placement of plasma tv

kidsdrs · 08-11-2010, 08:48 AM

I have read few blogs that adviced against placement of tv over the fire place.My wife says she heard that you can put fire place above the tv.Any information on this?Thanks-kidsdrs

gmhammes · 08-11-2010, 09:05 AM

Welcome!

Wood fireplace?

hyunelan2 · 08-11-2010, 09:57 AM

This is from the internet, might be worth reading for you. I wish I could put a TV above my fireplace, but I would end up with a permanent kink in my neck from having to look up so high.

Quote:

Plasma over the Fireplace Installation
Basic Considerations

Will the heat from the fireplace harm the plasma TV?

Plasma displays are normally specified to operate within a temperature range of 32 - 100 degrees Fahrenheit (0 - 40 degrees Celsius). The actual supported ambient operating temperature range varies from model to model, so please check with the accompanying product literature. This information is normally included as part of the product technical specifications and covers details for temperature and humidity ranges applicable to both operating and storage conditions.
Operating your plasma TV at temperatures above 100 degrees or so, may lead to premature damage to the electronics - shortening the display lifetime. On the other hand, operating at excessive low temperature may lead to a deteriorating on operational performance.
Thus, prior to proceeding with mounting your plasma over the fireplace, you first need to check the ambient temperature above the mantel when the fireplace is in use.
The best way to do this is to tape a thermometer at the point above the mantel where you plan to place your plasma TV set. Then build a fire and let it burn for some time. Once the temperature stabilizes, take your readings. If it is close to or above the 100 degrees Fahrenheit, then the area is receiving too much heat - either escaping from the front of the fireplace and rising up the face, or radiating through the chimney wall.
Should this be the case, it would be unwise to mount your plasma over the fireplace - especially if you plan to run your plasma TV for long periods while the fireplace is in use. Though plasma TVs have their own cooling mechanism, operating the unit at high ambient temperatures reduces the effectiveness of the plasma cooling system - thus increasing your risk of premature damage to your plasma TV. You may always opt to use your plasma TV while the fireplace is off but...
Do not forget that operating your plasma television set at relatively high ambient temperatures for extended periods may also void the product warranty since you will not be making use of your plasma in the environment it was designed for.
Note: Burning a fire with the plasma over the fireplace while your plasma TV is off will not harm your flat-panel TV. This being so as long as the ambient temperature is within the storage temperature range for your plasma TV; the latter is typically from 15 to 120 degrees Fahrenheit (approx. -10 to 50 degrees Celsius).
How should you mount the plasma over the fireplace?

The simplest way is to put the plasma on the mantel as long as the latter is deep enough to take a tabletop stand for your plasma TV. However, a better- looking option is to wall mount your plasma over the fireplace.
The whole process of fixing the plasma TV wall mount - irrespective of the nature of the wall above the mantel - is described in detail in the second part of our Plasma TV Installation Guide. If it is drywall, use appropriate fixtures to penetrate the studs, if it is a brick wall, use anchor-blots.
The main issue here is to pay attention to the amount of heat to which your plasma TV is exposed; this should always be of a concern when mounting your plasma over the fireplace. In particular, be aware that some bricks tend to radiate more heat than others.
In addition, it is not recommended to opt for a recessed installation when mounting your plasma over the fireplace; you may easily have issues with overheating. Furthermore, while aesthetically, a recessed installation is an interesting option, yet you may have issues with the size of your recess should you desire to replace or upgrade your plasma sometime in the future.
As stated, for details on how to wall mount a plasma TV, please follow through the information given in the second part of our installation guide.
Plasma TV too high - How can you go about it?

One issue we touched upon in the first part of our Plasma TV Installation Guide is correct screen height. When mounting a plasma over the fireplace, there is a real risk that your plasma will be too high for real comfortable viewing while seated, especially if the mantel is a bit higher than average.
In these circumstances, it is best to make use of a tilting plasma TV wall mount. Tilting wall mounts provide for a change in the vertical angle of view (typically ±15 degrees) of the television, depending on the viewer position. These flat-panel TV wall mounts are best suited where the ideal mounting height is not feasible. A tilting wall-mount would typically add no more than 0.5 to 1 inch to the overall depth in comparison to a fixed wall mount. More on flat-panel TV mounts can be found in our Guide to LCD TV Mounts.
Note: The use of a tilting wall mount represents only a partial solution to a too high a plasma TV installation. Still, you may still suffer from a strained neck especially if you do not have appropriate recliners for your seating. Nevertheless, if you can manage to maintain the bottom frame of the plasma screen at least at or below eye level when seated, you should still enjoy acceptable comfortable viewing experience.
Do you need to call in professional assistance?

If you are not sure that you can install your plasma over the fireplace, our advice is to call professional help. Contact some local Audio/Video or home theater store in your area and ask for recommendations for an installer. Also, look for Home Theater in the yellow pages. Finding a professional installer should not be difficult but...
Unfortunately, there are many out there who think they know what they are doing. Be careful! Check their past experience by asking specific questions about how many plasma television sets they have installed - including about LCD and plasma over the fireplace installations. Be ready to pay for them to come and do a site survey; any good installer will surely want to do this first.

CoconutPete · 08-11-2010, 10:20 AM

Of course you can mount your TV over the fireplace.... you can mount your TV anywhere you please. This is the internet, however, so for every 1 satisfied customer with their TV mounted over their fireplace you are going to find 1 person who will tell you that your TV will instantly combust if you mount it over the fireplace.

I have a buddy with his mounted over a fireplace and he is happy w/ it. He does, however not use the fireplace. If you use the fireplace all the time I would probably not do it.

We just burn a starter log in ours every once in a while so we are still considering it because the mantle is so high.

From that article: This has always cracked me up:
"When mounting a plasma over the fireplace, there is a real risk that your plasma will be too high for real comfortable viewing while seated, especially if the mantel is a bit higher than average.
In these circumstances, it is best to make use of a tilting plasma TV wall mount. Tilting wall mounts provide for a change in the vertical angle of view"

How exactly does a tilting mount help with the fact that the TV is up high? I'm fairly certain that you still have to look up to the same height if it's tilted

kidsdrs · 08-11-2010, 12:21 PM

Thanks for quick response.gmhammes Iam ralking about gas fire place ,if it can be above the TV.My wife says she heard about it but can't recall the source.Thanks-kidsdrs