Mounting and placing a TV: viewing distance, height and wall-mount safety

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Where you put a TV matters almost as much as which TV you buy. Too high, too far away or badly secured, and even a great screen becomes uncomfortable or unsafe. Here is how to plan placement, and what to check before you drill.

Viewing distance

There is no single correct distance, but industry guidelines give a useful range based on how much of your field of view the screen fills.

SMPTE, the film and television engineering body, is commonly cited for a viewing angle of around 30 degrees. That works out to sitting at roughly 1.6 times the screen's diagonal.
THX recommends around 40 degrees for a more cinematic feel, which means sitting at about 1.2 times the diagonal.

So for a 55-inch TV, the guidelines put you roughly between 1.7 and 2.3 metres away. Higher resolutions let you sit closer without seeing the structure of the picture, which is one reason 4K suits larger screens. If you watch mostly news and daytime television, further back is fine. If you love films and games, closer and larger is more immersive.

Height

The most common mistake is mounting a TV too high.

Aim for the centre of the screen to be close to your eye level when seated. For most sofas, that is lower than people expect.
Above a fireplace is a popular spot but often too high for comfort, which can mean neck strain during long viewing. Heat and soot from a working fireplace can also be a concern. If you must go high, a tilting or pull-down mount helps.
In bedrooms, a slightly higher placement with a downward tilt can suit viewing from bed.

Choosing a wall mount

Fixed mounts sit close to the wall and are the simplest.
Tilting mounts angle the screen down, useful when the TV is above eye level.
Full-motion mounts swing out and turn. They are flexible but put more leverage on the wall fixings.

Check two things on any mount:

The VESA pattern, the spacing of the screw holes on the back of the TV, which must match the mount.
The weight and size rating, which must exceed your TV's weight with a margin. The rating assumes the mount is fixed correctly to a suitable wall.

Wall safety

The wall matters as much as the mount.

Timber studs or solid masonry are the strongest fixing points. Find studs with a detector and confirm them before drilling.
Plasterboard alone is generally not strong enough for a TV. Use fixings designed for heavy loads and follow the mount maker's instructions.
Check for hidden pipes and cables before drilling, using a detector, and avoid areas directly above or below sockets and switches.
Use the supplied hardware unless your wall type needs something different, in which case use fixings rated for it.
Get help. Lifting a large TV onto a mount is a two-person job.

If you are unsure about your wall or the weight involved, a professional installer is worth it.

Cables

Running cables inside a wall looks tidy, but rules on mains cables inside walls vary by country, and some cables are not rated for in-wall use. Surface cable covers are a simple alternative.

If the TV stays on furniture

TVs that tip over can seriously injure children. If the TV is on a stand:

Use furniture designed for a TV, wide and stable enough for its size.
Fit an anti-tip strap anchored securely to the wall, ideally into a stud.
Secure the furniture too, so it cannot topple.
Keep remotes and toys off the TV unit so children are not tempted to climb.
Tidy away dangling cables that could be pulled.

Glare and light

Avoid placing the TV directly opposite a window. Light behind the viewer reflects off the screen; light behind the TV is easier on the eyes. How high did you mount your TV, and would you do it differently next time? Tell us in the comments.