TV Wall Mount: More than Your Average Wall Hanging

The days when a single box television was placed on a table or in entertainment shelving are coming to an end. You may find yourself wistful for simpler times, but new televisions have benefits for your home that shouldn't be ignored. Newer technology isn't just about high definition and pixel counts hooked up to surround sound audio systems. Flat screens are now enabling homeowners to recapture lost floor space in their living rooms, family rooms, basements, and bedrooms. Installing a TV wall mount that will enable you to get rid of that clunky table or shelving unit may very well improve your home more than the new television will improve the quality of your spare time.

Plasma TV Wall Mount/LCD Wall Mount
A TV wall mount is most commonly used to refer to plasma TV and LCD wall mounts. Naturally, a box television set can also be wall-mounted. If you're interested in this type of TV wall mount, you probably just need to look for advice or a contractor who can install wall cabinets or shelving. Usually, there's a way to artfully camouflage any necessary wiring for a box set television. You can hire an electrician to run extra wiring through the walls to your television, but most homeowners don't like to pay substantially more for their TV installation than the TV itself.

LCD/Plasma TV Wall Mount Installation
The two primary skills required for installing a LCD or plasma TV wall mount is the ability to locate the support rail to one or more wall studs and a working knowledge of home electric systems, where you feel comfortable running wiring for your power cables and video feeds. If you know how to find wall studs and have basic carpentry skills, you may hire an electrician and then proceed to finish the project on your own. Otherwise, it's probably best to hire one contractor who can do both jobs.

One of the only differences between a plasma TV and LCD (liquid crystal display), as far as installation goes is that a mid-sized LCD is significantly lighter than its plasma counterpart. This means for a small or mid-sized LCD you can get away with attaching the mount to just one wall stud, although you'll still need to tie down the other end with some kind of anchor.

Plasma TVs have been a more popular choice for homeowners due to superior brightness, a wider viewing angle, and a broader color spectrum. However, just recently, LCD technology has begun to catch up and its lighter weight display is one trait in which the LCD is, in fact, superior. Market analysts are now beginning to see LCD televisions overtake their plasma counterparts.

Customize Your Room and Your TV Wall Mount
One of the greatest things about TV wall mounts is just the space they save in your home, but the increased versatility they give to your interior decorating ideas. For example, if you're worried about your new television dominating all your free time and blunting conversation with guests, put an extra chair or two underneath the television. You and your guests may sit down to enjoy each other's company, but if your living room furniture is all pointed in the direction of the new, appealing TV a lull in the conversation may lead to retreating into a digital anesthetic. Of course, you'll still have a couch or some furniture set up for those times when all you want to do is chill in front of the TV. On the other hand, you can also put some bookshelves, the coffee table, or leave the space open and put all your sitting furniture around your wall mounted television, if you want the room to imitate a home theater.