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The worst place to be new tv above your fireplace. I totally get that it seems like a logical place, and in many rooms it is the easiest option. Many interior designers even say it is the best location, since TVs and fireplaces are often the focal points of a room. Despite all that, it’s a bad idea.
Placing your TV this high, and over a heat source, can not only seriously degrade the picture quality, but it can also shorten the life of your TV and potentially cause physical pain. Even if you don’t use your fireplace, this placement is about as bad as it gets, as it’s often WAY too high for comfortable viewing.
If you still If you look at it after that introduction, do you know how to get power and signal (HDMI or wireless) to the TV? How do you mount it to the brick or stone? These are also concerns, but they are more easily remedied. In fact, you should just avoid these potential problems and not mount the TV above the fireplace. Here’s why.
Read more: Mounting a TV on your patio? Not so fast
1. Viewing angle: A TV above a fireplace is too high
Have you ever sat in the front row of a movie theater? Some people like it, most people don’t. That sore neck you get from staring up at the screen? Imagine that every time you watch TV. Most people find it unpleasant to stare up at something for a long time. Worse, it can lead to neck problems later on.
It’s no surprise that one of Google’s first autocomplete results after “TV above fireplace…” is “too high.” This is a common problem.
Just imagine how far your head would have to lean back to watch TV from those chairs.
Sure, in some rooms this won’t be a problem. The fireplace might be low, you might be leaning back to watch TV, you might be far enough away that you’re barely looking “up” at it. But if you’ve ever had back or neck pain, say from something work-related, you might want to reconsider, because it could make that injury worse.
Most of us would prefer a little down on a TV. It’s a much more natural position (similar to what recommended by OSHA for monitors). Ideally, you should be able to maintain a neutral/relaxed neck position when watching TV. This may vary depending on your couch/sitting position, etc.
2. Your TV is not facing the right direction
It’s almost always a bad idea to hang a TV above a fireplace.
Most TVs on the market today are LCDs. There are more expensive models from LG, Sony and Samsung that OLEDbut otherwise, regardless of the marketing name, it is an LCD.
Most LCDs look significantly worse when you’re not looking at them straight on. Even a few degrees below their centerline, like when you’re sitting on a couch watching TV, can make the image look very different than it does directly on axis.
This is fairly easy to fix, but you will need some specific equipment. Some wall mounts allow you to tilt the TV down so that it is directly facing the seating area. If you are going to mount your TV high on the wall, look for mounts that can at least tilt the screen. If you mount your TV flat on the wall (the cheapest solution), your TV will look significantly worse than if you were not looking at it at an angle.
An OLED TV like the LG C2 technology looks much better from an angle than standard LCD TVs. Sure, an OLED TV is expensive, but if your room calls for corner seating and you want the best picture quality, it may be worth the investment.
Read our LG OLED C2 series 2022 review.
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3. Heat and soot damage your TV
Nothing is worse for an electronic product than heat. (Okay, maybe water or kicking is worse, but you get the idea.) Increasing the TV’s operating temperature can shorten its lifespan, which should be very long and reliable.
Worse still, the soot from the fire can get into the inside of the TV, with no effect. Worse still, the damage will build up slowly, not instantly, so the TV will probably break sooner than it otherwise would have, but still longer than the warranty period.
There is no best seat in this house, at least not for watching television.
This won’t be a problem for everyone. If you don’t or can’t use your fireplace, then this isn’t a problem. A gas fireplace may not have soot, but if the wall above it feels warm, that heat will also warm your TV. There are many people who claim to have mounted their TV above a working fireplace and “had no problems.” But the correct word for that statement is “not yet.”
4. Where should you mount it?
Many rooms are designed with the fireplace as the focal point, and fighting this inherent layout can be a challenge. It’s worth it. At the very least, get a TV mount that allows you to adjust the angle and position of a TV. This will allow you to tilt the TV down toward your seating area and, ideally, reduce its overall height so you don’t have to look up at it. These will certainly cost more, but they’re the bare minimum if you don’t want to redecorate your room.
We have some other guidelines for where (and where not) to hang your TV. Check out Don’t Put Your TV There: Tips for Big Screen Placement.
In short
While stylish and popular, mounting a TV above a fireplace is not the best option for you or your TV. Placement is a big issue, and location and TV height can be important factors when it comes to picture quality.
If you think we’re in the minority in our concerns about bad TV placement, consider that there’s an entire subreddit with over 200,000 subscribers dedicated to bad TV placement called r/TVTeHoogIf you don’t want to take our word for it, scroll down the page and see what people think.
For more TV tips and tricks, check out our recommendations for TV picture settings to changewhy it usually is not a good idea to increase the sharpness control on your TV and the best time to buy a tv. Moreover, a solution for muffled tv dialogues And 7 Solutions to Hide Ugly TV Wires.
Remark: This article was first published in 2012, but is regularly updated with new links and additional information.
In addition to his work in audio and display technology, Geoff hosts photo tours to cool museums and locations around the world, including nuclear submarines, aircraft carriers, medieval castles, epic 10,000 mile road trips and more.
Also check out Budget Travel For Dummieshis travel book and his bestselling science fiction novel about city-sized submarines. You can follow him on Instagram And YouTube.
