I’ve had the opportunity to see a lot of strangers’ TVs lately. Until recently, my wife and I were hunting across all of southern Ontario for a new house, and that meant checking out plenty of living rooms online or in person. In the process, one small thing I noticed is that it was practically the default for people to mount their TV. That’s in stark contrast with my childhood, when sets were often too heavy for a single person to carry, much less put on a wall.
Naturally, in many scenarios, mounting may be your best or only option. But it shouldn’t be an automatic reflex, and it’s not hard to understand why — I’m just suggesting that you should plan carefully.
What’s so wrong with mounting a TV?
Great now, terrible later
Installation can be complicated, speaking from experience. You have to find a mount rated to hold your TV’s size and weight, and unless it’s a particular light TV, locate wall studs you can drill the mount into. You next have to mark hole locations on the wall, and doublecheck that everything remains level during the finishing steps. Most mounts don’t let you freely twist a TV, and a set that’s ever-so-slightly off is going to become a splinter in your mind’s eye.
Remember also that mounting is a (relatively) permanent action. Once you’re done, that’s where your TV is going to stay, unless you’re willing to undo all that drilling and patch over the holes you just left. You’re losing the flexibility to reposition your TV on a whim, even if that might mean dragging a heavy entertainment center at the same time. You’re in for a special headache if you tend to move homes frequently, or you live in an apartment with a picky landlord. Some property managers may not want you hanging anything more elaborate than a framed photo.
One issue you might not have considered is port access. It’s not such a big deal if your TV’s HDMI and USB connections are on the side, as the home theater gods intended — but if they’re on the back, mounting can make things awkward to reach, sometimes a literal pain. It’s probably not the way to go if you’ve got a stable of game consoles you like to swap in and out.
The spots available for mounting often make for a terrible viewing experience. Mainly I’m thinking of the people who mount a TV above a mantelpiece or large cabinet. While that may look great from a decorator’s perspective, it can force viewers to crane their necks, whether a little or a lot. That in turn discourages long, relaxed viewing or gaming experiences. Some furniture nooks actually limit the TV sizes you can pick — which is taking a step backwards when sets over 60 or 70 inches are increasingly the norm, and even 100-inch models are gaining traction. A TV should be allowed to dominate the wall behind it, much in the same way that you wouldn’t buy a small fridge because it makes your kitchen look a little slicker. Function should trump form.
So when should you mount your TV?
You’ve got valid reasons
In a living room, mounting can be a way of avoiding the cost of an entertainment center if you don’t need one. Or even if you do, floor space may be at a premium, as it was in my last house. My wife actually decided to custom-cut wall shelves for our soundbar and Steam Deck, which was the right decision. We made full use of the space an entertainment center would’ve occupied without sacrificing screen size.
People also use mounts to install TVs in places where even a small one wouldn’t ordinarily go. That might be under a kitchen cabinet, say, or over a desk in an office or workshop. I’m hoping to install one in a future home gym, since it would be nice to watch Rocky IV or Conan the Barbarian in between sets instead of always listening to music. One of the biggest gym equipment manufacturers, Rogue, actually sells a display that mounts directly into its power racks. A luxury? You bet, especially since there’s a risk you might smash it. But I’d be more worried about an unmounted TV, since I might accidentally back into it with a barbell, or shake it when I drop that barbell after a heavy deadlift.
There’s actually a third choice here: a rollable stand. That does depend on having a smooth floor, but at least you get some of the benefits of mounting without being locked into your initial room placement. There are people in my life who can’t stand the idea of being unable to rearrange furniture because it would wreck movie night. I might actually consider the idea for my new living room, now that I think about it.
