Three Stud Mounting

This thread isn't turning out to be nearly as dirty as it sounded. 

Is there any possible way you could mount the TV somewhere other than over the fireplace?  This is one of those things that makes perfect sense from the standpoint of interior decoration and room aesthetics but tends not to make any sense at all from the standpoint of having a functional home theater.  In this respect they are like in-ceiling speakers.  Those are inconspicuous, but they also sound bad and can't produce genuine surround sound.  (Every been in a theater with in-ceiling speakers?  Where do you find such speakers?  Airports, supermarkets, hospitals.  Where would you rather watch a movie? )

Over-the-firelplace installations are almost invariably too high and produce neck strain with extended viewing.  (The ideal position for a TV is like that for a painting - the center should be slightly above eye level from the primary viewing position.  We generally look at paintings while standing up and close by, so we mount them so they can be comfortably viewed by an average person standing a couple of feet in front of them.  A TV should be mounted with the horizontal center line a bit above the eyeline of someone seated in the primary viewing position.  In your case that would probably be just below the mantle of your fireplace.  Your TV is going to be at least a foot or two too high, and that will affect your viewing experience.)

Yes, I know the fireplace is a focal point of the room, and the TV is supposed to be a well.  Where possible I suggest that people get "L" shaped sectionals and create two focal points for the room - one leg facing the fireplace and the other facing a TV mounted on the wall opposite.  Some friends of mine even created a conversation area with a couple of arm chairs by the fireplace, and created a separate space within their large room for the sofa and TV/HT. 

Just something to think about. 

Regards,

Joe

Hi James,

First off, I want to second what Joe mentioned in his post.  Do give it some thought.

If however, a change in plans is not in the works, and you need to find a way to mount the set over the fireplace, here's something I would probably consider:

Mount two 2x4s horizontally (and flat) across all three studs - space them vertically so that you can attach your Peerless mount to the 2x4s.  You can bevel the ends of the 2x4's and paint them to match the walls so they're as inconspicuous as possible.  You could even recess them another half inch by cutting away the drywall and creating "channels" for the 2x4s.  Caulk when you're all done and there you go.

James:

I should add that I've never wall-mounted a TV, so unfortunately had nothing useful to say about the specific problem you asked about.    But I did want to encourage you to consider alternatives if available, because the apparent advantages to mounting a set over a fireplace are pretty obvious, while the disadvantages (among which are possible heat and soot issues) are less so.  Whichever way you go, good luck.  Jason's suggestions sound like good ones. 

Regards,

Joe

Most mounts have four mounting points for a reason - to adequately support the weight of your beautiful new plasma TV.  I advise using all of them.  Remember - the warranty doesn't cover damage due to the set falling off the wall.

I'm going to borrow this thread for a similar question :)

I'm going to wall mount my 50" Plasma. I've got 16" on-center studs, but (of course) they're not centered about the TV location. For aesthetics, I'd like to mount a piece of plywood to the studs (on top of the wall) and then mount the TV support to the plywood.

Does that sound reasonable? Any insight as to particular plywood thickness?

Thanks.