1. A quality tilt mount - something fairly flush, but provides plenty of horizontal flexibility incase of uneven stud placement, good access for changing cabling, etc., can support a 50" plasma, and provides 10 degrees of tilt.

2. HDMI cables capable of 1080P transmission over 30 ft (12m). This is an in-wall installation, so I don't want to have to replace them someday. Should be quality dependable cables with solid connectors - but not a rip-off (dealer trying to sell me on $300 cables (each!).

I also need help talking with my electrician - who's installing this. I need power on the wall behind the TV. It's no big deal to put in a recess plug (couple hundred at most right?) but what do you do for proper surge protection. We have fairly frequent and intense T-Storms in north central Texas and I wouldn't want to lose my band new TV to a strike. My house is old - too. So the wiring may not be quality stuff - is there any conditioner/filter that I shoul use? Can it be installed on a wall if so?

The original plan was to install a Yamaha - but I think that's on hold for now. I want to see the system installed and then determine if a sound bar is the way to go or not. If I do - I'll need to send a cable to a sub woofer - should I just have them run the cable for possible future use?

Thanks it advance!

Mounting TVs above fireplaces is ridiculous! :rolleyes:
Heat, smoke, and ashes from the fireplace will ultimately damage the display; and
Unless you want to permanently damage your neck from looking UP at the screen, it should be at such a height that your eyeline falls in the center third of the screen height. Vertical viewing angle is measured at seated eye height from the front row center seat to the top of the tallest projected image. SMPTE notes that for most viewers physical discomfort begins when this angle exceeds 35 degrees!Buy all of your cables at monoprice.com (http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10240&cs_id=1024002&p_id=4033&seq=1&format=2):

HDMI Tin-Plated Copper CL2 Rated (For In-Wall Installation) Cable (22AWG) - 30ft (Gold Plated Connectors) $37 (http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10240&cs_id=1024002&p_id=4033&seq=1&format=2)

http://images.monoprice.com/productlargeimages/40331.jpg

Mounting TVs above fireplaces is ridiculous! :rolleyes:
Heat, smoke, and ashes from the fireplace will ultimately damage the display; and
Unless you want to permanently damage your neck from looking UP at the screen, it should be at such a height that your eyeline falls in the center third of the screen height. Vertical viewing angle is measured at seated eye height from the front row center seat to the top of the tallest projected image. SMPTE notes that for most viewers physical discomfort begins when this angle exceeds 35 degrees!Buy all of your cables at monoprice.com (http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10240&cs_id=1024002&p_id=4033&seq=1&format=2):

HDMI Tin-Plated Copper CL2 Rated (For In-Wall Installation) Cable (22AWG) - 30ft (Gold Plated Connectors) $37 (http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10240&cs_id=1024002&p_id=4033&seq=1&format=2)

http://images.monoprice.com/productlargeimages/40331.jpg

+1 on the Monoprice suggestion, they're really top notch and I got a bunch of cables from them at a great price.

I will have to disagree with you on the position of the TV being too high though. I have my TV mounted well above eye level, but that's only if your sitting upright. I rarely watch TV like this. I'm more the type to slouch, ly down, recline (whatever :p) on my sofa while watching TV such that my head is at a natural angle for viewing a TV mounted higher up. In addition to this, my TV is on a slight tilt so I'm really hitting my sweetspot. Plus, I so much prefer the aesthetics of a higher mounted TV more!

Mounting TVs above fireplaces is ridiculous! :rolleyes:
Heat, smoke, and ashes from the fireplace will ultimately damage the display; and
Unless you want to permanently damage your neck from looking UP at the screen, it should be at such a height that your eyeline falls in the center third of the screen height. Vertical viewing angle is measured at seated eye height from the front row center seat to the top of the tallest projected image. SMPTE notes that for most viewers physical discomfort begins when this angle exceeds 35 degrees!Buy all of your cables at monoprice.com (http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10240&cs_id=1024002&p_id=4033&seq=1&format=2):

HDMI Tin-Plated Copper CL2 Rated (For In-Wall Installation) Cable (22AWG) - 30ft (Gold Plated Connectors) $37 (http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10240&cs_id=1024002&p_id=4033&seq=1&format=2)

http://images.monoprice.com/productlargeimages/40331.jpg


Thanks for the recommendation on cables.

The rest of your post was not particularly helpful and a bit rude. I don't recall asking for advice as to where to mount the TV - that bit, I'm already locked into. Since you seem concerned - the fireplace in question is a small gas fireplace that puts out very little heat, no smoke, no ashes. I think it's been on once since we lived in the house. If I could afford the remodel to take it out, I would. As it is, that's were the TV must go for now.

As for the height, I think our seating addresses all your rather alarming warnings regarding permanent neck injuries.

But good luck with that cruscade of yours to rid the world of these insidious and pernicious over-the-fireplace mounts.

Well tilting it down can help a lot. Yeah permanant neck injuries is pushing it. cavu was a bit rude perhaps on his response, your reply wasn't that nice either, but you can forgive him as he gave you the monoprice link. It will save you hundreds. :D

The monoprice cables are good and an excellent value.

I have a 20' ish monoprice that is good quality. For my permanant in-wall installs, I got paranoid and bought from blue jeans cable. Super good quality cables at reasonable prices too. Not Monoprice prices, but not bad either.

Depending on the circuit box you have, you can install a surge supressor there for the whole box. Other than that, I like the Panamax and Tripp lite products for surge suppression. The cost of the outlet installation is all relative to where the wires must go etc.

If this is your main theater area. I would definitely wire for a sub. You will want one in pretty much every case. You will probably want power for that sub too.

I like the Yamaha surround bar better than the Polk ones (I have a polk and it is just OK). The Yamaha can be really good or just OK depending on your room.

From: Will I get a crick in my neck from watching a TV over the fireplace? (http://ask.metafilter.com/76345/Will-I-get-a-crick-in-my-neck-from-watching-a-TV-over-the-fireplace)
November 15, 2007 9:43 AM My wife wants to get a plasma/LCD TV and mount it over the fireplace. That just seems way too high to watch comfortably, though. Does anyone have any experience with a TV mounted that high? Will the kids be able to watch it if they're sitting on the floor? Does angling it help?


If you use the fireplace, the wall in question will get quite warm because of the flue. I'm not sure that kind of temperature exposure would be good for the TV; it could wreck it.



A friend of mine has one mounted over the fireplace and it is hard to watch. You have to sit far from the TV or lay on the couch with your head pointed at the screen. Your kids' necks will be sore if they sit on the floor as the watch. To nullify the effects, you can give them books to have them point their heads down for awhile.



FWIW, I think it looks tacky to have a big black rectangle hanging over the fireplace.



There are two places where you typically see plasmas mounted high: bars and waiting areas. Neither is for comfortable viewing. I'd worry about making your living room seem like one of those places.



it's pretty high, likely to lead to a way sore neck. It's also often difficult to route the electronics around the brickwork (unless it's a fake fireplace and has no chimney).



If you're sitting down, you want the TV at roughly eye level.
Plus, mounting a plasma above a fireplace usually voids the warranty.



Agreed with all above. A friend has a 50" plasma above his fireplace and I much prefer gaming on his 32" set upstairs as a result.



If you're sitting down, you want the TV at roughly eye level.

Absolutely

Tell your wife we at the Metafilter AV Club must regrettably overrule her. This is unacceptable.



How high is your fireplace? Surprisingly, this makes a difference.



The setup my parents have at their house is above the fireplace and it seems to work out but it does get uncomfortable to sit on the floor for any extended period of time. So if you've got kids who sit and watch TV from the floor I'd say no to mounting above the fire place... If not go for it, and if you're concerned about an ugly back box hanging over the fireplace maybe set it up as a digital picture frame using an old PC? Just a little heads up tho, make sure the TV isn't wider than the fireplace otherwise it makes everything look funny. I'll be home from school in less than a week if you want some pictures for how it looks just leave a message. Good luck with your decision tho.



A friend has a big plasma over his fireplace, and it works aesthetically if you are standing up, but I find it unpleasant to watch when seated. Tellingly enough, he actually watches most of his tv on his MacBook or iPhone.



My dad, against the advice of the rest of the family, mounted the TV over the fireplace. I'm not a fan of the way it looks, but I was expecting it to be a lot more uncomfortable than it is. It's not bad when sitting on the couch.

An unexpected annoyance is that since the TV is so high, you have to hold the remote up above your head to get the signal to reach. This may be specific to our setup, but as a result, I watch the smaller, older TV when I'm visiting.



Check with who you are buying the TV from - most should tell you that fireplace mantle mounts are not advisable. I think it has to do with the heat and the small amount of smoke that makes it out and seeps up.



In addition to the potential heat issue and the height, I would be afraid of some sort of soot or gaseous residue floating out of the fireplace and coating the TV, inside and out.



Ergonomically, it's a bad idea. The top of the TV should be at eye level.

The explanation from our workplace ergonomics people, who tell us to keep our computer monitors at eye level, is that there's a lot more muscles on the back of your neck than in the front, where your windpipe and esophagus are. So it's easier to look down (with the muscles on the back of your neck supporting your head) than to look up.



It actually could be a good alert. If your neck starts to hurt it's time to turn the tv off and go outside or read a book. I like the idea of making television watching as uncomfortable as possible for the kids. That's why I only own a B&W tv with rabbit ears. Just kidding, and if you don't know what either of those terms are referring to - GET OFF MY LAWN!



I blame those stupid commercials for making us all want flat-panel TVs on our ceilings, because I know I wanted one, until I found out how ridiculously hard wiring it up so the cable box for the HD is close enough without being an eyesore, etc.

As for hanging the TV over your fireplace: It's heavy. Really heavy. Mine weighs 98 pounds. It's too high. Nthing the comments about eye level. Actually, you think you have your head up higher than you do when you watch TV. Most of us have awful posture, and even having the TV above eye level will give us a crick in the neck.



Not only that but, as a contact lens wearer, looking upward and not being reclined tends to dry my eyes out. That's why I get pissed when all the good seats in center and back of a theater are taken.



Well anyway, even if it isn't too high, and it's not a used fireplace, it's still kind of gauche. I think for secondary sets, in the kitchen or bedrooms, higher mounting is sometimes acceptable, but placing the tv in a place that is traditionally reserved for special things, just because it matches the dimensions sort of is not artful, and yecchy.

Something about our sense of balance seems to want something under the plasma. I suggest a sofa table or shallow media storage unit. Plasma lifts, plasma masks... it seems like a lot of people are actually uncomfortable with something about the flat, gray presence of these screens. I think it's an interesting disavowal of the disappearance of "the apparatus." This is how I managed to shoehorn film theory into work at a home autoamtion company. ;)



There are plenty of info about this if you google.

You need to keep in mind the temperature above the fireplace as you don't want anything to melt. but usually it's not an issue

check out the viewing distance calculator

http://www.myhometheater.homestead.com/viewingdistancecalculator.html



I mounted a TV above a fireplace and it works pretty well. The height wasn't ideal but we got used to it.

It is indeed a bad idea to mount a TV over a fireplace you actually burn stuff in. I hid my subwoofer in the fireplace behind a decorative screen.



FWIW, tv above the fireplace is one of this home design magazine's (http://www.dominomag.com/magazine/2007/07/decodonts) "DON'Ts".



My folks have the TV mounted above the fireplace, but on this stand that can be easily pulled outward and tilted along several different axes. It's really easy to adjust.
Sorry if this is redundant, I didn't read the whole thread.



Husband's Aunt has TV mounted above fireplace = several hours of SUCK at holidays.

Don't do it! Uncomfortable, low-class, all around bad idea.

deleted!

But good luck with that cruscade of yours to rid the world of these insidious and pernicious over-the-fireplace mounts.Mount a picture above the Fireplace. A TV has no place near a outside window or above the Fireplace.
Good Luck;)

Comeon guys. He already said that there is no other place.

Like I said in the last fireplace post, my tv is doing great above my fireplace. It is a comfortable viewing angle for the size of the room. My fireplace doesn't get the wall above the mantle hot at all, but I think that is because it is a fairly new gas fireplace with a well insulated firebox.

Oh and I am using 2 10' in-wall MonoPrice cables for this setup and they work great!

Pic (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=111162&d=1211590287)

I seem to have unwittingly stumbled upon the "no TV above fireplace" police.

For the sake of moving this beyond that issue, pretend I just asked about wall mounting a plasma TV - please ignore the whole bit about the fireplace.

If you do feel compelled to comment on whether or not to mount a TV above a fireplace - please start your own thread rather than hijack mine.

Thank you.

deleted!

still, good luck!

Mount a picture above the Fireplace. A TV has no place near a outside window or above the Fireplace.
Good Luck;)
So how far away from an outside window should my TV be placed? What about an inside window? :rolleyes:
understood. this may be just me, but my philosophy is that if ht gear doesnt fit ones room or decor, you MAKE it fit. if you want to do it bad enough.
:)

good luck!

Well not everyone can be like you. Others have to compromise.

To the OP. Check out monoprice for the tilt bracket as well. I paid around $30 for mine, tilts 15 degrees, works for TVs up to 63" and 175 lbs. It is black and has a ton of mounting holes. They also carry several types of wall plates for both power and cables. For surge protection you can find outlets that have surge protection built in.

Yeah you can get nice surge protection outlets. I think you can even pick those up at Home Depot or Lowes.

Like I said in the last fireplace post, my tv is doing great above my fireplace. It is a comfortable viewing angle for the size of the room. My fireplace doesn't get the wall above the mantle hot at all, but I think that is because it is a fairly new gas fireplace with a well insulated firebox.

Oh and I am using 2 10' in-wall MonoPrice cables for this setup and they work great!

Pic (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=111162&d=1211590287)

Looks great - can't wait to play GTAIV on my new TV also!

Yeah you can get nice surge protection outlets. I think you can even pick those up at Home Depot or Lowes.

Good to know. Thanks!

Like I said in the last fireplace post, my tv is doing great above my fireplace.

Everyone that puts a TV above a fireplace will say that. What else could you say?


There's always other options. Always.

Everyone that puts a TV above a fireplace will say that. What else could you say?


There's always other options. Always.

There are plenty of people that have done fireplace installs that aren't having good luck with it because they didn't use their head and make sure that it is a safe option before proceeding with their install.

There were plenty of options in the room my tv is in. I like it where it is at because:

1. It is a nice focal point in the room.
2. I don't have an entertainment center taking up floor space, so the room feels even larger than it already is.

Get off your high horse. You CAN do a safe fireplace install that is pleasing to the eye, comfortable to watch and safe for the tv. You just need to take your time and to it correctly.

There's always other options. Always.

With enough money there are always other options. With enough money.

Get off your high horse. You CAN do a safe fireplace install that is pleasing to the eye, comfortable to watch and safe for the tv. You just need to take your time and to it correctly.

I don't even own a horse.

Yes, it can be done safely, but it's extremely rare that it can be done comfortably. The only exception is if you have recliners that recline exactly the right way and you are always fully reclined when watching (or you watch standing up). There's reasons why professionals NEVER recommend it. Heck, there's a high end AV store in San Antonio that has a plasma above a fireplace in their "what not to do" room. It's just not a good idea to have your neck angled up for long periods of time. It's just not. You may live with it and perhaps have even come to accept it, but it's not ideal and should be the absolute last option. It's hard enough watching a 2 hour movie that way, let alone watching a marathon or the LOTR trilogy.

With enough money there are always other options. With enough money.

Money rarely comes into play. In most cases it would cost far less than the price of the TV itself even if money needed to be spent.

I don't even own a horse.

Yes, it can be done safely, but it's extremely rare that it can be done comfortably. The only exception is if you have recliners that recline exactly the right way and you are always fully reclined when watching (or you watch standing up). There's reasons why professionals NEVER recommend it. Heck, there's a high end AV store in San Antonio that has a plasma above a fireplace in their "what not to do" room. It's just not a good idea to have your neck angled up for long periods of time. It's just not. You may live with it and perhaps have even come to accept it, but it's not ideal and should be the absolute last option. It's hard enough watching a 2 hour movie that way, let alone watching a marathon or the LOTR trilogy.



Money rarely comes into play. In most cases it would cost far less than the price of the TV itself even if money needed to be spent.

I don't even know what you mean by having your neck at an uncomfortable angle? All I have to do is glance up with my eyes without moving my neck and I am watching tv just fine. I have played marathon sessions of GTA IV and Call of Duty 4 with the tv like that with no problem what so ever.

Anyway, it is clear that possibly you have no neck, or your eyeballs are in a fixed position due to some sort of unfortunate industrial accident or something. Also, it may be hard seeing the screen with your head firmly where the sun doesn't shine. ;).

It's just not a good idea to have your neck angled up for long periods of time. It's just not.All I have to do is glance up with my eyes without moving my neck and I am watching tv just fine. Yeah, right. :rolleyes:

Peerloer fur iet swine!

.

I don't even know what you mean by having your neck at an uncomfortable angle? All I have to do is glance up with my eyes without moving my neck and I am watching tv just fine. I have played marathon sessions of GTA IV and Call of Duty 4 with the tv like that with no problem what so ever.

Anyway, it is clear that possibly you have no neck, or your eyeballs are in a fixed position due to some sort of unfortunate industrial accident or something. Also, it may be hard seeing the screen with your head firmly where the sun doesn't shine. ;).

I'm not sure what your problem is and why you have to personally attack me. It's a fact that TV's over fireplaces are NOT recommended. Go talk to any HT professional or right a letter to any HT magazine. There's a reason that a viewers "eyes" should be at the 1/3 - 1/2 way point of a screen for an optimal viewing experience. Those are standards. You can't do that with a screen over a fireplace unless you're standing up the whole time. If you want to put your TV over the fireplace, fine. Just don't try and tell people that it's a good place for it, because it's not. Nobody has a perfect room and we all make sacrifices, you just happened to have made one that most would consider unacceptable. Don't rationalize it.

This is the OP:

To Stew, Westgate and Cavu - stop making this a thread on whether or not you consider it ideal to mount a TV above a fireplace. I didn't ask for such advice, I don't want it. I've considered the various factors vis-a-vis a fireplace installation - that decision has been made.

If you find the idea so awful you must comment - Start your own d*mn thread.

In the meantime, if you have anything constructive to add regarding my questions - I'm all ears.

10th Street: Don't listen to these goons. They read about people bashing TV's above fireplaces one too many times on AVS and then they start to bash themselves.

I have had my TV over my fireplace for over a year and miraculously enough I can still move my neck, which is amazing considering I should have PERMANENT neck damage.

Give me a break. I think jamming a large entertainment center into a corner and having a couch with its back facing the fire place looks tacky.

Whoever said putting a TV above a fireplace is show-offy, I say BS. I think having a gawdy entertainment center with all equipment showing is more show-offy. Having all equipment concealed and only a TV over the fireplace is a lot more subtle.

If you have a fireplace in your living room and have a TV that ISN't above the fireplace, seriously look at how the traffic flows in the room. To me...you might as well just remove the fireplace then, unless your living is sooo large that you can have two seating areas (fireplace, and tv areas)