Home Entertainment Setup with TV Wall Mounting

Tired of twisting your neck to get a good viewing angle when binge-watching Netflix? Not thrilled with the lacklustre aesthetic of a boring old TV stand?

There’s a simple solution to your television-watching woes—the humble TV wall mount. Combined with the right high-definition screen and surround sound, this nifty little accessory lets you create the ultimate home entertainment system.

Here’s what you need to know about mounting a TV to your wall.

How TV Wall Mounting Improves Your Viewing Experience

A TV wall mount offers a neat aesthetic where the TV blends seamlessly with your interior design. But it’s not just about looks.

As it’s positioned at the perfect height, a TV wall mount lets you safely see the gogglebox without tilting your neck—that’s critical during extra-long binges. A wall mount also provides superior viewing angles, letting you watch the action unfold from various positions and giving you more seating options. 

The tilt and swivel features on a TV wall mount let you eliminate glare from light sources such as windows. Simply swivel the screen to face away from the light and continue watching in a naturally-lit room.

Another benefit of mounting a TV on the wall is freeing up room. This space-saving perk is especially handy for people living in cramped inner-city apartments.

Choosing the Right TV Size for Wall Mounting

Selecting a suitable sized TV is crucial for aesthetics and comfort.

Ensure your new TV fits on your nominated wall with some free space around the sides. Consider the overall aesthetic. If it’s an uncrowded, minimalist-style room, leave extra space around the TV to avoid cluttering one wall.

While big-screen TVs offer an immersive viewing experience, pixilated images become more noticeable when viewed up close. If you plan to watch a 60-inch+ TV within three metres of the screen, invest in a 4K display.

Size matters when selecting a TV to mount on a wall.

• A demure 32-inch TV wall mount is ideal for small living rooms and kitchens where you plan to sit about two metres away.
• A mid-sized 55-inch TV wall mount is ideal for regular living rooms with a viewing distance of about three metres.
• A larger 65-inch TV wall mount is suitable for bigger rooms when you’ll sit three to four metres from the screen.
• A gigantic 75-inch TV wall mount is suitable for spacious lounge rooms or theatre rooms when you’re going for a full cinematic feel.

Types of TV Mounts for Different Home Setups

TV wall mounts come in three types, each with unique pros and cons.

Fixed TV Wall Mounts

The most simple and cost-effective option is the fixed TV wall mount. As the name suggests, this stationary mount attaches to the wall in a fixed position—it can’t tilt or swivel. 

Aside from the low price, the main advantage is you get a nice neat aesthetic. A slim fixed mount combined with an ultra-thin TV will appear almost flush with your wall. For a more advanced (i.e., costly) install, you could hire a carpenter to create a recess in your wall so the screen is completely flush.

• Pro tip: Leave sufficient space behind the TV for ventilation.

The downside is you’ll need to watch TV from a near-straight line in front of the screen and can’t adjust the angle.

Tilting TV Wall Mounts

Tilting TV wall mounts let you tilt the screen vertically—and sometimes swivel it horizontally—to combat glare and achieve wider viewing angles. This is handy when you watch TV from different parts of the room.

As they’re bulkier, tilting mounts don’t sit as neatly against the wall, which compromises aesthetics.

Full-Motion TV Mount

The full-motion TV mount is the go-to option when you need to watch TV from anywhere in the room or even from an adjoining room. This extendable contraption has a strong articulating arm that stretches outward to give the screen a full range of motion. That also makes it great for mounting a TV in the corner of the room.

Although versatile, the chunky full-motion mount awkwardly protrudes outwards. Make sure you get a strong, heavy-duty mount as the TV will put heaps of pressure onto the arm once fully extended. You’ll also need to take extra-care during installation to ensure the wall can withstand the weight.

Creating the Perfect TV Viewing Experience

Some basic calculations let you perfectly position your TV and enjoy a superior viewing experience.

TV Wall Mount Height

For fixed mounts, position the vertical centre of the screen at eye level (or within 15 degrees upward or downward) from a seated position. This location is ideal because most of the action occurs in the middle third of the screen. Use a tape measure to determine your eye level from the floor.

You can install tilt and full-motion mounts higher up as you can tilt the screen downward to compensate. Never use a fixed TV mount when positioning a screen up high.

TV Wall Mount Distance

Samsung recommends multiplying the diagonal length of your screen by 1.2 to find the ideal viewing distance. Therefore, sit about 66 inches (170 cm) away from a 55-inch TV (55 x 1.2 = 66). Conversely, to determine what size TV you should buy for a room, divide your viewing distance by 1.2. If you’ll sit about 78 inches (200cm) away, aim for a 65-inch screen (78 / 1.2 = 65).

Field of Vision

The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) recommends a TV screen occupy 30-40 degrees of your field of vision. Tilt and full-motion mounts can swivel to offer wider viewing angles.

Think of all this as a guide rather than an exact science. The ideal position depends on other factors such as your eyesight, glare, budget and the media type (movies should occupy more field of vision than sports).

See our DIY TV wall-mounting installation guide for more information on how to install a wall-mounted TV.

Optimising Surround Sound and Speaker Placement

The way you position speakers makes a big difference to your audio experience.

Place the front speaker, which is typically a sound bar, directly above or below the TV screen. Next, position the left and right speakers near the edge of the screen at ear level when seated (we hope you’ve still got that tape measure handy).  Face all three speakers towards the viewer to form an equilateral triangle.

Surround speakers should be positioned behind and slightly to the side for a well-balanced audio field.

How to Hide Cables and Manage Wires

Cable management is crucial for that neat, minimalist aesthetic that makes a wall-mounted TV so desirable. You can hide or disguise those unsightly cords in numerous ways.

• Fasten cables to the wall with clips and paint them the same colour.
• Hide cables behind design elements like slatted wood panelling, wainscoting, or shiplap.
• Conceal cords behind furniture such as a wicker basket, bookshelf, or drawer.
• Use plastic hooks and cord clips to fasten and organise cables.
• Hide and organise knotted wires by tying them together with zip ties.
• Position all your jumbled wires in a sleek cable management box.
• Drill holes into the plasterboard, and then thread cables behind the wall.

Enhancing Your Home Entertainment System with a Wall-Mounted TV

Although it requires some effort, mounting a TV offers superior viewing angles and a slick, clean aesthetic. This guide outlines all the need-to-know info for creating an epic home entertainment setup with a wall-mounted TV.

If you’re not confident in your DIY skills, Geeks2U offers a professional TV wall-mounting service across Australia. Contact us today.

FAQs

• How do I remove a TV from a wall mount?

  Unplug any cables, undo the screws that fasten the TV to the bracket and then lift the TV off the wall.

• How high to wall mount a TV?

  Position the centre of the TV within 15 degrees of your eye level while seated.

• Is it safe to mount a TV on the wall?

  Mounting a TV to the wall is safe, provided you install it correctly and use an appropriate bracket.

• What types of TV wall mount brackets are available?

  The best TV wall mounts include fixed mounts, tilt mounts, and full-motion mounts.

• Can wall mounting benefit small rooms?

  Wall-mounting a TV will save precious space in a small room.

• What tools do I need for TV wall mount installation?

  You’ll need a stud finder, a drill with drill bits, a level, a screwdriver, a pencil, and painter’s tape.

• How do you hide cables from a wall-mounted TV?

  Try using furniture, hooks, cable ties, or design elements to hide your cables.