The Skinny on Finding the Proper Flat TV Wall Mount

To the shock and dismay of many first time flat TV purchasers, their glorious new TV set is not quite ready for action immediately upon purchase. You see, most new TV’s don’t come with a flat TV wall mount included. Sure you can plug it in and hook your cable up to it with no troubles, but…where are you going to put it? Short of hammering some heavy-duty nails through your new TV, it’s not exactly just going to cling to a wall on its own.

To help complicate matters, there are several different factors to consider when looking for a wall mount to purchase. Some of these are fairly obvious, while others may not be. Let’s look at some of the factors you’ll need to consider before making a TV wall mount purchase.

Carrying Capacity – Like an avatar in a computer RPG, wall mounts can only carry so much weight. To avoid a tragic scenario such as your TV and wall mount breaking off the wall and crashing through the floor into the basement below, ensure that the wall mount you have your eyes on can adequately carry your TV’s weight, potentially for years to come.

TV Motion Capability – This has nothing to do with the Nintendo Wii you may or may not be hooking up to your new flat TV, and everything to do with the wall mount’s ability, or lack thereof, to tilt and/or swivel your TV screen in different directions. This functionality will largely depend on the room you’re TV will reside in, and how high you plan on setting it. The higher up the TV will be set, the more you’ll likely need to be able to tilt your TV. Wall mounts are typically broken into several broad categories which define their motion capability. These are:

Bracket Mount – The TV is firmly set, with no capability for moving it to and fro.

Folding Mount – These mounts allow for a wide range of movement, both vertical and lateral. Another positive aspect of these mounts is that thanks to their joints the TV can be kept close to the wall when it’s not otherwise needed to have it positioned a certain way. This short mounting distance is generally desired, as it makes the TV installation less obtrusive.

Tilting Mount – These mounts are the ones most commonly used for mounting flat screen TV’s. They allow the TV to be tilted up or down, but don’t allow any sideways movement. As such it’s important to have the TV set up in the perfect spot beforehand.

Other factors to consider when shopping for a flat TV wall mount include the size and layout of the mounting holes on both the TV and the wall mount, and whether or not the wall mount includes any slots for organizing and fastening the many cables which will be hooked up to your TV.

It may seem like an extra headache, but finding the ideal flat TV wall mount will enhance and perfect your viewing experience. If nothing else, it sure as heck beats nailing your TV to the wall.

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