Mounting a Plasma above a fireplace

Jody C Robins · 08-04-2005, 01:03 PM

I recently bought a home, and I knew setting up my HT would be a pain. The layout in the living room is not good. Luckily, I need to get a new TV anyway, so I've got some options. (FP is not one of them!) What it's come down to is I either put a TV in front of my fireplace (DLP) or above it (Plasma). Either way, it makes the fireplace useless. Seeing as how I live in Houston, that is not a problem. Unfortunately, putting a TV in front of the fireplace just looks stupid. But putting a plasma on the wall above it puts the TV about 2' too high for comfortable viewing. Does anyone know of some sort of plasma mount that would allow me to pull it forward about 6" (to clear the mantle), and then downward 2'? A friend told me he actually saw something along those lines on 'Cribs'. Any ideas are much appreciated - thanks!

Allan Jayne · 08-07-2005, 07:48 AM

That's going to be difficult. I don't know of any solutions.

A plasma TV is heavy for its size. I am guessing that a 42 inch plasma weights more than fifty pounds. A mount of the kind you describe will need to have springs or counterweights or winches, which will be unsightly and/or put the TV some distance away from the wall.

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Jody C Robins · 08-08-2005, 07:13 AM

Well, there are many that I've found that pull out and swivel from side to side - I'm surprised no one has come up with anything to swivel (or slide) up and down.

Allan Jayne · 08-10-2005, 10:06 AM

Pivots that allow pull out and swinging from side to side are much simpler mechanically. Just a pull handle will do. Vertical motion requires more complex load bearing parts. But even horizontal only moving systems do require a solid support where they attach to the wall, and the acceptable weight load depends on how far from the mounting point the item is pulled out.

Consider the TV sitting on a table. Pushing it from side to side is easy. Lifting it off of the table is more difficult.

Paul Padilla · 08-10-2005, 10:21 AM

Hi Jody, (the first post was a misfire.)

I've had my 50" plasma above my fire place for 6 or 7 months now and we love it. For me, the extra height really didn't take much getting used to at all. I know that head height is ideal, but I had no problems adjusting.

Also, mounting it above the fireplace doesn't negate the use of the fireplace itself unless you have ventillation issues which could lead to soot being deposited on the screen. And as for heat, I did a quick temperature check after building a roaring fire and I was fine. There is definitely some extra things to take into consideration such as running cables, but we couldn't be happier. Here's a link to what it looks like. http://members.cox.net/ptpadilla/ht_table.htm

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Jody C Robins · 08-10-2005, 10:25 AM

Yeah, it would be harder to implement, but it is certainly possible. Instead of just depending on the hinge/joint for support, there could be some sort of adjustable "kick stands" on the back to brace against the wall.

If I end up putting it on a table/rack, then I'll probably go with a cheaper, better looking, DLP. The whole draw of the plasma is the possibility of mounting it on the wall

Parker Clack · 08-10-2005, 10:35 AM

Paul:

Great looking room you have set up there. Very elegant.

Parker

Paul Padilla · 08-15-2005, 02:50 PM

Thanks.

Jody C Robins · 08-15-2005, 02:59 PM

Paul

Looks great - esp that frame around the TV. How high is the bottom of the TV and how far away is the couch that faces it dirctly? Thanks.

Paul Padilla · 08-15-2005, 03:28 PM

Thanks Jody. Maaaan...it was tons of work, but I'm happy with how it turned out. To be honest, the first picture is how it looked with the previous owners...but it's great for contrast. The whole thing started as "where the hell can we put a TV in this room?" and we ended up waiting about a year and jumped in and did this whole project.

If I remember correctly, the top of the mantle is 48 and then it's about another 10" to the frame of the plasma...so I'll call it 5 feet.

The loveseat I believe is 9 feet from the screen.

"Hide the technology" was, of course, the order of the day and my wife was initially looking into those plasma picture frames where the painting comes down and covers up the screen when it's not in use. Of course when we saw that they run 3 grand and up that derailed that (thankfully). Like most guys I enjoy the pieces, parts, lights and doo-dads. The recessed panels beneath the lights on either side are actually spaced away from the drywall by a couple of inches so I could run cables behind them and into the cabinet on the right.