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42" to 50" Plasma above fireplace: is 52 inches up too high?

G

gypsyman

Senior member
I plan on getting a new Plasma soon, and I need some input. I am looking in the 46" to 50" size. The practical place to put this Plasma would be above my fireplace. The top of the mantle is 52 inches and that is where the set would be attached to the wall. Thus the bottom of the set would be at the 52 inch high level. I have heard that they should be at eye level. Is this too high of a viewing angle or will the picture appear just as nice as if it were at eye level. Thanks for any help.
 
Don't do it. Don't put the TV above the mantle at that height. I know it's fashionable, but don't do it unless you want to never enjoy your TV.

Center of the screen needs to be at eye level.
 
Thanks Spidey. I have no expertise in this, but I have seen picutres of them up there. I guess I will have to find an alternative plan.
 
Originally posted by: gypsyman
Thanks Spidey. I have no expertise in this, but I have seen picutres of them up there. I guess I will have to find an alternative plan.
Click to expand...

Well I'm the minority opinion here so keep that in mind.

It's very popular to have the TV above the mantle, however it is extremely unpractical. It's like sitting in the very first row in a movie theater. Sure you can show it off, but you'll not really get the enjoyment out of it that you could.

The only analogy I can think of is having a beautiful kitchen that looks really good, but it doesn't functionally work.

Ever try to watch TV at an airport? That's what having it above the mantle will be like. Do that for a movie, 2 hours.
 
I have a 50" up about that high, and we sit about 12' away. It's not ideal, but I don't have a problem with it. it has the added benefit of being easily visible from other areas of the house as well.
 
I'm with Spidey. In fact, I have a room where I really wish I could put my 42" inch plasma above the fireplace - artistically, it just makes so much sense. But I won't do it, because it's our main tv, and I know what a strain it would be over time on the neck of the viewers.
 
Originally posted by: spidey07
Originally posted by: gypsyman
Thanks Spidey. I have no expertise in this, but I have seen picutres of them up there. I guess I will have to find an alternative plan.
Click to expand...

Well I'm the minority opinion here so keep that in mind.

It's very popular to have the TV above the mantle, however it is extremely unpractical. It's like sitting in the very first row in a movie theater. Sure you can show it off, but you'll not really get the enjoyment out of it that you could.

The only analogy I can think of is having a beautiful kitchen that looks really good, but it doesn't functionally work.

Ever try to watch TV at an airport? That's what having it above the mantle will be like. Do that for a movie, 2 hours.
Click to expand...

I have a 50" plasma above my fireplace and it looks very nice, but is fairly uncomfortable to watch for long periods (if you have a reclining seat it is much more tolerable though). That said we don't watch very much tv so it's not a big deal, but if you're going to be using the tv a lot then rethink the location.
 
Originally posted by: Rio Rebel
I'm with Spidey. In fact, I have a room where I really wish I could put my 42" inch plasma above the fireplace - artistically, it just makes so much sense. But I won't do it, because it's our main tv, and I know what a strain it would be over time on the neck of the viewers.
Click to expand...

Same here. From a coolness perspective you get +1,000 points for putting a LCD/Plasma above a fireplace. However, you then lose 10,000 points every time you use it at that height. I would love to stick a 50" monitor above my fireplace and just have it rotate artwork form a mac mini or flash drive. However, it would never be my primary set, and would likely never even be connected to cable/sat.

As far as heat is concerned, that REALLY depends on the fireplace and the room dynamics. Our fireplace (natural gas) has a 2 story vaulted ceiling over it, and it's designed to heat the room via a blower which pushes the heat away from it. There is no real difference in heat above the mantle when compared to the rest of the room. If you have an older home, or a more traditional wood fireplace or coal stove type of setup, than yes it would be stupid on many levels to put a LCD/Plasma somewhere where it will intentionally be at a higher ambient temperature. However, many newer homes don't use these setups and heat really isn't an issue.

In any case, I too agree with spidey (incase you haven't figured that out yet!). If this set is going to be a primary TV/movie watching device, than it belongs at a reasonable height. Center of the screen should be around eye level at your seating location. Perhaps a bit above or a bit below. 52" at the bottom of the screen would make it perfect for me to watch when I'm standing (and I'm 6'5"). However, that would lead to a very uncomfortable viewing experience if I was sitting or laying down. And lets face it, we all generally watch TV while sitting down (at least other than the morning news while you are making breakfast).
 
Originally posted by: spidey07
Don't do it. Don't put the TV above the mantle at that height. I know it's fashionable, but don't do it unless you want to never enjoy your TV.

Center of the screen needs to be at eye level.
Click to expand...

What about using a tilting mount??? I have my plasma 46" up (from floor to bottom of TV) and I just use the Tilting mount to get it to a comfortable viewing angle.
 
Originally posted by: Nutdotnet
Originally posted by: spidey07
Don't do it. Don't put the TV above the mantle at that height. I know it's fashionable, but don't do it unless you want to never enjoy your TV.

Center of the screen needs to be at eye level.
Click to expand...

What about using a tilting mount??? I have my plasma 46" up (from floor to bottom of TV) and I just use the Tilting mount to get it to a comfortable viewing angle.
Click to expand...

Well yeah, the tilt mount is an absolute must. This is a crappy Christmas tree picture of what mine looks like tilted. As you can see, it's still very high, but it really isn't all that uncomfortable; of course, I don't watch hours of tv at a time and we have other televisions.
 
Originally posted by: Descartes
Originally posted by: Nutdotnet
Originally posted by: spidey07
Don't do it. Don't put the TV above the mantle at that height. I know it's fashionable, but don't do it unless you want to never enjoy your TV.

Center of the screen needs to be at eye level.
Click to expand...

What about using a tilting mount??? I have my plasma 46" up (from floor to bottom of TV) and I just use the Tilting mount to get it to a comfortable viewing angle.
Click to expand...

Well yeah, the tilt mount is an absolute must. This is a crappy Christmas tree picture of what mine looks like tilted. As you can see, it's still very high, but it really isn't all that uncomfortable; of course, I don't watch hours of tv at a time and we have other televisions.
Click to expand...

Yeah...but if you pulled the seating out then it would be just fine.

I think mounting TV's as high as you want is 100% kosher, it just has to work with your seating and theatre arrangement.
 
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