight alloys and counterbalance technology, MantelMount is easy to mount high on the wall and suspend at eye level. What’s more, MantelMount has a remote-controlled motorized TV mount, creating ease of watching television after you’re comfortable on the couch. This makes MantelMount a versatile fit for any room and easy-to-use for every TV viewer. What is a TV Arm? In researching types of wall mounts, you may come across the term “TV arm”, but what exactly does this refer to? Just as a wall mount comes equipped with a mounting bracket, many modern TV mounts also have an arm that connects the TV to the metal bracket. TV arms have become advanced over the years, allowing some TVs to swivel, sit flush against the wall, or extend outward. Some TV monitor mounts feature a single arm while others can have two. MantelMount TV mounts feature a single arm that contains multiple gas pistons, offering smooth pull down technology, allowing viewers to create their perfect TV-viewing experience. What is an Adapter Plate? If we briefly go back to our buying a car scenario, an adapter plate might adhere a custom transmission to the engine. Simply put, adapter plates are a mechanism that allows two different sized parts to adhere together. As it relates to different types of TV mounts, adapter plates will often contain the VESA pattern necessary for fitting the TV to the bracket and mounting the TV to the wall. In the box, it may look like a rather unremarkable piece of equipment. They’re often nothing more than a flat, metal panel filled with holes, but they allow a multitude of TVs (regardless of screen size!) to work with a variety of wall mounts, giving buyers more flexibility when choosing the right wall mount for their TV. Curious to know if MantelMount will work with your TV? Send its specs through MantelMount’s Install Calculator so you can be sure before you buy. Different Types of TV Mounts & Brackets When buying a TV mount, it’s also important to understand the different types of wall mounts and brackets. From fixed to full motion TV wall mount, viewers can pick a TV mount that not only matches their home’s aesthetic, but also their TV-viewing preferences. Read up on these common TV bracket terms so you know exactly what you’re buying the next time you’re searching for the right wall mount. Fixed TV Mounts The fixed bracket is the most common type of TV mount — it’s also the easiest to install. Fixed brackets are a great option for those that want a low profile mount. One downside to having a fixed bracket mount, however, is that they do not allow for screen adjustment like a tilt or swivel bracket. Tilt TV Mounts A tilting TV wall mount is similar to a fixed mount in that it’s also relatively low profile. Tilting mounts, however, allow viewers to position the screen slightly downward. This is a great option for those who mount a TV high on a wall like in a bedroom or to keep out of reach of a small child. If you still have questions about choosing the right mount, we cover the difference between tilting vs articulating TV mounts. Pull Down TV Mounts Pull down TV brackets are a popular type of bracket due to their capacity of movement and can be used to adjust your TV to the optimal height. Pull down TV bracket mounts, like the MM340 Standard, MM540 Enhanced, MM700 Premier, or MantelMount’s latest (the MM815 Motorized), for instance, have a vertical travel movement, swivel capabilities, in addition to the ability to tilt. Full Motion TV Mounts If you’re looking for even more motion from your TV mount, you may want to consider a mount with a full motion bracket. Full motion brackets tilt and swivel, allowing TV watchers not only to adjust the angle of their screen up and down but also side to side. In some cases, up to 180°. Many full motion and swivel mounts feature single or dual arms that allow the device to achieve dynamic motion. How Do I Choose the Right TV Mount for My Space and My TV? There are always considerations to make when picking the right TV mount for your TV and your home. Consider things like how you like to watch TV. Do you want TV from a couch? In that case, consider finding a mount that allows you to place the television at eye-level and at the correct distance, using the 8:1 rule . Do you watch TV as you lay in bed? Then you may want to consider a tilting wall mount. Or maybe you’re working with limited space and a low-profile fixed mount could be right for you. Whatever your motivation may be, familiarizing yourself with the right TV bracket and mount terminology will only help you in your search to find the perfect TV mount and make an informed decision, and investment, for your home.

So, you’ve found the perfect flat screen tv for your space but you have no way to install it onto your wall. It’s time to look for a great tv wall mount, but where to start and what considerations should you make?  A great place to start, when searching for a new all mount, is to consider your tv room’s layout. Does your family have an open concept room where your tv is located so you need an articulating tv mount? Or do you have your tv in a bedroom so you are looking for a tilting tv mount? Before making a purchase, you may have simple questions like, “What is an articulating tv mount?”or “What is a tilting tv mount?” It’s also possible to have more in-depth questions regarding wall mounts and wall material like how to mount a tv into stone or brick. There are many different ways that a tv can mount to a wall ranging from tilting to panning and swiveling to rotating to articulating. Many tv mounts do just as their names suggest but to ensure descriptions are correct before shopping, we’re here to guide you through understanding what type of wall mounts are available. A panning tv mount is capable of panning the television left and right but is stationary in the action so it angles the tv. Similarly, a swivel tv mount also moves the television left and right but does so through moving in a horizontal motion — side to side — but does not angle the television.  A rotating mount, on the other hand, is not as popular of a tv mount due to its capability to rotate vertically and most tv-watchers desiring a horizontal viewing experience. A rotational mount, however, is useful for the fitness gurus out there that utilize a vertical experience with working out at home. Many at home tv viewers utilize a tilting tv mount or, especially due to its features, an articulating tv mount, but it is important to understand what they are before buying. What Is a Tilting TV Mount? A tilting tv mount is a fairly simple tv mount that tilts the screen. If you have ever used a camera that is fixed to a tripod, that camera does what a tilting tv mount does: moves up and down from the fulcrum. Although tilting a tv up so the tv is angled more towards a ceiling might not be useful — save for the instances in which there might be glare on the tv screen — tilting the tv downward can help create a better tv-viewing experience if you have to place your screen higher on the wall. When using a tilting tv mount, it is important to take into consideration how high on the wall your tv will be mounted. If the tv is mounted too low on the wall and it tilts down, it might lend to a worse angle than if it was a fixed tv that was not on a mount.  Tilting tv mounts are relatively common with simple technology. So what is an articulating tv mount and what are the disadvantages and advantages of each of the types of mounts? We’ll continue to look into that next. What Is an Articulating TV Mount? An articulating tv mount is a mount that combines the three aspects of panning, tilting, and swiveling; and as all movements are able to be used with these types of tv mounts, articulating mounts can also be referred to as full motion tv mounts. The flexibility of the range of movements in which the tv can be viewed when seated and standing are often attractive for those who own articulating tv mounts. One drawback, however, of an articulating mount is that there needs to be enough room for the movement of the mount for the user to be able to sufficiently utilize the mount to its fullest capabilities.  If you know what an articulating mount is, then you might think that you would need an articulated tv bracket. With an articulated tv bracket, a television viewer is able to take advantage of all of the ways that the articulating mount can be used rather than solely being able to utilize the panning or tilting aspects. An articulated tv bracket would be needed for a tv mount that does not include, in most cases, the panning capabilities to make the mount a full motion tv mount. Deciding Between an Articulating Vs Tilting Wall Mount Whether you’re waffling between an articulating vs tilting wall mount, or thinking about incorporating a different type of tv mount in the decision making process, it is important to take into account all of the factors including weight of the television, the wall material, the room layout and the size of the room that the mount will be in, the price, the lifespan of the mount, and even the ease of using the mount.  MantelMount is the choice for many tv owners who are seeking an enriched and relaxing time watching television while having options for tv placement including pulling down, tilting, and swiveling. With a MantelMount tv mount, a tv user can view their favorite shows, movies, or other programs with a mount that provides a vertical travel distance from anywhere between 26” to 30.5”, a swivel of up to 60 degrees in one way, and adjustable tilts. Whether you purchase a gateway tv mount like the MM340 Standard Pull Down TV Mount or a more advanced model like the MM540, MantelMount can help improve your tv-viewing experience. Whether you are deciding between an articulating vs tilting wall mount or your decision includes any other type of tv wall mount, if the verdict is to purchase a MantelMount tv wall mount, make sure to use the video guides and call our friendly and knowledgeable installers for any installation assistance.

Whether you’ve recently moved in or have been living in your apartment for a few years, making a rental your own requires some creativity. Projects like hanging artwork, painting walls, and upgrading hardware could cost you your security deposit and cause you to pay a hefty price for some small improvements. Luckily, with a little elbow grease and a plan, any rental can be transformed into a more permanent-feeling space without sacrificing the security deposit. One of the biggest questions that hangs over renters' heads is whether or not they can mount a tv on the wall. Many leases prohibit renters from drilling holes in the wall, so it goes without saying that drilling into the drywall for a tv bracket would be very hard to cover up when it comes time to move. The obvious way around this obstacle is to find a renter-friendly TV mount — one that doesn’t require any drilling or placement on a wall. But if you’re working with limited space, placing your tv on a tabletop might not be an option! If you’re curious about how to go about mounting a TV in an apartment, we’ve got some tips for you renters out there. Why Mount a TV in a Rental Unit? According to the Census Bureau and Pew Research Center, there are 20 million rental properties in the United States. A majority of rentals are apartments, located in a complex or a large building with multiple units, but some landlords opt to rent out a single home, leasing individual rooms or floors. Regardless of the set up, the average size of an apartment is 882 square feet and the smallest apartments in the country are located in Seattle, Chicago, and New York. So it should be no surprise that when it comes to storing larger items like TVs, shelving, and storage units, renters look to their walls as a space-saving solution. Mounting your flat screen on the wall also frees up tabletop space that’s essential for other storage in a small rental. Placing a large item, like a TV, on the wall, makes tabletops and countertops available for storing game consoles, books, lamps, plants, and organizers to keep miscellaneous items tidy. But if you’re nervous about drilling into the wall, we don’t blame you. Consider an apartment-friendly TV mount, instead. Best Renter-Friendly Tv Mounts Even if you are hesitant to drill a hole for a wall mount, if you fill the hole and paint over it before you move out, you could easily walk away with your security deposit and piece of mind. If you aren’t ready to take the plunge and drill into your walls, there are other options for apartment-friendly mounts that don’t require any drilling. Pillar Standing TV Mount Some retailers offer furniture options that mimic the space-saving solution of mounting your tv. For instance, Wayfair’s Allejah TV Stand offers a sturdy, free standing tv mount that eliminates the need for a bulky entertainment console. You can adjust the height of this pillar TV stand to achieve the right viewing experience, and at just 26” at its base, this pillar stand is a great, low-profile way to hang a television without making holes. Corner TV Stands & Consoles Renters can also utilize each square foot of their apartment with corner-storage solutions. The Banaz Corner TV Stand from Wayfair tucks a 55” flat screen TV seamlessly into any corner while also offering cabinet space to tuck away game consoles and electronics, and exposed shelves for displaying your favorite decor items like books, a tabletop clock, or photos. No Stud TV Wall Mount If after reviewing furniture options, the best space-saving option is still to mount your television on the wall in your apartment, you can try the No Stud TV Wall Mount from Amazon to free up tabletop and floor space in your rental. This option allows renters to hang a tv without drilling because this bracket is secured into place with nails and comes with a foam backing to protect the wall behind. Once you nail the No Stud TV Wall Mount into place and you install the counter piece to the back of your TV, your flat screen locks into the bracket to seamlessly hang on the wall. When you’re ready to move, taking the TV off the wall is as easy as lifting the flat screen out of the locking mechanism and filling the nail holes with a little bit of spackling. How to Mount a TV in an Apartment If the no stud solution and furniture options won’t suffice, you’ll have to take extreme care to safely mount your tv into an apartment wall without causing unnecessary damage. Creating drill holes is much more permanent than a small hole created with a hammer and nail, so it’s important to create a plan and follow TV mounting best practices before going forward with installation. What You’ll Need: An awl #2 Phillips screwdriver Electric drill Drill bit A set of Allen wrenches Bubble level Stud finder Open end/box end wrench Socket wrench   Step 1. Check with your landlord. The first step is to check with your landlord. As unpleasant as it may be, giving your landlord a heads up will go a long way. If something should happen during the installation process, you won’t have to send an email after something has gone wrong. Start by asking about the building’s policy on TV mounting. If it’s a strict no, you may have to use the no stud solution or squeeze your flat screen onto a tabletop. You can also ask neighbors how they went about hanging their TV without making holes or, if they did make holes in the process, how do they intend to cover them up? On the other hand, your landlord may agree to let you mount your TV in your apartment as long as you pay to have any damage fixed. In which case, you can reassure your landlord that any holes will be patched by asking what color paint they used in the room. That way, you can keep a sample size of the paint color handy when it’s time to move. Step 2. Find the right location. We’ve talked extensively about finding the right location for a TV. Whether that involves choosing the right height for TV-viewing or creating a focal point in an open floor plan, before you start drilling, hammering, or placing your apartment-friendly TV mount in the television room, you need to first pick the right wall. If you’re still having difficulty visualizing where to put your TV, you can easily create an outline on the wall in a way that won’t cause damage to the paint or drywall. Measure the dimensions of your television and mark them on the wall with a pencil. Then, take a roll of painter’s tape and create the outline of your TV. If you need to adjust, you can simply pull up the painter’s tape and try again. Step 3. Locate any studs in the wall. Once you’ve determined the right location for your TV, it’s time to locate studs. You can of course hang your TV without studs using strong mollies, but a more renter-friendly method that is less damaging to the wall is to secure your wall mount into studs. The most efficient way to find studs in the wall is to use a stud finder. These can easily be purchased at your local hardware store or online. Once you have your stud finder, hold it to the wall you wish to use to display the television. If the stud finder beeps while scanning the wall, this indicates there’s a stud under the drywall. You can also test by knocking lightly along the wall with your knuckles to hear for any hollow spots — these are spots to avoid. Once you’ve confirmed you’ve found studs, mark the stud’s center with a pencil. Step 4. Make sure your measurements are level. You may need a partner for this step. Once you’ve indicated where your pilot holes will go, have a friend or family member hold the bracket’s slats over the marks. Place your bubble level on top of the bracket and ensure it sits level. If not, you may need to adjust one of the pilot holes slightly up or down so your TV sits straight. It’s important to verify this before drilling because once you start creating holes, it can be very difficult to troubleshoot without causing additional damage to the wall. And — as all renters know — pristine walls mean a happy landlord when it comes time to move out. Step 5. Mark & drill your pilot holes. To properly mount a TV in your apartment, you’ll have to create drill holes that are the correct size for your TV mount. Typically, a ¼” drill will work, but this can vary depending on the unique specs of your tv mount. As the saying goes in sewing, “measure twice and cut once”. Remeasure your TV, the bracket and mount, and double check that the drill hole marks you’ve made on the wall line up with your TV mount’s slats. When all of your measurements look correct, drill your holes into the studs. For TV mounting advice, always confer with the TV mount instruction manual or customer care line for the mount you decided to use. If you’re buying a MantelMount TV mount, you can always consult our FAQ for TV mounting tips, or call our customer service team with any questions that come up as you get ready to install your wall mount. Step 6. Attach your bracket to the wall & your TV to the bracket. Clear the drill dust out of your freshly-made pilot holes, add washers to the end of your screws, and secure the bracket to the wall through the bracket slats. Attach the tv mounting plate to the back of the TV and, with a partner, line up the TV mount with the bracket on the wall according to the manufacturer’s instructions. If you rent, there’s no need to feel discouraged about working within the limitations of your lease. There are plenty of ways to make your temporary living situation feel more like a permanent home. And be sure to check out MantelMount’s word-class TV mounts and TV accessories, if you’re in the market for a new flat screen mount.

If you recently purchased a home or you’re a frequent Zillow user, you may have noticed a lot of kitchens/dining rooms, and living rooms/kitchens. This phenomenon, known as an open concept floor plan, rose to prominence post-WWII and it appears to be everywhere these days. At the end of the war, domestic life saw an increase in informality. Walled off sitting rooms for formal entertaining began to house early TVs. Living rooms, only accessible from a main hallway, opened up spilling into kitchen and dining areas. By the 1990s, this gradual move to more integrated rooms created the large open concept living spaces we’re familiar with today. While open concept layouts provide homeowners with a lot of flexibility, it can bring up layout issues, for instance, where to put a TV in a living room. If you’re struggling to set up your new open concept living space, we have some recommendations for the optimal place to put your TV. Choose a Focal Point A great place to start, if you're struggling to decide where to put your TV in a living room, is to pick the room’s focal point. Most rooms will have an obvious focal point. That may be a fireplace, grand windows, an alcove in the wall, or some other architectural feature that draws your eye to one point in the room. Once you discover your room’s focal point, work out from that area. If your focal point is a fireplace, for example, arrange couches and chairs around it. The recommended minimum distance between your couch and your fireplace is three feet. But, this would be way too close for easily viewing your TV. Instead, the optimal placement for your TV in the living room should follow the 8:1 ratio. This will create the best TV-viewing experience and allow you to define your living area, even in an open concept layout. What is the 8:1 Ratio? While it’s very important to consider how high to mount your TV, it’s also important to choose the right distance for your furniture around the TV. Many people eyeball this, or choose the distance of their furniture based off the edges of an area rug. But if you’re working with large room dimensions like in an open concept living room, you could risk placing the TV too close or too far away. This is where the 8:1 ratio comes in handy. The 8:1 ratio is a measuring device for determining the optimal distance between your TV and your furniture. It states that for every eight inches in your TV’s size, set your couch or chairs one foot away. If you aren’t sure about the size of your TV, we’ve created a fantastic guide of different TV sizes. Once you know the size of your TV, you can determine how far away you should place your furniture. Let’s say you have a 65” TV. Simply divide 65 by 8 and this number will determine how far away you should put your couch: 65  /  8  =  8.13 You can add a few extra feet if your living room allows, but the 8:1 ratio is a great starting point for your home or apartment’s living room ideas with a TV. You can also use this helpful table if your TV isn’t a standard size:    TV SIZE FURNITURE DISTANCE 32” - 42” 4’ - 6’ 49” - 55” 7’ - 8’ 60” - 75” 7.5’ - 12’ 80” - 85” 10’ - 15’   What if the Room Doesn’t Have a Fireplace? While mounting a TV above the fireplace is very common practice, it may not always be the best solution for your room. For instance, if you’re living in a small apartment with a fireplace built into a corner to save space, there may not be enough room above the fireplace above for the TV. Or, mounting a TV in the corner may create a bad TV-viewing experience.  In that case, you might still be scratching your head about where to put your TV in your open concept room. On the other hand, your main room may not have a fireplace at all, making it even more difficult to create a focal point and place your furniture accordingly. Whatever the case, the TV right placement in your living room may require you to be a little creative. If the focal point is in the corner of the room, try to build out from the corner. Instead of mounting your TV above the fireplace, choose the wall next to it and arrange your TV on a piece of furniture, like a console table or in an entertainment center, that is a comparable height to the mantle of the TV. Then use the 8:1 ratio to arrange your furniture. If you don’t have a fireplace or an obvious focal point, choose a wall opposite your dining room or kitchen area and mount your TV. Make sure you select your mounting tools based on the material of the wall and install the TV accordingly. You can also read up on our most FAQs on TV mounting if you aren’t sure where to begin. Picking the Right TV Mount for Your Open Concept Layout Once you know exactly where to place your TV, the mounting materials you need to mount it, and your furniture’s placement, you need to pick the right wall mount. Just like TVs, wall mounts have modernized and become more sophisticated. From mounts that tilt and articulate by mere degrees, to pull down mounts that lift and lower your TV into the perfect TV-viewing position, there are hundreds of options on the TV wall mount market. MantelMount has created one of the most sophisticated pull down TV mounts available. With counterbalance technology and lightweight alloys, MantelMount wall mounts glide your TV up and down so mounting height is never an issue — you can always easily adjust your flat screen to eye-level. To match the layout flexibility of your open concept room, you may opt for a swivel mount. MantelMount MM540 Enhanced Pull Down TV Mount gives TV-viewers the benefit of a pull-down mount and also the flexible viewing option of a swivel mount. With 60° swivel capabilities in one direction or 30° degree range of motion both directions, this enhanced TV mount gives viewers the ability to watch their favorite shows anywhere in a room with a modern open layout. To find out more about which world-class mount is right for you, get in touch with a helpful expert today!  

Since the 1980s, television watchers have gone from big boxy TVs and their television consoles to very streamlined and mountable televisions with a crisp and clear picture. Televisions were invented nearly 100 years ago — in 1927, to be exact (though the first televisions were sold in 1929) — and one could say we’ve come a long way since then. However, since the late 1990s, televisions have become more widely-sought after (especially with upgrading older television models!) due to the high quality of the products. Even more recently there have been questions about what kinds of television sets are better. For instance, a big debate is plasma TV vs LED televisions, which we will look into now, including asking: What is the difference between plasma and LED TVs? What is a Plasma TV? To get to the bottom of the difference between plasma and LED TVs, it’s important to first understand what a plasma TV is. Despite the fact that plasma TVs, also referred to as Plasma Display Panels, have not been made since 2014 nor are they longer on the market, they are still one of the most popular types of televisions in households across the US for many reasons including lifespan and durability.  A plasma TV is a television display that contains millions of minute compact fluorescent lamps (or CFLs) that are turned on and off, according to the electronic circuit that subsequently regulates the individual pixels on the television screen. This is also where plasma TVs get their name. Each of these microscopic CFLs are pumped with gas and once the gas has been triggered by the electronic circuit, the gas is called plasma. Therefore, the plasma literally lights up the plasma television screen.  In the late 1990s and into the early and mid-2000s, plasma televisions were on the top of the list of TVs that a consumer would want to buy. The quality of the plasma televisions, even on large screen televisions, was a difference of night and day as the vibrancy and tone of colors on the screen had much more substance to them than older types of televisions. What is an LED TV? After unpacking what a plasma TV is, let’s look at what an LED TV is. Although when looking at a plasma TV vs LED, it may not seem too different, which is true, but there are small differences between the two.  When looking at the bare bones of what is an LED TV, an LED TV is, simply, a television screen that uses a backlight. This means that, similar to an LCD, an LED television makes use of light — hence the LED acronym of the name Light-Emitting Diode — rather than a gas or plasma. While an LCD TV uses cold-cathode fluorescent lamps for the backlight, an LED television uses the same foundation as an LCD but uses LED lights instead of CCFLs for the backlight. In fact, LED TVs and LCD TVs are so similar that they often can be referred to interchangeably. Not only is there a difference between plasma and LED TVs but there is also a difference between LED, OLED, and QLED TVs. There’s not a large alteration between them as an LED uses the aforementioned LED lights for the backlight, an OLED — standing for Organic Light-Emitting Diode — utilizes its organic chemical elements to independently light up each pixel, and a QLED — which is a Quantum Dot LED — replaces older LED technology by showcasing a richer and higher dynamic color spectrum. So when you’re shopping for an LED TV, and come across OLED or QLED TVs, make note to check out those televisions as well. What TV Should I Choose: Plasma TV vs LED? We can’t tell you flat out what type of television to choose — although with plasma TVs not in shops, it’ll be more difficult to find one — but it certainly is important to understand the differences between plasma and LED TVs. Although both televisions will provide great sound and picture quality for years, it’s important to consider the display when choosing between a plasma or LED TV.  Trying to make good use of a TV’s sound quality? You’ll need to be mindful of where the television is located within a living room, especially a small one, when considering acoustics. Will you need the television mounted on a wall or above a fireplace for an optimal viewing angle to take full advantage of the sharpness of the screen’s images? MantelMount products, ranging from consumer-centric pull down TV mounts to second generation Pro pull down TV mounts made for heavier televisions, can be used to bring a great eye-level television watching experience to your living room or wherever you watch your television. Whether you’re reinventing ways to make use of your old plasma TV or are buying an LED TV, you now have the plasma TV vs LED comparison knowledge. Whatever television you are using to mount, it’ll be vital to take into consideration the sound quality, visual quality, cost, and energy efficiency of the television to make your overall viewing experience a great one.