Installation
Television on the wall: height, mount, cables – how to get it right
Most televisions hang too high and with visible cables. What counts in wall mounting, from the type of wall to the socket behind it.
A television on the wall looks tidy – if it hangs correctly. In practice we mainly see three mistakes: too high, too many cables and the wrong mount for the wall. All three can be avoided with a little planning.
The right height
The picture centre belongs at the eye level of seated viewers, so depending on the sofa around 100 to 115 centimetres above the floor. It feels too low when marking out, but it is the height at which the neck does not ache after a film. Above the fireplace it is almost always too high – and too warm. Anyone who wants to mount there needs a drop-down or tilting mount and a temperature check.
Distance and size
For 4K material the rule of thumb is: seating distance about 1.2 to 1.6 times the screen diagonal. At three metres that is 65 to 85 inches. Most customers buy one size too small; in the shop every set looks bigger than at home.
The mount
- Fixed: flattest mounting, no play, ideal directly in front of the sofa.
- Tilting: for higher mounting, so the picture tilts towards the viewer.
- Swivelling: for rooms with several seats or a kitchen with dining area; needs more distance from the wall.
- Motorised: lowers out of the furniture or from the ceiling when the television is meant to disappear.
The mount must match the VESA hole pattern and the weight. Large OLED sets are light, large Mini-LED sets considerably heavier.
The wall
Brick and concrete carry anything, with the right plugs. Plasterboard needs cavity fixings or – better – mounting into the studs behind. Timber stud walls and lightweight construction in new builds are a frequent reason for rework; a reinforcing plate pays off there. We check the wall before mounting, not afterwards.
Cables and power
The difference between tidy and perfect is the socket behind the television. Add a conduit for HDMI and network down to the furniture and, if possible, a network cable instead of WiFi: 4K streaming is more stable over cable. In older buildings without a conduit, a cable trunking colour-matched to the wall remains.
Soundbar and accessories
A soundbar belongs directly below the picture, on the wall or on the furniture, never in a closed compartment. Mounts for soundbar and television can be combined. Anyone planning ceiling speakers should pull the cables at the same time.
What we bring
Wall check, mount by weight and wall, dust-free drilling, cable routing, set-up of the device and all sources – and we take the packaging away again. In the end the television hangs where it belongs: at eye level and without a visible cable.
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