Acquired a brand new TV for entertaining in the course of the holidays? Is it loads larger than your final TV? Earlier than you dive into all of the enjoyable stuff, that you must think about a vital query: The place are you going to place it?

Whether or not you wall-mount or use a TV stand, there are some essential, and infrequently unintuitive, features to contemplate. For example, do you know that unhealthy TV placement can scale back a TV’s obvious image high quality, trigger neck ache and extra? You undoubtedly do not need to mount your TV too excessive, too distant or at a bizarre angle.

Points created by unhealthy TV placement may not be obvious instantly, however over weeks and months they may very well be noticeable, annoying and probably even painful. The time hole may very well be sufficient that you just may not even understand it is the TV’s placement inflicting the problems.

Is that this hyperbole? Probably not. Take into account that the Occupational Security and Well being Administration has requirements in how your work setting is setup to attenuate the prospect of repetitive stress accidents. In the event you’re watching 4 to 6 hours of TV at night time, it is doable you would be vulnerable to most of the similar points. Additionally, most TVs look far worse “off axis,” as in too far above, under or to the aspect of the middle of the display. So all that cash you spent on a brand new TV may very well be wasted by not taking a look at it from the angle it appears finest.

Mounting a TV above a hearth can be a foul concept, as is the toilet. A slight seating shuffle, or adjusting your most popular pedestal placements, might yield higher image high quality or enable for a bigger TV. So earlier than you mount a TV or purchase an costly TV stand, think about these dos and don’ts for TV placement.

Do these 5 issues earlier than you arrange a brand new TV

Do examine TV peak 

Whereas there is no set peak for TV placement, ideally you do not need the TV to be too excessive. Staring up at a TV is like sitting within the entrance row of a movie show. It is not very best, not comfy and never conducive to lengthy viewing periods. Usually talking, you need the middle of the TV to be about eye stage, and even barely decrease. That is true whether or not you are mounting the TV or placing it on a stand.

For extra on this, take a look at my information on how excessive you need to put your TV.

Do examine the space out of your sofa to your TV

It is unlikely anybody studying that is going to be sitting too near their TV. Sitting nearer to your TV has two advantages: It fills extra of your discipline of view (so it is extra immersive), and you may see extra decision (the picture is extra detailed). If you cannot or do not need to sit nearer, you may alternatively get a bigger TV. Take a look at this text on how large a TV you can purchase for more information.

Do look out for sources of TV glare

Room lighting and reflections are the No. 1 killer of TV pictures in accordance with a examine I simply made up. The actual fact is sort of each fashionable TV has a reflective display, and I do not care how superior your lamps are, they don’t seem to be as attention-grabbing as what’s on TV. Certain, you may simply flip off the lights (or shut the blinds), however generally that is not straightforward or doable. If it is not, take a look at our piece on how one can rid your HDTV of reflections.

In the event you’re considering of wall mounting, have in mind all of the Do’s talked about up to now. Plus, for those who’re considering of getting an LCD, be sure to get a wall mount that is capable of pivot or modify. With few exceptions, LCDs have worse efficiency for those who’re not sitting straight in entrance of them. Having the ability to pivot or transfer a wall-mounted TV so it is aimed straight at your eyeballs might be an enormous enchancment in image high quality (in comparison with the identical TV not geared toward you). It is price mentioning at this level that TV weight is just not a limiting issue in terms of mounting.

Do think about greater than type

Relating to TV stands, there are numerous choices. Take into account the TV peak along with no matter type you want. Most stands are pretty uniform in peak, and some inches above or under very best is not going to matter, however a big TV on a tall stand is not an important concept.

Do think about security, particularly when you’ve got younger children

Seems that falling TVs injure a number of children yearly. Discover out how one can maintain your TV from falling over for those who’ve obtained children or full of life pets.

Do not make these seven frequent TV placement errors

Do not mount your TV too excessive

A TV on the appropriate peak goes to look actually low while you’re standing. Which is ok, since more often than not you will not be standing while you’re watching it. Mounting a TV too excessive can actually be a ache within the neck. If you need an excellent giggle, there is a full of life subreddit dedicated to footage of people that have mounted their TVs too excessive.

Do not mount a TV above the fireside 

Critically. Do not mount a TV above a hearth. For the above cause and extra — not the least of which is that warmth is the enemy of all electronics. Even for those who by no means use your hearth, mounting a TV above it’s nearly all the time too excessive to look at from a sofa.

Do not feel restricted by a cupboard, bookcase or leisure heart 

When you have a cupboard, bookcase or leisure heart the place your TV has all the time been, it is price contemplating dropping it. That is a giant ask, particularly for a brand new TV, however think about two issues. First, it not solely limits the dimensions of the TV you may get, however the high quality. In case your cupboard can solely match a 42-inch TV, know that the higher TV tech like native dimming, OLED and Mini-LED are nearly solely obtainable in bigger sizes. If they are often present in smaller sizes, there are normally just one or two fashions. Second, relying the place the TV’s audio system are positioned, a cupboard might severely scale back the TV’s sound high quality and quantity. (When you have a 5.1-speaker system or soundbar, this would possibly not be a problem.)

Do not put your indoor TV outdoors

Do not mount a “common” TV outdoors. There are TVs made for simply that. Or, for those who do not need to spend the cash on a TV designed for open air, simply know that any TV you allow on the market is not more likely to final lengthy (even when it is beneath an awning). Greatest to carry it in while you’re not utilizing it.

Do not feel you want a ‘actual’ TV

For kitchens and bogs, a sensible show like a Google Nest Hub or Amazon Echo Present may get you every thing you want with out the dimensions and trouble of a full-size TV.

Do not sit too distant out of your TV 

Nevertheless, you may get a bigger TV to compensate. At 10 ft away, you would get the most important TV available on the market and nonetheless not see pixels. 

Do not put your TV at a bizarre angle 

If it’s a must to flip your head to see the display, it is simply going to result in sore necks. Twisting your head a bit might not look like a giant deal, however holding it that means for hours at a time is usually a ache — actually.

Backside line

Let’s take two rooms as examples. First room: You might have an important TV, mounted excessive on a wall close to the nook, with the couch and adjoining lamps, on the opposite aspect of the room within the different nook. These poor of us have a small-seeming TV, a lot of reflections, and stiff necks from turning and searching up on the TV. Second room: The TV is mounted at eye stage, the couch is 8 to 9 ft away and there are not any lamps to replicate on the display. During which room would you need to watch a marathon of Andor?

Correct placement can decide a good portion of the general enjoyment of a brand new TV. It is price contemplating adjusting your room to be extra conducive to comfy TV viewing. Not solely will you acquire potential image and luxury enhancements, however within the course of, you may release more room for different issues. Like a rug that basically ties the room collectively. 

As soon as you’ve got obtained the location discovered, here is how one can arrange your new TV. In the event you’ve already obtained it arrange, listed here are some essential image high quality settings to regulate, together with turning down the sharpness management. In the event you’re having bother listening to dialogue, there are some settings you may modify which may assist.

In addition to overlaying TV and different show tech, Geoff does picture excursions of cool museums and places around the globe, together with nuclear submarines, huge plane carriers, medieval castles, epic 10,000 mile street journeys, and extra. Take a look at Tech Treks for all his excursions and adventures.

He wrote a bestselling sci-fi novel about city-size submarines, together with a sequel. You’ll be able to observe his adventures on Instagram and his YouTube channel.